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
Wonderful!!!!
Amazing! the guide and the conductor was very good!
US
Email Bala L | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Big 5 and Wildebeest Migration
The trip to Tanzania was amazing. We were a group of ten which included kids and we covered Tarangire, Central and North Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater area and a day at Moshi. We booked through KimKim and Salty.Travel - Classic Journeys was their local partner in the area. The booking process was taken care of through KimKim while the actual safari was handled through Classic Journeys.
Magi and Penda are excellent guides who have spent a lot of time doing safaris. One of them was with us from the time we landed until they dropped us off at the airport again. They were patient with our questions and responsive to our needs. They were happy to provide suggestions about game drives and willing to work with us to modify plans as needed. Their knowledge of the area and animals were very valuable to us. They were able to get us to the right spots at the right time. We trusted them to take us where the animals were and we got to see the Big 5 and more! Our highlights of the trip included seeing a standoff between a herd of buffaloes and lions, watching a pride of lions eat their kill, seeing a couple of cheetahs eat a gazelle, and being in place to see the first crossing of wildebeests across the Mara river.
One minor area for improvement would be the vehicles. One of our vehicles had the misfortune of getting four flat tires over the course of our safari. Also, having working AC during the long days of travel would have been nice.
US
Email Toni | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Sameer was knowledgeable in nature, animal behavior and identification, culture and customer service
Our time spent in Kenya with the assistance of Sameer from Classic Journeys was phenomenal. The company's guide was attentive to our wishes and needs. He paid close attention to what we wanted to see and found everyone of them and then some. He was so helpful in sharing his knowledge and experience with animal behavior finding us the best up close viewing options while respecting the animal. The accommodations were all top notch in terms of comfort, food and the African experience.
Top notch tour guides!
They were full of a knowledge, always on time. Kept us up to date daily on what we were going to do and where we would go. Great accommodations,.We heard other people complaining about the tour companies they had, but we told them they should have used ours. We will use them again for sure!
Email STEVEN | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience - Thankyou to all at classic journeys !
We had a great experience using classic journeys. Prior to leaving Charles would always be responsive to emails with any queries we had. Once we arrived the tour guides Moses and Zach were friendly knowledgeable and happy to help us. We had a fantastic trip and will remember it forever ! Steve, UK
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Email Arild Moen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Trustworthy, good educated, knowledgeable and Serviceminded operators and staff.
My trip to Kenya was an interesting journey. I had bought a trip with a travel group consisting of 20 other people. We flew from Norway in the afternoon around the border of Ukraine, over Baghdad and the Persian Gulf to Doha in Quatar, from where a new plane took us to Nairobi where we landed early in the morning. The first day was spent relaxing at the hotel and a trip around Nairobi to a Giraffe park and the Karen Blixen estate. Dinner at the Carnivore restaurant. The following two days we drove to Naivasha and Nakuru with birds and animals. Then to Masai Mara where we stayed in a luxurious tent camp operated by the Masaii and we saw lots of animals. Then we travelled back to Nairobi and flew to Zanzibar where we stayed in a luxurious beach hotel. Had a day trip to the center of the island where we visited the Slave-market, the Spice market and the old town with the fort. Crowded and People everywhere. From Zanzibar we flew back to Oslo via Doha. I regret that I did not stay any longer. So many other places to visit.
The tour operators in Kenya did a good job to transport us around, they were service-minded and did their utmost to show us around and to keep the schedule on roads of different standards.
My main impressions after seeing my beloved Kenya again after 40 years were the following:
- lots of People everywhere. The population had tripled on 40 years, from 16 million in 1980 to almost 50 millions today. They get a double whammy: With 3,5 % birthrate increase every year and lots of refugees from the neighboring war-torn countries.
- Almost all houses/huts had tin roofs now. 40 years ago I estimate 2/3 had thatched straw roofs. I recon that is a very good development for the public health?
- There have been some big electrical projects. Power is derived from hot springs in the Rift Valley. There was very little - almost nothing - charcoal burning now. That was very common for cooking 40 years ago. Also less smoke is positive for the public health.
- the roads were improved and better now. New roads with more asphalt. But also lacking maintenance on dirt roads.
- thank you to the old English colonial masters who set aside vast marginal land areas for national parks. Without the dispositions they did 1945-1963 I do not think we would have the parks we can enjoy today.
- I did not study the sanitary situation closely, but at the luxurious hotels where we stayed, we had hot and cold water in the shower and there were cold Tuskers (beer) in the bar. I am sure that if I had gone into a study of the local sanitation Companies, I would have found many faults. So I did not drink tap water.
- Another interesting feature was the new high speed Chinese Standard Gauge Railroad. I never saw any trains running on it. It is a lot of controversy around the Chinese investments and the payback of loans. Presently the SGR-line ends in Naivasha where containers can be transferred to the old “lunatic line” narrow gauge railway that still operates from Nairobi to Kampala.
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Email Olla Berit | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very good, I had a marvelous time.
The safari in Masai Mara was excellent. Our driver, Samir, was a very nice person, a excellent driver and guide. I would have liked to have better seats and safety belts in the car and a microphone for the driver. People in the back seats could not hear what he told us about the animals, the country etc.
CA
Email Neil Oakshott | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience
I won’t make this long. The trip was fantastic from day one. Well organized, well managed, well executed.
The guides were fantastic, the accommodations were well chosen and the safari outings themselves were very well timed and the travel very well structured.
We felt secure at all times and any minor issues that came up were dealt with rapidly and professionally.
The whole family loved every minute of it.
It was a memorable experience, we saw some incredible animals, and I cannot recommend them highly enough.
AR
Email Lavin Anilu | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfection.
At first I was a bit troubled because going to Africa was a very different experience. The minute I got in contact with Justo Casal, all my fears went away. Everything was very well planned, hotels, vehicle, places. And our guide, Maurice was adorable. Both, Justo and Maurice made our travel easy, without any problem, and above all, trustful.
US
Email Don | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
CJA put together a stunning experience for us, with competent, hospitable and thoughtful staff.
We will be raving about this trip for years. During 10 days in Amboseli NP, Lake Naivasha and the Maasai Mara, we saw (often from just a few meters away) every wild animal we could have imagined, and many more. We were so impressed that policies controlling poaching (and some irresponsible tour operators) were so effective that animals lived out their lives as though we weren't even there.
We spent 10 days in the hands of our driver Jack and the good folks at CJA, at five different resorts. Every single person we encountered was friendly, polite, and oh-so-helpful. Staff were always able to keep us safe, informed and on schedule, and the entire operation ran as smooth as could be.
Being in one vehicle and having one driver for the entire trip was just brilliant. Jack was alert (he saw wildlife far before us!), thoughtful and very well informed. He rapidly got a handle on what interested us most (for me, an understanding of how different animals interacted on the landscape) and made dozens of small choices to help create the best experience possible. Also, this trip was entirely on surface transport - no planes. The road time was by no means wasted -- we got to see the countryside and small towns, crops and herds, and the many ways people lived their public lives.