US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful and Unforgettable Experience.
I searched long and hard for a trustworthy and affordable safari tour, and my diligence paid off by finding and hiring Namayiana Safari and Tours company. We were picked up at our lodge in Nairobi by the driver and Moses (John's brother) and later met up with our guide John (Mpairo) in Narok. We discussed the details of the agreement and expectations of the safari as we sipped tea. From the beginning John and his brother, Moses were excellent hosts and straightaway we felt comfortable with these guys. The first day we drove to Masai Mara and to Fisi Camp where we were going to stay. We had lunch and then our first safari drive to the park. Second day we had a full day of safari drive. Our breakfast and lunch was also inside the park. Our 3rd day we visited John's authentic Masai village where we learned about their everyday life and had the opportunity to buy jewelry from the women.
The Safari: AMAZING!!! We saw four of the big five.. the Leopard was VERY hard to spot... tho some people said they saw a tail. We saw giraffes, zebras, gazelles, cheetah, herd of elephants, oh so much!! Our morning drive we got to see up close the feasting of a pride of lions from their recent kill. John was an excellent guide and even better "Masai eyes" who was able to spot animals from afar and we drove to get a closer look. He has also chosen excellent staff, as his driver Martin was a very skillful driver who knew his way around the park and how to get super close to the animals and action without disturbing the wildlife.
FISI CAMP/Lodging: EXCELLENT! We had our own tent (we were a party of 3) with a flushing toilet. Beds were firm and VERY comfortable. I had one of the best sleeps here. We heard hyenas in the distance, and were SO THANKFUL for the Masai who were stayed up at night guarding our camp. Wonderful hosts Ken and Marie. There was always plenty of food (buffet style) and we never went to bed hungry. Our last night we had dinner + BBQ cooked on a bonfire. It was delicious and my belly was ready to explode. We all ate and drank together around the bonfire... such a great experience among such great people and a beautiful star studded sky.
Masai Village visit: WOAW!! I have a hard time finding the proper adjective to describe the experience in the village. I've traveled to about 40 countries and lived abroad, I have been a Peace Corps Volunteer in Latin America, but had never experienced a culture like the Masai. It was super interesting to learn of their way of life and beliefs. We were welcomed with a tribal dance by the men and afterwards by the women. We were shown how they make fire, build their houses, how they live, the patriarchy and women's work and expectations. It was very educational, interesting, and of course thanks to the humor of both John and his brother Moses (one of the highest jumpers) it was also very entertaining.
John, his Masai staff, the Fisi Camp hosts and staff there; everyone were excellent hosts and made an incredible effort to make our stay special and unforgettable. We may have started as tourists and guide, but ended as friends.
This company is legit, they will go above and beyond to make your experience special, try their hardest for the visitors to see as much as possible of the park and animals, and make you feel as comfortable as possible. Truly I felt that we were friends and were never made to feel as if were just tourist with an open wallet. NEVER. John made sure to always accommodate us and followed through with our agreement and expectations of the safari.
If you don't choose Namayiana Safari you will surely miss out on so much!! These guys are awesome!!
Wish Namayiana the best and hope we see each other again!!!
Much love!! Despacito John!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
they booked my two-night flying package to Kichwa Tempo camp in Masai Mara, Kenya
We used to live in Kenya and booked several trips within the country using Uniglobe, who had an office near us, but I had never booked online. What impressed me most was how quick they were to respond not just to my first request for information but also to my further questions. Everything was done exactly as they laid it out in their emails, including the pick-up from my hotel and, upon my return, from the airport, by a very pleasant and competent driver, and the flights to and from Masai Mara. The camp itself (Kichwa Tembo) was excellent.
RO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
No words to describe it, we had the best
Where do I start? Got denhum holidays through I friend and everything went easy than I thought from booking to payment made so by Felix who seemed to give information like he was educating us on what we need to know than soliciting business from us. We didn't expect to be met at the airport as we had made own arrangements for the first night in Nairobi. Free transfer did humble us even more. Our guide has been great so far having been with him for 9 days, we confidently say he is the best. Thanks Reuben. We have been to masai mara 3 nights, 2 nights rift valley 2 nights Samburu 1 night mt Kenya and we are in our last night of 2 nights Amboseli. We have had the best more than bargained orvthought of including free sundowners with drinks and visit to samburu and masai villages
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
"magical, soul-stirring journey with joyful professionals"
Imagine all you’ve dreamt about East Africa’s magical Endless Plains and breathtaking sunsets. Now, add open hearts, smiles, vast knowledge, and expertise. To top off your Safari days, mix in unparalleled comfort and abundant yummy eats in eco-lodges of luxury and tent camps surrounded by grazing wildebeest with a symphony of birdsong. Finally, imagine it all completely arranged to the last detail for you! You step off the plane into the caring professional personable warm hands of Susan and Niko and your life is forever touched.
Destination Consultants planned and executed all logistics for our group of 19 – mostly educators on 22 days of Safari in Kenya and Tanzania for our graduate course extravaganza which they skillfully facilitated. They did the same for two of us as we continued to Rwanda and Uganda to trek with Mountain Gorillas. My refrain for a month: wowowowow!
Guides led by Niko have unparalleled in-depth knowledge that they share with expertise and humor, enjoying – and answering! – our 1001 questions an hour, and expanding our minds and hearts with depth and joy; logistics arranged by Susan were perfection as she constantly and flawlessly monitored every detail, including multiple game drives each day, national park entries, lodging, re-bookings due to the floods, and a school visit; smiles and giggles were abundant and hearts open as they led our soul-stirring journey. These memories and friendships are made for life.
Even to begin listing our daily experiences is too much for this review space. Instead, know this: If East Africa is calling you, let your call be answered by Susan and Niko at Destination Consultants, the people who can make your dreams come true - even if you don’t yet know what they are!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond Excellent!!
I contacted several safari operators before deciding on Earthlife and I am SO glad that I did! Communicating with Deo, the owner was easy and prompt. He was a true professional, and very honest. He used to be a guide, so knows first hand about the pros and cons of the various safari destinations. He did not steer us wrong.
We are a very well traveled family and this was by far our most favorite trip! The accommodations were absolutely fantastic and the food was amazing! Deo gave us exactly what we would have wished for. The safari vehicle was well maintained. Our guide Jeff was MORE than amazing! He could find even the most illusive animal and we were always the first ones on the scene! He was also quicker than a google search in telling us about each bird, animal or flower AND he had eagle eyes! He spotted the endangered black rhino from about a kilometer away and then sure enough when we drove closer - he was right!! He also cleaned out the vehicle every day and was just such a nice human being of great character. After eight days, we felt like family! On our way home, we broke journey in Doha and the hotel concierge recommended a desert safari. Our adult boys without hesitation, told us "no Jeff no safari!!" That says it all!
I would highly recommend EarthLife Expeditions, Deo and Jeff without a moment's hesitation! Asante Sana Deo and Jeff!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great & friendly service
Richard and Steven were great, and provided everything we needed for a fantastic one day gorilla trek. They allowed flexible pick up and drop off,which made it very easy to fit into our trip. Highly trustworthy and friendly, would definitely use again and recommended to anyone.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect 6-days safari - higly recommended
We're a family of 5 (2 adults and 3 adolescents) and have just come back from our safari ... what to say ... everything was simply perfect.
- planning was easy - Enchanting Safari very reactive to e-mails and requests, flexible in adapting the program, expert in proposing the accommodations and the activities
- the program war rich, varied - 4 parks (Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngoro Ngoro, Manyara), a bike tour, a visit to Masai village, ... and many many animals spotted!
- on-site there was not a single wrong or thing below expectations
- the guide, John, was the ideal one: extremely warm and nice, very knowledgeable and professional, sincerely keen to make our safari as unforgettable as possible. After a week together, he was really part of the family.
Really, recommended.
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good price-quality
In general, i-m very happy about the safari. The communication by mail and whatsapp was easy and they were very responsive. They were extremely flexible, maybe even too much. I will explain better this. I had some suggestions to the itinerary and maybe they should have advise me more on the dates, number of days in each park... at the end was great but we could have done the same in less days. they were super kind mixing the type of lodging and for sure it was the best offer I had with relation to the price. Indeed we have realized most of the safari depends on the driver and cooker, beyond that there are not many differences between tour operators. Our driver Edward and the cooker Sento were excellent, very well organised and kind. The car and binoculars were a little bit old, but all the rest was perfectly fine.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
EPIC!
Friendly and knowledgeable staff,who prompt and efficient to assist,guide and maintaining comfort while at it.
The high standards of cleanliness in their tour vans is impeccable.
Driver was punctual and very keen on the roads.
At our hotel,every detail of our stay was planned meticulously.
Keep it up Marhaba!
Shukran
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Use Mama Savana! very knowledgeable and responsive local tour operator with top notch guide.
We are a family of four, kids aged 16 and 22, and we spent 7 nights on the northern circuit in Tanzania. From our first communication to our farewell lunch with Alex, the tour operator, we received topnotch service. He was responsive to my many questions, sent us to excellent lodging choices, fixed things when they might have gone wrong, took care of reservations beyond the safari (e.g. in Zanzibar), and provided us with the best guide ever (Elias). In Tanzania, your guide is very important. We have been on safari in Kenya and South Africa, and in both places, the lodges at which we stayed provided the guide. In Tanzania, the guide meets you at the start of the safari and takes you from park to park and on the game drives in the parks. This means that you rely on them for knowledge of the flora and fauna, knowledge of the places themselves, and their ability to find wildlife and get you into a good position to see it. Elias was so knowledgeable about everything we saw and about the best ways to find wildlife in the parks, but also knew when we were tired from our long days. He adapted to what we needed at all times. And, we somehow always managed to be the truck closest to the animals. At one point, I actually feared that a leopard descending from a tree was going to drop right into the truck.
There is a big difference amongst the tented camps and lodges on the northern circuit. It’s important to do your research so that you can guide the tour operator as to your preferences. Alex offered us excellent choices and was responsive when we suggested alternatives. We particularly liked Kitela, near Ngorongoro Crater and Kubu Kubu in the Serengeti. The first was a lodge on a coffee plantation and the second, a tented camp/lodge with spectacular views.
I would highly recommend the local company Mama Savana. You save money by not paying a super-expensive UK or US operated company which, in any case, uses local operators to make their arrangements. I found no drawbacks whatsoever to using a local operator. Go with Mama Savana and ask for Elias as your guide—you will have a fabulous experience.