Email Ramona de Niese | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari was amazing, but the roads were terrible!
We booked our tour through Skywide Tour and Travels, Nairobi, a travel agency recommended by Safari Bookings. We live in Melbourne and were a little bit nervous about using a company in Nairobi, but all our plans were listened to and booked and all went very smoothly.
The scenery on the way to the Maasai Mara was magnificent, especially the Great Rift Valley. The weather at this time of the year was quite mild and in fact we needed a light jacket in the early mornings and evenings. The accommodations range from 2 to 5 stars and there are plenty to choose from. We were on a budget so we used 3 star accommodation and it was quite satisfactory. The food was international and well presented. It is also good to try the local cuisine. The most unpleasant part of the trip was the roads. There is a sealed road for most of the way but the last 30kms is on a gravel rd which is so full of pot holes etc that you have to drive on the wrong side of the road to avoid doing damage to the car. If you suffer from car sickness, I would recommend that you take a small plane flight to the national park. The tracks in the national park are also very bad and you get tossed around all over the place! We had our own driver for the 2 of us and it was wonderful as you could ask him to stop for photo's or animal viewing as much as you wanted.It certainly is very exciting to see so many animals in the wild, and it was very exciting to see the lions just lying around. They are hard to find but your driver/guide is expert at finding animals. There are quite a lot of safari vehicles in the parks and they all keep each other informed of all sightings. We were lucky enough to see 3 of the big 5 in the Maasai Mara. We arrived just at the tail end of the migration but saw lines of Wildebeasts and Zebras, as far as you could see. We stayed at Ol Moran Camp which is a permanent tented camp just out side the national park and it was basic but nice. It was a surprise to us that all the places we stayed at in the national parks run on generators and the power is only on from 6-10pm and in the mornings 6-9am so make sure you take a torch! My husband uses a cpap machine so he was unable to use it. Always check the electricity availability if you need it overnight. I think all the lodges and hotels may have restrictions on electricity.
Skywide also booked the Tanzania and Victoria Falls component of our trip as well. All was perfect.
Everything worked out as described/promised.
Everything as advertised/promised including transportation and accommodation.
Despite teething troubles at the beginning it was really really fantastic!
All in all our safari was truly fantastic and we were very impressed by the amount of wildlife we saw. However, what was not so good was that our first hotel was changed. It was supposed to be upgraded but it turned out that we had actually been downgraded to a horrible Chinese owned lodge that was still in construction. Their was a distinct smell of open sewage from our terrace. Food was like being in a self service canteen. It was a TERRIBLE start to our holiday. We complained bitterly about this to the safari operator and in the end we got better hotels in compensation. So it worked out well in the end. What we also didn't like and I think is really worth saying is that we heard of some drivers being drunk on the job and turning up late for their clients. When you have paid a lot of money and flown half way across the world then you want to have a driver who cares and is responsible. The roads in Kenya are particularly rough and you need a good and competent driver to make sure you are all safe. Our driver was competent and always on time, however, he did have a bit of an attitude problem which was very unprofessional. However, all in all it was a fantastic trip and I can't thank Mr Othiellon of Kenya Walking Survivors enough for all his organisation. He was always very co-operative and answered any email queries I had straight away.
PL
Email Krzysztof Dziubiński | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome experience!
Awesome place to see so many animals in their natural habitat. Definitely unforgettable experience!
Email Lorraine Cranfield | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful to see the animals in the Garden of Eden, a true paradise on earth.
My son and I spent three nights at Basecamp Mara. Our well equipped tent stood alongside the river and from our deck we could see and hear the animals across the river which was often forded by the baboon troupe who lived in the tree opposite. The campsite was about a ten minute drive away from the entrance to the Mara and was very well laid out with paths through the many trees surrounding the tents. The dining area was lit by candles only in the evening, the food good and the staff very attentive. Nearby was the fire pit and seating area where we could socialise with other guests and sample the local culture as we were entertained by the Masai singing and dancing. We were escorted around the camp site after dark by a Masai carrying a torch and spear!
Our driver/guide collected us from Nairobi and was with us for the four days of our trip before taking us back to the airport. George was an extremely good, careful driver who was extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic and good company. He planned our game drives in the Mara well and we enjoyed a 'bush breakfast' and on another day a picnic lunch watching a group of cheetahs. The wildlife was plentiful we saw herds of elephants, giraffe, buffalow, wildebeasts, hippos, and at least a thousand migrating zebra who were making the way back to the Mara River and Serengeti. The big cats were much in evidence and we saw many lion and cheetahs plus hyenas. It was wonderful to be so close to the wild life who were unconcerned by the many people gazing at them.
We chose Spirit of Kenya because we were impressed by the clear and organised way they presented their initial quote. The office staff were very helpful and arranged a wonderful tailormade safari for us and absolutely everything went beautifully.
TH
Email Patharin Varanyuwatana | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Every day in Kenya is happy and valuable.
This is our first Safari tour in Kenya.I made wright decition to choose Features Africa Journey as our tour.I pick this company because it is only few years old.The Land Crucer is new.However the driver Gerard has 14 years of experience.He really did his job well.We saw so many animals.The wheather in Kenya during August is excellent.The people in Kenya is really nice especially children .They weave at our car when we passed by. We really enjoy our Safari trip.Thank you the company and people of Kenya.We will recommend the company to our friends.
Informative, breathtaking
Wonderful wild life. Stunning scenery, mild weather, awesome accommodaton with views, knowledgeable guides, wonderful balloon ride,
Email Doreen di Virgilio | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The accomodation was superb, the animals amazing and the scenery was breathtaking
An overall wonderful experience in Kenya. It exceeded all my expectations. The people are beautiful, so warm and friendly. Our accomodation was fabulous and some with breathtaking views. So wonderful to watch the elephants while you eat your breakfast. Weather was mostly great. Hot sunny days and cool nights.. The animals were incredible and we saw them in the masses. The food was excellent and in abundance. Wonderful to drive along the highways and see how the people live albeit some very bumpy roads.
Kenya gets under your skin... I loved it!!!
US
Email Kurt | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent outing. Saw all the wildlife that we hoped for, and more. Great accommodations.
Wildlife was great. Parks were open and you definitely had the feel that you were seeing the animals in their environment. Weather was great. Lows in the 50's, highs in the 70's. No rain. Driver / guide was outstanding. Road to Masai Mara was terrible, but new road is under construction. All of our accommodations were excellent.
PH
Email Isabel | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brace 6 hours of rough road
Transportation
All or mostly rough roads.advance info should be given.not for the elderly or disabled people
