Three members of the team on safari near Nairobi
Transtrek Safaris
- Located In:
-
United Kingdom
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2013)
- Member Of:
- TTA & TRA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $220 to $380 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Outstanding safari adventure with Transtrek - Book now, do not hesitate.
After months of research, I finally decided on Transtrek for our "Bucket List" trip. From the start our communication with Daniel was easy and pleasant, he really worked hard to get us the trip we wanted, he is thoughtful and paid close attention to what our needs were. He revised the itinerary a few times with our input, until it was precisely what we wanted, and within our budget. I felt very comfortable using Transtrek which is important when you are spending a good amount of money for a 13-day vacation. Trying to plan something from a distance, with a stranger in another country is intimidating, but working with Daniel was like working with a friend, which truly put us at ease.
The trip itself? Well, we are still smiling, downloading movies and 3500+ photos. It was unbelievable, one cannot imagine the things we saw, everything but the rhino, but that was OK with us since on the way to look for the rhinos, we came upon 2 large male lion brothers on their way back home around 830am. We followed them for an hour, chuffing and roaring as they communicated. The behavior was extremely interesting, and we were so close to them, that my heart started pounding (and I'm not easily frightened) about a 20-25 foot distance.
All of our days were filled with really interesting encounters, a giant python, African hunting dogs (very rare) and a female elephant so close that Peter didn't turn the vehicle off since she was in "charge" mode. We kind of snuck up on her eating in Tsavo West. The brush was so dense that we couldn't see each other until we were right on top of her, and she us. Exhilarating! We saw so much; Lions, hippos, zebra, giraffe, elephant, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, crocodile, hyena, ostrich, warthog and much more. I even got a bunch of kisses from a friendly, beautiful eland at the gate of the Masai Mara reserve. A huge animal with large horns, but tame and friendly as he/she was a rescue at a young age. I could have stayed there all day with the eland, beautiful animal...
This safari was absolutely unforgettable thanks to Peter our driver. He is very knowledgeable, smart, knows his animals and their territories, he was also very accommodating to us and was flexible on his timing. We were in good hands with Peter, we felt safe, comfortable and most of all we had the time of our lives, really an incredible trip. He knew where to locate and spot the animals, as well as an expert on the wildlife itself, especially the birds, so many huge birds in the reserves and Peter knew what all of them were - impressive knowledge.
Do not hesitate for a moment booking with Transtrek if you are searching for a tour company. I am a skeptic at heart, and always will be. I do not ever trust blindly without extensive research, but at some point you need to book a safari with someone, right? My instinct told me Daniel is a trustworthy man after emails back and forth with him, and I am happy to report my instincts paid off. Great trip, great animal sightings, and especially a great company to put my trust in, I would use Transtrek again in a heartbeat.
Asante Sana Transtrek, hope to meet again in the future.
Email Ian | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Service
From start to finish we received excellent service from transtrek safaris. Quick responses to emails, happy to discuss options and comforting advice when the election loomed.
Great driver (Peter) who worked hard to get us our 2 leopard sightings and was happy to flex plans to our needs.
Will use these guys again.
Email Simon | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Holiday of a lifetime executed perfectly!
Myself and my girlfriend decided we wanted to go to Kenya on Safari so began the task of assessing companies and itineraries.
From the off Dan was incredibly attentive to our requirements. We found other companies to be very short with minimal time for our changing ideas. Dan on the other hand went above and beyond to help us organise our safari adventure and was happy to guide/assist us on our (embarrassingly) constant mind changing with regards to what we wanted to do.
It became clear very quickly that Transtrek were the company we wanted to use.
Everything was organised specifically how we wanted it to be. The amount of days in certain places, activities etc.
I had high expectations of the holiday before I left and they were blown out of the water............ It was literally 3 flawless weeks of pure beauty and enjoyment! Everything came together perfectly without a single mishap.
Each and every lodge/camp we stayed at was breathtaking. The surrounding nature was mind blowing, the hospitality and friendliness of every member of staff a true pleasure to behold.
We went to Amboseli, Tsavo west/east, Lake Nakuru/Navaisha & Masai mara. Each area with its own landscapes, identity and plethora of wildlife.
I went on this holiday thinking it was a once in a lifetime adventure but I know for certain I will go back and do it all again at some point as it was the best holiday I've ever had.
Special thanks to Tony our guide who was easy going, kind hearted, understanding, organised, more knowledgeable than an encyclopedia on location and wildlife, and just a lovely jack the lad to be around... he very quickly became a massive part of the enjoyment of our holiday.
To sum up....Holiday 10/10, Transtrek/Dan 10/10, Tony our guide 10/10, lodges/camps 10/10, wildlife 10/10.
Thank you Transtrek for giving us the experience we had. It will never ever be forgotten!!
Email Nimit | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organised and memorable trip
My experience of dealing with Dan right from the first email to the end of our trip was totally first class. The suggestions we got for the trip and the accommodation chosen for us couldn't be better. Overall we had a fantastic and a memorable time.
In order to find room for improvement it would have been probably helpful for Dan to have met the driver to assess customer service abilities. Overall the driver was very good, punctual, hard working and very knowledgeable however when it comes to dealing with clients there is a certain cultural element involved in communication which may be seen as condescending for London residents but probably Ok in other places. Again nothing wrong with the driver per se but would expect the tour organiser to make that assessment prior to appointing the driver.
One other point was the lack of the night headlamp light for the night time game drive. Given we started to feel a bit bad for the animals having intruded into their lives overall missing the night game drive was probably OK however from an organisational point of view the hotel where we stayed should have done a better job of maintaining a spare night lamp. This is probably more down to the hotel and not so much for Transtrek but part of the overall experience nonetheless.
In conclusion, I would not hesitate in recommending Transtrek Safaris to anyone since we had a great time and we felt we had a very well organised and enjoyable time for a good price.
Reply from Transtrek Safaris
Posted on Feb 5, 2018Thank you for your review and great to hear that overall you had a great time. Regarding the driver assessment, we do have our own full time drivers and we also use a short-list of independent drivers for when our drivers are booked, as was the case for your safari. All drivers have been met and vetted by a member of our team prior to us booking them without exception. In this case the driver was met and vetted by Milkah our office manager in our Nairobi office. I am sorry that you felt that the driver spoke to you on occasion in a condensing manner, I am quite sure this was not intentional and maybe just a cultural difference.
NZ
Email Colin | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent accommodation, food and game viewing.
I went with Transek Safaris to four parks in Kenya. Daniel organised a private safari for me to suit specific dates and this was very satisfactory. Peter our guide and driver was very obliging and was able to locate all the game I wanted to see including the black rhino and elusive leopard in Masai Mara. Altogether a very enjoyable experience.
CA
Email Laurie and Dave | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing adventure
Thank you Daniel and Peter (our guide/ driver for 2 weeks). Daniel set up our safari including everything we wanted to see and do expertly. Peter took such good care of us the entire time we were there we never had to worry about a thing. And the animals!!!! From the lions lounging in the shade to the adult female lion protecting their kill for the pride. The cheetahs, hippos,giraffes we saw them and not just saw them but were able to observe their behavior from up close. I can't think of enough adjectives to tell you what an extraordinary experience it was. Anyone that enjoys seeing animals should do this at least once in their lifetime. I plan on going back in a few years. Thank you Daniel and Peter.
Email Neil | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
'Perfect fit' safari!
Daniel's advice and knowledge helped us put together a memorable holiday. He explained the reasons for visiting the different areas and everything he said was true! We were very well looked after at Giraffe Manor and Solio Lodge where we enjoyed our game drives with the very knowledgable Amos. The view from Basecamp Eagle View was without doubt outstanding - and with the extra bonus of fresh elephant droppings on the path to breakfast in the morning! Sampson and Kaleb were wonderful guides and great fun to be with. We finished off at Sand River, once again a superb camp where they took pleasure in catering to our every dietary need. It is located in an area well away from the high traffic density of the Mara triangle, and we saw four of the big five before even reaching the Lodge (Thank you Akeba!).
The whole trip went like clockwork, and we are now waiting for the grandkids to be old enough so we can share another safari adventure with them.
Thanks Daniel.
NZ
Email Jeanette | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
So we'll organised and a treat around every corner. Loved how they supported the local communities.
We chose Transtrek firstly because Daniel was so great to deal with. He was the only one I contacted which called me. He really understood what we wanted and tailored a package that surpassed all our expectations.
Tony, our driver, is such a nice guy and we talked about everything and anything while on the road. He is an exceptional driver and made sure we had the best ever experience.
Tony looked after us from the beginning, picking us up at the airport and taking us to our accommodation. We started at Wilderbeest lodge with a day to recover from our trip (very long from New Zealand). The next day was the elephant sanctuary and the giraffes. Wonderful. The next day lake Naivasha with a boat trip to Crescent island and viewing hippos. Sopa lodge was a stand out accommodation with wildlife in the sorrounding gardens (we had to call reception to get a guide to take us to dinner in case we ran into a Hippo on the lawn
Email Becci | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
4 day Maasi Mara Safari- Trip of a lifetime
Transtrek ensured we had a bespoke trip to suit us. We were picked up (with Wifi in the Land Cruiser) directly from where we were staying and spent 4 days/3 nights in two camps. The first (and my favourite) being the "Wilderness Camp" just outside the Maasi Mara. I would recommend this camp with only 5 accommodation tents it ensured we were well looked after, with our Maasi Warrior to guard outside our tent at night. The term "Glamping" is definitely how I would describe the accommodation with a proper bed, comfortable mattress, ensuite with flushing toilet. To top it all the view from the tent is straight out to the wildlife. Our guide driver/guide Tony was extremely knowledgeable and always tried his best to ensure we made the most of the time on Safari seeing, Lions & their cubs, Leopards, Elephants, Buffalo, Giraffe, Zebra, Hippo's and many more animals. Our second camp was at Base Camp, which is on a larger scale with more accommodation but leads directly into the Maasi Mara. We also had a good experience here with good accommodation and food. We really felt looked after by Transtrek who provided us with an experience that looks after the Maasi people and the Mara itself. You could tell that both Tony and the Maasi guide (Moses) wanted us to see everything we could but not to the detriment of the animals and their wilderness. It was just the two of us in our Land Cruiser able to view the magic of Kenya and it beautiful scenery and wildlife.
Email Jo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience in and around the Maasai Mara
Transtrek Safaris are simply unforgettable. Daniel was fantastic at making sure for our 4 day 3 night safari complimented the rest of our time in Kenya (for example we were already going to visit Lake Naivasha). Our guide Tony was extremely knowledgable and enabled us to have a wildlife experience beyond our dreams. The leopards we saw just made you speechless. We had really great accomodation and were welcomed everywhere with extremely comfortable tents (if you can really call them that, with ensuite's, flushing toilets and wooden floors!) and were very well fed. We would particularly recommend the Mara Naboisho conservancy, which with its strict entrance policy and work with the local Maasi was a very personalised experience. We particularly like the Wilderness Camp as were felt even closer to nature and enjoyed the small nature of the set up. Thank you so much for so many amazing memories in only 4 days.