TEAM BUSHTHORNS
Bush-thorns Adventures and Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Member Of:
- Kenya Professional Safari Guide Assoication
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $70 to $400 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Dee | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Samuel is extremely friendly, enthusiastic, reliable and knowledgeable :D
My sisters and I have been wanting to "take a dip in Lake Turkana" for years now. Finally, in December 2021, we decided we will accomplish this dream come hell or high water. A quick browse on the internet brought forth "Bush-thorns Adventures and Safaris". In Kenyan spirit, we didn't give it a second thought and started a conversation with Samuel about quotes and what have you. Since it was our first time to travel to Turkana, we had like a barrage of questions that we bombarded Samuel with every now and then. He was always so patient and kind and satiated us with his responses every time. D day arrived and we found ourselves spellbound with the magnificent views from the chartered flight to Lodwar. Our stay at Eliye Springs was simply "magical" - one has to just experience this for themselves. We don't have enough words to praise the staff there. Special thanks to the chef who catered for our very specific diet (vegan and jain); we definitely came back 2kgs heavier. Day 2 was very special. We took of to explore Central Island - Kenyan geography never ceases to amaze me! GORGEOUS and a must visit! I can prattle on and on about this special trip but, as they say, words won't do justice. I highly recommend a trip to Turkana asap :) Asante Bush-thorns :D
DE
Email Thomas | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfekt Safari Trip
The 5-day safari with Samuel and his colleagues was great. Unfortunately our vacation time was too short to do a longer tour. The team is very flexible, it is rearranged if necessary to guarantee the safety of the guests (on the day we wanted to go to Nairobi there was unrest), and the program was changed at short notice. Even the change was so good that it was not even noticed that the program was changed. Extra wishes are also taken into account and implemented in the tour planning. The hotels / accommodations were top, so well done that you can see wild animals like elephant, lion and buffalo from your hotel room all day long. You have to get up very early, but you are at the most important spots before all the other tourists arrive and it gets crowded. Samuel and his team have a perfect sense of timing to be in the right place at the right time. You can even see the leopard in the tree. The other tourists spent hours afterwards hoping in vain that they would see it. Thanks to Samuel, we were able to see it. The service is excellent, the driver has a very good feel for his vehicle and is always in full control, even in the most difficult terrain. Samuel also provides reading material on the individual doors. He simply knows the best places to see wild animals or go for a meal. We will plan another tour with Samuel on our next vacation. Bush Thorn safaris is the best👌🏽
DE
Email Jacqueline | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Simply said....Simply the BEST
The Safari with Bush Thorn safaris was the best. We saw all the big five and some other animals. My family and I really enjoyed the 5 day Safari and Samuel and Joseph, who were very professional and respectful became part of our family members. Our itinerary was well planned: 5 DAYS TSAVO EAST, TSAVO WEST, NAIROBI, LAKE NAIVASHA SAFARI. I will advice all the others Visitors to choose Bush Thorn safaris anytime.
A true gem - I would give six stars if I could
Sam was recommended to me by a friend. What a great tip!
My adult daughter and I did a two day tour the Maasi Mara linked to a two day tour of Amboseli National Park. Being in the park and SEEING the park turn out to be two completely different things. Without a good guide, you will miss so, so much. And Sam and Zack were absolutely amazing. Seamless logistics, deeply knowledgeable, excited to share with an infectious positivity, and possessing a miraculous ability to find animals in invisible nooks and crannies. Getting close to the wildlife, positioning for perfect picture backdrops, and always with good cheer - really top notch! The trip was a series of constant marvels, and would not have been the same without this exceptionally talented team. My highest recommendation.
We coupled our safaris with a Nairobi city tour with Jeen. Another absolute must-do!
ES
Email Jorge Escanciano | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
All we were looking for.
Great communication and planning.
We spent 12 amazing days in several National Parks with Zach and Samu. Everything was taken care of since the first email. We wanted a personalized tour and they made it unforgetabble.
FR
Email FANNY | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfection in every way. Recommend 100%
We did 2 day trips with this tour operator, and both of them were perfect. A big thank you to Samuel for the organisation and to our guide Jeen, everything was perfect.
The first one was the bike safari to Hell's gate with the naivasha visit, you have to do it ! Lunch was great as well. And the second one was a day trip to the Aberdare and its amazing landscape. Thanks again for everything.
US
Email Jeffrey Wang | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Considerate and provide detail introduction
My guide Gitaui Samuel is a nice and considerate guy. He notice I am interested in taking photo for animal, so he actively asked me if I take enough photo in every spot. He also share lots of animal knowledge with me. I learnt so much from a two day trip. In addition, I choose a budge plan, but the stay is clean and nice. The host is nice and I enjoy the stay.
CZ
Email Lenka | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing adventure with knowledgeable, reliable and respectful guides
Bush-thorns Adventures and Safaris was recommended to me by two different people (both very happy with their safaris) when I was searching for an affordable way to explore some of Kenya's national parks. From the very beginning, Samuel was extremely helpful and quick with his responses. He readily accommodated all our needs (low budget, vegetarian meals, early pick up at the airport etc.) and created an affordable yet packed plan for us. He and Joseph picked us at the airport early in the morning and Joseph took us to Masai Mara and later to Lake Nakuru. Samuel joined us then for the rest of the trip (Hell's Gate, Lake Naivasha, Amboseli and Tsavo West). Both were very friendly, extremely knowledgeable and respectful not only to people but also to the animals, which, unfortunately cannot be said about all the tour operators. Joseph always left enough space for the animals which often somehow worked for our benefit since, on many instances, we observed them passing very close to our vehicle, on their own terms. Samuel and Joseph also enthusiastically satisfied our interest in birdwatching.
Because we had only 10 days, we were able to explore only the well-known parks in southern Kenya. However, as we learnt during our trip, Samuel's specialty are the less frequented parks in northern Kenya, so if you get the chance, do not miss this opportunity.
I cannot recommend Samuel and Joseph more. We were first reluctant to hire a guide since we have experience with self-drive safaris in Namibia and South Africa. Kenya is, however, a different story and although it is theoretically possible to drive on your own, I think that going with Samuel and Joseph was way more rewarding, less stressful and I dare to say even cheaper than a self-drive.
So, thank you, Joseph, and thank you, Samuel, for an incredible adventure and best of luck to you!
ES
Email Sander Scholte | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An amazing and enjoyable Adventure
Were we lucky to be able to catch Samuel and Benson of Bush-Thorns Adventures on a few free days, for a last minute trip with them in Kenya.
Due to changes in our travel plans we ended up with a few unplanned days on the final stretch of our Kenya trip. We wanted to see Aberdare National Park, but we were not in Nairobi where most trips leave from; therefore it was hard to find something suitable. We contacted a few agencies, and noticed quickly that Bush-Thorns Adventures was by far the quickest, most communicative and most helpful to create an affordable plan that suited our departure location and wishes.
We spent two days visiting many beautiful Waterfalls in Aberdare National Park, and hiking Mt. Satima (4001m., often called Lesatime) together. This was a wonderful, exciting and for us doable hike suggested by Samuel, which turned out to be a great substitute for our cancelled Mt. Kenya trek.
We enjoyed it so much that we decided to extend our two day adventure with Samuel and Benson with a safari through Ol' Pejeta National Reserve; a testimony to their willingness and competency to adapt, make good suggestions and fully accommodate their clients even if they are 'spontaneous' travelers like us :)
A part from their competency, general care for our well-being and openness to 'new' itineraries, we also simply enjoyed their company; the conversations about Kenya, Wild-Life, tourism and our shared interest in birds definitely made the final part of our stay in Kenya with them one of the highlights. Our frantic search for birds often lead to funny moments with Benson flipping through his Birds of East-Africa book, while Samuel was trying to find matching bird sounds online in order to identify one of the many beautiful and for us foreign species we encountered.
If you are wondering wether to travel with Bush-Thorns Adventures, let this be a gentle but convincing nudge towards a yes.
LV
Email Barba | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best adventure.
We had a great experience in Kenya. From majestic peaks, moorlands and intriguing falls of Aberdare National park to Chalbi desert and Lake Turkana. Samuel, Paul, Joseph and Maina did everything to make our adventure unforgettable. Thank you!
