SG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best experience ever
For our 8D7N safari in Kenya, we chose Amazing Memories. Anastacia handled all the arrangements before the trip, and John was our safari guide. Looking back, choosing them was definitely the right decision and gave us some of the best travel memories I’ve ever had.
About Anastacia
* She upgraded us for free to a photographic Land Cruiser and also included a complimentary sundowner experience. The vehicle had amazing visibility with no windows blocking the view, and twice we got within less than a meter of lions. The sundowner was absolutely beautiful and one of the most unique experiences of the whole trip.
* She was always responsive and easy to communicate with. Her replies were quick and clear, and her level of service stayed exactly the same even after we had already made the payment.
About John
* What I appreciated most was how punctual and enthusiastic he was every single day. The vehicle and lunch boxes were always prepared in advance, so as long as we showed up on time, we could head out immediately.
* He respected the park rules and never drove off-road unnecessarily. During the safari, I saw many vehicles driving onto the grass and crowding around lions, which I really disliked. We are there to observe wildlife, not disturb them or invade their space. I was glad John always put responsible wildlife viewing first.
* He is extremely knowledgeable and experienced. Even while staying on the proper roads, we still had incredible close-up sightings. Thanks to his experience, he always knew exactly where to position the vehicle. We got amazingly close views of cheetahs, elephants crossing the road, and even a lion that decided to rest underneath our vehicle. We also spotted more black rhinos than many other groups.
* The location he chose for our sundowner was simply perfect. Surrounded by zebras and antelopes, we spent a beautiful evening watching the sunset and colorful sky.
Overall, I highly recommend Amazing Memories, as well as John and Anastacia. This Kenya safari is definitely the most unforgettable trip I have ever taken. Thank you so much for making it such a special experience.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Attentive and responsive from the beginning of the planning process through to the end of the trip
This started out as a bucket list trip for my very able bodied 86 yo mother. I reached out to Matt about a year before to solicit information and he got back to me immediately with a few questions regarding time and budget and then a full itinerary landed in my inbox the next morning. We chose the luxury level- Matt and Tapestry of Africa did not disappoint. We ended up being a group of 5 women, ranging in age from 33 to 86, and everyone had a wonderful time. Our safari was 11 days and we traveled/drove through 5 National Reserves/Parks in this order Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, and Amboseli.
Our safari was during a 'shoulder' season - which has its pluses and minuses. The major plus was a more intimate experience with the animals. In the Maasai Mara we were one of no more than three cruisers at any given location looking at a group of animals, and many times the only vehicle. We saw 13 different animals on our first day alone. This plus also translated to accommodations that weren't busy and a private hot air balloon ride. Another plus was the mild temperature - we had maybe one or two 'hot' days, but the rest was very comfortable and minimal bugs. A minus was the rain - realizing we had no control over this and this was a risk we took going in March. But what we weren't prepared for were the road conditions and the time it took to travel from one location to another. For example, our drive from the Maasai Mara across the Tanzania border to the Serengeti took all day and the roads were terrible - my smart watch congratulated me thinking I had exercised - just to give the reader an idea.
Accommodations - these ranged from upscale tent cabins with ensuite bathrooms to 5 star hotels, all with excellent service and care. Everyone was so kind and generous. The food was outstanding and just got better and better at each location.
Packing - we were all able to do the the trip with carry on luggage- all of the accommodations offered laundry services, with some being complimentary - so that made it easier to pack lightly.
Animals - They didn't disappoint. A couple of the game drives, just after some rain, were on the quiet side, but overall the Maasai Mara, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire did not disappoint. The only animal we did not see up close, but did through binoculars, was the Rhino. Everything else including cheetahs and a leopard shared their space with us.
Tapestry of Africa - Our point people on the ground were Hilda and Albert - and they were always available on a moment's notice to answer questions or give directions and we were lucky enough to meet Matt at the end of our trip as he was just arriving in Nairobi with a group of volunteers. Our drivers - Joseph in Kenya and Andrew in Tanzania - were outstanding and very skilled drivers. They were so knowledgeable and enjoyed sharing that knowledge and also had great senses of humor - which made the trip that much more fun.
If I do it again ....I will bring more cash ($1000-$1200) and in small denominations - the cost of the Tanzanian Visa at the border was $100 in cash, and the small denominations help out with tipping ie: $1 to attendant in the public bathrooms, and having the cash allows you to tip your guides directly.
I would fly in between a couple of the locations instead of driving - we spent A LOT of time in a vehicle. For example, I would fly from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara or Maasai Mara to the Serengeti and then from Amboseli to Nairobi.
Overall a fantastic experience and adventure. We would definitely recommend Tapestry of Africa.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The tour operator was efficient and planned our trip extremely well, ensuring our needs were met.
We booked a 9-day tour so we had several guides throughout our stay in Africa. All guides were well informed and very pleasant. We saw the Big 5 and the Ugly 5! We were beyond excited about each of our game drives! The lodges we stayed at were gorgeous and extremely comfortable. Camping for 5 nights was definitely an adventure but the beds were comfortable and we had en-suite restrooms with our tents. The Camp staff were amazing! Food was always delicious and our accommodations were always comfortable. I have never slept that well! The cost was what we expected and was reasonable for our accommodations throughout the 9-day tour. Thank you for the experience!
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic Caring and Attention to detail
We had a great time with Banok Safaris. Right from customizing the package, they are very adjusting to the customer budget and gave good camp/lodge options within the budget. Benson and Sky helped to curate a good package. We has a 7 night 8 day package and it flew by very quickly.
Tip: Always try to stay as much as possible inside the forest and try to choose Camps than Lodges.
Jackson the guide, the driver, the specialist, the expert, was awesome. He made our game drives fun, thrilling and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend him for the tour.
We saw the big 5 and many others even though we went in the lean season. Even when we had some small issues in the lodges in Nakuru and Naivasha, jackson helped us through the lodge guys to fix everything for us.
All in all a great trup and we will definitely come back and travel again with Banok Safaris.
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Sightings
Great sightings, saw the big 5 including 28 lions. Apparently not everyone witnessed the amount of wildlife we saw. Got to know our guide Caleb is known as Jungle master in the area. He was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable; he ensured we entered the park at the earliest and exit at the very end. Very lucky to do the safari with him. During the week, we were among the few jeeps who saw 2 cheetahs outside the Amboseli park.
Highly recommended to do private safari with Jungle roam and Caleb!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our guide was incredible, very knowledgeable about national parks, animals, and very friendly
My 2 adult sons and I had the most wonderful 8 days in Kenya! The weather was perfect the last week of May. Kenyan people are very kind, humble, friendly. We were at Amboseli National Park, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara. 1st 2 nights stayed at 5 star hotel in Nairobi to decompress after 22 hour flight from Boston-Amsterdam-Nairobi. We saw over 40 different species of animals, including giraffes, lions, elephants, cougar, rhinoceroses, hippos, hyenas, ostriches, pelicans, impalas, gazzelles, warthogs, zebras, cheetah, wildebeest, storks, monkeys, exotic birds, mongoose. The scenery in the national parks was incredible. We loved all the lodges we stayed at and the food. I highly recommend booking a safari for minimum 7 days with Morningstar!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fine Bush Tours knocked it out of the (game) park!
I was introduced to Fine Bush Tours through a friend that had used them in the past. Booking an Africa safari trip can be overwhelming. Ihani took all of that stress out of the equation. She gave me a few different options to choose from at each stop but also gave me her opinion on which the best choice was, and boy did she nail it for each one! The itinerary she put together was perfect and the experience was the most amazing trip I have ever been on. She is incredibly knowledgeable about each park and camp and made the exact suggestions that made the trip unforgettable. If you are planning a trip to Africa there is no better tour company to use.
CN
A lovely journey with very professional arrangements
The experience was professional and all the arrangements were pretty nice, with a reasonable price. The communication was also very smooth. The safari was quite a memorable experience thanks to our friendly and knowledgeable guide Fred.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome experience!
We had the most wonderful experience with Galilaya Expedition. The communication and organization before the trip were smooth and the tour operator was very helpful. The itinerary fit perfectly to our wishes (8 days, all National parks + Materuni waterfall). The safari trip was unforgettable - everything went just as it was planned and even beyond that. We were especially satisfied with the service of food, sleeping arrangements and the comfort of the tour.
And yes, we saw all the big 5! :)
Last but not least - we really mean it - we got the best possible tour guide and cook.
Tour guide: Riziki. He went above and beyond to make sure we got everything we wanted and that we are safe. Apart from that he has an amazing knowledge, great English and we had the best time with him.
Cook: Benedict. A young guy, who treated us unbelievably well. And on top of that, he cooks like a chef. We really believe we had the best meals of all groups that we saw.
To sum it up: This was an unforgettable trip. Great organisation from Galilaya Expedition and an amazing choice of personnel. We warmly recommend it to everyone, who is trying to visit Tanzania. Thank you!
WELL-ORGANIZED AND MEMORABLE KENYA SAFARI EXPERIENCE
I was one of three travelers who joined a safari organized by Travast Adventures last month. The booking was initiated by Collince on our behalf and from the very beginning everything was well coordinated and professionally handled.
The itinerary covered Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha, all of which were smoothly arranged and executed without any issues. Each destination offered unique and unforgettable wildlife and landscape experiences.
We were accompanied throughout the safari by our experienced guide, Thomas, who was knowledgeable, patient and ensured we had the best possible game-viewing opportunities, including remarkable sightings during the trip.
Overall, the entire experience was seamless, well planned and highly enjoyable. I would confidently recommend Travast Adventures to anyone looking for a reliable and well-organized safari in Kenya.