Safari vehicle in Safari
Spirit of Kenya
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $300 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
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Email Caito & Devin | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Can't Say Enough Great Things!!!
Words cannot describe the amazing adventure we had on our 7-day safari! Everything from the immediate response to my first email inquiry to the sad farewell we had to bid our incredible guide, and the months of customized planning and friendly conversation in between, went far beyond our every expectation. The entire staff is top notch! We dreamed for years of a private safari for two but never imagined it could become a reality. We chose the camping to better fit within our budget and couldn't imagine doing it any other way. It was a fantastic experience and worth every dollar. Our guide Emma made each and every day extra special and we enjoyed his personality immensely! We were also blown away by the quality of food. Pascali kept good care of us and my vegetarian needs. I think I must have gained 5kg with all of that great cooking! Look no further than It Started in Africa! They take the time to listen to your needs and offer suggestions you may never think to consider or ask about. Every question is answered and nothing goes undone. You can simply relax and enjoy the trip of a lifetime knowing they have every detail covered. Once it starts in Africa, you will not want it to end. Guaranteed to be nothing short of the most wonderful experience all around, and one you will never forget. We can't thank them enough!
Email Toni, Paul, Wendy, Luciano and Mateo | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A dreamlike experience - still can't believe how good it was!!!
The five day safari to Lake Manyara, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and the Masai village was magical and a lot of the time I thought I must be dreaming. Being in the Serengeti was like being in Jurassic Park with big animals like giraffes and elephants walking alongside us at a leisurely pace as we drove along. Some animals even shared the campsite with us, in particular, a group of giraffes and a cheeky lot of mongooses in the first campsite and a buffalo which went seeking food during the night in the second campsite. We did one night in Lake Manyara Tented Lodge and three nights in public campsites. This was a good combination I think.
Our guide and driver, Baraka, and the cook, Samuel, were marvellous, managing to always be cheery and informative and look after us even in driving rain. On Day 4 Baraka had to put up all the tents while getting completely soaked and Chef managed a three course meal under the most trying of circumstances the same night. At one point the front open hatch in the car roof blew off on the way back and poor Baraka had to stop and deal with that too. The fact that Baraka was Masai was a great asset for the trip too as he was able to stop and chat to passing Masai cattle herders and tell us a lot about them. His knowledge of animals and birds was extensive and he knew how to find animals in the most unlikely terrain especially lions and hippos. He went out of his way to find a good shop to find cheap shukas for us as well.
The safari was also great because we were able to see people and not just animals. It was incredible to see lone Masai herders in their colourful shukas wandering through the first part of the Serengeti. The trip to the Masai village, although set up for tourists, was still very informative and Baraka number 2 (the village chief) gave us a very good historical backdrop to Kenya and the Masai , in particular.
Jackson and Simon also did a great job in getting us to the Tanzanian/Kenyan border, across the border and then on to Tsavo East and the Sheldrick Elephant Trust with a mini safari in between. The road on the Kenyan side was very difficult to drive and Simon managed it expertly, even stopping to change a tyre halfway there.
Overall, a great trip... once in a lifetime ...neither my husband, our two teenage boys, my sister or I will ever forget this experience. Thank you very much It Started in Africa and thank you too Joao, Silvia and team for organising it so well. I was first convinced to go with It Started in Africa because Joao’s responses to emails were lightning fast and he accommodated our every need as soon as the question was asked. The whole price of the trip was also considerably more affordable than other companies we researched. We would definitely book with them again.
CA
Email Your Global Family | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
“flawless from beginning to end”
I start off by thanking Joao, the Customer Service Happiness Manager, who is the reason that I chose this company. From the time I started my safari research, to our safari, Joao and I exchanged hundreds if not thousands of emails with every single detail that concerned us. Joao made us feel 100% comfortable and never tried to push anything on us, which made us choose this company, and we are 100% happy with our decision. This company certainly has the human factor that we needed and attention to details.
I cannot recommend it started in Africa enough, our every day pick up was on time, our drivers in both Kenya and Tanzania were very punctual and courteous. Jackson is absolutely lovely and helped us every step along the way. Our whole trip was exactly as planned, an out of this world 7 day safari with our 5 year old. The drivers are quite knowledgeable and calm with a good level of English. The safari vehicle, though it looked a bit old or rugged (no wonder with the roads), did not let us down. I did about a year of research for this trip, and I found It Started in Africa to have competitive prices for their packages. Here are a few pointers which we discovered along the way that our driver did not seem to know much about, which is understandable as most people do not look for the same things. If you are planning to purchase a tanzanite, the further you are from Arusha, the better the prices will be. Also, if you are going to Zanzibar after, most crafts are cheaper there than anywhere on safari. If you do the Masai village visit, keep in mind that the prices for their crafts are about 10 times higher than anywhere else, but if you wish to help the community, purchasing from them is a great option. Overall, I give this company 5 plus stars, we had an unforgettable experience and we owe it all to a fantastically run company, It Started in Africa.
best team ever to make the experience
I would like to start by saying the biggest thankyou to all of the team at it started in Africa. From the organisation from you all by emails to the actual trip. Joao was perfect in answering all questions asked and very quick reply's. Was so professional. Also to Silvia for organising an amazing team and helping with anything we asked when she picked us up. Your team couldn't be better especially to zippy and peter both guides. Nothing was two much for them and there information amazing about the mountain from names of plants to history of mountain to even names of stars. I watched other guides with guests on mountain with other companies and didn't pay half the attention like your guys did for us. These two make a great team and please use them alot more as they are super beneficial for you. They were well organised and get the team motivated. Also your chef amazing food very chatty very caring. Even the waiter whata Nic guy always happy and very very caring always checking we were alright and making us laugh. Your porters as well always polite and smiling to us. Was really a great team and made my trip completely. I have given Silvia a newspaper article of me for charity and also mentioned your company. When I return will do another article and mention you guys again how amazing your were. If you can please put my summit picture on your facebook and mention the charity will be a big help for us as well.
Thankyou for all your help and an amazing experience.
Best regards sam
They were very organized and well planned
We had a 5 day safari. Driving guide and all the plannings were good. I would recommend itstartedinafrica especially you intend to make a private and custom safari.
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Email Jill Burns | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Top experience of a lifetime!!!
I grew up as a child in Kenya. For a special, memorable trip, I wanted to take my 17 year old son on a mother/son to Kenya on a safari. After researching many safari companies online, I chose to use it Started in Africa. From the very beginning of the process, this company took every opportunity to answer my questions, suggest different options to fit our trip, and to respond in a short amount of time. The company felt more like a family!!
From the moment we arrived in Kenya to the very end, all details were perfectly carried out. We felt safe at all times. The Masai Mara safari was a dream! We loved the quick flight to Masi Mara and our camp!! We chose a private safari with our own guides. The guides were great and so educated on the animals and terrain. We felt like every person, every step of the way, went out of their way to make this the best trip. Thank you for allowing me, as a mom, to just sit back and connect with my son in such a wonderful place, while you took care of every detail. Can't wait to come back!!! I will definitely use It Statred In Africa again.
AE
Email Majed | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
“Great tour of Tanzania”
We took safari tour for about 7 nights with this comapny and it was a journey to remember. Seeing the animals in wild is just breath taking. Our tour guide Anthony was very helpful and since I had just my phone camera I needed to be very close to animals to take pictures. Anthony was very helpful and understanding
We came back toniur country with memorable memories. Thank you!
CA
Email Ruth Thomson | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A memorable experience!
It was the experience of a life time! Everything about the safari was excellent and memorable. The staff were all very kind and helpful. The meals were simple but good. I loved the rustic cabins. The guide/driver was very knowledgeable and told us all about the wild life. Even the wild life co-operated and showed themselves to us unstintingly. Of course, that was also because the drivers talked to each other and if one driver saw a certain animal he informed the others, and that was very helpful. The visit to the Masai village was the icing on the cake.
The whole safari experience was something that I will treasure all my life, and I know my son felt the same.
Thank you one and all for making the whole experience so unforgettable, a memory I will treasure for the rest of my life.
NG
Email Ete | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exhilarating
The tour was very nice, it provided an in depth insight into the sights and sounds of Kenya which I probably
would not have experienced if I travelled by air. The tour guide was absolutely amazing ,he was constantly
assisting to capture some breathtaking pictures
of the scenery.He deserves a 5 star applause. He was also very knowledgeable about where to find the animals
because I managed to see lions,elephants,giraffes and hyenas on the first day of my tour.
The hotel accommodation was simple and adequate with the lovely sights of the hippos and crocodiles.
It was a wonderful experience and I hope to do it again soon.
PT
Email Jorge Mendes | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
perfect by all means
excellent communication during the sales process. Super fast and helpful. Transfers and safari experience were handled smoothly and professionally. Everyone was professional and very kind. Will come again