CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience of safari in Kenya
Our 9-day safari journey, starting from Nairobi and traveling through various national reserves, was unforgettable. Given the possibility of last-minute changes in our group, my friend took charge of communicating with Amazing Memories. The staff were proactive in coordinating and finalizing our itinerary, ensuring a smooth trip.
Special thanks to our guide, Peter. His instincts were like a built-in GPS, especially in the Masai Mara, where he could always pinpoint the locations of the animals. Under his guidance, we saw lions, cheetahs, and leopards and many other animals. The sight of lions lounging lazily under trees, leopards hiding in the bushes, and cheetahs drinking by the river were truly memorable. The most awe-inspiring moment was witnessing lions feasting on a buffalo. It was a raw display of nature’s brutality and beauty. In Amboseli, we saw herds of elephants roaming the savannah, with the majestic silhouette of Mount Kilimanjaro in the background. It was like a living postcard of Africa.
Peter was not only knowledgeable but also very enthusiastic. He shared so much about animal ecology and behavior, making the trip even more fascinating. From the tranquility of Sweetwaters, to the vibrant colors of Nakuru, to the vastness of the Maasai Mara, to the romance of Naivasha, and finally to the breathtaking Amboseli, every part of the journey was filled with surprises. The stunning landscapes and wildlife encounters in the Masai Mara are etched in our memories. Peter’s professionalism and passion added so much to our experience. We highly recommend Magic Peter. He will surely make your journey unforgettable.
IS
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent
The communication with the touroperator was correct en he answerd always quickly. The tour was only more expensive than I accepted but the tour was realy good and the guide did a good job. He was friendly, correct and a good driver. We saw a lot of different animals. Only for tvo days is it a long drive from and to Nairobi. 3 days is better. The lodge was perfect.
ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Clement is the best
The safari was so beautiful. Clement is really the sweetest and nicest guide you can have at Masaka.
Very interested and very knowledgeable. We saw everything. So many lions, giraffes, zebras and wildebeest and elephants and hippos. Actually everything.
Ask for Clement when you book a safari with Makasa. Everything was well arranged. Sometimes it was not easy, but Makasa quickly solved it for us.
Absolutely recommended.
(automatic translation from Dutch)
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a lifetime experience!
The simple version:
We had a great experience with an amazing safari guide (Francis) that was a once in a life time experience.
The detailed version:
We went on a four day three night safari and there 5 of us in the group
We were picked up on day 1 promptly on the pick up time and the majority of the day was spent travelling to the first camp site with a few stops on the way. After arriving we had our first game drive for two - three hours before returning for dinner
The second day involved a full day game drive. It was fantastic and we saw every single animal that you could. This included Lions(male and female), Cheetah, Leopard, Hippos, Crocadiles, Babboons, zebras, elephants, giraffes and many more!
The third day was mainly spent travelling from the campsite to the next accomodation. We were given the option to visit the Maasai or visit Lake Navaisha but personally we wanted a more relaxed day. The hotel we stayed at was great! There was a rooftop bar/restaurant and a swimming pool which felt luxurious
The last day involved a short game drive in Nakuru national park where we completed the big 5 when we saw both white and black Rhinos as well as flamingos, Pelicans and a few more lions! After this we travelled back to Nairobi
A big shoutout to our safari guide Francis. He made the trip truly special. He would ensure we had the best views of the animals. He was actively monitoring the radio to make sure that we didn’t miss any exciting animals. He answered all of our questions and he had a massive amount of information on the animals and wider topics on Kenya. He played music when we asked and even broke into song a few times himself.
I feel like the guide you have can have a massive impact on your trip. This was my first time on safari so it’s hard to say, but I feel that Francis is definitely one of the best and you should look to see if he’s available.
A quick note on logistics. Everything is truly covered by the experience, plenty of filling and delicious meals and lots of water available. The only thing you need is some money for tips (a small amount can go a long way) and to buy yourself an additional drink or two (which goes down lovely in the evening)
SE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional and knowledgeable guid.
A great experience that I wish everyone could share in
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very friendly and welcoming with great knowledge of the safari.
This was such a great experience! Our guide made such an effort to ensure we saw as many animals as possible during our time, and taught us lots about them. He was also very easy to communicate with, being fluent in English. We also learnt some words in Swahili which was really fun! Great driving, out of camp for a good chunk of the day to make sure we saw everything.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Changes to 2 of the 6 Main Activities on the Itinerary
Our experience with Four Crane Safaris was a mixed bag.
The good:
-Paul was very responsive to our communications prior to the trip. He arranged a custom tour for five people which included 6 main activities (two game drives in Queen Elizabeth, a boat safari in QE, chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking, and golden monkey trekking/ a second day of gorilla trekking.
-The lodges Four Cranes booked for us were splendid.
-Our driver quickly responded to requests and seemed to want us to have a good experience.
-The rangers at the parks and the boat guide (who were employed by Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, and Mgahinga) that led the single day activities were fabulous. The gorilla trekking was such a special experience that we will remember for years to come.
-A member of our group celebrated her birthday during our trip. Paul arranged a cake and our driver gave her a Uganda shirt. It was very sweet!
The bad:
-On our first day, our driver informed us that Paul was unable to acquire the chimpanzee permits. He said Paul was supposed to tell us when he met us at our hotel that morning. When we asked Paul about this later via email, he said he didn't tell us because we were busy checking out of the hotel. He also admitted that he knew about the failure to obtain chimpanzee permits a month in advance of our trip, but he chose not to communicate this to us as he wanted to tell us in person which he then opted not to do. Via email, he offered to refund us the fee for the chimpanzee permits or to do an additional game drive. Our group selected the refund which we never received.
-Our itinerary listed the tree-climbing lions and game drive on our first day in Queen Elizabeth. We were then told that this section of the park was too far and we wouldn't be going there, but we would go to the north section of the park for the game drive. When asked about this, Paul at Four Cranes said he had copied a prior itinerary for ours and the tree climbing lions section was left on in error. Then, we were informed days later that we will not be getting a refund for the cancelled chimpanzee trekking as we did two game drives. However, Four Cranes had two game drives listed on our itinerary and it wasn't clarified to us until days later that the two game drives were also in error and only one should have been listed. We left the tour feeling cheated and scammed by this. Four Cranes should have reviewed the itinerary they sent us before sending it initially or at the very least at the time we paid the deposit. Any changes should have been communicated then.
Both good and bad:
-The trip was advertised as having a guide/ driver. While nice, our driver did not offer guiding services. He drove through the national parks at 60 km/hour and did not stop for animals unless we asked to stop. That said, once we asked him to drive slower and to stop for animals upon request, he did. The driver provided the names of the animals but not much more. Very little was shared about Uganda's culture, and nothing was shared about history or current events. When we asked questions, our driver would answer, but sometimes answers were clearly false. He'd state, "There are no birds in this park" and when we pressed further to ask about the birds we were hearing, he'd say "they are in their bed."
-The car broke down twice. Luckily, once was on the morning of a travel day and delayed us only a few hours. The second time, a different care was temporarily arranged to pick us up from golden monkey trekking while the original car was being repaired. The vehicle was older and definitely showed that it had been loved, but overall, it got the job done. It was missing one seatbelt, and one of the seats was slanted to the side, but it got us around. That said, our driver and Four Cranes seemed to work to fix the car mechanical issues as soon as possible.
-Additionally the jack under the passenger seat leaked oil onto one of our group member's coats. Upon request, the driver took the coat to get cleaned for $10. The strong chemicals used removed the oil from the outside of the coat and left a strong turpentine-like smell.
-Despite our driver repeatedly saying communication was important, he provided little communication about the plans for the day/ expectations. However, he was very responsive to our requests. Once we requested to stop to see the animals on the game drive, he did so willingly each time we asked (yet we had to keep asking). Our driver multiple times asked if we wanted to go do something (such as see the salt farm community up close or see flamingos up close) and after responded "no" he still took us to the place. Upon reaching the place, we again confirmed that no, we did not want to pay extra to see the attraction. This wasted time and is an anomaly to the other tours we've done. That said, he knew we were disappointed about not going to see the tree-climbing lions, so he thoughtfully took us to see three sleeping lions in the north section of the park.
Summary:
We talked with other travelers at the lodges and during the trekking who really enjoyed the other tour companies with whom they booked. Four Cranes has potential to grow into a successful tourism organization; however, based on the multiple changes to main activities on the itinerary (game drives and chimpanzee trekking) and the omission of a promised guide, I would not recommend Four Cranes for your trip to Uganda.
Note: the above information was shared throughout the trip and after the trip with Four Crane Safaris via email. Paul expressed that he was saddened that we weren't satisfied, but he did not make efforts to resolve our concerns about dropping chimpanzee trekking in order to do a game drive that had already been listed as being included on the itinerary. He also stated that many travelers have been satisfied with Four Crane Safaris' tours in the past, yet I can only review based on our personal experience.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organised to high standards
Everything was well organised and worked to perfection. Esther was very helpful and always there to provide assistance. The transfer to and from airport worked very well and flight to Mara was easy and on time. Ilkeliani camp was great. Luxury tents with loads of attention from staff. Food was simply delicious and the guides experienced. The location on the Talek river inside the reserve makes it very easy to reach places where plenty of animals could be spotted, including all big cats. Security, a very important aspect, was kept all of the time especially at night. I felt comfortable throughout the stay and enjoyed a great safari.
Difficult to see any negative aspect. Maybe more detailed upfront information on the reserve would have been nice.
TR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They operate as they promise
Tour operators were helpful, it was easy to reach them when we needed. Driver Kapande was so nice guy and friendly. He was helping us a lot and made us feel home. Everything was as promised. Good experience.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
hight recommended to everyone!
On the booking stage Chris supported all the way with itinerary ideas for us to experience the best safari for our requests and budget, very helpful and even after we had a mishap with the payments he managed to find a quick work around
Our Driver “David” was very knowledgeable about Kenya, the route, parks and mostly about the Animal and their habitat, he made our trip very enjoyable
He is also a very skilled driver that made the some atrocious road more tolerable, he told that the Pothole are part of the experience and can give you the best “African massage”, we had plenty of “massages” and while the car (4x4 land cruiser) made easier he surely help to navigate the road puzzle, we was a great driver that I believe the car had an automated gear box and at the end when I pay attention to it I realized it was manual all alone
We been on 4 days (3 night) safari from Nairobi to Masai Mara (2 nights) then lake Nakuru (1 Night) and back to Nairobi, even if the weather was poor we had lost of rain we still managed to see plenty of animals and exactly when and where David told us.
We really had a trip of a lifetime, and we like to thank SunUp Adventures team, Chris and David for it!
