Across The Wild Tours & Safaris top Guide
Across The Wild Tours & Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, KATO, AMREF, Eco Tourism & TRA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $800 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CY
Email Paul Colbert | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A 14 day safari which far exceeded our expectations for quality of accommodation and game viewing.
When booking the safari, Fina from Across the Wild was very quick to respond to all our queries and did an excellent job tailoring the itinerary to meet our requirements and our budget. We had the same guide, Kevin, throughout the trip, who was professional, informative and great fun.
The accommodation in all four parks we visited was fantastic quality. Many were next to waterholes or the river to attract animals which we enjoyed watching during the time we were not out on game drives. The staff at all locations gave us a warm Kenyan welcome.
We have been on safaris before but the quality of the game viewing on this trip far exceeded our expectations. We had multiple sightings of all three big cats, elephants and an abundance of other animals. An absolutely magical trip, the memories of which will stay with us for ever.
SA
Email Nur Abdi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Not good transportation (4x4 land cruiser) very old and not safe for children
The tour operator advertised the service as VIP. We had a unpleasant experience with the transportation service. We had selected the VIP service because of the transport as we have young children. The car provided was 4x4 land cruiser but had mechanical issues. At many instances the driver had issue with the gearbox.
LR
Email Steve | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A FAMILY DREAM SAFARI IN KENYA
Last year, I went on an 8-day safari in Kenya with my wife and 3 kids, who weree visiting the country for the first time. After identifying three Kenya-based tour operators on the Internet and corresponding with them, we chose Across the wild tours and Safaris. Our itinerary was: Maasai Mara the Aberdares (Treetops)-Lake Nakuru.
The company tour operations manager Fina, was very helpful in answering all our questions and, unlike the other operators that we contacted, she was most willing to organize the trip in accordance with our wishes. A few days to our safari, we met Fina who personally came to meet us on our arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International airport Nairobi, she was happy to meet us and we had a little chat before and we felt at home with her presence with us.
She was indeed very welcoming and professional, which reassured us even more! Our accommodation – a mix of lodges, hotels and tents – was very good: the rooms were spacious and clean, the food was fresh and delicious, and staff made us feels very much at home.
The tour guide/driver, Amos, with whom we naturally spent most of the time, was always punctual, professional and helpful. As a good storyteller, he shared his deep knowledge of the wildlife, geography and people of the areas that we visited, and answered our many questions patiently. We saw the "big five" and many other creatures’ great and small and in the parks, he did not always follow the well-trodden path, so we often spotted an animal or situation that everyone was hoping for.
Amos would then radio the information to his fellow tour guides/drivers to share it with the other tourists. We are thankful to Across the wild tours and Safaris for enabling us to experience a most amazing safari! For my wife and kids, it was a life-changing introduction to the wild: from being extremely scared as we walked to our cottage from our lodge's dining area on our first evening in Samburu, to struggling to get back to his routine several weeks after the safari – because of all the wonderful memories!
We were also pleased that the choice of vehicle we took a land cruiser 4 X4 was in perfect condition and well maintained, this are some little things that built our confidence with the choice of the tour operator we selected that is Across the wild tours and Safaris and we wish them well for sure and once again we say thank you.
We are pleased to recommend this company to anyone wanting to go on a meaningful safari in Kenya.
Stephen.
NG
Email Jean Eric | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
WHAT A WONDERFUL TRIP! WHAT AN EXITING EXPERIENCE!
My wife and I recently in November/ December 2019 took a 19 day trip to Kenya and Tanzania, arranged with Across the Wild Tours and Safaris in Kenya. We managed our safari with Fina, the Tour Manager, who was very supportive and always accommodative to our trip adjustments which was amended too many times but she was always flexible to that and kudos to her she was never tire to give directions and try to do the amendments for us.
Everything went superbly. We were met by Fina on our Landing to JKIA- in Nairobi and driver/ guide Kevin who eventually became our best surprise during the tour in Kenya and Eventually Ikamba who took us on the Tanzania tour.
We flew into Nairobi late at night, actually at 1 am,and Fina was there waiting for our arrival and spent the night at Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Nairobi. The following morning we then were driven and guided to three permanent tented camps in private conservancies: Sanctuary Olonana Camp, The Cliff Luxury Camp in Nakuru, and Porini Amboselli Camp. The tented camps were wonderful. The Masai warriors who direct, serve, guard and guided us at the camps took good care of us. Their warmth, knowledge of English, and caring attitude made us feel welcomed and very comfortable in our stays. We saw animals and their lives up close and personal. My wife took literally thousands of photos. We crossed into Tanzania at Namanga, and were met by Ikamba who was our next driver/guide. For our whole time in Tanzania, to whom we were in the capable, knowledgeable, friendly, and funny hands of a well-known guide.
He drove us all over Tanzania, visiting Lake Manyara, NgoroNgoro Conservation Area, the Serengeti, and the drive down into the crater itself, then Tarangire National Park. What a wonderful trip. There were too many highlights to tell about, with Across The Wild tours and Safaris, we were always secure and always learning something new and always kept in touch with us it was good experience.
It was a really great experience we had and I would definitely recommend this tour operator for anyone who intends to have a trip of a lifetime their services are up notch and I can’t recommend less, you guys are doing a great job.
Once again thank you Fina for always being flexible with our demands and lots of questions.
Email David | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Awesome and unforgettable experience, my family and I can't wait to have such funagain.
My wife and I decided it's time we have a family vacation in Diani, this was mid November 2020. It was a sudden decision and we wanted to leave soon as my wife was to resume work soon and wanted to make happy, you what they say, happy wife happy life :) . I called Across the wild travel and tours manager, Fina, 3 days before the day we intended to travel. With such a short notice we obviously expected some delays or even to be asked if we can travel another day. It was beyond our expectations that in 2 days, tickets and accommodations details were in, all we needed to do is give a go ahead for bookings. The day to day communications and progress of the process was amazing. I didn't call at any point to ask anything because updates were disseminated timely. Came the Travel day and all was set, can't fail to mention the efficient airport picks and drop offs. We flew from Nairobi early afternoon to Ukunda airstrip and voila! we checked in to our hotel, Diani Sea Lodge. Couldn't ask for a more coastal breath taking experience, Kenyan white sandy beaches, breeze and such an oceanic feeling. It was an all inclusive stay, you know what that means. Our 4 nights and 5 days was nothing but epic. The boat rides to watch marine life, fresh coconuts... I could go on and on. Of importance is that it's like Across the wild was with us throughout, it's was very kind of Fina to make sure we settled in our hotel and making sure at the end of 5 days we were back home safely. It has aways been my wish to visit Diani with my family and always imagined how stressful planning and eventually traveling would be stressful, but now I wish I contacted Across the wild tours sooner than later. Couldn't ask for a magical way to wind up a stressful 2020 courtesy of Across the wild tours and more so thank you Fina. Looking forward to doing it allover again and this time to a different destination
MX
Email Liliana Quijano | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They can do your perfect safari
We loved the itinerary that was tailor-made for my sister and I, we had a great experience booking everything with Fina and the safari was amazing with our guide David, he knows a lot about animals and plants, I can't recommend enough to book your safari with across the wild.
Email Bridget | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An incredible safari with the most helpful and personable people from Across the Wild
We did the 7 Day Top Luxury Tour. The Serena Hotel at Lake Elementaita was incredible. Beautiful location with a stunning bar / sitting area looking over the lake and the rooms furnished with colonial buffets. The service and food were excellent; I think we will return to Kenya to stay just at this hotel for a holiday. The following day we moved on to Naivasha Simba Lodge at Lake Naivasha - the hotel was a disappointment and the food was not good either. In retrospect, we should have (and I would suggest you do too) stay this night again at Lake Elementaita and Fina will arrange the safari drive at Hell's gate from here. Day 3 was a very long drive to Masai Mara but this is THE place for the safari to see all the animals, you will see everything here (except the flamingos) so if limited on time I would suggest travelling directly to Masai Mara. FINA was very personable and helpful, she arranged additional trips to the Giraffe sanctuary in Nairobi for us and booked other hotels for either end of our stay. She also had us picked up from the airport at 3.30am. She will be as flexible and helpful as possible, and we had her number so were able to call her directly throughout the safari. Our tour guide was DAVID - the nicest, friendliest gentleman and ever so knowledgeable. He was very conscientious in ensuring we had plenty of sightings of our favourite animals (hippos for me / lions for my husband) and he was fantastic with our 3 young sons. His knowledge of all the animals and birds is extensive, we learned so much from him and he kept it all very interesting.
The driving in Kenya can be erratic and dangerous, we were very thankful for David's considerate. smooth and safe driving throughout!
I would definitely recommend Across the Wild Tours and Safaris, mostly for the personal service you will receive from Fina that makes the trip hassle free and flexible. And if you're able to choose the guide, David was fantastic. He has 2 children whom haven't been on Safari with him, astounding given his experience and knowledge. If we had have known this we would have welcomed them on the safari with us, the company for our children would have been welcome also. Note that alcoholic drinks are not included in the price, nor bottled water at Masai Mara.
NL
Email Xaver Graupe | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Safari experience in Kenya
Myself and my partner had the most amazing safari experience.
Our trip started in Masai Mara and went through all the main Kenyan national parks (Amboseli, Naivasha, Tsavo East and Tsavo West) travelling towards the coast to finally reach Diani Beach (right place to relax after 8 days of safari).
Fina organized every detail so that we could stay in the best resorts and enjoy the experience stress-free. Apart from spending the nights right inside the reserves, making the commuting time very short, the resorts were elegant and unique, merging perfectly with the surroundings. Everything was planned just for the two of us and according to our needs and preferences. The hotel service was always impeccable and Fina was constantly checking on us to make sure that all was running smoothly.
David was just the perfect guide for this trip. He was able to spot all sort of animals (we spot 4 of the big five in one day!) at any time and from very far away. He was able to bring us in the right spot at the right time, furthermore he explained a lot about animals and wildlife. Travelling with him was one of our favourite aspect of the safari as he also thought us a lot about Kenyan history and culture.
We could not be more satisfied and cannot wait to organize another trip with them!
FR
Email Advait Nambiar | under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unbelievably Amazing First Time Safari Experience!
We booked the Safari around 8 months in advance for me and my father, the planning and communication with Fina was perfect beforehand. We emailed her and got a response on the same day, across the wild had a pre proposed itinerary, we could customize this to our needs, and all this too was quickly and efficiently communicated, we wanted to remove a night and add it in another park, and this was done rapidly with no problem. I had planned this for 3 people, however only few weeks before one of us had to cancel out, despite this very short notice, Fina was able to call hotels and change the booking while also giving money back with minor cancellation fees, this was handled very well by the agency. On the day of arrival, Fina had managed to meet us in the hotel despite the very late time, this was very hospitable and well appreciated. All the Payments were safe and handled well by the Across the Wild. All the promises on the itinerary were delivered and exceeded. The booking was very reliable with no problems at all, flawless! During the trip there was a Wifi problem, so my mother back at home was worried because we hadn’t messaged for a whole day, so Fina called us to make sure we were alright and told my mother the news. Fina throughout the trip conveyed her regards to us through our guide David, which was well appreciated.
Our Guide David was Fantastic! He was kind and hospitable from the very start of the journey at the pickup in the airport. He was eager to show us the best safari possible for the next 10 days. He was very knowledgeable, not only in the wildlife but in Many other things. My father and David had great conversations about politics and life in Kenya etc, he taught me and my father a lot of facts, while we also had many things to share about our culture (India), he was keen to learn about different cultures just like us, he is very easy to talk to. David is also very punctual, he was always early and ready to kick off game drives, transport to other parks etc. He had the Land cruiser prepped with roof open, windows open and our bottles filled with water before every game drive. The Land cruiser was slightly old with some issues like door getting jammed sometimes etc however this did not really create any issue on the whole, we never had problems during game drives with the cruiser as it was always fixed by David in time, and no serious issue to the cruiser anyways. We had to once wait at a gas station during transport longer than expected, this bothered my dad slightly as he felt this part wasn’t organized that well and was wasting some time, however I personally didn’t find this a huge problem as we reached on time in the end. David seemed to know everything about the wildlife in Kenya, from the trees to the smallest of birds, the massive amount of wildlife knowledge was amazing, given the fact that I’ve been a wildlife enthusiast since a young age. He is eager to teach this to us, as he sometimes questions us about animals and places to keep us interacted. He is a very careful driver, trying his best to reduce the impact of bumps and potholes on the road for the passengers, he kept within the speed limit during transport which made us feel very safe. He is also very respectful to the animals, keeping distance and giving them privacy, yet giving us the perfect shots of the animals, we got very close interactions while still respecting the wildlife. He was very patient and listened to our wants and needs as well. He gave us plenty of time to just relax and enjoy the animals around us. He was so good at giving us animal satisfaction that we did not want to take any more pictures of Lions because we had more than enough! We saw the big 5 and way way more! David also positioned us for the best view of a cheetah hunt which we witnessed on our last day, he made each game drive top the last one! I mentioned that my favorite animal was the cheetah, he ensured we see the cheetah, and we got to observe a cheetah for a whole day, and witness every moment of a cheetah’s day, this was amazing and all thanks to his knowledge of parks and patience given during the drives. He also was funny and insightful. If I had to go again I would definitely choose David as our guide. A very gentle and humble person. We hope his family can visit the Mara soon as they haven’t been there yet.
We were at Amboseli, Ol Pajeta , Lake Naivasha and Masai Mara, for a total of 10 days, all the lodges were friendly and impeccable, sweetwaters at Ol Pajeta is definitely a recommendation, with a must do night safari as an optional cost. The lodges were chosen by the agency and were all great choices. We had seen almost everything and we left very very happy and satisfied, we had a safe trip too especially during the election etc, so we thank across the wild a lot for giving us this opportunity for this great experience. I am looking to come back again with more family hopefully some time in the future! What a wonderful experience! Across the Wild fulfills an amazing experience at a good monetary value, I definitely recommend!
US
Email Jay Finkelstein | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Across the Wild Safaris and Fina are wonderful!
We did a second safari with Across the Wild in August 2022 on our first post-COVID trip to Kenya. We had an absolutely marvelous time. Fina was absolutely wonderful in attending to every detail in planning our safari experience and assuring that it was perfect. We stayed at Serena lodges, which were ideal. Our guide, Dedan, was superb, and all in all, we had one of our best safari experiences that we have ever had. We explored different parts of the Masai Mara than we had previously and had wonderful observations of all of the animals, including a river crossing by wildebeests and zebras (patience and keen observation by Dedan really paid off!) We are already planning our next safari adventure with Across the Wild when we hope to return next year.