During one of our private safari.
Dume Africa Trails
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2018)
- Member Of:
- IATA & AMREF
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
TW
Email Chen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We felt like John lied to us, the rest are good
Our trip in Kenya at 8 days. First three days we went to Amboseli, the guide is Reuben. He was really great, actively looking for animals and finding locations to take photos for us. Then we went to Masai Mara , the guide change to John and our nightmare started.
John lied to us He wanna deceived us for additional $400 Maasai Mara park fee. We called Dume’s boss-Henry to check there was no extra fee, then John started felt angry and maliciously shortening the Safari time and treat us very bad like verbal threats and provocations and rejected any service like pulling up the Safari car roof, taking our luggages and so on.
John never actively searches for animals during safaris (he doesn't even have his own binoculars). He told us to searched the animals by ourselves. He simply drives around, and only finds animals by following the group of parked safari vehicles.
On our way back to Nairobi from Naivasha, John, without prior notice, took a stranger (John claimed to be his wife) into our safari vehicles and brought her back to Nairobi.
We talked to Henry twice to report John's malicious actions. Henry repeatedly insisting that John was "his friend and a good person" and simply saying he would discuss the matter with John. So we simply requested that John behave in a normal so that we could complete the rest of our trip smoothly. But still disappointed us, he still not change.
After the trips, Henry finally called us and we repeatly told him about John's bad behavior from the first day. He finally apologized to us and treated us a lunch to make amends.
When we got back home, Henry called me again, saying that Dume have two John. And he already fired John. So be careful, maybe he will go to another safari company. （The photo is John）
Except for John, Reuben and Naivasha Hill‘s gate bicycle guide Sammy (He had his own planned path which is very beautiful and he took really good care of us) are great! All stars were given to them but John minus all the stars.
CN
Email travel_lover3 | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
5-Star Review! Our Expert Guide Made This 11-Day Kenya Trip Absolutely Amazing
The highlight of this 11-day Kenya trip—one that exceeded all our expectations—was our incredible guide, John! His eyesight was truly extraordinary: in the vast grasslands, he could spot small animals hidden in the bushes that we couldn’t even catch a glimpse of with our naked eyes. Whether it was a tiny warthog or antelopes in the distant trees, he never missed a single opportunity for us to observe them.
What made it even better was that after spotting each animal, he would proactively take over our animal guidebook, patiently flip to the corresponding page, and explain the species and their habits in detail. For us, who previously knew little about African wildlife, the entire trip felt like an engaging nature class, and we learned so much. He was also incredibly kind—when we encountered other vehicles stuck or lost in the national park, he would always stop to help. This act of kindness added extra warmth to our journey.
Other arrangements by the local operator were also worry-free: the safari vehicle was reliable throughout the trip. The recommended hotels had great locations and were clean and well-maintained. In particular, the buffet at the hotels offered an extensive variety of dishes, catering to different tastes, which made our meals very enjoyable.
The only minor downsides were some small regrets in the itinerary:
1. The Mount Kenya hike had to be canceled because re-entering Sweetwaters required an additional fee; and for the waterfall we planned to visit, we only got a distant view—we didn’t get to enter the park for a closer experience.
2. The lunch and dinner on the second-to-last day of the trip were not provided to us as stated in the itinerary (which says "All meals").
3. No guide was available to accompany and introduce us on Crescent Island in Naivasha. The driver did not follow us onto the island, and the staff on the island said there were no guides left.
4. The promise to have Henry as the guide was not fulfilled at all. The guide was changed without permission on the day of airport pick-up, and no explanation was given.
5. On three separate occasions when we entered a reserve or national park, we were required to pay in advance with credit cards. After that, the guide would return the money to us in cash, but this process still wasted a lot of time.
However, these small regrets didn’t affect our overall satisfaction with the trip at all. After all, the core wildlife experience was wonderful enough, and the guide’s professionalism and thoughtfulness made the entire journey truly shining.
We’ve already recommended this local operator and our guide to friends who plan to visit Kenya. If we ever go to Africa again, we’ll definitely choose them!
MY
Email Cindy | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything was well organized from start to end.
My safari was full of adventure, but the moment I’ll never forget was when a cheetah chased a wildebeest right before my eyes—it was absolutely thrilling.
MY
Email Mark Sim | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect tour guild
It's the first time I've visit Kenya, appreciate Mr Henry's arrange a comfortable holiday here. The experience of the accommodation, food, and the animals tour are perfectly and unforgettable. It makes me feel to plan another tour in future.
Email Bethany ledgard | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly and informative, nothing was too much trouble
Henry and Jon were early on the day we were due to set off on our safari. Unfortunately Henry could not take us on our safari but he brought his friend and assured us Jon would take good care of us. The value for money was fantastic and I don't think we could have got a better price than what Henry gave us. I would recommend booking direct instead of going via a third party agent. The game drives were incredible and Jon knew where to find lots of animals. He also provided us with facts about the animals that we saw. Jon was friendly, punctual and helpful. I would definitely recommend using him as a tour guide. The only downside was the amount of travel we had to endure, some journeys taking seven hours. However Henry made us aware of this prior to booking and it was our decision to fit so many different locations in. I would definitely use dume Africa for another safari. Thank you for an unforgettable trip.
US
Email TRACY SAMSON | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, excellent driver, consummate gentleman, and excellent service
Henry of Dume Africa Trails made myself and my family feel safe, secure, and special. He got us to our safari drives safely and always put us in a position to see the animals. He is such a wonderful guide.... always attentive amd anticipating our needs, chose excellent camps for us to stay at, and the car was comfortable and well equipped to get us around even in the rainy season. He even took us to the giraffe center when we arrived back on Nairobi. Such a wonderful experience and Henry is SO trustworthy. Book with Dume for the experience of a lifetime!
CN
Email Sariel‘s friend | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience，and every wishes came true.
We experienced 4 differient kinds of national parks，so many memorable moments. Not only the Safari experience，but also the service that our tour guide provided. Love the elephant immigration in Amboseli park，then best experience with Rinoh，Lions hunting & night safari in OL Pojeta. After that，we went to Nakuru Lake park，saw a lot beautiful birds，and the last stop in Masai Mara with fabulous 2 days‘ Safari.
CN
Email Siri | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely kind,patient,nice,friendly,considerable,helpful and interesting
I inquired with many agencies half a year before departure and ultimately decided to choose Dume. Henry was always very patient in answering all my questions, helping me complete my travel plans, and providing a lot of advice for the trip I was most looking forward to this year. At the same time, the prices he offered were the most favorable.
The guide he assigned to us was Rueben, a calm, reserved, but interesting guide with over ten years of Safari experience. On our first night in Maasai Mara, he took us to see cheetahs, lions, and elephants, which was incredibly lucky! With his rich experience, he was always able to take us to the locations where rare animals appeared at the first opportunity. We were fortunate to see black rhinos, white rhinos, and leopards in Nakuru, and once in Amboseli, he was the first among all the guides to find two male lions together, which was a great surprise!
Additionally, he was always very patient and accommodating to all our wishes. It takes 8 hours to drive from Nakuru to Amboseli, and we had limited time, wanting to enter Amboseli in the evening to see some animals. Ensuring our safety, he sped up the journey, arriving in Amboseli faster than expected. Despite being very tired from the day's drive, he took us into the park after an hour of rest, allowing us to witness Mount Kilimanjaro and a herd of elephants under the sunset. I will always be moved by the beauty of Kilimanjaro.
Rueben is a particularly gentlemanly person. Every time he wanted to smoke, he would ask us if he could smoke in the car. Even though we always said "Of course!", he would still ask before smoking. And we knew that if we said no, he would definitely refrain from smoking out of respect for his guests.
The person I am most grateful for in this trip is Rueben, and I would like to recommend him to everyone planning to travel to Kenya!
Lastly, I am especially grateful to Henry. One of our friends arrived in Kenya a few days late due to visa issues. Henry helped her come from Kenya to Nakuru to join us, providing her with all the assistance she needed, for which we are very thankful!
CN
Email XI | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great service! Dume Africa made our safari unforgettable with his exceptional care and attention.
We had an unforgettable safari experience in Kenya, and we owe it all to the incredible team at Dume Africa Trails. From the planning stages to the final day of our trip, everything was handled with care, professionalism, and great attention to detail. Our guide, John, was exceptional—his knowledge of the wildlife and the parks made every game drive an adventure. We were lucky to see all the Big 5 and so much more. John was highly experienced and careful, especially given the challenging road conditions. He went above and beyond to fulfill our specific requests throughout the trip, making it truly personalized. One highlight was the sundowner he arranged for us in Amboseli, which added a special touch to the adventure. On our final day, John even took us to a local Maasai market before heading to the airport, which was a perfect ending to our journey. We felt safe, well taken care of, and enjoyed every moment of the trip. The experience exceeded our expectations, and we will cherish the memories forever! Highly recommend!
CN
Email dench | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A perfect trip and fell in love with Africa
John is a good guide, he told us that he has nearly thirty years of safari experience, and will do his best to accommodate your request. He is very reliable, takes us to lunch in beautiful places, shows us as many animals as possible, knows which angles to take pictures of animals from, drives us around to get a good view, and is safe and fun enough to stay with him.
