Taking you to the exotic African wild!
Morning Star Tours & Travel
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2018)
- Member Of:
- IATA, KATO, AMREF & TOSK
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $134 to $806 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Stan and Nancy | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE - WONDERFUL TEAM!!
We had an outstanding 11-day Kenya safari, visiting four locations including Samburu, the Masai Mara, and the Naboisho Conservancy. The trip was beautifully planned, very well organized, and exactly the kind of experience we hoped for.
A few things really stood out:
PLANNING WAS EXCELLENT
This was both a family and a photography-oriented safari so it was specialized. I provided the needs and wants and Dennis developed the itinerary to match.
COMMUNICATION WAS GREAT
Dennis communicated clearly, followed through on every commitment, and went above and beyond when our luggage did not arrive with us. He tracked it down and found a way to get it delivered to us, which was a huge relief.
DRIVERS - JAMES AND STEPHEN - WERE GREAT.
We had drivers arranged by the company for seven days and camp drivers for four days, and all of them were excellent. Their two drivers, James and Stephen, were knowledgeable, informative, very good drivers, and fun to be with. We enjoyed every minute with them. James and Stephen were flexible, responsive to what we wanted to do, and offered options rather than just sticking to a rigid schedule. They were also very protective of us, almost as if they were leading a family vacation. One of our favorite bits of practical safari wisdom was when they explained that the best way to find elephants was to “follow the poop.” It worked!
ANIMALS WERE ABUNDENT!
We saw everything we hoped for including Big Five and Samburu Special Five.
JEEPS WERE PERFECT
The jeeps were comfortable, had excellent open viewing, and there were only the two of us in a six-person vehicle, which made the experience feel private and relaxed.
TOOK CARE OF LITTLE THINGS
At one point, one of us hurt a knee slightly and was having a little trouble getting in and out of the jeep. James noticed without making a big deal of it and borrowed a stepping stool to make it easier. That kind of quiet attention says a lot.
NO SURPRISE COSTS
With a trip like this, you always worry a little about “extras” being added on top of the original bill. In our case, the total extras over 11 days came to only $34, and that was for an option that we chose.
PROBLEMS?
The only problem was the weather. We only had 10 days out of 11 that were great. It rained for a whole hour one day!
IN A NUTSHELL
It was a wonderful safari and a very well-run trip. Experience could not have been better. We would definitely use them again. In fact, we have already started talking about another trip.
Email Sai | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Well-Organized, Memorable Family Safari in Kenya & Tanzania
Morning Star Tours did an excellent job customizing our safari exactly to our family’s wishlist. Dennis was easy to work with throughout the planning process, communication was always clear, and making payments online was simple and secure.
Our guides—Joshua, Tony, and Alex (we had different guides in Kenya and Tanzania due to local regulations)—were all fantastic. They were knowledgeable, flexible, and especially patient with our two young children, which made a huge difference. We saw an incredible amount of wildlife, and the private safari was absolutely worth the price.
The accommodations arranged for us were all good and suited for a safari experience.
The only part I would mention for families with young kids is that the drive from the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater can be very long, rough, and dusty. By that point in the trip, our kids were already quite tired, so that section was the most challenging.
The Maasai village visit is also something I would consider optional. Some travelers really enjoy learning about the local culture and interacting with the community, and I can certainly see the value in that. For our family, however, it felt like a bit much since we tend to keep to ourselves. Seeing the living conditions made us want to support the community, especially children’s education, through donations. Because of that, I didn’t feel any pressure to purchase the souvenirs being offered.
Overall, we had a wonderful experience and would happily recommend Morning Star Tours to anyone looking for a well-organized, reliable, and memorable safari.
A special shout-out once again to Joshua, Tony, and Alex for making our safari so memorable. Their knowledge, professionalism, and genuine enthusiasm made the experience truly exceptional. We couldn’t have asked for better guides!
EG
Email Hassan | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very good tour
Very good tour I enjoy it too much ,we saw all the five bigs except the rhinoceros
SG
Email Poh | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful well-organized safari in Kenya & Tanzania
We selected Morningstar for our mid-range safari because:
1) we could cover all the places we wanted (Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Amboseli) in a continuous circuit without backtracking, starting & ending in Nairobi
2) excellent reviews (I read every review, positive and negative)
3) pricing transparency with different options for higher and lower-end accommodations
4) very good value overall
5) their licenses checked out
Our 9-day, 8-nights safari met and exceeded our expectations. Our 3 drivers - Stephen, Jackson, and Willy were excellent: punctual, knowledgeable about the animals, safe drivers, and took very good care of us.
The places we stayed at were good value with some variabililty
Nakuru Sopa Lodge: 9/10 (beautiful views, aesthetics, good food)
Zebra Valley Camp in Masai Mara: 7/10 (nice staff but picnics were pathetic)
Kon Tiki Camp in Serengeti: 9/10 (delicious food, very nice staff)
Farm of Dreams Lodge in Karatu: 10/10 (gorgeous landscaping, great food)
Kibo Camp in Amboseli: 8/10 (excellent food, friendly staff but no wifi in rooms)
Stephen got us up close with the Big 5. Jackson, our guide in Tanzania, was exceptional, and found us more Big 5 but also our Ugly 5 and Small 5!
Dennis Kimeu in the office was responsive and helpful. On our last day, June 25, demonstrations were scheduled in Nairobi and traffic was at a standstill for miles, so we had to leave Amboseli at 5 am. Our amazing driver Willy got us in through back roads, and Dennis had thoughtfully called ahead to our hotel in Nairobi to arrange early check-in.
But the trip was beyond just checking off animals seen. The landscapes we drove through were fabulous, especially Ngorongoro, the Rift Valley, the Serengeti, and views of Kilimanjaro.
We loved the chance to see something of life in Tanzania and Kenya, the visit to Mto wa Mbu - village life, farming, banana plantation, woodworkers, youth art gallery and local market. We also enjoyed the Tanzanite Experience, hearing the story of how tanzanite was discovered, is mined today, and makes a difference to the lives of the local community.
A wonderful, memorable experience - well cared for by Morningstar.
Well organised and helpful
We had great support from Alice who helped us to organise our schedule and prepare for our safari. She answered all our questions quickly and in detail.
The whole experience was fantastic in terms of wildlife viewing. We couldn’t believe how many different animals and birds we saw!
The 5 parks we went to were all different and highlighted different species. In particular, we enjoyed our trip to the Ark at Aberdare, which was a really special experience watching elephants and other animals drinking at the waterhole.
Our guide, John, was absolutely outstanding. He drove safely and skilfully on the fairly rough roads we had to negotiate on our travels.
John was brilliant at spotting wildlife and looking for any particular animals we were interested in eg cheetahs in the Maasai Mara. He stopped for us to take photos whenever we wanted and told us lots of information about the wildlife and Kenya generally.
He was also very thoughtful and anticipated any needs we had eg for regular stops. We felt very safe and well looked after by him.
In terms of accommodation, some lodges were better equipped than others, but they all had very helpful and friendly staff who did their best to meet our requests. The food was varied and carefully prepared. As a non- meat eater, most places were able to provide alternatives and there was plenty to choose from on the buffet.
Overall it was a full on experience which provided everything we were looking for in a safari and more!
Email Ali and Oz | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing adventure with Morningstar!
We recently (Feb) completed a 7-night safari through Kenya (Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli) and had an incredible experience from start to finish.
The booking process was excellent. Dennis was extremely responsive throughout and put together several different versions of our itinerary, giving us plenty of options to consider. Everything was presented professionally and clearly, making it easy to review the trip day by day and adjust activities and accommodation based on our preferences. We also appreciated that there was never any pressure to book, and the accommodation photos helped bring the itinerary to life.
The highlight of the trip was undoubtedly the Masai Mara. We stayed at Zebra River Camp and were fortunate enough to receive an upgrade, which was a fantastic surprise. The Mara’s vast landscapes were breathtaking, and we were lucky enough to see almost everything we hoped for during our game drives.
A huge thank you goes to our guide and driver, Rono. He was knowledgeable, relaxed, professional and had a great sense of humour. As a couple travelling together, we really appreciated how he struck the perfect balance between giving us space and providing interesting insights about the wildlife, culture and parks. He was incredibly accommodating, always happy to adjust plans where possible, and his driving skills were impressive given some of the road conditions. He genuinely made the trip even more enjoyable.
One thing to consider when planning a safari like this is that there is a fair amount of driving between the different parks, particularly when covering multiple destinations. We were completely fine with this as we wanted to see as much wildlife and as many different areas as possible, but it is worth keeping in mind depending on your preferences and how comfortable you are with longer drives.
Lake Nakuru was another great stop, particularly for rhino sightings, while Lake Naivasha offered some fantastic variety. We thoroughly enjoyed cycling and hiking in Hell’s Gate National Park, as well as the boat trip and walking safari on Crescent Island. Amboseli was the perfect way to finish the safari, with huge numbers of elephants and some spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro.
All of the accommodation exceeded our expectations, and the food throughout the trip was consistently excellent with plenty of choice.
The only minor issue we experienced was a tyre problem with the safari vehicle one day. However, the company dealt with it quickly and professionally, were very apologetic, and replaced all of the tyres to ensure there were no further problems. It felt like an unfortunate bit of bad luck rather than a reflection of the company itself.
Overall, the organisation, communication, accommodation, activities and guiding were all outstanding. We had an amazing time and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this company to anyone considering a safari in Kenya - we have already recommended them to our friends. Special thanks again to Dennis for organising everything and to Rono for making the trip so memorable.
Email Dan and Denise | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Steven Mwololo was an amazing and very knowledgeable guide! Also an excellent driver!
Our contact Alice Moraa was very efficient and always answered our questions promptly! Morning Star tours was a complete package including accommodations, meals, and transportation. They had everything covered and it went off without a hitch! I would highly recommend Morning Star to anyone considering a Safari in Kenya! We would definitely use this company again and request our same guide Steven :)
DE
Email Martha | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional
The safari was excellently organized. The tour operator was, as always, reliable and well organized. Our guide, Rono, was outstanding, always professional, very friendly, and an exceptionally skilled and safe driver. He had a great eye for finding wildlife and was always patient, giving us plenty of time to enjoy special sightings and take photos.
I thoroughly enjoyed the safari experience. The accommodations were also very nice, although the safari itself was the highlight for me. Thank you for this wonderful experience. I highly recommend this tour and especially guide Rono.
CH
Email Michael | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari with Morningstar Safaris—flexible, reliable, and expertly guided by Jackson.
Our 4-day Serengeti safari with Morningstar Tours and Travel was truly unforgettable, and Jackson was the reason it was such an exceptional experience.
From the moment he picked us up at the airport until he dropped us off for our departure, everything was perfectly organized. Jackson was extremely punctual, professional, and reliable, ensuring that every part of the journey ran smoothly and stress-free.
During our four days in the Serengeti, it became clear that Jackson is an outstanding guide. His knowledge of wildlife, animal behavior, and the Serengeti ecosystem is simply incredible. He always seemed to know exactly where to be and when, allowing us to enjoy countless amazing sightings. Time and again, he spotted animals that we would never have seen ourselves and positioned the vehicle perfectly for the best views and photographs.
What impressed us most was his passion and dedication. He went above and beyond every day to make sure we had the best possible experience. His enthusiasm for the Serengeti is contagious, and he made every game drive exciting, educational, and memorable.
Jackson is not only an excellent guide but also a wonderful person. He made us feel comfortable, safe, and genuinely cared for throughout our trip. His professionalism, experience, and positive attitude turned an already incredible destination into a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
If you are planning a safari in Tanzania with Morningstar Tours and Travel, do yourself a favor and specifically request Jackson as your guide. He is truly exceptional and played a huge role in making our Serengeti safari one of the best travel experiences we have ever had.
Thank you, Jackson, for the memories. We will never forget them.
CH
Email Buket | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Morningstar is highly flexible, well organized, and responds quickly to requests.
My husband and I booked a 4-day safari tour in the Serengeti with MorningStar. Our guide, Jackson, picked us up from the airport on the very first day and even gave us a small safari experience on the way to our hotel. We were impressed by both him and the safari from day one – and it only got better from there.
Jackson is an outstanding guide. He shared his extensive knowledge of wildlife with us, making every game drive both informative and fascinating. He also has an incredible eye for spotting animals from a distance. Thanks to him, we were able to see a huge variety of wildlife and learn a great deal about the Serengeti ecosystem.
What stood out most was his friendly, accommodating, and flexible nature. He was always willing to adapt the schedule to our wishes, for example when we wanted to go on a drive later in the evening. Jackson is a very relaxed, kind, and genuinely cool person to spend time with, which made the entire experience even more enjoyable.
Every day brought new experiences and unforgettable memories. We are truly grateful to have had Jackson as our guide and would happily book another safari with him anytime.
As he taught me to say: Asante sana!
