Taking you to the exotic African wild!
Morning Star Tours & Travel
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2018)
- Member Of:
- IATA, KATO, AMREF & TOSK
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $134 to $806 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CH
Email Chamkhi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extraordinary :)
Our safari with Morning Star Tours was extraordinary! The guide (James) was incredibly knowledgeable, ensuring unforgettable wildlife encounters, including the Big Five. Accommodations were luxurious yet close to nature, and the agency’s commitment to sustainability was commendable. Every detail was perfectly planned, making it a seamless, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Discussing all the details and sharing your expectations in advance is invaluable. It ensures the agency understands your preferences, allowing them to craft a tailored experience that exceeds your expectations.
Thank you Dennis and yJames for all :)
Highly recommended!
IT
Email Mauro Brandoli | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Serious travel company available for all needs
I found in Kendi the perfect assistance for my trip. Her availability in providing directions and changing the proposal to meet my needs is a sign of great professionalism. The guide who accompanied us on the tours to Nairobi National Park and the Masaai mara, Mr. Mwololo, proved to be excellent for his experience and availability. What can I say? I sincerely thank the staff who made me spend an unforgettable holiday. Tutounana, mwaka mpia. Asante sana!
NZ
Email Mark & Sally | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely outstanding!
We wanted to do something different to celebrate a big birthday in November this year and decided on a safari and beach combo in Kenya. After doing some research we let Morningstar tours organize the once in a lifetime holiday - they went above and beyond all expectations! Joy Sharon was fantastic, managing to do all we asked and more, she kept in contact by email prior to leaving for Kenya, changing the trip to as needed and making great recommendations. she then followed up with us regularly throughout the trip and arranged surprise birthday celebrations at 3 different places - thank you! All the accommodation was of a very high standard, the facilities, food and staff were amazing - Salas Camp & Giraffe Manor were outstanding and deserve a special mention, if you can stay there! We travelled via plane, a small 12 seater propeller plane (!)hot air balloon, train, boat and did a great snorkeling trip in the Indian ocean. We saw the big 6 by day 2 and its magical to see animals in their natural environments, the elephants, lion cubs & giraffes were my favorite. Driving in Kenya is an adventure in itself but Willie is obviously used to this and managed to bypass potholes, traffic jams and other vehicles with ease, he did a great job and found all the animals even if they were trying to hide -thanks Willie.
The beach at the resort was beautiful but you get hassled constantly so we stayed by the pool, tipping is expected everywhere.
Huge thanks to Morningstar Tours and to Joy Sharon and Willie for making it all so special, we would definitely travel with you again. Merry Christmas from Mark & Sally in New Zealand.
AT
Email Markus | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very professionell, well organized, fair prices.
We went to Amboseli, Nakuru and Masai Mara and had a wonderful experience in each park. Saw all of the Big Five and many other animals (5 cheetahs!!) . Our guide Augustine was the best guide we could have asked for - kind, funny and eyes like an eagle.
We have to come back someday to see the great migration with him!
Also big thanks to Alice, it was perfectly organized!
GR
Email Christina Mast | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable 5-Day Kenyan Safari with Exceptional Service!
Our 5-day safari in Kenya was an unforgettable adventure, thanks to this incredible company and their exceptional team. From the seamless booking process with Yvonne to the thrilling game drives led by our experienced driver, John, everything exceeded our expectations.
Pros:
Booking Experience: Yvonne was a pleasure to work with—responsive, friendly, and highly organized. She provided detailed information about the itinerary, accommodations, and what to expect, making the entire booking process stress-free.
Driver and Guide: John is a true professional and a master of his craft. His driving skills, especially on challenging roads, were impeccable, and his knowledge of wildlife and the terrain was extraordinary. He always ensured we had the best vantage points for animal sightings, allowing us to see the Big Five and other incredible moments up close.
Comfort and Safety: Despite the adventurous African driving style, John made us feel completely secure throughout the journey. His calm demeanor and expertise behind the wheel were reassuring.
Cons: NONE!
Highlights:
The safari itself was breathtaking—spotting lions, elephants, and giraffes against the stunning Kenyan landscape was like stepping into a wildlife documentary. The accommodations were well-chosen, blending comfort with an authentic safari experience.
Overall, this safari was a dream come true. A big thank you to Yvonne for organizing it so perfectly and to John for making it safe, informative, and thrilling. We had a fantastic time and would highly recommend this company to anyone seeking an African adventure.
Email Christina | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly helpful service
Booking was easy and communication excellent. The safari was very well organised and Julius was a delightful guide and brilliant driver
FR
Email Emma | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professionnel and excellent service from start to finish, I knew I was with the best for my safari
Communication was fast and professional, with any questions answered quickly. I loved the detailed agenda, tips for packing and guidance I received from the team on visas. It was a pleasure working with them and they made me feel very comfortable as a solo female traveler. My driver was Willy, the ultimate professional who gave me the best experience I could have wished for! We were together for 5 days and he was always very kind and patient, answering the millions of questions I had. He is so knowledgeable about the parks, with great contacts, and works tirelessly to get you to the best spots to see the animals. We saw all the big 6, and managed to get so close, it was truly a magical experience. I wouldn’t hesitate twice in choosing Morning Star again and definitely would love to safari with Willy again. Their vehicles are excellent too !!!
US
Email Jack | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent driver (Rono) and logistics
We had a party of 6 adults, with Rono as our driver. He did a fantastic job with our group, giving us many good opportunities to see and photograph the animals. Rono was also very well-informed on all the wildlife we saw.
Kudos to Morningstar as well for great logistics. We had a driver switch at the very end, but everything went well. Thank you for the memories!
BE
Email Dieter | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
My advice - Avoid Morningstar, There are better options
Before diving into our experience with Morning Star, just a note on the side that we were happy with our lodge Zebra Plains. Nice room and proper food, however all items which Morning Star had to foresee (transport & guide) were far below expectations.
Transport
- Car we very old and not clean
- Some windows didn't open and some didn't even have a handle anymore
- Seat belt didn't work so one of us had to move to the back of the car
- The back of the seats could only be reclined if you put all your weight on it and forced it down
- Every rest spot was a tourist trap next to a local souvenir shop, especially on the way to the Mara when you still hadn't even see anything stopping for souvenirs doesn't make sense. Other companies were stopping at the big fuel station where you had nice restaurants for a break.
"Guide"
- this was the most disappointing of all!
- Our "guide' was a disaster, actually he was not a guide, he was just a totally not interested driver.
- In case we saw an animal he said maximum two lines of explanation, or sometimes we even had to ask to give some info of the animals we saw
- He seemed not interested in us nor in the safari, his goal was to start late and return early to limit his time on the road
- We also noticed the lack of flexibility. An early safari was not possible, for some reason the earliest we could leave was 7 am which is again a huge lack of customer intimacy
- The only day he proposed to start early was the day we had to head back to Nairobi so he could finish early and go home
- He also didn't show any interest in taking our pictures at certain spots. He only left the car for our picture if there were other 'guides' around taking pictures of their customers
- All tips we gave him were a real waste of money
- I have wanted to go to the Mara since I was 10 years old, with a heavy heart I can only say that he ruined our experience and will always leave a stain on our memories of our Masai Mara safari. Zero conversation, zero enthousiasme, zero interest... just a disaster experience with him.
When looking at the other agencies parked at Zebra Plains, we noticed the drivers of Mufasa, African Horizons and the Holiday Dealers were much more friendly towards us.
They asked us several times how we were doing and what we had done on the day, while our guide disappeared as soon as we left the car. On top of that their cars were much more recent, clean and of better quality.
Looking at the money we spent for this safari, it totally doesn't correlate with the service we received from Morning Star.
There are many safari companies in Kenya who offer these tours, we took a chance on Morning Star and it is clear that it was the wrong bad.
So please choose carefully for your safari as well and avoid Morning Star. As mentioned above Mufasa, African Horizons and the Holiday Dealers would be my pick now.
Reply from Morning Star Tours & Travel
Posted on Nov 27, 2024Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback!
First of all, we are truly grateful that you chose to travel with us, and we're delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay at the Zebra Plains Mara Camp.
We'd like to take a moment to address a few of your concerns as follows:
**Transport**
We sincerely apologize for the issues you experienced with the car seats and windows. The safari vehicles used for game drives in East Africa are not luxury vehicles; they are off-road vehicles equipped with pop-up roofs for game viewing and navigating the rugged terrains of the game parks. Due to the dust in these parks, the windows may get stuck occasionally. To prevent similar occurrences in the future, we will implement regular checks on the windows and car seats after every safari.
We're also pleased to share that we've recently invested in a new fleet of 4 x 4 Toyota Land Cruisers, specifically customized to enhance clients' comfort and safety while on safari.
**Driver Guide**
We completely understand how frustrating it must have been for you, especially considering your long-held dream of visiting Masai Mara since you were 10 years old. We sincerely empathize with the inconvenience caused. Based on feedback from other clients, we take pride in ensuring that all our driver guides undergo rigorous training to deliver exceptional safari experiences and maintain the high standards set in the tourism industry. Unfortunately, Mwololo, the driver guide assigned to your group, did not conduct himself appropriately, and we will take disciplinary actions to ensure this does not happen again.
We greatly value your feedback, and we're committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure that future guests will have a memorable and fulfilling experiences they deserve.
US
Email Patricia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great and easy communication over whatsapp and email. They adopted everything to our needs, were ext
Great and easy communication over whatsapp and email. They adopted everything to our needs, were extremely responsive and understanding and kind. I would recommend!