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
DE
Email Jenny Davis | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastically efficient from the planning right through to the safari experience, highly recommend!
After emailing a few other safari operators, Anne at Amazing Memories impressed me with her efficiency and ability to organise a trip suitable within my specified budget for 2 adults & our two teenage boys. On arrival at Nairobi we were met by Anne & Joseph and met our safari driver/guide Daniel. We had the most fantastic week , early mornings, very long journeys sometimes on very bumpy roads but worth it all to see the wildlife in 5 national parks/reserves, Masai Mara being our favourite followed by 1 night at Lake Navaisha (a unique experience not to be missed) All the lodges/tented camps were of a high quality as was the food! Daniel was an excellent driver/guide and ensured we saw the big 5 which we were lucky to see in the first couple of days! We were sad to leave him in Mombasa after our adventures together. I can highly recommend this company, fantastic from the planning stage, booking process and during our trip!
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g294207-d10755751-r550873858-Amazing_Memories_Safaris-Nairobi.html#
CA
Email Charlie C | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Safari, Amazing Safari Provider!
Family Safari from July 16th to September 2nd, 2017.
For my wife and I, this was our second safari. This trip, we brought along our daughter (16) and son (12) to see the splendor for themselves. Our vacation consisted of an 8-night deluxe safari with a 5-night beach getaway.
Our quest to find our safari provider began with many hours of reading reviews and visiting sites like “Safari Bookings” and “Trip Advisor”. After corresponding with several companies (and clients) we ultimately selected Amazing Memories Safaris (A.M.S) for the following reasons...
1-Our correspondence was directly with Co-owner Anne. Anne was professional, informative, and articulate. She was quick to respond to all our question and requests even though we had a 7-hour time-zone difference.
2- We are firm believers of doing business with smaller/family run businesses without having to compromise quality of course. Amazing Memories is exactly that. A family-run company whose focus and attention to detail was undiluted. We wanted to be a customer NOT a number.
3-Price!!! From the get-go, Anne was very forward in stating that she would not be undersold. After comparing all quotes, she was true to her word.
Our Trip-
Upon our arrival in Nairobi, we were astonished by our airport reception. Co-owners Anne, Joseph and driver Kennedy met us with huge smiles, warm hugs, embroidered safari hats and beautiful bouquets of flowers! They quickly shuttled us to the EKA Hotel where we had a late supper but not before they treated us to a ceremonial “Welcome Toast” (another a nice touch, one of so many).
On safari, we flew several legs and drove the balance in a 4x4 Toyota van equipped with beefy off-road tires. Our drivers Kennedy and Joseph were very capable of getting us through every obstacle that came our way. We did not opt for the Landcruiser. Having had experience with both type of vehicles, the van had a smoother ride and plenty of space for the 4 of us. Ultimately, this was a great savings to our overall expenses.
Our safari took us to the following places…
Serena Amboseli Lodge
Excellent hotel! The rooms are a little dated but the excellent location and service more than make up! Plenty of animals with the iconic Kilimanjaro as our backdrop. Gorgeous!
Sweetwaters Serena Camp in Ol Pejeta
Amazing Camp!!! The Rino Sanctuary and the Chimpanzee exhibit make this park a one-of-a kind place. We were surprised by the amount of game animals in this conservancy as well. Would highly recommend this reserve AND Sweetwaters Serena Camp (especially with kids)!
Enashipai Lodge in Lake Naivasha
This hotel disappointed. The actual hotel was quite beautiful however, the overall experience was terrible. This hotel didn’t have that friendly vibe that we’d come to know in almost every other Kenyan hotel. The dining service was lousy. The worst part about our stay there was crazy person protesting on a loudspeaker at 5 AM (no joke). This person who the staff later referred to as “the Preacher” was a commonplace occurrence and “beyond their control”. It was terrifying and unsettling to say the least. I would never recommend this hotel unless this was addressed.
Mara Serena Lodge
Excellent hotel!! The crown jewel of Mara lodges. The rooms are little small but this was trivial because the Serena is the best location in the Mara, especially during the Great Migration. We saw all the big five and a legendary wildebeest crossing. We also did the Balloon safari which always concludes with a Champagne Bush breakfast. On our final evening, Amazing Memories Safaris treated us to a surprise a private VIP Bush dinner. That night is something that we soon will not forget.
Beach stay at Diani Beach - Swahili Beach Resort.
This resort is surreal. It’s Swahili architecture was like something out of a fairytale (striking). Everything about this hotel was top-notch. The only thing that would be a problem for some was the actual beach. Water access during low tide was almost impossible without shoes. We made the best of it especially because we love exploring tide-pools.
All-in-all, this holiday was truly a trip of a lifetime. Anyone considering a safari, should take a moment to get to know Anne and her staff at Amazing Memories Safari Co. It’s not easy to put blind faith (…and a lot of money) in the hands of a complete strangers that are a world away. We did it with A.M.S and have no regrets.
Call them, you will not be disappointed.
On a more personal note, Anne, and co-owner Joseph, along with the rest of the staff quickly became like family. Our safari-driver’s Kennedy and Joseph both ensured our comfort and safety on our voyages. I would also like include a “third” Joseph (from the Nairobi head-office) into this mix. Although we did not spend enough time together, he too was a very enduring person who helped us during a particularly difficult moment. Thank you ALL! You found a way into our hearts and we miss you very much!!!
Suggestions for future visit...
-If traveling from North America "with" a stopover- (unless the stop is short), I would strongly suggest staying a day or two in your stop over city especially on the return voyage.
-In July-August, do not underestimate the cold temperatures in the evening and mornings especially in the higher elevations
PT
Email Ines | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was really amazing!
From the very 1st email Anne was quick to respond, very professional and very patient about our million questions!
I am so glad I contacted Amazing Memories directly instead of relying on portuguese tour operators to organize everything for us. Not only was it much cheaper, but it was easy, simple, quick and very professional. I will definetly rely on Anne again if I return to Kenya and will recomend Amazing Memories to anyone wanting a fun packed, safe and adventurous safari.
The safari itself exceeded our expectations and it was truly an experience to remember. Daniel, our guide in Kenya, was great, making sure we saw all the animals including the big five. We were very lucky as we were able to see the rhinos on our 1st day at Nakura, because after that they were nowhere to be seen! He always chose the routes that had hardly any other cars which was great, as it felt like we had Masai Mara all to ourselves. In the end I think he was a little bit frustrated that he couldn’t find us a leopard, but the pride of lions eating the zebra for breakfast was a big plus!
Lawrence, our guide in Tanzania was absolutely excelente at spoting the animals. What an eye! And not only did he manage to show us a leopard, he managed to show us two The big five was finally complete! Serengueti is truly beautiful but Ngorongoro blew my breath away. If you can, don’t miss this place.
All the tented camps that Anne sugested were pretty great and exactly what we were looking for. We loved Ikoma Tented Camp as it felt like we were lost in the middle of the savana, and Amboseli Kibo Safari Camp for the beautiful views of the Kilimanjaro.
There were only 2 things that we didn’t really like: the Lake Naivasha tour didn’t feel very safe and our boat driver/guide had no regard for the animals as he drove the boat into the middle of the pelicans and other birds so as to force them to fly. Apparently it made for good photos… And whistling for the eagle to come took all the magic away. It’s suposed to be a natural park, minimum human interference, not a show in a zoo. The other thing was the souvenir shops Daniel took us to as the prices they practice are absolutely ridiculous! Even after bargaining the prices into half, the souvenir shops at the tented camps were still cheaper.
TIP: If you are covering A LOT of kilometers like we did, I suggest you pay the extra cash and request a Jeep for the whole trip instead of the minivan. We didn’t do it and we regreted it. It’s much more comfortable.
CN
Email Magicy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They are very professional and provided excellent service. Their pricing was also reasonable.
We filtered some companies on SafariBookings that were close to our needs. After further communication about the itinerary, we comprehensively evaluated them based on response speed, understanding of needs, and pricing. In the end, we chose Amazing Memories. Their staff member, Dorcas, was able to accurately understand our needs and also provided us with many good suggestions. She was very patient in answering all the questions we raised. The entire itinerary arrangement and accommodation she provided were very satisfactory to us. At the same time, during the trip, she also helped us solve some unexpected problems in a timely manner.
Since our trip covered Kenya and Tanzania, we were accompanied by two guides throughout the journey (James in Kenya and Richard, whom we all called Ray, in Tanzania) for the safari. They were particularly experienced in finding animals. We gathered the African BIG 5 and also saw many other animals and their different forms. Especially Ray, one day we saw a leopard, after watching for a while, we were about to leave, but Ray reminded us to stay a little longer. Unexpectedly, a leopard cub appeared later. If it weren’t for Ray’s reminder, we would have missed the leopard cub. On the last day, when we were watching the wildebeest crossing the river, Ray also chose a good position, allowing us to see the magnificent scene of the wildebeest crossing the river very well.
Overall, the itinerary arrangement, accommodation, meals, transportation, and safari of this trip were very satisfactory to us. It was a very memorable journey.
KW
Email Anu Pradeep George | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
We just came back after a 6 days Kenyan safary with Amazing Memories Safaries. As its name says it was an amazing trip. The tour operaters did every thing very systematic without any fail. Had a wonderful time, good accomodation, transport and food. Love to mention about our guide cum driver Mr. Peter. Very dedicated man, good knowledge about Kenya, good driving and with a willingness to make his customer happy. Thank you Amazing Memories Safaries forgiving us an evergreen memories.
CN
Email Ben | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Efficient, always listening to your requests and patient.
The Safari is amazing! We feel lucky and happy to have George as our guide during the journey. His patience, experience and kindness are impressive and we really enjoyed the game drives with him! We've seen the big fives and love the accommodations also. Thank you!
CN
Email Sivan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
very professional
John's driving skills are superb. He can easily handle any road and traffic conditions. He patiently answered all our questions about animals and culture. He is very professional and knowledgeable. Under John's guidance, we saw many wild animals, even the rare elephant Craig. Thanks to John.
(automatic translation from Chinese)
NL
Email Tommy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most amazing experience of our lives! I cannot recommend Amazing Memories enough!
Honestly an amazing experience. Everyone at Amazing Memories was extremely helpful and professional. They helped us navigate flight cancellations and changes to our schedule and could not have made the experience any better.
Of course we could not leave a review without giving special shouts to our amazing guide Steve and Anne who helped make adjustments in real-time to our trip.
100% recommend for anyone considering a safari, we felt in very safe hands. Aware there are so many choices for operators but honestly I’d recommend choosing Amazing Memories, you won’t regret it.
And of course seeing the big 5 and so much more made it all the more special
CA
Email Grace | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One day city tour
We overall like it. Morning after meet with Titus with his brife, and give us hats as gift, we meet Steve, the driver. Steve rearranged the visit time according to traffic, which worked well. He prepared bottled water and showed us the city alone the road which is interesting. We have visited all the sites we planned.
We are happy with your arrangements and service.
Thank you very much!
US
Email Dianna | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Safari with Amazing Memories!
My two teenage sons (ages 15 and 13) and I went on a private 7 night safari with Amazing Memories (3 nights Masai Mara, 3 nights Serengeti, and 1 night Ngorongoro Crater). Everything about the experience was fantastic!
The email communication with Anne and Brian during the planning stages was prompt, thorough, and professional. They were very accommodating and flexible with our itinerary. I had been in contact with a few different safari operators and Amazing Memories' top notch communication, along with their competitive pricing, is what ultimately led me to book with them.
The game drives in all three parks were absolutely amazing! We saw the Big Five, but the best part of the safaris was just observing these amazing animals "going about their day" in their natural habitats, seemingly unfazed by their audience. We did a mix of all-day game drives with a picnic lunch, and also morning/afternoon drives, with a relaxing lunch/swim at the lodge. Bottled water was plentiful at all times.
Our guides in both Kenya (Joseph) and Tanzania (Mike) were top notch! They were both full of knowledge about the animals and land, and also extremely kind, caring people. And the safari vehicles (Land Cruisers) were in great condition with no mechanical issues/breakdowns (which we observed with other safari vehicles while out on game drives). My sons and I felt very comfortable and safe at all times.
Amazing Memories lived up to its name and truly left us with amazing memories that will last a lifetime. I spent a LOT of time comparing/researching all the different safari tour options beforehand...let me save you the time of repeating that overwhelming process by recommending you book with Amazing Memories. They are an extremely well-run company, taking great pride in the safari experiences that they provide, and you will not be disappointed. Highly recommend without any hesitation!