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
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Email Lars | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari - excellent service
We had a 6 day tour with Classic Journeys in June 2016. We visited Naivasha and Masai Mara. Classic Journeys were great in organizing the trip, our expectations were met 100%, everything worked fine, time schedule was kept without delays and we didn't have any problems. We had a Toyota 4WD Minivan. It didn't look very impressive, and was quite old, but it was very effective and reliable, and tuned out to be a very good car for us. Our guide at the safari, Geoffrey, was a fantastic guide! We couldn't have got any better. He is knowledgeable, skilled and trustworthy. His English is excellent, and he is very service minded. He is also a very nice and kind person that is easy to get along with. In Nairobi Mathew was our guide, the same things can be said about him. He is a great manager, organizer and guide. Hotels/places on safari: Sopa Lodge in Naivasha was good. Great location, nice huts, good food and service. Base camp in Talek was excellent. Very nice tents, very good location and very good food and service. The best place we stayed during our whole stay in Kenya. We also saw lots of game there. Wilderness camp in Naboisho was also excellent when it comes to tents, location and food, but we were a bit disappointed about our guide there. We had a local guide, not from Classic Journeys. We didn't see as much game there as we had expected, and felt that our guide didn't work as hard as Geoffrey to make the most out of our stay. Still good though.
In Nairobi we stayed at The Nairobi Safari Club Hotel. It was also good, comfortable with great service and excellent breakfast. Traffic in Nairobi was much worse than we had expected, and obviously limits the possibilities. Fortunately we had a good guide (Mathew) who handled this very well. You should not try to do sightseeing in Nairobi on your own.
Classical Journeys in general: Very well organized and trustworthy. I will highly recommend them to others!
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Email Diane | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most amazing journey
We had a trip of a lifetime. Everything was outstanding- we were treated like VIP's the entire time. all details were handled and all we had to do was sit back and enjoy the journey. Highly recommend this excellent organization!
Email Pam | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A Wholly Professional Service from Start to End
Everything from the initial email contact to dropping us back to the airport after our safari was dealt with in a 100% professional and friendly manner. They helped at every stage to ensure we had the very best safari experience from greeting us at the airport, booking us in at all the camps and lodges, to the excellent driver guide for whom nothing was too much bother!
This was our fourth safari with Classic Journeys Africa and it is impossible to recommend them too highly for their fast and efficient service at all times, and I can’t wait for our next safari!
BE
Email Wendy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent, professional service & ethical company
Excellent service from Classic Journeys! Despite being end of the high season, we still saw plenty. Ruth listened to our needs and make great recommendations to fit in with our wishes and time constraints. Only wish we had a day longer to see more but we had a great time in the Masaai Mara. Everything on our itinerary was as promised. It can be 'risky' paying everything in advance but CJ is a trustworthy organisation. Ruth was in contact via whatsapp and quickly responded to any questions while planning our itinerary. We were met at the airport on arrival and transferred to Wilson airport for our connecting flight. The guide, Lawrence was waiting for our plane and within minutes of leaving the airport we had already spotted some of the Big 5. Lawrence was a courteous and excellent guide and a skilled driver. He was professional at all times and we felt comfortable especially on the drive back to Nairobi when the roads were busy.
Sadly we saw some very bad behaviour from other drivers in The Masaai Mara which was having a negative impact on the animals especially a leopard and a cheetah family trying to hunt. We witnessed vehicles going off road between lionesses and their cubs putting the cubs at risk of being hit by a vehicle. We saw a car damaging bushes in a thicket so the gawking tourist could get a closeup photo of a lion resting. The impact on the wildlife by irresponsible drivers and their guests is very concerning. We were very relieved to see that Lawrence was equally as appalled at the undisciplined behaviour! We felt comfortable that we had chosen a responsible and ethical tour operator who respected the wildlife and their environment.
CA
Email Marie-Pier Brunet | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
AMAZING !
Above our expectations! Our guide, Amir, was able to direct us well regardless of our questions. It is a real Wildlife GPS! He has several contacts in different cities who facilitate reservations for additional activities (night safari, hot air balloon, etc.). Amir is interested in wildlife so he learns about animals which makes learning easier during our safaris. He speaks French very well and loves to tease his customers. I strongly suggest you ask to be with him if you speak French! A big plus to our dream trip!
The rooms were A+ and even the tents! We didn't see any cockroaches, spiders, etc. VERY CLEAN !
(automatic translation from French)
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Email Mariah | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Classic Journeys provided once in a lifetime moments and memories
We started planning a year out and Elvis went above and beyond to answer questions and accommodate all of our requests- from children, to extra beds (odd number in group), to vegetarian food, we felt comfortable that our needs would be met. After a delayed flight, we were met by the most amazing guide Dennis for our journey. We visited so many places, had a few bumps in the road and enjoyed every minute! One of our travelers bumped their leg that ended up needing medical attention that had us stopping for ice, hospitals, and pharamacies. Dennis was so patient and helped navigate the facilities. We always felt safe and comfortable with his help. The safari stops were beyond imagination, we went from Ol Pejeta to Lake Nikita, the Mara, Lake Naivasha, and Amboseli. We saw the big 5 in two days, witnessed three river crossings in the Mara, a giraffe memorial and a rare cheetah kill in Amboseli- again, Dennis was patient, kind, and always at the right place at the right time. We enjoyed every camp and stop. The only piece of advice would be to prepare for long drives between stops. Coming from the US, we noted the mileage but not the drive time. If and when we ever go back, we would definitely extend the one night stays each stop by a night or two to help mitigate the long drives from place to place. Again, this was a once in a lifetime trip topped off by excellent service from Classic Journey’s. Shout out to Dennis for being the best guide! Asante sana!
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Email Sharyn | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very accommodating and available for a fantastic safari.
I arranged this safari for myself and four family members...three adults, one teenager, and one child. Classic Journeys helped with the itinerary and it was perfect. We missed the first day of our tour due to airline delays and they were right there to reorganize our trip. The cost of the safari was quite reasonable and good value for the money. I hurt my leg rather badly the first day and had to go the a hospital that night. Our tour guide arranged it all and was right there with me the whole time. I've travelled all my life and he was the best in every way. We all felt like we were new friends right away. We saw the big 5 and everything we wanted to see. It was the trip of a lifetime! I can't recommend Classic
Journeys Africa enough.
Email Christian | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible! Good Luck, our guide made the trip.
The trip was amazing. Going into the Ngorongoro creator felt like seeing the garden of Eden.
I was so impressed with all of the places we stayed. The camp site in the centre of the Serengeti was breath taking, being that close to nature was perfect.
Good Luck, our guide, was just wonderful. He knew all of the parks inside out, and seemed to be able know where the animals would be instinct. We saw the big five easily, including a cheater in a tree when we were totally alone. He also managed to find us some really specific birds! Can not recommend him enough, definitely a high point of the trip.
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Email Jacquelyn | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Classic Journeys was professional, reliable and knowledgeable, with wonderful guides.
In a pandemic, so many things could go wrong—but nothing did! If Classic Journeys said we’d get a PCR test result in four hours, Classic Journeys did just that. Our guides consistently showed up on time, even when rendezvousing at the Kenyan border. Lots of work was obviously going on in the background to make the trip feel this seamless. Our two guides (Good Luck in Tanzania and Moses in Kenya) made our safari feel (in a good way) like a college-credit course. Every question was answered with a depth of knowledge that can only come from vast experience and dedication to the environments these guides work in and serve. They patiently answered our questions about the parks, animals, politics and even about their own lives. They are expert in the art of spotting a leopard or a rhino (among the rarer examples of wildlife) in the landscape. The choice of lodging was perfect. Kati Kati in the Serengeti was the most down-to-earth setting but the service was fantastic and it was a privilege to be housed in the park itself, where one night we heard a lion exploring outside our fortified tent. The manager, Job, worked so hard to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable. At night, travelers gathered around his “African TV” (a bonfire) to talk about the highlights of their day. We met folks from Portugal, the US, and Spain. The group of young men who live at the camp during the tourist season worked non-stop to walk us to our tent, get our showers ready with solar-heated water, turn down our beds, and simply to entertain us with stories and information (I’m talking to you, Honest!). In the Zebra Plains lodge at Amboseli Park in Kenya, a staff member named Moses offered to walk us around the brush surrounding the lodge, which abuts his village. He showed up in his traditional Maasai clothing and for the next hour identified animal footprints, skat, and plants, while watching carefully for wildlife. We were well fed by all lodges and camps, including with robust packed lunches when we were out for the entire day. The Lake Manyara Safari Lodge quickly adjusted its dinner option when I made a special request. The staff at all lodges and camps is exceedingly professional (many of whom we learned are earning college degrees in hospitality).
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Email Adam N | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A perfect trip!
Classic Journeys put together an absolutely amazing experience for us. Elvis was just terrific to work with. He promptly responded to all questions and helped us navigate through all the confusing travel requirements (visas, Covid tests, etc). He customized our tour to give us exactly what we wanted.
Every detail was perfectly executed. Our driver Chris was waiting for us as soon as we landed in a clean vehicle. He took us straight to a great hotel and picked us up again the next morning promptly. All our accommodations were terrific, the food was great, the sites were amazing.
Our safari guide Sameer was perfect! Super knowledgeable about every plant and animal, history, geography, geology, etc. Every game drive was fun, informative and unforgettable.
I can’t recommend this company highly enough. They will nail every detail in creating the perfect trip for you. Thank you Classic Journeys!