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
SE
Email Susanna | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic safari to a competitive price and with flexible team
The short version: We had a fantastic time, and we both agree it's the best safari we have been on in terms of animal encounters, camps, and nature!
The long version: After some offers from different operators, we finally went for Twinkle Star, since the package offered was most in line with what we were looking for, and that to a competitive price and nice and attentive service. James at Twinkle Star was fast and good in his communication over mail upon setting the itinerary. We asked for loads of different extra options and modifications and ended up getting about 5 different itineraries from James who patiently replied to all our different requests. In the end, we changed one camp and added one extra night at Pumzika in Serengeti, on top of the original itinerary.
In the end, we stayed one night in Lake Manyara NP at Tortillis Camp, 2 nights at Pumzika in Serengeti and one night at Tortillis in Ngoronogoro. The Tortillis camps were absolutely wonderful in every sense (and identical)! Pumzika was nice too with lovely interior design, but more basic (shower water only on request, without mosquito net and the need to ask the staff to help chase away two spiders from the tent, but hey, it's a tent in the grasslands, so it's still fantastic!).
Our driver Eremes was great at finding animals! He really seemed engaged in finding us different animals, and did manage to bring us close to the big 5 many times over (except from rhino that we only saw once :-) ). He knew a lot, although we had to ask questions for him to explain about the different things we saw - we would have loved for him to tell us more facts spontaneously, as we sometimes didn't know what to ask... He was young and quite a daredevil, in a good way - he went mud-racing to take us to the more inaccessible parts of Serengeti, where we got to see a leopard from 5 m, a cheetha with cubs, etc. Not a drive for the faint-hearted or those who fear mud, but super fun otherwise (and I think he adjusted the speed to fit our personalities)!
We loved the combination of the different parks with their different flora and fauna. We are really glad we added one extra night in Serengeti so that we had the time to get deeper into the huge park, which otherwise would have been impossible to manage time-wise because of the risk of getting stuck in the mud (which many other cars did - Eremes though was a splendid driver).
Some general advice:
- If you don't love animals and animal spotting the way we do, 5 days in a car on bumpy roads may be too long. We wouldn't have wanted to change a thing, though!
- it rained every night, so the roads were suuuuper muddy. Also, the grass was high at this time of year, so animals were quite hard to spot (that's one of the reasons you need an experienced guide)
- It's good to be aware of the long distances: a lot of the time was spent in transfer (most of the time in beautiful nature although few animals).
- Although Tortillis Ngorongoro was heaven on earth, it's good to be aware of that the fact that it's located about 90 min from the gate to the crater.
- For Lake Manyara, make sure to book a camp inside the park. Most seem to be located outside.
So to the few and small downsides:
- the communication ended after the itinerary was set and the bank transfer was made. We got a bit nervous as we didn't hear anything as the trip came closer, but after sending a WhatsApp message to check if everything was in order two days before the safari, we got confirmation immediately. As one is used to get automated email reminders about almost everything nowadays, it would have been nice to get a confirming mail a few days before the start.
- After reading reviews about Twinkle Star, we were prepared on getting another tour operator to actually carry out the safari - something that wasn't communicated until the actual pick up. It would have been nice to get the notification about the affiliate operator in Tanzania before the pick-up, as to avoid the confusion at the parking lot when we in vain searched for a Twinkle Star driver. Apparently, our guide Eremes was booked only the day before.
- We had some minor issues as the first camp didn't book us a double but a twin room (but quickly changed to another room), I sometimes didn't get a vegetarian lunch box.
Finally:
Should we recomend it? YES!
What would we do differently next time, now that we've been there? Stay at Tortillis in Serengeti, too, because Tortillis was heaven!
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Mar 16, 20205 DAYS LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK, SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK, AND NGORONGORO CRATER.
Jambo Susanna,
We are glad you had a wonderful and fantastic safari in your 5 Days Tanzania Private Safari.
Thank you for acknowledging your Tour Planner James and appreciating the services offered by our guide Eremes.
We have taken down your recommendations and we assure you to improve on that.
We really appreciate a lot for a 5* review and we want to welcome you again for another safari.
Asante Sana.
AT
Email Paula & Philipp | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Highly recommended! Perfect safari, wonderful tour guide, professional planning & communication
If you’re looking for the perfect safari tour operator, stop looking – this is it!
One reason why we opted for Twinkle Star was the smooth and professional planning and correspondence with James, who assembled a perfect 2-week safari for us. We totally trusted the agency with the hotel picks and didn’t look them up before and I do not exaggerate when I say that we absolutely loved every accommodation we stayed in and we always had the feeling that James booked the best room (or tent) in the hotels for us.
Of course, a good tour guide plays a vital role in a successful safari holiday, which is why we are so so thankful for our most wonderful guide Abu. He not only was an outstanding animal spotter (really unbelievable what he spotted!) and a fantastic driver (the roads in the parks really require a supreme level of driving skills), but he also impressed us every day with his extensive knowledge of wildlife, culture and Kenyan history. With Abu being so kind, funny and professional, we always had the best time and honestly couldn’t have wished for a better guide.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to our tour operator James for planning the most perfect holiday for us and to our guide Abu for making our safari so special and unforgettable.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Jan 25, 2022Jambo Paula & Philipp,
Thank you for choosing Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris Ltd as your Tour Organizer, for the 13 Days Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Amboseli, Tsavo West, Tsavo East and Malindi Safari. We are glad you found your Tour Planner, James very communicative, responsive, and helpful from the beginning until you finished your safari. We also appreciate for recommending on our guide Abu who demonstrated incredible skills and knowledge during your safari.
Hopefully, this shall not be your last Kenya Safari with us. We look forward to hosting you and your friend and family in the near future.
Asante Sana!
James Oketch
US
Email TIMOTHY | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
"Fantastic , highly recommended"
This was the trip of a lifetime and it owe it to this company. I did a solo trip- 7 day safari in Kenya. I did my first day touring the city of Nairobi with Moses. We went to the Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Sanctuary.Then off to my safari with Joseph which entailed a couple days in Samburu, A day in Lake Nakuru, a day in Sweetwater seeing the park and chimpanzee rescue center, , and then onto the Masai Mara for a couple days. All accommodations were 3 star of higher and I liked each place I stayed at. The food was great at each lodge/camp as well. Safari van was perfect for viewing and always keep clean each day for perfect viewing and Joseph made sure I saw every single animal I wanted to see and knew exactly how to make that happen. He was always prompt each morning when we would meet before we headed out on safari for the day. He was very knowledgeable about all the animals and polite the entire trip. If I return for a safari ever in Kenya then I would definitely request him to be my safari guide again. The road trip between each park was about a 5 hr drive each time and I actually liked that because it gave me an opportunity to really see the country of Kenya and how all the different villages live. If I had questions along the way about the different tribes Joseph had an answer and I liked that too. Covid testing before my departure was super easy as well at the last lodge I stayed at for my stay the covid testing company had someone come to my lodge to take my sample and within 1 day had my test results emailed to me and the lodge printed it out for me so I could have it for my flight departure.
I loved seeing the Big 5 and the entire experience of the safari but I have to say the part of my trip that has stuck with me and really made it a life changing trip was my visit to the JudiMo Education Center in one of the slums in Nairobi to visit the children of the school. It was my last day on the trip before I got dropped off at the airport. My flight didn’t leave until midnight that night so in the morning Joseph and I left the Mara park early, did a little bit of looking for animals on our way out of the park then drove to the school for the afternoon to see the children. Ben and James set this all up for me and I’m so grateful they ware able to do it for me. Joseph helped me buy a bunch of food for the 120 kids we were visiting and I got to spend 3 hrs with them before Joseph dropped me off at the airport.
I would highly recommend Twinkle star tours and safaris to anyone looking to go on safari. From day one when I inquired James was super helpful in answering all my questions and setting my itinerary up. Great customer service on his part, from Moses, and from James. Thank you, Twinkle star tours for the trip of a lifetime
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Mar 16, 2022Hello Timothy,
Thank you for choosing Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris Ltd as your Tour Organizer, for your 7 Days visiting Samburu National Reserve, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara and together with Nairobi excursion. We are glad and thankful you found your Tour Planner, James very communicative, responsive, and helpful from the beginning until you finished your safari. We also appreciate for recommending on our guides Moses and Joseph our who demonstrated incredible skills and knowledge during your safari.
Hopefully, this shall not be your last Kenya Safari with us. We look forward to hosting you and your friend and family in the near future.
Asante Sana.
Email Khaleda | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime
Wow! Twinkle Star Tours went above and beyond to personalise this trip for me and ensure everything went according to plan. There were a few personal hiccups along the way but James (the director) was able to facilitate along the way always. Communication is fast, things are put in place efficiently and the staff treat you like family. The excursion days in Nairobi with Double Whiskey (Willy) were really great. The safari was a dream. Diani beach was beautiful. The team are amazing!!!! I can’t recommend them enough. I hope to be back in Kenya soon.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Jun 15, 2022Hello Khaleda,
Thank you for taking your time to write your safari experience and rating us 5 star. We are glad and thankful you found your Tour Planner, James very communicative, responsive, and helpful from the beginning until you finished your safari. We also appreciate for recommending on our guides Willy who demonstrated incredible skills and knowledge during your safari.
Hopefully, this shall not be your last Kenya Safari with us. We look forward to hosting you and your friend and family in the near future.
Asante Sana.
US
Email Dorothea | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Above and beyond customer satisfaction, highly recommend. You can never go wrong with them.
My son and myself had traveled back home from abroad and was looking to do couple of safaris.
We ended up choosing twinkle star tours, little did we know it will be an experience of a life time. James the director, was charming and affable. I Love how you can turn even the most simple situation into something fun.” . He came out efficiently, broad minded and artistic. Better than a triple-scoop ice cream cone…with sprinkles.” Nakuru being our place of choice, we wanted to do a whole day tour at lake Nakuru. He made all the necessary arrangements. The whole time keeping intouch.
Micheal our driver/tour guide was remarkable. This dude was Amiable and knowledgeable of all kinds of animals, and where to look for them. From morning till evening he kept us entertained. We could not have asked for anything better.
Thank-you James for making our time at Lake Nakuru, memorable and Amazing. We appreciate you. Will sure come back for more. Next time we visit. Cheers.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Aug 29, 2022Hello Dorothy,
Thank you for taking your time to write your safari experience and rating us 5 star. We are glad and thankful you found your Tour Planner, James very communicative, responsive, and helpful from the beginning until you finished your safari. We also appreciate for recommending on our guides Michael who demonstrated incredible skills and knowledge during your safari.
Hopefully, this shall not be your last Safari with us. We look forward to hosting you and your friend and family in the near future.
EXCELLENT SAFARI!
It was the best vacation trip my wife and I have taken in a very long time and will be remembered for a long time.
This was a private Safari for 19 days in both Kenya and Tanzania for me and my wife.
Guides:
Both Guides were knowledgeable and informative. Their driving skills were second to none.
In Kenya, our driver George was great. We really connected with him. He went over and above what we expected. If we were to go again, we would want him as our Guide/Driver.
In Tanzania, Stuart was a great driver/guide as well.
Both allowed us to adjust our schedule to suit our needs and made sure we saw everything.
Lodges:
The Tented lodges exceed our expectations in every way. We would stay at these again.
The tour included a sunrise Ballon Safari in Masai Mara. it was a great addition to the tour.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Oct 3, 2022Hello Harry & Stephanie,
Thank you for choosing Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris Ltd as your Tour Organizer to experience your 19 Days Kenya and Tanzania Private Circuit. We appreciate for your five star review and acknowledging our guide George and Stuart for demonstrating great guiding skills during your safari. Thank you for recommending the accommodation we chose for you throughout the long-range safari. Hopefully, this shall not be your last Kenya & Tanzania Safari with us. We look forward to hosting you and your family again in the near future.
US
Email Gail and Lee M. | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Everything was perfect!
From start to finish, James and the Twinkle Start Team did everything to make things work for us --James was always responsive. We and our friends had a wonderful private exclusive 10-day Photographic safari experience at Lewa (Elewana Kilfuri House and Elewana Safari Camp) and at the Masai Maara (Amani Mara) based on his recommendations. Throughout the tour James stayed connected to be sure everything was as planned. We never had to worry about connections (Twinkle Start booked our Safarilink flights) or the quality of the Safari lodgings and game drives. This was truly an unforgettable adventure for all of us. We cared most about seeing the Kenyan animals, both large and small and their habitats, and we were not disappointed. All our guides were knowledgeable, entertaining and passionate-- Philip and Abdul at Lewa, Sully and James at Amana Mari. We also had superb accommodations throughout. We were treated like royalty at both Lewa (horseback riding with a giraffe and zebra joining in) and at the Amani Mara (which is wonderfully family run, at a beautiful location with gourmet food, private adventuresome safari drives, outdoor fire barbecue dinners complete with fun Masai entertainment, and lovely well-equipped camp rooms-- all simply amazing). In Nairobi we stayed at Severine Cottages in the Karen district --this was a perfect start to the trip-- the staff there even conspired to provide a surprise anniversary celebration. Each lodging was so special and authentic. We highly recommend organizing your safari with Twinkle Star-- James truly arranged everything to fulfill our desire for the African vacation of our dreams.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Aug 21, 2023Hello Gail & Lee,
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!
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!
US
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!