masai mara
Bigmac Africa Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2011)
- Member Of:
- Kenya Association of Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $300 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email malcolm | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Masai Mara with Big Mac
Firstly, Magdalena, the coordinator for big Mac was super efficient at dealing with any inquiries or information required and the whole operation went all according to plan.
We were picked up at the airport late at night and driven to our overnight stay at the hotel and picked up promptly in the morning to go to the mara.
Anthony, our driver was very informative and friendly and he was very well connected with other guides as we saw the big five on two consecutive days. Anthony was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and nothing was too much trouble for him to make our safari memorable.
The accommodation was excellent at the Masai Mara Game reserve - excellent service and friendly - worth staying for at least three days, I in fact stayed for 4 days.
The Masai Mara is an excellent destination for a Safari.
Thank you Magdalena and Anthony for a great holiday
PL
Email waldam | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything as expected
Great, fast communication. We started quoting for safari just 2 weeks before the safari and there were no problems. Despite low season there were many animals (lucky especially with lions and cheetahs).
We were a little bit dissapointed with food at Rhino camp but it is not the fault of the tour operator. Everything was as in itinerary.
US
Email Corey | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Value for Private Safari
Our 4 day private safari was great. We really loved our guide, Amos. He was super friendly, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. We felt the Safari was a great value, and definitely worth every penny. We really enjoyed the Land Cruiser upgrade-I think that makes a huge difference in the comfort and overall experience.
The only thing that could have been improved is if we had spent a bit more time at Lake Nakaru our final morning. It felt a bit short. We didn’t know what to expect but found Nakaru to be very photogenic and filled with great sights.
Also Jarika Lodge in Nakaru was a bit noisy until midnight or so, as they put us on second floor right above noisy lobby and parking lot. We asked to change rooms twice but they refused. It’s also not the best location in Nakaru as there’s nothing to really do around there. But we understand this was the budget option. The food there was good and especially the waiter Ben was one of the friendliest people we encountered.
We really enjoyed Jambo Mara aside from several power outages but understand that it is hard to maintain generators in the remote area. The staff was really friendly and the food was fine.
We will definitely recommend this trip. Thanks for all your help, Magdalene!
US
Email MESQ | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
BEWARE!! Poor safety practices, will con you out of money throughout tour.
Nothing can beat the wildlife of Kenya, however we had the WORST tour guide, John and would not recommend BigMac safaris or John as a guide. He rarely spoke to us and quite honestly barely acknowledged us. He put us in danger by driving insane speeds on the roads and with broken seat belts. He was on his phone ALL of the time, if not talking then texting and looked like we were bothering him anytime we asked a question. He was frequently late for us sometimes at the expense of us missing meals. Go with another company, ANY OTHER company has to be better. He only spoke to us at the end when he wanted to explain to us what a good guide he was and if we didn't believe him we should "check trip advisor".
Reply from Bigmac Africa Safaris
Posted on Dec 3, 2018We regret that the safari you had did not turn out as per your expectation.
It seems that somebody sold you a safari under the name 'Bigmac Africa Safaris' and used one of our guides name which are on TripAdvisor or you are mistaking the company you used for your safari, this is because we are not able to trace any safari booked under your name and under the circumstances mentioned.
-First we do not have vehicles with broken seat belts, all our vehicles are well serviced and has speed limits gadgets.
-our drivers are not in-charge of sales and you mentioned driver adding amounts on prices.
-All our drivers are professionals guides and clearly the above description do not match any of our guides.
We are therefore following up on the issue above, we have reported to Tourism Authorities in Kenya. If you can also send us the contacts you used in booking to [email protected] we will appreciate as this will help in the investigation.
Even though we are not to blame, we feel sorry for what you experienced and welcome you to book with us in future to experience Better services.
At Bigmac Africa Safaris we value all our guests and treat them all as valuable since they are the reason for our existence!
PL
Email Iwona | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of a kind adventure that I won't forget
Our driver, James was absolutely amazing, he drove carefully, but as fast as possible, so we arrived early to the Masai Mara and went on a game drive right after arrival. The 3-day safari was even better than I expected - we saw sooo many animals, it was astonishing! James cared so much so we could see every animal from as close as possible, I couldn't imagine a better driver and a better adventure than this. I highly recommend it! Also the contact with Magdalene was very good and professional, everything was as she promised and me and my boyfriend are both really exited about the adventure that we lived. Best time of my life!
EG
Email Injie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Breathtaking Safari Experience!
I’m a thorough trip planner, so I did my research when organizing our 3 day/2 night Masaai Mara safari. I had contacted several different companies before settling for Bigmac Africa Safaris. The main reason for my choice was that while all companies offered identical packages (right down to the camp sites you can stay at), Bigmac Africa offered the most competitive price (I mean, why pay more for the same services when you’re on a tight budget?) and I found Magdalene very helpful and professional when replying to my (very numerous) emails and requests!
In retrospect, the only thing I might have changed in our safari was the campsite which we stayed at (which is of no fault to Bigmac Africa), but even that was a unique and interesting part of the safari experience. At Magdalene’s request our driver allowed us the chance to look at Lenchada Camp and Rhino Camp 5 minutes away before deciding which to stay at. Both campsites were conveniently located minutes away from the Masaai Mara National Reserve Oloolaimutia Gate, and had almost identical less-than-luxurious accommodation options with the only advantage of Rhino Camp being that it had the option of a room with walls instead of just tents. Of course, if you don’t prefer roughing it out, and would enjoy hot showers at night and fewer bugs under your pillows, I would suggest staying at a lodge instead of a camp (if you can afford the extra cost)! To be fair, the staff on campsite was extremely friendly and welcoming, and the food, although lacking in variety, was really quite edible, particularly the breakfast!
The Safari itself was a spectacular experience! Our driver and guide, Richard and Dennis, were very friendly and good-natured and incredibly intent on helping us get the best possible angles and views of the plethora of wildlife the Mara has to offer, and always willing to go the extra mile for that perfect shot. We had a setback at the beginning of the trip, where a 1.5 hr delay at the rest-stop waiting for the rest of our group to join us set us behind schedule. Despite this late start, we were on the reserve at 5 PM and before sunset at 6:30 PM Richard and Dennis had managed (in record time) to take us to see wildebeests, antelopes, impalas, gazelles, giraffes, zebras, hippos, ostriches, elephants, and lions on just our first drive! The other days were equally fascinating where we spotted many of these animals again as well as buffalos, warthogs, crocodiles, vultures, guinea fowl, hyenas, and jackals, and even came within meters from lions and cheetahs!
The highlight of our trip was a mother cheetah and her two cubs we saw on the second day which casually strolled beside our car as if we were simply part of the landscape! We held our breaths for 30 minutes as the mother inched her way towards her prey and we were lucky enough to witness a breathtaking albeit unsuccessful chase which ensued!
The only suggestion I would have for Bigmac Africa would be to supply more drinking water (at least a bottle per day). We were provided water bottles on the first day and were under the misconception that this would be a daily occurrence and so we did not bring our own water the next day. We were quite dehydrated to say the least, but this actually came to our advantage since we spent a full day on the reserve (we didn’t need to “take a walk in the bushes”!).
On a final note, kudos to Richard for his punctuality everyday and his crazy driving skills! Also, Magdalene proved to be as professional in person as she was in correspondence. She met us both before and after our safari, and even helped us to arrange airport transfer the next day at a very reasonable cost (our driver here was also very punctual and reliable). Thank you Bigmac Africa Safaris for this very special experience of a lifetime!
BD
Email Mehedi | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything was great. The guide was very cooperative. I think they asked the minimum price.
My expectations was very less as I paid only 200 USD for 2 nights and 3 days. But I was really surprised to get all the facilities they provided.
US
Email Hermina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Adventure of a lifetime
Overall we had an excellent time. Magdalena was excellent in communicating with us and met all our expectations. Anthony was a very knowledgeable about the area and was attentive to all our needs.
We thoroughly enjoyed our safari.
An unforgettable ten days with Bigmac Africa Safaris.
Before I decided the safari company to go with, I contacted more than ten tour operators and it took quite some time narrow down to the final three I was choosing between. The cost for the safari and the reviews I found were more or less similar for all three of them. What made me in the end to go with Bigmac was the response speed and the clear information I got to all my questions.
I guess everyone going on a safari does that because of the animals and ultimately to be able to see "the Big five". You need to have some luck to do it since the animals are wild and they decide if they want to show themselves or not. I believe though that good guides will increase the probability and I am positive that I saw what I saw because of the guide. He was not only knowledgeable where in the park to drive he was also very good taking the van through all off-road passages that we needed to pass to get to all the areas.
Since it was my first safari trip I didn't really have any expectations but now thinking back writing this, I couldn't have had a better wildlife and nature experience and I must admit it was all because of Bigmac.
Whoever you will choose as your safari provider I am fairly sure you will have good time but if you want to be 100% sure, go with Bigmac.
FR
Email Flavien | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
excellent budget saferi at Amboseli park
the driver knew the park very well and was very careful on the road. we had a very good 2 days experience!