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
Email Susan and Andy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Kenya at its best - friendly, welcoming, awe-inspiring
From our first enquiry through to arriving home, the service provided by Daniel and his team was truly outstanding. Daniel took the time to understand what we wanted from our safari, tailoring one of the packages to provide the accommodation and itinerary that matched what we wanted, including booking our hotel before the start or the safari. Peter (our guide) was fantastic and always ready to go from the first morning. His skill and perserverance meant that we were treated to some incredible sites. Due to unforeseen circumstances we changed guides, but this was handled so seamlessly that it had no impact to us. Peter made sure Tony was introduced to us and had everything before traveling on. Tony had some big shoes to fill as Peter had made my holiday by finding cheetahs in Tsvao and some incredible viewings of lions. Tony made a promise that he would find me a leopard, not only did he do this, but he did it twice. Both Peter and Tony are amazing guides, with outstanding knowledge of Kenya, the parks and the wildlife. They were fun and helpful, willing to sit for ages so that we could try for the perfect photo. The accommodation was incredible, varying from tented camps to luxury lodges, the service at all was amazing with all staff being welcoming and friendly. We loved everything about our time in Kenya and will definitely be using Transtrek Safaris again.
FR
Email Peter | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
In a word, faultless
Our safari was tailor-made to our requirements by Daniel who was always available to answer the many questions we had. Our group comprised mainly French so a French speaking guide was essential. Tony fulfilled that role perfectly. We were very happy with the itinerary and the timetable ran like clockwork. Tony’s knowledge of the wildlife and Kenya in general is excellent, and he has the eye of a lynx! Although we saw no leopards we were never disappointed, and highlights included cheetahs in Amboseli and lions crossing the River Galana. All the lodges and tented camps were well chosen with friendly staff and good food. Personal favourites were Sentrim tented camp, Amboseli and Epia Chapeyu in Tsavo East. Our final 3 nights were spent on the coast at Chale Island. This involved a journey on the hair-raising Nairobi Mombasa highway, but Tony’s driving was irreproachable throughout.
Our safari fully lived up to expectations. The organisation was faultless and I have no hesitation in recommending Transtrek to anyone considering a wildlife safari in Kenya.
First rate
Our group spent 4 days, 3 nights in 3 national parks. With the good fortune of great weather, cooperative animal sightings, and personal guides/drivers, we could not have asked for more. The lodging was way above our expectations, especially the one in Tsavo East where it was a bit more rustic, and more part of the environment . The food was always exceptional as well. Our vans were not over crowded allowing for perfect visibility our each of us.
If I had a magic wand, I would have had naturalists joining us; the guides were well informed, but not educational professionals. Again, that would be magic wand material.
All in all I would not hesitate to use Transtrek again. Daniel was very responsive and helpful in organizing our experience ahead of time, and following up afterwards.
I still can't calculate how they provided so much for a very reasonable cost.
What a great once in a lifetime experience for our group.
CA
Email Maddie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Experience
I just returned home from the 8 day Kenya Highlands and Masai Mara safari. To say it was an incredible experience would be an understatement. From day 1, dealing with Daniel via email, was a pleasant experience. He was always very professional, helpful and always timely in his responses. As it was our first safari, I had a lot of questions and Daniel always answered them honestly. As for the safari itself, we were very pleased with the game drives that we did. We saw every animal you could imagine. Our driver, Tony, always went above and beyond to make sure we saw the animals that we wanted. Tony was a very knowledgeable, kind, funny man who made this trip that much more enjoyable. He always kept our safety as a first priority.The lodging was simple, yet always clean and safe. The food provided was amazing. Overall, we had a great experience and would definitely recommend this company and this specific safari.
US
Email Roy Catalano | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
When you have one chance to go on a Safaris, go with the best, Transtrek.
Like most Westerns visiting Africa for the first time, and trying to make a decision on a safaris company was difficult. After, searching through the internet, and talking to the owner, Daniel, it was easy. I choose Transtrek Safaris because of the variety in a three night four day visit to three different Parks, the uniqueness in each lodging environment, reasonable price, a chance to see the magnificent animals of Africa and a reassuring conversation with Daniel. I was confident we would have a good time. All expectations came true. The drivers for our 13 person group were accommodating, attentive, and patient with all our questions. Driving though Africa is no easy feat and we welcomed a safe and comfortable ride with Moses, David and Ben . The lodges were just what one imagines in being planted in the backcountry of Africa, very comfortable, great food, terrific scenery and very accommodating. Daniel and Transtrek run a professional organization and would highly recommend booking your safaris with them. TIP: Bring binoculars and zoom lens for your camera.
Email Jenny | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Couldn't have been better....
Like many other reviewers, this was our first venture into a safari, so many hours were spent browsing the internet and various operators and options. After a few emails back and forth, and a long Skype chat with Daniel, we decided to go with Transtrek. Daniel devised a custom made trip based on one of the scheduled itineraries and after a few tweaks, it was all agreed.
Our guide and driver Peter, met us at the airport and from then until he dropped us off 12 days later, couldn't have done more to make our visit memorable. We especially loved the trip to the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage, despite my being splattered with red mud. As foster parents, we could return in the evening and see the babies go to bed. Highly recommended.
The driving between destinations was sometimes long and often bumpy and dusty but we accepted this as part of the experience. The lodges and camps were all very different, ranging from small and intimate, to large and less personal but the service we received in all was without exception, efficient and friendly. The food everywhere was delicious and varied, with something for everyone. I had neglected to ask for anything special for my husbands birthday, which was while we were at Serena Mountain Lodge, until virtually the last minute when I asked Daniel & Peter if a cake could be arranged, which they did with good grace and generosity. The presentation of the cake to my husband after dinner in the local fashion was truly amazing.
We saw most the animals we'd hoped for, including rhino, cheetahs, lions and elephants as well as many beautiful birds although despite Peter's best efforts, leopards were particularly elusive and we only saw tails disappearing into the bush, twice.
In summation, the experience excelled our expectations and we very much hope to return one day to explore some of the reserves we didn't visit on this occasion. Thank you Daniel & Peter.
SE
Email Shuyang | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional operator and great guide, overall an excellent trip
This was the first safari for me and my husband. Before booking we consulted Daniel about basically everything (e.g., accommodation, safety, transportation, payment method...). He is very patient and gave detailed explanations to our questions, and suggested reasonable itinerary according to our need and the time we had. The price was a bit higher than we thought but still reasonable given the standard of accommodation we eventually chose. We got the impression that Transtrek was the most professional among several operators we had contacted, so we decided to travel with it. And it was a good decision. We were very happy with the arrangement from accommodation, food, to the safari experience. Richard, our guide, is kind and friendly, a fantastic driver and knowledgable guide. He is very good at spotting animals in bushes or far away. Every time we met a new kind of animal, he would introduce to us its habits, behaviours etc., and he tried to get us the best angle for photos. We learnt a lot from him and felt really lucky to have him as our guide.
Big thanks to Daniel and Richard, and Transtrek! We would definitely recommend this operator.
DK
Email Carsten Udsen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great - great - great
We did the "Samburu Five and Big Five Safari", and as the title says: everything was great!
Planning of our safari was done by email, and we received good and detailed information. We made a few changes and booked a little extra, so a number of mails went back and forth. Every time we received a reply within a day or two. Payment was handled online without any kind of problem.
We were met by our driver/guide Peter at the airport, and he took good care of us during the entire safari, until we were back in Nairobi. Peter is an excellent driver and has been in the business for many years. He even helped with a little "white lie" - since I had booked a balloon flight in Masai Mara, that was to be a surprise for my wife. With Peters help it was kept a secret, until we were parked in front of the balloon basket.
On the first day in Kenya, we had chosen to have a day in Nairobi, with visits to Giraffe Center, Sheldricks Elephant Orphanage and Karen Blixen Museum. This was a great start, and it also left time for some relaxation after the flight.
The safari itself was fantastic - the places we visited on the "Samburu Five and Big Five Safari", and the order in which they were visited, is a great experience in our opinion. We saw such different kinds of landscape and the specific animals living there. And of course we saw both the Samburu Five and the Big Five - and apart from seeing them during daytime, we also saw all of the Big Five on one single night game drive (in Ol Pejeta)!! Certainly, the Masai Mara is special, and something you must see - but we wouldn't miss Samburu for anything! In fact, all of the places we went (Aberdare, Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Naivasha and Masai Mara), had their own special values.
The camps/lodges, we stayed at, were all great. And it was like every time we moved to a new place, it added something more to the experience. And ending up at Sarova Camp in Masai Mara was perfect! The tents were fantastic and the food was fabulous!
Carsten Udsen, Denmark
Travel experience in Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa and Egypt
Adventure with the kids
I took my three young children on a Safari with Transtrek to Amboseli and Tsavo East and West. We loved it. A real adventure and learning experience for the children and great fun for me. We were well looked after.
Brilliant Kenyan safari experience with Transtrek Safaris
Our son recommended Transtrek Safaris to us and we are so glad that we took his advice. We contacted Daniel and were immediately impressed by how efficiently he tailored a trip to meet our needs and expectations: a six-day safari on which we could hope to see lots of game, yet not be in areas crowded with other visitors. We spent one night in Nakuru and another in Naivasha before going on to the Naboisho conservancy in the Masai Mara for 4 particularly memorable days at Eagle View Camp (solar-powered, great vista over a water course, friendly staff, spacious and comfortable "tent"). The highlights of Nakuru were seeing white rhino and, in the evening, a lioness walking along the dirt road before turning off to rejoin and feed her cubs (so our excellent and knowledgeable guide, Peter, surmised). Naivasha was the least interesting of our 3 venues (large and busy hotel rather than intimate lodge or camp): we did see hippo in the lake and on land, but not as closely as we were able to observe in Naboisho. In the latter venue, Peter and Amos, our Masai "warrior" guide, excelled at sensing where the big game was: we were able to spend long periods as the only viewers of lions, cheetahs, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, jackals, hippos, hyenas, wildebeest, topi and all manner of gazelles and birds. Peter is a really excellent driver, both on the rutted tracks of the plain and, most appreciatively, on the paved roads out of Nairobi where the two-lane highway invariably has 3 cars abreast!
From being picked-up at the airport to being delivered back there we have nothing but praise for Transtrek Safaris; we recommend them wholeheartedly to you. Perhaps we'll meet you, as we will certainly use Transtrek on our next visit!