NO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Definitely not mid-range standard
I did the 21-day accomdated Cape to Vic Falls tour.
Guides: were polite, nice and knowledgeable. Really the best part of what Sunway provided is them. And the only reason I have given 3 stars on this review.
Food: was good, better than expected often. Breakfast was ok, camping style most days, so not great. Dinner was always good and lunch varied more. Though the food was good, some days it was too little/light and we were quite hungry by the time dinner came.
Truck: The truck is good, well designed. But I do believe the space is a bit too small for full occupation. When it’s not full occupation is good.
Group composition: I was told the average is around 50 years old (which I thought was a bit high already), but in reality it was 70 years old average - definitely not fun to end up in a senior group if you are in your 30s or early 40s.
Accommodation: for the most absolutely horrible. Budget level and below (even though the tour is advertised as mid-range in safaribookings). Maybe 2 out of all the places we stayed for 21 days could potentially be considered mid-range. I was so disgusted at some of the places that I could not sleep. I expressed this concern in the booking process (done directly with Sunways, no third party), and the indirect response was to check out the lodges websites, which obviously I did (several times), but pictures were with no exceptions better than the reality. I would definitely not have traveled with Sunways had I known that, and this is the reason why I will no longer travel with them and cannot recommend.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Initial reasonable price comes at a cost - an uncomfortable experience
Pre-trip communication was top notch from Tracy.
As expected on any and all safaris in the Masai Mara / Serengeti - we saw everything we expected to (except Rhino) - but that's a given, that's why people travel from all over the globe to this place. So I'll not focus on what we saw but the rest of our experience.
The cost of the safari which included a one night stay in a camp site near the Masai Mara was about $1560 for 3 people.
I initially thought the price was reasonable, but the quality of the vehicle was really poor (super uncomfortable, poor leg room, leaked / poured water when raining in multiple places simultaneously) and the camp site was awful (food, bed comfort, service - all of it).
Whilst the driver / guide was friendly and somewhat knowledgeable, we did have to hold him to account a few times. E.g. he told us to have breakfast in the campsite at 0530 ready to leave at 0630 (service is very slow so you do need to leave an hour for a greasy omelette). Half asleep we were there at 0530 and ready to leave 0625, which is when he strolls in and sits down to order his breakfast. We had to tell him "We're ready to leave, we were up at 0430 packing and here for breakfast an hour ago ordering and eating like you told us, but now you want us to wait an hour for you to order and eat? No, not happening sorry, let's go". This kind of attitude just sours the experience, although he took this well without complaint / attitude, it's just unnecessary. Be professional and remember this is a once in a life time experience for most.
Given how affordable both accommodation and vehicle hire is in Kenya (especially in low season when we went), I think $1500+ for a one night trip is too pricey. Had a more appropriate vehicle been provided, and had the accommodation felt less one star and more three star, I think it'd make a vast difference.
In a nutshell, I would not recommend this experience.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Could do better
I recently used Kaitech Travel for my trip planning and overall, their service was okay and the trip was well arranged. However, there are a few areas where they need to improve, especially communication.
The most significant issue I experienced was poor communication regarding flight changes. I arrived at the airport only to be informed that my flight had been cancelled, yet the agent had not communicated this to me in advance. This caused a lot of inconvenience and stress that could have been avoided with timely updates.
Additionally, I paid for E-visa application services for three people, but I ended up applying for two of the E-visas myself. This was disappointing as I had already paid for the service.
Kaitech Travel is a good company with potential, but they need to improve their communication with clients, especially concerning flight changes and services paid for. Better coordination and timely updates would greatly improve the customer experience.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Pleasant
Thomas, our driver was pleasant enough. Driving is a little aggressive, however road conditions may play a role.
PL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Family Safari
Before I booked the safari with Kentau Safari, I did thorough research and read many reviews. Since we were traveling with a child, I chose the most expensive option so that the accommodation, food, and car would be comfortable.
And that brings me to the car. The car sometimes barely drove. We even ended up in a repair shop with it, and the whole time we were worried we wouldn’t make it back. It had nothing to do with comfort. It was worn out, dirty, kept breaking down, and was very uncomfortable. The middle row of seats was broken, so we had to sit in a semi-reclined position the entire time, which on long distances was really poor and very uncomfortable.
As for the guide, Modi, he was okay. However, because of a bad decision he made, the car got stuck in the mud and instead of enjoying a full day of safari, we spent 4 hours stuck in the field and another 2 hours in a repair shop :( . On the positive side, he was kind and seemed to be trying his best.
I’m not someone who usually complains or writes negative comments. But I paid a lot for this safari, which was supposed to be the luxury option. The hotels were good and the food was fine, but the car situation completely ruined the comfort of the trip.
I’m writing this so that others first check and ask what kind of car they will actually be traveling in. I think the responsibility for what happened lies with the owner of Enta Safari (Dominic?), who should never have allowed a car in that condition to go on a safari trip.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bad Organization, good safari
Unfortunatley we can not reccomend this Safari operator. We booked a 10 day mid-range lodged safari for Kenya and Tanzania.
The organization was really bad, especially in tanzania. The lodges were mostly nice except the Hotel in Arusha wich was really bad ( absoloutley not mid-range). There was no running water on the first day and they scammed us at the check out as they charged our card twice. What really destroyed the experience was the drive between tanzania and kenia. The direct road from amboselli seemed to be destroyed so we had to do a 10h drive over Nairobi and were charged 80 Dollars extra. The drive back to nairobi was even worse. We were crammed into a small overloaded bus in wich we each only had half a seat for a 6h drive. It was absoulutley horrible. The Safari was nice though the drivers really did their Best so 5 Stars for them.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Didn't meet expectations - we wish we booked it ourselves.
The itinerary planning and booking process was generally smooth. Communication during the planning phase was adequate, and it was easy to make adjustments to the itinerary both before and after booking. The platform and team made it relatively straightforward to build the trip.
Unfortunately, once the trip began, the level of service dropped significantly. We received no proactive communication from Viatu while we were traveling. Early in the trip we realized we needed to contact each hotel or safari lodge directly a few days prior to arrival in order to confirm check-in details. In multiple instances, the check-in times we received from the properties did not match the information provided by Viatu. For a service positioned as a curated travel experience, we expected more reliable coordination and support during the trip itself.
We booked this trip as our honeymoon, and candidly, we feel we likely would have had a better overall experience planning the trip ourselves. Over 16 nights we stayed in six different locations, primarily 4-star accommodations, ending with a 5-star luxury safari experience on a private reserve. In reality, only one accommodation truly stood out as exceptional (Tamodi Estates in Plettenberg Bay). We actually preferred our 4-star safari experience over the 5-star lodge, which cost roughly three times more. Additionally, one property in the Winelands was so poor that it was surprising to see it included in a professionally curated itinerary.
It was also uncomfortable that nearly every property asked the purpose of our visit and seemed unaware that we were on our honeymoon. In several cases, staff expressed surprise and said they wished they had known in advance so they could have done something special. This felt like a significant missed opportunity. One of the main reasons to use a travel advisor or agency is their ability to communicate key details to partner properties and help create memorable experiences for special occasions. That coordination did not appear to happen here.
Overall, while the trip itself was enjoyable, the level of curation, communication, and attention to detail did not meet the expectations we had for a professionally planned honeymoon experience. In hindsight, the value of booking through Viatu was not clear, and we believe we likely would have had a better and more tailored experience arranging the trip independently.
BR
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Tarangire National Park by Paula Bravo da Costa Ferreira
If you’re planning to visit Serengeti, no need to visit Tarangire
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Sweet arrangement from Splendid but mixed experience with the guide
We had an 11 day safari in Kenya, it’s such a wonderful adventure. Splendid did great in helping us with the arrangement and making sure everything connected smoothly. Our tour consultant James from the office was patient, reliable, and a pleasure to communicate with. I was a little nervous in the beginning paying the deposit when I’m not in the country yet, but the moment we landed in Kenya and were met by the James and the driver, we instantly felt relieved. The vehicle was in excellent condition—clean and tidy inside, spacious and comfortable, and fully equipped with charging ports and a fridge. Splendid even prepared special honeymoon decorations on the back of the car, which was a wonderful surprise for us. It attracted many smiles, friendly conversations, and congratulations along the way. It was clear that they had put a lot of thought and care into making the trip special for us. They had been quietly working behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly.
Although we had a very good experience with our tour consultant James, who was professional, reliable, and patient, our experience with our driver and guide James was mixed.
On the positive side, James is an experienced guide and very good at spotting animals. We weren’t focused on ticking off specific animals from a list—just encountering wildlife naturally was already a joy for us. But thanks to James’s excellent spotting skills, along with some good luck, we ended up seeing an amazing variety of animals and birds. James was also a good driver who always managed to get us arrive in time and drive smoothly even in the most bumpy conditions.
However, there are things we did not feel comfortable and behaviors that are unprofessional:
- About driving off-road: this is the dealbreaker experience that made us very unhappy. During our time in Masai Mara reserve, James asked for 200KSH to pay the rangers, I didn’t think too much and thought probably just rangers trying to make a living. But when it happened the second time in Mara Triangle it concerned me, and I did some serious research afterwards on driving off-road. When we were at the gate of Mara Triangle, James read the rules to us (not sure if its park requirement) and one of them was: cars are not allowed to drive off-road and not allowed to drive too close to the animals. In later conversations with different people, I learned that as a private conservancy Mara Triangle had strict rules and enforcements, bribing the rangers is unlikely to work here. We were seeing a cheetah along with a group of other cars and then saw the rangers coming to get the cars to move. James asked us for 1000KSH cash, saying everyone will have to pay. Instead of driving away like other cars, he drive towards the rangers and spoke Swahili that I don’t understand but the rangers seem serious and James also did not look happy. After the conversation James also drove us away. We did not see any official fine issued, receipt provided, or payment made directly to park authorities. Later, when we asked for the money back, James said that he dropped the money on grass through the window (when there’s a cheetah in close distance?) and other cars paid through m-pesa (how possible they know which ranger to pay?), if we don’t pay they will charge a huge fine, and said this is good for us… I just don’t feel he is being honest. If he is honest, then these people playing with the rules in the grey area is ridiculous. Neither is acceptable. It’s not about the money, but about honesty and integrity. If you’re a good guide we’re happy to pay you good tips, but trying to make money in a sneaky way is just not acceptable. Looking back, I felt guilting getting on the grass and getting close to the animals, if I was given the choice, I will for sure not do that. To us, integrity and honesty is more important than getting close to the animals. We hope guides could follow the rules, transparency and clarity could be ensured in such situations in the future.
- Being late: this is a huge red flag for a safari guide. James was on time for the first day when he came to meet and pick us up. But later, he was late most of the time and we rarely met at the supposed time. When he says we leave 7:30am , that probably mean 8am. There’re many times when we’re wrapping up with our breakfast close to our leaving time, we see James just coming for breakfast. I have to admit sometimes we’re behind a little bit, but we’re usually late within a 10min range. We pay for our guide’s time so the guide shouldn’t be the one to be late…
- My husband is a kind and gentle guy who is easygoing and always treats people nicely, but I feel our guide is taking advantage of it. James did not remember my husband’s name even till the last day (11 days and private car with just the two of us) and called the wrong name after multiple times of correction, it’s not a name in a different language but an easy English name, so he just did not want to pay attention.
- He was on the phone ALL THE TIME. Probably 50% of the times when we’re in the parks James is busy on the phone, we had to wait if we had questions about the animals. James is good at spotting animals but didn’t share much about animal knowledge, we had to keep asking questions. We kept asking so he started sharing more towards the end of the trip. He’s different from all the other guides we met during the safari (guides from hotels and parks during our visit), while others usually try to share as much as possible. This is probably just his style.
- Some times I feel confused if we’re the customer or our driver is the customer… most of the times we’re the ones waiting for him; he asks us to take pictures and asks us to send it to him. I feel I have these tasks assigned from him that I have to get done during my travel time. I’m happy with that, but there’s a line between being pushy and asking politely, and you know when the line is crossed, and if you ask for something from someone else, you’ll need to follow their timeline, instead of expecting them instantly.
- The binocular is by default in his hand, he not only asks for the binocular from us when watching animals (for him to take pictures from his phone) but also asks for our phone / camera for him to take pictures of the animals for us (and then asks us to send this this pics), I felt okay at first but uncomfortable with constantly doing so. It’s my experience, its only meaningful when the photos are taken from ourselves, so refused to do so later.
I hesitated for quite some time about whether to include these in the public review, but in the end I decided to do so. I believe people should be accountable for their actions, and sometimes only real consequences can lead to change. With all the aspects that we’re unsatisfied, we still left a good tip in the end—far more than the service level we were provided. We appreciate James' hard work and did not want him to feel that his efforts had gone unnoticed or unappreciated. However, the things that made us uncomfortable are something we hope the travel agency will take seriously.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Satisfactory but could be alot better
Driver was great, was knowledgeable. The drives themselves could be much better scheduled. Especially in times of inclement weather. The drives were too short and for such a big area, it takes time to explore. I'd rather do that than sit in a hotel.