AMS Directors and Tour Guides
Amazing Memories Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, KATO, AMREF & Eco Tourism
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $130 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
IL
Email Brondi | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Memories - excellent company for putting together a wonderful Kenyan Safari and Beach trip
When we made up our minds that we wanted to make our next vacation a safari in Kenya, I began to look for company to help us actualize our desires. I emailed at least 6 companies that I found on the internet. Tens were available, so it was just a matter of checking reviews on each company and making an arbitrary selection from those with good reviews. We finally chose Amazing Memories Safaris (AMS) because I appreciated the quick and to the point responses that I received from Anne, who was our contact at AMS. From the get go Anne was easily and quickly available via email, WhatsApp and WhatsApp calls. She never made us feel uncomfortable about our continual plan changes and requests (We had some real problems getting our 5 person group together and Anne quoted us ever changing prices as our group shifted and changed over the course of about a month.)
When it came time to finalize an itinerary, AMS was helpful with recommendations and suggestions that we found to have very much in our interest. But perhaps best of all was the driver guide that they provided for us. We made a special request that the guide be someone familiar with the needs of a photographer since one of our party is a serious amateur photographer. In addition, we wanted a guide with a lot of knowledge about the animals and the culture of Kenya. Our driver guide James (Swahili name Magi) was all of this and more. He is an amateur photographer himself and was always on top of pointing out excellent photo opportunities and setting the vehicle up in such a way as to capture the best shots. He volunteered loads of interesting information about Kenya, its various peoples and of course its birds and other wild life. And when we had questions he almost always knew the answers. He also carried with hem a number of reference books on plants and animals. But most of all, James was such a charming and funny guy that we all feel so sad to have had to tell him goodbye at the end of our trip.
Everything about our trip went according to plan and our accommodations were all above satisfactory. I warmly recommend AMS to anyone looking to make a safari dream vacation a reality.
9 Day Safari Tour
We absolutely loved our 9-day safari in Kenya with Amazing Memories (AM)! We chose AM as they offered very competitive prices but also had some of the best reviews.
Booking Process
- Booking with AM was very easy. Anne (manager) is very responsive and provides lots of information. Likewise for the rest of the team.
Accommodation
- We opted for the premium accommodation. All of the lodges were of an excellent standard other than in relation to Samburu (which was still nice but I would not expect in the premium package).
Vehicle
- We opted for the Land Cruiser over the standard mini van. This is essential in my opinion as the mini van is far more limited off road (which much of the Safari is).
- The vehicle was very comfortable, spacious and well maintained.
Guide
- Our guide was full of conversation, patient and made sure we got the most out of game drives- I’m sure he would have driven us around the parks all day if that was what we wanted! We learnt a lot about the Kenyan culture and the different animals found on Safari. Overall he was very good.
- We were slightly disappointed by the extent to which the guide spent time on his mobile phone - this was both on game drives and travelling on main roads between parks. This lead to many instances where either the the guide did not pay attention to questions asked or it slowed down the travel in general.
Schedule
- We really liked the schedule that was offered for the 9 day safari and were generally very pleased.
- We did find that the itinerary differed from what we had originally received. We were meant to be arriving at the lodges by lunch time with time to enjoy the lodge before our afternoon game drives. As the drives between parks often took longer than stated we missed this on a couple of days and in one instance missed 40 minutes of our evening game drive.
Overall we had a fantastic experience and would definitely recommend others to use AM! The entire experience was excellent and the service offered at all stages was very good.
ES
Email ENRIC KB | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A perfect experience from start to finish!
Jambo! Are you looking where or with whom to do a safari? Well, don't hesitate to do it with Amazing Memories Safaris!
The reservation process, payments and other transactions were always smooth and as agreed.
Together with Anne, we designed a safari itinerary that was not too heavy on the road since we traveled with our 6-year-old daughter. Our final choice was a 6 day safari through Lake Navaisha to cycle through Hell's Gate followed by Lake Nakuru and 4 days in the Masai Mara.
It was an incredible experience from start to finish! No unpleasant surprises or last minute changes, everything was as agreed and above our expectations. Our guide was Joseph who put all his efforts at all times so that we could see as many animals as possible, while taking care of every little detail of our trip! If you read us Joseph: "Asante Sana!"
The hotels we stayed at were dream hotels: Naivasha Sawela Lodge, Sarova Lionhill Game Lodge and Mara Serena Lodge.
Now that we are back, we are dreaming of repeating with other parks and without a doubt we will contact Anne and her team from Amazing Memories Safaris again.
BE
Email Jan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent reliable company with Joseph as super guide
We had a great 9 day safari in Kenya. They finetuned our journey and all administration was well taken care off (including the needed security in terms of payment). The trip was well organised and our guide Joseph did everything he could to please us. This is the first time we took a 4x4 van instead of a landcruiser and this was great: much more manouvrable for following animals offroad (better than heavy landcruiser). Thanks for the great trip!
IL
Email Brondi | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Day in Nairobi
We just completed a full day with our driver/guide Paul in Nairobi. We visited the Sheldrik Elephant Center and the Giraffe Center, took a walk in the centeral business district of Nairobi, made purchases in the Masai Market and finished off with dinner at Wapek Delicacies. It was all really fun and a total thumbs up.
Email Ash | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
WOW - Unforgettable Family Holiday
An amazing company to book a holiday through, we would happily use Amazing Memories Safaris again and will recommend to any friends who would like to travel to Kenya. Anne was to communicate with, provided lots of information and price options, and gave great advice about the best options for our family. We even asked if they could book us into hotels that could safely cater for a gluten free diet and each hotel chef was more than happy to accommodate.
And we cannot rave enough about our tour guide, James! So incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and helpful; it was a delight to spend our holiday with him.
Our itinerary included overnight stays at the following venues; Nairobi Crown Plaza Airport Hotel, Ashnill Samburu Camp, Sweetwaters Serena Camp (which included a visit to the Northern White Rhinos), Sarova Lionhill Game Lodge and the Mara Serena Lodge. All of the accomodation had spectacular views, excellent facilities and amazing service.
CI
Email Jaekwnag Lee | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Feel the wild animals in Africa.
There was no major difficulty in preparing for my first trip to Africa with sufficient advance guidance from this travel agency.
The safari was very informative with Peter's ample explanation.
The hotel restaurant was well served without any problems for Koreans to eat.
US
Email Eugene | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Birthday Celebration
I decided to celebrate my Birthday in Africa with my family. After reading various safari company reviews, I found Amazing Memories Safaris, I am so happy that I selected them. They made my Birthday Celebration extra special. Anne and Joseph answered all my questions and concerns before I finalizedmy trip. Anne kept in touch throughout our 9days safari, making sure everything is going well.
The Guide/Driver "Eliud" made our trip extra special. He is very friendly, Responsible Christian Person. He has good Knowledge of various parks. We enjoyed his company and never felt uncomfortable. We got to see multiple times big 5 and more. I am so thankful for choosing this company and I would highly recommend them to all. Truely, we made Amazing Memories.
Email Charlotte | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Memories to last a lifetime
The perfect name for this company, goodness did it deliver!
We chose the 7 day safari, setting off from Nairobi then on to Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Nukuru and the Masai Mara. Pickup from the airport was a breeze and we knew we were going to be looked after.
From finding Amazing Memories on a safari comparison site, they responded to our enquiries very quickly and thoroughly. The quote was very competitive and Anne was brilliant at fitting the itinerary around our flights and additional activities we requested.
Stop 1 - Amboseli National Park. We stayed at the Kibo Safari Camp. The accomodation and food were outstanding and the staff were all utterly lovely. The road to this camp was incredibly dusty and bumpy but the camp made up for it! Amboseli National Park was brilliant for our game drives, we saw so much! Outstanding sunsets too.
Stop 2 - Lake Naivasha, then Nakuru. The drive here was long, but seeing the Rift Valley was incredible! We really enjoyed the Hippo Boat Ride on the lake - our guide was lovely and we had some great chats with him. Was wonderful to see fish eagles up close! We did feel like there was the expectation that we would also take part in the walking safari here and it was a little awkward when we declined but I don't think it should be assumed that tourists are going to be in a position to spend lots of money in addition to what they've already paid for as part of their tour. We arrived in Nakuru for an evening game drive which produced some great wildlife sightings and sunsets. Unfortunately we were taken to the wrong accomodation and were part way through unpacking when there was a knock at the door and we were told that we needed to leave. It was already 7:30pm and dark and we were slightly worried about what this meant for us. Our guide was extremely apologetic and I could tell he was also slightly nervous at the prospect of venturing back into the park after hours. This unexpected night safari however produced some fantastic wildlife encounters - we saw hippos and lions at very close range! We finally arrived at Flamingo Hill Camp just in time to catch the end of dinner, and enjoyed a lovely meal. The owner of the camp is fab and we had a great chat with him. Accomodation was lovely although we didn't spend much time here. Nakuru park is very different to Amboseli, it's very green and lush and we saw lots of wildlife here.
Stop 3 - Masai Mara. Another long drive but again worth it! Some amazing wildlife sightings here and we loved the game drives! We stayed at Mara Simba Lodge and again the accomodation, food and staff were fantastic. We loved eating our meals overlooking the river and the enormous crocodiles who live there! We wanted to do the sunrise balloon over the Masai Mara and all I would say, is that if you have the funds to do this, then definitely make this part of your trip. It was beyond stunning and we saw hyenas hunting baby topi from the balloon. It is incredibly special to be floating above the wildlife, and the champagne breakfast afterwards was perfect. The memories will live with us forever. We got on so well with our guide for this part of the day, his enthusiasm was infectious and we forgot how tired we all were from the 4am start! The game drives in the Masai Mara were our favourite, there was so much to see, including the wildebeast heading for the Serengeti and we loved our riverside walk to see the hippos and crocodiles too.
Due to our flight times, we spent our final night in the Crowne Plaza Hotel by Nairobi Airport. Anne arranged this for us and we were very grateful!
Peter was our guide and he was very knowledgable and looked after us so very well. We loved getting to know him and he always greeted us with a smile and made sure we saw everything! We did feel like he could have perhaps stepped in when we were being harrassed by sellers along the way, but we respect that it is a way of life in Kenya, it just takes a lot of getting used to and did make us feel uncomfortable. Peter is a great driver too, I'm not sure I could have done those distances every day and still been smiling at the end of it after all the bumpy roads! Peter - thank you so much for everything :)
Things to consider for your trip:
- Take a scarf or something to cover your nose and mouth on the non-tarmac roads, the dust is something else!
- Take more money than you think you need. Tipping is official and we thought we'd budgeted enough but ran out more quickly than expected due to the need to tip for things we didn't actually ask for. ATMs are hard to come by and I don't think we would have felt comfortable using them in any case.
- You will be mobbed when you stop by vendors trying to sell things to you. Although we fully respect that this is a way of life here, it can make you feel very uncomfortable
- If you opt for the safari minivan, be prepared for when the roads get bumpy. It is quite the experience. Our guide referred to it as an African Massage and we can safely say we've had enough of them to last us a lifetime!
- When you are driving between parks, you will stop at carefully chosen Curios Shops. The toilets are always right at the back of these shops and there is the expectation that you will buy something from each shop, so take this into account when budgeting.
- Be prepared for cold mornings/evenings and hot days! Pack something for all eventualities.
Overall this was quite simply one of the most incredible holidays we have ever been on, and the memories will stay with us forever. Thank you to everyone that made this trip so special.
US
Email Ritwika | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best safari company for memorable trip experience
Me and my family were celebrating milestone birthdays and wanted to do an East African safari. Amazing Memories Safaris is the one I selected among dozens of other groups based on review. And oh they did not disappoint. From the planning stage and answering my million qs, Anne was very helpful. Curating to exactly how we wanted our itinerary to be and making sure we get the best possible deal. We did the 11 days Kenya and Tanzania Safari, mid range.
Even with few minor hiccups ( not the company’s issue but the accommodation error) everything was perfect. We really enjoyed our time and both our guides in Masai Mara (Joseph N) and Tanzania (Charles) were excellent and very knowledgeable. Unfortunately we had a different guide for amboseli (another Josef) who is suppose to be a veteran guide with the company but we felt he rushed us and was definitely tired from a previous trip. I would recommend that guides get some time off in between so they are not tired and are refreshed for new clients. It was a little disappointing after having two amazing guides on the safari prior to Amboselli.
I was a little nervous about the Tanzania part due to the earlier review on the company they contract with. But our guide in Tanzania, Charles made the trip absolutely memorable. He went above and beyond for us to have a trip of a lifetime. He was the most professional guide. I even suggested to Anne some tips that Charles offered us on the safari which she said she will incorporate on the Kenya side safaris.
From the planning, to execution everything was perfect. All the accommodations and food were amazing and exceeded my expectations. But Serengeti bush camp was our favorite. The hospitality of all the staff at the camps is what made this a really amazing experience.
The games drives were so much fun and we saw all the big 5, migration and so many animals. My only suggestion is that we did all the day game drives every day and it was a bit tiring. Even thought the itinerary suggest to choose between am/pm drives or full drive the guides did explained why a full day is best for viewing. But I still believe the clients should be given a choice or the itinerary can be more transparent and we are told that before we embark on the journey so we are prepared.
The communications from the staff at Amazing was very thorough and swift. On the last day Anne took time for all my suggestions. Very respectful and friendly staff. They also organized birthday celebrations for us at the camps which made our trip really special.
Thank you Amazing Safaris