Classic Journeys Africa
- Located In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $280 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
PT
Email Duarte Cruz | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
6-Day Classic Best of Kenya 2019
This was an amazing experience, truly satisfying for anyone who enjoys wildlife. This was really a 4-day safari, since day one was spent nearby Nairobi and day six was the return to Nairobi. Ideally, this should have been a +1 day safari to spend one additional day at Lake Nakuru, since each day of travelling takes half day drive. To sumarize, this first day of safari was a 6-hour drive from Nairobi to Amboseli National Park )100% Savannah), where we stayed at Amboseli Sopa Lodge. The second day was a 8-hour drive from Amboseli to Lake Nakuru (100% Jungle), where we stayed at Flamingo Hill. The third day was a 6-hour drive to Masai Mara (75/25 Savannah/Jungle) where we stayed at Loyk Mara Camp.
Overall we were lucky enough to see the big five in two afternoons, which was fortunate, to say the least. Our guide (Sami) was 5 stars and had full knowledge of all paths and wildlife.
The only complain we had was twofold: 1) as we were being dropped at our hotel in the last day, our guide asked us 15 USD for gas, which was odd, since we had paid for everything but the tips; 2) we were briefed about the tips, including the tip to the guide, which we were told that should be between 5 and 10 USD per day; being very satisfied with our experience, we thought 70 USD would be an adequate tip, but the guide demanded a 100 USD tip, stating that was the amount referred by the company. We ended up paying the 100 USD, since we were very pleased with the performance of our guide and did not wanted to offend him. Nevertheless, we thought that we were not given adequate information on how exactly guide tips work.
Overall, the experience was amazing and the only thing I would recommend other people to do for this exact route is to extend the trip for one extra day and spend 2 days at Lake Nakuru, since a 3-hour afternoon is short for the potential of such an amazing jungle.
Definitely do it!
SG
Email Jun | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience with Classic Journeys Africa
Overall, the entire tour was well planned for and all the accommodation were better than we had expected. We would consider Classic Journeys Africa again, if there is another opportunity to go back to Africa.
We had Dickson as our guide and would like to personally thank him for his good service. He is flexible and is thoughtful towards his guests, he gave us thorough explanations and great insights to not just the safari and the animals, but also to the local culture and practices. He kept the car clean and make an effort to make the ride as comfortable as possible for us.
ES
Email Karl | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Everything works perfect
Reservation process from Spain was simple. Great communication via email and/or WhatsApp.
Relationship price, service and accommodation has been very good.
Everything worked as we booked.
Guide was very gently.
Simply perfect.
NO
Email Sissel | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Safari by road to 3 different tented camps. Wonderful landscape & wildlife & good driver/guide.
I travelled with my 18 years old nephew and we both had a great time. Our guide Felix, was always on time, helpful and informative. He was also a good driver and made us feel safe. The general road condition in Kenya is not good and in parts really bad but we saw a lot of local life and beautiful landscape because we travelled by road. We went first to Ol Pejeta conservancy and the Sweetwater camp. It is located on the equator around 1800 meters above sea level. The conservancy is known for their rhinos but we also saw many other animals including elephants, lion and jackal. We also visited the chimpansee sanctuary and heard about the work they do. Thereafter we went to Lake Nakuru and the Flamingo Hill camp. We drove through lush and green landscape and the area around the lake itself is beautiful. Again we saw many animals including rhinos, buffalo, some flamingos and Vervet monkeys. The last camp was in Mara, the Loyk Mara camp. The savanna was teeming with life and we saw so many different animals, big herds of wildebeest, topis, zebras, buffalos and other species. Elephants, hippo, a pride of lions, a big male leopard, cheetah, hyenas and more. It might have been good to have had a 4x4 as a safari vehicle because we got stuck a few times. On our way back to Nairobi we visited a traditional Masai village. We spent an interesting hour with them and was shown around by a young Masai warrior who spoke English. Our last day in Nairobi we were picked up by a driver and taken to the Giraffe center, David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and the Karen Blixen museum before being driven to the airport. All those places were worth a visit and we also had a nice lunch in the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden. All the camps we visited during our safari were really nice and also quite small with Loyk Mara as the smallest, and maybe also our favourite. In Nairobi we stayed at Eka hotel which can be recommended if you are staying a night in Nairobi at each end of your safari, as it is located on the road to the airport and have all the facilities you'll need. We also used their car service one evening and went to Carnavore for dinner which was a fun experience. We ate a lot of really good food during our stay in Kenya and the service was great everywhere. All in all we had a wonderful time and can highly recommend both visiting Kenya and using Classic Journeys to help organise the trip.
US
Email Sameer & Salimah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
What an amazing experience!!
Classic Safaris were great! They helped us organize our entire trip from airport transportations and the entire safari! Chris was friendly and arrived at the airport in a nice, clean, and air conditioned van. He was informative and constantly shared interesting facts about Nairobi. Upon landing in Masai Mara Nick received us! He was so awesome! We saw some amazing animals even on the short drive to our Camp - Ashnil. Nick asked us what our expectations were from the trip and shared with us various possibilities. We ended up seeing 4 of the big 5, mating lions, and live kills. It was truly an experience of a lifetime! Nick knew so much about the animals and the Mara! We would definitely recommend this company to book your safari!
CN
Email Yu Luduo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An outstanding travel to open the gate of Africa
After comparing several agents，I chose Classic Journeys for the delightful itinerary timely and economical price.The accommodation arranged is almost satisfying. Our guide is Charly,a Samburu people with excellent driving technique and abundant knowledge of safari, which let me witness the hunting of lions in Amboseli and the new life of lions in Masai Mara,we got optimum shooting angle fortunely by his exquisite driving technique so that I can take documentaries-rivalled photos,but only a moment lasting in order to give other people chance to enjoy the rare scenes by the gentleman's manner of Charly. He also introduced us Samburu people after we visited Masai village，with his concern for compatriots，it is really an unusual experience to let me have acquaintance of the two big peoples of Kenya.
The only deficiency is in Sopa Lodge,there was network wrong with their card-reading,which let me wastage unnecessary money to pay again for the same goods,it is really absurd to let me assumed the liabilities of the fault making by Sopa Lodge’s bank.Although Classic Journeys had help me to negotiate about it,I still do not get responds till now,the Sopa's service is not sopa at all.
Overall，it is a satisfying trip to feed our sight on Africa,letting me fall in love with Africa.Classic Journeys is the best choice of travelling in Africa,and Charly is the best in best！
NO
Email Jon Peter | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The ultimate safari experience.
We are very pleased with all our stay in Kenya and our game drive om Masai Mara.
Highly recommended for anyone looking out for an excellent safari experience.
US
Email Mr. Ralph | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Trip
Excellent communication with the company.
They really take great care of their clients.
Our guides were fantastic. Completely lived up to our expectations. The safari tour was wonderful. We saw so many animals!
The accommodations were wonderful as well. Can’t wait to go back!! Thank you!
US
Email Ken | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
ClassicJourneys made our visit to Kenya safari so easy
Classic Journeys was absolutely fantastic! Our experience to the Safari couldn’t have been better as they are just so professional and the services we received were way beyond our expectations.
They made the whole trip so easy and worry-free for us. I’ll start with the communications with Classic Journeys. The sales director, Elvis, was extremely responsive and accommodating on our requests and frequent change of travel dates. We booked the tour 2 weeks prior to our departure date and yet, he managed to get us a very good package with amazing “camps” and “lodges”. The communication on both email and WhatsApp were very easy and quick. Our expectations were properly managed and directions were clearly given (including what to expect when in Kenya, shots to take and etc).
Properly packed with the instructions (we packed a lot of items we didn’t end up using, because Kenya’s infrastructure and etc were way better than we expected), we were ready to go. Upon landing in Kenya, we were picked up by the customer representative, Chris, and also our tour guide, Sammy. Shortly after, we were on our way to our first camp on the 4x4 pop up van (quick note, van works ok on paved, concrete roads, but the SUV does make a difference on game drives). Sammy was extremely knowledgeable about not only the animals themselves, but also about anything related to Kenyan economy, education, politics and etc. He had answers to all of our questions.
After around 4 hours of car ride, we were at the Sweetwater Serena Camp. Oh boy, we were completely blown off with how beautiful this camp was, and the room (tent) was tastefully decorated. Everything you would normally need is there, except hair dryer (since most camps use power generator, they typically aren’t able to support high power consumption electronics). After a nice lunch, we were set off to go for a game drive at 4 pm. On the very first day, we were so lucky as we already saw 4 of the big 5s (elephants, rhino, buffalo and leopards). Sammy kept communicating with his peers and making sure that we get to see the animals we wanted to. Sammy explained thoroughly about the animal’s behaviors, habitat, and local weather etc. After 2 hours of game drive, we went back to the camp feeling extremely satisfied with the animals we saw. A word about Kenya weather in mid August, it was around 80 degrees and sunny during the day, but temperature drops to mid 50s in the evening. It was perfect for sleeping and chilling by the camp fire.
The next 8 days in Kenya was more of the same, but we were so amazed with how scenic Kenya actually is, and all the animals we saw and learned. We saw most animals that we wanted to see (Big 5, giraffes, etc), and also part of the wildebeest/zebra migration. In addition to that, we were extremely impressed with how simple, honest, friendly and pure the Kenyan and Masai people are. For this reason alone, Kenya is worth a revisit in the future again.
All in all, our experience in the Kenya safari couldn’t have been better, and we attributed all that positive experience to ClassicJourneys and its well-trained staff. Thank you, ClassicJourneys.
US
Email Mark B and Lori K | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding Experience With Classic Journeys
We had a rough itinerary for our first trip to Africa, and we wanted to visit Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. We had never done anything of this duration and scope before, and we were reliant on Elvis Ayieko and his great staff for their recommendations and input. We changed our plans several times, and Elvis was extremely patient with our questions and modifications. This was truly a trip of a lifetime for us. We started our trip in Uganda with a short visit to see and raft the Nile River. The accommodations in Jinja were wonderful, and Joseph, our driver was great. We took a short flight from Entebbe to Nairobi, where we were picked up by Chris, and we began our savannah safari experience early the next day. George was our guide and driver in Kenya and he was outstanding. He is very knowledgeable and taught us a great deal about the wildlife and the ecosystem of the Serengeti. He always went out of his way to highlight interesting spots along the way and inform and educate us about the fascinating culture of Kenya. We visited Samburu National Park, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Lake Nakuru National Park, and Masai Mara National Game Reserve. Our timing placed us in the middle of the Great Migration, and we got to see lots of wildlife. We switched guides at the border, and once again, our guide Hassan was always polite, helpful and knowledgeable. In Tanzania we visited the huge Serengeti National Park, and the Ngorongoro National Conservation Area. Truly a gem of our planet! The wilderness camps in the Serengeti were especially fascinating. We then crossed the border back into Kenya, and we were fortunate to have George as our driver once again. We then visited Amboseli National Park before heading back to Nairobi (with Chris as our guide again) to see the Karen Blixen House and the Kenya National Museum. I can't recommend this company enough. The lodging was all topnotch and the food was always outstanding. And finally, one of the main highlights of the trip was the friendly, considerate people we met. Travel in Africa can be difficult, but the tour guides, and the hotel staff were always kind, courteous, and helpful.
