FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfection in every way. Recommend 100%
We did 2 day trips with this tour operator, and both of them were perfect. A big thank you to Samuel for the organisation and to our guide Jeen, everything was perfect.
The first one was the bike safari to Hell's gate with the naivasha visit, you have to do it ! Lunch was great as well. And the second one was a day trip to the Aberdare and its amazing landscape. Thanks again for everything.
FI
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
An experience of a lifetime
My wife and I booked the 7-Day Taste of Kenya tour with Beacon Safaris and the experience was wonderful. Truly. We flew into Nairobi and met Daniel, our guide and driver for the week. He is a knowledgeable and very professional guide -- friendly, informative, easy to be with for extended periods, accommodating to specific needs, and highly experienced. He knew the parks we visited like the back of his hand and was masterful in positioning us time after time at just the right spot to capture great photos. The tour package included visits at Amboseli, Naivashu, Nakuru, and Mara. There are somewhat lengthy drives between locations in some instances, e.g. from Nairobi to Amboseli was about 5 hours and from Amboseli to Naivashu about 6. But that is largely due to the road system in Kenya which doesn't have many connecting routes without returning to Nairobi and can be narrow and in some places rough because the counties have a lot to do with the road conditions, we were told, and different counties have more or less capital to maintain them. But the travel was interesting and not a burden in any sense. There is nothing much to see or visit along the way. And we skipped Nairobi entirely because it doesn't have much to offer international tourists. But the national parks are world treasures and really worthwhile to visit. Don't rush it. It takes time and the time is well spent.
On our tour we saw so many and such an amazing assortment of animals and birds. Amboseli has an astonishing number of elephants at all stages of the lifecycle, from enormous bulls to charming calfs. We saw hippos, giraffes, wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and much more, as well as a variety of beautiful birds. At the lakes we visited we saw even more birds, enormous flocks of pelicans and flamingos, cranes, herons, maribou, sandpipers, gulls of various types, and much more. Masai Mara is a very large territory and was amazing. We saw hyena feeding on a zebra, several lion prides with some huge males, hippos in the Mara as well as crocs, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, topi, eland, and much more. We saw playful Vervet monkeys, troops of baboons, and even a rare Columbus monkey. The experience is transformative, really -- one gets a sense of what the world was like, and could be like again, if humans stop screwing it up.
One one exception, we were booked for stays in Sopa Lodges. The best was the lodge at Lake Naivashu. There your accommodations are in the middle of a park-like area with animals roaming the grounds (nothing dangerous). The view was wonderful at Lake Nakuru because we had a balcony overlooking the lake. At the lodge in Amboseli we could see Mount Kilimanjaro! The staff are friendly and helpful everywhere, providing warm hospitality and service. Our luggage was always taken for us and we had no problems of any kind. The downside is poor WiFi at the lodge near Amboseli and limited hot water there. I took one cold shower. There are too few electrical outlets in some rooms, which makes charging technology something of a timing challenge if you need to charge multiple phones, computers, cameras, etc.
The one exception was the stay at Masai Mara. The Sopa Lodge was part of the package proposal we accepted and paid for, but it was apparently fully booked and we were instead booked into the Pride Inn. It was fine but not in the same category. Whereas Sopa is 4-star level, in some cases perhaps even 5-star, Pride Inn would be 3-star in my opinion. I felt a little let down by this only because we paid for better and got less. But in fairness, Pride Inn has unique charms as well and there was a 'family feeling' to the place that we liked a lot. No WiFi in the rooms, however, and a weak signal overall even in the main lodge area.
The food is okay. Nothing exceptional anywhere, except for the fruits. We have only had pineapple this good when visiting Hawaii. Kenyan cuisine has evident influences from Indian cookery, which we like. Lots of stews and vegetable dishes, as well. We always found several things we liked at each meal, but it's all served buffet style which can be hit or miss. I should add that the fried fish was the best dish just about every time. The cooks really know how to make good fried fish dishes. I recommend avoiding boiled eggs, however. I had one at the Amboseli lodge that was off and consequently suffered for a couple of days with stomach issues. We realized the source of the illness when we saw a cook at a different lodge checking the eggs they fry or scramble before cooking them by breaking them into a bowl first. We saw that cook toss four eggs out of a dozen as bad. No one can check a boiled egg, so skip that to be on the safe side. And only drink bottled water, including for brushing teeth.
But the focal reason for visiting Kenya is to experience a safari adventure and in that regard Beacon Safaris was a great fit for us. We are an older couple and have some issues that were taken into consideration and accommodated kindly. Daniel was excellent, as noted earlier. I tipped him extra at the end because he was so good, kind and helpful. It felt like saying goodbye to a friend when we left. Robert took care of the booking and payment issues and everything went smoothly, with good communications as well.
Be aware that the roads inside the parks are unpaved very rugged dirt roads, and very dusty in the dry season. We chose the 4WD option instead of a van and were glad of it. They use Land Cruisers that are built like tanks. The tops can be raised so you stand inside the vehicle to view from a good vantage point and in safety. I found I could rest the zoom lens on the side of the top when standing and did not need a tripod. But the ride can be bone-shaking and there are plenty of places where the driver must navigate carefully. When I returned home I needed to take my camera and lenses to a service center for deep cleaning. It was that dusty. But the photographing was a joy and I look forward to processing the 1,336 digital photos I returned with!
On the whole, our experience was excellent. I was only disappointed with the last accommodation, which is not to say I was disappointed by the Pride Inn but rather that we thought we agreed to and paid for was not delivered in that case. But this is small potatoes and even feels a little mean to say. The food isn't excellent, but we are foodies so our expectations are higher and our reviews more critical than for many people who aren't. The meals were fine and we enjoyed the dining experience in every location.
We would recommend Beacon Safaris to anyone planning a visit to Kenya to tour the national parks.
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Really good, reliable tour operator
Bison safaris communicated really fast on both email and their website chatbot. I booked the 3 days Masai Mara safari with the Jambo Mara lodge and for sure got value for money. Our driver was Anthony, he was always on time and got us to see a lot of animals. He knew what to do and where to go. He took good care of our group. Overall a great experience of a lifetime and will for sure come back!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
MamaSavana handled the Tanzania leg of our safari covering lake mayanara, ngorogoro crater, and the Serengeti. We had a great time, and our driver Harun went out of his way to make sure we got the most out of this once in a lifetime trip.
EE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Every day was special!
We had 7-Day The Best of Botswana tour. First days was our guide Jacob. He was really good about the nature, wildlife and history. Other days was our guide Dylos. He is the best! We had some bad surprises, but he really did his best that we still could see all the animals. You are so lucky if Dylos will be your guide. He knows the local languages and has good contacts as well, good humor. It all is important if you are stuck together with the guide 80% of your day inside the car. In our trip, first days we were on wetlands and without a car .So no charging from car. You need to take your battery to charge your phone and camera. But if you have all days with camp car, then you can charge from car. Also be aware during bushwalks. Me and my husband hurt ourselves stepping on the thorns. They came though the camping boots! For ladies- washing your hair can be tricky. It is Africa, so there is not so great opportunities for shower. There is not so much wildlife as you see from the commercials. Lions, elephants, hippos and giraffes can see every day, but cheetah, leopard, wild dogs, hyenas you maybe cant see at all. It is all about luck and how good guide you will have.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing arrangement for everything!
It was an amazing tour and we had the best guide Johny, who we knew on Xiaohongshu app and he is very popularly in China. It turned out that we made the right choice, he always led us to see the animals very clearly, such as lions, cheetahs, rhinos, all the big five we saw closely, and the most amazing thing is that we saw a cheetah hunting, it was unbelievable. The accommodations and foods were all great, and it was fun to meet new friends in tents and talk to them about what you saw each day. You really need to visit Kenya once, and be sure to choose Johny, which will make you have a really unforgettable memory!
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safari tour operator
We had a really wonderful experience, thanks to Johny's excellent professional work to make our safari so amazing! Johny is very popular on the Chinese app Red Book, so we asked Helen to let Johny be our guide, thanks to Helen's arrangement, everything was perfect!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My tour guide, Raymond, made my first Safari trip truly memorable.
My Safari experience with Safari Soles was an unforgettable experience! From riding around in the jeep, seeing all the animals in their natural habitats, and camping in the Serengeti, my safari experience was better than I expected it to be.
My tour guide, Raymond, made my first Safari trip truly memorable. Not only was he very knowledgeable about the animals and terrain, but also he’s an amazing DJ. I’ll never forget riding through Serengeti’s endless plaines listening to Reggae and R&B classics and thinking to myself that life can’t get any better than this moment. Thank you, Raymond, for everything – the conversations, and your hospitality and patience (I asked hundreds of questions, and he answered every question with a smile and enthusiasm).
This was one of my best travel experiences, and I highly recommend Safari Soles and tour guide Raymond for your next adventure!
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Can I rate six stars? Best experience ever.
Highly recommend Steve as our guide, he is very knowledgeable and always found animals in hidden places. Thanks to him we got best position for shooting Big Five, Ugly Five and many adorable antipopes and birds.
Pauline helped us in every details before we start the journey with clear itinerary, even with the ballon safari and Maasai trip.
We look forward to exploring Tanzania again with Meektrails ;)
Feel free to watch our videos below:
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing guide in the parks
Our guide Champion Godwin is a very careful driver, knows everything about the animals, the parks, the Maasai village and went above and beyond for us to have an amazing experience in Serengeti.
