Our seven-day private safari through Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli was one of the most memorable trips we have ever taken. We were incredibly fortunate to have Peter Kapino from Axil Africa Safaris as our guide and driver for the whole journey.

Before arriving in Kenya, we mainly hoped to see some of the Big Five and experience the famous African landscapes. By the end of ... Read morethe trip, we had seen far more wildlife than we imagined and had also learned a huge amount about Kenya, its ecosystems, geography and local culture.

Peter Kapino has a very good way of explaining things. He does not simply point at an animal and tell you its name. He explains its behavior, habitat, relationships with other animals and sometimes even what it is likely to do next. This made the safari much more interesting because we began to understand the animals rather than simply collect photographs of them.

The Masai Mara gave us some incredible encounters. We saw many lions during our game drives, including males, females and different groups spread across the savanna. The most surprising moment was when Peter found two lions mating. We were able to observe this natural behavior from the vehicle, and Peter explained their mating behavior and the dynamics of lion prides. It was an extraordinary experience and certainly not something we expected to see.

Another unforgettable moment was finding a cheetah eating. Being able to watch a cheetah feeding in the wild was fascinating. Peter gave us plenty of time to observe and photograph the animal, and he explained how cheetahs hunt, how quickly they need to eat before larger predators arrive and some of the challenges they face in the ecosystem.

We were also extremely lucky to experience the wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara. Seeing huge numbers of wildebeest moving together across the plains was one of the defining moments of our trip. There were wildebeest and zebras everywhere, creating exactly the kind of scene we had imagined before coming to Africa. Peter explained the annual migration route and how the herds follow rainfall and fresh grass through the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem.

Some of our favorite moments were not necessarily the most dramatic ones. One evening, for example, we watched a giraffe silhouetted against the sunset. With the golden light across the savanna, it was an incredibly beautiful scene. Peter was patient and allowed us to enjoy and photograph the moment. It became one of our favorite photos of the entire safari.

At Lake Nakuru, the experience changed completely. Instead of endless savanna, we found a lake surrounded by wildlife and birds. We were thrilled to see rhinos, including impressive close views, and an extraordinary number of flamingos. At certain points the shoreline seemed covered with them. Together with pelicans, marabou storks and other birds, it created a completely different kind of wildlife experience from Masai Mara.

Peter was very knowledgeable about the birds as well. Even when we were more focused on the larger animals, he would point out interesting species and explain some of their behavior.

Then came Amboseli, which was perhaps the most beautiful ending we could have asked for. Seeing the famous elephants of Amboseli with Mount Kilimanjaro behind them was incredible. We watched groups of elephants moving slowly across the plains while Kilimanjaro dominated the background. The combination of huge elephants, open grassland and the mountain made the scenery look almost like a postcard.

Peter knew where to position the vehicle to make the most of the view. He also explained the elephant family groups and how the Amboseli elephants move between feeding and water areas. We could tell that he genuinely enjoys sharing his knowledge.

Outside the national parks, Peter also made the long drives interesting. He talked about the Great Rift Valley, different regions of Kenya, Maasai culture, local communities, farming and everyday life. We really appreciated having someone who could explain the country rather than only the wildlife.

His driving was excellent throughout the trip. Safari roads can be rough, dusty and unpredictable, but we always felt safe. He handled difficult tracks calmly and seemed to know exactly where he was going even deep inside the parks.

Most importantly, Peter Kapino is simply a very nice person. He is friendly, patient, respectful and easy to spend time with. He never seemed tired of our questions and never made us feel rushed.

We would very happily travel with him again. If you are planning a safari with Axil Africa Safaris, we strongly recommend asking for Peter Kapino. The animals and landscapes of Kenya are already extraordinary, but having a guide like Peter turns the safari into a much deeper and more memorable experience.

Ask for Peter Kapino if you want a knowledgeable and genuinely enjoyable safari guide

If you are booking a safari with Axis Africa Safaris, we highly recommend asking for Peter Kapino as your guide.

We spent seven days with Peter travelling from Nairobi through Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Hell’s Gate and Amboseli, and it turned out to be one of the most extraordinary travel exp ... Read moreeriences we have ever had.

A safari can involve many hours inside a vehicle, so the person guiding you makes a huge difference. Peter was excellent from beginning to end. He is professional but relaxed, very friendly and patient, and we felt comfortable asking him questions about almost anything we encountered.

Most importantly, Peter understands wildlife extremely well. Rather than treating the safari as a checklist of animals, he helped us understand what we were actually seeing.

The Masai Mara was probably the most action-packed section of the trip. We saw a remarkable number of lions, including different prides and individual animals across the grasslands. One of our most memorable sightings was a pair of lions mating. It was incredible to witness such natural behavior, and Peter explained the mating cycle and behavior of lions while we watched.

Another highlight was watching a cheetah eating. Seeing a cheetah standing in the grass is impressive enough, but watching it feed gave us the opportunity to observe completely different behavior. Peter explained how cheetahs need to be cautious after making a kill because lions, hyenas and other predators can steal their food.

We were also fortunate enough to experience the wildebeest migration. Nothing really prepares you for the number of animals. There were massive herds moving across the Mara, with wildebeest seemingly covering entire sections of the landscape and zebras mixed among them.

Peter explained how these herds migrate between the Serengeti and Masai Mara and how their movement is connected to seasonal rainfall. It was fascinating to hear about the ecosystem while looking out at thousands of animals moving through it.

At sunset, we also experienced one of those quieter safari scenes that stays in your memory forever: a giraffe walking beneath a beautiful orange sunset. The giraffe was silhouetted against the sky with the open Mara plains behind it. Peter stopped and gave us plenty of time to watch and photograph the scene. It was one of those moments where everything looked exactly like the Africa you imagine before visiting.

Lake Nakuru brought another completely different experience. We saw rhinos, including excellent views that allowed us to observe them properly. We were also amazed by the birdlife.

There were huge numbers of flamingos around parts of the lake. Seeing so many together, with hundreds of pink birds spread across the water and shoreline, was absolutely beautiful. There were also pelicans, marabou storks and many other species. Peter could explain and identify far more birds than we would ever have noticed by ourselves.

After Nakuru and Naivasha, we continued south to Amboseli, where the scenery became completely different again.

Amboseli gave us perhaps the most iconic images of the entire safari: large elephants walking across the plains with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background. We had hoped before our trip that we might get this classic view, so actually seeing it was very special.

At times there were several elephants moving together, including adults and younger animals, while Kilimanjaro rose behind them. Peter positioned us perfectly to enjoy the scene and take photographs. He explained how Amboseli is famous for its elephants and told us about their family structure and behavior.

We also saw many other animals throughout the trip: giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, gazelles, wildebeest, warthogs, baboons, hyenas, different antelope species and countless birds. What impressed us was that Peter remained enthusiastic even after we had already seen many animals. He would still point out something interesting and explain its behavior rather than assuming we were only interested in lions or elephants.

Peter was equally knowledgeable about Kenyan culture and geography. As we travelled between destinations, he explained the Great Rift Valley, local communities, farming, different ethnic groups and how life changes between regions. This meant we came away understanding much more about Kenya than we would have from game drives alone.

His driving ability was also excellent. Some roads inside the parks were very rough, yet he handled the vehicle confidently. He knew when to drive slowly, how to avoid particularly difficult sections and where to place the vehicle for a good view of wildlife. We always felt safe with him.

What stood out most was Peter’s combination of professionalism and friendliness. He was never impatient, even when we wanted to spend extra time taking photographs. He was happy to answer the same kinds of questions repeatedly and seemed genuinely pleased when we were excited about a sighting.

By the end of seven days, we had accumulated an unbelievable collection of memories: lions mating, a cheetah feeding, the wildebeest migration, rhinos at Lake Nakuru, enormous groups of flamingos, a giraffe beneath the sunset and elephants framed by Mount Kilimanjaro in Amboseli.

It was the safari we had hoped for and much more.

A huge thank you to Peter Kapino and Axil Africa Safaris for making our Kenya trip so memorable. If you want a guide who is knowledgeable about wildlife and local culture, an excellent driver, patient with photographers and simply a genuinely friendly person to spend a week with, we would absolutely recommend Peter Kapino.

We had an absolutely unforgettable 7-day private safari with Axil Africa Safaris, travelling through the Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Hell’s Gate and Amboseli. Our guide and driver, Peter Kapino, was one of the biggest reasons this trip became such a special experience for us.

From the first morning in Nairobi, Peter Kapino was friendly, patient and professional. Seven days is a lo ... Read moreng time to spend together in a safari vehicle, especially with many hours of driving between parks, but Peter made the whole journey comfortable and enjoyable. He is easy to talk to, always happy to answer questions, and has a calm and positive personality. By the end of the safari, it felt much more like travelling with a knowledgeable local friend than simply having a driver.

The wildlife experience in the Masai Mara was beyond anything we expected. We saw an incredible number of animals, including many lions. One of the most memorable moments of the entire trip was seeing two lions mating. It was fascinating to witness this natural behavior so close to us, and Peter explained what was happening, how frequently lions mate during this period, and how this relates to their social and reproductive behavior.

We also had an amazing encounter with a cheetah eating its prey. Instead of just stopping for a photograph and immediately moving on, Peter positioned the vehicle carefully and gave us enough time to watch the animal. His knowledge of animal behavior made these encounters much more meaningful because he explained not only what species we were looking at, but also what the animals were doing and why.

Another major highlight was seeing the wildebeest migration. Watching huge numbers of wildebeest moving across the Mara landscape was something we had seen many times in documentaries, but experiencing it in person was completely different. The scale of the migration is difficult to describe. There were animals stretching across the plains, mixed with zebras and other wildlife. Peter explained the migration cycle, how the animals move between Kenya and Tanzania, and how rainfall and grazing conditions influence their movements.

We also saw a beautiful giraffe under the sunset in the Masai Mara. The giraffe standing against the warm evening sky and open savanna was one of the most peaceful and photogenic moments of the safari. Peter understood how important the light was for photography and gave us time to enjoy the scene rather than rushing to move on.

Lake Nakuru was another completely different experience. We saw rhinos, which had been high on our list before coming to Kenya, and we were amazed by the large number of birds. In particular, there were so many flamingos, creating beautiful pink areas along the lake shore. We also saw pelicans, storks and many other water birds. Peter was able to identify different species and explain why Lake Nakuru is such an important habitat for birds and wildlife.

Amboseli was the perfect final destination. Seeing large elephants with Mount Kilimanjaro rising behind them was one of those classic African scenes that almost looks unreal when you finally see it yourself. We had wonderful views of elephants walking across the open plains with Kilimanjaro in the background. Some of the elephants were enormous, and Peter explained their family structures, feeding behavior and movements around the Amboseli ecosystem. For photography, this was probably one of the highlights of the entire trip.

Peter Kapino’s knowledge goes far beyond wildlife. Throughout the week he explained Kenyan geography, local culture, different communities, the Great Rift Valley and the ecology of each park. The landscapes changed dramatically between Masai Mara, Nakuru, Naivasha and Amboseli, and his explanations helped us understand why different animals and vegetation are found in each area.

We also really appreciated Peter’s driving skills. Some safari tracks were very rough, but he handled them confidently and safely. Inside the parks, he had a good sense of where wildlife might be found and how to position the vehicle for both viewing and photography. He never made us feel rushed and often waited when there was interesting animal behavior developing.

Overall, this safari exceeded our expectations. We saw lions, cheetahs, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, flamingos and many other animals, but it was Peter Kapino’s knowledge and personality that connected all of these experiences together.

We would absolutely recommend Peter Kapino from Axil Africa Safaris to anyone planning a safari in Kenya. He is knowledgeable, friendly, patient, an excellent driver and genuinely enthusiastic about sharing his country and its wildlife. Thank you, Peter, for giving us seven days filled with incredible wildlife, beautiful landscapes and memories we will never forget.

The safari was very good. Our guy was fantastic. The hotel and the food arent good. I was very ill due a gastroenteritis

Our guide, Collin Sempele, has contributed to let us live a wonderful vacation. From the first day he has been flexible to fulfill our desires, still suggesting which timing is best to see wild animals (early morning and late afternoon) and the best mood to have in safaris (it us important to be patient and keep in mind we have not power on nature).
Collin is very well prepared on animals and Ken ... Read moreyan history and was happy to tell to us every detail we were curious about.
Our guide was always carrying of making our experience the best as possible, finding the best spot to see animals, and the best place to eat.
A 5 out of 5 experience!

Collin Senpele has been the perfect guide for our first trip in Kenya. He has been extremely professional, in explaining animals characteristics and answering all our questions. He has been very kind since the beginning. He was happy to talk with us and tried to fulfill all of our demands and dreams. Our holiday has been a better holiday thanks to Collin.
A true five star experience.

Just completed an amazing safari in the Masai Mara with Axis Safari, and honestly, it was an experience I’ll never forget.

A huge shoutout to our guides, Sadam and Booh. They weren’t just great guides, they genuinely made us feel at home. From spotting animals and birds to telling us about the trees, the Mara, and the Maasai community, they made every drive interesting and memorable.

And ... Read more then there were the little moments that made the trip even more special like listening to the Axis anthem and different Swahili songs in the safari car, and eventually dancing to them right there in the middle of the Mara! 😂🇰🇪

The safari was incredible, but it was the people, the music, the stories and the laughs that made it truly special.

Thank you, Sadam, Booh, Tabitha (tour operator) and the entire Axis Safari team for an unforgettable experience. Highly recommend! 🦁🐆🐘🦏🐃❤️

Good organization, tour was fantastic, Masai Mara is a very amazing place, Nakuru and Naivasha too, and your guide Jackson is the best, good driver, always smiling and friendly

Rodger has been the perfect tour guide and game play driver!!
Super reliable and always on time, his kindness is out of this world, he made sure we were always good and happy (HAKUNA MATATA)
Spot on on the knowledge of every single thing, from the history of Kenya to the animals and threes in the Masai Mara.
We also managed to see the BIG 5 and the UGLY 5 as well!!!!
Felt super lucky!!!
Rodge ... Read morer came with a future guide on training called Brian…very kind and patient, I wish he’s going to start next year with this journey!!
I will never forget this trip also because I turned 30 celebrating in the best way possible…in the nature with my family an amazing guide (Rodger) and so many amazing animals and scenaries to discover!
Thank you so much for everything!!!
100000/10 EXPERIENCE 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

We did a four day safari and each day was spectacular. Our guide, Laso, knew the area like the back of his hand and was very knowledgeable. He not only brought us to many incredible locations and animals, including the Big Five, but was also very skilled at manoeuvring the vehicle to obtain exemplary vantage points. The optional activities (Masai village, boat safari and Crescent Island) were grea ... Read moret as well. My son and I had an absolutely fantastic time!