Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris Limited Staff Photo
Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
- Located In:
-
United States
Taiwan
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Member Of:
- KATO, Eco Tourism Kenya & KTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $60 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email IR from MA | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organized, interesting itinerary and a knowledgeable guide
The initial communication with Twinkle Star was very good. All questions and concerns were quickly answered. There was a mix-up about our arrival time that caused us some stress when we were not met as planned but that worked out ok. Our guide/driver was friendly and knowledgeable. The itinerary was followed closely. The only animal on our list that we didn't see was a leopard. The most exciting were lions feeding on a buffalo carcass surrounded by hyaenas waiting for the leftovers. The accommodations were clean and comfortable. The meals were mostly buffet with many food choices. I had no problem finding vegetarian options. All the different camps seemed to have the same food. The boxed lunches were also satisfactory. This is the only travel of this kind we have done so don't have anything to compare, but we enjoyed the experience. When researching Kenyan safaris Twinkle Star was competitive in price. We arrived home exhausted but since having time to rest and review and share our photos we only remember how much fun we had. It met our expectations.
We knew there would be a lot of time spent travelling between parks. Seeing Kenya outside the parks is part of the experience. But it was even more than anticipated. One drive was 12 hours instead of the 7-hour estimate. The two seatbelts in the middle row of the Landcruiser didn't work so when outside the parks we had to use the back which was not as comfortable.
FYI - Tipping was a problem that we weren't prepared for. US dollars seemed to be preferred over Kenyan shillings. Having small bills would have been helpful. We overtipped at times and sometimes didn't tip at all. Sometimes the tip could be added by credit card to the hotel bill.
US
Email John C. and Margaret A. | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris amazing tour of Kenya and Tanzania
We just returned from a seven-week trip to southern and eastern Africa that was capped off by a twelve-day private combo circuit of Kenya and Tanzania. James and Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris offered a tour that was what we wanted and were willing to modify two of the days for additional sites and activities. James was most accommodating in helping us plan the trip. We traveled to the Rift lakes in Kenya and Masai Mara, then crossed the border to the Serengeti, Olduvai Gorge, and Ngorongoro before returning to Amboseli and Nairobi. James provided us with two excellent guides who were both knowledgeable and experienced (Joseph in Kenya and Roger in Tanzania) and appropriate vehicles that easily travelled the countryside. Roger and Joseph’s ability to spot birds and animals and to identify them added greatly to the experience. Roger’s sense of humor was especially delightful.
We waited all too long before traveling to Africa and hope to return. We highly recommend James and Twinkle Star to others wanting to experience that amazing land.
CN
Email BO | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable Safari trip in Africa!
I was very happy to choose Twinkle star after comparing many tourist companys and James arranged a fantastic 10-days safari trip for us. And booked the hotel according to our requirements. I would like to commend our driver Robbert, who is a very good driver and professional guide. On the premise of ensuring our safety, he does not disturb the animals and respects and loves every animal. I think this is an advantage that many travel agency guides do not have at present. I'd like to give Robbert a five star praise！
Standing on the vast plains, watching elephants, giraffes, and zebras grazing peacefully, I felt the primal beauty of nature. As the sunset, overlooking the lions hunting on the plains from the cliff edge, I developed a deeper respect for the cycle of life and the power of nature. This trip was not just about observing wildlife and scenic beauty,it was a spiritual adventure and a growth journey. It taught me to cherish every moment filled with surprises and joy.
I feel that time has passed very fast, looking forward to the next trip to Africa!
CN
Email YAN | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A travel agency that won't let you down.
Twinkle Star is a very professional travel agency. In the early stage of communication, they provided professional opinions and the most favorable prices. They responded promptly and emphasized the spirit of the contract. Manager James will personally pick up and drop off at the airport, giving instructions on precautions. Our dedicated Guide (John) is very professional with 27 years of Safari experience. He can predict the path of animals in advance, understand their habits, and is also a very enthusiastic and interesting. He has many interesting experiences, is passionate about his work, and has a good service attitude, giving us a great Safari experience. In short, Twinkle Star is definitely the best choice for you to travel to Kenya, with extremely high cost performance. I will recommend them to every friend who comes to ask for my opinion.
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Email Genevieve | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic seamless high quality experience
We had an amazing experience with James and Twinkle Stars. We booked very late due to a change in schedule and they were able to get everything lined up quickly and professionally. Our guides were amazing, and clearly more experienced than many others we encountered. The price was excellent for a high quality safari- we would book again in a heartbeat- I hope we get the opportunity to visit again!
CA
Email Fred | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Call James for attentive smart service. I will call him again for my next visit to Africa.
Toured with Twinkle Star during October 2023. Six days, three hotels, one driver/guide. Each hotel was very different as were the sites. Each day was very special. Accommodation ranged from very good to the nicest hotel ever. George knows the parks and the animals. He knows where they are and where they are going. (He is the Wayne Gretzky of tour guides.) James had great planning suggestions and was also open to questions and changes; very easy to work with. Pricing was good too! I would use Twinkle Star/James again and would ask for George as my guide.
CH
Email Malte | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very nice guy
Booked a last minute tour for Nairobi. Very friendly and the tour was nice. Would recommend!
HK
Email Chan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very responsible and arranged a value-for-money
Twinkle Star Tours & Safari was very responsible and arranged a value-for-money, exciting, and unforgettable 5-day and 4-night trip for me, allowing me to enjoy the trip without any worries. Thank you.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Nov 10, 2023Hello Chan
Thank you for sharing your safari experience and taking your time to give us a detailed five star review. We are glad and thankful you found Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris Ltd very helpful in planning your Trip. Hopefully, this shall not be your last Safari with us. We look forward to hosting you, your friends and family in the near future.
Asante Sana!
FI
Email Touko & Noora | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable 10-day safari in Kenya and Tanzania
We booked our 10-day safari with Twinkle Star. We visited in Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara with our amazing guide Alfred. In Tanzania, our guide came from Twinkle Star’s local partner because the companies cannot operate on both sides of the border. Not only got we see the big five but also a lot of other species, beautiful sunrises, and great views.
To be honest, looking into safari operators and their reviews can be a lot of work and overwhelming. However, the work really pays off, at least for us. We wanted to book with a local company which turned out to be beneficial thanks to their contacts (for example when choosing the accommodations) but also in terms of the price (a Scandinavian travel agency would have added a large margin).
Our contact James was very kind from our first inquiry and was ready to go the extra mile to arrange our safari. We had never been in Africa before and James made sure that our arrival to Nairobi was convenient. We had the best accommodations for our budget even though we booked quite late, thanks to James. We really appreciated the care James took of us before, during and after the safari as well as all the time and effort he put into the arrangements. In particular, James responded always promptly and provided us with an itinerary really professionally – he made suggestions based on our wishes and made them come true.
When planning our safari, the price was pretty much our main factor in choosing the operator. Twinkle Star was able to meet our expectations without leaving anything out of the itinerary. The pricing was clear and transparent (a tip: always ask if there are charges for bank transfers or other hidden costs along the way which are not outlined in your itinerary).
However, during the safari and even more thereafter, we recommend looking into the guide even more than to the price. You’ll sit with your guide so many hours in the car that it’s essential that the guide is professional: knows the parks, animals and roads, listens to your wishes and is fun and trustworthy.
Our guide Alfred was amazing. He had been in the industry for long and had a lot of knowledge of all the parks we visited. Also, he was always early to our meeting times and hold on to his promises. Alfred helped us if we had any requests and proposed activities to be included into our itinerary along the way such us nature walks, visits to villages etc. We appreciated that he respected our wishes not to surround the animals with many other cars and go too near them which is one of the problems of the safaris from sustainability perspective. In addition to nature and animals, it was interesting to learn about local culture and history. Alfred really exceeded our expectations for our guide.
When choosing the operator, we also asked about their vehicles. It was important to us that they commit providing a 4x4 with a pop-up roof. In our opinion, this enhanced our experience.
In summary, we really recommend booking with Twinkle Star. We had unforgettable time and would definitely book with them if (when) returning to Kenya. You can make an inquiry with a low threshold and they are happy to help you further!
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Oct 23, 2023Hello Touko & Noora
Thank you for sharing your safari experience and taking your time to give us a detailed five star review. We are glad and thankful you found Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris Ltd very helpful in planning your Trip. Hopefully, this shall not be your last Safari with us. We look forward to hosting you, your friends and family in the near future.
Asante Sana!
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Email Beth and Brian | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
organized and efficient
James did a great job organizing our safari. We started our journey with a pick-up in Nairobi which was well organized and made our way to Amboselli, which did not disappoint with lots of animal sightings. Next we went to Tsavo West and East. Tsavo was a bit harder to scout out animals, but our accommodations in Tsavo West had amazing views right from the open air dining area of so many animals visiting the watering hole! Overall we had an amazing experience seeing lots of animals and maximizing our time on Safari. James was very communicative and did his best to make sure we were satisfied.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Sep 14, 2023Hello Beth & Brian
Thank you for sharing your safari experience and taking your time to give us a detailed five star review. We are glad and thankful you found Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris Ltd very helpful in planning your Trip. Hopefully, this shall not be your last Safari with us. We look forward to hosting you, your friends and family in the near future.
Asante Sana!