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
US
Email D&W | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful 2-week Tour!
Two of us took an incredible 2 week vacation in Kenya and Tanzania in January. We started planning this trip 16 months ago. The first company we booked with turned sour, but luckily gave us a full refund. Upon excellent reviews on TripAdvisor, we ended up then booking with Amazing Memories Safaris and what a great decision that was. Anne (general manager) was great to work with, answering my emails & questions and planning out & booking our trip. We were on a budget, so we needed a mid-range priced tour and Anne delivered. We were impressed with the camps and lodges we stayed at; most were 3.5–4 Star ratings. Not super fancy, but they were surprisingly comfortable and enjoyable. The autos we traveled in weren’t new or perfect, but they got us through the mud and we LOVED the pop-up roofs for viewing.
We visited Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru, Naivasha, Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Amboseli. Can't really say what our favorite park was as they all were unique and wonderful. Our driver/guide in Kenya was Joseph; with 20 years experience he was such a great asset and really made for an excellent tour experience. It was uncanny how he could spot the animals, network with other drivers, and was just simply a friendly, thoughtful and pleasant person to be around. We happily invited him to share a few meals with us, just to spend more time with him and hear of his life, tour experiences and Kenya.
In Tanzania, we were turned over to a partner company called Migada Adventures Tours & Safaris. (Evidently Kenya drivers can’t do Tanzania, and visa versa). Donald was our driver for 3 days; a good driver. Again, Anne coordinated all this for us, and going through immigrations/visa at the border, going and coming, was easy and simple.
The only negative issue we had (and it wasn't really their fault, I guess) was when we arrived into Nairobi at 10pm on a Sunday night, there were only 4 Kenya immigration/visa agents processing all the passengers on our Boeing 747 plane. It took us 2.5 hours to be processed and there was still more passengers behind us that waited longer. Not smart on Kenya’s part. Our driver, waiting for us, left… guess they figured we missed our flight. We had to take a taxi to our hotel. Amazing Memories apologized and refunded to me the money I spend for the taxi. But beyond that issue... our tour was WONDERFUL and was truly a trip of a lifetime.
We highly recommend Amazing Memories Safaris and would choose them again for tours in East Africa.
Now, if interested… some tips for fellow travelers, from our 2-week tour experience:
1. Take lots of new or newer USD for tipping, Visa’s, village visits & drinks at camps. We took about $1200; part of which was $200 in new $1 bills and they really came in handy tipping porters, housekeeping, waiters and security people. We found out that tips left in ‘camp tip boxes’ don’t always trickle down to staff. Staff genuinely appreciated the personal tips. Most camps & roadside shops, took Visa/MC, but not all. We did withdraw $200 in Kenya Shillings from ATM – probably only needed $100.
2. Tipping: We followed Anne’s advice of tipping $10 to $20 USD per day per person to our driver/guide and $10 USD per day per room to Camp Tip Box.
3. After reading lots of blogs on the internet on what clothes to take on safari (i.e. only beige colors; no black, white, blue, camo, bright colors), our experience was that it really didn’t matter… take & wear what you have and are comfortable in. Don’t go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. You will see people wearing everything. In warmer parks… we wore shorts and tank tops, comfortably. We found our converted zip-off pants to shorts, invaluable.
4. It sounds like "high season" is July-Sept, when the Migration happens. Yes, we missed that, but we are so happy we went in "low season" as the large crowds in the parks were gone, temperatures were comfortable, hardly any bugs, and in two of the camps... we were the only ones there. Very personal service & memorable.
5. We really didn’t need it, since we didn’t see many bugs… but before we left for Africa, I treated our shirts, pants & shorts with Sawyer Insect Repellent; just spray on and let dry. Our Friends that do a lot of traveling swear by it for controlling bugs.
6. Ahead of the tour, we were a little concerned about the food we would eat in East Africa. Don’t worry… Lot’s of great food at camps and lodges and we never went hungry. Lot’s of rice.
7. Wi-Fi was spotty or non-existence at most lodges and camps we went to. Don’t expect to rely on it.
8. Expect some long days, riding many hours on dirt, dusty & bumpy roads. We found the roads in Tanzania are better than in Kenya. I wear contacts so can’t tolerate dust. I took with me some compact padded motorcycle goggles (Global Vision Aerodynamic Eyewear) and they really saved me a couple of days in avoiding the dust.
9. Last comment-Our opinion: You will spend a lot of money for a trip like this. You will enjoy your vacation in Africa more if you go with the right attitude. Not everything will be perfect. Don’t be demanding. Just go with the flow and you will then be pleasantly surprised and appreciate the African experience more.
MX
Email Javier Gomez | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Honeymoon! (7 day Safari)
The Airport reception was great, we had trouble with our luggage with Precision Air (DON'T FLY WITH THEM!) but Amazing Memories did everything to solved our problem and we got our bags back.
My correspondence with Anne was always very professional and helpful, I received several quotes but Anne's work was the best by far, as well as her recommendations. We worked out a perfect itinerary with great hotels. Loved all my hotels but FS Serengeti was out of this world.(Maramboi, Manyara, FS Serengeti and Neptune).
I would definitely recommend choosing Amazing Memories. I have already recommended them to all of my friends and family.
Thank you!
Email Huma | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Holidaying in Kenya/Tanzania made easy by the professionalism & dedication shown by Amazing Memories
I'm so glad I found Amazing Memories Safaris after reading reviews on TripAdvisor. From the moment I contacted Anne and told her about the kind of holiday I wanted, she looked after my every request with the utmost attention to detail. As a solo female traveller who wanted a private tour of Kenya and Tanzania, and someone who was interested in photography, Anne made sure all my needs were met. I had a 25 day tour which covered Nairobi and 12 national parks and reserves across Kenya and Tanzania. With this much time on the road and covering so many national parks, you'd expect that some things might not go according to plan, especially as you get close to the peak Christmas period. However Anne's careful planning and excellent recommendations meant that I had an almost problem free tour around Kenya/Tanzania. All my hotels were amazing with the exception of one, Voi Wildlife Lodge. I cannot blame the shortcoming of this hotel and the hotel management on Amazing memories as it was the most recommended hotel in East Tsavo, but unfortunately it was just no good and I was glad to be out of there after one night. I passed my feedback about Voi back to Anne who took the matter up with the hotel.
The best part about choosing Amazing Memories was their superb team of guides and partners in Kenya and Tanzania. I spent the bulk of my time with Daniel as my guide in Kenya. After reading reviews from others, Daniel came highly recommended as he was also a photographer. He certainly did not disappoint. Daniel is just the kind of guide you want on a tour like this. He's so easy to get along with and goes out of his way to ensure all your needs are met .. and his photography skills are phenomenal! My other guides; Joseph and Wilson for the Nairobi city and National Park tours, Donald for the Tanzanian part of the tour and another Joseph for the last leg of my Kenyan tour were also amazing. I felt truly fortunate to have such a wonderful team of people looking after me while I was there. It's all a testament to the professionalism and dedication that Amazing Memories Safari's has to ensuring their guests have the best experience possible.
All in all, I had the trip of a life time and it was made possible by the wonderful team at Amazing Memories. I would have no trouble in recommending them to everyone for any tour they wish to take in Kenya or Tanzania. You will not be disappointed.
DE
Email LESSER | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
9 day amazing Kenya safari
Thank you so much to our guide Steve for our amazing safari experience!
We had looked at different safari providers and after asking for quotes, we felt that Anne was the person who understood our wishes the best, and could incorporate some individual touches to our safari, e.g. we had planned to bring a friend to Amboseli Park with us and wanted to add Lake Naivasha into the itinerary including a boat tour. During the planning via email we discussed the choice of minivan vs landcruiser and lodges to stay at.
Our safari started at 6.30 am mid December on a rainy day, however Steve and Anne picked us up from Nairobi Airport and our trip to Amboseli National Park with Steve started well, as we started to wake up and get to know Steve and vice versa. By the time we had arrived, the rain had stopped and we had already seen and stopped to see couple of giraffes and zebras outside the park on our way.
The choice of lodges suggested to us by Amazing Safari were great, always a kind welcome by the staff, very nice and clean tent lodges including mosquito nets, good food, either buffet or by menu. At the Flamingo Hill Camp at Lake Nakuru, at that time of year, we were the only guests by chance and they went out of the way and we had lunch close to the pool and a romantic dinner near the bar. The camp also had several bird species in their trees which I could observe and take photos off. Osero Camp in Masaii Mara had the best food and on our last evening at 6pm, we were lucky enough that a bushbuck stopped and looked at us while we were sitting outside the tent!
Out of all the places we visited, there was just one place, the Ark in Aberdare, that was slightly disappointing. It had rained the past days and rained in the evening, therefore buffalos, hyenas, birds, warthogs were at the salt water hole, however, no elephants or lion. Furthermore, one group was very noisy and smoked on the lower balcony and used a drone in the morning. We were glad that the staff actually told the smoker about the camp rules, however even though it was forbidden to use the drone, they still used it anyway.
Steve is a wonderful guide, he drove us safely from the airport to Amboseli, to Aberdare, to Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha to Masaii Mara and back to Nairobi. We had interesting discussions with him about Kenya, the world, the wildlife, any topic we came up with during our drives, inspired by what we saw or heard. He introduced us to the different kind of animals, and was able to find animals, that were hiding high up in the trees or almost hiding in a hole. We had a lot of fun engaging in searching for sometimes more difficult to find animals such as lions, cheetahs and leopards. Steve knew which animals we were particularly interested and managed to find ways in the different locations to get close to observe for example the flamingos in Amboseli (!),and hippos and crocodiles in the Mara river! We felt very safe in the landcruiser with Steve, even when the terrain become slightly muddier in some cases, as we occasionally had rainy nights and took some of the less travelled paths.
Thanks to Steve, we were able to take many great pictures and he managed to exceed our expectations of the safari! We take so many impressions home and highly recommend Amazing Safari and Steve!
DE
Email Matthias | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
10 days private safari Kenya
We have undertaken a 10-day private safari through Kenya with Amazing Memories Safaris in September and can recommend the provider without reservation! The planning and preparation from Germany went very well via email, Anne always responded very quickly and courteously. Also during the stay in Kenya everything went very well and shows the professionalism of the provider. We were always picked up punctually by our lodges and everything agreed upon was kept. Our driver Daniel did a great job, he is a really nice person, who told us a lot about the country, the people, the nature and also about his private life. He is also a very good driver and drove us with the small bus through wildest terrain, impressive!
We chose most of our lodges ourselves, but Anne's recommended resort at Lake Naivasha was also very good.
After 10 days we were dropped off at our beach hotel in Mombasa as agreed.
Thank you Amazing Memories Safaris for this great trip with you!
If we should come to Kenya or Tanzania again, we will book again with you!
CA
Email Joseph | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari experience and memories, the name says it all!
Our guide, Daniel is the best guide you could ever ask for. He was extremely knowledgeable about all wildlife from every animal we came across to the trees and terrain. Any question that we had, he had an answer to! He was an incredibly capable driver both on the roads and off roads. We were able to see all the animals and up close and personal too! He was a great photographer so be sure to ask him for advice and tips on how to get the best wildlife shots! He is funny and easy to talk to and endlessly interesting if you are a curious soul. We learned so much about all the animals, the culture of the country, history, and so much more that we only wished we had booked a longer safari!
It's safe to say that you'll be in the best hands with Daniel as your guide! I highly highly recommend Daniel and Amazing Memories and when we come back they will always stay our first option!
CA
Email Andrew | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An excellent and unforgettable experience
From the start of my safari booking, Anne was able to help me build and a customized itinerary to match the type of safari I went on. She was very attentive and quick to respond. We had a lot of extra requests including some birthdays and she was able to handle it in excellent form. She was also very proactive in helping us select the best hotels that matched our preferences as well as planning an itinerary that would give us the best chance to see the most animals.
Our guide Daniel was also more than we could have hoped for. There is a lot of driving to be done on Safari and Daniel made the time fly quickly. He also knows the best places and times to see where the animals are. He is very experienced (more than 10 years) and very adaptable to our needs. Daniel is also an avid photographer and certainly taught us a thing or two about photography. I really enjoy working with people who truly enjoy what their doing and you can tell Daniel has a real passion for his job. He is the best kind of tour guide there is.
Overall I would have no problem recommending all of my friends and family to book with Amazing Memories Safaris
NZ
Email Denise and Colin North & Lynette Trotter | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari with wonderful Tour Operator
Me, my husband and sister have returned to New Zealand from a wonderful "once in a lifetime"private safari booked through Amazing Memories Safari Company. Anne (the owner) was great, always emailing straight back with answers to our questions. Our guides both Joseph in Kenya and Faso in Tanzania were extremely knowledgeable about the animals and birds and were always able to locate them. In Kenya we saw the "big 5" which was truly amazing. All accommodation, game drives etc were of an excellent standard and we felt very safe with both Joseph and Faso. To anyone contemplating an East African Safari we would have no hesitation in recommending Amazing Memories Safari Company. The cost was very reasonable and standards very high. Thank you once again Anne and Joseph. Your safaris are truly memorable.
AE
Email Melanie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The best time in Masai Mara with such friendly people along the way
We couldn't have asked for a better safari. And we also couldn't have asked for a nicer tour guide than James. He went to such efforts to ensure we got the most out of our time on the safari. Couldn't recommend Amazing Memories enough!!! Thank you.
US
Email Nancy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Saw Big Five and More! Best priced Safari with nice accommodations
I researched many tour companies and many different safaris (and prices) and chose Amazing Memories. My husband and I took the private 5 day Amazing Safari and visited Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara, staying at the Flamingo Tented Camp and Sentrim Mara Lodge, both of which were nice. Anne responded quickly to my emails and answered all of my questions. She quickly sent me the itinerary and the quote, and gave me options to make it less expensive when I asked, even though it was an awesome deal for a 5 day safari staying in lodges. James, our tour guide, was great at getting us to the best spot to see the animals, even if there was a jam of multiple safari company vans around us. He was determined to make it a wonderful safari and it was! He stopped as long as we wanted to, got as close to the animals as he could (with awesome driving skills) and drove to see the animals that were on the top of our list. We saw southern White Rhinos, which are greatly endangered, Black Rhinos, Cheetahs, Lions, elephants, wildebeest, African Buffalo, hyenas, Hippos, Zebras, giraffes, birds, Ostrich, and more-- AND we saw a Leopard up close! James not only talked about the animals,but also talked about Kenyan Culture, which was great! We're very glad we picked Amazing Memories for our safari.