End of our 9 days safari at Amboseli
Terminal Tours Kenya
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2001)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Mid-range & luxury)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $120 to $250 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
DE
Email Vincent | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding driver, great food, good accommodation
We are a young couple from Germany and booked an 11-day budget safari: Samburu- Naivasha- Masai Mara- Nakuru- Amboseli- Tsavo W- Tsavo E.
We picked Terminal Tours because we found reviews convincing and the communication was very transparent and easy while the price was reasonable.
I am writing this because it is very complicated to plan a safari from home and prices are crazy.
Finally, we are very happy with the trip and would book with Terminal Tours again. We had a lot of fun with the entire crew and enjoyed some amazing game drives, although we did not see this freaking leopard!
BOOKING
The initial communication happened completely via email with Nelson. We agreed on an itinerary and agreed that we will pay in cash at arrival after the airport pick-up. We liked the transparancy, all accommodations were named so we could google them. It was very clear how the route is set up, where we have meals and when the game drives are scheduled.
After arrival, we settled the payment with Debbie.
DRIVER
Sam is awesome. He is a very experienced driver and guide. He knows his wildlife as he knows his roads (every single bump of them- and there are lots). Without him, we would have been lost and probably dead. Driving in the parks is something between a skill and an art form - which he masters very well.
Moreover, he is a great guy and easy to talk to. This sympathy is important when you hang out for 11 days.
CAR
It is the standard pop-up roof safari van that almost every company uses. It is no 4x4, but we got everywhere -on and off road. We got stuck a couple of times, but that is inevitable on a safari. Either another safari driver helped out or we got creative. The car has no wifi which turned out to be a blessing - real holiday without email access.
FOOD
Sometimes food was prepared by our chef Kyoko. The food was simply great. Unfortunately, he raised the bar for the food in the hotels. Sometimes Kyoko went back to Nairobi and we had hotel food which usually could not match the Kyoko-standard.
SAFETY
As said above, Sam knows his business. At no time, I was scared that we get into an accident (although traffic and the condition of the roads in Kenya are a nightmare) or that an animal attacks us. On the other side, I am not really in charge for the worrying part in this relationship. If there is anything to worry, it is exogenous and no one would be better to face it than Sam. On the road between Amboseli and Tsavo we were escorted by an armed man for protection.
SAMBURU
Is a very nice park that many skip because it is far away. It has a different landscape and wildlife than the following parks. We found it very worh visiting. The samburu villiage is also nice, but the clearly overcharge (do some bargaining). The accommodation was the Steto Guesthouse (this was the only unknown in the itinerary as it only said "at umoja camp" which a women's village around there). It is an African budget hotel, not great but alright.
NAIVASHA
We did a little detour to the Thompson falls. They are nice, but ain't no Niagara or Iguazú. In retrospective, we would have skipped it and taken an early morning game drive at Samburu instead.
At Lake Naivasha we only did a boat tour where we saw some birds and hippos. It is nice, but clearly not the highlight of the trip. If you like to see hippos, you have better opportunities at Mara and Amboseli. However, doing a boat tour is a welcome change to sitting in the car.
The Tapeh Guesthouse has a very nice garden and looks nice from outside. The room was not as nice, but acceptable.
MASAI MARA
Masai Mara is absolutely great for game viewing. There has been said so much about it already. It's all true, great place.
We missed the crossing of the river, because we were waiting for another herd of wildebeests to cross at another spot. We only got to see the last few of the herd. They rarely cross the river at all, you are very lucky when you see it.
The Mara Sidai camp is also an outstanding camp. The Masai there are kinda business-minded.
NAKURU
We were a little disappointed, because the lake was flooded and for this reason only few flamingos were present. Apparently, they go somewhere else then. Ask before you go. However, we saw the only two rhinos of our trip which was nice.
The golden palace is a little tacky, but nice and comfy.
AMBOSELI
Great park for seeing huge herds of huge elephants! Also the setting with Mount Kilimanjaro is awesome.
Kimana camp is a good choice. One morning an elephant was right next to our tent.
TSAVO WEST
It's very different to the other parks. It is very bushy and thus game viewing is almost impossible. We did not see rhinos, even in the fenced rhino sanctuary.
But we liked the red soil and the baobab trees. Mzima springs is nice.
The Rhino valley lodge is simply amazing. An alltime favorite. Great room, great service, AMAZING view! They have a waterhole where you can see elephants right from your room or the restaurant. They even have light at night!
TSAVO EAST
Game viewing is a little better than in Tsavo West. We had quite a good game drive with huge red elephants taking a bath, lions and cheetahs.
The Nzomeni Lion Hill Lodge is also excellent with a superb view.
After the trip, Debbie helped us in trying to resolve an issue with another driver and hosted us at her home for free.
All in all, great trip - we would do it again: Outstanding driver, great food, good accommodation. Thanks a lot!
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful safari in Kenya
Wonderful Safari in Kenya
In September we visited Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli with Terminal Tours. We had a wonderful safari in Kenya and we would definitely recommend this company to other people. We chose a budget safari but the service and the trip were excellent and everything we wished for. The staff of Terminal Tours were also wonderful. They are very friendly and they helped us a lot to arrange things for our next destination.
We are a young couple from the Netherlands and in September we went to Africa for the first time. We were looking online for safaris but it was quite difficult because there are so many operators offering safaris in Kenya. Eventually we decided to go for Terminal Tours because they offered group safaris for a good price, and we got some enthusiastic emails from previous customers (we asked for recommendations).
On our first day we left for Masai Mara after paying for the Safari and picking up some fellow travellers. With a group of 7 people we went to Masai Mara and the park was absolutely amazing! The Masai Mara park is very beautiful and there are large numbers of wildlife. Our driver James was good at spotting wildlife so we saw a lot of animals and also some baby cheetahs. We stayed in the Mara Sidai camp for 3 nights and we liked this a lot: good food and very friendly staff.
We switched cars in Masai Mara and left with only four people for Lake Nakuru. The park was more beautiful than we expected and the driver told us we were lucky because we spotted a large group of flamingo's and some rhino's. The only disadvantage was that we stayed in a hotel in the city instead of in the nature, but we knew that in advance.
The last park we visited was Amboseli. In Nairobi we switched cars again and said goodbye to the other travellers. The drive from Nakuru to Amboseli is long but it was definitely worth it. Less crowded than Masai Mara, for us the best park. The park, with the big herds of elephants and the Kilimanjaro in the background is very pretty. Our new driver, Ambros, was excellent! He told us a lot about the park and the animals in it, which made our visit to the park even better. We stayed at the Kimano camp. The camp was very basic, also compared to the campside in Masai Mara, but the stay was good thanks to the excellent food of our funny and friendly cook.
Email ANTONY | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Simply the best tour company
Took this package for 3days mara and i loved the level of professionalism,hospitality and quality of service.
If you thinking of safari,camping,adventure,birding and conferencing. They best and i wouldn't regret trying them again and again.
God blessings.
NO
Email Madeleine | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best tour guides!!
They took very good care of us, because of the very good service we had the best trip full of pleasant memories.
Email Naga | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very efficient and responsible
Terminal tours was a good choice for an African safari. The tour organisers were quick to arrange the tour in short notice. The driver was a nice guy who also gave good information on the way about the geography such as rift valley and also was expert to take us to right spots for the animals to be seen closely and also explained a bit about them. The food was served well on our way to masai mara and as well as at the camp. It was good to meet many friendly people even though I made a solo trip. Overall the safari was up to my expectations and am driven to book with them in future for a bigger safari.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing!!!
My 4 days\3 night safari through Masaai Mara and Lake Nakuru was amazing to say the least! Nelson at Terminal Tours Kenya was the best to work with - email responses were immediate, answered all my questions and he had great follow up. Traveling on a student budget is difficult - I 100% got my money's worth and then some! The accommodations were basic, but I didn't have 5 star expectations based on what I was paying - the food was great, you always had a warm bed to lay your head down at night, especially after wonderful long day game drives where I saw more lions in one day than I have in a lifetime. Our driver Peter looked after us as if we were his family - always checking in, stopping at a moment's request for a photo op, and his ability to spot game - wow!
Highly highly recommend Terminal Tours!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We have no hesitation in recommending Terminal Tours for a 1st Class Safari experience.
Thanks to Terminal Tours Nairobi and Nelson, who organised our 2 day trip. Tony, our driver, was fantastic. He knew we were on a tight schedule, but his superb knowledge of the Mara, coupled with fantastic off road skills, ensured we saw and learned a great deal about the wild life, flora and fauna. He changed our breakfast at the Mara Sopa Lodge ( a lovely place to over night) into a packed brunch, in order that we could spend more time hunting those elusive lions, who just weren't out to play on the days we were there. Eventually, due to his tracking skills and use of CB radio, we located 2, skulking in the long grass :) I know someone else left a negative review about this company, but we found them to be super efficient, very friendly and extremely reliable. The vehicle was comfortable....but be warned.....it's a long and bumpy road to the Mara and douse yourself in Deet!!
Email Judith | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Trip of a lifetime
My husband and I had a wonderful 3 day Safari with Terminal Tours Kenya. The customer service during the planning stages was excellent. They took time to customize the perfect trip for us at a reasonable price. Our guide, Chris, was very knowledgeable and showed us a wonderful time in Masai mara. Every day we saw something that amazed us! The vehicle was comfortable. The accommodations every night were wonderful. We particularly loved the park, food and camps. We will cherish these memories forever! Thanks to the Terminal Tours team!
Chat Conversation End
excellent tour
Everything was perfect.communications, transport, the safari, the guide knew where to find the animals. Saw the big 5 and everything else. Very happy
Reply from Terminal Tours Kenya
Posted on Apr 14, 2015thanks Brian you made it possible for us to serve you
RU
Email Rita | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, positive, unforgettable!
I did 3-days tour to Masai Mara with Terminal Tours Kenya and it was even better that I expected for such a reasonable price! Friendly managers who not only organized everything really well, but also took care of me for one more day in Nairobi after the tour. Three amazing game-drives, where I was lucky to see a lion, a chittah (running!!) and lots of elephants, crocodiles, zebras and antilopes of all kinds. Really nice place to stay at Masai guesthouse in a private tent with my own shower, bathroom and decent bedroom. Wery welcoming Masai peple who brought us to their village and shared some interesting facts about their life. Buying traditional Masai souvenirs for really cheap. I can't believe that I did that much in just three days! Still very excited about this safari and want to thank Terminal Tours Kenya for that!