Elevate Your Escapes
Splendid Vacations
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2023)
- 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)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
US
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 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.