Reviews

Average User Rating
4.9/5

Rating Breakdown
  • 5 star 148
  • 4 star 8
  • 3 star 0
  • 2 star 0
  • 1 star 2

Sort By: Date Most Helpful Rating 1-10 of 158 Reviews
Anja   –  
Switzerland CH
Visited: February 2023 Reviewed: Mar 24, 2023

Email Anja  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of Anja and not that of SafariBookings.
WORST COMPANY EVER! STAY SAVE AND DON'T BOOK WITH THEM!
1/5

WORST COMPANY EVER! STAY SAVE AND DON'T BOOK WITH THEM!
It already started badly with no binoculars in the car, so everybody else could watch a leopard hunting close and l just saw some points moving far away, which is definitely not what l have paid for… but it came worse and we couldn't enter in parcs which we were supposed to and even if l paid for everything l had to pay again at the entrance fee after 1 hour of waiting in the bursting sun because my driver spent all the money... worst was, that he said he would not bring me to the hotel, till MORNINGSTAR pays him more.. so over all a nightmare which they don't take any responsibility. never ever book with MORNING STARS SAFARI! You won't be safe and it can get very dangerous!

Reply from Morning Star Tours & Travel
Reply from Morning Star Tours & Travel
Posted on Mar 28, 2023

As evidenced by the other ratings, outstanding customer service is a core value of our operations. We thought to shed some more light on this review as follows:

The client had booked a 3-Day (2 night) safari staying one night in Amboseli at Kibo Safari Camp and one night in Tsavo East at Man Eaters Lodge. After the booking confirmation and payment, the client requested we drop her off at Severin Safari Camp in Tsavo West, where she had booked an extra night. To access Severin Safari Camp, a non-resident has to pay the park entry fee of $ 52, the resident driver $ 5, and the van entry fee of $10. The extra park fee was not costed for, but out of goodwill, we asked her to pay and agreed to reimburse Anja $52 (sent via mobile money in KES). We did not charge extra for transport as we should have.

In Amboseli NP, the client requested a pair of binoculars (not a standard safari inclusive), but we arranged to have them if a client requests the safari). We set for binoculars for her via another team that was touring Amboseli simultaneously.

A park entry ticket is valid for a maximum of 24 hours - the client arrived in Amboseli from Tsavo at 9.30 am, so they went on a morning game drive, then went to the hotel for lunch and check-in, followed by an afternoon game drive. The following morning- the park wardens made a special allowance and were allowed one last game drive even after the 24-hour window for the ticket.

That said, Joshua, the driver guide for this assignment, did not conduct himself in the best way since he called back at the office irately, which may have scared off Anja. We have since struck Joshua off our list of service providers.

We appreciate Anja's business but are dissatisfied with her representation of the events surrounding her safari. We delivered as per the package, and it would have been unfair for our business to refund her $800 as she had wanted post-safari.

Our company remains committed to excellent customer service and will continuously undertake to improve our customer experience.



Cynthia   –  
China CN
Visited: January 2024 Reviewed: Feb 5, 2024

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

Full score travel agency
5/5

Morning Star gave me a very good experience, which made my family and I successfully complete this trip to Kenya,and Morningstar has a WeChat account, which brought great convenience to China tourists. As a China person, I highly recommend this travel agency.
Dennis is in charge of contacting me. He is very warm and considerate, and we all like him very much.He patiently helped us work out the itinerary and gave us a reasonable quotation
Originally, I appointed Alex as our guide. He is modest, polite and experienced.Due to some small circumstances, Willie finally became our guide.Willie's personality is very interesting, and he takes us everywhere to find animals.Although we didn't communicate much because of my poor English, we got along very happily for eight days. Although we returned to China, we still missed everything in Kenya, as well as Willie and Dennis.Willie is highly recommended. He is a great guide, and he is very safe and happy to get along with.

Jim and Chris   –  
United States US
Visited: December 2023 Reviewed: Dec 30, 2023

Email Jim and Chris  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Both of our guides were extremely kind and very knowledgeable
5/5

Willie was our first guide. He was amazing driving our jeep on the dirt roads, holes in the ground, and through the water. He was very attentive to both of us. He made every effort for us to get to see as many animals as possible.
Haran was our second guide. He provided so much information on the animals and their habits. We were enthralled by his knowledge. No request was too much to ask of him because he was going to please.
I would recommend both of these guides to anyone thinking about a safari.

Debbie   –  
United States US
Visited: October 2023 Reviewed: Oct 23, 2023

Email Debbie  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Comprehensive Tour Operator with Great Drivers
4/5

My husband and I along with a good friend and her husband had an eleven day safari and beach trip throughout Kenya. I went in knowing where I wanted to go mostly, and worked with Dennis at the front office. He was able to put together an itinerary that took into account what I had asked for, but also expanded it to address what my friends and husband would want to experience, considering this was their first time in Kenya and on safari. He put together a packed itinerary that hit so many things (Nairobi, Samburu, Aberdares, Naivasha, Mara and the Coast). We were always on the move with our driver, Alex. Alex was great - some amazing driving skills and good eyes. Also very sociable so always connecting with the other drivers to find the good spots and sharing perspective on life in Kenya.

The accommodations were great, the land cruiser was relatively comfortable and well stocked with water.

During the planning, Dennis was very accessible and communicative. He was willing to make small changes to the plans as I had some particular notions of what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. Having Whats App downloaded allowed me to connect with the front office while we were traveling around Kenya, which was helpful when we were at the coast.

We greatly enjoyed working with Morningstar! The only issue I would mention is that if you have questions or concerns, speak up clearly and early. It's not a bad idea to review the itinerary with your driver/Morningstar upon arrival to make sure your understanding of what is included and what isn't is still the same and has been confirmed with the driver and the accommodations. Especially if you are going off the regular tourist track (out of the major parks).
There were a few communications transparency concerns where I think the office had everything under control, but plans had changed and we had not been updated. There were some miscommunications at the end between Morningstar and the accommodation, that seemed to have been based upon expectations and not confirmed commitments from the accommodations.

When I spoke up or contacted the office or mentioned something to Alex, a fix was often figured out (or at least they attempted to figure it out) but you need to speak up early if you have questions or concerns and don't make assumptions that just because something is stated on your itinerary, everyone involved is aware of what the initial travel itinerary was and is and has the same understanding of what's included and what isn't.

The experience we had for the money we paid was a great option and Alex was there and ready for us on time every day. He had a great energy and was flexible with our irregular requests (finding a pharmacy in Nanyuki, going to my old house in Nairobi, visiting Sarit Center/Westgate in Westlands.

Güli and Sarah   –  
Germany DE
Visited: November 2022 Reviewed: Nov 10, 2022

Email Güli and Sarah  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Trust and individuality are the key values
5/5

We are very happy to have planned our private safari tour with morning stars. Right from the first contact, advice was provided quickly and adapted to our wishes. A detailed schedule and a detailed overview of the costs was provided before the start of the trip. We were picked up at our hotel as promised. Our tour guide Alex led us through the animal world with a great enthusiasm. In his company, we always felt safe and had a very entertaining Safari. Thank you for everything!

Joy   –  
Kenya KE
Visited: October 2022 Reviewed: Nov 3, 2022

Email Joy

Are very organized and very punctual
5/5

They made my planning so simple because they took care of everything including my transport,transfers and my stay at the hotel.They also went an extra mile an organized places for me to visit while on my vacation.They also have the best staff with good communication skills and they will always check up on you just incase of anything

Tarun Jani   –  
India IN
Visited: May 2022 Reviewed: Jun 2, 2022

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

Extremely Professional and Superb Service
5/5

Extremely Professional and Superb Service..by Morningstar Tours & Travels. Right from Booking, Pick up and Drop till Nairobi Airport.

Mr. Robert was very helpfull and even gave information regarding Current Covid Rules..in Kenya. We were family of 4 including 2 teens... They were punctual. Our Trip was very Smooth. Our Driver Cum Guide Mr. Dominic was fantastic. He was well aware of the Safari Game Drive.... Infact he was very keen and showed us all BIG FIVE in Masai Mara.

Our 4x4 Vehicle was comfortable Clean and equipped with Binoculars.

Thankyou

Reply from Morning Star Tours & Travel
Reply from Morning Star Tours & Travel
Posted on Jun 26, 2022

It was a pleasure working with yoy on your trip. You made it all easy for us by providing all the info we needed to execute properly.
Karibu #MagicalKenya tena na tena

Huang   –  
China CN
Visited: February 2024 Reviewed: Feb 18, 2024

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

A once-in-a-lifetime experience
5/5

I am writing to express my heartfelt appreciation for the outstanding service provided by Morningstar company during my recent trip to Kenya. Specifically, I would like to commend Dennis for arranging a truly unforgettable itinerary that surpassed all expectations.

My journey through Kenya, organized by Morningstar Tours, was nothing short of remarkable. From the moment I embarked on the game drives, I was captivated by the breathtaking beauty of Kenya's wildlife. Thanks to Dennis's meticulous planning, I had the privilege of witnessing some of the most awe-inspiring sights, making it an experience that will stay with me for a lifetime.

Moreover, I must commend the excellent accommodations and dining arrangements. The comfort and convenience provided throughout my stay were exemplary, ensuring that I could relax and fully immerse myself in the wonders of Kenya.

I would also like to extend my gratitude to Rono, our driver and guide, whose dedication and professionalism greatly contributed to the success of the trip. Rono's expertise behind the wheel was truly impressive, especially when navigating through busy highways with heavy truck traffic. His commitment to safety was evident at every turn, instilling a strong sense of security in all of us throughout the journey.

In conclusion, I want to commend Morningstar Tours Kenya for delivering a truly exceptional travel experience. Their attention to detail, commitment to customer satisfaction, and passion for showcasing the beauty of Kenya have left an indelible mark on me. I wholeheartedly recommend Morningstar Tours to anyone seeking an unforgettable adventure in Kenya, especially my Chinese friends.

Sarah   –  
United States US
Visited: October 2023 Reviewed: Nov 21, 2023

Email Sarah  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Seamless booking process, absolutely wonderful tour and incredible guide! Book now!
5/5

Every single part of our safari, from my initial inquiry to the completion of our trip was absolutely wonderful. Dennis made the whole process of scheduling our safari seamless. I sent an inquiry with what I was looking for and within 24 hours I received back a detailed itinerary with cost breakdown. I imagine we could have added, subtracted or changed things, but what Dennis came up with was everything we were hoping to experience and more, so we booked the initial itinerary he sent. Payment was done through an online system and was quite simple as well. Dennis was always very attentive to any questions that I had and kept us updated throughout the process.

I can’t say enough positive things about the safari experience itself. Our guide, James, made sure that we had an amazing time from the moment he picked us up from the hotel. We were celebrating a birthday on day 2 of our safari, and James went above and beyond to make it a special day from sunup to sundown. We did the balloon safari in the morning, and everyone worked together to help keep it a secret from the birthday boy right up until the moment we arrived to take off. That evening, they had arranged a special birthday celebration at the lodge. The entirety of the trip, but especially that day, is something we will certainly never forget. Throughout our safari, James made sure that we saw everything we were hoping to see and more. We were fortunate not only to see the Big 5, the small 5 and the ugly 5, but we got to witness mating lions as well as lions and hyenas enjoying a fresh hunt. He shared so much knowledge about the animals and their habitat and his passion and excitement for it was contagious.

The lodges we stayed at were excellent, and the staff at all of them were extremely kind, helpful and welcoming. We particularly enjoyed the Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge where we encountered many animals just outside our door.

I can’t say enough positive things about Morningstar Safaris. If you are contemplating a safari, do it, you won’t regret it. I highly recommend booking through Morningstar, they not only met but far exceeded any and all of our expectations. James is truly an amazing safari guide and Morningstar is lucky to have him. He made sure that when we left him for the evening, we always did it with smiles on our faces. We have been home for 2 weeks, and still talk about the trip almost daily. Pull the trigger, book the trip and get ready for an adventure of a lifetime.

Dennis and James, thank you so much for this experience.

Sarah & Nelly

Cheryl Lakkis   –  
Canada CA
Visited: September 2023 Reviewed: Oct 30, 2023

Email Cheryl Lakkis  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Thanks to Dennis, Musau and the Morningstar team, this was a "dream come true!"
5/5

Morningstar is a company who really know how to create a perfect adventure.
Dennis put together an itinerary that was packed full of great adventures(The Rift Valley, Maasai Mara, a balloon ride in the Mara, Naivasha, Nakuru, Amboseli and then off to Diani Sea Resort for a week of fun and sun)and kept all of my interests in account. He didn't skip a single thing.
I travelled solo from Canada and had a lot that I wanted to see.
My first night I stayed at the Sarova Pan-African hotel where they had me booked in a new area of the hotel that was for women only. My room was very beautiful and I could tell they went above and beyond to create a space specifically for women. Such a nice start to my solo adventure.
Day 1 of my safari I was picked up by my tour guide Musau(Willy) to start our drive to Maasai Mara. Such a patient gentleman, a very skilled driver,...and always on time(unlike me

Average User Rating
4.9/5
Rating Breakdown
  • 5 star 148
  • 4 star 8
  • 3 star 0
  • 2 star 0
  • 1 star 2
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