Morindat Tours Expert Guides
Morindat Tours & Travel
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2018)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
IN
Email Krishna NAir | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable, Responsive, Empathetic, Helpful and Experienced
For our trip to Maasai Mara in August 2024 conversations with the Morindat Tours and Travels team began well in advance. Several itinerary options were offered and we finally agreed on a 8 day package specially curated for us by Morindat. During this stage Titus and Gideon were empathetic to our requests for changes to the itinerary and prompt with their responses and suggestions.
Day 1 at Nairobi included an interesting visit to a Coffee Estate ,lunch at a vegetarian Indian restaurant, and the National Museum.
On day 2 our group of 12 left for Amboseli in two Land Cruisers. One group with Gideon and the other with Sammy.
Seven adrenalin driven, exciting, adventurous and memorable days followed where we had the unique opportunity of experiencing the raw beauty of the African wilderness up close.
Our itinerary included Amboseli National Park ; Lake Nakuru National Park via the scenic Great Rift Valley and Lake Naivasha (including Crescent Island ,where the epic 1985 American movie “Out of Africa” was filmed) and finally three unforgettable days at Maasai Mara, which included a visit to a Maasai village where we saw the pastoralist Maasai making fire in the traditional way by rubbing sticks.
At the game reserves we witnessed ,up real close , a “crossing” of a huge herd of elephants as also a pride of nineteen lionesses and cubs.
Clearly, Gideon and Sammy knew the vast openness of the Mara landscape like the back of their hands sans any landmark(s) GPS or even a compass. They were the ideal safari guides. Knowledgeable of the terrain and animal behaviours , passionate about their work, uncanny spotters, intuitive, professional, polite and importantly good conversationist.
We shall all remember and retell the many anecdotes that Gideon kept us enthralled with.
Our primary focus were the sightings of the Big Five (Lion, Leopard , Rhinoceros ,Elephant and the Cape Buffalo), a Wildebeest migration and a possible predator hunt.
Thanks to the hawk-eyed ‘spotting ability ’of Gideon and Sammy, honed by nearly 40 years of collective game reserve experience between them, we were extremely lucky to spot all of the Big Five, including the ever elusive leopard and rhino.
One of the highpoints of our safari was witnessing the 5 stages of predation (detection, identification, approach, subjugation and consumption) of a cheetah hunting down an impala.
Soon after the cheetah was spotted Gideon announced that she (the cheetah) was hungry and would soon go on a hunt. None of us could fathom how Gideon had arrived at that conclusion. Intuition ? Experience ?
About a half hour wait later the cheetah zeroed in on a herd of fleet footed impalas one of which became her meal of the day. We followed the cheetah, at a respectable distance, at breakneck speed, across the savannah, as she blurred into a high speed chase eventually getting a hapless young impala.
Witnessing a Wildebeest migration as thousands of Wildebeest made their run across the crocodile infested Mara river, past lions ,leopards and hyenas crouching in the low grass waiting to make a kill, was the second big highpoint of the safari. A sighting made possible thanks to the sharp instinct and spotting ability of Sammy.
Food was not an issue at all, even for the three vegetarians in the group. Food palatable to the Indian taste was available at everyplace we stayed and for the 3 days at Maasai Mara we were served a sumptuous Indian menu for breakfast and dinner. Kenya, said Sammy, is home to Four hundred thousand plus people of Indian origin.
All good things must come to an end ,it is said ; as did our absolutely amazing holiday, a great safari and some incredibly lucky sightings ; A David Attenborough moment in our lives, for which we thank Morindat Tours & Travels.
We shall all cherish and recall the wonderful memories for years to come.
We learnt so much of Africa, its history, people and the great many animals and bird species we saw in the wilderness. Thank you Titus, Sammy and Gideon for being part of this wonderful memory.
If you are reading this review and are planning a trip to Kenya, we would unconditionally recommend Morindat Tours & Travels.
SA
Email Biji Joseph | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Efficient
Well coordinated and arranged. No hiccups. Experienced in sighting animals. Very prompt and on time. Well behaved. Thanks