CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible safari I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
After buying flights to Kenya with my partner on a whim, I was left trying to figure out how to spend our time. Neither my partner nor I had ever been to Africa. We decided to try a safari and I spent weeks pouring over reviews and blogs. I narrowed it down to a 4 day safari with either Lenchada Safaris or Jocky Tours (which ended up being sister companies, so you can’t go wrong either way). I ended up booking Masai Mara + lake Nakuru with Lenchada and I could not be happier. We went with the budget option, but sprung for the 4x4 jeep upgrade instead of the safari van. I’m very happy about that decision (more on that later ).
The whole thing, from getting an initial quote to the final drop off was smooth and professional. The tour started off with someone arriving 10 minutes early at our hotel reception, asking for me by name. This was notable since our hotel was on the 13th floor of a Nairobi high rise. We walked over to the office, paid the remainder of what we owed and jumped in the jeep ready to start the safari!
Our driver was Francis and he was truly amazing! He is friendly, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about Kenya’s parks and animals. He not only answered all our questions, but kept the mood light and happy, and was always willing to go above and beyond. He is also one hell of a driver! We entered Masai Mara park, and within minutes he was on the radio, on his cell phone and driving down barely recognizable (to me) roads to get us the best views of the most animals possible. It was truly impressive to watch.
At one point Francis got word on the radio of a leopard sighting, the most elusive animal in Masai Mara. He told us to buckle up and get ready, because the sighting was far away and we had to be quick if we had any chance at seeing the leopard. The ride that followed was an adrenaline pumping thrill that culminated in spotting the leopard on the prowl. Breathtaking!
Over all, Francis’s passion and excitement for what he does really shines through. He made our safari something l’ll remember for the rest of my life.
I’m also really glad i booked with Lenchada. We basically showed up and they took care of everything else. I didn’t have to stress about a thing. They were also accommodating and i trusted Francis to smooth out any hiccups that came our way (of which there were some, but i literally don’t remember what cause it was taken care of).
On a more pragmatic note: we did two days in Masai Mara park and from the first minutes we entered the park, it was incredible. Maybe we were just lucky, maybe Francis is just that good, but within the first 2 hours in the park we saw 7 lions, countless zebras, wildebeests, buffalo, giraffes and more. Between the 4 days I think we saw every notable animal in the country.
A few notes on safari options: the 4x4 jeep was really nice, it allowed us to go places and see things that I’m not sure we’d have been able to with a van. The jeep is just able to get over rough terrain way faster and more comfortably. The inside was also roomy and comfortable.
We stayed at the Lenchada camp for 2 nights. The tents were really impressive: massive, with in-built toilets and showers. Food was nice, although I can see why some people would be unimpressed. Keep in mind that you’re in a camp in the middle of the bush. Electricity is scheduled and hot water is available, but the temperature depends on how close you are to the hot water tanks. We took a flashlight and it came in handy, although not strictly necessary.
The third night was at a nice hotel and the very hot shower was really nice.
We opted not to visit the Masai village and I’m pretty happy with that decision. If you want to learn about the cultures and tribes of Kenya/Africa there are a lot of great resources available online.
Adding lake Nakuru was something we debated a lot, but in the end it allowed us to see things Mara just doesn’t have, like rhinos and countless birds. It was super nice.
Other than the 4x4 jeep upgrade, we booked the most budget option and we were very happy. Other people in our jeep has booked more expensive options but the main difference was accommodation. Honestly, we were so tired each evening we just feel asleep as soon as we turned in.
Heads up: there is a lot of driving involved in these tours (regardless of company or options). The parks are just very far from each other and the roads take time to traverse.
Also, Mara entrance is now ( sept 2023) limited to 12 hours chunks, down from 24 hours. This means that additional game drives may not be possible. Make sure to ask your company for details and itinerary.
Camera wise, my partner and I had an iPhone 11 pro and a cannon g7x mark III (point and shoot with reasonable lens). I think that was more than enough. Honestly, 80% of the time we were so close to the animals that i didn’t even need the zoom, 2-3x was good for 98% of the time.
I was also worried about battery charge but it wasn’t an issue. The jeep has plugs for your phone and there is enough access to power that it shouldn’t be an issue. We put our phones on airplane mode while taking pictures and had a second battery for the cannon. That was more than enough for ~3000 photos over 4 days.
Overall, the whole experience was amazing and awe inspiring. Seeing those animals close up and that landscape for myself was just incredible.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The experience of a lifetime!
Hello everybody,
forget about any other activity. If you come to Kenya, you have to book a Safari Tour! We had the chance to visit wild animals in their natural habitat undisturbed by human beings. Tsavo East was magical! We saw elephants crossing the road, lions from close distance, herds of zebras, gazelles and giraffes. You won’t be disappointed. Chombo was our tour guide, he knew the park in and out and we always felt safe with him! You won’t regret your time there!
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Passion and professionalism, all the time
We chose Suricata Safaris after a careful research among the different tour operators that offer Safaris in Arusha. Right from the start they struck us for their availability, flexibility and readiness in answering our questions.
During the Safari our driver/guide Lewis, the driver/guide Mandela and the chef Tito were super professional, always on time and always very organized. Above all, we noticed and appreciated the passion that all of them and all the staff transmit during the days.
We absolutely recommend reach out to them!
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!!
I came across this tour operator and I’m glad I did. The team was very helpful and very responsive. I chose to do a self drive safari which is not very common but they checked on us every day to make sure we were fine and always replied very promptly. The car was very well equipped and fitted everything we needed. I couldnt recommend it anymore.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kind and friendly
It was amazing too see the animals, the guide was perfect and very kind. I really enjoyed it. Thank you so much!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most fantastic safari experience!
If you want a full experience of a great safari trip, then look no further than Meijo Safaris!
When we arrived at our first hotel, we were greeted warmly by Daudi, who gave us the run down on our itinerary for the week. Daudi left us to rest for the night and we were crazy with excitement for what the days to come would bring!
We met our expert guide Herman the following day and he was absolutely fantastic, he did his utmost best to make sure we experienced the safari to the fullest. Herman's extensive knowledge and expertise enabled him to answer any and every question we had about the animals.
We were made to feel comfortable and happy at every step.
We can't thank him enough!
All the hotels and lodges that Meijo Safaris organised for us had incredibly breathtaking views and we were given the best rooms they could offer. We could even see zebras up close from our balcony!
On our last day Daudi took us through the city of Arusha to try to find a special gift for my husband's mother. It proved difficult to find but Daudi went out of his way to locate it for us which we appreciated so much.
We would like to thank the Meijo Safaris team for making our honeymoon a week we will never forget! We both hope to be back with you guys again for future adventures :)
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Seamless & Spectacular Safari!
My family and I absolutely loved our extended day tour to Chobe National Park with Cuckoo! To be fully transparent, though we booked with Cuckoo and they drove us to the Botswana border, the tour was actually provided by Puku Safaris - as I understand it, they have some partnership and work together. Either way, it was a marvelous experience and I highly recommend the extended day - yes it means getting up before the crack of dawn and it's a marathon of a day - but it's so worth it for the wildlife experience. We lucked out by seeing not only one lion but an entire pride. There must have been close to 20 lions! It seemed like we were able to stay twice as long as the other tours there because we had more time to spare. We also got up close with giraffes, elephants - SO MANY ELEPHANTS - and on the river cruise, crocodiles. Our guide Cobra was fabulous - he seemed to be a local celebrity the way everyone knew him. He was funny and informative. The buffet lunch was delicious. Cuckoo/Puku made the experience - including crossing over into Botswana - seamless. The staff at Cuckoo was very communicative and answered my (many) questions prior to the trip. I could not have imagined a better day trip safari!
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Magnificent experience
A tour of Pretoria and Soweto.
Our guide HAPPY was superb.....knowledgeable, articulate, well informed and with an enchanting personality.
This is the second time I've used the services of this company and all guests have been completely satisfied both times.
I heartily recommend and endorse this reliable company.
Reasonably priced and excellent value. Punctual and meticulous service
RU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nice safari
The safari was nice. Both your guide and the guide from pilanesberg park were nice and they were open to answer to your question.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely amazing! Explorian Safaris go above and beyond to give a once in a lifetime experience!
We had the privilege of doing a two day / one night safari with Explorian Safaris visiting the Tarangire National Park and Ngorongoro Crater.
This was a once in a lifetime experience and we cannot thank Atif and our guide Ayubu enough for organising and taking us on this amazing two day safari!
We arranged the safari very last minute however Atif very kindly and quickly (outside normal working hours!) provided us with a detailed itinerary of the two day safari they offered. Our guide, Ayubu, picked us up from our hotel at the agreed time, which was early morning to enable us to have as much time as possible on the first day of the safari at the Tarangire National Park. Our guide Ayubu was really knowledgable and we learnt so much about the animals we saw! The one night stay at the Flamingo Lodge Hotel was brilliant, the food and hotel room was lovely, and the staff were really welcoming! The hotel staff even really kindly prepared breakfast for us extra early so we could again make the most of our second day! The second day at the Ngorongoro Crater was a once in a lifetime experience, if you go on safari in Tanzania the scenery here is spectacular!
We’d like to give a special shout out to Ayubu. Ayubu was absolutely brilliant, his knowledge of the safaris he has taken us on is outstanding! During each of the days he really took the time to give us very detailed and interesting information about the animals, the different areas etc. He was a genuinely nice person and a pleasure to have spent the two days with him. Ayubu went above and beyond to ensure the safari was an amazing experience and we can’t thank him enough!
We can’t recommend this Explorian Safari’s highly enough!
