Across The Wild Tours & Safaris top Guide
Across The Wild Tours & Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, KATO, AMREF, Eco Tourism & TRA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $800 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
We had the best time!
We had the best time on our Safari. We chose the suggested package which presented a great cross section of experiences and lodgings. Every single day was full of adventure! The gem in the Safari crown; our guides. I feel like we have two new wonderful friends. It wasn’t just that they couldn’t have been kinder but daily the wealth of knowledge they shared was jaw dropping. We learned so much. And, talk about eagle eyes! Wow! They could see what we could not. It was amazing. Now that our time in Kenya has come to an end, we all now have a severe case of game drive safari withdrawal. No doubt, the bug has bitten. We are already planning our return in 2024! Well done across the Wild!
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Email Alan Levy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My wife and I had the absolute best possible experience with "Across the Wild"!!
Where to start?? Fina, the owner of Across the Wild, personally greeted us when we arrived in Nairobi to prepare us for the week. The next morning, we met our guide for the week, David, who told us we were now family. It wasn't just words, he totally meant it. After our week on safari with him, David is now a life-long friend, and we consider him part of our family as well!
Thus started our 6-hour journey to Amboseli National Park and experiencing the incredible differences between our cultures. For the next week, David, my wife and I enjoyed talking and learning about life in Kenya, seeing what was similar and different, and educating each other about all of it. It wasn't a one-way street either, David enjoyed learning about it as much as we did.
After making it to Amboseli, we ended up arriving at the lodge a bit late because we had one amazing animal experience and another. Little did we know this would be our theme for the week, because David was so skilled at finding animals that other guides did not. I was sharing pictures with our travel agent all week (who booked us with Across the Wild after her own great experience), and she just got more and more jealous!! :)
For instance, the first night we found a pride of lionesses and their cubs at a significant distance by seeing some other jeeps. David noticed that the adults walked away to hunt, so he moved us to a road where he thought they'd come out of the brush. Nobody else did this. We ended up with an unforgettable experience watching and photographing two hungry lionesses about 20 feet (6 meters) away from us for at least 10 minutes before anybody else showed up.
The next morning, David was the only one who thought to go back out to where we initially saw the lions, and we found their cubs walking down the road. Again, we ended up with an unforgettable experience, watching and photographing the cubs playing in the grass 20-30 feet away from us for 15 minutes...and getting tormented by Guinea fowl of all things!! By the time anybody else showed up, the cubs had already wandered away.
These situations happened over and over all week!!
1. A massive 45-year old elephant with tusks almost to the ground named Michael was so close we looked each other in the eye.
2. Sitting in the middle of a large herd of ~30 giraffes watching their babies play and nurse.
3. An even better solo experience with a beautiful lioness in Maasai Mara National Park.
4. Sightings of Jackals that nobody else saw.
5. Chasing away a baboon during lunch one day.
6. Watching baby baboons learn about physics the hard way when they climbed a little tree.
7. Up-close-and-personal experiences with any number of zebra, wart hogs, gazelle, impala, and even many types of birds.
David was also incredibly knowledgeable about all the animals and birds. I don't think there was a single question the entire week that he couldn't answer. Plus, he was correctly identifying small birds at 50 meters without binoculars when they just looked like flying shadows! That was just nuts!!
I'm not sure how much more I can say about our experience. I think we had literally two negatives all week, and they were very minor. One was a lodge that turned off their generators at night which killed the fan and made the room get hot. That lodge also did not provide mosquito nets unless you asked for them...so we asked for them. The other was the food selection at the lodges. The selection itself was fine, I just wished they served more actual Kenyan dishes for us to try!
Purely based on our experience, we'd recommend Across the Wild over other safari companies every time. They were also an amazing value for the money considering everything that was included.
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Email Jan Schafer and Renee Steller | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Across the Wild Tours & Safaris offers a great experience at a good value
Operator was planned but flexible. They customized our itinerary and were able to weave in a couple extras like boat ride and hot air balloon. Reachable and responsive throughout our time in Africa. Assigned us a very happy, knowledgeable, courteous, articulate driver who aimed to please. David delivered every committed game drive, sunset, sightings and everything else we asked of him. Accommodations felt safe and all staff were super friendly and helpful. Only 2 things were not ideal for us: 1) food. Most certainly good quality and tasty, but we are not adventuresome eaters and craved PB&J or a hamburger; restaurant bar and staff were great! 2) beat the clock. sometimes we needed a kick in the pants at a roadside shop or lunch to avoid having to make up for lost time or risk being too late for entry to a park, for example. I would recommend across the Wild Tours & Safaris. Do your homework to set expectations. Enjoy the experience of a lifetime.
Takes time to understand customer’s preferences and tailors itinerary accordingly.
This was our second trip to Kenya booked through Across the Wild. Each time, Fina and her team took time to keep refining the itinerary until it matched our preferences and budget exactly. We flew between two different parks, so had two different driver guides, each was excellent. The booked accommodation was superb. We saw so much, including lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant and many others. Another fantastic trip, creating wonderful memories.
FR
Email Advait Nambiar | under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unbelievably Amazing First Time Safari Experience!
We booked the Safari around 8 months in advance for me and my father, the planning and communication with Fina was perfect beforehand. We emailed her and got a response on the same day, across the wild had a pre proposed itinerary, we could customize this to our needs, and all this too was quickly and efficiently communicated, we wanted to remove a night and add it in another park, and this was done rapidly with no problem. I had planned this for 3 people, however only few weeks before one of us had to cancel out, despite this very short notice, Fina was able to call hotels and change the booking while also giving money back with minor cancellation fees, this was handled very well by the agency. On the day of arrival, Fina had managed to meet us in the hotel despite the very late time, this was very hospitable and well appreciated. All the Payments were safe and handled well by the Across the Wild. All the promises on the itinerary were delivered and exceeded. The booking was very reliable with no problems at all, flawless! During the trip there was a Wifi problem, so my mother back at home was worried because we hadn’t messaged for a whole day, so Fina called us to make sure we were alright and told my mother the news. Fina throughout the trip conveyed her regards to us through our guide David, which was well appreciated.
Our Guide David was Fantastic! He was kind and hospitable from the very start of the journey at the pickup in the airport. He was eager to show us the best safari possible for the next 10 days. He was very knowledgeable, not only in the wildlife but in Many other things. My father and David had great conversations about politics and life in Kenya etc, he taught me and my father a lot of facts, while we also had many things to share about our culture (India), he was keen to learn about different cultures just like us, he is very easy to talk to. David is also very punctual, he was always early and ready to kick off game drives, transport to other parks etc. He had the Land cruiser prepped with roof open, windows open and our bottles filled with water before every game drive. The Land cruiser was slightly old with some issues like door getting jammed sometimes etc however this did not really create any issue on the whole, we never had problems during game drives with the cruiser as it was always fixed by David in time, and no serious issue to the cruiser anyways. We had to once wait at a gas station during transport longer than expected, this bothered my dad slightly as he felt this part wasn’t organized that well and was wasting some time, however I personally didn’t find this a huge problem as we reached on time in the end. David seemed to know everything about the wildlife in Kenya, from the trees to the smallest of birds, the massive amount of wildlife knowledge was amazing, given the fact that I’ve been a wildlife enthusiast since a young age. He is eager to teach this to us, as he sometimes questions us about animals and places to keep us interacted. He is a very careful driver, trying his best to reduce the impact of bumps and potholes on the road for the passengers, he kept within the speed limit during transport which made us feel very safe. He is also very respectful to the animals, keeping distance and giving them privacy, yet giving us the perfect shots of the animals, we got very close interactions while still respecting the wildlife. He was very patient and listened to our wants and needs as well. He gave us plenty of time to just relax and enjoy the animals around us. He was so good at giving us animal satisfaction that we did not want to take any more pictures of Lions because we had more than enough! We saw the big 5 and way way more! David also positioned us for the best view of a cheetah hunt which we witnessed on our last day, he made each game drive top the last one! I mentioned that my favorite animal was the cheetah, he ensured we see the cheetah, and we got to observe a cheetah for a whole day, and witness every moment of a cheetah’s day, this was amazing and all thanks to his knowledge of parks and patience given during the drives. He also was funny and insightful. If I had to go again I would definitely choose David as our guide. A very gentle and humble person. We hope his family can visit the Mara soon as they haven’t been there yet.
We were at Amboseli, Ol Pajeta , Lake Naivasha and Masai Mara, for a total of 10 days, all the lodges were friendly and impeccable, sweetwaters at Ol Pajeta is definitely a recommendation, with a must do night safari as an optional cost. The lodges were chosen by the agency and were all great choices. We had seen almost everything and we left very very happy and satisfied, we had a safe trip too especially during the election etc, so we thank across the wild a lot for giving us this opportunity for this great experience. I am looking to come back again with more family hopefully some time in the future! What a wonderful experience! Across the Wild fulfills an amazing experience at a good monetary value, I definitely recommend!
SA
Email Nur Abdi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Not good transportation (4x4 land cruiser) very old and not safe for children
The tour operator advertised the service as VIP. We had a unpleasant experience with the transportation service. We had selected the VIP service because of the transport as we have young children. The car provided was 4x4 land cruiser but had mechanical issues. At many instances the driver had issue with the gearbox.
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Email Christina Ernst | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The BEST! Every moment exceeded expectations from planning to trip end
Across the Wild
I just had the most incredible safari and game viewing experience with Across the Wild Safaris. I booked my trip last minute and went with a local outfitter based in Nairobi based on positive reviews.There were 2 of us (both well traveled females)
and we were well taken of from the moment we arrived until our adventure ended.
We visited 3 parks in a week. We had a van (not land cruiser) and boy were we happy! We did ride in one land cruiser a few hours on the way to a balloon ride and we were so comfortable in the van.
Our professional tour guide, Joseph. We appreciated the little tips and advice he gave us throughout our stay about the country and wildlife. He made sure we understood what we were experiencing and does not break the rules. Across the Wild guides have walkie talkies so they can stay on top of the wildlife to help find the elusive leopard, pride of lions or cheetahs. We witnessed other outfitters harassing wildlife by driving off road or pulling directly up to animals while making noises. A good guide does not do this. They are patient and do their best to take you to the animal habitats. Nature truly is unpredictable. Our trip was amazing. We witnessed all of the BIG FIVE in one day in Maasai Mari. We were flexible with our trip but went by the advice of the guide.
Fina at Across the Wild made our trip! She was friendly and helpful. She knows her hotel product and set us up wonderfully to hotels that matched our needs. We did tour other hotels, and realize there is something for everyone.
One thing, be prepared for the long day rides to parks. Some of our days averaged 6 hours of driving, then you
Head out for a game ride.
We could not be happier with our experience with Fina and the Across the Wild crew. We look forward to booking again with them really soon!
PG
Email Geya | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
BEST EASTER VACATION
My 2 sons and I had a 4 day group sharing safari with Across the Wild tours & safaris during Easter holiday and it was the most enjoyable experience we had. We had a total number of 6 people in the vehicle but provided our own room with 3 beds. At first we though it will be difficult to travel with strangers but then it turned out to be the opposite we all got along pretty well and it was fun sharing the experience and at the end of safari we were all friends.
We really liked the way everything was handled by this company and our guide in the field who was very friendly, knowledgeable and always dedicated to everyone. From day one when they picked us at the airport till the end. I also appreciate the attention that was given for our holiday and how quickly an offer was made. My Children absolutely loved the trip. It was an amazing experience.
I am already planning my next holiday with my parents and this time thinking of combining Kenya and Tanzania and I will still use Across the Wild again.
CA
Email Stephen | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
a wonderful safari experience
We had a wonderful trip to Kenya. Our safari was organized by Across the Wild Tours & Safaris, and it was the most wonderful holiday for both of us my husband, our 2 children and I have ever experienced. They were always quick to respond to us and from the moment we arrived at the airport we felt so welcomed, everything was well organized. All our accommodations were all 5 star, and the service from office staff to driver guide was of such a high standard.
Our guide together with the office staff picked us from the airport and took us to Eka Hotel for overnight and started our safari the next day. It was an 8 day plan so we spent 7 days on safari with our guide Steve and it was amazing. He truly made our trip such an immersing experience. He was very professional and friendly. This was an ideal tour for us that exceeded our expectations fully. We were extremely impressed with the amount of wildlife we were able to see plus the river crossing in mara, thanks to the skilled and knowledgeable guide. We also had an opportunity to visit the Maasai village which was an awesome experience to learn the masai culture.
Across the wild thank you for making our holiday dream possible and we highly recommend you to everyone planning safari to Kenya.
AE
Email Majid | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good company, nice staff but was misled about the vehicle
Prompt response to quotation request we posted in katokenya.org (which is the union of accredited tour companies in Kenya) which propagate your quotaion request to all accredited safari tour organizers in Kenya.
Always replies are prompt to further enquiries about the offer by Ms/Mrs Fina with flexibility to adjust program and cost.
Airport reception, tour punctuality and game drive experiences are excellent with driver Steve. Steve has excellent and customer-care personality. We are very thankful to him.
Hotels and all arrangements are as promised except for the vehicle, which really made a difference and was the most obvious disappointment.
I was clear to specify to Fina I wanted 4 x 4 land cruiser which turned out based on our experience there that 98%-99% of tour companies provide to their clients who asked and paid for (category 4x4 land cruiser). On top of that nearly 85% of land cruisers used by other companies are new or almost new. We received photo confirmation of the vehicle type to be 4x4 landcruiser while when we arrived there we were surprised they actually provided 4x4 very old landrover with very old non-comfortable interiors and hard seats. This reduced much the comfort of the lengthy roads (4-5 hours) between national parks that we stayed in and also the comfort during game drives.
There was absolutely no communication from acrossthewild tour company that the vehicle provided will not be land cruiser but old land rover instead. This in my opinion is misleading in that part of arrangement, they might also depended on the fact that the first trip was from Nairobi Airport to Amboseli, so there was no chance for us to ask or argue about the vehicle type otherwise we would ruin the next day in Amboseli. That's what happened actually so we just proceeded and withstood the vehicle for the rest of the 7 days. Just to give you an idea of the matter, our ancient land rover was the ONLY land rover we saw in 7 days of game drives among the tens of land cruisers provided by other companies and we came across them.
Even when we later mentioned the point lightly to them, the excuse was that we reserved the package late !!!!!! firstly, even with that excuse they should have informed us in advance by email and left the decision to us to go with that odd vehicle or not instead of sending different photo. Secondly, until the end before we selected them other companies were offering us very close or even one of them lower price with confirmed new 4x4 land cruiser option, so that was wasted opportunity for us because of their lack of transparency and misleading.
Other than the vehicle issue, we have no problems or conservations on this company. Just try to make it clear to them that if the vehicle is not as agreed, you would not pay the balance 70% upon arrival.