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 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.
ES
Email Kay | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Epic first safari and relaxing beach stay in Kenya
My husband and I found about Classic Journeys Africa through the Responsible Travel network, and decided to book a week-long package to visit Kenya which included a Maasai Mara safari and a stay in Diani Beach. We were picked up in a comfortable private vehicle by Chris and Dennis in Nairobi who both proved to be friendly guides and drivers. Chris was on call for anything we needed during our trip and easily reachable by phone or Whatsapp.
After a brief stint in Nairobi, we were picked up by Daniel who was our guide and driver for the three days in Maasai Mara. Daniel was not only an incredibly knowledgeable safari guide, he was also a great conversationalist and a highly skilled driver for the tough roads on the Mara! With Daniel's experience at the wheel, we saw epic sunsets, had a picnic on the Mara, visited a Maasai village, and saw everything from buffalos, elephants, leopards, cheetahs, pumbas, gazelles, birds of all types, and lions up close. To say the experience was life-changing was an understatement. We also loved our stay the the Loyk Mara camp, with friendly staff, comfortable beds, good food, and a pool to cool off on a hot day.
We were then driven to the Wilson Airport where we flew to Diani Beach, and stayed at the Swahili Beach Resort. The staff were informed by Classic Journeys that it was our wedding anniversary, and we were greeted with a special decoration to welcome us. Beautiful facilities including an epic pool and an oceanfront spa, a variety of choices for restaurants, and a relaxing location to unwind before we flew back.
Thank you, Classic Journeys, for a beautiful introduction to Kenya.
PH
Email Joy Redoble | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Kenya
Nairobi- Chris is a great guide- very well-informed, kind, attentive, courteous and super funny. He provided the transfers and was my guide for going around Nairobi. He always made sure that everything is safe, comfortable and that I would have fun. Thank you Chris for everything.
Masai- I was very fortunate to have Daniel as my guide/driver for this Masai mara trip. He is very attentive, perceptive, great sense of humor and very courteous to everyone. He is very knowledgeable about Kenya, the Masai, Africa, the animals, birds, culture, plants and very well-learned. I learned so much from this trip thanks to Daniel.
I really enjoyed the trip. 100%. I would recommend your agency to friends who might want to visit the Masai Mara in the future.
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Email Reid & Gina N. | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Classic Journeys made our bucketlist trip to Africa amazing, safe, memorable and utterly luxurious!
Going to Africa on safari was on our "bucketlist and after the world shutdown with the pandemic, we decided to "carpe diem" our trip in 2022. After researching reputable safari agencies, we came upon Classic Journeys in a Forbes magazine article for responsible safari agents. We really like that Classic Journeys was headquartered in Kenya, so we can support the local economy instead of going with other agencies that are based in UK or France. Classic Journeys (Elvis) was always quick to respond to our requests/questions in the planning stage, and suggested a itinerary w/ our hit list along w/ parks that we didn't even consider (ex. Amboseli in Kenya was SO amazing and we're so glad Elvis put it on our trip). It was a significant $$ and a little scary to wire money upfront, but we trusted that Classic Journeys will honor their commitment.
And boy did they take care of us once we arrived in Africa! From ensuring that greeters/drivers are there to take care of us when there were flight delays/cancellations, all the places they booked for our journey was simply LUXURIOUS. Our personal guides in Kenya & Tanzania (Dixon & Stanley) really made sure we were safe at all times and were always prompt and available whenever we needed them. Not only did they showed/found the amazing wildlife out on safari, our guides were extremely knowledge about animals & other local experiences (presidential election, history of the area/country, even local banana beer :). Our animal encounters on safari were so frequent (multiple lion hunts, lion coupling, elephant herds, charging buffalos, lion cubs, cheetah cubs, and on on) that we really floored and pleasantly surprised by it all! While it was a significant amount $$, we feel like it was very much worth it to have the expertise and professionalism of Classic Journeys on our side.
CA
Email Francis | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Customer focused tour operator
We, in a group of 24, enjoyed a wonderful 11-day activity packed Kenya safari tour organized by Classic Journeys Africa. This is first major travel for all since Covid restrictions. For some that was also first Africa experiences. We rated this tour experience very high at possible 5 out of 5 due to the fact that we were able to tailor made our trip to what we wanted to see and control the pace. The tour provider is well equipped with own safari vehicles and experienced drivers (the best skilled in industry!). The tour coordinators are very responsive following through every question and specific needs during planning stage and during the tour throughout. They are professionals who know what the group needs and how to handle. BTY, I'm referring to the group as established mid-upper age couples in not-so-hurry-paced explorer category. If you are the one belongs to this type, you will not regret to consider them.
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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 Susan Elise | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Professional, well-run operation, attentive to all details and wonderful host.
I've been to Kenya 4 times now and Classic Journeys Africa was by far the most well-run operation in every aspect. Their personal interaction with clients and great care to make our safari affordable, exciting, safe and comfortable was a rarity to find in the touism industry. What a pleasue to deal with them. Will go back on one of their safari trips next summer for absolutely sure.
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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.
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Email Zack R | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Honeymoon in Tanzania
My new wife Shina and I cannot thank Classic Journeys Africa enough for an unforgettable experience for our Honeymoon in Late June and Early July 2022. We had a 6 night safari in Tanzania with stops at Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Lake Manyara, and Tarangire National Parks followed by three nights of relaxation in Zanzibar and could not have made a better choice for our honeymoon than taking this private safari experience. Our accommodations that were organized by Charles during the safari were exceptional with each night outdoing the next, and we cannot describe how amazing our tour guided Arnold was throughuot the course of the safari. If there was an animal to be found - Arnold would get us there and he would always ensure we had the best view of any of the other travelers in other vehicles around us. He was extremely knowledgeable, tailored each day towards exactly what we were most excited to see, and was patient and kind throughout the entire week together. The company helped us complete excursions to a Maasai village and a walking safari in the Serengeti, both of which were highlights of the trip. We also had a private driver, Mashaka, available to us in Zanzibar who was excellent at providing recommendations and organizing our excursion to Stone Town. Special accommodations to highlight were Ngorongoro Forest Lodge and Tarangire Simba Lodge - both of which cannot be missed. We had high expectations for this trip and they were widely exceeded in every way. Thank you to the Classic Journeys Africa team for an unbelievable experience, we can't wait to return to Africa someday and look forward to booking with you again!
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Email johnnie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Far exceeded our expectations honoring a 2 year old commitment due to COVID!
We booked a safari with Classic Journeys over 2 years ago and had paid the majority of our trip prior to COVID affecting worldwide travel. Charles was our first point of contact and stayed in touch with us until we were able to safely travel 2 years later. When we first booked the safari it was to be a family vacation for 4 people and later we switched to 2. Charles was able to upgrade our accommodations and extend the length of our trip. My wife and I embarked on a private 2 week safari encompassing Kenya and Tanzania at 6 different camps and lodges in July 2022. The communication was excellent and prompt and the customer service was fantastic! We researched the web prior to booking with Classic Journeys and were not disappointed! The cost was not the cheapest nor the most expensive and we were looking to get the most out of our experience without breaking the bank. Our guides, Dixon and Praygod, were knowledgeable and indispensable in making our safari a dream vacation for us both. We were able to see several different landscapes, environments and animals and our guides shared a wealth of information everywhere we went! We are looking forward to returning and using Classic Journeys to set up another safari in the future!
