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 Leah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
THE BEST SAFARI! Request Joseph, bring water
Amazing Memories Safaris will leave you with truly amazing memories! We made contact with this company through safari bookings.com and was met with a response within a few hours. Ann was happy to help us plan the trip we really wanted to go on, and was fast to respond to any questions. Her communication was very clear and friendly, and I could tell she wanted us to get exactly what we wanted out of the trip, I really appreciated that.
The cost of our trip was very reasonable compared to other companies, for this specific itinerary:
Day 1: pick up from hotel and drive to Amboseli, evening game drive (this was amazing!)
Day 2: full day game drive in Amboseli — our favorite park! There is so much to see here and it is a bit smaller than Masai Mara, so you don’t have to drive around as long to see stuff. It’s all right there! We saw so many elephant, a pride of 12 lions, warthog, zebra, wildebeest, hyena, lots of hippo, and plenty of birds.
Day 3: drive to Lake Nakuru for an evening game drive. — This was also amazing! We saw rhinos at a very close distance, and even witnessed a pride of lions eating a zebra. It was so amazing. I regret not booking another full day in Lake Nakuru.
Day 4: drive to Masai Mara for an evening game drive. This is where we got up close with two cheetahs! Soooo cool!
Day 5: full game drive in Masai Mara. This park is huge, and you have to drive very far, but this was the only park we saw cheetah, and 3 male lions with full mane. We saw wildebeest cross the River, big crocodile, and LOTS of hippo. Masai Mara has it all, but it is a lot of driving, and after 5 days of driving on Safari, it gets a little tiring. But thats what it’s all about!
Each lodge was really great. You have to realize how incredible it is that these lodges even exist out there in the wild. The beds are clean, the washrooms are basic but very clean and functional, everywhere we stayed provided PLENTY of food. Some meals were better than others, and some lodges food was better than others, but yet here is always something good to eat. If you have to eat rice and beans (these were always delicious) for a few meals, do it, because it is incredible to be there.
We stayed at the AA Amboseli, Eagle Palace Hotel in Nakuru, and AA Mara Lodge. Each were 5 stars in hospitality.
PLEASE READ: the drinks are not free. The water is not free. Your driver will provide you water for the game drives and car rides, but outside of the car, and in the lodges, no water is free other than the two small bottles in your room. Water for purchase is expensive. 300 shillings for a 1.5L bottle really adds up $$$. I would suggest buying 5L bottles from a supermarket ahead of time if you drink a lot of water. You can buy a 5L bottle for around 250 shillings. We brought 2, and it wasn’t enough. Our guide, Joseph Mwaniki (the best of the best) was gracious enough to let us stop at a supermarket to buy more water in Lake Nakuru.
Also, your driver is important. A senior driver will know a lot about the park, which roads to take, and how to navigate so you can see what there is to see without getting lost. I highly recommend Joseph Mwaniki as a guide. When we return for another safari one day, we undoubtedly will request him. He was so nice, and so knowledgeable about each park. He made us feel safe and welcome at all times. He wanted us to see everything, and we did! More saw more than what we thought would see. He is now a friend, and we cannot wait to return to see him one day.
Another thing to mention.. the van. The van was GREAT. It was so comfortable, more affordable, and was able to handle the safari roads BETTER than the “cool” Land cruisers or 4x4 jeeps. The roof pops up so you can see everything you need to see. Go for the van. Save your money!
Day 6: The last day we included a hippo boat ride in Lake Naivasha. This was also a great experience. It was a small private boat, not the big hippo boats you see other groups do. I recommend it.
They also provide you an AMAZING Safari hat which was very useful for keeping my hair out of my face while we were standing up and driving through the parks.
Everything was amazing and it left us with so many amazing memories. We can’t wait to go back.
DE
Email Björn | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best honeymoon we could have ever wished for!
We explored countries to travel to in September/October 2020 only in the end of August just before getting married in Germany. There were not a lot of countries to travel to and we quickly identified Kenya. We contacted some German aggregators as well as some local agencies in Kenya. The experience with the local German agencies was nice, but they offered a really high price. In the end you pay a lot for an expat that lives locally. The experience with Amazing Memories Safari was different, we received the quote from Anne in their Nairobi office very fast and it provided us with exactly what we needed. To give you a perspective, the German agency quoted $4200 for the same itinerary that we booked with Amazing Memories Safari for just $2650. With exactly the same Hotels, the same car (Landcruise) and an even better level of service! Why? Anne was so king to provide us with her Whatsapp Number and we could solve all of the questions just vie Whatsapp..extremely convenient. Also.. Anne was super honest in dealing with us. For example, we wanted to book an extra night at an Hotel in Nairobi and they were happy to communicate the nightly rate to us without hiding everything in a package price. The cost of the night was lower by the way than I could get despite having an Airline Employee Discount with a major international Hotel chain so kudos to the AMS team for offering us the best price. We also checked if we would have one of the transfers done by plane instead of car. The ticket on the air Kenya website was $485 USD one-way but AMS was able to offer us a 50% discounted travel agency rate just a couple of days before the flight. Really amazing!!! I also really liked the payment system that they have on their website, worked with our credit cards. We also transfered money via Transferwise directly to AMS to safe fees and the money arrived even before Transferwise expected it
Hotels/Parks:
Nairobi --> 1 Night in the FourPoints Airport --> HIGHLY recommended, such a warm welcome in Kenya and nice pool
Nairobi --> 1 Night in the Giraffe Manor --> Its expensive, but it was worth it, once in a life-time experience for sure
Amboseli --> 2 Night in Ol Tukai Lodge --> We loved this lodge, Elephants at your door step and also great location in the park
Naivasha --> 1 Night in Naivasha Sopa Lodge --> Highly recommend to break up the drive to Nakuru, really nice lodge with 20 Hippos just meters from our room (behind an electric fence)
Nakuru --> 1 Night at the Cliff --> Best Hotel i ever stayed in, better food and service than Giraffe Manor even, if you can, stay at least 2 Nights
Masai Mara --> 3 Nights at the Basecamp Explorer --> Really nice eco-lodge, really down to earth staff that really care about environment and the park. amazing food, highly recommended in terms of location as the gate offers a lot of variety (we saw the big 5)
One thing also, with our AMS reservation we got the BEST rooms. We stayed in the Obama Tent in Basecamp and a corner Tent in the Cliff!
Our guide and driver David was our life-saver during the trip (literally). More important to being a great guide with a great mood, he is a very very safe driver and this makes all the difference on the crazy roads where trucks and cars are mixing. David also knew the parks inside out with his 10 years of experience and made the game drives very rewarding (we managed to spot Black Rhinos and a Leopard in the Mara). We learning lots of facts about the animals and were also always flexible to acomodate our wishes like seeing the sunrise and so on.
Overall, I can only say that I already spammed all my friends with pictures and the link to the website of Amazing Memories Safari. 1000% recommended, hope you have no doubts, pictures are available here: https://adobe.ly/3i6z3qw
Also one note to the COVID situation. Kenya is handling COVID much more serious than European countries we have been. Our temperature was taken at all Hotels and Parks and the staff wore masks 100% of the time with lots of sanitation going on. Even when driving through the countryside we saw public busses were everyone inside was also wearing a mask as well. If you are in doubt, really thing about the local staff in the lodges that got let go because of less tourists coming this year, you will make a difference with your trip!
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Email Jennifer | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well planned, terrific safari!
We had a terrific safari with Amazing Memories. Ann helped us plan everything. She was accessible and answered all our questions. Everything went according to plan. James, our driver, was knowledgeable and kind. He got us great views of countless animals!! The van was comfortable and safe. Hotels were terrific! I highly recommend Amazing Memories!
PL
Email Aga Rzezniczak | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience
Everything was very good in terms of the service. The communication was great before and during the safari. We were taken care of from the airport to the end of the safari. Eliud was a great companion, professional and really helpful. He is calm, knowledgeable and thoughtful. Would recommend to anybody.
We did a 4day safari in Naivasha (Sopa Lodge) and Mara (Sarova Mara). Both accommodations were good, in Naivasha we had hippos strolling by our house at night and Mara was a bit chilly at night due to the rainy weather.
Eliud took care and did his best to show us the beauties of both parks.
US
Email Paul | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic Safari
Recently returned from our fantastic safari to Kenya and Tanzania. This was a customization of their normal 11 day trip, removing one stop and adding a couple nights elsewhere. Anne was very cooperative in adjusting the trip to our needs. The trip was amazing, the wildlife unbelievable. met or exceeded all our expectations. The driver knowledgeable and facilitating. We also did the Nairobi Natl Park, Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Center with Amazing memories.
My main comments are:
1) Take the Land Cruiser. It offers more room and better air flow. Neither the Land cruisers nor the mini-vans had air conditioning.
2) Be prepared for some very bad roads and longer drives. This has nothing to do with the company, getting into and out of these parks involves long drives over some poor roads.
3) Unless budget is an issue, go with the better quality lodges. The Sopa lodges were good, but even they were not consistently great.
4) Would suggest having Anne book you something other than the Amboseli Sopa or the Oldeani. The service was poor at the Amboseli and while the Oldeani was the nicest lode of our trip, we really were not there long enough to enjoy it. Fantastic lodge, but your only there for dinner and a nights sleep. You might discuss the Serena lodges with Anne. We stopped at a couple of them during the trip. Were very nice and pricing close.
5) Would suggest skipping the elephant orphanage. Way too crowded, and short time frame in the middle of the day affected the rest of the day.
Email Ron Barnes | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
11 days Kenya and Tanzania
The booking process was easy after selecting the safari group. We initially found Amazing Memories through Safari Bookings. Emails were answered quickly with the appropriate information. Accommodation was great – glamping and hotels and the staff friendly and helpful. Our guide Daniel (in Kenya) and Charles (in Tanzania) were amazing and put us in front of the big 5 (rhinos from afar). They shared their knowledge of the culture and the animals and we had many discussions of the African way of life. I would happily recommend Amazing Memories Safaris to take you on an incredible journey.
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.
CA
Email Diane | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The trip was well organized with no surprises.
This was truly the trip of a lifetime! Anne was able to recognize my need for every detail before we left home and was able to provide me with answers to my litany of questions in a clear and concise manner so there were no surprises.
The actual safari was truly amazing. Although we were told to expect some wonderful sights, by Anne, we did not imagine that we would see "daily" lions, the coalition of brothers Cheetahs, and the sheer numbers of Wildebeest and Zebras in the Serengeti. The scenery is unfathomable, even to this Canadian used to the vastness of the Prairies. The balloon ride over the Massai Mara was spectacular and highly recommended.
Prior to and after our 13 day Safari (Kenya and Tanzania) we spent time in Nairobi, both times accompanied by our Amazing Memories guide. Most decidedly this was not as spectacular as the Safari, but I had asked to see the city and our guides were able to respond to my request and also very rapidly understand my aversion to crowds and planned accordingly.
The most amazing feature of the trip were our guides. We felt honoured to have Daniel, Laurence and Moses as our guides. Within a very short period of time they were able to understand our dynamic (family of 3 adults) and tailor the tour to suit us. We would not have enjoyed this trip as much without them.
The accommodations were very good as was the food. The Staff at the hotels did their best to welcome us and provide for us.