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 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 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
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.
NZ
Email Lee & Larry | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Couldn’t ask for more....Over and above all expectations!
We were booked for a 12 day private Safari of Kenya and Tanzania, we had 4 absolutely amazing days of at the start of our tour, then unfortunately we had to call it quits as the world went mad with Covid 19.
Those 4 days though were absolutely faultless and everything we had ever dreamed of, we saw so much wildlife, with the best guide ever....Willie...Aka Double Whiskey (not what you think)...which made it easy for us to have to make our decision to cut short our safari when we did.
We were met in Nairobi and drove to Lake Nakuru, where we saw our first encounter with Zebras, Baboons, Rihno, Water Buffalo, Pelicans, Flamingos, Giraffe, Warthogs....and then a pride of Lionesses and their cubs... as it was late afternoon/sunset we were the only party left when the Lions decided it was time to go on a hunt....walking down the middle of the road.... we could not believe our luck - we followed them (just us) and watched them frolic for a good 30-40 mins.
The next day we had another game drive on the way out of the park, where we again encountered all that we had seen the previous day....including the pride of lions again - this time with the King of the Jungle there too.
Overnighted at Lake Naivasha the 2nd night, where cheeky monkeys came down and stole food off our table whilst we were eating....too quick for the staff that were on “Monkey duty”.
Our 3rd and 4th day were at the Masai Mara National Reserve. Before entering the National park, we visited a Masai Mara village, danced with the warriors, went inside their home, made fire and observed their way of life. Once inside the national park we had close up encounters with elephants, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, hippos, wilder-beast, ostriches and numerous types of gazelles, vultures and at night in bed we heard the hyenas.
Wille our Guide was absolutely fantastic. We at all times felt safe with him. He went above and beyond our expectations. When we came across wildlife, he would stop the vehicle and we would sit there; as would other tour operators, but after 5 mins or so, they would leave....but we stayed...for as long as it took...and it was once everyone else had gone, that we often saw things that other tours would have missed. I have an amazing video of a lioness growling at something that she was unhappy with approaching. Willie would park us so close to the side of the road to see the wildlife that often you felt like you could just reach out and touch them.
When we were booking our tour, we had reservations about travelling to Kenya and Tanzania in March - but now having been - in our opinion it was a great time to go....it was still hot and there was still other tour operators around, and often we commented how hot and how crowded it must get in the peak times. We certainly did not miss out on seeing anything by visiting in March. We also thought when we were booking our tour, that we would prefer to have other people on safari with us - but again it just being the two of us, meant we could stay, go, when and how long we wanted to.
Twinkle Star Tours were very professional in all their communications. It was a pleasure to deal with both James and Benson. And when we had to make the hard decision to cut short our safari, they did nothing but support us in our decision, and went out of their way to help us with rebooking flights, hotels, and have offered to keep the remaining 8 days of our trip available to us when it once again safe to travel the world.
We would absolutely and completely recommend Twinkle Star Tours, do not hesitate to book a any safari with them - you will be well looked after!
Thank you James, Benson and Willie, we look forward to seeing you all again, and will be recommending you to all our family and friends.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Apr 16, 2020Jambo Lee and Larry,
Thank you for reviewing your safari experience with us.
Thank you acknowledging our driver guide Willie who made sure you have seen all the big five within a short period of time. We also thank you for appreciating James and Benson for in time communication and proper planing of your safari.
We regret and really apologize as you you did not complete your 12 days Kenya and Tanzania Safari due to Corona Virus pandemic. The management of Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris, has kept your file open and we hope this pandemic will end soon to welcome you again to complete the remaining part of 12 days Kenya and Tanzania Safari.
We appreciate for recommending Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris to future visitors in East Africa. As our Word is our Bond, Our customers comes first.
...We Care for you...
#Wash your hands#Sanitize your hands#Keep social distance#Stay Home#
Karibu Tena
Regards,
Benson
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
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.