Reliable safari packages for international market
Africa Flash Mc Tours & Travel
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2008)
- Member Of:
- KATO, Ecotourism Kenya & Travelife
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email CN | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Worked out but stressful
I used Flash Mc Tours to do day trips in Nairobi and to provide driver service as we were flying in and out of Nairobi to Zambia and Tanzania. The first driver went to the wrong terminal. Fortunately, my son had a phone that could make international calls so the driver finally was contacted and provided the ride to hotel. The next day, a different driver picked us up on time and did a great job taking us to Amboseli NP. Our main contact Peter seemed disorganized and wanted us to provide flight information repeatedly. He also forgot to schedule a driver for one day until we reminded him.
The last day we had a city tour. Our driver was nearly an hour late with Peter and the driver pointing out that it was the other's fault. Our city tour driver told us that he specialized in city tours but really turned out to just be a very pleasant driver. He provided very little information.
If you are going to use Peter and Flash Mc Tours, I suggest that you constantly remind Peter about your needs. Perhaps our problems would have been less if we had a continual safari instead of needing services over 2 weeks as we flew in and out of Nairobi. However, I was upfront and contracted with Peter for the services before arriving in Nairobi.
Reply from Africa Flash Mc Tours & Travel
Posted on Aug 8, 2019Jambo CN,
Thanks for choosing to travel with us, and writing us the review. This will help us improve on our short comings. My apologies, and I take responsibility for any delays and inconvenienced caused.
Allow me to give a short explanation,
1) When you made the booking for your transfers, you only shared the details of your arrival time, but not the actual flights details, thus when we sent a driver to pick you up, and did not have the flight details, he may have gone to the wrong terminal, as different flights use different arrival terminals. Thus if I had the actual flight details, it would have helped a lot. The flight number would also enable us to know, if there were any delays with your flight. This is the reason, I would always email you, to request you to send us the flight details even though we had the time of arrival.
2) As for the City Tour, we were meant to begin with a visit to DSWT and only opens up for 1 hour between 11:00 am and 12:00 noon. The schedule was to pick you up at 09:00 am, but since it happened to be a Sunday and there was no traffic, I thought, it would be best to pick you up at 10:00 am, so that you do not wait for long before being allowed for the viewing. I sent an email, but on the change, but it must have been a bit late, as I had spoken to your driver as well.
I can however assure you that, this shall not happen again, and I will work on all the other areas you mentioned. Thanks once more for choosing to travel with us.
QA
Email Nan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Both Good and Bad Experiences (9-day trip with kids)
I just came back from a 9-day safari trip from Kenya and Tanzania. I want to write down both good and bad experiences. We have 2 adults, one 10.5-year boy and one 2.5-year girl.
Good experiences. (Peter is the one who runs the company)
1. Peter is very nice, from email contact to meeting me in the airport.
2. Peter upgraded my last night room in Nairobi for free, since I had some bad experience (see shortly below).
3. The travel guide is good.
4. The hotels are good.
Bad experiences.
1. On the trip from Masai Mara to Serengeti, Peter told me that it will take 4 hours. In fact, it took 14 hours, which was a terrible mistake. Although Peter said later that there is another route that he tried to ask the driver to use, however, I don't quite trust it since (a) the > 12 hours route is written in the itinerary; and (b) we have met in that day, if he knew another way, he should change it. BTW, the 12 hours driving is without traffic, but with very bumpy and dusty road.
Things got worse that night that the car we ran out of gas, in the middle of the big Serengeti national park. I don't know how professional people can make such mistakes. That was totally a mess, and we were lucky that the Tanzania guide found his friend to fix the problem, which took one hour. The worst case could be that we stayed in the car with kids for the whole night.
2. The car in Tanzania was bad, with a lot of dust, which made my daughter coughing and in fever for 2 days. Peter has no ability to change it, since it is from another company.
3. From Ngorongoro to Lake Manyara in Tanzania, it should take only a little bit more than one hour. However, in fact, it took us 4 hours. The reason is that Peter forgot to buy the pass. In Tanzania, you cannot even pay cash for the national park, the money should be transferred and the car should be registered before hand. This made us very unhappy since my son was sick and we wasted >2 hours for the pass (ticket) that was not prepaid.
Adding to the above bad experience is that, if you take more hours (for nothing) on the road, simply you have less hours to see animals, which you have paid for.
Again, Peter is very nice and he is very sorry for my bad experiences. However, I have to write down my experiences.
Reply from Africa Flash Mc Tours & Travel
Posted on Oct 1, 2015Dear Nan
I would like to thank you for choosing to travel with us and having shared your experience, and also apologize to you and your family for the challenges you faced during the safari with my company as below;
1. On the distance from Maasai Mara to Serengeti - When I gave you the distance on the safari I used google map to determine the shortest distance, and I was hoping to use the road that crosses Maasai Mara directly to the boarder and that would have reduced the time by half, but after further consultation while on safari I opted we use the longer distance but I was not aware it would take 14 hours to the to get you to Serengeti. I apologize because it was my responsibility to know this would happen and I should have informed you accordingly.
On the fuel part, I never knew that happened until I saw and read your review. I have contacted our handler in Tanzania and he informed me that the vehicle still had fuel in it as the Land Cruisers have 2 tanks, and after the first tank ran out, the knob that was supposed to allow the second tank to begin it's consumption failed thus why the vehicle failed and they were able to manually transfer the fuel to the 1st tank and continue with the safari although this took an our of your time. This would have been avoided if I had taken adequate measures and ensured that the vehicle being offered on the Tanzania Part was well maintained and had not failed along the way, thus I take full responsibility for this and apologize for putting you and the family in that position.
2. The car in Tanzania, was a total failure on my part. After closing on the car on the Tanzania Part and being assured that the car was what I had requested, I should have traveled to Tanzania and ensure what you were offered is what had been agreed between me and my handler in Tanzania, and if this was not the case I would have put a mechanism to have another vehicle in the stand still ready to replace it. I can assure you that this information is very important to me and that I will ensure this never happens again.
3. As for Ngorongoro to Lake Manyara, I assure you that it was not a complete failure on my part as I had paid all your fees before hand through my Tanzania handler and you should not have had any delays, and when you called about this I made every effort to ensure this was resolved including sending additional cash to guide Leonard to ensure the trip proceeded without any further stalling and resolve the issue with him when you got back.
In light of the above I have put all the necessary measures to ensure the above never happens again, including buying a Land Cruiser purposely for Tanzania Safaris and opening an office in Tanzania to handle all our transport issues within the shortest time possible.
Thanks for Choosing us
Peter & the Team
My trip
The goods points of my trip with Flash Mc Tours are that the company was able to accommodate my needs in terms of price and schedule. The guide/driver was very solicited and we were able to see various animals in Amboseli as well as visit the Masai village. The lodge was also good and the staff very friendly. The points that could be improved are punctuality (the car was 2h late to pick me up in the airport and we missed the first day game as we arrived very late in Amboseli, which was compensated later). The car also needed regular maintenance.
Reply from Africa Flash Mc Tours & Travel
Posted on May 21, 2015Hi Pepe,
Thanks for the review and pointing out the areas that need to be addressed. Again we are sorry for the delay in pick up from the Airport which was a result of the heavy traffic which we should have anticipated and be at the airport much earlier. As for the vehicle we have that under review and we have brought another new fleet of vehicles to replace the old ones. Thanks once more for travelling with us.
Best Regards
Africa Flash McTours C.E.O
They paid back the $240
** UPDATE MARCH 2015
Peter paid us back today. He called me a few times in the past weeks to explain he was sorting out the financial trouble he got into, and promised he would pay back the money. So he did, the full amount. I am writing this update to do justice to him and his company. Despite the trouble, he's now trying to sort this, as he has done with me and my family.
** ORIGINAL REVIEW
Be aware if you consider to book with this company - I / my family still hasn't received the $240 refund. We paid up-front for a number of things including a safari (and park fees) to Amboseli. The deal was my family would visit Amboseli for 2 days, but they ended up going only 1 day. As the park fees for 2 adults and 2 children were already paid, Africa Flash Mc Tours need to pay us back the $240. Despite NUMEROUS emails, phone calls (Peter's number and the hotline number on their website), whatsapp messages to Peter etc I still haven't received anything. I got a few promises ("you'll get it tomorrow because I have reached my ATM limit", or "I will get it to you by Monday", etc etc) but still no refund... This refund is what obviously concerns me most. But, I'd like to add that generally their services are not great either. My family was supposed to be picked up for the Masai Mara at 8.30am (which I felt was a bit late, but Peter said this was fine), but the van showed up at 10.00am! I didn't get a justification why they were 1,5 hours late (yeah traffic....). I do want to do justice to two of their guides for the Masai Mara and Amboseli - my family did really like them.
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amboseli 2 days, 1 night at Kimana Tented camp
Let me start by saying that the communication with Peter went good.
He replies very quickly on his e-mails.
(Which, in my opinion, gives you confidence that it's not a scam)
When I had to pay half upfront, I started wondering if it would be a scam or not.
After paying I received a receipt. 2 days later, the driver was at my door to start the Safari as aggreed.
Conclusion: No scam
In our original itinerary it said we would be staying at Kibo.
I decided to stay in my own tent. Peter forgot to mention that it was not posible at Kibo. Therefore he booked us at a less luxurious camp. With, lets be honest, basic facilities. That was a dissapointment since I was expecting Kibo. Which, according to the website, looks very nice.
The driver was friendly.
I also liked the fact that he didn't take many crazy risks on the busy road towards the park.
In the end, I had a good safari.
HK
Email Wai | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
All arranged but slow to respond.
We shortlisted FlashMc and another operator because they were the only two out of ten that reached us after the Gen Z protest. We chose FlashMc because it was flexible with our request of not staying in Nairobi. As other posts were saying, Peter is great in planning and replying to the customers, but once selected, the communication is gone.
Don't get me wrong, the trip was fantastic. Simon the guide was funny, knowledgeable and loves his job. The lodges arranged were great. But customers need the usual communication like what is the progress, when payment should be made, who would be picking up at the airport etc. Customers pay thousands of dollars and fly thousands of miles, and may have planned this trip for months. A bit of reassure from time to time would be nice.
There are a lot more than what cameras can capture. Seeing with your own eyes is more enjoyable than making your own Planet Earth channel.
AR
Email Mel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari Holiday
We recently returned from an incredible honeymoon safari with Africa Flash, and despite some initial hiccups, we can't praise them enough!
The team tailored our trip to perfection, notifying hotels of our special occasion and ensuring a warm welcome. The carefully curated itinerary took us to stunning hotels and national parks, exceeding our expectations.
Our exceptional guide, Simon, was the true highlight. His expertise and passion for wildlife shone through as he skillfully maneuvered us into prime viewing positions, often mere feet from the animals. Simon's constant communication with other guides ensured we were always in the right place at the right time.
However, there were some areas for improvement:
• Africa Flash forgot to inform us that we needed a visa for Kenya, which caused unnecessary stress upon arrival. Thankfully, they expedited the visa process at the airport.
• On the first day, there was a miscommunication, and our guide wasn't aware of our arrival, leaving us waiting at the airport for over 3 hours.
• Communication regarding our lost luggage issue could have been better. While they ultimately resolved the issue, it took over a week, and we would have appreciated more frequent updates.
Despite these issues, we wholeheartedly recommend Africa Flash, particularly Simon, for an unforgettable safari experience. Their attention to detail, flexibility, and dedication to customer satisfaction make them truly exceptional.
QA
Email Riddhi | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience. Knowledgeable tour guide and decent stays
Everything was great.. only stay at masai mara could have been better. Tour guide Edward was good.
Reply from Africa Flash Mc Tours & Travel
Posted on Aug 21, 2019Jambo Riddhi,
Thank you for travelling with us on our 6 days Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru & Amboseli Economy Safari, and taking time to provide a feedback on your safari experience.
We appreciate your positive feedback on the guide and the tour.
As for the Masai Mara accommodations, we offered you different accommodation options to choose from, and based on your budget, you chose that one you stayed at in Masai Mara, however I had given an option to upgrade the accommodation at a fee, but that was not possible due to budget constraint.
We shall however keep you observation in mind and advise, future safari prospects on the same.
Hopefully this shall not be your last Africa holiday safari in Kenya. From us to you we say, "Asante & Welcome Again!"
FR
Email Aurore | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great time around lakes and volcano
We had a great time on this three days trip. James our guide was amazing and Edward half guide half driver friendly. Lake Nakuru is incredibly beautiful. We saw rhinos and a lion on a tree. Peter was always answering and trying to do his best to make our trip memorable. Once we had a problem with the hotel. He solved it quickly. Always with smile and with respect and sympathy.
Email Reggie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Once we were on the safari, it was excellent!
Pros
+ Safari vehicle
+ Safari camp - Kibo Safari Camp: Beat expectations for accommodations, service and food.
+ Safari: Amboseli NP - great variety of animals to be seen. Great long weekend get-a-way!
+ Hotel pickup & airport dropoff.
+ Staff: driver was safe and courteous.
Cons:
- Traffic to and from Nairobi was absolutely horrible.
- Third person added to safari which was unannounced by tour operator. Caused 1 1/2 hour delay.
