Office Staffs
Pride of Africa Adventures
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $350 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Nancy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
6 Days massai mara,lake Nakuru & amboseli
We were in a group of 6 people who were shopping around for a cheaper safari and we got a better deal with this company. Since this was festive season many people were getting out of the city and looking for a holiday. Wickliffe was our driver. Accommodation, food and the transport was perfectly arranged and we enjoyed everything that were promised. There are quite a number of Tour company's around but services matters and getting what you have paid for is another thing. Pride of Africa made us proud like the name itself. Thanks to the organizers and may you continue doing this to other clients.
US
Email Jill | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Went in with reservations, came out with a great experience!
I will give a full review with pros and cons of our experience.
Before I booked with Pride of Africa Adventures, I read all of the reviews and was very concerned about the negative things written. I almost didn't book because of the bad reviews I had read. But Stephen was very accommodating and responded quickly to my questions and assured me that they would make sure we had a good experience. We had a group of 21 people and planned a 4 day/3 night safari in Maasai Mara/Lake Nakuru/Lake Naivasha. He helped me choose hotels to fit our needs and budget for our 3 families. We decided to take the chance with Pride of Africa Adventures and we paid our deposit.
Once we paid the deposit, Stephen seemed to respond slower to my questions than before, and this had me worried for months before our actual safari. On the day that our safari started, they were supposed to pick us up at the airstrip with lunches and then proceed to a game drive. However Stephen messaged me just hours before saying that they wouldn't have lunches for us. This was a little frustrating since we'd been travelling all day from Uganda and lunches were included on our itinerary. Luckily we had some snacks with us already to tide us over.
Fortunately, that was the last problem we had. A guy named Elias met us at the airstrip and we paid him the final balance in cash and he introduced us to our drivers, John, George and Max. From there on out we had a fabulous time!
John, George and Max were the best! They were nice, friendly, on time, helpful, accommodating, and made our safari experience wonderful! We saw the big 5, we saw a cheetah take down a gazelle, they were ready to go early each morning so we could have early morning game drives, and they slowed down and stopped when we wanted more time to look at animals. I give these drivers 5 stars and thank them for providing us with a great experience!
Also, our accommodations were great! We stayed in 3 different places and we enjoyed them all! They exceeded our expectations for a mid-budget accommodation.
So other than no lunches the first day, and some slow responses after our deposit, we had a very positive experience. Our drivers made the experience great!
ES
Email Mariano | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Feeling deceived
Services contracted: Fully customized private safaris, 4 days Amboseli, Tsavo West and East and 9 days Samburu, Buffalo Springs, Aberdare, L.Naivasha, L.Nakuru, Hell's Gate and Maasai Mara.
First of all, I want to put on record the positive aspects:
- Smooth communication with quick responses from Stephen during pre-hire planning.
- Willingness to adapt the tours and accommodations to our requirements.
- Experienced and qualified drivers.
I am writing this review 5 months after the safari because in those months Stephen from Pride of Africa assured me that he was looking into ways to compensate for the problems I describe below.
- Problems with payments. I paid a deposit by wire transfer to secure the booking. The balance was to be paid upon arrival in Nairobi in USD, but most of the banknotes I had with me were refused. They said they would only accept freshly printed notes, even though the older notes I had were perfectly legal. They also refused to accept payment by credit card or wire transfer. We spent hours at the ATMs until we had reached the maximum on my cards. The driver offered to make up the difference in cash and accept the payment via bank transfer later.
- Non-compliance with the programme. The visit to Samburu Park was cancelled, thus saving the entrance fees, but we have not been refunded. The safari in Aberdare Park was limited to 1 hour in the cafeteria of the Ark Tree Lodge, despite the fact that we had indicated from the beginning that we were not interested in visiting the lodge but wanted to do some of the trekking to the numerous waterfalls in the park. At Lake Naivasha the tickets for the boat trip and visit of the island turned out not to be included despite both activities being included in the programme (the justification was that the programme included the entrance fees to the parks, but that Lake Naivasha was not a ‘park’ (??).
- Non-compliance with the Masai Mara programme. It included 4 game drives in the park: the first in the afternoon on day one after the scheduled lunch at the lodge where we were to arrive at noon, 2 full-day safaris and the last one in the morning before the scheduled departure for Nairobi at noon. However, the driver delayed leaving the previous park (Lake Nakuru) and made several stops along the way, meaning we arrived too late for the first safari. On the last day, the safari was reduced to a drive between the entrance gate near our lodge and the exit gate closest to the road to Nairobi, in a manoeuvre by the driver to save on entrance fees by justifying at the checkpoints that we had only crossed the park on our way from the lodge (we even went through the checkpoints with the roof closed so as not to look like we were coming from a game drive). We reported these irregularities to Stephen before we left Kenya and asked for a refund of the unpaid entrance fees, but since then he has only postponed the resolution (claiming that he had to complain to the driver) and has avoided refunding the money to date.
Email Phelix | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best Safari
We as a family booked 7 days private safari with this tour company and we meet our expectations. Thanks to Stephen who organized everything.
UY
Email Alicia | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I felt scamed. They did not comply with the agreement
At first Stephen responded quickly and provided me with an itinerary according to my requirements and clearly stating what was included and what was not and the price. I had requested other quotes and made my choice by ranking the number of safaris proposed, a room for myself and accommodations in nature environments. All this in the month of January I also contracted with them for 8 days in Uganda (which they subcontracted to another company) After having sent the signal, I have questions specific to the trip to which Stephen does not answer directly and that is where my distrust begins when I see that there is no transparency and clarity in the communication on his part.
After requesting an invitation letter from both countries for the purposes of applying for the visa, I found out from the Ugandan agency that my room was going to be shared. It wasn't what we had agreed upon. Words come and go, 2 weeks away I am leaving for Nairobi. I don't know what happened between them but in Uganda I was always in a private room. I will go on to detail what was established in the itinerary and I did not have:
- pre and post accommodation. I had pre but no post. I insisted on that, it should have been in Uganda (I paid Pride of Africa, so they had to have arranged it) but I had to pay for the accommodation myself. - They charged me U$30 for the deposit transaction, which should have corresponded to them, (this is stated in our WhatsApp conversation), having already paid the part that corresponded to me here. - the most serious. They took away 4 safaris from me...4!!! One in Masai Mara, another in the morning in Nakuru, another in the afternoon and a night safari in Bothelli (which was the only night safari there was) Instead, on the day we were supposed to have a safari in the afternoon and evening, they take us back to Naivasha and leave us at a lodge at 1:30 p.m. (a place with no park or anything to do), "to rest." ". I'm not going to Kenya from Uruguay for 7 days to rest, needless to say. The day we went to Hells Gate, they gave us 1 hour by bicycle, they did not take us to one of the parts that are allowed to go in the Devil's Throat itself, (they took many people there and it is a spectacular view) and then to drive to Amboselli to get there and do nothing again. When I wrote to Stephen complaining about these things, he always told me about other things and never responded. I told him I felt cheated. The group was 7 people that we had hired from different agencies. The itinerary responded to what they had but my itinerary was different
- The first 2 days they put me to sleep in a room with another person, it was not what was agreed upon either. - It is not my first safari experience. The animals will be notified very early in the morning, 6:30, and in the evening. We always left after 8 am and long before sunset we had returned to the rooms, greatly reducing the safari times. This also greatly reduced the chances of seeing animals. - drivers are drivers, they are not guides. They don't explain anything to you and they don't show anything that doesn't break your eyes either. By the way, they are not at all friendly in their treatment either. - They have a radio in the car to communicate with other cars in case they see animals. One of the safaris left with the radio not working. - on the last day, we were supposed to have a picnic lunch on the way but we rushed it and dropped us directly at the airport - The pack lunch, the times we had it, in my case I am a vegetarian, consisted of 2 loaves that inside had, literally, a very small slice of finely cut tomato and an equal one of cucumber, plus an egg (sometimes) and a banana Although this and eating rice and beans every day is not what worried me. As I said before, I don't go to Kenya for food or to rest.
- the only place we had accommodation in nature was at Amboselly Niati Safari Camp. A very beautiful environment with the stunning view of Kilimanjaro....full of cockroaches that walked inside the bed, through the toothbrush...tremendous I reiterate, everything was very cordial with Stephen until the sign. When I complained to him that it was not what was agreed upon, (especially my insistence was on the safaris) he told me because I was the only one complaining. I was complaining Stephen, I told you at the time and I'll tell you here too, because I was the only one who had another itinerary. It should be in another group, or you should have made it clear to me that there were changes, refunding my money or repairing it in some way. That's why I told you that I felt cheated and I still feel cheated. I am a born traveler and I have been to Africa several times, in conclusion it is the worst company I hired in my life. I have my detailed itinerary and all the WhatsApp messages available to anyone who wants them.
They care for our needs coz our group has 20 seniour group average aged 65 years old.
Love 3 experiences drives to find big five for us as well as to fit the needs of photographer. Stephen managed very well, he always put an honest and sincere attitude to help us to solve the situation we faced with creative ideas. Thanks for the boss who support us and let us has unbelievable Kenya Safari experiences.
IN
Email Sanjay | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organized and good experienced staff's
We did a 8 day safari everything was done through the phone and weWickliffe our driver & guide for a week. who bring us back to Nairobi safely. i'm scared of roads which are uneven (they are not roads to begin with in the park ) , yup I came to wrong place. some roads in the park I was screaming & feeling the van will tip over anytime, what if flat tire , stuck in mud etc etc too much info is not good at times . our driver knows his job & also knows how much i'm concerned abt our bags . The places we visited were safer & people were kind/nice than India still i had butterfly in my stomach the whole journey & in my mind to be extra conscious & alert abt my belongings & my peoplee 22 0 . finally boarded our final destination flight what a relief thank u kenya for the amazing experience ë". overall highly recommended if you enjoy safari G3 was very scared ,,
US
Email George | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable African tours with exceptional guides
Our 2-week vacation in Kenya and Ethiopia with Pride of Africa Adventures was absolutely phenomenal. From flawless trip coordination to selecting the best guides and activities for my family of four, every detail was meticulously handled. The experience was truly life-changing, and we couldn't have asked for better guides—they were not only professional but outstanding in their knowledge and hospitality. Pride of Africa Adventures exceeded our expectations in every way possible, ensuring that our journey through these incredible countries was unforgettable. Highly recommended!
RU
Email Maria | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Good
I decided to book with this company after checking over to 10 companies and we settle on them because of the quickness in communications and full information. We booked 10 days safari with beach and it was very good and recommend this company and if you want to feel pride of africa.
CA
Email John | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Worst Safari Ever
I have been on other safaris in other African countries and this has been the worst by far! Look elsewhere for a safari company.
ITINERARY
Our original itinerary looked good on paper, however, we found out, while on safari, that it involved backtracking which meant the safari had to be changed causing us to miss 2 half day game drives in Masai Mara (which was supposed to be the highlight of the trip!)
DAILY “ROUTINE”
We were told by PRIDE OF AFRICA that we would be starting at 7:00 AM each morning so we would be able to get the most of our safari while in Africa. In reality our normal start was 8:30 AM. We also noticed that other guides brought their clients back from game drives to their accommodation around 6:30 PM. Our guide brought us back at 3:30 PM. This timing was the worst possible! Wildlife is active in the mornings and evenings while we were still at our hotel! We were out at the time when most wildlife is sleeping so we saw much, much less! Our game drives were 4.5hrs shorter everyday.
The only day we did not follow our “daily routine” was the last day. On the last day we started at 6:30 AM. That was the day we were to be “Arriving in Nairobi late in the evening“ (as our itinerary stated). We went on our game drive that morning, but only for 1.5 hours so that the guide could get back home early. We asked him about it and he told us that we could have a longer game drive but we would have to pay him extra for that! A 1.5 hr game drive!!! Our guide wanted to just get home early!
GUIDE & DRIVER
We had an excellent driver. As a guide, however, he did very little communication in letting us know about what was happening and only told us about the wildlife when we asked. He was knowledgeable about the wildlife but chose not to communicate that knowledge with us.
VEHICLE UPGRADE
When we arrived we were taken to the office of PRIDE OF AFRICA and were asked if we wanted additional day tours. After not purchasing an additional tour we were told that we could upgrade our vehicle to a LAND CRUISER. We were told that it would be more comfortable and better able to handle the wet trails in the Masai Mara, We went for the vehicle upgrade and paid US$800.00 for it. When we began our safari there was no Land Cruiser but the standard (2020/21 Toyota Hiace 4x4) instead. A vehicle that was uncomfortable with poor suspension and both side doors could not be opened from the inside (the guide had to open our doors every time we wanted to get out of the vehicle). We felt scammed out of US$800.00 and were never compensated for it.
SHORTFALLS & EXTRA CHARGES
Our original safari outlined several key points that were eliminated in our actual safari.
The first paragraph of our safari description stated:
- Includes "pre and post accommodation"
(We only received pre-accommodation)
- Tour Price Includes “All park entrance fees”
(We were charged an extra $40 to enter Maasai Mara)
- Game drives as detailed in the itinerary.
(There were ignored by the driver)
The itinerary changed and we missed out on several highlights because the original itinerary involved backtracking – A poorly designed itinerary that they changed in the middle of our safari
FOOD
The food was fine. That was not the reason we went on safari in Africa.
OVERALL
Overall a badly run safari.
I would never book again with PRIDE OF AFRICA!!!!!
Reply from Pride of Africa Adventures
Posted on Mar 28, 2024Let us be honest sometimes. When we met in the office after airport pick up and we were doing our usual briefing for the next day, the clients asked us the age group of the people they are traveling with because they booked a shared safari ( Group Joining)and if they are noisy. We told the them the truth that the ages are mostly young people and due to there age which was above 60 years, we advice them to talk a private safari car for there own and we gave them 2 option of safari van and jeep and because of safari van price they chose to take the safari van at 800USD for 7 days and the van was going in the market rate of 150USD per day x 7 = 1050USD and we both agreed for the safri van at additional of 800USD NOT A JEEP. The next when I personally went to pick up with the Van they really praise the vehicle which had the current number plate in the country ( new car), we talked while they were in Masai Mara and they told me that everything exceeded there expectation. We were surprised after requesting to meet them they refused and advice the drive to drop them in there hotel which was part of the program. We were only giving them one night upon arrival before starting the safari. Therefore, we think that the clients should be very honest and truthful with what they are writing because if there could be an issue why did they refuse to meet us. Lastly there was an increment in Masai Mara entrance fee from 80USD to 100USD per day and we knew this after the clients had already booked and we ended up sharing the difference 50/50 and this was done on gentlemen agreement and we were both happy.