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Splendid Vacations
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2023)
- Member Of:
- AMREF & TOSK
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $120 to $900 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Victoria | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great at communicating, unhappy safari guide, poor planning and value for money ,
The communication from splendid was prompt and efficient. Vehicle was robust and well serviced. Driver/tour guide was grumpy and rude at times. Only on the last 1 hour drive of a four day tour decided to share his extensive knowledge. Company grossly misrepresented transit times between parks -2 hours was actually 5/6 hours. Hotels were fantastic.
Reply from Splendid Vacations
Posted on May 4, 2024Hello,
We would like to address the above review as follows;
1. The client booked a 4-Day Tsavo West, Amboseli, and Tsavo East National Park Safari starting from Diani Beach. The booking process was smooth with her daughters, responsible for the safari planning. On Day 1 of the safari, the journey started well, from Diani Beach to Taita Hills and Saltlick Lodge, and we didn't have any complaints from the client. On Day 2, the Southern Region Safari Circuit, which is Tsavo Parks and Amboseli National Park, was experiencing a lot of rain that forced the driver to use the longer route to Amboseli, which is a drive of about 5 hours. The driver decided to ensure the client's safety as our usual route was already flooded because of the long rains, and the driver couldn't afford to risk it as clients' safety comes first. After arriving in Amboseli National Park, the clients checked in at the Ol Tukai Lodge, had a sumptuous lunch, and proceeded for an afternoon game drive. After the game drives, the client contacted us after dinner and informed us that she was not willing to proceed with the safari to Tsavo East National Park the following day because she had back pains. The client insisted on staying in Amboseli National Park on Day 3 rather than going to Tsavo East National Park at no extra cost as they were unwilling to add any cost.
2. Given that the client requested a last-minute change during the night, we asked for the client to wait until the following morning so that we could call the reservations department for the hotel in Tsavo East for the cancellations and credit the amount already paid. On Day 3, the hotel in Tsavo East confirmed that they were not in a position to refund or credit the amount already paid as this was a last-minute cancellation. As a company that focuses on ensuring service quality and client satisfaction to all our guests, we opted to pay for the client's extra night in Ol Tukai Lodge and the park fees for the same day out of pocket, totaling USD 700. The client was not charged for this. We again paid for their train tickets afresh from Emali to Mombasa as we had previously booked them from Voi to Mombasa, and the time frame for cancellation had already expired. After all the changes, the client shared an appreciation message with the company for re-booking the hotels and the train tickets.
3. Alex is one of our best driver guides, as per other reviews. On Day 3, when the client wanted to stay longer in Amboseli, our driver was in communication with the client advising of possible alternatives if Ol Tukai Lodge wouldn't confirm the availability of an extra night at the lodge and just in case the train is full from Emali to Mombasa (given that it was during the Easter Holidays) the client seemed not to agree with the driver of the alternatives provided. She was mad at the hotel reception; even the lodge could confirm she was shouting at the driver. All our driver guides are well-trained and disciplined. They have excellent driving experience, game viewing skills, and vast knowledge about wildlife, birdlife, plants, and authentic cultures of different communities in Kenya. On the same note, we are having a sit down with the driver to understand what transpired up to this situation.
Our company remains committed to offering excellent customer service and continually enhancing the customer experience.
Email Steven | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ran into organizational problems
I am afraid our eight-day trip with Splendid Vacations wasn’t the five-star experience that the majority of other customers have had. Our driver, John, was very good, and we saw a lot of of animals; however, the company’s scheduling was often off-the-mark. For example, the planned 5 AM pick up time for our hot air balloon ride was changed to hours earlier, resulting in a significant lack of sleep, to say the least.
But the absolute worst situation occurred on our last day, where Splendid Vacations alerted me with less than 24-hours notice that our next day’s afternoon flight from Amboseli to Nairobi didn’t have enough passengers to warrant the trip (did no one realize this anytime sooner?!) I had to scramble to reorganize things, which caused us to lose out on our Masai village visit, and forced us to find something else to do in Nairobi following what was now an early morning flight (and we had already spent a full day touring Nairobi at the start of our trip).
We ended up touring Nairobi National Park in a land cruiser that had a pop-up roof which suddenly collapsed several times, barely missing my wife’s head at one point. The driver seemed inept at taking care of things, and also had a personality that made us feel like we were on our way to a funeral! Even though Splendid Vacations moved some things around, we ended up settling for lunch at the same place we had eaten a week earlier, and I’m sure I ended up taking a loss on a lot of of prepaid money as a result of all this.
Reply from Splendid Vacations
Posted on Jul 12, 2025Thank you for your feedback! We're delighted to hear that you had a wonderful experience on your safari with John.
However, we would like to take this opportunity to clarify a few essential points regarding the above review:
Early Pick-Up for the Balloon Safari
In the Masai Mara region, there are several balloon safari companies, each with its own standard operating procedures that are beyond our control. The specific pick-up time for the balloon safari is determined by the location from which clients are flying in, the Masai Mara, and the hotel where you are staying. In our client's case, they were flying from the Mara North area, which necessitated an early morning pick-up. It's worth noting that the day before the balloon ride, the balloon company sent a team member to our client's hotel to conduct a comprehensive briefing. During this briefing, they discussed the pick-up times, safety precautions, and the amenities that would be provided during the balloon ride, ensuring that our clients were well-informed and comfortable.
Scheduling of the Domestic Flight
We had arranged a domestic flight for our clients from Amboseli to Nairobi's Wilson Airport on the final day of their trip, initially scheduled for 3:30 PM. Unfortunately, we received an email from the airline the day before, stating that they could not meet the required minimum of four passengers for this flight. As a result, they rescheduled it to an earlier morning flight departing Amboseli at 8:10 AM and arriving at Nairobi at 9:00 AM. We promptly notified our client of this change to ensure they were fully aware of the new flight schedule. However, we offered an alternative plan: forgoing the early morning flight and driving back to Nairobi instead. This option would have allowed our clients to enjoy additional time exploring Amboseli Park and visiting a Maasai Village without feeling rushed, given that their flight back home was scheduled late at night that day.
However, our clients opted to take the rescheduled flight. As a gesture of goodwill, we provided our clients with a complimentary tour of Nairobi National Park and lunch to avoid staying at the airport for a long time waiting for their flight back home.
In our ongoing efforts to enhance our clients' experiences, we have raised concerns with the domestic airlines regarding their policies. We are advocating for a revision of their operating procedures in scenarios where the number of passengers fails to meet the minimum requirements for flights.
We appreciate your understanding and support as we strive to improve our services.
Email Dhwani Shah | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Disorganized Safari and Unprofessional Guides/Drivers
We booked our high-season safari in January well in advance with Racheal and even agreed to pay extra to ensure a premium, seamless experience for our family documentary with Manager Dennis. Unfortunately, the trip was plagued by logistical failures, missed opportunities, and highly unprofessional behavior.
Major Issues Faced:
* Ruined Documentary Footage: We explicitly communicated our need for specific footage, including our family dressing up in a Masai village and critical river crossings. The Masai village visit was an unauthentic tourist trap solely focused on aggressive money solicitation. Worse, our northern Serengeti driver was not vigilant, failed to network with other drivers, and caused us to entirely miss a river crossing that we knew was happening, despite arriving 1.5 hours early. Driver did not stop on major points like entrance of National Parks.
* Logistical Failures: Due to itinerary confusion and poor planning regarding border-crossing migration delays, we completely missed our evening sunset game drive and were unable to arrange the hot air balloon experience. We also never received our driver information before the trip, nor did we receive the extra binoculars promised for our 4-day journey.
* Guide and Financial Discrepancies: After 2.5 days of complete disappointment in the northern Serengeti, our replacement driver, Patrick, acted strictly as a driver rather than a guide. Furthermore, he ordered resort lunches to go that we were forced to pay $60 out of pocket for, which requires immediate reimbursement.
* Unacceptable Behavior: Driver David (Joseph) subjected me to fat-shaming, made offensive per-assumptions based on race, remained constantly on his phone, and a vehicle 4x4 were not great in condition for 5 days of our trip.
The Positives:
The only bright spot was Guide James, who did a great job helping us secure a few good pieces of footage during our full-day game drive at Nakuru and Masai Mara.
We remained respectful, patient, and flexible throughout the trip, which the drivers can confirm. High season is no excuse for a complete lack of prioritization. We trusted this agency to make our trip unforgettable, but instead, it was a profound disappointment. We are actively seeking a refund for the missed experiences and a reimbursement for the out-of-pocket lunch expenses but Dennis (Management has not refund a penny yet).
Reply from Splendid Vacations
Posted on Aug 17, 2026We appreciate your feedback, and we are sorry that some of the moments you had hoped to document did not unfold as anticipated. However, we would like to clarify a few aspects of the experience.
Maasai Village Experience
The Maasai village visit was included in and delivered according to the agreed itinerary. During the visit, your family had the opportunity to interact directly with Maasai community members, participate in traditional dancing, share stories, and learn more about Maasai culture and traditions.
We understand that the experience may have differed from your expectations of what an authentic Maasai cultural encounter would look like. However, the purpose of the visit was to provide an opportunity for cultural interaction and learning, and the planned activities were undertaken. As with any community-based tourism experience, there may also be opportunities for visitors to purchase souvenirs or make voluntary contributions, but this does not mean that the cultural experience itself was solely focused on money solicitation.
Great Migration and River Crossing
We also understand your disappointment at not capturing a river crossing, particularly because this was something you had specifically hoped to film. Our assigned guide did take you to the migration corridors where the herds were located, and you were able to see large numbers of wildebeest and other migrating animals.
A river crossing, however, is a natural event and cannot be guaranteed or scheduled in the same way as a conventional tourist activity. Even when a crossing appears imminent, the animals may change direction, remain on the riverbank, or cross at a different location or time. Unfortunately, on this occasion, the herds did not cross at the location and time anticipated while you were there.
Our guide's responsibility is also to operate within the rules and regulations of the national park and to respect the ecosystem and wildlife. We believe responsible wildlife tourism requires balancing our guests' interests with the protection of the animals and their environment.
We therefore regret that the anticipated river crossing footage was not obtained, but we do not believe this was due to a lack of effort or vigilance by the guide. The guide positioned you in the migration corridors, where you were able to observe substantial herds, while continuing to operate responsibly and within the park's regulations.
Logistics
Before your travel dates, our team arranged a WhatsApp call with you to discuss the itinerary in detail and ensure that you had a clear understanding of the planned arrangements. We also advised you to maintain open communication with your guide throughout the safari and to discuss the day-to-day arrangements with the guide, as the guide is best placed to make recommendations and adjustments based on road conditions, wildlife movements, migration activity, and other factors. This was intended to help ensure that you had the most enjoyable and memorable experience possible.
Itinerary confusion
Our understanding is that some of the challenges arose because the recommendations and arrangements discussed with the guide were not always agreed upon. We regret that this resulted in frustration, but it is important to clarify that the itinerary had been discussed with you in advance and that the guide was available to assist with its implementation.
Hot Air Balloon Safari
We had recommended that this experience be booked in advance because availability is limited and it is a popular activity in the Masai Mara. However, you preferred to make the booking while already on safari. Unfortunately, this meant that we could not guarantee availability at the time you wished to participate.
Delays at the migration/border crossing
These are circumstances outside the control of Splendid Vacations. Border procedures, immigration requirements, and migration-related congestion can sometimes cause unforeseen delays. While we always endeavor to plan accordingly and minimize their impact, such delays cannot be predicted or controlled by the tour operator. In this instance, the delays contributed to the inability to complete the sunset game drive as originally anticipated.
Binoculars
Splendid Vacations provided one pair of binoculars, which is our standard provision for the safari. We acknowledge your expectation regarding additional binoculars, but an extra pair was not part of our standard equipment provision.
Guide and Financial Discrepancies
Regarding the $60 lunch charge, we would like to clarify the billing arrangement for accommodations. The majority of the hotels on your itinerary were booked independently by you through Booking.com, rather than being booked directly through our company. When accommodations are booked independently by the client, all hotel-related charges, including meals and other incidental expenses ordered directly through the hotel, are payable by the client.
When accommodations are booked directly through our company, we manage the applicable hotel bills and guide-related expenses as part of our arrangements.
That said, we understand your concern regarding the lunches that Patrick ordered and why you would expect clarification before being asked to pay an additional $60. We are reviewing exactly what was ordered and why, and we will address this with Patrick.
Driver David
David’s intention in advising you not to stand on them was for your safety, as the armrests are not designed to support a person’s weight and could easily break. We understand, however, that this may have been frustrating when you were trying to enjoy the best possible views during the game drives. As a result, we have taken steps to improve this experience for future clients by purchasing suitable stools that can be used safely when appropriate.
We would also like to point out that the pop-up roof of the 4x4 is specifically designed to allow clients to stand inside the vehicle and enjoy an excellent panoramic view of the parks and wildlife without needing to stand on the armrests.
About the comments and assumptions you have described, we take these concerns very seriously. Such behavior does not reflect the standards of respect and professionalism we expect from our team. We are reviewing the matter seriously and will address it appropriately based on our findings.
We are also taking your feedback regarding the vehicle condition seriously as part of our overall review. Our goal is to ensure that our clients feel safe, respected, and comfortable throughout their entire safari.
We sincerely regret that certain aspects of the trip did not meet your expectations. At the same time, we hope the above clarification provides a fair and accurate account of the arrangements made, the advice provided before and during your safari, and the circumstances that were beyond our control.
Our intention throughout was to support you in having a safe, enjoyable, and memorable safari, and we remain committed to improving communication and service for our future guests.