Reviews
Excellent, but beware of details
Kenya is incredible! No matter with which tour operator, airline or travel agency you go there you should be satisfied. You can have beach holiday, city trips, wildlife viewing, climbing mountains - all of it in just two weeks time. Regarding our trip to Masai Mara with Kenya Tour Budget Safari, which was supposed to be wildlife viewing tour. Definitely to be recommended, but with some observations. Why you should choose this or similar company which uses minivans for safari inside the national parks (Masai Mara and Nakuru) - because the roots are the same for everybody - you view the same animals and use the same infrastructure. There is really no sense to pay two or three times more just for riding a jeep. The majority of drivers are experienced and know where and when to go. If financial aspect is not important for you then you can choose a flight on a small plane from Nairobi. Thus you will avoid the quite bumpy road.
What was not ok in our trip: you pay not too much, therefore you live two nights in a tented camp just outside the Masai Mara national park. A real tent would be fine for me, yet the owners of the camp have decided to use (in their opinion) improved tents - with the shower and toilet inside the the tent! Each tent is for several people, so unless you are a group of close friends or a family, it becomes really uncomfortable. And there is no alternative - like a common shower or toilet somewhere else in the camp. The shower is with cold water only, but if you are in good health it should not make problems.
Next negative point - all flamingos from lake Nakuru have left, yet the organizers did not inform us about it. And finally - the small business of the tour drivers - "optional" boat safari in lake Naiwasha. One hour for 30 USD :) In the beginning nobody wants to go there, because there is nothing to see except malaria mosquitoes. However the driver speaks with everyone individually and says that all the group wants to go to Naiwasha. And of course you are expected to join the group. So, speak among yourselves and beware of such practices.
In general - I want back to Kenya!