CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
5-Star Review! Our Expert Guide Made This 11-Day Kenya Trip Absolutely Amazing
The highlight of this 11-day Kenya trip—one that exceeded all our expectations—was our incredible guide, John! His eyesight was truly extraordinary: in the vast grasslands, he could spot small animals hidden in the bushes that we couldn’t even catch a glimpse of with our naked eyes. Whether it was a tiny warthog or antelopes in the distant trees, he never missed a single opportunity for us to observe them.
What made it even better was that after spotting each animal, he would proactively take over our animal guidebook, patiently flip to the corresponding page, and explain the species and their habits in detail. For us, who previously knew little about African wildlife, the entire trip felt like an engaging nature class, and we learned so much. He was also incredibly kind—when we encountered other vehicles stuck or lost in the national park, he would always stop to help. This act of kindness added extra warmth to our journey.
Other arrangements by the local operator were also worry-free: the safari vehicle was reliable throughout the trip. The recommended hotels had great locations and were clean and well-maintained. In particular, the buffet at the hotels offered an extensive variety of dishes, catering to different tastes, which made our meals very enjoyable.
The only minor downsides were some small regrets in the itinerary:
1. The Mount Kenya hike had to be canceled because re-entering Sweetwaters required an additional fee; and for the waterfall we planned to visit, we only got a distant view—we didn’t get to enter the park for a closer experience.
2. The lunch and dinner on the second-to-last day of the trip were not provided to us as stated in the itinerary (which says "All meals").
3. No guide was available to accompany and introduce us on Crescent Island in Naivasha. The driver did not follow us onto the island, and the staff on the island said there were no guides left.
4. The promise to have Henry as the guide was not fulfilled at all. The guide was changed without permission on the day of airport pick-up, and no explanation was given.
5. On three separate occasions when we entered a reserve or national park, we were required to pay in advance with credit cards. After that, the guide would return the money to us in cash, but this process still wasted a lot of time.
However, these small regrets didn’t affect our overall satisfaction with the trip at all. After all, the core wildlife experience was wonderful enough, and the guide’s professionalism and thoughtfulness made the entire journey truly shining.
We’ve already recommended this local operator and our guide to friends who plan to visit Kenya. If we ever go to Africa again, we’ll definitely choose them!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Raymond with Jocky Tours (7 Day Masai Mara/Nakuru/Naivasha/Amboseli Tour) was absolutely amazing!
I did the 7 Day Masai Mara, Nakuru, Naivasha, Amboseli Budget Tour with Jocky Tours and Raymond as our guide. This was the first safari I have done, and it was absolutely the most amazing trip of my life. Jocky Tours responded so quickly every time I emailed before the trip and provided detailed responses. Communication was great. Raymond was also amazing with communication, always providing detailed answers to our questions and helping us to get the most out of our experience here in Kenya. The value for our money was unbelievable. As a budget tour, we knew we wouldn’t stay in luxury villas, but the lodging was still very clean, welcoming, and comfortable! We were very pleasantly surprised. The indigenous people in the villages were so kind and welcoming, I definitely recommend taking the time to go into the native villages if given the opportunity.
Raymond was reliable, timely, considerate, - absolutely amazing. I always felt safe with Raymond (especially appreciate this as a woman) and his driving was excellent. Thank you Jocky Tours and a huge thank you to Raymond for making this such a truly special experience.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent team and safari guide provided us with an amazing safari trip.
Our experience with Lappet Faced Safaris has been great ever since we first reached out to them. The team was very responsive and attentive to our needs of tailoring a personalized safari trip. They made great suggestions on each and every details, and finalized the trip itinerary based on our preferences. Also, they have been very transparent regarding the itemized pricing and booking process. Since day 1 of landing at Kilimanjaro Airport, their team members have taken care of us for transport and accommodation. However, what we were most impressed with was the service and experience of our safari guide, Noel. Not only was Noel a friendly and lovely person, he was also experienced and knowledgeable with East African biome and wildlife. He is an excellent driver, an amazing animal spotter, and overall a fantastic guide. He asked us what we were hoping to see the most on the trip, and was paying extra attention the whole trip to help us see what we wanted to see. We ended up seeing lots of wild animals, live animal actions and great landscapes in the savanna. Amazing lifetime experience! We are glad that we book with Lappet Faced Safaris.
US
Raymond with Jockey Tours was the most incredible experience!
I had an incredible experience traveling with Jockey Tours. Our guide was incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and talented. He was able to get us very close to sooo many animals! We went during the busy season and saw lions, elephants, cheetahs, zebras, and giraffes, and more very up close. We saw all of the big 5, and were lucky enough to see the Great Migration. I felt very safe and taken care of on this safari, and had a great experience traveling with friends and meeting new people. I especially enjoyed the parks that allowed walking, and the boat ride in Naivasha. It was an incredible experience of both culture and wildlife.
MY
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good
- Punctual pickup by driver all the time
- Professional guide, love all the explanations given by our guide Wickliff !
- Happy with our accommodations, clean and comfy beds with hot shower at Enkorok Mara Camp and Sarova Hotels
- at the back of the safari jeep can be quite narrow in terms of leg space
BR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgetable 5 Day Private Safari with family in Tanzania’s parks
We had an incredible 5-day safari through the Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro parks. Everything was very well organized, with comfortable accommodations. But what definitely made the difference was our guide, Charles! He demonstrated perseverance and experience on the region's difficult roads, always attentive and caring to us and our children. He knew the parks like the back of his hand and did everything he could to ensure we saw all the animals we wanted!
Charles definitely made a difference on our trip!
Thanks Suricata ! Be proud of having Charles in your team!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a lifetime safari across Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar
We just returned from an incredible family safari through Kenya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar, and it was truly the trip of a lifetime. We were fortunate to see the Big Five, along with countless other amazing wildlife experiences. Our journey included Lake Nakuru, the Maasai Mara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater—each destination offered something unique and unforgettable.
One of the absolute highlights was a hot air balloon ride over the Maasai Mara, which was simply magical.
We worked with Julius for nearly a year to plan our itinerary, and his guidance was outstanding. He made adjustments, including a few lodge changes, to ensure we were in the right place at the right time—especially for witnessing the migration. Throughout the trip, Julius checked in with us daily, and his attention to detail made everything seamless. We can’t recommend him highly enough—trust Julius and the process, he truly knows what he is doing.
Our driver in Kenya, George, was also fantastic. On our very first day at Lake Nakuru, he found us rhinos, and at the Maasai Mara, he skillfully guided us to unforgettable sightings, including two cheetah hunts.
Overall, this was an amazing adventure, and we would recommend Julius and his team without hesitation. If you are considering a safari, don’t think twice—you’ll be in excellent hands.
LK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best safari in Masai Mara
It was a great safari and we were very lucky. We saw almost all the animals except Rhinos and Leopard, which are very rare to see. Lots of Lions and Hippos. Would have liked to stay one more day. The staff was very nice and the driver was the best. Driver was very friendly and very knowledgeable. He was very eager to take us to places to see the best views and animals possible. The safari staff provided us everything from the moment they pick us up. They also provide us with binoculars which was really useful. There was free hotel pickup and airport drop off. We stayed at lenchada camp. The staff was also very nice. The food was really nice. All in all, we had very nice experience that worth all the time and money we spent. I highly recommend Jocky Tours to give you the best safari in Masai Mara.
ID
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Ngorongoro Crater
Experienced 2N3D budget safari with Kilipath with 2 night in a campsite. It was perfect arrangement since 1st day very early morning picked me up in Arusha Hostel. i am satisfied with the service since I contact them one month before through email and whatsapp, very accommodating and responding all my queries. Actually I-solo traveling- joined in a shared safari understand that sometimes difficult and challenging to find the same date and plan, so Ms Happy arranged me to Mountain Warrior. Benjamin - our guide and Landcruiser Driver for this 3 days safari is the man of the game, we could see Big 4 (Tembo/Elephant, Simba/Lion, Buffalo, and Chui/Leopard) missing 1 - Kiffaru/Rhino) It was amazing. The campsite was so nice place, matrass and sleeping bag provided, 3 times delicious meals and no worries about cold drinks in the jeep. Only one thing that need could be an opportunity for improvement: Join the people with same accommodation place, I felt a lil bit inconvenience when we are in a same Jeep had different campsite while the others stay in a lodge - WHERE the location is far each other, it took more time to drop us off and pick us up. but overall its wonderful experience and Ngorongoro is the highlight!!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly with clear and speedy communication!
Review
My friend and I did the 7-day Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route followed by the 2-day Short & Sweet Safari.
Both experiences were better than I could have imagined! Booking was really easy and communication was fast through email as well as Whatsapp with Octavian.
We were able to pay a deposit through bank transfer to secure our reservation and the rest in person in cash but you can do credit card as well for a fee.
Octavian picked my friend and I up at the airport and took us to our accommodation which was a really cute and comfortable Lodge. Great services including laundry service and delicious food!
Our tour group met us at the lodge the day of the hike and did a ceremony for us to get us pumped up for the hike with dancing and singing. We all rode together in a van to the trailhead.
The food that was offered was catered to out dietary needs (pescatarian/no dairy) and was sooo good! Fresh fruit, veggies, juice, and even some fish!
The crew was very energetic and friendly throughout the entire experience. Our guides were Rafael and Ester. Both very encouraging the whole way through. We felt very safe with them. Rafael was able to each us about the mountain ecology and point out some unique animals to the area. We really appreciated having a female assistant guide (Ester) as well - being two female hikers. The porters went the extra mile (pun intended) to backtrack and take our packs from us on the final stretches to each camp.
The crew was able to accommodate our hiking abilities and needs by altering the route slightly towards the end of the trip. We shortened the trip by a day to be able to summit a little later in the morning because my friend doesn't do well with cold weather. Our guides were very careful with us as we reached the summit, making sure we were safe and encouraging us along the way.
The 2 day Safari was also incredible! I almost wish we could have stayed longer but we were pretty tired after the hike. If you have time, consider an extra day or two of rest at the lodge in between! Octavian also took us out to buy souvenirs during our day off in between the hike and safari!
Our guide Joe for the safari was so nice and he pointed out allll of the birds for my friend and I. He also was extra careful when driving to avoid getting extra dust in the car because we were struggling with allergies on the trip! We had the same amazing chef for the hike and the safari (Matthew).
I would definitely recommend Incredible Africa Adventures for your trip!
The list of what to bring on the website is very accurate and I had everything I needed. If you have any questions just ask the company ahead of time! They will look at all your gear when you arrive to make sure you have what you need but it may be good to check in ahead of time!
