During one of our private safari.
Dume Africa Trails
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2018)
- Member Of:
- IATA & AMREF
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Daniel K | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful experience
My experience with Dume Africa was nothing short of incredible.
We did the 8 day safari in late June 2024 that went to the Ark in Aberdare National Park, Samburu Simba Lodge in Buffalo Springs, Ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru, and of course the Massai Mara.
This was me and my wife's first safari and we are from the US. Because Dume wasn't one of the companies with 1000s of reviews and because we had never before travelled to Kenya, we were a little paranoid about getting scammed somehow, but everything turned out perfectly fine. Henry (the owner) was really good about replying to emails and we were able to pay only 30% up front via PayPal and then the rest of the 70% in cash upon arrival when our guide picked us up at the airport.
Henry paired us up with John (Muya). I let Henry know that my goal was to see as many mammal species as possible. I am not your typical safari client who just wants to see a lion and call it a day. I really wanted to see as many species of birds as possible, rock hyraxes, servals, dik diks, and of course all the other larger mammals. I am also a botanist and read research papers for fun, so I had much more intense goals for species I hoped to see than others may have for this experience.
With all that said, John did an absolutely amazing job. We literally saw almost every single mammal on my list of dozens I wanted to see except a handful despite being in Kenya in the low season. He was also great about stopping for not only the larger birds, but the small songbirds or wildflowers I wanted to look at, even though sometimes I wanted to stop every couple of minutes to photograph something. John is a mammal expert and if you want to see something, he will try his best to get you on it. I cannot thank him enough. We made sure to leave what we hope was a really good tip for him (Dume recommends $10 per day per person, but we tipped $15 per day per person). He was a genuine, really nice guy and we felt like we made a good friend by the end of the trip.
John's driving skills were also really good. He was able to get to animals quickly and closely, especially when competing with other drivers for animals in the more crowded parks. When we were in the Mara there was a fire that made a road impassable, causing drivers to have to go off-road through difficult, muddy terrain. He got through the obstacle no problem, but many others got stuck and they were requesting him for help as he's the more experienced expert. He's a pro.
The whole 8 day safari cost $1,850 per person not including tipping and misc personal spending, so the value for the money compared to other operators was really good. The Ark and Samburu Simba lodges were must stays and I highly recommend them for others as they are really nice lodges with exceptional service for a reasonable price. The other accommodations were only okay, but again, the value of the trip compared to others of a similar length was incredible. The Samburu area was our favorite. We got to see elephants from our room and then exploring the adjacent Buffalo Springs area was incredible. For being a desert, we saw in incredible diversity of animals and it was the best place to see elephants on our entire trip. And best of all, there were much fewer people compared to Lake Nakuru or the Massai Mara. If we would do this trip again, we would spend a little more per person to stay in nicer lodges and spend more time in the less traveled to parks, but for our first trip to Kenya on a reasonable budget it was perfect.
We also went to a Massai Village, which I was hesitant to do before going as I was concerned it would be very touristy, but it was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Seeing how they live and hiking with a local Massai guide in the bush was a really eye opening experience and we were the only ones in the village that day since we were their in the low season.
Some highlights of the trip include: Hearing lions at at night in the lodge and John miraculously finding them in the bush within 5 minutes of leaving the lodge, seeing a lion defending it's buffalo carcass from hyenas and vultures, John finding a recently dead elephant carcass and seeing the chaos of a huge kill sight like that, being chased by a bull elephant in musth jogging behind our car, finding a pack of hyenas that just killed a baby giraffe that morning, and so so much more.
Would highly recommend Dume and John!
For a list of animals I saw on the trip please see my inat page and sort by Kenya for location:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=7042&user_id=gambolingquail&verifiable=any
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Email Bing | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Henry is a very nice person, able to take care of every aspect of the safari process, and is very experienced!
Before departure, the communication with Henry was very smooth. The hotels he picked were all very cost-effective, clean, and conveniently located. The province is the province, the flowers are the flowers. During the safari, the tour guide needs to constantly discover and chase animals. Henry’s eyes are super amazing! We saw a lot of animals, and our car was always one of the first in the convoy chasing animals, so the view was unparalleled. Not only is he experienced, he is also a very nice person. Our return flight was after 6 a.m., and he offered to pick us up at the hotel at 3 a.m.! move!
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Email Malcolm | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A #1
We’ve travelled with Henry, the owner of Dume, on numerous safaris over the past 10 years, always with excellent results. Henry is extremely knowledgeable not just about wildlife but about the Kenyan way of life. I’m driving to our destination, he introduced us to many small businesses, projects, co-operatives and interesting artisan workshops along the way. One I of the highlights was a trip to Buffalo Springs last year where he followed tracks to find the elusive geranuck, which not many people get to see can in the wild. Henry is personable and a delight to travel with. We have been returning to Kenya for a decade and he provides very good value for your vacation budget. We have also traveled with other staff members of Dume and had a delightful time as well. They provided excellent service.
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Email Wendy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible experience! Henry was extremely helpful. He is very responsive! Went the extra mile.
This was a trip of a lifetime and your guide can make or break your experience! Jackson, our guide, was THE BEST!— extremely knowledgeable and he exceeded our expectations! We saw all of the Big 5 and then some because of Jackson’s persistence! By the end of the week he was like a brother to us! Exceptional service, wonderful accommodations, perfect weather—we truly couldn’t have asked for more. THIS is the tour company to book for your safari! I want to go back and do it all over again!
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Email Ashley | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari experience filled with an expert guide (Henry is awesome!).
Dume is a great company to go through for an excellent safari experience. We had Henry as our guide and he was extremely knowledgeable, accommodating and helpful. We truly enjoyed our experience at Amboseli National Park and Henry did a great job at spotting animals and putting our car in great viewing locations. Would recommend this company to anyone! Car was in great condition and was comfortable. Dume worked with us to customize a safari that worked for us, would recommend!
Email Paul | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Experience
Being a solo traveler, and on my first safari trip, I was anxious to say the least. But there was no need, as Henry and they team put all my worries at ease from the booking process, right through to the final day!
I went for the 6 day Safari, visiting Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, finishing at Masai Mara. For the first 4 days, my driver Johson was absolutely fantastic. I was simply amazed at his knowledge of both his country and the animals that can be found, answering any and all questions I fired at him. He also had exceptional eye sight, managing to spot the smallest of animals from what seemed to be a mile away. The game drives around Amboseli, and Lake Nakuru where an absolute joy - where he simple knew where to place the vehicle to get the best view/ photos of the animals, this payed off as it resulted in a pride of lions walking directly towards us at one point.
Unfortunately the vehicle we where using had to return to Nairobi half way through the trip, for its annual checkup. Johnson had to return also - however Henry had personally organized a second vehicle to continue the safari, and attended the finals days as a guide also. These final days I was privileged to have a Maasai person as the driver (sorry I forget his name), who once again had incredible knowledge of the area - and the wildlife. On top of that, he also had clear knowledge of where the various animals could be found throughout the day - with near laser accuracy to find them.
Ended the safari with a trip to a Kenyan BBQ in Nairobi with Henry!!
I cannot recommend Dume Africa enough. Henry was available at all times, answering both E-mails and phone calls swiftly to answer any questions I had.
Would I recommend, or use in the future? 110% yes!!
Thanks for an incredible experience, and I hope our paths cross in the future!
BE
Email Mikhalis | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very professional, good drivers, good vision, nice stories to tell
We totally recommend dume Africa ! WE have got John in Masai mara 3 days and John Masai for Nairobi national Park. They both are very good drivers and have a very good eye to detect animals wich is of course very important. John Masai also has great stories and Can explain you plenty of things about his Masai culture. Henry took care of everything, Always making sure that everything goes fine and answers very quickly to your messages/ questions.
NL
Email Neal Pouw | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
the tour operator was complete and knew what he was talking about.
how beautiful it was. I was lucky enough to make a very nice trip through Kenya with my father and brother. During our trip we were guided by our guide Henry in a hospitable and especially pleasant manner. This was the second year in a row because we also went out with Henry in the summer of 2022, and this was just as fun and perhaps even more fun. We had a very nice trip with Dume Africa Trails Limited, saw the big 5 and above all had very nice days. from Nairobi up through various nature parks looking for the rhino, we also visited an authentic Masaai family which was very impressive. Henry guided us through every step of our journey, from the time we were picked up until he dropped us off again. the hotels, activities and meals were arranged down to the last detail and that gave us a good feeling. Besides Henry being our tour guide, he was certainly an important factor in our trip. In addition to beautiful evenings, he also taught us a lot about the country and the culture. I can say that I learned a lot about Kenya besides the nature and the animals. All in all, it was an unforgettable trip that was fantastically organized, so I would recommend it to everyone. make your dreams come true and hit the road with Dume Africa Trails Limited!!!
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Email Elaina Davis | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding experience!
Henry at Dume Africa Trails really went above and beyond to give us the safari trip of a lifetime.
He was very responsive in planning the trip and adjusted the proposed itinerary to accommodate our budget, preferences and requests.
The safari vehicle we used and the lodges he booked for us were all very comfortable ... Dume Africa Trails is very reliable because they use their own safari vehicles rather than hire from others. Henry is clearly very well respected amongst other tour guides and operators.
We booked a 10 day safari tour and saw all of the big five up really close as well as a baby cheetahs and a crocodile eating a zebra!
Henry was professional, proactive and brilliant company throughout the trip... we really laughed together!
Henry was also able to help sort out our safari travel in Uganda which we booked through Dume Africa Trails who worked with a local operator.
I would 100% recommend Dume Africa Trails as a reliable and high quality tour operator.
DE
Email Melvin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had the experience of our Lifetime !
We had an exceptionally excellent safari that Henry organized for us. Our driver guide Joseph was very experienced and gave us an amazing 6 day safari (Amboseli, Nakuru and Masai Mara) in which we saw so much we never imagined. Joseph and Henry were always very accommodating and they unconditionally fulfilled every wish for us. Highly recommended!