Guide Ken with one of our 4x4 Land Cruisers
Spirit of Kenya
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $300 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
TW
Email Hsiu-Jung Kuo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was so amazing experience in my life to see big 5 is one of my dreams and it comes true.
I started at search for "safari operators" and did some studies via google. Many safari operators replied my request very quickly including It Started in Africa. Why I chose it? Because the service let me feel so comfortable. The criteria I focused on the following.
1. Initiatives and responsiveness
2. The ways to introduce safari and Ecosystem is very professional and very attractive
3. Not pushed customer to make decision too hard or not over-promotion
That was why I felt so comfortable and finally I chose It Started in Africa.
During the safari, the guide demonstrated his expertise in introducing animals names, behaviors, characters to me. He was very familiar with where was high possibility to see certain species of animals. All the hospitality was perfect and finally I saw the big 5. This is one of my dreams and it comes true.
Email Julie Graham | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely amazing experience.
I have been on Safari in Kenya before with a large worldwide company and I was wary booking direct with It Started In Africa but I would thoroughly recommend this company to anyone wanting to go and experience Safari! From the very beginning emails were answered very quickly by the happiness managers. (The title always makes me smile!!) Joseph (AKA Kioko) was incredible, nothing was too much trouble for him and having spent the week together with me and my daughter I would like to say he is a family friend now. His knowledge of animal behaviour was brilliant. We saw the big five in three days. I can only compliment It Started In Africa and will definitely be booking with them again.
NL
Email Javi Lorbada | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Experience.
Our Safari experience has been truly remarkable, and It Started In Africa it’s been a very important piece. Both our Kenya and Tanzanian Guides were very professional, highly skilled and incredibly knowledgeable.
Still, I remember that moment when Charles during our game drive in Masaai Mara was looking for the last of the big five, and in all honesty, he nailed it, he just found a Leopard where no one else could have found it!
During our safari in Tanzania, we enjoy Chicho, who really impressed us to know by heart every single animal that we spotted, no only that he went always extra mile to find the perfect place, animal or sunset. Our cook was also fantastic, all the recipes were very yummy, and on top of that, he was there every single time we finished a game drive with a juice, or a coffee or just some popcorns which made our stay amazingly special.
Thanks to It Started In Africa, to the company but especially to Vanessa, Charles, Chicho, and Roma, with your exceptional attention we brought back the best memories, and hopefully, we can be back in the future.
Kenya Safari
From start to finish, this tour was incredible! The booking process and correspondence with “It Started in Africa” was professional and always very prompt. We were collected exactly on schedule by Charles, our exceptional guide and driver for the tour. His general knowledge of the country, wildlife and culture provided for very entertaining and informative drives between the different destinations. Although the roads were at times very busy, Charles always remained calm and ensured we felt safe and comfortable throughout the journey. The tour itinerary was designed perfectly to ensure ample time for sightseeing, with enough flexibility to fit our needs. The range of accommodation we stayed at were fantastic. From luxury lodges to quirky lake-side retreats, were delighted with the locations, the excellent service and the atmosphere at each of the venues. The parks themselves were truly phenomenal! From panoramic vistas to once in a lifetime game viewing opportunities – including watching a cheetah hunt in progress – we were amazed at the variety and beauty of the landscape. This tour was well organized and perfectly executed and we would definitely recommend It Started in Africa for anyone wanting to experience the wildlife and wonder of Kenya!
DE
Email Florian | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Safari Experience
We did a 7 days / 6 nights trip to Aberdare, Samburu, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara national parks. The lodges were all very nice, had great food and friendly staff. The national parks were stunningly beautiful. Each park is different and has it´s own, unique character. Our guide Charles was just excellent. Always super-friendly and laid back. Of course he also is an excellent driver, extremely good at spotting wildlife and happy to share his knowledge about all the species as well.
Itstartedinafrica provided a very friendly, flexible, and professional service and organized the whole trip perfectly at a reasonable price.
US
Email Sandra | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Lifetime Experience
We started the planning stages of our trip to Kenya in November of 2016 with "It Started in Africa". Over the next months we had about 60 emails back and forth. The communication was prompt and informative.
We had a wonderful Safari in August 2017 and our guide Martin was a big part of why we enjoyed it so much. Martin was very knowledgeable about the animals, birds and the culture of Kenya and he shared that knowledge with us.
He is a very capable driver and handled the several flat tires we had with ease. He never got upset just did what it took to get us moving again.
Martin was sensitive to our wishes and needs but he also laughed with us and we all had such fun. Martin made the trip for us.
We highly recommend this company.
IN
Email Partha | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Experience
We have just returned home and cherishing the great African Safari covering Tsavo (west),Ambesoli,Naivasha and Masaimara. It was indeed a fine experience and thank you all for managing our whole trip in a wonderful way. Special thanks to Helder for planning and organising the trip and Joseph who was very hospitable and driven / guided us superbly.He took care of us well during the whole trip of 11 days and has become a great friend of ours. All the places were very memorable particularly Ambesoli and Masaimara where we could see lots of wild life and migration. Accommodations were also good in all the places and food were nice.My wife and self are very satisfied with the whole trip and we would like to come back to Africa in near future and surely will look forward to your great service again.
SG
Email Wong | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Super Satisfied
All my enquiries were replied promptly. Service was excellent as staff provided informative details during my booking. I booked a private tour and the guide was very friendly and he knows where is the best location to take us for game viewing. I saw many animals like lions, hyenas, cheetahs, vultures, etc. It was very different seeing them in nature than in a zoo. Accomodation and food was good and exceeded my expectations.
US
Email Jill | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful safari!
Just returned from safari. Had a wonderful experience. I booked online and was nervous because I did not know anything about safaris but all of my inquiries were answered promptly and in detail. My safari guide was awesome and adaptable. I asked for some changes during the tour and he was gracious and accommodating. Overall had a fabulous safari.
ES
Email Laia P | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable experience!
Last week I came back from one of the best trips I have lived so far and which I will always remember. Two friends and I travelled to Kenya and Tanzania for 15 days and we had the chance to live the essence of Africa, its beautiful and different landscapes, its animals and its people. We did a long safari of 10 days (Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire), spent one day in Arusha, did a short trekking in Materuni and flow to Zanzibar, where we stayed the rest of our trip.
My friends and I agree with the fact that doing a safari of 10 days can be too much. I love animals and I enjoyed a lot watching them. However, it is true that once you have seen so many giraffes, impalas, zebras and wildebeest, it is no longer exciting to see more of these animals. That’s why we consider that maybe with 4-5 days in a safari would be enough. The best parks to me are Maasai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
Having explained a little bit our experience of this trip I would also like to give me opinion regarding the agencies with whom we travelled: Spirit of Kenya and Soul of Tanzania.
On January we bought the flights from Barcelona to Nairobi and once we got them I started getting in touch with lots of agencies, Spanish and foreigner ones. I rejected most of them due to its expensive prices. We were aware that travelling to Africa was expensive but we wanted to find a more “affordable” agency but without having to renounce to the things we wanted. At the end I finished discussing our trip with only a few agencies and among them there was Spirit of Kenya and Soul of Tanzania, the agencies with whom we shared our amazing experience in Africa. From that moment, the only aspect that we took into consideration in order to choose one agency or the other one was the treatment received from the beginning.
Vanessa was the person with whom I discussed everything from the first instance and her help, kindness, predisposal and willingness to offer us the perfect trip were crucial factors to make our decision. She always answered my e-mails and questions very quickly (many of them in less than 24 hours) no matter the time it was. Her e-mails were clear and very detailed. She was very patient with all my requests and my constant changes of opinion. She offered us different combinations of routes and activities attending our preferences and she gave us too different accommodation options taking into account its level (high, medium, normal).
The treatment received from her as well as from the agency never changed and remained the same during the whole trip. Before our trip I read many opinions of different people and some of them explained that their agency adopted a carefree attitude once they made the first payment of the price. This was not our case and the agency was always willing to help and to make our trip possible. In addition, we were in touch quite often since they had to confirm us the booking of the different accommodations chosen.
Even when difficulties ahead they acted honestly and quickly. There was a misunderstanding with the total price of our trip since in the final version of the contract it was stipulated one amount and after having paid the 50% of the same they notified us that the sum of the total amounts was wrong and that the final price was higher ($ 1,500 more). From that moment I discussed all this issue with the general director. She apologized for the misunderstanding and offered us different solutions to avoid the extra cost. Besides, she offered us to the possibility to cancel the reservation and to refund our money as well as to maintain all the reservations made in the event we decided to continue with a different agency. Finally, taking into consideration all the options we had, we decided to continue with them and we only had to modify a little bit our itinerary in order to reduce the final price. Moreover, they also offered us an upgrade on the Tanzania side to their premium line: better jeep (we could charge our phones and cameras), better food (including wine), unlimited water bottles during safari of 1 liter and a fabulous guide. Also, I have to mention that, while in Arusha, where we were spending two nights in the same accommodation, we asked them to change the second night since we were not comfortable in the place we booked (it was dirty, the insect screen was broken, etc.). The agency answer very quickly and they changed our accommodation for the next night free of additional charges.
Having set the aforementioned, I would sincerely recommend both agencies (Spirit of Kenya and Soul of Tanzania) and if I had to repeat our trip I would clearly do it with them again.