Safari Adventure
Big Time Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2006)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $450 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Budget friendly and kid friendly
Summary:
We had a great time with on the BTS budget safari with our young family. Our 1 and 3 year old children were safe, well-fed and cared for, and we got to see the Big 5 and more on our game drives. Food was good and plentiful, accommodation was suitable, guides were friendly. Not 5 star luxury touring by any standards, but it was better than expected and we had great service from Martha at BTS Kenya.
BTS:
- It's difficult to find a well-priced safari tour that allows young children, but Big Time Safaris provided us with a fantastic tour for our family. We traveled to Kenya with a 22 month old and a 3 year old, and BTS were very accommodating of their child car seats and general needs. Martha runs the show in the Kenya office and she's great. Answers emails and Whatsapp messages very promptly and she's very knowledgeable about everything. She was very understanding when our flight to Nairobi was cancelled at the last minute, and adjusted our tour so that we did not miss out on any game drives despite arriving 6hrs late and missing the original start time.
The tour:
- the tour was great. We were prepared for very budget lodgings given the cost of the tour but were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the tented camp in Masai Mara. the budget hotel in Lake Nakuru was quite nice too. The Tanzanian side was more in keeping with the 'budget' title, and we slept two nights in the public camping grounds near the Crater and Serengeti, but the facilities were fine and we had no complaints.
- you get different guides in Kenya and Tanzania. Both sets of guides were very kind to us and our kids, and we enjoyed the game drives immensely.
The kids:
- The vast majority of Kenyan/Tz tours available on Safari Bookings had age restrictions to >8 or even >15yrs. Clearly that wasn't going to work for my family, and we had very few operators to choose from. That said, BTS were really excellent.
- Camping/budget safaris will obviously not suit every toddler, but ours really enjoyed the experience. They had fun camping and we were sensible and prepared extensively - we brought snacks and toys for them, installed our own child car seats so that they could sleep on the drive and were securely seated, etc.
- Be aware that the public camping sites get pretty cold in the evenings, particularly the Crater. We brought toddler sleeping suits and sleeping bags and the kids slept well.
Note:
- We chose a tour that covered Kenya (Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara) and Tz (Lake Manyara, the Crater, Serengeti). Be aware that the Tanzanian part of the tour is not conducted by BTS, rather it is run by a separate Tanzanian company. We did all our correspondence through Martha in Kenya, and I would recommend that other travellers do so, too, to avoid any confusion or payments issues with the Tanzanian office.
Unique experience - value for its money
Safari with Big Time was an amazing experience, I can only recommend them! We had the experienced driver Richard who was able to show us the best (animal) spots of the Masai Mara. The first evening we got to see a lion family eating a freshly killed zebra. The day after we were lucky to see the leopard which is hard to spot. There were many other tourist vans, but Richard got to drive us to the best spot to see the leopard from a very close point of view. Tents are comfortable, a bed with matrass and musquito net are provided. There is a decent toilet with a lavabo and a shower. In the morning and evening, there is warm water in the camp. During those periods, there is also electricity provided by a generator. Food was tasty, as a man I had enough to eat during every meal. One of Big Time's added value is their hospitality. My flight got delayed with 4h. Their driver was still waiting for me in the middle of the night. Due to this delay my hotel got cancelled, but Big Time arranged me a hotel in the center of Nairobi at a friends price (17€ instead of 40€ official price). The day after just before Safari departure, as I just arrived, they guided me to an exchange office, helped me out buying a local sim card and assisted me to supermarket for groces. To summarize, a great experience definitely worth the money!
JP
Email tomoya | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
reliable and reasonablly cheap
they can make flexible and cheap plan as a professional.
drivers are also reliable and good guide.
i stromgly recommend u.
FI
Email Pekka ja Päivi | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
great value for money!
Safari was a great experience . the staff was wonderful and friendly. everything worked as it had been agreed and was taken care of us perfectly. in particular, thanks to Martha and a good tour guide Patrick ! You are all wonderful ! we can highly recommend this company
CO
Email Marcela | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful time in safari
I was on 7 days safari, Masai Mara, Amboseli and Lake Nakuru. Big Time safaris is a great company, they make your staying in Kenya easier, specially when your are travelling by yourself. Martha is such a kind lady, she cares about you all the time. Also John is such a funny and helpfull person. The best guide and driver is Animal, I had great time with him in Masai Mara; I don´t recommend Ben as safari guide. The relation price- service is very good, you can get into agreements with Big Time Safaris, no problem at all. Hope to be in Kenya again, asante sana!
US
Email Robert O | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Value, Great Service, Truly Excellent Staff!!!
I cannot say enough about how great my experience was with Big Time Safaris. From the very beginning, they went out of their way to accommodate my crazy arrival plans and actually dispatched someone to scoop me up so to help me be on time for my safari to Masai Mara. I was running really late and my plans were on the verge of completely falling apart when they dispatched private transport to pick me up and get me where I needed to be (without extra fees or charges!). No other safari company would have gone out of their way in this fashion. Truly, I wouldn't have had my vacation plans intact if they hadn't intervened to help me. In addition, when I lost my property, they actually sent someone - and I'm not making this up- hundreds of miles away to find my lost property and then drove it to where I was in Masai Mara to return it to me. I mean, who does that?! Big Time Safaris, that's who. They deserve awards for that kind of customer service. They were just on a whole different level. I mean, really nice staff and willing to go above and beyond to help their clientele in their time of need. On top of all this, they offered the best safari deal in Kenya with amazing access to the park with an experience that was unforgettable. Not only did they salvage my trip from falling apart, they made it spectacular. They were the key difference in me having an amazing time and they were such lovely, generous people in the process. I will definitely be giving them my business next time I'm in East Africa.
CL
Email Emilia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great guides
I recommend the experience booking with Big Time Safaris. We were a family group of 5, with a preference to see as much of the Masaai Mara and Serenguetti as possible. Martha, our sales representative from Big Time Safaris, was very proactive, accomodating and patient to help us arrange for a private camping safari, providing several options and establishing a fluid communication through whatsapp to clarify doubts.
Once in Kenya, our guide, Zack Ouko, exceeded our expectations in terms of assuring a smooth coordination of lodging, meals and general logistics. Once inside the parks, he proved superior in spotting animals, providing us with detailed information (he carried zoology and picture books to help with our questions), which lead to some exclusive sightings and a very exciting experience. Once in Tanzania, our new guide, Ziggy, was also very helpful in navigating the parks and campings to focus all of our attention and time in the many animals we found in Serenguetti, Ngorongoro and Taranguire. Our cook, Simon, was superb, accomodating for a vegetarian in our group. Although the hotel in Arusha was below our expectations, the general experience was great.
The Absolute Best Trip EVER!
Big Time Safaris offers budget safaris but I cannot imagine a better tour company at any price. I am a traveler and have enjoyed many tours but have never received such caring, thoughtful service as I did with Big Time.
Martha in the office went above and beyond to help me with even the most minor details. Boneface, a delightful young man and great driver, welcomed me at the airport and then picked me up at my hotel to take me back to the airport for departure. And then there was James, our guide/driver throughout our safari tour. He was so outstanding that our group dubbed him James Bond for his prescience, thorough organizational abilities and talented leadership, and ultimately for his dexterous driving skills.
If you're looking for a true safari experience and don't expect frills or ostentation, Big Time Safaris is the only way to go!
Friendly, flexible and welcoming service
We spent in total 8 days in Kenya. Bigtime has assisted us during these days and provided attentive care throughout the trip. We planned to go to Tanzania but our visa was rejected on the border. However the crew was with us even to the border and tried to facilitate it by all means. When it turned out it was not possible, they immediately assisted us with alternative plans. Thanks to Bigtimesafari, we had the best trip in our life this yime in Kenya in masai mara, Naivasha and Watamu.
RU
Email Julia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My dream came true
It was my first safari in Kenya and I love it so much! I had a dream and guys from Big Time Safaris Ltd made it true. First I want to say thank you to Martha. She helped me in organization and was in contact every day. She is so kind and responsive. Secondly, I want to say thank you to the guide Patric. He made safari fabulous and funny. We saw so many animals and birds, I think we were very lucky:) And of course I want to say thank you to the whole crew of Big Time Safaris Ltd, guys you are awesome!