20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything we'd hoped for and more
As part of our 3-week honeymoon across three countries in Africa in August 2018, my husband and I chose to do a 9-day tour with CKC Tours and Travel. We did the "CKC 102: 8 Day Flamingos & Diani Sands Kenya" tour, but with an extra day added on to the Masai Mara. We'd never been on safari or to Africa before so we didn't entirely know what to expect, and we were very happy with the outcome.
The planning was very simple: I contacted CKC through Safari Bookings originally, got a quick response, then I continued to communicate with John Muhoho, the manager, after that via email. He always replied swiftly to my messages and was very helpful with tailoring the trip to suit our timetable.
Our trip itinerary was as follows: Day 1, Travel Nairobi to Lake Nakuru, evening game drive (Flamingo Hill Tented Camp), Day 2-4 Masai Mara (Mpata Safari Club), Day 5-8 Chale Island (The Sands at Chale Island), and Day 9 half day at Chale then flight back to Nairobi in the evening.
We were met at our hotel in Nairobi on the first morning of the trip by John. He went through the itinerary with us then introduced us to our driver and guide, Kennedy. We then set off with Kennedy on our trip.
[Recommendation to CKC: don't print things unnecessarily, and if you do have to print, then do it double sided. We had previously been emailed the itinerary so there was no need to print out two copies for us. Save paper where possible :). You could give customers an opt-in option for it to be printed out.]
Kennedy was great. He was friendly and helpful, admirably drove us many many miles for many hours over very rough terrain and still was keen to take us out on a game drive the same evening, he was very receptive to our questions and taught us a lot about Kenya, politics, and the Masai people on our journeys. Of course though one of the best things about Kennedy was his clear passion for his job and for nature. He was most enthusiastic about finding the best wildlife sightings to make our holiday great, and always told us about the animals in great detail, answering our questions informatively. He had the utmost respect for the animals and environment and it was clear he wanted to share this with others.
Our trip was a private tour, and so it was just my husband and I with Kennedy in the vehicle. We had loads of space and it was great this way because we had the freedom to do exactly what we wanted, like go out on an epic 9-hour game drive (well done Kennedy). It also meant that everything was done at our convenience, we could choose what we wanted to see and also always have the best views out the vehicle. The roof was open on the van for game drives so you could stand and look out, which was great fun and the breeze was lovely.
We saw some absolutely incredible sights while we were in Kenya, thanks to our guide Kennedy. We saw lots of lions, including some mating, and a large family with cubs playing with each other. We saw loads of hyenas, and a pack of hyenas with cubs, which were adorable! We saw the huge flock of flamingos as far as the eye can see in Lake Nakuru. And of course the most prized sighting in the Masai Mara: we saw a Wildebeest river crossing of the great migration. An amazing spectacle, not just the nature but also everyone watching and waiting too!!
Some of the most memorable animals we saw in Kenya were baboons, elephants, monitor lizards, Nile crocodiles, Masai giraffes, hippos, impalas, topis, waterbucks, Thomson's gazelles, elands, zebras, flamingos, fish eagles, secretary birds, guineafowl, ostriches, wildebeest, jackals, mongooses, southern white rhinos, hyenas, buffalo, lions, and warthogs.
We really had such a fantastic time with Kennedy on our journey with him to Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara. It was wonderful just knowing that everything was taken care of for us and already paid, and we had absolutely nothing to concern ourselves with during our trip, except having an amazing time and learning about the beautiful Kenyan wildlife.
For the final part of our trip, we said goodbye to Kennedy and popped on a flight over to Ukunda Airstrip at Diani, from where we were transferred to Chale Island. Everything went very smoothly and we arrived in time for dinner. Chale was amazing (I've written a separate review for the resort) and the perfect peaceful and relaxing end to our honeymoon.
We really had the trip of a lifetime in Kenya thanks to John for his efficient organisation and Kennedy for his dedicated guiding and driving.
IN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exotic & amazing holidays ...!
We visited kenya from june 18th to 25th. After Going through many tour operators we found Magical Retreats and adventures tour to suit our requirements. Pamela was our tour advisor. She was prompt and helpful. She briefed us about the tour and provided all the information needed. She was very flexible in giving us the accomodations of our choice and budget. Pamela always remained in touch and made sure that we were well taken care off. She also sure that we get good Indian food of our choice by talking to the chefs at different locations. That was very sweet of her...!
Our tour guide and driver Mr. Peter was very humble and polite person. He was very amazing while spotting the animals. We think he is the best. We enjoyed our tour thoroughly because of Peter.
We would definitely recommend MAGICAL RETREATES AND ADVENTURES TOURS to all those who are keen to visit Kenya.
Once agan thanks to Pamela and Peter. We will definitely want to go with you people again....
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
from beginning (booking) to end (after the safari) I have nothing but positive reviews about LKA.
Communication: I have been most impressed by Anna, the person in charge of bookings, she was most efficient and helpful, very patient when I needed to change many things on our itinerary as we were 4 people traveling from different locations. She was prompt in replying to my emails and cannot commend her highly enough. She came to greet us the day of our arrival in Arusha and again on our last day, she was most gracious.
Lastly I have to add that everything went according to schedule without hiccups, not that we would have objected to some things going wrong, but they didn't and we were left with a wonderful memory of Tanzania.
Expectations: the trip far exceeded our expectations, I went with my family and we found the experience magical and memorable. My kids said it's the most memorable holiday ever!!
Safari tour: First I would like to thank our tour guide and Driver Swalehe, a very exceptional driver, very unassuming and pleasant. Extremely competent and knowledgeable. Very attentive without being overbearing, my family appreciated him a great deal and have wonderful memories of our safari, we did actually see all the animals described in the books plus more events on the way. He was always very patient and willing to do whatever it takes to give us a wonderful experience.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime!
The trip was amazing! This was our first Safari and it lived up to all our expectations and more! From seeing the Big 5 to the Wildebeest migration and so much more. A cheetah even visited us in the Serengeti and jumped up on the hood of our drivers Landcruiser. Getting to add on the Gorilla trekking was a big plus and worth the extra travel. The only downside was being caught unprepared for the Visas to enter each of the three countries we visited. The visas took up much of cash that we had brought with us and we were not clear upon what type of visa to purchase on arrival. It was also a shock that the lodges in Tanzania do not accept credit cards at the Lodges. I wish that this information had been passed onto us in a more direct manner but other than these small matters this trip was unforgettable!
A side note, most drivers were there to get tourists pictures but Freddy our driver in Tanzania was so knowledgeable about the wildlife and helped educate us on all the wildlife.
Also, be aware that game drives in Kenya take place in two types of vehicles on rough roads. A Toyota van and a Toyota Landcruiser. The Landcruiser is much more comfortable for passengers on the roads but it also costs more. Since the roads are so bad, I believe that all tourists should get the Landcruiser.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good service and safe driving with reliable drivers.
The communcation before and during the rental services were great. There were no issues and everything ran smoothly.
David our driver was an excellent driver who took at places safely, comfortably and always made sure we are ok. He was really interesting to talk to and understand more about Ugandan life as well as taking us from different spots.
It was a great experience to drive with David and we would highly recommend David for others. Thank you for the amazing experience and we look forward to coming back.
HR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari on a budget
Everything was great and following the program. The hotels were nice, safaris were great and the organisation too. We have visited Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Naivasha and Hell's gate NP:
I paid an amount in advance and didn't have any problems
HR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beacon safari agency and it's people are reliable, knowledgeable and unobtrusive. Great experience!
We've been on our 7-days safari private tour, with Eric as a guide, and it was great! Tour was well planned, we started with Masai Mara, went to Nakuru, Amboseli and ended our tour in Tsawo west-Serena lodges (! which we highly recommend because of a unique view from terrace at wild animals drinking water at nearby lake). Each of those 4 parks is unique and interesting..Eric was great guide, very knowledgeable, unobtrusive and great driver which is very important taking into account Kenyan roads and driving culture. Robert was very responsive upon our arrival and during our stay which made us feel safe an taken care of. Anyway, we will recommend Beacon safari to our dear friends and family planning trip to Kenya..hope we'll come again once our kids will be older...and that says it all!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing.The planning was above par. I would recommend all to try Leo Africa safaris.
The knowledge of the product they recommend was amazing. They had advised me in advance what was to be required thus spent less effort on that day.
The animals were amazing, harmless; Each of them had a lesson for me to in life. The stroll in the park is something I hadn’t experienced in a long time. It was beautiful. It got my mind cleared that I will always look forward to coming back. Even before my tummy crumble, I am due for a snack…excellent package there after which I feel like taking a nap. Actually I did for a moment. Time moved faster than I thought.
ES
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfectly complete tour through incredible natural sites where we saw a huge variety of wildlife
From the beginning it was clear that it was a very organized trip. Any small inconvenience was resolved fast and effitiently. We had a meeting with Mr Otieno where he explained our trip, and then we left with our drivers David and Paul. We had a wonderful time with them, they made sure that we could see as many animals as we could; they also provided interesting explanations along the whole journey. When we crossed to Tanzania we switched to drivers Richard and Godlove, who easily met the very high expectations that had been established by the previous drivers. They helped us in anything we did and definitely improved our experience. When we returned to Kenya we met again with David and Kent, and we ended our experience at the same great level as we started it.
The lodges and campsites where we stayed were incredible, providing full services and lots of good surprises. The food all along the trip was great, with a mix of local and European cuisine.
Overall it was a wonderfull experience.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thank you
Absolutely loved the special attention from our host Andy. He had exceptional knowledge on our game drive. He then gets dressed in his Chef gear and serves a superb meal cooked by himself. We really were spoilt. Would definitely recommend it!