Safari Jeep ready for departure
Africa Marvel Tours
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Member Of:
- Kenya Association of Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $130 to $450 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Ellie Moulinie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Patrick was a wonderful guide who made our tour very memorable
I am writing this review many months after our safari tour with Africa Marvel tours but I can still remember every thing clear as day.
I booked this tour for five people with Mercy Nthenge, our Safari Specialist from Africa Marvel Tours. I chose Africa Marvel Tours because they had the best packages online which fitted my groups needs and wants in terms of visiting Africa and its Savannah. Mercy was wonderful and actively helped us in getting the best deals, value for money, and tailoring the tour to our specific needs, always ensuring client satisfaction and comfortability. Communication through email was always reliable and the service was excellent. We were a group of five people and we did a three-day Tsavo East and Saltlick - Taita Hills Sanctuary tour.
Our guide Patrick arrived at our hotel in Nairobi bright and early to start our journey through Kenya. It was quite a long drive to Tsavo East National park allowing us to visit the country along the way. Upon arriving at our hotel, the Ashnil Aruba Lodge, the staff were very friendly and we were able to have lunch and settle in before our afternoon game drive. Tsavo East is such a special place and we got to see many zebras, elephants, giraffes, lions, many species of birds and impeccable savanah landscapes. 100% recommend this lodge for your holiday. I was very impressed with the guides professionalism in the park where there weren't many jeeps on top of each other and the guides gives the animals space to walk around and not going close enough to intimidate the animals.
The following day we made our way to Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary where we stayed at the Salt Lick Safari Lodge. This lodge is high on stilts which allows for the most amazing view of the Savannah landscape and allows you to experience Africa and all its wild animals just outside your window. Upon arrival at the lodge, we had lunch and the an afternoon safari. Patrick would play great music and sang beautifully for us. In the evening, we had the craziest and most upclose experience with elephants coming to drink from the waterhole just near the sitting area. This has got to be the best experience I have ever had with elephants. The following day we made our way back to Mombasa where we took the train from Voi to Mombasa which took approximately 2 hours.
We had such a wonderful time on our safari thanks to Mercy and her team for planning the best itinerary for us. Both lodges were beautifully integrated into nature where we were able to experience the animals with little to no disturbance. The food and service at both lodges were 10/10. We booked a 4X4 Land Cruiser jeep which was VERY comfortable and allowed everyone to experience the views and animals outside. Our guide Patrick and a very knowledgeable and kind man who is always full of joy. Africa Marvel Tours really took care of us on this trip and even sorted included our train fares from Voi to Mombasa into our package deal.
I would 200% recommend Africa Marvel Tours to anyone who wants the best experience of an African Safari in Kenya. Keep up the excellent work, service, professionalism Africa Marvel Tours team, you guys and amazing and thank you once again for our excellent adventure!
LT
Email Gabriele Staraite / Travel Planet | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Avoid this company at all costs
We partnered with them to organize a group trip and transferred the agreed advance payment in full. Instead of using the funds responsibly, they spent the money and then, just two days before the trip, demanded that we transfer the same amount again, promising they would “deliver the trip now and refund later.”
This is not a misunderstanding — it’s a complete breach of trust and of basic professional ethics.
No travel company should ever operate this way. Their actions show a lack of financial integrity, zero respect for travelers, and a blatant disregard for legal obligations. A company behaving like this should not hold a tourism license, and its manager Mr Perminus Muturi should not be working in the travel industry at all.
For the safety of your clients, your finances, and your peace of mind: do not work with them.
Email BK | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Safari with Africa Marvel
We had a brilliant experience as a family of five on our 3 day Safari organised by Africa Marvel.
Mercy was so helpful providing different options until we were certain of which we would go with (Tsavo East and Taita Hills). Communication was excellent from booking through to the trip itself. It was so lovely to get to chat to Mercy on the phone while we were mid trip - as she checked in to see how we were getting on.
The Safari itself was amazing - better than we could have imagined. Our Safari guide and driver Francis was the best, a consummate professional! Our lodges were beautiful and we were extremely happy with the standard included in the very reasonably priced package. I would thoroughly recommend - thank you Mercy and the team for making it so special for us.
CN
Email Fan CHEN | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very trustworthy
We visited the Maasai for two nights. We stayed at the Lodge. It is a tented lodge with about 24 tents. The lodge itself and everybody that work there was great! The temp was very spacious and had everything we needed.
We went on two full day safaris and a half day safari during our time at the Maasai Mara. Our guide, Joe, was fantastic and we saw all of the big five animals. He was very willing to wait until we got our full fill of viewing of each animal. He also had a lot of information about the animals and the flora and Fana of the area. I’m a Sara was very beautiful and the safari were very relaxing. We enjoyed our time there.
Email Diane B | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unreliable !
A tour group of 11 adults, we paid the full cost of a 12 days safari in Kenya and Tanzania. We had great tour guides and accommodation BUT, we waited for hours at the Tanzanian Border, there were no drivers to meet us. Our park fees for Serengeti had not been paid, more extensive delays until finally they were paid by a member of our tour group. We then found our Accommodation and Park Fees had not been paid in other locations. Despite frequent phone calls and many promises no payments were made without delays and pressure. We had to abandon our tour and return to Nairobi. We have had promises of refunds for our additional expenses, but so far no refunds have come from Africa Marvel.
Email Peter Buchanan | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
In my experience, I felt deceived and misled by this company.
Our 12 day tour had some highlights (mostly the animals), but many lowlights including non payment for accommodation and park fees and extensive delays at border crossings.
We had paid in full for our 12 day tour prior to departure, but continually had problems with accommodation and park entry due to non payment by Africa Marvel. Every time I called them while on tour to find out the problem, the owner was at the bank trying to arrange finance to keep our tour running. It seems all the money we had paid was being used to keep the business afloat, and not provide the tours we paid for. Even our 4 day tour to Rwanda to see the gorillas was cancelled the NIGHT before we were due to leave, despite promises made during the previous week all was on track. It was finally admitted by Africa Marvel that they never made ANY of the bookings for this tour, despite taking our full payment. Everything they have been telling us was a lie - they have been behaving criminally and should be put out of business before they can take other peoples money.
Of course, they have promised (many times) to repay all monies owed to our group, but deadlines have come and gone, and they have made no real effort to repay, and we don't hold out any hope of seeing our money.
Do yourself a favour and steer clear of them.
Email Ray | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beware beware beware, never again
In a group of 11 and we all paid in full for a Safari holiday to African Marvel. Expecting a holiday to remember but what we got was their management not paying hotels, lodges and park fees and we lost big chunks of time where we should have been viewing Kenya and Tanzania wonders. What we got was hours waiting at park entries, or in hotels not being able to leave because the bill wasn't paid by African Marvel. Tourism is very important for Kenya and Tanzania but this experience has left a bad feeling and we have told family and friends our experiences, a nightmare of failed promises by management. That said the guides were amazing, hotels, lodges, food were also amazing. Even the guides weren't getting paid and relied on our daily tips to survive. So based on my experience, do not use this company, find a company that you can trust. Yes we paid in full but that doesn't guarantee a flowing, wonderful holiday with beautiful countries, animals and locals. Find a financial operator that does put your money into your holiday. Beware, please beware.
Update, now been over 3 weeks and no promised money has been transferred from African Marvel to our group. All words and clearly no action or no care!
Email Sue Low | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Buyer beware, our trip turned into a nightmare of delays and non-payment of services promised.
I gave my review two stars to firstly acknowledge the great tour guides and hosts at our accommodation venues. The accommodation 'camps' were outstanding, the people went out of thier way to make us cared for, and the food was good and plentiful. The second star is awarded to the experience in the Game Parks themselves; animals appeared and behaved as expected. As a biologist, I could not have been happier with the experiences in these Parks. However, the integrity and reliability of African Marvel and their principle executives left a lot (everything) to be desired. It was humiliating for everyone to be waiting around at borders and accommodation sites for paymentd to be received from 'head office'. On the last occasion in Kenya, the manager of the site let us travel on and claimed that our accommodation at his beautiful site had been paid. We believe that this was not the case, and that he was being gracious rather than enduring the embarrassment of 11 of us being held 'hostage' to Marvels poor performance. As he said "this does not reflect well on our country".
Email Pam Buchanan | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our holiday of a lifetime ruined by the lies and deceit of Africa Marvel.
The twelve day Safari of Kenya and Tanzania was marred with delays, a feeling of being held “hostage” at each junction of the trip until accommodation and game parks were paid; sometimes by Marvel after much pressure being applied, and from us (for a second time!) to ensure that we did experience some of what was promised to us in our itinerary.
Our family group and friends, totalling 11 people, had paid in full and in good faith that the services would be provided as booked.
It was evident that Marvel was stringing us along financially and emotionally, promising us a
refund of the services not rendered, totalling USD30,000.
Not one cent of that huge amount of money, that our group could ill afford, has been paid back. We are still waiting!
Cutting short the safari as once again the accommodation and park fees were not paid for, we returned to Nairobi early.
Even more bad news as the Rwanda 4 Day Tour to experience the Gorillas and the Golden Monkeys for the 6 of us an absolute once in a lifetime “bucket list “ paid to Marvel was NEVER booked at all. When pressed further about this tour he admitted the day before that he had done nothing. We were devastated! It was clearly fraud!
The emotional and financial stress, the uncertainty and betrayal is the key element I have taken from dealing with this company.
We thought we did our due diligence in going with this company, but that proved to be an absolute nightmare on so many levels.
Be so aware!
NL
Email Tiago & Cassi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Patrick was the best guide we could've asked for!
Communication was seamless, price was competitive/comparable to similar offerings from other tour operators, logistics were seamless (and when they couldn't, staff was helpful and empathetic), the tour delivered exactly what it promised (allowing also for some desired flexibility) and our guide and driver couldn't be better – Patrick is the best!