Ker & Downey® Africa staff
Ker & Downey Africa
- Located In:
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United Kingdom
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- APTA, SATSA, CTT & Safe Travels
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $500 to $950 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email James and Tammy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our tour operator shown excellent customer service and extremely knowlegable of south africa
Thanks for a beautiful itinerary, excellent accommodations, and memorable food and wine experiences. Thanks also to the guides for providing an experience that exceeded expectations.
PH
Email Mira | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Recommended by a good friend, KDA gifted us with memories to last a lifetime.
It was our first trip to Africa. We were looking for a luxury safari experience. We were referred to KDA by a friend who had gone with her extended family. Before going, our KDA contact was very professional: provided so much information on what to bring, how the tipping was. She also made sure to closely coordinate with us on the budget and preferences, so that the package would be right for us, for instance, if we weren't experienced campers, then she excluded camping in the bush. She made sure to schedule calls with us, and was available through WhatsApp and video calls. KDA even handled our Tanzania visas for us. Even before we left, we felt we were in good hands.
I discovered that when I travel, I have subconscious expectations of stress. The pick-up might be late, the weather might be bad, the traffic, noise, smells --- all things that go with traveling to a place one has never been to before.
Arriving in Tanzania had none of that. It was July which is their winter. The weather was crisp and cool, and the air smelled so fresh. Frank, our KDA guide, met us as we exited the airport doors. He settled us in the Land Cruiser and handed us personalized reusable water bottles, assuring us that it was filtered. He gave us locally-made blankets as gifts. I think those first few minutes were the perfect balm to nerves frazzled from almost 24 hours of traveling.
KDA booked us in Arusha Coffee Lodge (overnight), Nimali Tarangire to be near Tarangire National Park, Acacia Farm Lodge to be near Ngorongoro Crater, and at Siringit Serengeti and Nimali Mara for two separate parts of the Serengeti. It was perfectly planned. From our first wildebeest sighting enroute to Tarangire (We hadn't even arrived at the park; Frank just drove us to a watering hole off the highway.), to first seeing all the animals at the parks, to seeing lions really close at Siringit, and ending at Nimali Mara with their majestic view. We were lucky to cap it off with a wildebeest river crossing; not all the travelers we came across did. KDA planned the perfect crescendo of a trip.
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Email Maria | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip!
Our African safari trip was totally incredible. We absolutely loved our safari guides, accommodations, food, camp settings, and all of the people we interacted with in Tanzania and Kenya.
The vacation was super memorable and one of the best trips we’ve ever taken.
One drawback of the process was the booking and payment that occurred before we departed for the trip. Over the course of one year while the trip was being planned, confirmed and paid for, there was some staff turnover in the Ker & Downey office that resulted in some difficulties with finalizing trip details.
On my end I had a change in personal circumstances that required some trip rearrangements. At that time, the original employee who handled the trip left the company and so my trip was handled by employees I hadn’t met previously. This transition was not seamless and there were times when I was frustrated and getting conflicting information from different employees.
However, those issues were sorted out before departure and the trip itself was very smooth. Everyone was very responsive during the trip, even when their local time was in the middle of the night.
Our designed itinerary was perfect and we are very thankful for the unique and luxurious experience we had.
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Email Beverly Milano | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Sarah created our trip WAY beyond our expectations.
The communication from Sarah from day one was exquisite. She asked what we expected to see and do. Once Sarah knew what we wanted from our trip, she was on top of it. Sarah sent us ideas and then we picked what we wanted. She was available anytime we had questions. We communicated by email, WhatsApp, and video chats. It is always nice to see the person you are communicating with. Sarah went above and beyond to help me celebrate my brother's birthday. She had it set that at each place we stayed, the first night he had some sort of celebration.
We were amazed at the price for what we had experienced.
We flew into Johannesburg for the night. The next morning we were off to Jock Safari Lodge for 3 days. Lazarus was our guide. He was so knowledgeable and funny. His love and passion for the animals made him so memorable. We did 4 jeep safaris and 2 walking safaris. We were lucky to see the Big Five on our first day, along with many other animals and birds. I loved this place so much that it made my heart sad to leave.
We then went on to Old Drift Lodge for 2 days. We did a jeep safari and a river cruise. We saw the hippos and crocodiles. We went to the Elephant Encounter and Victoria Falls.
Then on to Cape Town. We stayed at the Mount Nelson Hotel. What a treat that was. We went to Boulder Beach to see the penguins. We visited the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point, Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, and Groot Constantia Vineyard and Winery. We did a cooking class in BoKaap. It was so much fun.
Words cannot express the memories and experiences this trip's itinerary has given us. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
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Email Kent McNeil | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Once in a lifetime
My wife is going to write a detailed review as she is a much better writer and can articulate our experience in much better terms but our trip was amazing. My 11 and 14 years girls were so sad when it was over. We had the best times and memories. Namibia was incredible, so much so that I thought it would make Cape Town seems average. I was of course mistaken. What an amazing City/Area. People are great, wine is great and the natural beauty is unmatched. Every place we stayed was first class. Cant wait to go on another one.
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Email Kristin | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Seamless concierge experience and highly responsive to client needs
Ker & Downey provided us with a concierge level experience as we booked our honeymoon safari adventures with clear and reliable communications. They quickly created an itinerary that met our needs, worked with local vendors to book the hotels and flights promptly, and quickly adjusted the safari camp to meet our needs and create the perfect itinerary. All the travel was seamless, and we thoroughly enjoyed the reliable people transfers at the airports, seamless van transfers between airports and hotels, and most importantly, the unique safari drive locations and tours. The accommodations and safari drives across Hwange National Park and Matopos National Park under the Amalinda Lodges and Concession were wonderful with excellent tour guides. We highly recommend using Ker & Downey to book your safari adventure to ensure a seamless travel experience that doesn't require you to worry or plan a thing. We spent our time enjoying trip preparations and then we thoroughly relaxed and enjoyed the safari adventure thanks to Ker & Downey!
Ker & Downey planned a trip that perfectly matched our interests.
Ker & Downey spent quality time with us to understand what type of experience we wanted. The three week trip was perfectly organized in a very logical way such that each part of the trip complimented each other. We were able to have a range of different experiences, from the more "civilized" parts of South Africa, to the remote bush regions along with many adventurous experiences such as shark cage diving, zip line across Victoria Falls, etc. The service at each location was outstanding, with exceptional and knowledgeable guides. We had numerous short flights to each of the different locations, which helped minimize overall travel time, and everything went smoothly. We felt totally comfortable at every part of the trip and that we were in good hands at every camp. In addition, all of the documentation that we needed was online in an app so that no matter where we were, or whether we had internet access, we could still access our documents. I would highly recommend Ker & Downey for their hands-on knowledge of all of the regions, camps and experiences and their commitment to working closely with their clients.
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Email Richard Boatman | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautifully structured and executed African experience
When I was first exploring the possibilities for our first safari to Africa I was overwhelmed with the possibilities. I sent off inquiries to 4 or 5 of the Top Ten travel agencies listed in travel magazines. By far, Ker & Downey was the most responsive and willing to work out the details of what we wanted to see and do during our stay. Subsequently our two week experience was amazing!
Lauren, our tour planner, created a perfect trip. She was very responsive in answering our pre-trip questions, sending us much useful information for packing, clothing, and travel requirements. She then maintained contact with us throughout the trip via WhatsApp to make sure everything was going okay. Our questions were answered by the office immediately, which is very reassuring when you are half way around the world from home.
The lodging Lauren chose was simply among the best I have experienced anyplace in the world. There are many moving parts to arrange all the transports, air flights, tour guides, etc. in visiting Africa, and K&D pulled them off seamlessly.
As to the main purpose of the trip, the wildlife, it could not have been better. I strongly suggest that you stay at a lodge using a private game reserve, such as ours at Sabi Sabi, adjoining Kruger. Lauren also chose a wonderful guide and hotel for our three days in Cape Town.
My wife and I are over 70 years old, and I confess we like a little "hand-holding" when we travel abroad. Ker & Downey, and Lauren specifically, provided us a beautifully structured and executed African experience. Give them a try.
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Email Mike P. | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Ker & Downey surpassed our high expectations with their attention to detail, selections, and service
I booked our group of 8 (6 of whom it was their first trip to Africa) with Lauren Barnard of Ker & Downey. I had originally sought quotes for our bespoke adventure from 3 well known tour operators. From the beginning, it was apparent that Ker & Downey was the only choice for us. Their reply to our request was timely, detailed and followed up with personal phone calls. I eliminated the other 2 tour operators within 48 hours. They worked with us every step of the way with camp selections in Thornybush (we eventually chose Saseka Tented Camp) and Sabi Sands (we chose the incomparable Cheetah Plains) in Kruger. Lauren also worked with our group in deciding to also visit Cape Town (stayed at the One and Only) and Hermanus (stayed at Birkenhead House) for the whale watching season as well as a trip to Victoria Falls for 4 of our group. The attention to detail in planning was the best I have ever encountered. From the VIP meet and greets at the airports to the best rooms/villas at all of our stops everything ran like clockwork. No request was too difficult for Lauren to fulfill. Her husband Wayne served as our tour guide during our 5 days in Cape Town and he was fantastic. Our group had no difficulties with communication as we had a WhatsApp group chat set up for us by Lauren before we even arrived. We also had personal phone numbers for everyone we needed from Ker & Downey. My group members are all well traveled successful people in their 60's and 70's and their final opinion was this was the trip of their lifetimes. Not only did we see the Big Five but we also saw wild dog packs and cheetahs which the guides call the Magnificent 7. We also saw hyenas chase a lioness away from her kill as well as a pride of lions having a successful hunt of a Cape buffalo. We had several leopard sightings with their prey hanging in the trees with them while hyenas circled below the trees. The whale watching in Hermanus was just as spectacular with frequent sightings not only from the boat but also from the patio of the Birkenhead House hotel. The guides/trackers in both camps were outstanding and worked very hard to make sure we saw as much as possible. We got all of this for several thousand dollars less than the other 2 tour operators had quoted us for the same itinerary.
We want to thank Ker & Downey as well as Lauren and Wayne for an unforgettable experience that was well worth the price. I can recommend them without hesitation.
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Email Charles D. | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely well experienced and trained. I even invited him for Dinner.
My Safari tour was extremely well scheduled to my taste. Every detail was taken care of. We had a lot of questions and doubts, but Sarah W/ Kerr & Downy) and the Guide (Charles) settled all questions and doubts. It was well structured every detail was taken care of. Hard to put price on that kind of service and satisfaction. This was our itinerary and comments about each.
1. 2 days at the Arusha Coffee Lodge.
a. extremely beautiful setting . Beds & the whole facility was very comfortable. We had breakfast outside both mornings. I recommend that. Everyone was eager to serve you. Beautiful & quiet setting.
b. We had our 1st guide (Charles) take us shopping for extra luggage and gifts and items for the kids and grandkids. I even had some items shipped back for my office.
2. 2 days @ Ngorongoro Conservation Park. (Andrew was our guide, very knowledgeable / well trained and experienced in his job)
a. 1st. day went on a game drive. Saw some incredible animals very close. Elephants / small antelopes / Lions & lionesses / buffalo / and even a very large boa constrictor.
b. 2nd day went into the crater. Saw hippos as close as 25' away grazing and also in the water. A male lion chasing another lion protecting his territory. Flamingos by the thousands. Herds of buffalos (we were within 60 ft. of approx. 200 to 300 buffalos.) the Animals were very close in this park. So exciting.
3. 4 days Sayari Camp. ( Gerald was our guide. A very special and conscientious guide, by the way he is getting married 11-18-23 CONGRATLATIONS ! We plan to send him a wedding gift, this guide was so special to us)
a. 1st of all the pictures in the advertisement doesn't do this camp justice. I immediately text Sarah W/ Kerr & Downey that this was a luxurious camp in the wild. Beyond our expectations. Food was excellent / NOTHING like sitting on the back porch watching and listening to the animals out in the wild. We had a wake up call if we needed it , ask what time would we like for them to pick us up. and would bring us the delicious Arusha coffee 15 minutes before being picked up for breakfast, NOTHING like sitting on the back porch or deck listening to the animals in the early morning hours.
b. Every morning after breakfast , Gerald would pack a lunch (I was expecting cold stale sandwiches, we had hot lunches vegetables, beef always delicious fresh fruit & cold drinks or coffee if you preferred)
c. Every day Gerald would take us out to search for the game. He seemed to know where a particular game was out depending on the time. We witnessed the crossing of several thousand Wildebeest migration. Had a long wait but was worth it. Very exciting to watch the shear numbers jumping into the water. Four didn't make it the crocodiles got them.
d. The 3rd day at this camp was a hot air balloon ride. we were very apprehensive at first. Such a smooth take-off and landing . This was floating across the Serengeti, spotting the different animals from anywhere from 50' to 300 ft. very soothing & peaceful ride. The remainder of the day was lunch in camp and then a safari hunt for the animals, that afternoon.
e. The staff at this camp was very attentive to your needs and usually added in some special deserts /campfires and just some good old socializing. I loved this camp. Highly recommend it.