DK
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very professional organization and a top experience
We went on a 6 days safari to Masai Mara, lake Nakuru and Amboseli. It was a wonderful experience, though next time I would choose only to do Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru due to the very long transport to Amboseli.
The first 4 days we spent with the tour guide John Mwangi and he is an excellent guide, very friendly, serviceminded and knowledgeable. We had a great time with him and learned a lot about the wildlife.
We had a very contact with Axis before and after the booking. All questions were with in a rapid and professional way.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very efficient communication and quick response.
We had a great time during our safari with Suricata safari, especially our guide Damian was amazing during our tour. We got to see everything that we wanted. Damian was respectful of the wildlife which was nice. We had an amazing time and the team. I’m glad we chose Suricata for our trip.
CL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A skilled and experienced tour guide
We had a really great vacation thanks to our tour guide Elisante. His experience and skill allowed us to see the Big Five, witness the river crossing, and even see some very elusive animals.
We initially had some issues with the sales team because they took over a week to confirm the payment, which was obviously unsettling, but in the end everything worked out fine.
The car was a bit old and even had a mechanical issue, but the team was able to provide a quick solution.
The only downside was the itinerary. We requested to include Northern Serengeti in a 5-day/4-night trip, and due to how the itinerary was planned and how the agency manages the park tickets, it felt like much of the time was spent just driving instead of doing game drives. I feel that there should be a better way to arrange the trip.
BG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Unforgettable Safari Experience - Highly Recommended!
Choosing an agency for our first African safari was probably the part of the trip we researched most. This had been a dream of ours for a long time, and after comparing many options, we narrowed our choice down to three operators. In the end, we chose Key2Africa – and after spending 10 days on a safari across Kenya and Tanzania, we are very happy that we did.
Dorine made a huge difference during the planning stage. From our first conversations, her communication felt much more personal than what we experienced elsewhere. She really listened to what we wanted rather than simply sending us a standard itinerary. We changed parts of the original proposal, asked for different options and went through several versions of the quote, and she was always patient, responsive and happy to adapt everything. We booked relatively late, so availability at some camps was already limited, but the alternatives she found for us were excellent. In fact, the quality of the camp selection was one of the reasons we ultimately chose Key2Africa.
We also had an unexpected complication before travelling when our payment got stuck due to an issue between intermediary banks. It was a stressful situation, particularly with the trip approaching, but the Key2Africa team handled it extremely well. They communicated with their bank, kept us informed and managed to protect all our reservations until the issue was finally resolved.
Our itinerary was quite ambitious: four safari days in Kenya covering Amboseli and Maasai Mara, followed by six days in Tanzania covering the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, with three internal flights and several road transfers in between. Everything worked seamlessly.
The Kenyan part was operated together with Key2Africa's partner, Imara, and we had a fantastic guide, Patrick. We were incredibly lucky with our sightings and managed to see the Big Five, the Ugly Five and a huge variety of other wildlife. We were very warmly welcomed and there were lots of thoughtful touches and little gifts that made us feel at home.
Then we crossed into Tanzania and met China, our Key2Africa guide for the rest of the safari. We really couldn't have asked for a better person to travel with. He knows the parks extremely well, was always attentive to what we wanted to see and had an amazing ability to anticipate things before we even asked. He would bring refreshments and local drinks for us, adjust plans depending on what was happening that day and generally made everything feel effortless.
The Great Migration was particularly important to us, which was why we had originally planned to spend all our Serengeti nights in the north. We knew that a river crossing is completely unpredictable and no guide or agency can promise one. Thanks to a combination of incredible luck and China's knowledge of where to be, we witnessed SIX river crossings during our stay. It was beyond anything we had hoped for.
What impressed us just as much, though, was what happened afterwards. Once we had already seen several crossings, China suggested that instead of continuing to focus entirely on the north, we change one of our nights and explore more of the Central and Southern Serengeti. Key2Africa arranged the change at no extra cost.
We are so glad we listened to him. Each part of the Serengeti had a completely different feel, and it gave us a much better sense of just how enormous and diverse the park is. China also took us into quieter areas where there were very few other vehicles, resulting in some of our best wildlife encounters of the whole trip – including getting incredibly close to lions and leopards. By that point, we were also simply enjoying travelling with him. We got to know each other well during those days and even had the chance to meet some of his family, which made the experience feel even more personal.
The accommodation throughout the safari was another highlight. Every camp selected for us had its own character, the food was consistently excellent and the staff were some of the warmest people we met during the trip. Despite booking late, there isn't a single camp we would replace.
Our final evening probably sums up our experience with Key2Africa best. The team came to meet us personally and invited us for drinks so we could sit together and talk about the trip. It happened to be my birthday, and they had organized a cake and sang Happy Birthday for me. After months of speaking to them while planning the safari, it was lovely to finish the trip together in person.
What we appreciated most about Key2Africa was the feeling that we were never just another booking. From Dorine patiently building the itinerary with us, through the payment problem, the flexibility during the safari and China's incredible guiding, to the whole team meeting us at the end, the experience felt personal throughout.
If we were choosing our safari operator again today, knowing everything we know now, we would choose Key2Africa again. Thank you to Dorine, China and the entire team for an experience we will always remember!
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded expectations, real life movie, couldn’t recommend more
Trip of a lifetime. It was Perfectly planned, well done Peter, amazing accommodations, unreal safari, great communication and well priced. The guides Elvis and innocent were brilliant, their knowledge definitely made a huge difference to the quality of the safari and what we were lucky enough to see, we had a great time with them.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Estleon was a great choice for planning our safari
Estleon did an incredible job planning and executing our safari in Masai Mara. This was our second African safari and the value from using Estleon was clear. Esther was very responsive in the planning process, providing several high quality options and guiding us based on our preferences. The camp she helped us find was perfect in every respect. Our safari guide, Hassan, was extremely professional, knowledgeable and personable. He was accommodative to what we wanted to see and how long we wanted to stay on drives. I wouldn’t hesitate to hire him again.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect
Our guide was so friendly, loved the experience! The food was delicious
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ibrahim made our safari an unforgettable experience
We organized our 2-night safari in Nyerere National Park with Ibrahim, owner of Mtila Safaris, and we couldn’t have been happier with the experience.
From the beginning, Ibrahim was very helpful, friendly and always available to answer our questions. Everything was well organized and we felt well taken care of throughout the whole safari.
The jeep was very comfortable, with Wi-Fi, USB/electric charging points and plenty of water, which made the long game drives much more enjoyable. The lodge was also lovely and very comfortable, located right on the river, with a beautiful and peaceful setting.
The game drives and boat safari were both amazing and gave us some unforgettable memories. Thank you so much, Ibrahim, for helping make our Tanzania trip so special. We would absolutely recommend him to anyone planning a safari in Tanzania!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Efficient, courteous, responsive and very helpful
We enjoyed our 10 day trip arranged by Shanjoy, the guides were great and the choice of lodging was well suited for our budget. The staff was great to work with, accommodating of all requests and a pleasure to work with. I would recommend the company to anyone looking to book a safari tour.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Stellar service.
We needed a brief holiday at short notice. Peaks and Safaris went over and beyond in their delivery.