Picnic lunch in the Wild Masai Mara
Tropical Wild Expeditions
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $450 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
Email Jonathan Little | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Slightly above average operator but disappointingly poor tour guide
We booked a 7 days safari trip in Kenya, taking in 4 different parks including Amboseli, Nakuru, Naivasha, and Masai Mara. The communication from Susan was decent enough, and all out questions were answered. I did have some concerns as we got a week away from the start of the trip, as the website was down and i couldnt get any response from susan for a few days. However using the WhatsApp number helped and i got the reassurance all was fine. The safari itself was enjoyable in that we saw lots of animals and the big 5.
The weather was hot and it was sunny most days making it a lovely break from the british weather.
Accommodation was budget but fine overall, but my daughter did get fed up of the similar and repetitive food options at each of the different camps. So generally I was happy with our budget choice.
However, I can't hide my complete disappointment with the driver/guide that we had, called David.
I expected and hoped that we would have a guide that was engaging and Informative, to really make the trip memorable for me and my 12 Yr old daughter.
Sadly, it became clear very early that the guide was not really interested in us, or making the trip special. David hardly engaged us at all the whole week. He shared little knowledge of the animals, and what he did share was quite basic. Beyond naming animals, there wasn't much more shared than that for most of the time.
At the end of each day he'd tell us what time we were to meet next day after breakfast, and with a polite hello in the morning, that was pretty much it in terms of conversation.
This lack of communication led to a potential issue when we arrived at Masai Mara gate where he informed us we'd need to produce our passports. Why did he not tell us that morning before we left our camp? Or the night before? Thankfully I had photos of the passports which took me a while to find, but at least we didn't have to go drive back 25 min to camp and get them. This unnecessary stress and anxiety could have easily been avoided, but just epitomised the guides lack of interest, overall apathy, and generally jaded demeanour.
In general, to be absolutely honest, he appeared bored, wasn't very attentive, spent most of the time speaking on his phone while driving, or checking Facebook/other media whenever we stopped, and generally hardly said a word to us. As the only proper English speaking people there I thought he might have taken more interest in engaging us and sharing some knowledge. Not only that, his lack if attentiveness was realised several times, when we'd pull up behind other jeeps who were in a better viewing position of animals, and when they moved on, I'd have to disturb him from his scrolling in his phone ask him to move forward ro where the other jeeps had been so we could get the views they had.
It's a real shame, as I spoke to other people at the camps and their experience with their guides with other companies seemed far better - more communication, more conversation, more knowledge sharing, more engagement.
I feel a bit gutted for my daughter that David did very little to make this trip of a lifetime feel like a trip of a lifetime, but could have so easily been remedied with a few interesting anecdotes, facts, and general conversation. If David is the guide in future safaris, I'll use a different company.
LK
Email Bhagya Dissanayake | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Attentive and organized.
A huge thank you to Susan from the travel agency for organizing such a smooth and unforgettable trip to Africa! Everything was perfectly planned from the accommodations to the safari routes making it a truly stress-free experience for us.
A special thanks to our amazing guide, David, who made this adventure extra special. His knowledge, patience, and passion for wildlife brought every moment to life. We were lucky enough to witness the Great Migration, spot the Big 5, and see countless other animals up close. David even took us all the way to the Tanzania border, sharing fascinating facts about the regions along the way.
One of the most memorable experiences was when he showed us how to boil eggs in a natural hot spring, such a fun and unique moment we’ll never forget! Every day with David felt like an adventure filled with wonder and learning.
For anyone visiting, make sure to visit Hells gate as well.
Thank you again to Susan and David for making our dream safari come true. We’re already planning our next visit in 2027!
US
Email Jeff Sample | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent
David was a genius of the Mara. We saw almost everything. Thank you Susan for the planning and timely replies.
NL
Email Oliver Bergkamp | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best Safari Experience
Thank you TWE for making my dream for an African safari come true. Big thanks to guide David for helping our group to spot Leopard and black Rhino in Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara.
I highly recommend booking with Tropical Wild Expeditions.
IN
Email Abhay Nitin | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great guide
We have a wonderful six days safari which we saw many animals, thank you to the excellent guiding skills from David. He helped in spotting all the big five.
I recommend booking with TWE. We were a family of 6.
US
Email Kelly Branyon | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best Holiday Safari Experience
We were recommended by a friend who did a safari with TWE last year. Everything went perfect with David from planning to the last day of safari. We saw the Super 7 (Big 5 + Cheetahs and Hyenas) as David named them. It was the best experience for us with a 4x4 Landcruiser and we were lucky enough to see a Jackal succeed to chase a baby Gazelle.
I highly recommend David and the entire team at Tropical Wild Expeditions.
CN
Email ChenWei | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The trip was arranged just right, allowing us to fully experience the warmth of Africa
Communication: You can use your phone's built-in app or Alipay to purchase data, or you can use a local SIM card (get one right after you get off the plane).
Service: Service in many parts of Africa is much better than in China, so don't skimp on your spending.
Value for money: For $1,100, you can experience things you wouldn't even dream of in China.
Reliability: The tour group's Land Cruiser provides a great day of sightseeing, and you'll likely encounter plenty of antelope and monkeys near the accommodation. However, be careful not to wander around late at night.
MY
Email Teng Rong | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Try it and u wont regret
We booked our safari a year ago. Susan has been very responsive to our AtoZ questions and the price she quoted is one of the very affordable ones.
The gamedrive guide Stanley is humorous and patient with our requests especiaaly answering the nature call amisdt gamedriving. He went al out to make sure we had the best views of all wildlife sightings.
Overalll, a thumb up for both of them
MY
Email Mr sunshine | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
Overall this trip was good,it was a good experience.The driver was very responsible and thoughtful..My driver name David strong observation skills .The itinerary was convenient and just right.Camp side food need improvement.camp side staff all so kind and friendly,
MY
Email Chris | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!
Very satisfied with our driver David, he is a very experienced and responsible person, very satisfied with the entire trip, let us have a very wonderful trip to Kenya! thanks so much