Reviews

Sort By: Date Most Helpful Rating 41-50 of 480 Reviews
Sue   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: January 2017 Reviewed: Feb 6, 2017

Email Sue  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Nine days in Kenya
5/5

We had a wonderful trip organised by It Started in Africa. I think we were especially lucky to have had Martin as our driver/guide. He was always polite, informative and did a fantastic job in driving us around. As you know we booked to cover a great deal of Kenya in a short time!

All the places you suggested that we stay, were lovely. Especially Tumbili Lodge and our last camp outside the Masai Mara, Basecamp. They were both very special places.

It was interesting to travel from Tsavo West, to Amboseli and then up the Rift Valley and then back down to the Masai Mara and definitely worth the trip to the North to see the flamingos on Lake Baringo.

I guess the highlights were seeing a leopard in Tsavo West who allowed us to study him close up very early in the morning for 15 minutes, and then the lovely mixture of non aggressive animals in Amboseli. The Masai Mara allowed us to see lion, cheetah, elephant, rhino, and so many other animals too many to mention.

We have already recommended your company to our friends and I shall send through a few photos.

Julie Park   –  
United States US
Visited: December 2014 Reviewed: Jun 19, 2015

Email Julie Park  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Wonderful
5/5

Just wanted to thank this amazing team for organizing such a life changing experience for our family. We had an amazing vehicle (see picture), our guide Johnsson was professional but cheerful and friendly at the same time, the itinerary design was great considering our short timeframe and the accommodation options recommended surprised me for the huge value for money. All the pre-bookings were handled perfectly by email and phone.

Vidhi   –  
India IN
Visited: August 2014 Reviewed: Nov 11, 2014

20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

The Great Migration - A timeless safari experience with a full complement of African wilderness
4/5

My trip to Masai Mara with ‘ It Started In Africa’ was everything I expected of an Africa wilderness & much more. Never ending planes, rocky roads, the most stunning sun rise, flowing river filled with hippo & crocs & a land where animals & humans live in harmony with each other.

Masai Mara was a destination which was amongst the top ten destinations on my Bucket List. So there I went planning a trip & trying to get quotations for many local travel companies in Kenya. That’s when we came across ‘It Started In Africa’ who offered us the best packages & deals.

Particia from ‘ It Started In Africa’ was our only point of contact while I was planning the trip and she did a fabulous & commendable job. We were a group of 4 people & our plan was to visit Lake Nakuru & Masai Mara for 7 days trip & she planned our itinerary offering us amazing & comfortable stay in the lap of the nature & all in our budget.

Our guide, driver & a person with fabulous experience & knowledge Alex from the company was our companion from day 1 to day 7 and thanks to him that we witness all the drama of the Mara jungle – migratory heard of Zebras marching across the river while the hungry crocs were awaiting for their meal, a cheetah making a mad dash through the grassland attacking wildebeest or croc dramatically rising from the waters in the Mara river…. We also witnessed the Big 5 and amazing species of birds.

I could go on and on and on about our trip to the Masai Mara, and by writing this comment I just wanted to thank ‘It Started In Africa’ team, Patricia & Alex for an unforgettable experience. Keep up the fabulous work & marvellous client services. I would highly recommend ‘It Started In Africa’ for any safari trips to Africa.

Cheers.
Vidhi

Trip Date: 25th - 31st August

Katy Mayglothling   –  
United States US
Visited: October 2012 Reviewed: May 7, 2014

Email Katy Mayglothling  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Honeymoon Safari
5/5

My Husband and I used It Started In Africa and our guide was Thobias. It was the most amazing experience of our lives. The service was incredible. At the end of our safari before heading to Zanzibar i broke my camera and was devastated BUT It Started In Africa came to the rescue and lent me one of their cameras to take with me to the island of Zanzibar. It was very gracious and generous on their part. Our chef was fantastic and the food was beyond my expectations. If you have any questions or would like to see some pics just message me!

Monika N   –  
United States US
Visited: February 2024 Reviewed: Mar 7, 2024

Email Monika N  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The best experience !!!
5/5

When I started planning a safari trip I picked a few companies and Spirit of Kenya stuck out the most. Their website was informative and Vanessa was quick to responding to my email.

From start to finish, Vanesa was absolutely amazing to work with. She provided us so much information, and adjusted our itinerary multiple times.

The safari itself was absolutely amazing. Our drivers were always a few minutes early. They were able to find every animal we wanted to see multiple times a day.
The housing options provided were nothing short of amazing. Vanessa gave us 3 options per area of various price ranges so we can keep within our budget.

Everyone we met was more than welcoming. The meals were 10/10.

I cannot recommend this company enough. If I go back to Africa I will most definetly go thru them again.

Thank you Vanessa.
Thank you Joseph and Habibu our game drivers !!!

Remarkable experience !

Bernardina Sala   –  
Argentina AR
Visited: February 2024 Reviewed: Mar 4, 2024

Email Bernardina Sala  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Excelent Service!
5/5

The trip was amazing! We loved seeing the animals in their habitat. The camps are beautiful, complete and with very friendly staff. they are as seen in the photos.

Pita, the driver, and Oska the spanish guide were very friendly. They did everything possible so that we could see all the animals and take the best photos.

And Filipa was excelent in the organization one year ago by email.

We are very happy with this adventure and very grateful. We sincerely recommend Spirit of Kenya.

Werner & Uschi   –  
Austria AT
Visited: February 2024 Reviewed: Mar 2, 2024

Email Werner & Uschi  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Just perfect!
5/5

We had a 5 days Safari including NP Amboseli, NP Lake Nakuru and NP Masai Mara.
Our journey was breathtaking - we loved it so much and learned a lot of the country, people and animals!
Our tour, put together from Vanessa, was excellent! Everything worked very well! Thank you for that support. She answered always immediatly to our lot of questions.
The planing as well as the implementation of our journey was perfect!

The Lodges were stunning - especially The Cliff and Ilkeliani!
Our Guide James was really a stroke of luck - nice, funny, good driver, fulfill every wish, eyes like an eagle - just perfect!

In just a few days of safari we got the BIG5 and a lot of other animals like cheethas, hippos, gazelles, zebras, seaeagles, giraffes,.....

Anna   –  
Switzerland CH
Visited: February 2024 Reviewed: Feb 21, 2024

Email Anna  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Amazing safari in Kenya and Tanzania
5/5

We went on a Kenya-Tanzania safari with Spirit of Kenya and had an amazing time. Filipa, our trip planner, deserves special commendation for her dedication and expertise in crafting the perfect itinerary. Her attention to detail and deep knowledge of the region ensured that every day of our safari was filled with breathtaking encounters with wildlife and awe-inspiring landscapes. Her recommendations for accommodations, game drives, and cultural experiences truly exceeded our expectations.
Throughout the trip we felt taken care of by the lodge staff and our drivers. Everything was taken care of and we could relax and enjoy the wildlife and this once in a lifetime experience. Our driver in Tanzania, Deo, was very knowledgeable and connected well with my teenage son. Great trip overall.

yulia   –  
Russia RU
Visited: November 2023 Reviewed: Dec 2, 2023

Email yulia  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Amazing Experience
5/5

Hot on the heels, I decided to write a review about the company "Spirit of Kenya"
From the very beginning, the attentive Filipa worked with us, who answered all our questions, helped us decide on hotels and gave basic advice on what vaccinations we should get, how to get a visa and what we need to take with us on the trip. Upon arrival in Nairobi, we were met by representatives of the company and taken to the hotel, the next day we agreed with the driver about a trip to the Giraffe Center, along the way he took us to various iconic tourist places, talking about life and life in Kenya. This was our first time in Africa, we didn’t know what to expect and were pleased with the attention and care from the company, the driver did not leave us for a minute.
The next day at 7 am our driver Rafael came to pick us up, we upgraded the car in advance from a basic minivan to a Land cruiser safari, the car was completely at our disposal. The road to Amboseli took almost 5 hours, Rafael, our driver, drove very skillfully on the highway, one section was completely clogged with trucks and trucks. In Amboseli we stayed in the basic version of Kibo Safari Camp, a very pleasant, family-run hotel, with a large protected area, a large restaurant and bar. We were extremely lucky with the view from our room; every morning we watched the sunrise on Kilimanjaro and the rise of hot air balloons. The hotel had a very cool, kind, family atmosphere, many children and adults who did not interfere with each other at all. On the same day we went on a safari, where immediately from the entrance to the reservation we saw zebras, giraffes and huge families of elephants. Rafael masterfully chose the best positions, tried to get as close to the animals as possible and talk about the life and characteristics of each animal. Amazing experience. Next was a long drive to Lake Naivasha, where we stayed at the Naivasha Sopa Lodge. A beautiful, colonial hotel, I personally liked the zebras walking on the grass like cows. At night, hippos come to spend the night on the hotel grounds. Animals living on site are perhaps the main advantage of this hotel. The next day was a long drive to Masai Mara, where we stayed at the stunning Basecamp Mara. This hotel completely won my heart, comfortable tents in the very center of the savannah, where you are separated from wild life by a river on both sides and nothing else. This place is the best illustration of a safari, where you are a small part of nature, you can see baboons and giraffes in the morning, watch the sunrise and sunset and observe the wild world. At this hotel we were amazed by the representatives of Masai Mara; here the guys work at night, protecting the territory from wild animals. Amazing strong, fearless and noble people. The safari on the Masai reservation was the best thing that happened to us in all 6 days; we have not seen so many wild animals in more than one day. An amazing experience that I wish to live at least once in my life. We saw the "Big 5" lion, buffalo, rhino, leopard and elephants all in one place! I thank our guide Rafael, he is confident, knowledgeable and very calm as an elephant)) a comfortable person. The organization of the safari from start to finish was at the highest level, representatives were always in touch, an experienced driver, a comfortable car. We were absolutely satisfied with our experience, happy that we chose this company

(automatic translation from Russian)

Tony F   –  
United States US
Visited: September 2023 Reviewed: Oct 4, 2023

Email Tony F  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Spirit of Kenya far exceeded our expectations!!
5/5

Our decision to go with Spirit of Kenya far exceeded our expectations. We felt very comfortable after our first few planning meetings with our Personal Journey Designer's (Filipa). We received first class communications during the planning stages of our adventure. We went with an 11-day safari in Kenya & Tanzania, and it was nothing short of amazing. Our guides (Michael, Solum and Johnston) were kind, knowledgeable and an overall joy to spend time with. We learned so much about the countries, animals and history of the various parks. Each of the bush camps/lodges we stayed were beautiful, clean and the staff made you feel like family. We did not have one disappointing meal the entire time!! Cheers to Spirit of Kenya! Keep of the good work and we will see you again in a few years.

Average User Rating
4.9/5
Rating Breakdown
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