African Paradise Safaris guide
Paradise in Africa Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2009)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $180 to $550 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email |Pamela | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Holiday of a lifetime
Wow, wow, wow if the only way to describe our holiday. I will admit we were advised by many people not to book through a non-UK company - even our usual travel agent received a message from his Kenyan agent advising us to go with a known company. O|h we are so glad we didnt. Right from the start we received emails from John who helped us tailor make our own private safari adapted from APS 12 day Classical Safari. He helped us with our visa application and answered all our questions - of which there were many - within 2 hours. 48 hrs before we left we received an email telling us the name of the driver collecting us from the airport & how we would recognise him. The first morning John himself came to meet us & introduced us to our fantastic driver/guide Lawrence and went through the entire itinerary with us.
Lawrence was absolutely amazing and spotted lions, a leopard, elephants & cape buffalo on our very first drive - not to mention the hippos, giraffes, zebras etc, etc. We had to wait 3 days before we saw the rhinos!!!! Having Lawrence for the entire trip was fantastic, we learnt so much from him, not only about the animals but Kenyan culture and particularly his tribe. Lawrence ate most of his meals with us, which we really enjoyed as he was so much fun and informative. When we were on the drives if there was a bird he didnt' know he immediately looked it up in either his much used book or on his phone and if we asked him anything about an animal he also looked that up for us to give us even more information, although his knowledge was unbelievable. The advantage of it being just the 2 of us is we could change the itinerary on a daily basis - morning drives instead of evening or vice versa - and opted to have 2 half day drives rather than 1 full day - Lawrence was so good at assessing our needs and ensuring we got the very best out of the days - bearing in mind we are both in our 70's so not as agile as some.
The lodges we stayed at were very diverse but all were comfortable and clean , with an excellent choice of food - all but 3 meals were buffet style. Yes the roads on the safaris left a lot to be desired - but hey what do you expect on a safari, we are on unmade roads looking for animals in their environment not ours.
Some of the journeys between the parks were up to 8 hours - however the scenery was so varied the time just passed fast. The jeep itself wasnt the newest but I would be surprised if even the most up-to-date one would lessen the bumps, but again it was reliable, gave us absolutely amazing views and allowed us to get close up to the animals, so what is there to complain about?
The only glitches over the whole 15 days was one hotel where the room was more like a prison cell - this was sorted within 15 minutes with John being contacted & resulting in us being transferred to a neighbouring hotel and on arrival in Nairobi the hotel had a booking but with different names, however another quick call - and this was 11.00pm - by the taxi driver to John and it was sorted.
We paid our deposit on booking and the balance on arrival - again we were warned in the UK that this was dicey and what happened if there was no-one to meet us on arrival. Unfortunately we took American dollars some of which were issued before 2007 & therefore not accepted in Kenya. "No problem we will sort it when you re back" When we returned to Nairobi John didnt have his card reader with him, so believe it or not, we didnt pay him until we returned to the UK when I sent him a bank transfer.
To say we were warned about using a Kenyan company rather than a local UK company I have never met the owner of our usual tour company, never had email replies within 2 hours, never had hotels/rooms sorted in 10 minutes and NEVER EVER paid for a holiday on my return. Additionally I then received an email from John asking if we had returned home safely and hoping we had enjoyed the holiday.!!!
Thank you again John and Lawrence you promised us the holiday of a lifetime and you certainly gave us that - even with the bumpy roads and Lawrence not finding me my penguin!!!!!!!!!!
Email Salome | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good listener,helpful,friendly and patient
It was nice experience travelling with the support of APS Travel agency. They were very helpful in case we were stuck and they had given us the best options for hotels and places to visit in reasonable rates. If you want to travel they are the best option to opt for choosing best holiday package. Thanks APS for giving us this memorable trip. Keep up the good work.
CA
Email Palvi shanghvi | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent service by John and David
We booked our 9 day tour with APS. John answered all our questions and concerns in time via WhatsApp. The safari vehicle provided was a bit old however, our driver and Guide David was very knowledgeable and patient with us. Samburu national park was very dry due to on going drought in the area.
NL
Email Iddo | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing trip into Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara NP
Our feedback is grouped into the following items:
The offer
In the process of defining the trip and incorporating our wishes you have proven to be very flexible and inventive to address any of our needs. They always responded swiftly, and never complained if we wanted to do things in another way. Communication on the offer was very clear. On top of that, their offer was slightly cheaper than that of the competition, which convinced us even more to make the trip with Paradise Safaris. I would safely recommend this organisation to my friends. They were even flexible payments by bank account, and gave a total refund for one person that unfortunately had to cancel one week in advance.
Driver
Our driver, Stanley, was very experienced and such nice guy! He never did any reckless manoeuvres and was very keen to keep us safe. He had a healthy drive to ensure that we got to see as much game as possible (even spotting two rhinos five minutes before we were delivered to the JKIA airport!) . When my brother got sick, he assisted to think of the best solution to deal with the new situation. He was always sharing interesting facts about the animal life, but we also talked about cultural differences, politics, climate and whatever. Furthermore, he was flexible if we made proposals to change the schedule. We had a great time with him and gave him a good tip for his services.
Accommodation: We asked for average luxury in accommodation, I think we got more luxury than we had hoped for. AA Lodge was very good, Ziwa game lodge at Nakuru was even excellent. The last lodge at Masai Mara (Jambo mara safari) was generally good, although we thought that the staff hospitality was a bit poor (they were certainly very friendly, but very distant and with some strange ways in how they approached us). Nevertheless we were very satisfied with all of them. Also the food was generally good. One tip: better not eat from any food that is not cooked or baked. We have a high suspicion on the coleslaw salad for making my brother sick…
Travel itinerary
They made a great effort to make the most of our 6 day journey. That is certainly a good thing, although we thought that the itinerary might also have given some time to relax a bit. We were constantly on the move and really tired at the end of each day. Especially day 3 was very exhausting, because of the long trip from Amboseli to Lake Nakuru. In retrospect, the visit to Amboseli -though certainly very beautiful- could have been left out, in that way we had much less travel distance and more time for relaxation. Again, this is not a complaint because we have enjoyed every minute of it!
CA
Email Brian Jeffay | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing photographic journey. A wonderful and professional tour company.
After careful research and having talked to a person who previously did a safari organized with Peter, I decided this was the company I wanted to use. I did a messenger video chat with Peter and explained my interest in photography. He organized a 3 week trip in Kenya and Tanzania taking into account my wishes. It was all spectacular from start to finish. Our driver Davido went above and beyond to accommodate our small group of 3. He made sure we saw all the animals up close.
A couple things to keep in mind. A very good camera will definitely make the experience totally awesome.
The roads between parks and in the parks are at times an adventure.
The lodges that were booked were all clean , safe and relaxing.
If you sleep with a cpap, be sure to point that out in advance. Places will make arrangements for that. Otherwise in some places the power might not function overnight.
Africa is not like North America or Europe. Don't compare , just enjoy it. Please feel free to contact me for any additional information. Brian
*** Photos are just a few from my trip.
US
Email Jen | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful and professional
We booked our trip with African Paradise Safaris because their itinerary was the closest to what we wanted. We were extremely pleased with the experience. John Peter, who managed the booking, was very responsive and flexible when we suggested changes to itineraries. He was very patient with all of the questions we had. Our driver John was great - we spent 14 days total with him and I don’t think we got tired of each other! He’s an excellent driver and also a lot of fun - we had lots of smiles and laughs. Highly recommend APS for booking a safari!
DE
Email Steffen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Just perfect!
From the first point of contact with John, everything went absolutely smooth and seamless. His recommendation were spot on!
Our guide John was absolutely perfect: friendly, helpful, top spotter on the safari
I would book with operator anytime again
DE
Email Alexandra | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great wildlife experience
Everything was perfectly organized. John Peter was very patient with my many inquiries and requests, but in the end everything was great.
We spent days in Amboseli (Kibo Camp) & Masai Mara (Ashnil Mara).
We used domestic flights to avoid long trips by car and have been sometimes the only passengers on board (like a private jet).
The trails were sometimes a real adventure during the rainy season in Masai Mara.
The teams in both camps were very concerned about us and the food was very good.
In Ashnil Mara all employees were particularly attentive and warm. We felt really welcome. Thanks to John Peter for organizing this unforgettable holiday!
US
Email Diana | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
The tour operator was knowledgeable, professional, and helpful.
Organizing a private and customized trip is wonderful for those who know what they want (we generally want at least 2 nights in one place so that we wouldn't feel that we are on the go the entire time) and a flexible and knowledgeable travel consultant. John Peter was that and more. He was prompt, professional, patient, and provided excellent advice for our 14-day trip. I particularly appreciated his help in preparing all the documents needed for Kenya (quite a few of them!). Our guide and driver Davido was delightful. He was the epitome of professionalism with a sunny disposition and charming personality. The places we visited and the animals we saw exceeded our expectations. All the lodgings were clean with a special local charm. I highly recommend this company.
US
Email Hector Tamez | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
African Paradise Safaris is “THE ONE” company you need for your next African Safari
Both John Peter (organizer) and John (driver) delivered a premium quality service but above all their professional and Kenyan charm. Always there through WhatsApp always there with a smile.
Don’t take any other driver than John !!!!!
