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Email www.shankyshow.com | 20-35 years of age
Everything was beyond our expectations from what we originally imagined before going there.
We saw the big 5!
Even after 20+ countries, Kenya was by far one of the most beautiful places I have been to as long as we were not in the city limits of Nairobi which I can definitely go without. Kenyan people were super nice and super sweet which I can't say about majority of the 20+ countries I have been to.
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Email Angela Schelp | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our guide was excellent and we saw more wildlife than we ever expected. The trip was unforgettable.
The wildlife exceeded our expectations. We saw lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, hippos, and much more. The scenery was breathtaking, especially the expansive park. The weather was nice, a little cold in the morning, but never unbearable. Also never got too hot while we were there. The accommodations were very nice, the room was spacious and the bed was comfortable. Also enjoyed the warm shower and access to Wifi. The food was pretty decent, with plenty of options, but is a bit repetitive after several meals there. The service at meals was excellent. The vehicle was excellent for seeing wildlife, although it was quite bumpy at times, especially on the way to the park. I believe it was a Toyota land cruiser. Our guide, Derek, was extremely nice and knowledgeable. He seemed to know the park very well and always seemed to find the action and wildlife in the park.
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Email Dan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded Expectations
My wife and I traveled from the end of June into early July. This was our first trip to Africa and it exceeded all expectations. It will not be our last trip.
Transtrek made booking painless. Daniel was responsive, offered suggestions without being pushy, and handled everything quickly. Our main driver and guide, Peter, was pleasant, knowledgeable, and always helpful. We hope to return to Kenya and will be contacting Transtrek when we do.
Our itinerary included Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, the Masai Mara National Reserve, and the Naboisho Conservancy. While the Mara and Naboisho were undoubtedly the highlights of the trip, the two lake parks afforded us the opportunity to see very different environments and some species not present in the Mara region. Naivasha is home to scores of bird species, which can be viewed quite closely during guided boat trips. Time in Nakuru allowed us to see both white and black rhinos. The sweeping, wildlife strewn, vistas of the Masai Mara were captivating. We even witnessed a leopard stalking a small group of Thomson's gazelle. The Naboisho Conservancy lacks the wide open spaces of the Mara but more than makes up for it with high wildlife density (notably lions) and the increased privacy found in the conservancies. Private conservancies also allow night drives and Bush walks, experiences not to be found in national parks and reserves.
Concerning our accommodations: we stayed in Sopa properties at Nakuru and Naivasha and Basecamp Explorer properties in the Mara and Naboisho. I would not hesitate to return to any of them. However, the Basecamp were a cut above, Eagle View in particular. Both Sopa properties were comfortable, had pleasant staff, and the food, served in a buffet, ranged from fine to good. The variety was good. Basecamp Explorer Masai Mara and Basecamp Explorer Eagle View are permanent tented eco camps with a strong Bush feeling. Masai Mara (12 tents) sits just over the Talek River from the reserve and Eagle View (9 tents) is arrayed along a ridge line within Naboisho. Both serve excellent meals created by in house chefs. Benson's food at Eagle View made sufficient impression for me to purchase his cook book. This is not something I typically do.
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Email Doug Hiser | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
BIG FIVE
My second trip to Kenya and I have always found the people working on Safari to be excellent guides and respectful, helpful people. I do not like visiting the villages because pressure is always too much-in fact one of the guests almost caused a fight with a warrior over not buying anything. I like the camps where wildlife is abundant in and around the camps. Some camps are too sterile --meaning they are fenced and nothing can get in, no monkeys, no antelopes...My favorite camp so far of the 7 we have stayed would still be Samburu Intrepids in 2012. That camp will always be what Africa means to me. The Masai Mara was not as many animals as the Serengeti or the Crater -sometimes we would spend hours upon hours just driving the sea of grass encountering nothing. Amboseli was the best for elephants and i encountered some of the largest elephants i have ever seen there. my favorite 2018 camp was Lake Naivasha Sopa-with zebras waterbuck hippos and giraffes and also vervet and colobus monkeys all on the lodge property.
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Email Kristin | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I consider Kenya the premier safari destination.
We were in Kenya during the rainy season and after some torrential rains caused huge mud slides. The roads were definitely muddy and rutted and some were closed altogether, but this didn't affect our enjoyment at all. The parks were exceptional, the lodges and food were first class and we had an experienced guide and driver that was a pleasure to be with every day. One of the highlights of our tour was Amboseli. We saw huge herds of elephants and were treated to a spectacular view of Mt. Kilimanjaro on our last morning. Kenya has definitely grown and modernized since my last safari there 17 years ago, but it was still thrilling to revisit.
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Email Natalie Duncan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Once in a life time experience
Kenya is an absolutely beautiful country and we had an unforgettable experience thanks to our guide! Our guide Benson went above and beyond to make our trip amazing from start to finish and was so knowledgeable about Kenya’s wildlife. We have travelled around the world and our trip to Kenya is one of the highlights of our travels.
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Email GK | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Its amongst the most beautiful experience
We were in Kenya towards end of May. Thankfully the rain gods did not play spoilsport. It was a beautiful trip with lots of wildlife (though the grass was tall and hence animal sighting is not as easy). We went to Masai Mara and Naivasha. Both were beautiful places. The drive to Masai Mara was a bit of an issue due to under construction road.
Overall, loved the trip and will definitely try to be back.
amazing experience and service
Very good service and experience, managed to see loads of animals
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Email Katinka de Vilder | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible experience
We went on a safari with bison safari’s and it was an amazing experience, All our expectations were fulfilled and even better! I fully recommend it!
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Email Douglas | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
If you can manage it, this should be on your "list" of experiences to have in a lifetime!
The wildlife part of the trip was incredible; can't say enough superlatives to describe it. The extra day to Lake Nakuru was a lot of extra driving, but worth it for the rhinoceros. (A 300mm lens on the camera was nice, but the wildlife is so close that you don't always need it!)
This was a budget trip; just to be clear what you would get for your money if you booked something more expensive, it has no impact on your wildlife experience; our guide was incredible; it just means that the accommodation and food are budget, and the vehicle is maybe less comfortable and has more people (and wasn't 4WD, though that didn't impact our experience, even in the rainy season).
My one complaint was that the balance was due in USD on arrival, and they insisted I pay more than the balance because I'd brought the money in 20-dollar bills. I ultimately paid an extra $10 because I didn't feel like arguing; originally they'd wanted $30 more until I suggested I'd go online and wire them the balance, and then they promptly decided that $10 more would be enough. I'd give them 4 stars for that, but the guide was worth 6 stars, so that averages out to 5...
