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
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Email Grace | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highly recommended tour and reliable tour operator
I booked a nine day safari with Amazing Memories Safaris with a goal of seeing the great migration, and many different parks throughout Kenya. Our trip was a major success. Anne (my contact at the company) was excellent at making a custom itinerary. She always responded to my questions right away, and provided detailed information. I am a pescatarian (dietary requirement), and that was well received and handled by all of our safari locations. Eliud was an incredible guide. He provided lots of helpful information about the animals and Kenya. We told him we loved birds, so he made sure to point cool ones out to us and teach us the names. If he didn't know the name of one, he would look it up for us. He is very knowledgable and answered our incessant questions. Eliud is funny too - our group really bonded with him. We hope to stay in touch!
Our favorite stop was Amboseli and Masai Mara, but we also enjoyed that Samburu had a "special 5" - 5 unique animals only found in that particular park. Looking back, I wish we visited less parks and spent less time in each location. We were at a new park almost every day, and the drives in between were around 6 hours. The drives did fly by - I am very grateful we paid extra for a more comfortable SUV. That upgrade was well worth it. I was shocked by how few mosquitoes there were too. I worried a lot before the trip about about getting bug bites and I came home with zero. (There are less bugs in dry season, but we still took precautions.)
The only things I didn't like about the trip: I had wanted to visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy, but by the time we booked, the lodge there was full. Anne emailed us to ask if we approved of a different lodge and we said yes, but I didn't realize that because of the lodge change, we would no longer be visiting the Ol Pejeta Park. I wish that alteration was made clearer. I should have paid more attention to the revised itinerary because we were disappointed to have missed that park. We also opted to add on Masai Village - I loved the village itself where a local villager showed us how people in his village live, but I regret looking at the jewelry at the end of the tour. Our village guide made my group feel bullied into buying jewelry from each of the twenty vendors which left us with a very sour taste.
Everywhere you go in Kenya there are people banging on your windows trying to sell you jewelry, it's exhausting. But at the village, our guide said that he wouldn't harass us into making purchases so we agreed to take a look at the jewelry. While he showed us around, he made forceful comments like "This vendor is my wife. You need to buy from her. Why aren't you supporting my family?" when we decided not to purchase from every person.
All in all, we loved our trip and loved the tour company!
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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 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.
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.
Email JP Bundle | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They really are Amazing !
I rarely write reviews however I'll make an exception for Amazing Memroies Safaris as they really were outstanding. When searching for a travel company to go with, there was a very wide range in prices. AMS were on the more reasonable end of the price range. Anne was extremely patient with us as we chopped and changed itinerary and offered excellent suggestions to tailor our holiday. If I am honest, we were not completely sure what we would get for our money once we arrrived however we need not worry. The locations, accomodation, food, drivers were all excellent. We were completely taken care of from the moment we landed and met in Nairobi. David our tour guide was excellent and took us to all the places were the Big 5 hung out. We stayed at Mbweha Camp in Lake Nakuru which was stuning, Ashnil Mara Camp which was great. Anne arranged flights & drivers to Mombassa where we stayed at Sarova Whitesands. It's all the little extras that made the difference from arranging sundowner, driver pick ups / drop offs and a driver to take us around Nairobi on the last day. Would definitely recomend them to anyone considering a safari.
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Email Linda | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Memories Safari was an incredible company to work with to plan our trip to Kenya.
I began planning a trip to Kenya in June 2022 after considering several African countries to visit. Probably my primary reason for choosing Kenya was based on numerous postings by other travelers and their assessment that Kenya has one of the best tourist infrastructures on the continent. As this was our first trip to Africa that was very important to us.
After making the decision to visit Kenya, I did my due diligence in choosing a tour operator to help make our travel arrangements (two of us). Based on several postings I chose the company, Amazing Memories Safaris. I emailed the company with my desired itinerary. Probably within 24 hours (maybe it was 48) I received an email response from Anne. She answered all of my questions and a few days later sent information about costs and other information (hotel suggestions, other options). After a few weeks an agreement was reached regarding a day-to-day itinerary for the entire trip.
I knew I wanted to include a safari but did not want it to be the majority of the trip. I ended up with the following itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive to Nairobi (late at night)
Day 2: Nairobi-David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, Giraffe Center, lunch in Nairobi
Day 3: Leave to Lake Nakuru
Day 4 & 5: Maasai Mara
Day 6: Back to Nairobi
Day 7: Train to Mombasa
Day 8 & 9: Mombasa
Day 10, 11, 12: Lamu
Day 13: Back to Nairobi
Day 14: Last minute shopping & lunch in Nairobi
Day 15: Fly back home
Our trip was such an incredible experience and I know Amazing Memories Safari Company made it even more special. First, Anne was great at keeping in touch. Sometimes I just needed to confirm a detail with her and at other times there were some minor changes (flights, hotels, etc.). For example, approximately one or two weeks out Anne contacted me about changing hotels for the Maasai Mara portion of the trip based on feedback from other travelers. I trusted her judgement and the change turned out to be wonderful. Second, Anne was very clear about what I needed to do and what she could arrange. As I wanted to travel to Mombasa and Lamu, she was able to secure train tickets for us, but I was to make the arrangements for internal flights (Mombasa to Lamu and Lamu back to Nairobi). There were no surprises and almost everything went super smooth. Finally, I would add Anne partnered us with some great drivers. On day 1 of our trip around Nairobi we were driven by Joseph. Joseph was so kind, very personable and was able to help us find a new electric converter as our old converter did not work. I asked Joseph if he would be the person to take us out on the 4-day safari, but he explained he is the Nairobi guy – there is a different driver for safaris known as the bush guy. I was a little disappointed as we had connected with Joseph and he was so knowledgeable about Nairobi but my concerns were unfounded. We met Francis the next day. We would be spending the next 4 days with Francis. Francis is the guy you want to take you on a safari. He shares so much knowledge about the animals and he literally knows everyone. After a day or so I could see why Francis is so popular with other drivers, park rangers and others on the route. He (like Joseph) is such a likeable person and made the safari drives so memorable. Our very last day in Nairobi our driver’s name was Eshphan. Eshphan made sure we did everything we needed to do on our last day. Most of our day was acquiring last minute gifts and having our last meal in Nairobi. If he did not where to purchase an item he connected with his contacts and took us to the appropriate venue. He also did some incredible driving on the way to the airport. Traffic is chaotic in Nairobi and I was getting nervous as there was a point when we were in gridlock. We made it to the airport in fine time and I appreciated his driving skills.
Arriving in Mombasa and subsequently traveling to Lamu we made our own arrangements for tours, but Anne made the hotel reservations. I could have made the reservations on my own but Anne was able to get the rooms at a slight discount, which helped the budget.
Overall, I would give Amazing Memories Safari an exceeds expectations rating. All of the individuals who we worked with Joseph, Francis, Eshphan and our main contact Anne were outstanding. We will never forget our trip and hope to return in our future. If you are considering a trip to Kenya I would urge you to use this company – they are the best!
CN
Email Man | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nice
Nice!! Nice !! Nice!! Nice !! Nice !! Nice Nice!! Nice !! Nice!! Nice !! Nice !! Nice Nice!! Nice !! Nice!! Nice !! Nice !! Nice Nice!! Nice !! Nice!! Nice !! Nice !! Nice
CA
Email Kelly | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip of a lifetime!
Amazing Memories Safari‘s is the best tour operator you will find. The company was very friendly, easy to correspond with and accommodating with the best and most knowledgeable tour guides. We were a family of 11 including having a 3 year old, a 10 year and two 73 year olds. We booked for a 8 day and 9 night safari. Anne, our booking agent and trip planner, was amazing answering all my questions (which was a lot of questions before and after we booked) even if it was past her working hours. She always was so friendly and helpful. She changed and added things to our itinerary to make sure we were 100 percent satisfied. She truly developed my families dream vacation. She was such a pleasure to work with. As well, our tour guides, James and Eliud executed the best experience in Kenya you could imagine. (We needed 2 ranger rovers and 2 guides because there were so many of us). Ask for James and Eliud because they truly are the best.
From the moment we got off the plane we were taken care of. There was a shuttle driver waiting for us on pick up. The hotels they booked for us were very nice with excellent food. Instead of losing weight in Kenya, I gained 5 lbs. Our guides James and Eliud were very accommodating, and truly went above and beyond to make sure all our needs were met. They became like a second family after several days.
We saw everything on our safari, all the animals you could dream of up close and personal eg. a pride of 12 lions, a leopard climbing a tree, elephants with their babies nursing, hippos fighting. The list goes on and on. The guides knew where to go and how to get the best viewing spots. We felt safe the whole time and knew our guides were always looking out for us.
I do not have one negative thing to say. It truly was a trip of a life time. The trip was family friendly. The kids enjoyed themselves and always felt and were safe and my parents(73 year olds) were also well taken care of. They did so much to make sure that even though my mom is mobility challenged, it did not affect her experience. If you are thinking of doing a safari, Amazing Memories Safari is the best way to see everything, feel safe, and be taken care of.
CN
Email Emma | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lucky Kenya Safari
I am extremely fortunate to have spent my first trip to Africa with Amazing. I chose this travel agency from many options because of their quick response and reasonable arrangements. Anastacia is really considerate. I am very glad that I chose this travel agency, and I was assigned an experienced guide and driver, Elliot. We saw almost all the animals, including lions feeding on buffaloes, leisurely giraffes, lions chasing wildebeests, and elephants being chased by lions. In particular, we witnessed the complete scene of wildebeests crossing the river. Thanks to my guide, his experience and excellent driving skills helped us gain wonderful memories. As I was traveling with my elderly parents, every itinerary arrangement was really suitable for us. For my next trip to Africa, I will definitely choose you again.非常幸运可以和Amazing一起度过我的首次非洲之旅。我是从众多旅行社中挑选出这家的，响应速度快且安排合理，Anastacia真的贴心。非常庆幸选择了这家旅行社，而且被安排一位经验丰富的导游兼司机Elliot。几乎看遍了所有的动物，啃着水牛的狮子，悠闲的长颈鹿，追逐角马的狮子和被狮子追逐的大象，特别是完整看到了角马过河。感谢我的向导，他的经验、卓越的车技，帮助我们获得了美好的记忆。由于带着年迈的父母，对每个行程安排真的非常适合我们。下次的非洲之旅，一定还是找你们
AE
Email Mehsin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing memories indeed
The tour arranged by Neville and guided by the driver Simon left nothing for us to complain about. The hotel facilities booked were great and Simon made sure we made the most of our game drives.
We left something in one of the hotels and Neville made sure it reached us even after our arranged tour was over. Highly recommended!