Our specially built Land cruisers for our safaris.
Best Memory Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $180 to $450 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Melissa | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
14-day safari for three: the MOST AMAZING adventure ever!
Overall: Best Memories did not disappoint. We had the best driver EVER, Patrick. He got us up close and personal to everything, was extremely professional and courteous, and had a wealth of knowledge about all things nature, culture, or otherwise Kenya. We could not have had a better guide in Patrick! As others have mentioned, Best Memories is a small organization and it does feel risky to transfer money overseas to a small operator. However, I believe we had much more personalization and it feels right to invest in a small, local business. We had no problems whatsoever and Isaac was a joy to plan things with and was very accommodating of our interests and schedule. Isaac planned all the accommodations, transfers, domestic flight, and tours, which we were delighted to not have to figure out ourselves. I feel we got a better value than we would have with some of the other larger, commercial operations.
Below are reviews for each location, on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being best for Accommodation and Food. Note that for most locations, it is standard to have guards to protect guests from wild animals (which we found were actually needed as we were awoken many nights by lions, elephants, or hippos!). It is also the case that guests are not allowed out of the vehicle in most park locations for safety reasons, so it is nice to find accommodations that have some protected grounds (usually with electric fences) to walk in for birding and other casual wildlife viewing in one’s free time. Also, note that a tented camp (hung canvas tents under a roof on a platform) does not mean less luxurious - the nicest and most comfortable place we stayed was at Voyager Ziwani, and was a tented camp.
Nairobi/Eka Hotel one night
Accommodation - 3 - The hotel was convenient and somewhat upscale, but the beds were not as comfortable as elsewhere. Not really in a location for wandering much. The staff was excellent.
Food - 4 - there were many delicious choices at the buffet and the coffee was exceptional
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - we went to the giraffe center and were able to feed them - this was a wonderful experience and our first stop in Kenya. We also went to the Karen Blixen Museum, which was historically interesting and there is a lovely nature trail where we saw some birds and Hyrax.
Nakuru/Lake Nakuru Lodge one night
Accommodation - 4 - Lodge was very comfortable and we had the end unit, where we had a great view of the valley and a pride of lions!
Food - 4 - buffet had local foods and choices and the most delicious passionfruit mousse dessert
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - spectacular - flamingos by the thousands and likely the best and most likely spot to see rhinos in Kenya. Also up and close giraffe watching. Lodge was terrific for wandering the grounds for birds.
Masaii Mara/ Enkorok Mara camp - two nights
Accommodation - 4 - the tented camp is just outside the park and has lovely grounds for birdwatching (no fence, be careful for elephants). The staff were very helpful and protective.
Food - 2 - As a new accommodation, I think they were still working out menus; some things were good but much less choice and not as well prepared as other locations.
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - Far and away the absolute best of all the parks. We saw a crocodile eat a zebra (gulp), lions having sex, a cheetah on a wildebeest kill close up, a leopard in a tree with a gazelle, many thousands of wildebeests, warthogs, rollers, secretary bird, ostrich, jackals, hyenas, and so much more.
Lake Naivasha / Naivasha country club - one night
Accommodation - 5 - the country club is ye old time colonial style and upscale. The rooms are comfortable. A very relaxing place to stay, with tables on the lawn and lovely cocktails.
Food - 5 - food was exceptional with very many gourmet choices and local foods of top quality. Great chef.
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - We went on an hour boat ride to birdwatch and were not disappointed with many specialty waterbird species. The grounds are good for birdwatching but not extensive and very much “garden” rather than wild. A guard will walk you to your room to protect from hippos, which are numerous.
Ambeseli / Kibo Safari Camp - two nights
Accommodation - 5 - the camp is extremely well run and the tents are luxuriously comfortable and lovely. The grounds are protected with an electric fence and are natural and good for bird walks. In close proximity to a Masaii village, which we visited and got to learn about the culture. It was one of our favorite accommodations.
Food - 4 - buffet had many well-cooked local and international foods and choices, the cocktails at the bar were some of the best. Great soups and breads. The service was excellent.
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - one of the best camps and one of the best parks. You could see Kilamanjaro, and we got up and close with elephants, hippos, and many many bird species.
Ziwani Voyager Wildlife Sanctuary / Voyager Ziwani Camp - one night
Accommodation - 5 - our favorite of all the accommodations. The tents were luxuriously comfortable, and the manicured grounds are protected with an electric fence. On a damned creek with hippos and crocodiles for easy viewing. Very relaxing.
Food - 5 - The best culinarily of all the locations. Amazing multi-course meals and delicious cocktails.
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - one of the few places we had a guided walk - this was very interesting and we were safely able to avoid the elephants and saw a variety of birds. Manicured grounds good for birdwatching. The night drive wasn’t as productive as hoped (we were looking for aardvarks and honey badgers!) but was really interesting and we did see hyenas eating a stillbirth and Nubian nightjars.
Tsavo West / Taita Hills Sanctuary / Saltlick Safari Lodge - one night
Accommodation - 3 - our least favorite location, albeit scenic and interesting in terms of construction and location. It felt a bit like being on a cruise ship, in that you cannot leave the accommodation (no grounds). That said, the close-up elephant, zebra, and cape buffalo watching at the watering hole was pretty amazing. Good for young children, but less exciting for the slightly more adventurous.
Food - 3 - tasty but not as delicious or interesting as other locations, catering more to international travelers and children.
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - beautiful park, but less wildlife in numbers and diversity than other locations. We did see some specialty species (bustards and multiple species of hornbills including the special ground hornbill) and the largest number of cape buffalo as huge herds on the landscape, as well as lions up close.
Tsavo East/ Ashnil Aruba Lodge - one night
Accommodation - 4 - very comfortable rooms with back patio for wildlife viewing just across the electric fence (where there were elephants and a lion!). Some of the best grounds for wandering bird walks.
Food - 4 - The food was quite good with local and some international foods, especially nice desserts. Lovely patio for drinks.
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - a drier location with some different species than elsewhere. Really interesting giraffe watching- two young males fighting by banging their necks against each other. Great elephant viewing and some new species of antelopes not seen much elsewhere (dikdiks up close, Oryx, lesser Kudu, and the interesting Gerenuk) and birds (Vulturine guineafowl, Shelly’s Starling, and Eastern chanting goshawk).
Diani Beach/Royal Villas - three nights
Accommodation - 5 - a very quiet and non-touristy upscale location with extremely comfortable rooms. They put our 18yr old in a separate room rather than add a bed; I’m sure this added to the cost, but was a mixed blessing :-). Unfortunately not on the beach, though it isn’t a far walk. ATM and grocery nearby. Grounds small and gardened, and not really any birdwatching. There was a snake, that was promptly removed. Exclusive and quiet location with a nice pool, good for honeymooners. I probably would have preferred one less day, but our flight home required an extra day stay (also we are not beach people, sun-phobes).
Food - 5 - very good food served multi-course. Service is impeccable and friendly.
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - None on the grounds. We went to the Colobus monkey conservation center one day, this had also a lovely nature walk and was the real deal and not touristy. A walk on the beach led us to “the chill spot,” a local restaurant on the beach that we loved and hung out at for a few hours. The next day we took a trip to Kasite marine park and Wasini Island for snorkeling. The snorkeling was terrific, but the highlight was the locally prepared seafood meal (octopus, prawns were the best EVER, rabbit fish, lobster, and crab) with sea grass cooked in coconut, and the walk around the village. This was the best meal we had on our visit to Kenya and is not to be missed!
In summary, I would give Best Memories Safaris and our tour driver Patrick the highest endorsement! It truly was the best memory of a lifetime.
FR
Email Emmanuel Tokoto | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent, beyond expectations!
Our Safari with Best Memory Safaris was great and beyond expectations!
We had to postpone our trip 1 year ago because of the pandemic situation in France and Isaac kept in touch with me during the whole time.
Our guide Bidan was really patient, nice, flexible and funny. Our lodge at Osero camp was amazing, it was like Heaven on Earth! The service was extraordinaire, the food was excellent, staff was so nice! Our stay there was so relaxing and the staff really spoiled us up until our last day.
The safari was really great, Bidan took small roads and we were able to see a lot of animals in only 3 days.
I recommend this safari trip with Best Memory Safaris, you will definitely not be disappointed!
IL
Email Omri Lahmy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Boutique and excellent communication
All communication from the moment we first spoke with Isaac was excellent. He was very kind and helped us plan our trip exactly how we wanted.
We landed in Nairobi, and Isaac greeted us with a big smile. Then we met our fantastic guide, Tony.
The trip was perfectly organized, and there were no unpleasant surprises. Everything was perfect.
Tony gave us a feeling as if it was the first time he saw the amazing animals and the beautiful landscapes and was just as excited as we were (needless to say, he has already done the trip hundreds of times)
Our guide was attentive to all our requests and made an outstanding impact on our experience.
Thank you Tony.
Thank you Isaac.
Thanks for the Best Memory Safari
DE
Email Piotr Kusmierczyk | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of the best holidays we've ever had, full of unforgettable memories!
We decided to book our safari trip with Best Memory Safaris, as their program fit best what we'd wished to see in Kenya for a reasonable price. It turned out to be the perfect choice!
We booked a 15-day trip with 10 days of Safari and 5 days of beach holiday in Diani Beach. The detailed trip offer was prepared by Isaac, who has been extremely helpful and flexible, as he answered all our questions, provided additional tips and adjusted the trip offer to our individual needs.
After arriving to Nairobi, we were picked up on the next morning by our guide Patrick. Patrick has been absolutely fantastic guide and we became friends as our journey went along. He had impressive knowledge of animals and high determination to show us as much as he could of the Kenyan wildlife. He also taught us a lot about Kenya - its culture, history and everyday life.
The safari part of the trip was truly amazing - we saw a lot of animals (including the Big 5), sometimes from a very close distance. In addition, we had opportunity to talk to local people (mainly Masai) and learn directly from them about harsh but fascinating life in the Kenyan wilderness. We visited following parks/wildlife sanctuaries: Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, Amboseli, Ziwani Voyager Wildlife Sanctuary, Taita Hills Sanctuary and Tsavo East. Before coming to Kenya we started to have doubts whether the program is not too fully packed, but then we realized that it was thoughtfully arranged by Isaac: each place had something special to offer, each was a bit different from the other ones in amazing way. We also could appreciate the incredible variety of landscapes and climate zones in Kenya. Also all hotels were located in beautiful settings, had fantastic service quality and very tasty food.
The final part of the holiday, 5-night stay in luxurious (but not posh) sea resort at Diani Beach allowed us to relax and get some sun before coming back home. The place was also fantastic, with hotel having all types of facilities to ensure its guest enjoy their stay and Diani Beach having clean water and beautiful, wide, sandy beaches.
To sum up, we had truly fantastic holiday, which we will remember forever and we want to thank very much Isaac and Patrick for that. We hope to come back one day and we can absolutely recommend Best Memory Safaris to everyone.
Linda and Piotr
Email Gerard | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
magnifently exceptional ,You are true to your name " best memories "
The team at this Africa safari company made the planning of our safari a breeze! They are very responsive and knowledgeable about everything your mind would like an answer on. This company's level of service and knowledge of Africa is exemplary and exceptional. They are just the best in making you attain your safari and tours desire. Bravo Best memory safaris... the memories created in your services will ever last... best memories indeed!
IL
Email Su and Tony= "Mama and Papa Simba" | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
"Best Memory Safaris": the name stands for itself.
The challenge of taking care of two mad photographers fulfilling all the expectations plus.
The communication before, during and after the trip was expediant. All questions on email or whatsup were answered fast.
The Safari in Masai Mara with our very competent driver Steve was excellent. Our special request on several boat trips on Lake Naivasha was organized perfectly with a very good guide, Paul.
All in all we can highly recommend Best Memory Safaris.
CH
Email Xiaodong | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Truly the best memory of Kenya
We were rather late in finding out where we want to go in our vacation, and contacted the agencies through safaribookings.com just about 10 days beforehand. Isaac from Best Momery Safaris was among the first who responded with a well organized trip plan with comprehensive details and a very competitive price. Even though, Best Memory Safaris has an excellent review record, we hesitated tom make the payment transfer, and tried to negotiate a payment scheme with Isaac. Surprisingly and maybe too good to be true that we were offered to pay when we arrive in Nairobi just the day before our trip started. Everything there after turned out to be nothing less than excellent! Our 10 intensive safari trip is well organized: the driver is skillful, punctual and efficient, hotels are nice clean and comfortable, people we met are descent, kind and service minded, the Natur and and the animals are incredible. This is so far the best memory safari for our family!
Email Franca Pugnaghi | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good service with flexibility to suit our needs.
Isaac promptly answered to all my questions and requests. The program was very detailed, tailored and accurate. Very good quality accommodation and food. Driver / guide very kind and attentive.
DE
Email Fabian Schneider | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A perfect organisation for a great experience!!!
Isaac, the manager of the company, did a great job with the organization of a ten day safari within 4 days before departure. The whole safari was more than we have ever expected: great accommodations, wonderful places and exciting experiences. Mike our driver made everything even better. His friendly nature and his know how about the parks and its animals made a memorable adventure out of every game drive. We really recommend Best Memory Safari with Issac and Mike. Thank you for everything.
NO
Email Laila | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience!!!
Isaac arranged an amazing safari for our family. He was also very helpful with the transport we needed to get around in Kenya before and after our safari, and made sure that our drivers picked us up as planned. Our driver, Mike, made our safari really good and memorable. He knew a lot about every place we visited, even the places we drive by on our way between the different nationalparks. Mike tried to find the places where he knew there would be a lot to see, and we were lucky to see all of the big five.
We would recommend best memory safaris to everyone. Thank you very much, Isaac and Mike, for this great experience!