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Apodiformes Adventures
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Member Of:
- Kenya Tourism Regulatory Authority, AFRICA TOURISM ASSOCIATION & FRIENDS OF NAIROBI NATIONAL WILDILIFE CONSERVATION
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $75 to $250 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
CN
Email Imigin Shao | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible experience and unforgettable memories
Our recent trip with Apodiformes Adventures was truly unforgettable. Their itinerary was perfectly planned, leading us to our dream hotel and providing just the right mix of adventure and relaxation. They responded quickly to our inquiries and made sure all our needs were met efficiently.
A major highlight was our guide, Sebastian. His sharp eyes could spot distant or hidden wildlife, making every safari thrilling. He was gentle, knowledgeable, and answered all our questions, teaching us a lot about Africa. Even on days with long transfers, Sebastian's planning ensured we always had a safari, making each day exciting.
The trip was filled with many memorable moments. Although we didn't see a cheetah this time, the amazing experiences and knowledge we gained have only fueled our desire to return to Africa.
ES
Email Danielle Edwards | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best family adventure ever!!
I have to say I did have some concerns when booking this tour but once we met our guide Kevin all the concerns melted away!
Me and my family enjoyed a truly one in a life time holiday with apodiformes, everything was as they said and very punctual.
No hiccups and all went to plan.
We stayed at three camps enkorok mara, lake Nakuru and kibo safari camp. They all offered something different and we were very well looked after.
The animals were in abundance and we even found the big 6!
Thanks Silas and Kevin for making our trip truly amazing and we will be back!!
US
Email bill k | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I Would Not Use This Company Again
I reached out to Apodiformes Adventures to book a private three day tour that included two nights in Amboseli National Park including 4 game drives over three days, transportation from Diani Beach to Mombasa train station, train tickets to Emali station (near Ambolseli), and finally transportation to Nairobi. Peter quickly responded and I started communicating with him to work out the details. After a few days of emails and what's app texts back and forth we agreed upon the details. One of the conditions was that we could pay with a credit card which we did for the initial deposit. Later however, he said he wanted to balance to be paid in cash in USD on arrival. I told him that wasn't possible because we were going to be in Africa for several weeks prior to this tour and didn't want to carry that much cash with us. Eventually he agreed to let us pay in credit card but insisted on an additional fee that wasn't previously agreed upon. This wasn't a deal breaker but in was the first in several instances where things weren't quite as initially stated.
Getting to the Mombasa train station and onto the train was an absolute fiasco. Our driver was supposed to pick us up at our hotel in Diani beach at 5am on Saturday in order to catch the 8am train. At 5am the driver was not there. This is where it gets tricky because at 5am (in the pitch black of night) there was a driver waiting at the hotel apparently arranged by the hotel. We got into his car and started driving. About :30min into the trip I asked him about the train tickets. He was confused because he thought he was taking us to the airport. At this point, I wasn't able to get a strong enough cell signal to call or text Peter, but the driver was able to finally get him on the phone. There was a lot of back and forth (and yelling) in Swahili over several calls that I didn't understand.
Once we did get to the train station, the plan was to wait for the other driver who we were told was an hour late getting to the hotel in Diani and he would come and give us the train tickets. This was not a good solution. First off security at the train station did not want us hanging around the parking lot. They said we had to either go thru the initial security check or leave. The train station was extremely chaotic. There were hundreds of people pushing and yelling and trying to get thru and we couldn't find any workers who spoke English to help us and I still wasn't able to use my phone. Peter and the other driver were trying to call me but none of the calls or texts were coming thru.
Eventually we did find a security guard who spoke enough English and was willing to help us. He took us thru security despite us not having tickets or a confirmation, and got Peter on the phone using his own phone. Peter then sent him copies of the ticket confirmation. He then whisked us into the lobby and told us to wait while he went and printed the tickets. Great! He came back gave us the tickets and pointed us to get in line. We waited in the line but when we got up front we were denied because Peter sent the guard the wrong ticket confirmation! The guard was gone and we were back to square one without tickets.
Keep in mind that the station is complete mayhem. At this point we tried to buy new tickets but the train was sold out. I was able to convince a ticket agent however to look up our names and reprint the tickets. This was much harder then it sounds but eventually they were able to do this but we had to pay an additional re-printing fee.
The original agreement included the transportation to the station and the train tickets, but we ended up having to pay the driver and the ticket re-print fee which was 30% of the price. When I asked Peter to reimburse us for these expenses he refused to do so basically blaming me saying it was my fault even though his drive wasn't on time.
We were met in Emali by David who would be our guide in Amboseli. David was wonderful. We thoroughly enjoyed ever minute with him especially the game drives.
We spent 2 nights at the Kibo Safari Camp and were supposed to do 4 game drives. One on the Saturday of arrival, two on Sunday, and one on Monday morning before heading to Nairobi by auto. However on Monday morning we were picked up in a vehicle (with a different driver) not suited for safari, so we headed to Nairobi without doing that fourth game drive. This wasn't a huge deal, but it was part of the agreement and payment. I never heard anything from Peter about this. In fact I never heard from Peter again after we arrived in Emali on the train. No follow up. I even waited three weeks to write this review to see if he or anyone from Apodiformes would contact me. Nothing.
This was not my first trip to Africa so I understand that stuff happens and things can go sideways. You have to be flexible. I get that, but the reason for this negative review is the lack of communication and follow up. The bottom line for me is that they over promised and under delivered which ended up costing us extra money out of pocket. I would not recommend Apodiformes Adventures.
Outstanding.
Sebestian our tour guide made our entire trip awesome. He was through professional and took utmost care of our comfort and convenience.
He distinctively planned our tour.
Thanks Silas for crafting our trip.
Very well organized and friendly
The safari trip overall was amazing. We got to see all types of wild animals. We also got to learn about the tribe culture and were introduced to one. The tour person is very friendly (George was our tour guide. Very nice person. I would pick him again if I ever go to a safari adventure!). I would highly recommend picking Apodiformes Adventures for the best experience.
CH
Email Gianluca | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A reliable, but not impeccable partner
The experience has overall been very good. My guide and driver, Nelson, is an incredible person with deep expertise and knowledge. Since it was a private tour and I was on my own, I had a very tailored and unforgettable experience.
Communication with Apodiformes has been good and the people very friendly.
Why 4 stars? Because unfortunately, although I had booked and it was confirmed to me that I was going to stay at the Mara Serena lodge, a month later Apodiformes informed me that Mara Serena was booked out and I had to go somewhere else. I ended up at the Keekorok, which has been a very good option, but the initial surprise really wasn’t and I wasn’t given any discount either.
Email Ri | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Sebastian was amazing, very attentive and professional.
I thoroughly enjoyed my tour with Sebastian. The accommodation and safari were very well planned. Sebastian took very good care of us and made the experience very enjoyable. I’ve done many tours and he is the best tour guide I’ve had. Thank you!!
Email Sam | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Sebastian was great!
Our tour guide Sebastian was great! He answered all our questions, made sure we were comfortable and took us on the most amazing drives! A real highlight of a lifetime. He spotted 5 lionesses on our drive back which was incredible.
Email Rak | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible, well looked after and genuine!
We did a 4D 3N safari around amboselli and tsavo east with our amazing and knowledgeable guide, Sebastian.
The operator was flexible in tailoring our itinerary, the accommodation was excellent (Sopa lodge) and our guide was an excellent person to show us around - he went above and beyond in spotting animals, was friendly, accommodating and funny!
IN
Email Nikhita | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great on ground support from Apodiformes - we had a wonderful experience
The tour was well curated & Fredrick our operator, made sure it was customized to accomodate our requirements. Our guides were well trained & went the ecxtra mile to ensure we had great sightings. Accomodation & meals were comfortable & we enjoyed a special sundowner in the bush. The travel to Mombasa required travel at odd hours & was quite a long train journey, but we signed up for it for the beautiful beach views! Overall I'd highly recommed this operator as they are always available to support & deliver as per plan.