Come As Guests, Leave As Family.
Odyssey Safaris
- Located In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2002)
- Member Of:
- APTA, ATA & KPSGA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $400 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CA
Email Mahasri W. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely awesome!!!!
Our family of 5 are seasoned travellers, doing regular trips twice a year for the past 10 years. A Safari in Africa has to be on everyones bucket list of things to do, so I searched for tour groups. We live in Edmonton, Canada, and there are so many that offer tours. I found 'Odyssey Safari's' from New York. NEW YORK! WTH!! Why would I book through theses people when I can book face to face with someone right here in Edmonton, and I have never before booked through anyone other than directly through the Airline or personally going to the travel office, but after speaking personally to Mark Cahill at Odyssey, I was skeptical at 1st, especially with so many scams going around, but this guy sounded honest and was very up front about everything and not pushy at all. So, us 5 and 5 others, a group of 10 got a great price and took a chance a booked not knowing what to expect coz 5 other family members have always wanted to join us on our many travels, so this time I was worried coz I was responsible for them too if things did not go as planned. But they sure delivered!!! OMG!! What a trip! Stuff that movies are made of - like a Black Rhino charging us and a lioness and her 4 cubs playing just outside our Jeep and giant Giraffe's and Hippo's munching right outside our cottages! All made possible by Odyssey and their fantastic drivers and Vehicles, but people, please expect some minor breakdown's!! When you see the Terrain and the horrible roads that are totally neglected by the Kenyan Govt, it's no fault of the Hotels or the drivers. Us in the western 1st world nations are so spoilt with everything going perfect. We had one flat tire and one other minor issue which was quickly taken care of but what you experience on the great Rift Valley and Lake Nakuru! Nothing compared to a minor break down. From the time we landed in Nairobi, it was awesome, fantastic, fabulous, great and did I mention the part about we experienced 'what movies are made of' - thanks Odyssey! We had the best vacation ever. I recommend Odyssey to anyone & everyone, coz they walk the talk. I would ask for Erastus and Simon, if they are available - Great drivers/Guides, and please TIP these guys coz they are poor and we have so much here.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
OMG, I had one of the most unforgettable experience of my life.
First time travelling on my own, I had some apprehensions but after speaking to Mark Cahill, prior to the trip, put me at ease. From the moment I exited the airport and saw someone holding a sign with my name on it and then greeted with a big smile, I knew I was in good hands. Erusta, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable. The resorts were fabulous. Being with your first Safari of the season, I didn't think I would see much via animals, but OMG, there were animals everywhere. This trip was something I will talk about for a long time to come. I will tell those that I know to put it on their bucket list and that they must book with Odyssey Safaris.
US
Email Debbie McFee | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Simon is the best safari guide.
This is my second safari with Odyssey and hopefully there will be many more. They are willing to do whatever it takes for you to have a safe and fabulous safari. Simon was the driver for both trips and I hope to have him a third time. He is extremely knowledgeable about wildlife and Kenya.
US
Email Vanessa K - Boston MA | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ask for Erastus for you tour guide - By far the best!
Beatrice and Mark planned this trip for my sister and I and did a great job selecting a vacation package that was best for us and in our budget. We did the tour from Boston to Nairobi and it was a Friday to Monday trip (10 days total) - flew from Boston to Amsterdam to Nairobi and then back.
Pre-Trip Preparation: My sister and I got a few shots before (Yellow Fever, Tetanus, Polio, and Hep A) - but they weren't necessary for us - but no harm getting them just in case. We also took anti-malaria pills before, during, and after the trip - total of 14 days (also not needed).
Need a passport - but don't get your Visa until you get there ($50 USD) - much quicker and easier than doing it ahead of time.
Packed: Money Protector, Cash, CC, passport, Tablet & plug, Blanket, bathing suit, long pants (linen are best because it’s hot then cold), sweatshirt/pants because it’s very cold t night, Unscented shampoo (keeps away bugs), Safari hat, 5 Toothbrushes & paste (in case one touches tap water), Tums, Advil, Dramamine, Imodium, Prescription Pills in original bottle, Sunglasses, Sunscreen, Power adaptors, backpack, Mosquito Net, 99% Deet Bug spray, Hand Sanitizer, Good Binoculars (I wish I had bought a Monocular), disposable Poncho, Travel Toilet Paper
When we arrived: got off plane, went through Immigration (got our visa), got our bags and then "went through customs" - we didn't really need to do anything except hand them a form. Then we walked outside and saw Erastus (our tour guide) holding a sign with our names. He brought us to the Safari truck and brought us to the hotel.
1st Hotel: Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi - great location and accommodations - lots of restaurants to chose from, rooms are very clean and nice, breakfast is included, pool, lots of weddings here - only negative was their beds were extremely firm.
Safari: woke up, ate breakfast, and Erastus was waiting for us in the lobby to take us to our first safari destination. We had 2 other people with us (an older couple) so there was plenty of room for us to put our stuff and relax on the long rides.
The ride to the first location is about 5 hours - but you really don't notice it at all because there are a few "stop-overs" to use the bathrooms and look at souvenirs and the people-watching along the way is fascinating.
Ashnil - Samburu: This is a tented camp - rooms are little huts with real doors but tent walls - you feel like you're really in a hotel room - nice beds and showers and they give you water bottles for tooth-brushing. The food all over africa is terrible if you're an american. We were told not to eat fruits, uncooked veggies, the water, or unpasteurized dairy products. That doesn't leave many options - so the food is the only thing I could complain about on this trip. There is a male elephant that comes right up to the electric fence daily - it's really cool. There are Vervet monkeys that try to get into your rooms at night - make sure you zip the tents closed! Beds are really comfortable and there is a generator to charge your phone/camera/laptops about 18 out of 24 hours a day.
The game drives here were amazing - the goal of the whole safari is to see the "big 5" and we saw a lion, (not one of big 5 but...)cheetah (with her cubs AND a kill), hippo (it's extremely rare to see any Hippo in Samburu), and a bunch of smaller animals and birds.
We went to the Samburu village - $30 per person extra - it was worth it. We got to see how they live off the land, and go into their little huts and see the school etc. They do try to sell you a bunch of souvenirs at the end - and I think it's better to buy gifts from them than the souvenir shops.
The drive from Samburu to Sweetwater was about 3 hours
Sweetwater: This is a tented camp with a lake in the middle (elephants and other animals gather at the lake after dark - it's very cool to see them up close while eating dinner). The tents are on stilts and you have to actually zip the entrance. There are a TON of weird beetles there - but no mosquitos. The rooms were cozy and comfortable beds - showers/bathroom was nice and they also give you water. The food was a little better. At every tented camp, food is included with your package but drinks (even water) is not. We just took waters from our Safari truck (there was enough for the week in there) and brought them to meals. Wifi is good here in the rooms and lobby.
Game drive: We saw black and white rhinos, stopped at the Black Rhino sanctuary and the chimpanzee sanctuary. Saw 2 others of the Big 5 - the African Cape Buffalo as well the rhinos. We saw more lions, zebra, ostriches, giraffes, and stopped at the Equator for pictures and a water demonstration.
From Sweetwater to Nakuru was about 4 hours.
Nakuru: This is a lodge hotel - no tents - very nice here. One tiny problem we had was that ALL of our rooms at the 5 hotels were so far away from the lobby - if you're handicapped or old, you should definitely ask for closer rooms up front. The lunch here was very good - the best meal of the whole trip. The rooms were comfy and clean and very nice. We heard a lion roar in the early morning hours! Here we were supposed to see FLOCKS of flamingos - but there were only about 30. Again, we saw rhino and buffalo and the other animals. Still, no leopard though (the last of the big 5 to spot for us).
Trip from Nakuru to Masai Mara was about 7 hours:
Ashnil at Masai Mara: The rooms are just like the ones at the other Ashnil camp - same food as well. Comfy beds and clean rooms. Food was just OK. Hippos are right outside the dining room - we saw a hyena as well. The game drive here was AMAZING! We saw a huge pride of lions and so many other animals. On our way out of the park on the very last day, we FINALLY spotted the leopard - and WITH A CUB! We were so happy! AND a cheetah jumped on our safari truck - sat there for about 1/2 hour looking for her next meal - not bothering us - was so cool! Before it jumped on our truck, she went on the roof of another truck, went over to the open sunroof and shat through the open roof onto the tour guide hahahaha. We got to step into Tanzania for a minute.
The ride back to Nairobi was about 6 hours with stop-overs at interesting locations.
Back at the Safari Park Hotel, we went to the Elephant Orphanage, a mall, a black market, and a little sight-seeing of Nairobi with our tour guide before flying back home.
I travel a lot - and this was by far the BEST trip I have been on. Erastus was an amazing tour guide - he knew so many interesting facts about the animals, Kenya, and the people who we saw along the way. It's very important to tip your tour guide - at LEAST $10/day per person - we recommend twice that if you have Erastus as your guide - he truly loves his job and is so good at it!
Some things to remember about Safaris and Kenya:
1. Don't expect to go into the game drive reserves and see animals roaming everywhere - you will see a few every 10-15 minutes - it's part of the fun trying to spot them. They are not just all hanging around everywhere - they are living in their natural habitat and hiding from prey/sun/us.
2. In Nairobi, people are pretty much the same as in the US - they have the same things and do the same stuff. They are more religious though - everyone goes to church on Sundays. However, the farther out you go - like to the game reserves, the people become more and more primitive with their houses, livestock, jobs, food, etc.
3. Ask as many questions as you can think of while on safari - your tour guide is full of information and there are just so many interesting facts about Kenya you would never think of.
CA
Email Chris | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Out trip was an amazing experience and exceeded our expectations
We took a tour going to Samburu,Sweetwaters,Nokuru, and Masa Mara. The lodging and food was fabulous. Our driver James made sure we saw all the species of animals and made sure the trip was one we will remember for the rest of our lives. I would highly recommend odyssey safaris to anyone looking to take a safari.
US
Experience level: first safari
Fabulous vacation; wonderful adventure
This was my favorite trip to date along with Tibet, which was also fabulous for different experiences. The entire trip was wonderful. Mark, with Odyssey Safaris, was great to work with. He was always easy to reach and so helpful with setting up our tour and answering questions. Could not have asked for anyone better. The trip to Kenya was outstanding even though the flights from the USA to Kenya were long. Everything flowed smoothly from the time we were met at the airport in Nairobi to the time we departed Nairobi. We felt safe the entire time. The lodges/tented camps were amazing with great meals and wonderful service. The people were all so friendly. Erastus, our guide and driver, was the best. We were four gals on an 8 day private safari and he had a great sense of humor and made the trip a lot of fun. He also had a great eye for spotting animals and thus we saw different animals & birds on each of our game drives. We saw 4 of the big 5; missed our leopard by 2 minutes but saw a cheetah! All other animals you would hope to see were everywhere in their glory! I would recommend everyone check out Odyssey Safaris if you are looking for a wonderful tour with easy and great planning, scheduling, lodging, meals, service, amazing game drives and an overall amazing experience.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip! A++++ guide, vehicles, accommodations! Everything was TOTL (Top Of The Line)!!
Excellant. All questions answered, expectations were met and beyond. Mark is great to work with and Erastis is a top notch guide, always trying to satisfy what we wanted to see. Accommodations were wonderful.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Superior to Other Safari Companies
I would recommend Odyssey Safaris to anyone looking to take a safari. The trip was amazing. From the moment we landed, everything was taken care of for us. The person that picked us up from the airport was our guide for the entire tour which really helps you feel comfortable and not like you are being passed from guide to guide. I cannot understate the importance of going on a safari in the right vehicle (which would never have passed through my mind prior to this trip). Odyssey uses Land Rovers, many other companies use what looks like a volkswagon minivan. We saw twice on our trip these types of vehicles stuck in the rough terrain - one for several hours. The land rover is the ONLY vehicle to travel in on this type of terrain. James was our guide and I would highly recommend him ... especially for younger/middle aged people who can handle a faster pace. My friend and I are in our 30's and James' style suited us perfectly. He let us determine how much ground we wanted to cover in a day and if we wanted to add anything onto our trip (not pushy at all, but not such a slow pace that we felt we were missing things). The accomodations were far beyond our expectations - very clean, good food, large bathrooms, hardwood floors, the list goes on and on).
CA
Email Carolyn Gilbert, Trenton, Ontario | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organized, professional organization that cares about their clients and the animals.
From Day one when we signed up through a Groupon, we were impressed with the professionalism and consideration given by Mark Cahill and his staff. We initially were concerned about safety issues but every step of the trip was super organized and at no time did we feel our safety was at risk. Accommodations and meals were excellent and the wildlife viewing is out of this world. The guides did their best to ensure a safe trip but one with the most wildlife and daily outings. My husband became ill during our trip but with their concern for his well-being and his privacy, he was well looked after and able to continue the trip for the duration. If I am fortunate enough to travel to Africa again, I would certainly not hesitate to book with Odyssey Safaris in the future.
Great experience
We went for our first Kenya Safari trip in February 2014. Although it was not the right timing for the migration, we got to see a lot more than we expected. The trip was well planned out and arranged. Well done, Odyssey Safari.