Kenya Safari Bookings
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $350 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Liam and Jessica March | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
words can barely describe!
My experience of the masimara please read!!!
Day one consisted of the guide being 30 minutes late we were escorted into the mini bus after asking for a jeep as it was only me and my wife for the entire trip. We were asked for payment upfront that was £770 the guy who took the cash made it very clear to me and my wife that this did not include a tip! After around 10 minutes the guy who took the cash left the minibus ( I’m assuming to go back to the office) the guide and the “cook” Hardly spoke to me and my wife the majority of the journey.
When we got to the off-road road for the masimara we had seen many different animals like the zebra giraffe etc, we didn’t get to stop to take a photo of these animals but instead had to wait until we had got to the masimara. On another part of the off-road there was another minibus that had got stuck so our driver Sammy and the “cook” got out the car and abandoned me and my wife with the the vehicle. At this point we were then surrounded by the locals (children and adults ) it took around 20 minutes for our guide to return, we then continued with our trip
We finally reached the masimara and had gone on our first game drive for 2 hours. our drive consisted of what looked like Sammy catching up with his colleagues. And towing more people out of the mud. We saw an elephant which he did not stop so we could take photos! This was a very bad first game drive.
Day two of the masimara. We had woken up early to get a start in our long day of game drive, at first I was very disappointed in the lack of water available to me and my wife after all this was included in that £770 price. We drove around for a while taking photos of animals it was very hard to get a photo as Sammy wouldn’t stop moving the bus but just drove slowly. We had to ask him a few times to stop the vehicle before he finally got it! During our drive Sammy decided to go off road in the masimara ( this is not allowed) to see cheetah cubs. We just about got to where they were hiding before we turned around and returned to the road. This was because the KWS had spotted Sammy going off road. Sammy and a few other guides got out of the vehicles and spoke to the KWS (Kenya wildlife services) my wife took a photo of Sammy bribing the KWS (we thought he was paying a fine). when Sammy finally arrived back in the car we asked him what was going on. He told us he had to pay $30 to see the cheetah cubs as off roading is not allowed, this is around 3000 ksh just over. We then proceeded to drive to the cubs though I had asked Sammy not to and just let the cubs be. And I must admit when we got to the cheetah cubs they were beautiful we took a photo but felt terrible doing so. Not to mention they were not good photos because Sammy would not keep the vehicle still. We proceeded on with our drive and it was finally lunch time. We were starving! So my wife is vegan and when arranging the tour online my wife had told the office she was vegan in multiple occasions and when my wife told the cook she was vegan he was shocked after finding out what a vegan was, and asked if she ate chicken. That part is not important but it was funny. Anyway more to the point. We hadn’t eaten much before lunch and when we sat down to have our picnic she unwrapped her sandwich to find she had butter on her bread! It was a good job a monkey stole that sandwich because this was just another example of how unorganised this company really was!
Day 3 this was our final game drive after telling Sammy a few times we did not want to see the masih villages, we headed out! We took the same route as the day before and the day before that but it was a good job we went the same way again as we saw a family of lions! This was probably the best part of our trip. We stayed there for a while before everyone else started swarming in and then we left. On the way back to the gate one of the other drivers had asked Sammy if we can take some one past the gate on the way out. Now bare in mind me and my wife paid for a private tour this was that £770 I mentioned. Sammy had agreed to this and we would stop and talk to this lady and even drive past animals we wanted to photograph the drive back to the gate took around an hour.
Sammy treated our tour as he would a group tour. We would watch animals for as long as he deemed necessary he was on his phone for most of the safari either talking or texting and on a few occasions even in social media (Facebook) a few times me and my wife heard him make jokes to his colleagues about the coronavirus ( covid19 ) this wasn’t funny! And I was very annoyed by this!
I would rate this safari tour with 2 stars as from start to finish as we were greeted with just pure unprofessionalism. This tour was unprofessional disrespectful to the animals and unethical.
I ask anyone that is thinking of going with this safari tour company to please rethink! I regret my decision booking with this company!
It was just amazing, we got 4 animals from big 5 plus cheetah and other
We were very satisfied. All 5 days we started very early in the morning and days are not easy, but emotions are so super. And our driver Ambros - we love him day by day more, he was excellent guide and driver.
QA
Email kalekye | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They are amazing . communication well maintained , organised and well co-ordinated.
with my experience i loved the tour it was well organised , all necessary informations were given on time and the service provided was awesome. The tour guide made sure we were all happy and satisfied . All our expectations were met ; we were able to see the big five and visit the masai village .
Thank you to Stephen and your team for your recommendations and great service and for making sure we had an amazing tour guide( Bonnie) .
QA
Email Purity | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Punctuality...Going an extra mile to ensure we enjoy our safari courteous and helpful fun
Bonnie and Stephen were very helpful Bonnie made sure that we were comfortable he went an extra mile make sure we saw all the big five he was punctual knew how to manovre his way in the jungle to make sure we saw the most his communication skills were exceptional and fun to be around I highly recommend.
AE
Email Fernandes | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The Safari was very good
Yes the team is really friendly and the tour is organised very well
EE
Email Maarja | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Masai Mara safari
The communication was very good. All answers came quickly and all agreements were kept.
We had very good driver Ambrs, thanks to whom we were able to see all big5 and learn new things about animals.
IE
Email Mac | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome 8 Day Kenya Safari
Myself and the girlfriend booked an 8 day Kenyan safari that started at the end of September 2018.
I had so many questions for them initially as the booking process is very different to what you would expect here in Ireland. I'm sure I tested the owner Steve's patience at times but he was an absolute superstar and replied almost immediately with an answer to every question.
The safari included everything, transport, park entry fees, hotel accommodation and meals. We just had to pay for drinks and tips ourselves. The price we payed for the holiday was much less for what we had been quoted for the exact same itinerary from a company here in Ireland, over €1k less.
Anyway, the safari included Samburu, Aberdare, Lake Nakuru and then finished up in Masai Mara. It was totally unbelievable, we still nearly have to pinch ourselves that we actually went and done it and what we actually got to see.
A special mention to our guide Ambrose, he is a total legend. I'm not sure if he is just very very lucky or just awesome at his job. We would constantly be seeing animals up close and be totally on our own. We'd then come across the same spot later in the day and the other jeeps would be all scrambling around competing with each other trying to get shots. It happened so often I get the feeling that he is just very good at his job and not lucky. He really made the holiday for us, fair play Ambrose!!!
Anyway, I couldn't recommend Kenya Safari Bookings enough, keep up the great work.
DE
Email Horst and Sigi | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Tsavo East, Tsavo West, Amboseli, Taita Hills, Shimba Hill and Diani Beach
Everything was perfect with our safari, it could not be better, no complaints at all. Daniel in London replied fast, he was very well informed and always up to date, he made excellent suggestions and he organized the whole safari perfect to the last detail. All the lodges and camps, in Tsavo East Epiya Chapeyu, Tsavo West Kilaguni Lodge, Amboseli Old Tukai Lodge, Taita Hills, Salt Lick Lodge and Shimba Hills Lodge and Swahili Beach Resort been as described and expected, friendly people, decent food, clean, comfortable, all fine. Evans, our driver and guide was informative, respectful, a very good driver and a good guide who knew his animals and birds. We had a problem with the car in Amboseli (clutch) and Evans and Transtrek arranged a game drive with the vehicle of the lodge, whilst Evans was repairing the car. Things like this can happen, but it is important to find a good solution, which was the case. Tsavo East was very dry, Tsavo West green, in Amboseli we had showers with very heavy rain, Taita Hills and Shimba Hills very green as well, but we saw a lot of game in all the parks and we really enjoyed every day. The whole safari was a wonderful experience and we will always remember it with great pleasure. Should we plan annother trip to East Africa in future we defenitely will do it with Transtrek Safaris again.
US
Email Jackie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent staff and very professional
I try not to put expectations on things just so I can enjoy each moment as it is. If I had, Kenya Safari Bookings would have exceeded them for sure. Their staff were flexible on working to accommodate us in any request we had to make our trip the trip of a lifetime. Sam, Stephen, Kioko, Abigail, all were friendly and professional from the very beginning. Their prices were second to none! They were willing to work with me on customizing my trip and it was certainly a trip that I will not forget! Our accommodations were good and each place proved to be an extension of Kenya safari bookings as to providing 5 star service. Thank you to the entire staff. I would highly recommend this group for your Safari outing. You won't be disappointed. God bless you Kenya Safari Bookings.
DE
Email Savvas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The trip was exceptional
Everything was absolutely amazing and all of the details were just perfect. You made the entire trip just effortless! The best trip i’ve ever had.We could never have put together such a well-planned visit by ourselves. Amazing!