CATS Africa Tours Team..Connecting you with Nature
CATS Africa Tours
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- ESOK & ASTA Kenya
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $118 to $676 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
NL
Email Sietske Wijnja | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Safari to mount Kenya NP was great, nice driver, good accomodation, we saw a lot animals !
Communication was good, we got all we expected of an Safari !
Email Shira | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent experience from start to finish
I enquired about a safari with CATS Africa through Safaribookings, and they replied very quickly with all relevant details. Joyce was then very helpful and responsive in planning my safari until we got to the perfect trip for what we wanted and our budget. Payment was confirmed very quickly, which was reassuring. Everything was very professional, and other members of the office (John and Anne) were also helpful.
On the actual safari, everything went perfectly! Our driver/guide, Cyrus, picked us up exactly as arranged and off we went. Cyrus was not only very knowledgeable about the parks we went to and the wildlife, but also about modern Kenya in general and he was very interesting to talk to over our 5 day trip. He was experienced, kind and helpful. We went in 4x4 (Which I would personally recommend over a minibus) and it was really comfortable. We visited Nakuru, Naivasha and the Masai Mara - the trip was well planned in terms of time spent in each area and our accommodation was great. And of course we saw some amazing wildlife! The variety of the three parks was excellent, and while there was a fair amount of driving, it didn't feel like too much to me - especially as the road to the Mara is now pretty much fully paved. It was a bit wet in the Mara but that's December I think, and can only be a good thing. There was still a really high density of wildlife to be seen.
Overall, a fantastic experience that we won't forget for all the right reasons! CATS Africa are a trustworthy and experienced operator and I'd have no hesitation recommending them to others arranging a safari in Kenya.
CA
Email Crystal and Matt | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible experice with the best guide on a private tour
I researched tours for weeks before we decided on CATS for our honeymoon. We stayed one night at Lake Nakuru Lion Hill Sarova (in a little cabin) and two nights at Mara Sarova (in a canvas tent). Sarova is a high-end hotel chain and CATS gives you a great price considering all you get for the trip. Huge buffet for every meal, outstanding accommodations. Swimming pools, darts, pool tables, mosquito protection, stunning and immaculate grounds, friendly staff, excellent cocktails. Both lodges have a spa.
I can’t say enough good things about our driver, Duncan (Ndegwa). He has been delivering these tours for 14 years, and is extremely knowledgeable about the parks and wildlife. We were on this trip specifically for animals and my husband is a biologist. We would ask one question about a giraffe and he would be able to share a full range of knowledge from the species throughout Kenya and Africa to how to tell them apart, to gestation and lifespans. Outstanding. He was an excellent driver despite chaotic Kenyan roads. He was respectful of the wildlife, maintaining a respectful distance from animals while getting us close enough to take amazing photos. Other drivers would pull up three feet from a lion’s sleeping face for their tourists to take their pics, and it was horrible. We even saw a bunch of safari vehicles herding a large group of wildebeest purposely at a croc-filled river for the photo opp and we appreciated that our driver didn’t participate. He also stuck to the trails as you’re supposed to. He was excellent at spotting wildlife, from distant rhinos to discreet leopards to snoozing camouflaged lion cubs. We appreciated this even more after we did a three-hour tour with a guide from another company in Nairobi National Park, and that guide couldn’t spot any animals and had little knowledge of species or park management. Duncan ensured we stopped at safe places and even took us on a sensible detour on the drive back to Nairobi to avoid a serious accident (and extensive wait) on a main highway. We have amazing photos! Note: your guide will stop to talk to other guides to discuss sightings.
On our next trip, we would skip Lake Nakuru and head straight to Maasai Mara, as it's a very long drive to both and between the two parks.
Note that the road from Nairobi to Maasai Mara is ~170 kms but takes 5 hours, and the 2 hours or so near the park aren’t paved. And because they are in the process of paving it, you can’t drive on the gravel road, you have to drive on a temporary side road which has large boulders instead of the small crushed gravel we’re used to at home and it’s a very slow, jarring drive, no matter what vehicle you’re in. Motion-sick people beware! Next time, we'll book the land cruiser instead of the van, as they have better suspension.
Overall we had a wonderful honeymoon adventure and are eternally grateful to Joyce for booking us exceptional accommodations and going the extra mile, and Duncan, for being the greatest guide and helping us stamp our Big-5 bingo card.
IE
Email C & S | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
AMAZING!!
My husband booked this trip for us for our honeymoon. He said Joyce was a pleasure to deal with over email, there were alot but nothing was an issue for her. We had two days in Masai Mara and one day at Lake Nakuru. Our driver Joseph picked us up from our airport hotel and drove us to Masai Mara first. He pointed out different places to us along the drive and answered all of our questions. We had a land cruiser and I'm glad we paid the extra for it, it's definitely worth it. The car was very clean, comfortable (the seats recline) and it had chilled water for us.
Masai Mara, what can I say, unbelievable, what a place! We were extremely lucky and seen the big 5, lions eating their kill, cheetahs hunting and catching a wildebeest, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, hyenas, zebras and lots more. It was so exciting every day not knowing what we were going to see. Joseph was extremely knowledgable and was amazing at finding the animals. He treated them with respect not getting too close or staying too long with them.
We stayed at Entim Private Lodge and it was fabulous. We were treated like royalty by Musa and his staff. The tents were so lovely and bed was extremely comfortable. It has the real safari feel to it being open in the park but we felt safe with the Entim Warriors on watch. We woke up both nights to lions roaring, hippos groaning and hyenas laughing, it was amazing! When we came back after dinner on our first night, the had a bottle of prosecco in our room, with hot waters in our beds and chocolates on our pillows, what a lovely surprise! The provided a huge breakfast picnic for us with a great variety of food to feed about 10 ppl!
The drive to Lake Nukuru is bumpy so the land cruiser was ideal. It was nice to drive by all the small villages and see the children running out to wave hello to us :) In Lake Nukuru we saw white and black rhinos with babies, a newborn baby giraffe. We stayed at Savora Lodge here and it was very nice. It is a busy enclosed resort with good food, friendly stay and evening entertainment of African dancing and signing.
I have not stopped talking about this trip since we came home and have recommended CATS to all of our family and friends. Joesph was an absolute gent of a man, it is very clear he loves his job (how couldn't he). He had no issue getting up early for us as we wanted to see if we could see lions. We had lovely chats on the drives and I would 100% recommend him and CATS to anyone, we will definitely book with them again for our next safari trip!
US
Email Demetrius | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a lifetime
They are a lil high but was well worth it our tour guide was great and made sure we were safe and we Seen the big five was a great birthday thanks again
PT
Email Patricia Carvalho | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great adventure!
I highly recommend CATS Africa tours. We had a super fun, well organized safari tour. The transportation was comfortable, our tour guide Duncan was super nice, available and kept us safe at all times. The lodge was also very nice and welcoming, with great food and service. Communication with the organizer Joyce Njeri was always clear with fast replies. We loved the experience and felt like they took really good care of us. Thanks a lot!
KW
Email Shiby Sebastin | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Tour & Amazing Company
Our trip to Maasai Mara exceeded our expectations. Throughout the booking process Ms. Joyce Njeri (Operations Manager) was extremely patient, informative & understanding. She answered all my questions patiently through emails (lots of emails). The communication was too good that Ms. Joyce replied to every email with details very promptly.
Our driver/ tour guide Ms. Joseph Mayungu was amazing. He knew the park very well, he knew all the animals, and he explained to us everything very well. We were not fortunate enough to spot the Big 5, but we have seen the Big 4 & several other animals & birds.
Matira Main camp was awesome. We are very much impressed with all of the lodging.
Joyce & Joseph, once again, Thanks for everything.
DK
Email Brian | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The perfect experience
We picked Cats for our safaritour with transfers from start to finish and everything went just perfect so can recommend them to all...
Joyce were soo helpfull to answer every question we had (there was a lot) very fast and talked to her many days as she made sure we were happy with the tour....
We got a schedule with dates and times that matched perfectly and she even booked the little plane from Nairobi to Ukunda for us....
We saw the Big five which our excellent and experienced driver Solomon made sure of....
US
Email Steve | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Amazing Trip from the Best in Service and Guiding - CATS Africa Tours
Prior to booking our safari, I did a lot of research on Safari Bookings. I looked at various options. I looked at the reviews. And from there I submitted my requests for a quote. I wanted to see how quickly the company representatives responded, what information they shared with me and then how they responded to questions I had.
CATS Africa Tours answered all my needs and provided a package that my son and I were looking for. I was impressed from the first correspondence that Joyce, their Operations Manager, sent me. She was timely, personable and provided quality information. Her great customer service continued all the way through the process including a phone call greeting us upon our arrival and calling again as the safari was ending to make sure everything was as expected. And it was wonderful!!!
Contact with the company is very important, but your driver/guide is the critical part. And Duncan was absolutely superb!!! He was prompt, cleaned the van each night, and his knowledge of the parks and animals was great!! Not only was he full of information, but he did a great job in listening to the radio regarding where the “action” was taking place. It seems like everyone’s desire is to see “The Big Five”. We did that and more!!
It was a great trip with lots of pictures and memories. If I were to do this again, I would definitely go back to CATS Africa Tours. We were very satisfied!!
MX
Email Daniela | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service, with the best tour guide.. A safari that exceeded our expectations!
CATS Africa Tours, is an excellent option to make a safari to Kenya. They adjust the perfect trip to your needs.
We visited the main safari destinations like: Amboseli (amazing!!), Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara, where we were lucky enough to see the big 5 and twice!!
Each destination is meant to be different than the other one, where you can experience different things, meet new people and see different animals. In every place there was a new animal that we hadn't seen.
I truly recommend going to a Masai Village, because you get to know a different culture, their costumes and their lifestyle.
The hotels where great, very clean, nice, good food, close to the parks, and with excellent attention.
The communication with the agency was very good, they cleared all of our doubts and responded immediately.
About our tour guide...he was the best, he did everything in his power to make the most of our trip.
