Bush lunch in Maasai Mara National Reserve
Tazama Africa Holidays
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- AMREF, Eco Tourism & Tour Operators Society of Kenya
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $1,200 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Eric | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Safari Experience
My wife and our friends just finished a 7 day safari with Tazama Safaris, guided by Antony. It was, in a word, incredible. Antony, the owner of the company and our guide, was the consummate professional. Below are some notes on our safari.
The Wildlife Experience: We saw it all. In fact, in one day in Masai Mara, we saw all of the Big Five. We also saw five cheetahs and a hippo up close. We witnessed two lion mating sessions and two (failed) lion hunts. Despite knowing that there is a fair amount of luck involved in which animals you get to see, we would jokingly tell Antony at the beginning of each game drive that we needed to see a leopard (or a cheetah or a rhino). Without fail, we saw each of those animals within a couple hours after making the request. Once it was clear which animal we were interested in, he was active on the radio communicating with drivers across the park. He was almost as excited to see each of the animals as we were, even though he has been to the parks countless times. He casually mentioned toward the end of the safari that he has served as a guide and driver for professional photographers from BBC and National Geographic, so he has lots of experience finding the animals. I cannot guarantee that anyone will be as lucky as we were, but I can wholeheartedly recommend Antony as a dedicated guide that prioritizes your safari experience.
Guide: Antony was a very gracious and polite guide. He was very friendly and social with us, but also knew when to let us rest and relax on the long rides between parks. He has a strong knowledge of the animals and their habits and was able to answer all of our questions. At a couple of the lodges, he asked the staff if we could have breakfast early, so as to get on the drives as soon as possible.
Communication: Antony was responsive to emails. He responded with a personalized itinerary and quote within 24 hours, even though he was busy leading a safari himself. It was clear he had read the email closely, as his itinerary was exactly in line with our preferences. Before we began the safari, Antony went over the itinerary again with us to verify it. Throughout the trip, Antony was very considerate of our preferences. He offered suggestions—which we always took—but he was willing to be flexible based on our needs.
Payment: We paid via credit card in two installments. At first I was leery of paying through PesaPal, but it is quite common in Kenya. My credit card company would not let the initial payment through, but after I notified them via email, there were no issues.
Value: Antony’s quote came in significantly cheaper than another quote I received, even though both had the same lodges/camps. We all felt that the lodges were very nice for the price we paid. We were glad we paid extra for the Land Cruiser, as the roads can be bumpy and rough. He does offer a van safari at a lower price though.
If you are looking for a great value safari led by an exceptional guide, I highly recommend Tazama Safaris. It was the quintessential safari experience, and I would not have changed a thing.
PL
Email Marysia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best time with Tazama
I've traveled a lot but this is the first time I want to put my comment on TripAdvisor. From the deep of my heart I truly recommend Tazama Africa holidays. There are no words to describe our experience. That was worth every dollar. We met Antony who became our friend. It was a pleasure to spend with him those 4 days. He did amazing job. After long research I'm sure we chose the best!
Gabriela
CZ
Email Adela | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect safari without any glitch
Everything was perfect and I can only recommend Tazama. From the communication with Anthony while planning the safari and before the arrival to very last day, everything was so smooth I couldnt believe it. Our driver/guide Charles was great, he showed us the big five and was very knowledgeable about the animals which we really appreciated. And we were usually the fastest car on the road outside the parks;)
The only little negative was, that Charles-guide/driver was obviously in different time zone, but after a couple of days, we synced. He was on African standard time (usual time + 15 minutes ;)), but we got used really quickly and used his time even after we left Kenya :-D
I recommend Tazama very much!
Email Sarah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
3 days in Kenyan paradise
We had an UNFORGETTABLE 3-day safari with Antony and our driver Charles!
The communication and the organization (round trip from Nairobi included) went perfectly, we enjoyed every minutes of the trip.
We stayed at Ilkeliani Mara Camp which is a wonderful place and had a tent in front of the river, waking up with monkeys and mongooses.
We highly recommend Antony and his team!
PL
Email Aggie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent
Tazama did it again.Last week i did my second safari with a group of friends and Tazama proved that they are still the Number one tour company in Kenya.
After being left breathless the last time at the Mara(3days at Ashnill in December last year)I decided to do a 7 day safari this time Nakuru,Amboseli and Tsavo.
Antony the director did not dissapoint always ready to listen and offer the best combinations..very well organized route list and in park hotels.
Jack our driver is very skilled in all aspects from his great driving that gives you the real feel of safari to spotting animals from a distance to going an extra mile in finding the animals and his sense of humour is just great.
The land cruiser was very comfortable and sparkling clean,always had cold drinking water not to forget the massai lesos we received as gifts..
I highly recommend Tazama it is simply the BEST
FR
Email Loïc | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A perfect organization that allowed to fully enjoy with no stress. Antony and Charles are very kind.
A safari in the Maasai Mara is a once in a lifetime thing. So we wanted it to be perfect.
We compared 6/7 safari operator to find the best offer in order to optimize our 2.5 days, our wallet and our experience.
We finally booked out safari through Tazama with an accommodation at the Ilkeliani Mara Camp and it went way beyond our expectations.
Antony (Tazama’s director) and Charles (our driver/guide) were adorable and very helpful. We forgot our passports at our hotel and Antony went to pick it up for us and brought us back when we came back from the safari.
Since they picked us up at the hotel we booked in Nairobi, everything was 100% perfectly organized.
The gamedrives in the camp were also very successful. We saw all the animals several times (except the rhino), thanks to Charles.
The camp experience is also something. You get a tent in the middle of the forest, 10m from the river, very well equipped. You wake up with the baboons and the food is… truly amazing.
Tips: if you come for your birthday, don’t forget to let the team know. You’ll get a wonderful surprise.
TH
Email Derek Angell | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent from start to finish
This was an excellent safari, the whole process was handled well by Anthony from booking through to the first half of the Safari. We were then handed over to David who was an excellent guide through the Mara where he took us for close ups with lions, cheetah and leopards. the accommodation Anthony chose was superb and they offered fantastic food. We were then dropped back to our hotel and given two free transfers to the airport as we had different flights and the drivers looked after us superbly.
I would thoroughly recommend Tazama Africa Holidays who made our holiday in Kenya fantastic.
FR
Email Gilles | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safari!
Tired of the evasive answers we got (or not) from other sites we looked for to organize our safari, we found Tazama African Holidays. Anthony Gitau responded immediately to our email and phone calls. He seems available 24/7! Anthony is punctual, reliable and very professional. Good advice, listening to our requests, even if they make changes to the planing of the day. His choice for our accommodations was excellent: a high standard for a very reasonable price (compared to other safari operators). Nothing to complain about, no negative criticism. Excellent value. No hesitation, we will go back in the wilderness with Anthony. Gilles and his wife, from France: a week in Nakuru and Masai Mara, beginning of October 2018.
US
Email Sheila | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great safari
October 2018
We began looking for a Safari and found the “sea” of companies confusing and exhausting. Because we have done Safari’s in the past, we knew what we wanted. We attempted to speak with many agencies and the first thing most companies wanted was “our budget”, nothing about what we wanted to do on the Safari. Or an agency would send a “cookie cutter” plan.
By chance we found TAZAMA AFRICA HOLIDAYS with ANTHONY GITAU. He was the director of the agency and our driver/ guide too! We exchanged one email and after that spoke directly to him on the phone. We sorted out together what the package would consist of. He was very clear as to what would be included and what would not be concluded, no surprises. Whenever we called him he picked up the phone, imagine that! We were sold after that!
Throughout the Safari with Anthony to Lake Nakuru and Maasai Mara, he delivered EVERYTHING he promised plus more. We enjoyed a 7 day safari with him. He drove an comfortable and good functioning land cruiser for the duration of our trip. He has an excellent command of the english language.
He was very knowledgeable about the cultures of Africa, the animals, etc. We shared many good conversations with him.
He choose for us amazing, luxurious accommodations, that cared for our every need.
He was honest, punctual, professional, very flexible, kind, genuine, and always concerned about how we were doing.
Avoid the agencies that charge you Thousands of dollars for the same package. Use TAZAMA AFRICA HOLIDAYS with ANTHONY GITAU and rest assured you will get what you asked for. Without any hesitation, I will give his name to all my friends and fellow travelers, and return for another trip with him.
We cannot thank him enough!
Email Habil | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Five Star Service with Tazama Africa Holidays
My latest trip with a few friends from South Africa was in Kenya, specifically Aberdare, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara. We could not have chosen any other places, thanks for the services of Tazama Africa. In particular I want to thank Antony who helped to organize the trip and our driver Peter. Antony was very efficient in organizing the trip, responding to our emails on the same day and feeding us with ideas of the best places to go during our one week break. Peter on the other hand is well informed about the places we visited and has a vast knowledge of the wildlife animals, birds and other interesting facts about Kenya. Besides he was always punctual, always willing to help and with a good sense of humor. We were very satisfied with our trip and cannot hesitate to recommend Tazama Africa Holidays to anyone planning to travel to East Africa.