35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Knowledgeable, helpful, kind, funny! 10/10!!
I’m getting emotional as I write this review because this was truly the most incredible experience of my life. TLDR version: don’t think twice, book this trip with Wildtouch Tours! The Kenyan people are the nicest in the world, and our expectations across the board were far exceeded.
Before I start the details I have to also celebrate Peter, our guide. You guys, this is the kindest man on the planet. He’s the driver you want for every reason but especially because he knows every other driver out there and they all love him. That made me feel so safe because it was apparent that even in the middle of absolute nowhere I knew there was a community who, thanks to Peter, all had our backs. Our troops motto was “IN PETER WE TRUST” and for good reason. He always had an eye out for the animals we wanted to see, would stop and ask other drivers what they were seeing to make sure we got the good stuff, and he had the best attitude no matter how early or how late it was. He kept the jeep clean for us daily with plenty of fresh water bottles If we wanted to sleep in, no problem. If we wanted a shorter game drive or longer game drive, no problem. He would say “the time is for you”, so there was never a stress about when or where to be. The time was for us. He was sweet, funny, incredibly knowledgeable, attentive, and safe! He would get us real close to some animals but he never let his guard down in case we needed to go. I was nervous being a few feet from giant elephants but after a day of seeing how he operated I never worried again. He made sure we were safe first at all times, even to the point where I asked him to come on the boat ride with us because I know hippos don’t play around, and at that point his presence let me know he’d hold the driver of the boat accountable with our safety, which he did end up doing as we got a little to close to a bunch of big hippos and babies. We got a flat tire with the hot air balloon company at five am and it was Peter who came to change it. Don’t know how he knew or where he came from but he was there. The guide can make or break this experience and Peter MADE IT! In Peter we trust!
Details: we were a group of six, and we all had many questions leading up to booking and Jacob was in constant communication for a couple months fielding questions, getting the ideas of our wants, and telling us all the steps to be ready to go, all before we had even paid him! I’m sure the money is great but we could tell early on it was about us and our experience more then anything Jacob. An example is we had an issue with the visas at the airport because delta was being dumb and I was on the phone with Jacob getting new visas processed while still at the delta counter. He was going to make it happen no matter what, even though it all turned out fine. We booked a seven day trip going to Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, and the Masai Mara. Come February we got our visas, travel vaccines, and Covid tests, and we were on our way. It was such a relief knowing all we had to worry about when we got there was money for drinks, souvenirs, GRATUITYS (plan to be generous as the service was amazing everywhere, and plan to be VERY generous with your guide because what they do for you on this trip is above and beyond in every way possible), and any excursions you want to take. We did all three offered on our trip: the trip to the masai village, the hippo boat ride on lake Naivasha, and the hot air balloon ride over the Mara.
We landed in Nairobi, and were met at the airport by a driver to take us to a nearby hotel. The following morning we were met by Jacob and our guide for the week Peter. After or orientation we were off! I loved the drives to and from the parks because we got to see so much of the Kenyan people, towns, and landscape. Amboseli was fantastic , giant elephants, herds of zebras, and my favorite was the monkeys and baboons who lived at our hotel. Gorgeous cold pool, massages, game drives, and the masai village in Amboseli.
Next was lake Naivasha. Gorgeous lodge, great food, hobbit style buildings that we slept in, hippos, and Topi’s in the back yard, and a night walking safari to see the giraffe and zebras in the front yard. It was INSANE! The boat ride is a must, the lake is spooky and cool. Soooo many hippos, pelicans, and storks. My only regret from the whole trip was not staying there an extra day.
Masai Mara, another gorgeous pool where you can hear the hippos talking from the nearby river. The river view was incredible, we saw a hippo take down a croc from the comfort of the bar balcony! Lions, foxes, Pumbas, hyenas, giraffe, topi’s, Cape buffalo, all the incredible birds, meerkats, mongooses, ostrich’s, a freaking leopard in a tree with her fresh kill, we saw it all!
On the ride back to Nairobi Peter took us to a look out to see the Great Rift Valley. He took us to plenty of curio shops to get all of the most incredible souvenirs too. Jacob met us at dinner that night in Nairobi and we shared our experiences and he was so happy to heard we’d had an amazing time. The two of them dropped us off at the airport and tears were had by all in having to say our goodbyes. WORTH EVERY PENNY!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Book it and don’t look back!
I will always be using crafted Africa to plan my trips. This was a trip of a life time! It far exceeded my expectations, and honestly there is nothing I would change about my trip! We were so well taken care of & the attention to detail is on point. Incredible.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dreamlike safari
Our safari was a dream! We were in Amboseli and Tsavo West National Park. We were able to arrange the safari flexibly and even had someone bring us to the Voi train station at the end, as we wanted to travel on to Mombasa. Even before the safari started, the Venture team advised us well and the price-performance ratio was absolutely right. We were picked up at our accommodation in Nairobi and from there we set off. Antony, our guide, was very helpful and engaging and showed us the best spots and we even saw the Big Five. He was able to give us information about all the animals and always left us enough time to observe the in peace or take photos. We felt comfortable and safe with him at all times. We were well advised by Venture about the accommodation and stayed at AA Lodge and Ngulia Lodge. In addition, the team was there for us around the clock and the communication with the team went smoothly via WhatsApp.
I would highly recommend a safari with Venture Africa Budget Safaris.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible attention to detail - removed the worries of booking a trip from abroad.
Incredible service and thoughtfulness. Helped with all the details - including my PCR test! Silas provided extraordinary assistance in the details and Richard, our driver, was very knowledgeable and engaging.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Top Notch Itinerary and Staff!
We cannot recommend Seven By Far enough! We just return from a 2+ week trip to Kenya where we booked both 9 days of safari and a long weekend trip to the coast with this great company. Sylvester was incredibly professional, helpful, and knowledgeable when it came to crafting an itinerary and logistical plans that matched our interests and wishes. We can also happily echo all the great praise listed on this site already for Hassan - he is truly the most fantastic guide and driver you could ask for. He's beyond knowledgeable, thoughtful, kind, and a true joy to spend time with, talk to, and learn from. All of our expectations in terms of communications (speed, accuracy, professionalism), lodges, vehicles, personal attention and assistance were not only met but exceeded by the Seven By Far team. We even encountered a complex personal issue during our stay that Sylvester helped us navigate seamlessly on a short timeline. The service and attention we received were simply top notch and we hope to book with this great company again in the future.
Impeccable service. Removed the fear of the unknown.
Incredible service and thoughtfulness. Helped with all the details - including my PCR test!
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Helpful, reactive and to the point
After e-mailing I quickly received feedback from Max containing very to the point offers for lodges in the (private) game reserves of the Kruger park in SA. We made a few calls and Max adjusted the offers.
We ended up booking at Leopard Hills in Sabi Sands trough Max and he ensured us that we would have a room with a magnificent view. Everything went really smooth from there and all that was promised, was kept. So I can really recommend this service. He always responded very promptly to all of our requests (email or Whatsapp) and even followed up after our stay, to check that everything went well.
50-65 years of age
Amazing experience with an amazing guide
Rwanda is one of the most beautiful places I've ever traveled and our driver/guide Valens was amazing. He is one of the best tour operates we've worked with. He was always on time for our hotel pick up and knows the roads of Rwanda. During our travels Valens was able to help us with sorting out cafes, coffee stops and best spots for sightseeing. He was also our translator as our travels took us to some very remote areas of Rwanda. Valens truly loves Rwanda and the people
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
outstanding and great experience
We did the 5 day safari with one day Tarangire, 3 days Serengeti and one day Ngorongoro. I have to say that even 5 stars are not enough here. For this price you can't get a better safari experience. We did the tour with Felix as our guide and he always found the perfect spots to observe the animals, always provided us with very good information about the animals and was always very helpful. And last but not least, we saw the Big 5, thanks to Felix. Really a very good guide.
And the food was provided by Dullah, who is an excellent cook. The food was first class and simply outstanding what delicious food he always prepared for us. Always fresh and delicious.
We always stayed in tents with mattresses and sleeping bags, everything was provided for us and was very clean and fresh.
Can only recommend Wakanda Safari, really excellent service
DE
A wonderful experience with the perfect guide
It was the first time for me and my family to go on a safari. We didn’t know what to expect but from the first moment everything was very well organized. We went directly to the national park and already got to see lots of animals. Our tour guide Isaya was amazing he answered all our questions and planed everything perfectly. He is a very kind and warm person so it was fun to have him guide us through this experience. I can highly recommend kihindo tours and safaris!!! :)