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
TW
Email Sharon | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic 3 days Masai Mara Safari
We had a Great time on our 3days days migration safari at Masai Mara. Benson on the company organized our safari very professional and ensured our safety during the Safari and also in the camp we were booked in. Michael, our guide was very patient and answered all our questions in a polite manner. He took us to Mara river during the full day to witness Wildebeest migration as this was main purpose to visit Masai mara, we saw thousands of wildebeest crossing the River. We also saw the four of the big five; Lions, Buffaloes Leopard and elephants. Wildlife and nature of masai mara Wasa amazing. We recommend twinkle star tours for any visitor to Kenya as they organize and offer amazing experience professional. Many thanks to Benson and Michael.
CA
Email Jody | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Private 16 day Best of Kenya and Tanzania reduced to 15 day for airline covid schedule
Our Tour was a private 16 day Best of Kenya and Tanzania that was modified 2-3 weeks before departure due to Flight being cancelled due to airline Covid schedules.
Twinkle modified itinerary and removed Lake Victoria from safari.
We visited Samburu, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Amboseli National Park.
What Twinkle Star Tours doesn't mention anywhere on there site is that they sub contract Tanzania portion of tour out to a Tanzania company. I would suggest if travelling both countries to do more research. Lucky for us Tanzanian guide from 7 Wonders was Excellent.
We went from Sept 8 to Sept 22 2020, we had booked last year and were uncertain with all the Covid travel bans, Kenya opened up August 1 to international travel and they have done a great job with all the covid protocols.
The driver wore a mask all the time, all the lodges had masks, sanitizer, hand washing stations and plated service.
The Safari itself was really good, lots of wildlife, the lodges were all excellent, the food even with a condensed covid menu was all really good.
I would modify itinerary and remove Lake Nakuru and spend that day in the Mara or Ol Pejeta , the Sweetwater tented camp is amazing there.
I would skip Lake Manyara its flooded and about 4-5 m higher than normal and add a day to the Serengeti due to its sheer size .
The Safari would have been a 4-5 star rating except for some things that detracted from everything that was great overall.
The driver/guide Willie took us to a convenient Masai village near the gate , I think there are better examples of a Masai Village available.
The driver/guide Willie was inconsistent in his driving ability, sometimes too slow on highway and too fast in the park, he also seemed to use same path twice in some parks and struggled with time management. Willie was very friendly and chatty and always pointed out all flora and fauna and birds and all species of animals we passed.
James the Owner/Manager of Twinkle Star promised us a $ 350 refund for dropping Lake Victoria off the Safari which was very nice due to the last minute changes beyond both our control.
Unfortunately he didn't deliver on that promise and gave a bunch of excuses before finally giving us a third of what was promised.
He doesn't understand the way to be successful in a service industry is to Never Over Promise and Under Deliver... Always Always Under Promise and Over Deliver and you will have Happy Customers.
Date of experience: September 2020
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Sep 29, 2020Jambo Jody Banton,
Thank you for rating your 15 Days Kenya and Tanzania Combined Safari Experience.
We appreciate for recommending our experience during your great safari
In Tanzania, we have our corporate agency who we work together and they deliver excellent service and you witnessed that. As per the relationship between the two countries, any clients coming from either side are dropped at the border to be picked by another guide.
Willie is our guide and best of our guide as well. Our guides are trained very well to go with a good medium speed of 80km/hr-90km/hr in the public roads while carrying our clients and in the park, it's recommended to go at a speed of 40km/hr due to animals without driving off-road. This is to avoid accidents on the public roads and inside the park. Driving too fast in the park is unacceptable and we have taken note of this and we will rectify it with our guide.
On the refund, we were to refund you a difference of USD 350. Unfortunately, the accommodation we had booked at Serengeti National Park(Serengeti Sopa Lodge/Serengeti Wilderness Camp), was not yet opened, and to avoid inconveniences, we booked and upgraded you to Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge. After all our sacrifices, we refunded you USD 100.
Otherwise, we believe we offered you Great Safari despite the Covid19 challenge and we really apologize for any inconvenience caused.
Regards,
James.
US
Email Danielle Funk | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 17 day private Bush & Beach tour - Kenya & Tanzania
We recently returned from a 17 day bush and beach tour organized by James Oketch from Twinkle Star Tours, and we had an AMAZING trip!
After searching around and not really knowing where to begin, we decided to book this trip through Twinkle Star Tours as James was very responsive to our questions right from the beginning. We started planning this trip during the end of 2019, and as 2020 - and COVID - arrived our plans were, of course, up in the air with Kenya being closed to visitors. James was in touch with us the entire time and was willing to allow us to change the trip to 2021 with no fees, but when Kenya opened up we decided to go this year.
Our trip began with our arrival in Nairobi, we then spent time in Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Zanzibar, and Amboseli before returning to Nairobi.
Due to COVID, our trip details had to be changed a number of times. Many of the places were were scheduled to stay in were still not open, so James had to rebook our lodgings. He was always very communicative in this and in most cases we were actually upgraded to nicer lodgings! We also had to move our trip to Zanzibar to the middle of the trip instead of the end due to Tanzania not allowing flights from Kenya, and James handled all of this rebooking for us as well. Having him handle all of these changes was so relieving.
James met us at our hotel on our first morning and confirmed all of our trip details. We had three guides on our trip - one in Kenya (Peter), one in Tanzania (Hozza), and one while in Zanzibar (Abdullah). All of our guides were GREAT. I cannot say enough about how friendly, trustworthy, knowledgeable, and accommodating they all were. On safari you spend a lot of time in the car with your guide, and there wasn't a moment that we didn't feel safe or taken care of with our guides. Peter and Hozza were able to find all of the animals that we wanted to see - including the big five - and taught us so much about the animals, the land, and their beautiful countries. And Abdullah was very helpful and informative while we toured Zanzibar. James set us up with several tours while in Zanzibar, so we were able to go to Stone Town, tour a spice farm, and swim with dolphins!
I have read on here about the road conditions and driving, and I wanted to say first that you will be on some bumpy roads, but that is all part of the fun! The parks all have a maximum speed limit but those roads are not paved (for the animal's sake) so you should prepare yourself for a bit of bouncing around while you explore. We opted for the Land Cruiser instead of the minivan, and I believe that not only are they more comfortable, but they are able to get to some parts of the park that the vans would not have been able to reach. Also, as to the speed on roadways between parks - many of the company vehicles in Kenya have a speed limiter, so they absolutely cannot go more than 80kph or else the power cuts out.
The only stressful part of our trip was crossing the Kenya/Tanzania border at the land crossings two times. This had nothing to do with our tour and only had to do with the bureaucracy that is involved in crossing a border. That being said, our guides helped us navigate these crossings, including all of the extra precautions necessary due to COVID, and made the transition way smoother than had we been left to figure it out ourselves.
During our trip, we were scheduled to fly from Arusha to Zanzibar. At the last moment (after Hozza got us to the airport) we found out that the flight was moved to Kilimanjaro airport, about an hour away. Though this was frustrating news from the airline, it was great to have our guide with us to explain what was going on and to pack our suitcases back into the Land Cruiser and bring us to the correct airport.
At the end of our trip, our flight back to JFK left Nairobi late at night, so James actually set us up with a (comped) hotel in Nairobi for a couple of hours so that we could shower and change before flying home. He also met us at the hotel and brought his family along to introduce us.
Throughout the entire trip, our guides let us know that James had called to check on how it was going and to ensure that all was proceeding smoothly. James always answered my emails promptly, even when the time difference meant that he was replying after midnight his time.
I have no problem recommending James Oketch and Twinkle Star Tours, along with all of our guides, and would give him more than a 5 star rating if I could. This was a life-changing trip and was made better knowing that we had this company there to assist us with anything that could arise.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Oct 12, 202017 Days Bush and Beach Safari in Kenya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar.
Jambo Danielle Morris & Curtis Funk,
Thank you for Joining Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris on a 17 Days Kenya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar Safari and also making time to provide this wonderful safari experience.
We are glad you found your Tour Planner, James very communicative, responsive, and helpful from the beginning until you finished your safari.
Thank you for appreciating the services offered by all our three guides in Kenya (Peter), one in Tanzania (Hozza), and one while in Zanzibar (Abdullah) and also finding them very friendly, trustworthy, knowledgeable, and accommodating
Thank you for recommending the nicer lodges and tented camps booked for you.
We are happy for your recommendation and 5* review. We welcome you again to Kenya
Regards,
James Oketch
US
Email Sharon Moore | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely more than I could have expected
I just returned from a 16-day safari through Kenya and Tanzania with
Twinkle Star Safaris. I was supposed to travel last year but COVID
postponed it until this year. Let me say that from the very beginning
James was quick to respond to emails and was able to work on planning
the safari that I wanted. My tour was through Kenya and Tanzania. I was
met at the Nairobi airport by my guide, Patrick. My flight was late but
Patrick was patiently waiting on me. For the first week, we visited
Samburu, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara. My personal favorite was Masai
Mara. I joked with Patrick and told him that riding with him was like
being with Mr. National Geographic. Any question that I had, he had an
answer for. So knowledgeable on not just the animals and parks, but also
all the small towns that we traveled in between. If you use Twinkle
Star, make sure you ask for PATRICK!! He will not disappoint you.
Another word of advice, pay the extra money and upgrade to the Land
Cruiser. It will allow you access to more areas in the park. Thank you
Patrick for showing me the Big 5!! The leopard was hard to find but he
didn't give up. Also thank you James for making my dream vacation
happen, you did not disappoint. I know that this trip is a big
investment for anyone but you will not regret it. I appreciate that
James takes such interest in his customers. He met me at the hotel in
Nairobi before my safari started and walked me to a nearby shopping area
and bank at my request. In addition, at the conclusion of the safari, he
met me to make sure that my safari was just what I wanted. Customer
satisfaction is truly a top priority for him.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Jul 21, 2021Jambo Sharon,
Thank you for traveling with us on our 16 days private safari in Kenya and Tanzania and taking your time to provide good feedback about your safari experience.
We appreciate the positive feedback of your experience on, the organization and planning of the safari handled by James and your Safari guide Patrick who was very knowledgeable, accommodating, and also great at spotting animals in the parks.
Hopefully, this shall not be your last Kenya-Tanzania holiday safari with us. We look forward to hosting you and your friend and family in the near future.
Best Regards
James Oketch
US
Email Marlene | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best
I highly recommend Twinkle Star Tour. We started planning in 2019 for 2020. We had sent our payment in and the pandemic hit. Everything closed. James kept in touch with me and assured my the Safari would take place when I was ready. Our dreams came true this July 16th. They were there to pick us up at the airport and through the entire 10 days. We love Abu our driver. James was very detailed kept making the changes I requested. He came to meet us an say goodbye. Brought gift to my husband and I. It was the most wonderful experience. The resorts were all beautiful and everyone was super attentive to our needs. We couldn’t have asked for more. We will definitely return and bring our family. They were the most honest people you can meet.
We love you James and Abu.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Aug 23, 2021Jambo Marlene,
Thank you for traveling with us on our 10 days private safari in Kenya and Tanzania and taking your time to provide good feedback about your safari experience.
We appreciate the positive feedback of your experience on, the organization and planning of the safari handled by James and your Safari guide Abu who was very knowledgeable, accommodating, and also great at spotting animals in the parks.
Hopefully, this shall not be your last Kenya-Tanzania holiday safari with us. We look forward to hosting you and your friend and family in the near future.
Best Regards
James Oketch
SV
Email MANUELA | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
WONDERFULL SPERIENCE 15 DAYS KENYA AN TANZANIA-GREAT MIGRATION
I have been traveling through the great natural settings of Africa for more than 30 years. I love all of its great national parks. I was in Kenya and Tanzania some time ago and this year I decided that it would be a good time to go back and make my trip coincide with the Great Migration that takes place between Serengeti and Masai Mara. I planned a 15-day trip the first half of August and wrote to several tour operators to prepare an itinerary and a budget for two people. TWINKLE STAR TOURS responded to me immediately and with a much better budget than other tour operators. During the preparation James, his contact, responded efficiently and quickly to my requests and, finally, I opted for TWINKLE STAR TOURS on this trip to Kenya and Tanzania which has been wonderful. One of the reasons why I chose TWINKLE STAR TOURS was that most of the safaris were full day so the possibility of seeing the national park and its animals better was greater. On the other hand, the chosen accommodations had good recommendations and the final price was very good.
The scheduled tour was as follows: SAMBURU (Kenya), LAKE NAKURU (Kenya), MASAI MARA (Kenya), SERENGUETI (Tanzania), NGORONGORO (Tanzania), LAKE MANYARA (Tanzania), TARANGIRE (Tanzania), AMBOSELI (Kenya).
During the tour we had two driver-guides: Willie in Kenya and Hoza in Tanzania. We did the part of Kenya with Willie in a convertible vanette which, for two people, is sufficient since most of the parks in Kenya do not require a Land Cruiser and that, logically, makes the trip cheaper. Willie was an excellent driver-guide. He was always aware that we had the best service, the best room, the best position to see and photograph wildlife and he showed great solvency in solving situations that, without his action, could have turned into big problems. Thanks to his recommendation, we were able to see the Great Migration from the sky, as Katlen Blixen would say ... "With the eyes of God". On the third day of our stay in the Masai Mara, we took a balloon ride to admire this magnificent spectacle from the air. It really is an overwhelming natural spectacle. A 10 for Willie. He is also tremendously friendly and funny. We did the Tanzania part with Hoza, also an excellent driver-guide. He was always aware of locating fauna and placing us in the best position for photographing him. He gave us excellent knowledge about the national parks and their fauna and also about his country, Tanzania. With him we use a Land Cruiser since in Tanzania if necessary to move around its national parks.
The accommodations chosen by TWINKLE STAR TOURS were very nice and of good value for money.
In short, everything was wonderful, from the first contact with TWINKLE STAR TOURS until we said goodbye to their services at the airport. If I decide to return to Kenya and Tanzania again, which I do not rule out soon, or someone asks me for a recommendation, I would not hesitate to advise you to contact TWINKLE STAR TOURS. They are excellent professionals. And, without a doubt, I would return with Willie and Hoza as guide-drivers. They made the trip very easy, enjoyable, and instructive. And, it goes without saying, that Kenya and Tanzania are wonderful destinations to always visit and especially in this time of COVID, when the safest and most fabulous vacations are in nature, on safari.
Thank you very much TWINKLE STAR TOURS, Willie and Hoza for this magnificent experience and see you soon.
Gloria and Manuela
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Aug 23, 2021Jambo Manuela,
Thank you for traveling with us on our 15 days private safari in Kenya and Tanzania and taking your time to provide good feedback about your safari experience.
We appreciate the positive feedback of your experience on, the organization and planning of the safari handled by James and your Safari guides Willie and Hoza who were very knowledgeable, accommodating, and also great at spotting animals in the parks.
Hopefully, this shall not be your last Kenya-Tanzania holiday safari with us. We look forward to hosting you and your friend and family in the near future.
Best Regards
James Oketch
US
Email Irmgard Christine | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Absolutely awesome 5 stars all the way
I booked the Tour from the USA. Received a Quote. I agreed and wired the down-payment from my Bank to their Bank in Kenya. I arrived in Kenya, was greeted by one of the Employees, sign the Contract and the next Day, Simon, the Driver was on time at 7.30AM and off we went to the Masai Mara. It was an absolutely perfect Experience and definitely would chose Twinkle Stars again. The Driver Simon had an unbelievable knowledge of the Masai Mara.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Aug 31, 2021Jambo Christine,
Thank you very much for choosing Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris Ltd for your 4 Days/ 3 Nights Masai Mara Safari. We appreciate a lot for sharing your experience and rating our services. Thank you for acknowledging Simon your 4 days safari guide who demonstrated a lot of skills and knowledge during your safari. We welcome you again in the future with your friends. Asante.
Best Regards,
James Oketch
US
Email Evelyn | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tour operator was amazing and super knowledgeable
I booked the Tour from Miami. I Received a Quote. I agreed and made payment for down-payment. I had a few inconveniences as my flight was delayed and James was super helpful with accommodating our safari. We arrived in Arusha, and was greeted by the Driver Ruben. Ruben was on time and off we went to the start of our Lake Manyara, Ngorogoro and Serengeti tour. It was an absolutely perfect Experience and definitely would chose Twinkle Stars again. The Driver Ruben was amazing and super accommodating to our schedule and had an unbelievable knowledge of the serengeti.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Nov 1, 2021Jambo Evelyn,
Thank you for choosing Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris Ltd as your Tour Organizer during your 4 Days Luxury Tanzania Safari Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. We appreciate for commending James who made your tour package alterations go as smoothly as possible, and Reuben your super incredible tour driver guide who drove you during your great safari.
Thank you for your recommendation!
We look forward to your next safari with us!
Asante sana Evelyn.
NO
Email Siri | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful holiday arranged by Twinkle Star Tours
We had a wonderful holiday arranged by James in Twinkle star tours December 27th to January 8th. We started with safari in Masai Mara, followed by Lake Naivasha, Amboseli and Tsavo west and east, before we headed for the beach in Malindi. Twinkle star gave us the idea to safari the way down instead of spending more days in fewer parks and fly down. This way, we got to experience different parks which all had their own characteristics.
Our driver Abdul was an experienced safari guide, and knew how to give us an unforgettable experience where we got to see all the big five in addition to everything else. He also helped us out several times in Malindi with scuba diving and other stuff we needed. The lodges were the standard we expected to a reasonable prize, and James did a excellent job to find out what we wanted and put together a trip that was perfect for us. I would definitely use Twinkle Star Tours again if the opportunity comes by.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Jan 18, 2022Jambo Siri,
Thank you for choosing Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris Ltd as your Tour Organizer for the 13 Days Kenya Private Safari Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, Amboseli, Tsavo West, Tsavo East and beach Malindi. Thank you for recommending our great services to you and acknowledging Abdul your guide during the 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
DE
Email David and Jan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Twinkle Star is client-oriented, flexible and offers high value tours.
I am currently a resident in Kenya and my brother David visited me over the Christmas - New Years' holiday. We spent most time with our friends in Narobi and at the coast, but also wanted to make a safari to a national park which was a completely new experience to my brother. I wrote to some safari companies and James very quickly responded to offer detailed solutions for the planning of our safari and time line as we envisioned it. We eventually settled for a four-days trip from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara. Our resort was a very beautiful luxury tented camp with a fantastic view over the planes and very friendly and accommodating staff. Our safari guide Simon was very experienced and knowledgeable and took us for a couple of unforgettable game drives through the Mara where we got to see the big five in addition to many other animals. The organizer also accommodated our request for a morning safari walk and we visited a Maasai village on the second afternoon. We will definitely consider to choose Twinkle Stars again for future safaris.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Jan 18, 2022Jambo David and Jan,
Thank you for choosing Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris Ltd as your Tour Organizer, for the 4 Days Masai Mara National Reserve. 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 Simon 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