Reviews

Sort By: Date Most Helpful Rating 41-50 of 83 Reviews
Emmanuel Tokoto   –  
France FR
Visited: August 2022 Reviewed: Oct 5, 2022

Email Emmanuel Tokoto  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Excellent, beyond expectations!
5/5

Our Safari with Best Memory Safaris was great and beyond expectations!
We had to postpone our trip 1 year ago because of the pandemic situation in France and Isaac kept in touch with me during the whole time.
Our guide Bidan was really patient, nice, flexible and funny. Our lodge at Osero camp was amazing, it was like Heaven on Earth! The service was extraordinaire, the food was excellent, staff was so nice! Our stay there was so relaxing and the staff really spoiled us up until our last day.
The safari was really great, Bidan took small roads and we were able to see a lot of animals in only 3 days.
I recommend this safari trip with Best Memory Safaris, you will definitely not be disappointed!

Melissa   –  
United States US
Visited: July 2022 Reviewed: Aug 6, 2022

Email Melissa  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

14-day safari for three: the MOST AMAZING adventure ever!
5/5

Overall: Best Memories did not disappoint. We had the best driver EVER, Patrick. He got us up close and personal to everything, was extremely professional and courteous, and had a wealth of knowledge about all things nature, culture, or otherwise Kenya. We could not have had a better guide in Patrick! As others have mentioned, Best Memories is a small organization and it does feel risky to transfer money overseas to a small operator. However, I believe we had much more personalization and it feels right to invest in a small, local business. We had no problems whatsoever and Isaac was a joy to plan things with and was very accommodating of our interests and schedule. Isaac planned all the accommodations, transfers, domestic flight, and tours, which we were delighted to not have to figure out ourselves. I feel we got a better value than we would have with some of the other larger, commercial operations.

Below are reviews for each location, on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being best for Accommodation and Food. Note that for most locations, it is standard to have guards to protect guests from wild animals (which we found were actually needed as we were awoken many nights by lions, elephants, or hippos!). It is also the case that guests are not allowed out of the vehicle in most park locations for safety reasons, so it is nice to find accommodations that have some protected grounds (usually with electric fences) to walk in for birding and other casual wildlife viewing in one’s free time. Also, note that a tented camp (hung canvas tents under a roof on a platform) does not mean less luxurious - the nicest and most comfortable place we stayed was at Voyager Ziwani, and was a tented camp.

Nairobi/Eka Hotel one night
Accommodation - 3 - The hotel was convenient and somewhat upscale, but the beds were not as comfortable as elsewhere. Not really in a location for wandering much. The staff was excellent.
Food - 4 - there were many delicious choices at the buffet and the coffee was exceptional
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - we went to the giraffe center and were able to feed them - this was a wonderful experience and our first stop in Kenya. We also went to the Karen Blixen Museum, which was historically interesting and there is a lovely nature trail where we saw some birds and Hyrax.

Nakuru/Lake Nakuru Lodge one night
Accommodation - 4 - Lodge was very comfortable and we had the end unit, where we had a great view of the valley and a pride of lions!
Food - 4 - buffet had local foods and choices and the most delicious passionfruit mousse dessert
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - spectacular - flamingos by the thousands and likely the best and most likely spot to see rhinos in Kenya. Also up and close giraffe watching. Lodge was terrific for wandering the grounds for birds.

Masaii Mara/ Enkorok Mara camp - two nights
Accommodation - 4 - the tented camp is just outside the park and has lovely grounds for birdwatching (no fence, be careful for elephants). The staff were very helpful and protective.
Food - 2 - As a new accommodation, I think they were still working out menus; some things were good but much less choice and not as well prepared as other locations.
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - Far and away the absolute best of all the parks. We saw a crocodile eat a zebra (gulp), lions having sex, a cheetah on a wildebeest kill close up, a leopard in a tree with a gazelle, many thousands of wildebeests, warthogs, rollers, secretary bird, ostrich, jackals, hyenas, and so much more.

Lake Naivasha / Naivasha country club - one night
Accommodation - 5 - the country club is ye old time colonial style and upscale. The rooms are comfortable. A very relaxing place to stay, with tables on the lawn and lovely cocktails.
Food - 5 - food was exceptional with very many gourmet choices and local foods of top quality. Great chef.
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - We went on an hour boat ride to birdwatch and were not disappointed with many specialty waterbird species. The grounds are good for birdwatching but not extensive and very much “garden” rather than wild. A guard will walk you to your room to protect from hippos, which are numerous.

Ambeseli / Kibo Safari Camp - two nights
Accommodation - 5 - the camp is extremely well run and the tents are luxuriously comfortable and lovely. The grounds are protected with an electric fence and are natural and good for bird walks. In close proximity to a Masaii village, which we visited and got to learn about the culture. It was one of our favorite accommodations.
Food - 4 - buffet had many well-cooked local and international foods and choices, the cocktails at the bar were some of the best. Great soups and breads. The service was excellent.
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - one of the best camps and one of the best parks. You could see Kilamanjaro, and we got up and close with elephants, hippos, and many many bird species.

Ziwani Voyager Wildlife Sanctuary / Voyager Ziwani Camp - one night
Accommodation - 5 - our favorite of all the accommodations. The tents were luxuriously comfortable, and the manicured grounds are protected with an electric fence. On a damned creek with hippos and crocodiles for easy viewing. Very relaxing.
Food - 5 - The best culinarily of all the locations. Amazing multi-course meals and delicious cocktails.
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - one of the few places we had a guided walk - this was very interesting and we were safely able to avoid the elephants and saw a variety of birds. Manicured grounds good for birdwatching. The night drive wasn’t as productive as hoped (we were looking for aardvarks and honey badgers!) but was really interesting and we did see hyenas eating a stillbirth and Nubian nightjars.

Tsavo West / Taita Hills Sanctuary / Saltlick Safari Lodge - one night
Accommodation - 3 - our least favorite location, albeit scenic and interesting in terms of construction and location. It felt a bit like being on a cruise ship, in that you cannot leave the accommodation (no grounds). That said, the close-up elephant, zebra, and cape buffalo watching at the watering hole was pretty amazing. Good for young children, but less exciting for the slightly more adventurous.
Food - 3 - tasty but not as delicious or interesting as other locations, catering more to international travelers and children.
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - beautiful park, but less wildlife in numbers and diversity than other locations. We did see some specialty species (bustards and multiple species of hornbills including the special ground hornbill) and the largest number of cape buffalo as huge herds on the landscape, as well as lions up close.

Tsavo East/ Ashnil Aruba Lodge - one night
Accommodation - 4 - very comfortable rooms with back patio for wildlife viewing just across the electric fence (where there were elephants and a lion!). Some of the best grounds for wandering bird walks.
Food - 4 - The food was quite good with local and some international foods, especially nice desserts. Lovely patio for drinks.
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - a drier location with some different species than elsewhere. Really interesting giraffe watching- two young males fighting by banging their necks against each other. Great elephant viewing and some new species of antelopes not seen much elsewhere (dikdiks up close, Oryx, lesser Kudu, and the interesting Gerenuk) and birds (Vulturine guineafowl, Shelly’s Starling, and Eastern chanting goshawk).

Diani Beach/Royal Villas - three nights
Accommodation - 5 - a very quiet and non-touristy upscale location with extremely comfortable rooms. They put our 18yr old in a separate room rather than add a bed; I’m sure this added to the cost, but was a mixed blessing :-). Unfortunately not on the beach, though it isn’t a far walk. ATM and grocery nearby. Grounds small and gardened, and not really any birdwatching. There was a snake, that was promptly removed. Exclusive and quiet location with a nice pool, good for honeymooners. I probably would have preferred one less day, but our flight home required an extra day stay (also we are not beach people, sun-phobes).
Food - 5 - very good food served multi-course. Service is impeccable and friendly.
Park/wildlife/birdwatching - None on the grounds. We went to the Colobus monkey conservation center one day, this had also a lovely nature walk and was the real deal and not touristy. A walk on the beach led us to “the chill spot,” a local restaurant on the beach that we loved and hung out at for a few hours. The next day we took a trip to Kasite marine park and Wasini Island for snorkeling. The snorkeling was terrific, but the highlight was the locally prepared seafood meal (octopus, prawns were the best EVER, rabbit fish, lobster, and crab) with sea grass cooked in coconut, and the walk around the village. This was the best meal we had on our visit to Kenya and is not to be missed!

In summary, I would give Best Memories Safaris and our tour driver Patrick the highest endorsement! It truly was the best memory of a lifetime.

Sheila   –  
United States US
Visited: July 2022 Reviewed: Aug 1, 2022

Email Sheila  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Quality Service. Amazingly Knowledgeable.
5/5

This was my first trip to Africa and Kenya. Not knowing what to expect or where to go, the Best Memory Safaris team made my experience exact that— a BEST MEMORY of Africa, Kenya and the beautiful culture. I highly recommend booking your first or next safari with Best Memory Safaris. They will provide a most positive and powerful memorable experience. Thank you Isaac and your entire team for taking such good care of my Kenya vacation needs.

A.&S.   –  
Germany DE
Visited: June 2022 Reviewed: Jul 17, 2022

Email A.&S.  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Amazing ! Recommandation by heart - one of our best vacations ever !!! Excellent from Day 1-10 !!!
5/5

To choose Bestmemorysafari for our Safari Tour was for sure one of the best decisions ever - it was a once in a lifetime vacation with such great experience & a fantastic adventure ! From second one Issac was in contact with us to arrange the safari. He always responded quickly, was more than polite, friendly, understanding, flexible, open for individual wishes and greeted us personally at Nairobi airport! There we met Timothy - an experienced guide - who we can only recommend as well ! He has a great feeling for the perfect spots & times to see the animals as near as possible (i'm talking about 0.5-2 m far from the car !) Therefore thanks to him we were able to see the BIG5 any many more! He knows everything about them & can answer you any question you have about the animals, landscape, culture and people living in Kenia - its amazing! He was with us the 10 days & was such a great company - we really wanna say thank you at this point! From the first second we sat in the Safari Jeep (we would absoulty recommend to take the Jeep instead of the Van) we felt safe, happy & excited! We lacked nothing- cold water was provided in the Jeep. The lodges & camps we stayed in were amazing !!! Beautiful views & hotelrooms, very nice people, a welcoming feeling, very clean & comfortable - the best ones we would say ! (We googled some hotels near the ones we stayed in and the ones you have with this tour were absoulty the best ones - like a oasis in the middle of nowhere) ! Issac and Timothy were both always in contact with us, in time, reliable and friendly so we never felt alone or lost. To write something about the tour in general is difficult for us, 'cause we're not sure if we will ever find words for all the adventures, beautiful views & emotions we expirienced on the safari ! Those sights & moments might be a indiscirible once in a lifetime thing - we would wish every person possible to have ! Its just stunning!!! This safari tour by bestmemorysafari also had really everything we wished a safari to have - early morning-, afternoon-, fullday- drives, a boatour, the possibilty to do a walking or riding safari (we would really recommend to do!!!), a nightdrive, to visit a massai-village (an experience so great & a meeting of such lovely, friendly, proud people!), a walking safari (we just say: we walked 2m next to a crocodile!) and so much more ! You really get the full Safari experience with this 10-day Kenia tour ! Every day, every hotel & every park has it own flair, animals, landscape, adventures! To sum it up... you see thats not easy & thats not even a little of all the big great impressions you would get on this safari... we can only recommend bestmemorysafari by heart !!! Thank you Issac & Timothy for this great time - we will never forget! With lovely greetings from Germany, S.& A.

Ridhish   –  
India IN
Visited: June 2022 Reviewed: Jun 12, 2022

Email Ridhish  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Excellent
5/5

We were 2 families with young kids. Isaac and his team were very accommodative to most of our needs. Our trip was a real long Vaccation of 17 days and we are still enjoying our beach holidays.

Safari experiences were great and knowledge of Isaac and Steve was great enough to make our this trip memorable.

Frank   –  
Germany DE
Visited: May 2022 Reviewed: May 26, 2022

Email Frank  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Excellent tour operator, most reliable and absolutely friendly
5/5

We travelled as a familiy with our Teen Twins, Antony, our driver, did everything to make us happy, he became a friend! We had to make many changes due to a health problem of one of our kids and they, Antony and Isaac, did everything to arrange last minute changes. The experience in Kenya became so special b/ o Isaac and Antony. We absolutely highly can recommend Best memory safaris. We will always tour with them when we are in Kenya next time.

Cindy Andra   –  
United States US
Visited: February 2022 Reviewed: Feb 22, 2022

Email Cindy Andra  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

A Magical Experience
5/5

The Safari with Best Memory Safari was better than we could have imagined! Anthony, our guide and driver, was so knowledgeable and amazing at spotting animals. The places they booked our nights stay at, were so beautiful, and each unique. The food was so delicious! We saw many animals and loved watching them and learning about them. Definitely something we will never forget and so grateful we went with Best Memory Safari!!

Joanie Thibault   –  
Canada CA
Visited: December 2021 Reviewed: Jan 27, 2022

Email Joanie Thibault  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Amazing memories in Kenya
5/5

The 7-day private tour with my husband was amazing ! We visited Masai Mara, Lake Naivaisha, Amboseli and Tsavo East, ending in Diani Beach. Isaac was 100% available to answer my questions before and during the trip. He was able to modify the original trip offer to end in Diani Beach which was perfect for our plans. Anthony our guide was very knowledgeable, easy going and friendly. He adapted himself to our rythm and needs. The hotels were all great, confortable and with delicious food. I recommend Best Memory Safaris for the excelent service and the reasonnable price.

Bipasha   –  
Bangladesh BD
Visited: October 2021 Reviewed: Oct 29, 2021

Email Bipasha  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Truly unforgettable Safari Experience
5/5

We did nine days safari (Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, Nake Naivasa, Amboselli, Taita Hill Sanctuary and Tsavo East) Antony was excellent in animal tracking. Could saw Lions and Cheetah many times. In fact we had kind of National Geographic experience when Cheetah hunted the wild beast. Could see lots of animals including big five just except Rhino. All the lodges and tents were amazing with very good food. We saw Hippos roaming in Lake Naivasa Country Club. Salt Lick Safari Lodge had excellent animal watching all day long. Very unique experience.
However, I found that their management was worst.
For lunch had to wait more than half hours in a crowded place. Room was not ready even at 2: 30 pm. If they could improve their management, I would still recommend Salt Lick Safari since their animal watching from the room, bar, restaurant- all were excellent experience.
Overall, we had un-forgettable best memories, no doubt. Isaac was very responsive from the beginning. Many times he showed flexibility of editing plans based on my request. He agreed on full payment after arrival and no prepayment. Also, I found that he offered a competitive price in comparison to the other operators I approached.

JJ   –  
United States US
Visited: June 2021 Reviewed: Oct 15, 2021

Email JJ  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Amazing Experience with Isaac and Best Memory Safari. We will return again next year.
5/5

Our group of 5 traveled from the US to Kenya during the pandemic. Isaac guided our experience and we had an unforgettable time with Best Memory.

We experienced the busy city of Nairobi, we went on safari in the Mara, Mombasa and the coast. We did so much during our experience. I highly recommend people spend at least 10 -14 days with Best Memory to get a complete understanding of Kenya. They worked really hard to make sure we saw as many animals as we could while on safari.

Our group saw more of the country than many of the locals based on what some of the locals told us. Isaac is also very well connected. He was able to connect a couple of people in our group with a strategic partner.

I can not say enough great things about Best Memory Safari other than you should trust their knowledge, expertise and book with them.

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