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Apodiformes Adventures
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Member Of:
- Kenya Tourism Regulatory Authority, AFRICA TOURISM ASSOCIATION & FRIENDS OF NAIROBI NATIONAL WILDILIFE CONSERVATION
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $75 to $250 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
ES
Email Jaime F | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Can't trust Silas
Sadly I have to agree with some of the reviews about Apodiformes Adventures.
During the hiring process, Silas, the owner of Apodiformes replied to my messages right away, adapting to our needs and promising an exceptional quality of service.
Being our honeymoon, we hired a safari considered luxury (over 4000 EUR for 5 nights), requesting booking at very specific accommodations.
Until we formalized the reservation (transfer of 40% of the total) evething was fine. Once the payment was done the problems started to show up. The most wanted accomodation, Enkewa in Masai Mara, did not accept the reservation for not complying with their conditions (minimum 3 nights stay and take care of safaris in Masai Mara). Silas lied that they knew the accommodation and had previously worked.
The alternative was Olengoti Eco Camp, this accommodation has two types of room, tent and bungalow. The bungalow was requested (and paid for). Upon arrival at the Camp, the staff informed that our booking was at the inferior category and that they had no availability to manage the changeo of room. Silas lied again saying that the fault came from the camp (they showed me the booking made from Apodiformes) and that all rooms had the same price.
The third day of safari we had an incident with the car, we were standing 6h waiting for the repair. The guide asked us to take it easy and ask us to eat/drink in the cafeteria that the agency would cover. This never happened, not only that, Silas knowing the issue never got in touch with us in the whole week to check how things were going. We lost one day of safari and he didn't even care.
In the agreed itinerary, later that day we had a stop at Tompson Falls for lunch. We had to argue with the guide because Silas had not informed him and did not want to stop or pay the tickets.
With all the above being said, the overall experience was very good, thanks to John (our great guide) and the staff of the camps/lodges, but I would never hire them again for the lack of honesty and service provided by Silas.
It may be slightly cheaper than other companies but the price difference does not justify having to be constantly alert, feeling cheated and with the sensation that if there had been any problem the agency would not have helped or solved anything.
Reply from Apodiformes Adventures
Posted on Oct 2, 2023Halo Jaime,
We feel sorry and remorseful about the unfortunate experience . We value all our clients and always do our best to ensure they have Wonderful Holidays with us. Your case regarding the few incidents during the trip is an indication that there was miscommunication from both Parties. We promise to IMPROVE and work on the points noted above.
APODIFORMES TEAM
CN
Email Julia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Apodiformes ahead of others
Great safari experience ever!!!
We booked an eight day Safari tour by Apodiformes. We were so lucky to have Sebastian as our guide during the whole trip I would definitely recommend and choose Sebastian again and recommend him to everyone who would come! It’s our biggest luck to have him by our side. We were amazed by his patience and superb driving skills. Thanks to his excellent performance and experience we collected the big 5 so quickly. He can drive the van with greatest skill that no one else can compare. You would not regret choosing him and we were happy and feel safe because he is trustworthy and we can rely on everyday. He had become our friend and we will miss him from now on. Apodiformes is the best
CY
Email William | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Silas arranged our safari over five national parks in Kenya to match our requirements and route.
This was a private safari, just my wife and I, taking in Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Amboseli and Tsavo West over 12 days. All parks had different terrain/landscape and we saw the big five plus so much more! Comparing with safari in Kruger RSA we saw more different animals and in greater numbers in Kenya. Our driver / ranger (Nelson) was very knowledgeable and helpful but not intrusive and this made for an excellent safari overall. Camp accommodation, food and service were excellent, all staff were friendly and helpful.
NL
Email Vimal | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional and helpful, Tanzanian side not very good!
We had a 11 days private Kenya and Tanzania safari. Silas is very professional and helpful. He was in his car in the carpark when we arrived. The flight arrival was delayed by one hour but after contacting him on the phone he promptly arrived to get us to our hotel.
The Kenyan part of our safari was excellent. The driver/guide Samuel is a very knowledgeble and a nice guy. But the disaster started the moment we crossed over to the Tanzanian side. We were made to pay $50 each to get the yellow fever certificates at the border. The person just took cash in Euros and filled in the yellow booklet. No vaccination was given. Upon asking for a receipt they gave some vague reasons saying that the internet was not working and that we shall get it by email, which, of course never happened. A Tanzanian driver received us and we started our Tanzanian journey to the Serengeti park. Within about one hour the left rear wheel of the rickety Toyota Land Cruiser just came off while we were driving! Luckily no one was hurt. We were in the middle of nowhere on a village road. The driver managed to change the wheel with the help of few villagers and we resumed our journey. After every 15 minutes of driving the driver had to tighten the screws of the wheel. This happened a few time. Then suddenly that newly changed wheel had a flat tyre! The driver just could not change it. He had to arrange an alternative private transport for us from the nearby village, who was kind enought to take us till the Serengeti gate. In the process we lost many hours. Ultimately we could reach our camp site after 8PM, eight hours after the border crossing!
The new Tanzanian driver gave a very unprofessional and unfriendly impression. The game drives in Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater were excellent. On our fourth night in Tanzania we were dumped in an extremely low level hotel near Lake Manyara. A very depressive place indeed. Certainly the lowest level of acommodation we had during our entire trip. The driver did not know that we needed to make a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park. There was no time for that any more. The next day we had to leave for Tangerine National park. The only solace on the Tanzanian side was that the national park game drives were really worth the trouble.
We had a sigh of relief after crossing over to Kenya without much trouble. The last two days in Kenya were very good with game drives in Amboseli, and transfer to Nairobi for our return flight home.
I requested Silas to reconsider his contract with his Tanzanian partner "Seven Wonders Safaris" in Arusha, Tanzania, which prompted him to end his contract with them. Thank God.
I hope this small review is helpful.
AE
Email Soumajit Das | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Safari Operator
Best Safari experience ever!!
We booked a 5-day, 4 nights (2 nights in Masai Mara & 2 nights in Amboselly) Safari tour for through Apodiformes Adventure and had the best safari experience ever. Special thanks to Mr. Silas for making our arrangement in well advance and our tour guide/driver Mr. Micheal. We couldn’t have had a better guide than Micheal. He was very polite, patient and very knowledgeable about wildlife and the Kenyan/Masai culture. Thanks to his expertise we saw the big 5 within the first 4 days, plus two cheetahs and baby lions and baby elephants. All of them were very close as he knows how to drive the land cruiser in best way. We felt really safe and trusted. We will recommend Apodiformes Adventures 100% for all my friends in coming days. Thank you Mr. Silas.
US
Email Myra | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
11 Day Magical Kenya
We spent 11 days traveling to Kenya’s national parks. While planning our trip, Silas was great at communication. He responded to WhatsApp messages within a few minutes. Our driver and guide was Dickson. First day was in Samburu national park at the wonderful Samburu Sopa lodge. The place was beautiful. We saw a lioness stalking giraffes and a mama cheetah with 4 babies. Dickson was a great driver and had lots of patience. He was good at spotting animals even at a distance. We went to Lake Naivasha and Hells Gate. We went on a beautiful hike in Hells Gate and learned a lot about Masai culture from the local guide. Then on to Masai Mara. Masai Mara was unforgettable - saw so many animals. Saw one female leopard up close and then one male leopard stalking and hunting a topi. Dickson drove slowly and carefully and we were able to spot many animals. He also got tips from other drivers where the animals were. We also saw a male and female lion on honeymoon and mating. The vast expanse of plains was mind blowing. Next place was Lake Nakuru - many white rhinos and flamingos. Then Amboseli - saw families of elephants feeding and bathing. Next was Tsavo - maneaters lodge next to the river was amazing. There was an elephant walking through the lodge grounds and we heard him eating near our tent in the night. In Tsavo we watched families of elephants feeding and drinking water. Everything ran smoothly. The hotels and lodges were comfortable with delicious food, especially the Sopa lodges and Lake Nakuru Lodge. All was well organized. It was an amazing and unforgettable trip. Felt truly like we had come back home - there is an indescribable energy in the air. Kenya is working hard to preserve these wild places and really appreciate the people for taking care of the places. We are already planning to come back to Kenya with our two kids. Thank you for a wonderful experience!!
US
Email Richard | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Almost a great safari
Let me start with the good as most of what we bargained for we did receive.
Silas was quick to respond to requests for information. He was waiting for us personally when we arrived at the airport in Nairobi. We did get to the parks that we requested. We had no changes in price or what was delivered. Our guide, Isaiah, was a good driver and answered most questions that we had with a Hakuna Matata "no problem" attitude.
Things that could have gone better? We were to meet Isaiah at the hotel where we stayed overnight so that we could be an early start to go to Samburu Reserve. We went to the reception area at 5:45 for a 6:00 start. At 6:00 I walked out into the parking lot to see if someone was waiting for us and saw no-one. At 6:20 I spoke with the receptionist at the hotel and mentioned the name Apodiformes and she said she had seen the van further out in the dark parking lot. Eventually we learned that we needed to go to the parking lot to find our van rather than be met inside our lodge at each park.
Not having Kenyan shillings with me I asked if we could stop at an automatic teller on our way to the first lodge. No problem. It was six days and multiple request for tipping money and small cash to buy souvenirs before we finally made that stop.
I made a specific request for a driver experienced in photography and birds, but found Isaiah was familiar, but not proficient in either. In spite of repeated questions about locations, animals, and history we only go brief answers to our requests, and occasionally inaccurate. In the case of the Ernest Hemingway bar at the Amboseli Sopa he replied that here was nothing special about it. It was just the second bar at the lodge and it was up on a rock. A quick Google about the bar reveals that it was actually a home built by the author and the stories told by the bartender about his uncle and the writer are worth stopping for a drink all by themselves.
We scheduled two nights at both Masai Mara and Tsavo East in order to make more that one game drive. At each we only went out one time in spite of the extra time allotted.
A little extra time in planning could have put us either in a lodge that made those game drives possible, or a stop at a smaller place of interest overnight could have shorted our multiple 7-9 hour drives between lodges.
The price was fair. We saw what we had scheduled. I got some wonderful pictures. It could have been planned better and a bit more interest in our safari could have taken this from a "B-" to an "A'" without a major investment in time or money.
SG
Email Lily | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Greatest wildlife experience
Tks Silas
We had the greatest wildlife experience for our trip here in Kenya at the safaris. We were so thrilled to see the animals in its natural habitat. We’re lucky to witness the leopard and it’s kill up on the tree. We also saw the zebras leading a long trail of wildebeest for its migration. Just that we didn’t witness the crossing of the river but that didn’t spoil our excitement. Tks for arranging such an amazing holiday for us and the resorts we stayed at the safaris were great too.
US
Email Tyler | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Silas was always very quick to respond and helped customize our trip to get all we wanted!
Overall we certainly enjoyed our trip throughout Kenya and Tanzania with Apodiformes Adventures. Silas was always very responsive to our questions while leading up to the trip, and helped us customize the tour so that we were able to get the itinerary we were hoping for. We did an 11 day Safari starting in Nairobi, heading to Lake Nakuru and then down to Masai Mara. We then crossed the border over into Serengeti National Park, and to Ngorongoro Crater after that. From there we visited Tarangerie NP and finished back in Kenya at Amboseli NP before flying back out of Nairobi. We felt like this was a good way of seeing as much as possible within 11 days, but probably underestimated just how much driving on dirt roads would be involved. Be prepared for some long drives if you are trying to fit in the Kenya and Tanzania parks, the drives from Masai to Serengeti and Serengeti to Ngorongoro were the toughest due to poor road conditions. Still worth it overall though! Kevin was our guide while in Kenya, and he did a great job. His motto was “If you’re happy, I’m happy,” and he definitely strived to make sure we saw all the animals we wanted to. Benjamin was our guide in Tanzania, and he was an excellent guide as well. We appreciated how he always answered our questions with additional info and it was clear he was passionate about showing us a good time while on Safari with him. Apodiformes is not as big of company as others in Kenya/Tanzania and it maybe felt like the van and 4x4 we drove in were not as new/nice as others we saw, but we were able to see more while staying within our price range by booking with them, and overall would recommend them if you’re looking for a tour company for your trip!
CN
Email Rock Yi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Wonderful Tour Experience in Kenya
Overall it was a very pleasant trip with Apodiformes Adventures in Kenya. They provided a professional service to me and the tour guide Leroy and Edward were experienced and super funny, I enjoyed and joked with them all day on my travels. They also consider me one of the most interesting Chinese tourists they have ever met.
East Africa is a magical place, I would definitely miss the people and scenery that happened here every minute.