Kenya & Tanzania Safari and Mt Climbing Adviser
Adventure Africa Expedition
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2006)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $120 to $295 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
PL
Email Stacey | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reliable, exceeded my expectations and attentive! I loved it.
The safari organised by Dickson and his team really exceeded my expectations! I can safely say that it was one of my best experiences with a safari service provider. My questions were all answered before hand, the journey to the hotel was so comfortable and the hotel was great. The driver Fred who drove us to Amboseli was the cherry on top, he was really reliable, friendly and a good story teller and a good travel companion for us. He would always give us facts about the animals we came across, he always asked us if we were okay and generally good driver. I can't wait to book again next year for the wild beast migration with Adventure Africa Expedition!
Email Andrina | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
First class! - Adventure Africa Expedition will always be our "Go To" company!
This was our first trip to Africa as part of a large group following a varied itinerary over 2 weeks. The group had been advised by our Kenyan friend who was leading the group, to be very careful whilst in Kenya, and to only use people whom she recommended and knew to be trustworthy......hence our introduction to Dickson.
As part of our trip, I was trying to arrange a meeting with 2 groups of people (I only knew of via a church) from the Lake Victoria area of Kenya to hand over a large suitcase of supplies and equipment - things to make life easier - which I had been gathering for over a year. It was proving very difficult for me to arrange this meeting, however Dickson came to the rescue and suggested the ideal meeting place and facilities in Nakuru.
Prior to the arranged return trip from Nairobi to Nakuru, Dickson came to meet myself and my husband at our hotel the night before and went through all of the arrangements. We immediately liked Dickson and trusted him, so our minds were put at ease for my big trip. Dickson quoted me a very reasonable price for the journey - by comparison, the hotel staff quoted me 3 to 4 times more money than Dickson had quoted me, for transport for the same journey which would have made the journey unaffordable!
At Nakuru, I had offered to pay for lunch for the 2 groups. I was busy dividing out and handing over the donation to each of the 2 church elders, and in my absence, the remaining party were busy over ordering meals and drinks, and then, in addition, ordering full meals to take away.....as if the sky was the limit. By the time myself and the 2 elders returned to the restaurant, the bill was enormous, and getting larger by the minute - the waitress was genuinely upset by the group's grasping behaviour. I was upset and in shock. I was not expecting my generosity to be abused in that way. My credit card would not work and I did not have nearly enough in my Kenyan Shilling holiday account to cover the bill. Ever reliable Dickson came to the rescue again and took care of everything : he maxed out one of his cards and also had to withdraw cash to cover the bill on my behalf, with only my word that I would pay him back as soon as I could. I was and still am so grateful to Dickson for helping me out of a very difficult and embarrassing situation.
My 8 hour Nairobi - Nakuru round road trip with Dickson itself was the most brilliant experience - an unexpected gem! It was an "epic" road trip in every way, and is a wonderful memory. I knew I was completely in safe hands; being transported in a high quality vehicle and had the best tour guide telling me all about Kenya and wildlife etc throughout the journey.
After that, my husband and I were transported by Dickson for the remainder of our journeys around Kenya because we know that he is efficient, reliable, communicative and he gives us excellent value for money ; and he is a thoroughly decent and trustworthy man.
We will return to Africa for another safari, and will have no hesitation in booking with Dickson Wambugu & Adventure African Expedition.
IT
Email Giorgio and Simone | 35-50 years of age
reliable and precise
My partner and I asked to organize an expedition to the highest mountains in Africa. Mount Kenya and then Mount Kilimanjaro. Dickson helped us plan the entire trip (using whatsapp) providing us with all the necessary information. The most advantageous thing for us was to decide the period that was most convenient for us and Dickson adapted the entire organization based on our needs. Everything worked very well. We found prepared and competent people. Dickson accompanied us when needed, or checked via whatsapp that everything was going well. For us it was a very positive experience, a real adventure. Our hearts are full of emotions.
US
Email Charles | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We believe we got scammed by Dickson
Four of us were referred by my friend’s sister to the owner, Dickson, of Adventure Africa Expedition over six months ago. All communications were very good at the begining. We were so exited and looking forward to the great migration in Masai Mara and Serengeti. We even wired him extra fund after the contract due to park fee increase from July 1st in Masai Mara. But during the tour, we realized we were scammed. He charged us 5 day Masai Mara park fees ($4,000), but we should only pay for 4 days. We have confirmed with the driver that he only paid $3,200 for 4 days. We brought this fact up to Dickson as this is an integrity issue, but he has been running around and refused to refund $800. We have reported this scam/integrity issue to Kenya’s Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA) and we are waiting on the reply. But we really don’t know how Kenya authority will do. We were told that government has got so corrupt. Hope that is not the case. I have all the facts including the contracts and communication. I like to share this true experience so you can avoid falling into the same trap. Safari is great, but you need to stay away from this company.
CA
Email Shannon | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Responsive, accommodating, flexible, and affordable!
We booked a trip to East Africa with Dickson, and it was a trip of a lifetime! He worked tirelessly with me to come up a personalized itinerary that fit our schedule and our budget.
We climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, went on safari in Maasai Mara, and went gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. His company offered the trip at a more reasonable rate than other companies we looked into.
Dickson was very responsive and patiently answered all of my questions leading up to our trip. He was flexible and accommodating.
We also really appreciated that he used locally owned and operated companies for our tours.
Dickson went the extra mile by coming to personally meet us at our hotel in Nairobi, which was so thoughtful.
We highly recommend you book with this company if you are travelling to East Africa
US
Email Caroline | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent communication and meets all expectations.
Pick up to drop off, the 8 day trip was magical and seamless. Our amazing tour driver James captured our attention with knowledge of the Masai Mara and kept us entertained with facts until he dropped us off at the air strip. From Mara to Diani, Dickson paid attention to little details that sometimes I might overlook when planning a trip. Our group of 5 all look forward to taking a trip with Adventure Africa next year.
CA
Email Evan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A professional, attentive and knowledgeable company that helped us to have an incredible experience
Our family recently had the pleasure of going on a remarkable safari journey through Kenya and Rwanda, organized by Adventure Africa. From the outset, the experience was seamless and highly personalized. In the planning stages, Dickson was very responsive, catering to our interests and putting together an itinerary that turned out to be exciting and educational.
Our guides in both Kenya and Rwanda were exceptional. In Kenya, David was super friendly, patient, extremely knowledgeable about Kenyan culture and local wildlife, and punctual. He answered all of our many questions, and drove us expertly across the country and through the Samburu and the Masai Mara parks. We saw an incredible array of amazing wildlife, including the big five. David also arranged, at our request, for us to visit several elementary schools along the way and a Masai village near Masai Mara, where we met locals and learned about their ways of life.
The experience in Rwanda added an enriching layer to our trip. Francis, an independent guide hired by Adventure Africa, was also awesome. His ability to weave stories and facts together created a vivid picture of life in Rwanda, making it a memorable part of our journey. We visited Volcano National Park, where we hired a guide and tracked Mountain Gorillas on one day, and chimpanzees on another. We went to a tea plantation, took a boat on Lake Kivu, and spent a few days in Kigali. David gave us a fascinating tour of the city, including the Genocide Memorial museum (a must), art galleries, the downtown shopping district, a local restaurant serving traditional food, cool coffee shops, and a women’s centre where we took a cooking class.
Overall, the accommodations and travel arrangements were excellent. The hotels and lodges that we chose with Dickson were wonderful. We felt well taken care of and immersed in authentic experiences.
I highly recommend Adventure Africa for anyone looking to explore the wonders of Kenya and Rwanda. Their professionalism, passion, and personalized approach have left us with memories we will cherish forever. Thank you for an unforgettable adventure!
Email Maxwell McCaffrey | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Plentiful Picnic’s on Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya is a legendary location, the flora and fauna of which varies greatly.
Whilst some try and rush the experience into a weekend, our hike took place over five days and it’s route (Chogoria Banda’s, Lake Ellis, Lake Michaelson, Simba Tarn, Point Lenana, Shipton Camp, Old Moses Camp) enabled us to really enjoy the experience and savour the sights of such an epic adventure.
I should also add that this route is better for acclimatising to the altitude, making a successful summit more likely and gives you some fantastic views along the way, the lunch stop on day two looking over Lake Michaelson sticks in my mind in particular as a fantastic sight (as does that first cuppa tea at Shipton, so restorative and refreshing after the early morning ascent; talk about a brew with a view).
Dickson and his team were quite simply the best; the porters were cheery no matter the weight they carried, the food was fantastic and fuelled us well (as a vegetarian my dietary needs were accommodated and understood fully and flavour-ably; honestly we all commented how tasty it was, there certainly was plentiful picnics on Mount Kenya for us unlike the hardships experienced in No Picnic on Mount Kenya), the guides are knowledgeable and extremely supportive and patient; on the ascent to Lenana I was somewhat nervous and fatigued but with their help and guidance I was able to reach the Lenana Ridge and enjoy that spectacular sunrise which is a sight I will never forget.
I am so grateful to Dickson and Co for their company and support, our expedition was a success solely thanks to their efforts and it was a joy to be in their presence for such a journey and to make so many memories on that mountain.
I would highly recommend that you select their services to support you on your African adventures, you will not regret it.
Email Steven Reading | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely the best hike I’ve ever been on.
I can honestly say this was the best hike I’ve ever been on in my life. The guys pushed well beyond their boundaries to make myself and the team exceptionally comfortable at every stage. Not once could I fault anything from them. I would happily recommend and also happily use their services again anytime.
Email Gary | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very good safari, but had problems at start and end of trip
I went on a trip with Adventure Africa Expedition in November 2019 in Tanzania (through the Serengeti and Ngorongoro). Whilst we had a fantastic trip, and I would recommend booking with the company, we did have a few problems on occasions throughout the trip.
Whilst booking, Dickson from Adventure Africa was very communicative, explaining exactly what we were booking. He was very accommodating and willing to change our tour based on what we wanted to experience. Whilst this changed slightly whilst on the trip (only the order of areas visited), we still visited all the places we wanted to.
On departing day, the tour owner was very late (nearly two hours). After he finally arrived, after trying to contact Adventure Africa many times, it was evident that the company that would be taking us on the tour, was different. This company was called Martial Eagle Safaris. This wasn't communicated during booking that.
We still had a small balance to pay upon the tour owners arrival, which we all had the money for (in cash) and had been communicated to us, at the time of booking. However, when paying, the owner of Martial Eagle Safaris was adamant that we had been quoted the incorrect amount and demanded that we paid another $100 USD each to start the tour. Upon managing to speak with Adventure Africa, Dickson told us that they had miscalculated and given us the wrong exchange rate. This meant that we had to fork out. I'm not sure if this was a scam or a genuine mistake, but I was extremely annoyed by this as we spent the morning trying to sort this out and it meant that our trip started badly.
After this, we stated our tour with our safari guide named China and our cook name Wiz. Both of these guys were fantastic and I couldn't fault either of them. China went out of his way throughout the trip to keep us happy and to find animals in the bush. He was an expert and we saw everything with his guidance. Wiz cooked up some brilliant food given the very basic facilities he was using to cook. If I was going on another safari, I'd want these guys to take me.
We had some fantastic days, seeing great wildlife. We camped in some great locations - including two locations that wildlife came through the came. These places were basic (and the bathrooms we not for the faint-hearted) but this is what we were expecting. All of our tents were also made for us upon arrival which was an added bonus.
Unfortunately, despite the amazing time we had on the trip, it ended on a low. On our final day, upon exiting the Serengeti, we were stopped from leaving as the owner of Martial Eagle had failed to pay the park fees. This meant we were stuck at the airport for over 5 hours. After China spent a lot of time negotiating, we managed to get out. This delay meant we arrived back in Arusha at about 10pm (and we were not able to see the town at all). This meant we ended our tour on a low.
Overall we had an amazing time on our trip, as the bulk of it whilst on safari, exceeded expectations. But the problems at start and end had a negative impact and were extremely annoying, putting a downer on our trip. Anyone booking with either of these companies should be aware of this.
Also, if you are planning on visiting the Serengeti area in late November, it's a really good time to go. It wasn't particularly busy and we saw everything!