Sunstrip Africa Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2018)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $700 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
ES
Email Christian+Vera | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Horrible, they are thieves
We did a 5 days mount Kenya Hike.
First of all: I am rating the office right now and not the mount Kenya hike. The mount Kenya hike is definitely recommendable and was one of the best experiences we had. Great views, great guides (the guides are freelancers and not related to the office)...a wonderful experience!
But very important! Book this wonderful hike with another (maybe a little bit more expensive) tour operator! Our experience with this tour operator was the worst we have ever experienced (and we are travelling the world for 2 years now). They are robbing you and most of the things they tell you are lies! With this operator you get a reasonable offer and you find yourself paying 20% more than agreed to. Susan seems to be a friendly contact at the beginning and at the end you realize that she only told you half of the truth and lies (if you are not able to pay by US dollars in cash you will pay 10% more than the offer, because the company shifts the financial risk onto the customers, be careful about every "optional" they tell you...it will cost you more than expected...for example the ride back at the last day will cost you 50USD which is not included in the price) they also will make itinerary changes which will affect you with aditional costs without asking you. I really recommend to experience this wonderful hike with another maybe a little bit more expensive company. If you value honesty please avoid Susan and avoid this company, they are thieves.
Reply from Sunstrip Africa Safaris
Posted on Mar 22, 2023I'm sorry to hear that you had a negative experience with us, it was not our intention as we strive to offer the very best to our clients. However, I would like to clarify a few things.
We always strive to be transparent about the costs involved in our tours, and we are not in the business of lying to our customers. We understand that unexpected costs can be frustrating, however all the costs we clearly communicated to you, apologies if you did not get clarity on the costs involved. Regarding the currency issue, we do recommend paying in US dollars as it is the most accepted currency in the tourism sector. We only advise to pay with the exchange rate at the bureau if you opt to pay in Kes, this we also explained to you as well.
Regarding the additional cost for the ride back on the last day, this is clearly stated in our itinerary and communicated to all customers before the tour begins. We apologize if this was not clear to you. When we were calculating I explained to you we use the forex bureau rate which is 147 and I told you that is the rate to buy dollars in all bureaus and I requested we can go and check and you declined to go.
About paying the extra 50 USD the driver informed me that you were not charged any cash and you did not pay for the transport back to Nairobi.
Your program as per the information from the guide is that it was not changed at all you went as per your confirmed safari
The company is not in charge of the exchange rates globally the market rate is very high especially for dollars and Euros. All clients who are opting to pay using a different rate from USD are paying as per the forex bureau rate so we have no hidden rates being used please. We do not use the online rate since there is nowhere it is applicable in the forex bureaus or banks.
The company stood in and gave you free mountain equipments except from the shoes and sleeping bag which you were supposed to be charged since you said you did not have enough cash and we also gave you a discount of 5000 Kes from the exchange rate so you could purchase for the shoes and for the guide tips.
We take all feedback seriously and will use your comments to improve our services in the future. We are glad that you enjoyed the Mount Kenya hike itself.
RU
Email Viacheslav | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I recommend this operator for Safari
Hello! We had a six days Safari in Kenya. We visited four national parks like Naivasha, Nakuru, Maasai Mara and Amboseli. It was very amazing time. We have already seen all big five and a lot of other mammals, birds etc. Boniface is a great guide, best of all. We spent a really good time with him. Manager Susan is very kind and pleasure. She already can help you. We didn’t regret that have chosen this company.
Email Alan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Friendly and trustworthy
Well organised. Looked after us well. Flexible when we asked to change schedule
US
Email Ted | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
11 day Kenya-Tanzania Safari, Bad accommodations in Arusha, truck broke down twice in Tanzania
I had an 11 day tour of Kenya and Tanzania with luxury accommodations. Before I left for Africa, I really had a good communication with Susan/Suzy, she answers questions all the time thru WhatsApp, it's when I arrived in Africa when everything starts to become bad, when I got there, she changed some of my accommodations, the accommodations in the national parks were amazing, I chose the luxury accommodations and they were indeed nice! But my accommodations in Arusha were very bad, she put me in bad places that have dirty rooms, slow shower pressure and stinky rooms! Also, our truck that we used in Tanzania broke down twice, one day we have to spend a few hours in a junk shop in the middle of Serengeti to have the tires fixed then the following day this truck broke down again and we have to hitch a ride with another tour group to go back to Arusha! She booked us thru 7 wonders in Tanzania, I guess this safari company in Tanzania is not reliable! Also in Kenya, they used a van that was converted with a roof that can be lifted during game drives, its not those 4x4 safari trucks! The bad thing about this is it's very bumpy during game drives and roads in Kenya and Tanzania are not paved and very dusty! I just would like to point out that the drivers I had were amazing, Anthony in Kenya and Linus in Tanzania were both nice and they can easily spot animals even if they're very far from the vehicle. Overall, I enjoyed this trip I was able to see the big 5 and I would still do it again but I would probably choose another African countries next time and if I have to be back in Kenya or Tanzania then I'll choose a different tour operator next time
DE
Email Bogdan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nice
Nice Safari, good driver, clean Hotels.
ES
Email Javier | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good price-quality ratio
We did the Mount Kenya trekking (4 days) from Sirimon to Chogoria route.
The experience was fantastic. The national park is worthy and the staff (guide, porter and chef) is really helpful and kind. We were so glad to join them and they made us feel as a team.
We have to advice that this trekking is not for everything one, you should be ready to make an exhausting effort and you must carry the appropriate items (around 5000 meters of altitude).
The tour operator (Sunstrip Africa or Baboon budget) was always available. We had a missundertand and finally they solve it.
We would like that Sunstrip Africa is more clear in the itinerary when you make a reservation. There is 32 km between Meru Bandas Camp and Chogoria town.
Anyway, the experience was unforgettable.
US
Email Ben | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Bandits
I went on a mount kenya safari and would not recommend this firm at all.
They charged extra when i arrived in the morning and we also ended up paying for items that should have been included (like transport back to nairobi).
Additionally, the pre-trek guidance was awful - they didn't provide an accurate itinerary or a list of required items. This meant we had to buy extra stuff when we arrived. We were also very surprised (and disappointed with the lodgings).
There are better and professional operators available!! From now on I will only use KATO-certified operators!
DK
Email Ken | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Highly recommended
Very respectable company with outstanding service level. Susan is your go-to-person. She was always available and delivered everything we were promised. We spoke to many companies but selected Sunstrip due to price and service and we are very happy we did. After returning home to Denmark we definitely recommend this company to others. You are in safe hands.
SG
Email Sim | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent customer service and good value for tour!
My first time in Africa for a safari trip and Susan was very prompt and knowledgeable in her replies to my queries! 8d7n Masai Mara and Serengeti trip is highly recommend! Duration is just nice and it's the best of both worlds as you can visit both Kenya and Tanzania wildlife with a short hotel stay in between the camping :) Note that ngorongoro crater is kinda chilly at night so do bring along those portable silver thermal emergency blanket if u want to stay warm!
Email Nathan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A well organised trip
The communication was top notch, from the moment I requested a quote until the end of the tour. All of my questions were answered clearly and in a timely manner.
I was picked up from my accommodation exactly on time and taken to their office to sort out payment and to meet the guide.
I had an amazing time at Mt Kenya. The guide was very knowledgeable taking time to tell me the names of the flora and fauna and some facts about each.
I would say the tour as a whole was very good value for money, from start to finish was excellent.