Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris Ltd. Our Fleet Jeeps.
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:
- $180 to $400 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.
RU
Email Oleg | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great team for organise your holiday
It was our first trip in Africa, and we were absolutely satisfied and happy.We found Twinkle star tours on safaribookings.com, their offer according to mine opinion had reasonable price for nice lodge and the best park. We chosen 12 days safari in Kenya and Tanzania and it was right choosing we enjoyed every day.
Our trip began at the Kenya - Jomo Kenyatta International Airport when taxi picked us up to the hotel and after one night in a capital our safari starts. Our trip began with Willy - Kenya's best guide and just very positive and experienced gay. On Kenya side we visited lake Nakuru and Naivasha and then Masai Mara. In this park we already saw BIG 5 and many other animals. Especially we liked our Sopa lodge in Naivasha when animals are walking around your house and you can observe them from the balcony. Also we visited Masai village, but we didn t like it, because we felt that is not their real life just some tourist attraction for money, I think in Tanzania it is more natural.
After 5 days in Kenya we went to Tanzania, it was quite long trip, which took us all day, on border we change car and guide. In Tanzania we visited Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Manyara lake. In Serengeti we celebrated New year in very nice lodge Serena it was very cool home party on the open air. The most picturesque place in Tanzania was Ngorongoro crater and Ngorongoro wildlife lodge with the crazy view on crater.
Then we went back to Kenya to see park Amboseli and of course the highest mountain in Africa – Kilimanjaro. During first day was cloudy, but next day very early morning we had a breakfast with view on Kilimanjaro - perfect.
We want to say James (owner of twinkle star safari) and Willy grand merci absolutely for everything. We like organization and our lodges. We saw a lot of animals and BIG 5. We felt care and safety. I recommend Twinkle star tours, because they have reasonable price and good service.
Thanks James!
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Feb 18, 202012 DAYS KENYA AND TANZANIA PRIVATE SAFARI
Jambo Oleg,
We are happy that you booked your safari with Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris to experience Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, and Amboseli National Park.
We are glad to see that you enjoyed the services we offered to you.
Thank you for appreciating Willy, our guide who made you see all the BIG FIVE, great service and caring while on your safari.
We are very happy for recommending and thanking Team of Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris for quick customization of your great safari in both Kenya and Tanzania
Thank you and we welcome you again.
Asante Sana
SE
Email Marina and Linnea | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We could not have asked for a better experience
We booked a 3-day trip to Masai Mara through Twinkle Star. We got excellent help from James who made sure we got exactly what we were asking for. He even contacted us afterwards to make sure we were satisfied with the trip. Our guide Miqal picked us up in Nairobi and from the first minute we felt really welcomed. This whole trip was totally living up to our expectations thanks to Miqal who genuinely cared about giving us the best experience we could ever dream of. We had the greatest time and we will definately be choosing this company again.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Feb 10, 2020Jambo Marina,
(3 DAYS MASAI MARA SAFARI)
Thank you for rating the services we provided, 5/5*
We are glad that you found the experience you wanted from us.
Thank you for appreciating James, who planned and made your safari dream come true.
Thank you also for acknowledging our driver-guide, Michael(migal) and appreciating the services he gave you by taking care of you every time.
Us from Twinkle Star Tours Team, we really want to say thank you and we welcome you again for another safari.
Asante Sana.
Regards,
Benson Mutinda
Tour Manager
IN
Email Ramesh | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trip of 7 days with Twinkle star tours and Safaris
When I was planning my vacation with Kenya, I was in a doubt as to how the experience will be..how will I plan the trip with a Travels agent whom I have never even met or corresponded in my life.etc . My fear was more compounded as I had to make the payments in advance to some one I never knew..I was afraid of being conned of my money once i had paid..However later I would come to know that I was wrong in my fears.
I selected Twinkle tours from around 10 tour operators found on Trip advisor & other Internet sites. My final choice was based on the immediate responses given by James (owner of Twinkle Tours). He was always quick in his responses & that assured me that I may be in good hands & that it was safe to continue with Twinkle Tours.When ever I called , he used to be on line & answer all my queries..
On my arrival in Nairobi, I was picked up by a cheerful staff member from Twinkle Tours & driven to my hotel (which was a nice place). James immediately called me & came to the Hotel. He was kind enough to come with me personally to change money (from a bank) & only left the Hotel when I was comfortable.He again came to me on my last day in Nairobi. I also saw that he would always keep calling our driver (every day & after every trip) to find out if we were comfortable or if we had any issues with any arrangement.This was so nice of him.
He assigned me one of the best tourist guides (cum driver) Mr.Willy aka Double Whiskey..Willy was extremely friendly,great with information,drove us safely through out the trip & dropped us in time at Airport back to Home. During the 3 day stay at Masai, he was always on his radio to find out where the game was & was quick to drive us to the point. We saw all the animals (big 5) due to Willy & his knowledge of the park. Willy & James put us in the best of Hotels & rooms & we never had any complaint.
I would definitely recommend Twinkle star, James & Willy for anyone coming to Kenya. They are one of the best I have dealt with in my travels around the world. You should go for Twinkle star blindly when finalizing a Kenya Trip
Regards
Ramesh
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Nov 22, 2019Jambo Ramesh,
Firstly i want to thank you for choosing to experience Kenya with Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris.
Thank you for acknowledging Director of Twinkle Star Tours, James, who made all arrangement for making this wonderful safari in kenya. Also we really appreciate for recognizing Willy a.k.a double whisky one of our best guide in kenya for been informative and caring for your entire safari.
Our Top notch goal is to make our client happy like you.
We welcome you again in kenya for your next safari.
Asante Sana.
Regards,
Benson
US
Email SUSAN NGUYEN | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
" PERFECT BUDGET SAFARI
My husband and i first time at Kenya safari operated by Twinkle Star Tours . Our guide/ Driver by young men name Jeffrey , he was Excellent , and knowledgeable in his work . We very much enyoy it , and we looking forward on next trip soon with you.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Sep 27, 2019Jambo Susan,
First of all we want to thank you for choosing Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris in your 7 days budget safari in Masai Mara, lake nakuru, lake naivasha and Amboseli National Park.
We are delighted to here you had a wonderful safari and thumbs up for reviewing your 7 days safari experience in kenya with us
Thank you also for acknowledging your driver guide Geoffrey who made your safari excellent.
Asante Sana and we welcome you again to Safari with us.
HK
Email Yan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good experience and a helpful operator
We booked a 9-day safari through Twinkle Star. James is very helpful, we communicated a lot before the trip. He tried his best to help us.
The driver in Tanzania is incredible. He is responsible and knowledgable. He explained the culture of Tanzanian and the characters of different animals in the trip. We saw migration for four times in three days. We also saw Lion, Chita, Leopard ......the driver always search for a good area for us to take photo. For the accommodation, I highly recommend Chaka Extra Camp. The staffs are very nice. The food, environment and camp are perfect.
For Kenya, our driver, Robert, did a very bad job. His car broke down. We could not go to safari with him. We joint another group in the end. Also, his car broke down again on the day we have to go back to airport. Without the help of James and other African, we afraid we may not catch our flight. James sent another driver to take us immediately. However, Robert tried to lie to us telling us that his car was okay.
Thank you, James.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Sep 16, 2019Jambo Yan,
Thank you for reviewing your experience on a 9 days safari in Kenya and Tanzania and acknowledging Twinkle star Tours and Safaris.
Your mention about James been very helpful by communicating to you and arranging your Africa safari for you, we really appreciate for that.
Chaka camp is the best camp in Tanzania mostly for the first time travelers on their safari in Africa, we are really happy for letting us know we booked the best accommodation for you.
We are deeply sorry for knowing what you went through with your Kenyan driver Robert, we have taken note on that very keenly to avoid another incidence like that again.
We thank you again for sharing this experience with us, we would like to welcome you again on your next Safari in Africa.
Asante Sana.
US
Email Laly | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I was very satisfied and they delivered what they agreed to!
I was looking for a tour company located in Kenya. I came across Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris and I spoke to James and told him what I wanted, what I could afford, I was traveling with a teenager , and that I wanted to see the Great Migration. He came up with an amazing Safari that was very affordable. He offered me a 12 days Safari to Kenya and Tanzania.
James and his family greeted us to Kenya. We visited 6 National Parks and saw the Great Migration from the banks of the Masai Mara Reserve. AWESOME!!!!
We experienced a variety of very comfortable accommodations including the tented camp in the Serengeti (my request). All the accommodations, food, servers, and guides were great. James contacted us everyday to make sure everything was going the way we had agreed to.
If you’re planning to visit East Africa, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TWINKLE STAR TOURS AND SAFARIS.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Sep 3, 2019Jambo Laly,
Thank you for reviewing your Kenya and Tanzania Safari Experience with Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris.
We are happy that you had a wonderful and great time with driver guide on your 12 days safari in Kenya and Tanzania.
We are glad you appreciated the fantastic accommodation we booked for you and good flow of communication with James.
We are glad to have arranged this tour plan for you and we welcome you again
Asante Sana.
Email Scott | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great trip with an awesome driver (Joel)
We visited a number of parks and the experience in the parks was amazing. Our driver Joel was awesome and very knowledgeable. Accommodation was a good quality. Just be sure to confirm with James whether you wish to do a private or group tour. Also try to get confirmation of the hotels you will stay in before you get to Kenya. We had an issue with one hotel, where we were told on the day we arrived at the hotel that the hotel we chose was not available so we were staying somewhere else. Not a big issue and James updated our accommodation at another park as compensation. However, was a shock when we arrived at the hotel as we were not informed. Overall was an amazing experience.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Sep 3, 2019Jambo Scott,
Thank you for choosing Kenya as your holiday destination.
Thank you also for acknowledging Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris for ensuring you had a wonderful experience of a lifetime.
We apologize for the issue of the hotel.
Thank you for your thankful note and appreciating Joel, your driver guide who made your holiday safari fantastic.
Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris Welcomes you back for another safari-(Karibu Tena).
Asante Sana
DE
Email Alex Kishko | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Operator cancelled trip one day before departure date!
I rested with my family on Zanzibar and we decided to go on a four-day safari in Tanzania.
Through the www.safaribookings.com I found several companies that do safaris in the Tarangire / Ngorongoro / Serengeti.
I made a request, more firms answered me.
Among them was the company Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris.
They gave me the best price and a perfect program, we agreed everything to the smallest detail.
To save money, I decided to buy tickets by local airlines from Zanzibar to Kilimanjaro myself.
When I bought the tickets, agreed with Twinkle Star on the dates and times of transfer, right on the day before of our departure from Zanzibar, Twinkle Star said that he could not conduct a safari, but his acquaintance from the company Inno African Safari would hold it.
He gave me the contact of this other company and no longer answered my questions in the WatsApp.
I contacted this new company and he set me the price exactly twice as high as we agreed with Twinkle Star.
And this is the day before the start of the safari!
It was good that I had contacts and agreements with other companies and we quickly agreed on a safari with another company.
I warn all people on the www.safaribookings.com, do not mess with the company Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris.
US
Email Danny | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Budget Safari with Minor Hiccup
I recently did the 4-Day Tanzanian Safari. The tour was organized by Twinkle Star but subcontracted to Inno Africa Safari. There was a little issue with my arrival and a driver not being at the airport but this was quickly remedied with a message to Mr. Oketch.
The safari itself was great with a very nice driver and accomplished chef. We were able to see all of the big 5, though the rhinos we're very far away.
As a solo traveler, I was able to join with other solo travelers and make some friends during the safari.
The accommodations were better than expected for a budget safari and overall I had a great time. I would definitely recommend this tour to my friends and family.
