20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very responsive and professional service
We used Ganyana safaris for a last minute trip to Jinja. The tour operator Juma has been very quick, responsive and professional in making our trip possible. Their vans are comfortable and well-serviced and well-priced. The company provides all types of adventures across Uganda. We sure will use their service and utilize their other packages again! Thank you Juma!
PT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Safari with Serengeti wakanda tours
A few months before the safari I started emailing Bartho and he never got tired of answering my many questions. He's an amazing guy who works to fulfill the customers experience. He even gave us the flexibility of adding more days to the safari which we did.
About the safari itself we had a truly magical experience. Ernest was one of the best tour guides we ever had. He was always willing to go the extra mile for us to see special animals in special locations and always asked us if we were ok with something. Dula was an amazing tour chef. We were expecting some sandwiches and some simple food but chef Dula put the bar very high in terms of quality. We had every day a 3 course menu for each meal and what amazing meals those were. Specially Dula's bread. Best bread we ever had. And all great local dishes and freshest ingredients.
Although we didn't get to see the big 5 we saw some very special scenes, leopard, and even a live cheetah hunting scene thanks to Ernest skill as a guide.
Even with a flat tire, Ernest and Dula kept it cool and managed the situation well.
In one of the last days Ernest asked us if we wanted to change our stop in Lake Natron and all because the lake wouldn't be as cool as we pictured, and to be honest I think it was a great call by Ernest because we managed to sleep an extra night in a lodge (which was very much needed) and we didn't get disappointed.
In the end of the Safari, Bartho made sure to meet me to get my feedback and the ins and outs of our safari.
This safari is so very well organized.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 17 day private Bush & Beach tour - Kenya & Tanzania
We recently returned from a 17 day bush and beach tour organized by James Oketch from Twinkle Star Tours, and we had an AMAZING trip!
After searching around and not really knowing where to begin, we decided to book this trip through Twinkle Star Tours as James was very responsive to our questions right from the beginning. We started planning this trip during the end of 2019, and as 2020 - and COVID - arrived our plans were, of course, up in the air with Kenya being closed to visitors. James was in touch with us the entire time and was willing to allow us to change the trip to 2021 with no fees, but when Kenya opened up we decided to go this year.
Our trip began with our arrival in Nairobi, we then spent time in Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Zanzibar, and Amboseli before returning to Nairobi.
Due to COVID, our trip details had to be changed a number of times. Many of the places were were scheduled to stay in were still not open, so James had to rebook our lodgings. He was always very communicative in this and in most cases we were actually upgraded to nicer lodgings! We also had to move our trip to Zanzibar to the middle of the trip instead of the end due to Tanzania not allowing flights from Kenya, and James handled all of this rebooking for us as well. Having him handle all of these changes was so relieving.
James met us at our hotel on our first morning and confirmed all of our trip details. We had three guides on our trip - one in Kenya (Peter), one in Tanzania (Hozza), and one while in Zanzibar (Abdullah). All of our guides were GREAT. I cannot say enough about how friendly, trustworthy, knowledgeable, and accommodating they all were. On safari you spend a lot of time in the car with your guide, and there wasn't a moment that we didn't feel safe or taken care of with our guides. Peter and Hozza were able to find all of the animals that we wanted to see - including the big five - and taught us so much about the animals, the land, and their beautiful countries. And Abdullah was very helpful and informative while we toured Zanzibar. James set us up with several tours while in Zanzibar, so we were able to go to Stone Town, tour a spice farm, and swim with dolphins!
I have read on here about the road conditions and driving, and I wanted to say first that you will be on some bumpy roads, but that is all part of the fun! The parks all have a maximum speed limit but those roads are not paved (for the animal's sake) so you should prepare yourself for a bit of bouncing around while you explore. We opted for the Land Cruiser instead of the minivan, and I believe that not only are they more comfortable, but they are able to get to some parts of the park that the vans would not have been able to reach. Also, as to the speed on roadways between parks - many of the company vehicles in Kenya have a speed limiter, so they absolutely cannot go more than 80kph or else the power cuts out.
The only stressful part of our trip was crossing the Kenya/Tanzania border at the land crossings two times. This had nothing to do with our tour and only had to do with the bureaucracy that is involved in crossing a border. That being said, our guides helped us navigate these crossings, including all of the extra precautions necessary due to COVID, and made the transition way smoother than had we been left to figure it out ourselves.
During our trip, we were scheduled to fly from Arusha to Zanzibar. At the last moment (after Hozza got us to the airport) we found out that the flight was moved to Kilimanjaro airport, about an hour away. Though this was frustrating news from the airline, it was great to have our guide with us to explain what was going on and to pack our suitcases back into the Land Cruiser and bring us to the correct airport.
At the end of our trip, our flight back to JFK left Nairobi late at night, so James actually set us up with a (comped) hotel in Nairobi for a couple of hours so that we could shower and change before flying home. He also met us at the hotel and brought his family along to introduce us.
Throughout the entire trip, our guides let us know that James had called to check on how it was going and to ensure that all was proceeding smoothly. James always answered my emails promptly, even when the time difference meant that he was replying after midnight his time.
I have no problem recommending James Oketch and Twinkle Star Tours, along with all of our guides, and would give him more than a 5 star rating if I could. This was a life-changing trip and was made better knowing that we had this company there to assist us with anything that could arise.
JP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kind person. It was a fulfilling tour
I took a two-day, one-night safari tour and a Masai tour. On the safari, I went to Tarangire and Ngorongoro. I only had two days, but I am happy to see various animals. I spent a lot of time on the Masai tour and went to the place and school where the Masai people live, and I was very impressed. If you are thinking of going to Tanzania, you should choose a tour company here! !!
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good safari experience in camping !
We did a very good safary with AAA Express Adventure. We came in September 2020 and it was very safe with covid. There is a small number of tourists right now and you feel alone in the parks, it's very nice to see the animals.
We see a lot of animals and the wildebeest migration in north Serengeti, a wonderful expercience.
Our guide knew very well all the animals and the parks, we learnt a lot about wildlife.
The food was very very good at each meal !
The camping allows you to be close to the center of the parks and close to the wildlife. You can hear the cry of the animals during the night.
So I can just advice to you to come in Tanzania right now, it's a very good moment to discover all the parks without too many tourists.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent customer relations and care. Very satisfying service. I recommended this service.
Good communications with clients. The service is caring and cinsiderate. Meets customer expectations. Safari tour is safe and delivers to customer satisfaction.
BR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Super! Will most certainly go back!
We have decided to escape a little bit from the traditional circuit from the Northwest, so we’ve decided for Selous Game Reserve for our tour (4 days, 3 nights). It was an amazing surprise! The park is beautiful not only due to the animals you can spot, but also the variety of trees, plants and lakes. Our driver, guide (and friend :) ) Lenard was always on time and kind enough to always pay attention to our needs. We had a lovely lunch in the genours shade of a big tree and just next to giraffes. Lenard is also very acquainted with the place’s fauna and flora. Would definitely go back for Mikumi next time!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was an awesome experience can wait to book for my next trip
It was so good.the pick up and drop out was good.and the tour guide was heavenly sent he gave us lots of information with regards to animals and vegetations at Nairobi national park.i took a video on the giraffe breastfeeding and feeding . extra miles you guys are like family.such a good experience.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Best experience
Experienced and we'll informed staff. You can always depend and rely on the services rendered
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best honeymoon we could have ever wished for!
We explored countries to travel to in September/October 2020 only in the end of August just before getting married in Germany. There were not a lot of countries to travel to and we quickly identified Kenya. We contacted some German aggregators as well as some local agencies in Kenya. The experience with the local German agencies was nice, but they offered a really high price. In the end you pay a lot for an expat that lives locally. The experience with Amazing Memories Safari was different, we received the quote from Anne in their Nairobi office very fast and it provided us with exactly what we needed. To give you a perspective, the German agency quoted $4200 for the same itinerary that we booked with Amazing Memories Safari for just $2650. With exactly the same Hotels, the same car (Landcruise) and an even better level of service! Why? Anne was so king to provide us with her Whatsapp Number and we could solve all of the questions just vie Whatsapp..extremely convenient. Also.. Anne was super honest in dealing with us. For example, we wanted to book an extra night at an Hotel in Nairobi and they were happy to communicate the nightly rate to us without hiding everything in a package price. The cost of the night was lower by the way than I could get despite having an Airline Employee Discount with a major international Hotel chain so kudos to the AMS team for offering us the best price. We also checked if we would have one of the transfers done by plane instead of car. The ticket on the air Kenya website was $485 USD one-way but AMS was able to offer us a 50% discounted travel agency rate just a couple of days before the flight. Really amazing!!! I also really liked the payment system that they have on their website, worked with our credit cards. We also transfered money via Transferwise directly to AMS to safe fees and the money arrived even before Transferwise expected it
Hotels/Parks:
Nairobi --> 1 Night in the FourPoints Airport --> HIGHLY recommended, such a warm welcome in Kenya and nice pool
Nairobi --> 1 Night in the Giraffe Manor --> Its expensive, but it was worth it, once in a life-time experience for sure
Amboseli --> 2 Night in Ol Tukai Lodge --> We loved this lodge, Elephants at your door step and also great location in the park
Naivasha --> 1 Night in Naivasha Sopa Lodge --> Highly recommend to break up the drive to Nakuru, really nice lodge with 20 Hippos just meters from our room (behind an electric fence)
Nakuru --> 1 Night at the Cliff --> Best Hotel i ever stayed in, better food and service than Giraffe Manor even, if you can, stay at least 2 Nights
Masai Mara --> 3 Nights at the Basecamp Explorer --> Really nice eco-lodge, really down to earth staff that really care about environment and the park. amazing food, highly recommended in terms of location as the gate offers a lot of variety (we saw the big 5)
One thing also, with our AMS reservation we got the BEST rooms. We stayed in the Obama Tent in Basecamp and a corner Tent in the Cliff!
Our guide and driver David was our life-saver during the trip (literally). More important to being a great guide with a great mood, he is a very very safe driver and this makes all the difference on the crazy roads where trucks and cars are mixing. David also knew the parks inside out with his 10 years of experience and made the game drives very rewarding (we managed to spot Black Rhinos and a Leopard in the Mara). We learning lots of facts about the animals and were also always flexible to acomodate our wishes like seeing the sunrise and so on.
Overall, I can only say that I already spammed all my friends with pictures and the link to the website of Amazing Memories Safari. 1000% recommended, hope you have no doubts, pictures are available here: https://adobe.ly/3i6z3qw
Also one note to the COVID situation. Kenya is handling COVID much more serious than European countries we have been. Our temperature was taken at all Hotels and Parks and the staff wore masks 100% of the time with lots of sanitation going on. Even when driving through the countryside we saw public busses were everyone inside was also wearing a mask as well. If you are in doubt, really thing about the local staff in the lodges that got let go because of less tourists coming this year, you will make a difference with your trip!
