Lead guide Rufus preparing for a night of camping
Gametrackers K
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 1981)
- Member Of:
- KATO & Ecotourism
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Tania Jarvis | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience
Great accomodation provided. Rufus our guide was excellent, he had fantastic knowledge of the areas and wildlife we saw. Highly recommend gametrackers
Email Cath | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
From enquiry, booking and completions of safari the experience was fantastic
Four of us did a self made tour form Nairobi, Samburu, Masai Mara, Serengeti and the crater. Our guide was Rufus who was fantastic, friendly informative and patient. Our driver in Tanzania was Rogers who was a true professional and navigated the roads with expertise. Would highly recommend Gametrackers. We had a great trip with fantastic accommodation.
Email Nicolas | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Above expectations: exceptional guide and planning support
In short: I found Gametrackers to be a very strong local company to help you plan an exceptional safari: excellent throughout, from the planning phase all the way to the actual safari. I will recommend it any family member or friend considering a safari, and would definitely choose them if I return to Kenya to do another safari. More details below.
====
1) PLANNING
When I started planning a safari in Kenya, I wasn't sure which company to go with - there are MANY operators. I reached out to 10-15 companies listed in well-known guidebooks such as Lonely Planet and Rough Guide to review a few proposals/quotes based on my initial thoughts for a 2-week trip. Gametrackers already stood out at that point: Stacey was responsive, understood my requirements well (we wanted to put together a highly customized itinerary), provided good advice, and was VERY patient (we went through quite a few iterations of the itinerary).
I was able to pay by credit card in USD through a local portal called Pesa Pal.
A safari is expensive and this was no exception, but I found the rates Gametrackers quoted fair, without the very high mark-ups I saw from other operators (especially those who are NOT based in Kenya). Gametrackers was also one of the few operators able to provide a clear breakdown of the cost - this was very helpful in ensuring our trip stayed within the budget we had assigned.
2) SAFARI
I think a huge factor in the experience is the guide who will take you to all the parks you have chosen (e.g. Masai Mara, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru etc.). We got VERY lucky as we got Zachariah (Zack), a Bronze-certified guide (see KPSGA) who has been a guide for 18 years. He was very dedicated, knowledgeable, patient, friendly, and fun. He always made sure we had the best possible experience and spared no effort for us to see animals (e.g., we were able to see multiple white rhinos and a (rare) black rhino in Nakuru, we watched a cheetah eating a Thompson gazelle a few meters away in Masai Mara, we witnessed 2 lions mating...) and patiently answered all our questions on wildlife or Kenya.
Most days, he was driving pretty much the whole day on full day game drives so we have more time in the parks themselves as driving back to the lodge for lunch would waste a lot of time in our opinion (and he agreed).
We were sad to part ways in Diani where our safari ended and can't thank him enough for helping us create memories for life.
Asante!
Email Jennifer Evans | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent experience from booking right through the trip
Our family experience with Gametrackers was excellent. I had travelled with them 30 years ago so when I wanted to go with my family who would be visiting for the first time I contacted them explaining who we were and where I would like to visit. All communication via e mail with Judy was smooth and efficient answering my questions promptly and clearly. She designed a bespoke trip for us incorporating the Rift Valley, Lakes Naivasha and Nakuru and the Masai Mara. The recommended accommodation was perfect for our needs and we enjoyed staying at both Dea’s Guesthouse in Naivasha and at Enkorok camp in the Mara. Our driver/guide Agostino was clearly experienced and kept us fully informed of what each day’s plan was. He was knowledgeable and passionate about Kenya and its’ wildlife and created a relaxed enjoyable atmosphere while clearly working very hard to ensure we got the most out of our trip.
His suggestions and planning of the days were invaluable - there were so many highlights just two to mention was the bicycle safari in Hell’s Gate and the whole day safari in the Masai Mara with breakfast and lunch enjoyed under a tree. We saw so much -the whole experience continues to sink in as we look at the many photographs we were able to take.
I fell in love with Kenya as a student and am happy to say that with the help of Gametrackers two more students of the next generation have become Kenya enthusiasts.
Email Reshma Patel | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
We had a beautiful memorable trip to Turkana with gametrackers. The truck was very comfy and the driver was so caring and helpful. Vegetarian food at all the lodgings were pretty good.
Email Kat | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An amazing experience, definitely doing it again!
The tour was amazing. We saw 6 lions, hippo, giraffe and all sorts of other animals. Adrian was a great guide. Thank you so much!!! He was so knowledgeable and knew where to find all the animals. He also knew so much about plants and medicinal purpose of them, so interesting!
The tour was really easy to book and arrange. It really was such great value for money. Will definitely be using them again soon.
Email Elke | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very professional and helpful from the first contact all the way through the safari experience
The bottom line: highly recommended company - Stacey brilliant, reliable, quick to reply and finding solutions for requirements;
Zack, our guide: very experienced - amazing at spotting wild life whilst negotiating at times tricky driving conditions, always happy to go the extra mile, very patient with and kind to my teenage boys! He is very knowledgeable, flexible and super company. He made us feel very safe, secure, extremely well looked after and even looked with us for a place in Nairobi to get some great coffee to take home. Nothing too difficult or too much for him.
We went the week before Christmas and came back New Year's Eve. Before Christmas, we were picked up at the airport in Nairobi, went to Ol Pajeta and then to Lake Nakuru. Both destinations had great wild life and Zack was just happy to spent as much time as we wanted on game drives. I was impressed by the good relationships the guides from different companies have in terms of sharing information on sightings of animals and it gave a real nice feel of NOT competition, but the desire to make the experience really great for us and also demonstrated the passion of Zack for the job and him enjoying the wildlife, landscapes, the country really. It's lovely to be in the company of someone who clearly enjoys sharing his amazing country.
Gametrackers then had made it possible for us to spent 2.5days over Christmas with our friends in Molo. Zack took as there and picked us up and even during our stay in Molo made sure we were ok and didn't need anything else.
After Christmas we had a brief overnight stop in Naivasha - did a boat safari for the hippos. Didn't go to Hell's gate as a) gorge was still closed after the incident of flash flooding a few yrs ago and it was also raining. The next day we went on to go to the Masai Mara which was truly spectacular. Again, Zack spent plenty of time to do game drives with us, even went into Tanzania and made great effort (and showed amazing driving skills in mud without getting stuck unlike several other vehicles) for us to see any animal he could spot far away or close by.
A brilliant experience, feeling safe and well looked after.
We all got on fantastically with Zack as he is so approachable. Would always go with Gametrackers again and of course ask for Zack to be our guide!
Fantastic country, great company
IL
Email Tzippy Herman | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional and helpful
Stacey the tour operator set us up on a perfect safari that met all of our requirements. The driver she paired us with was kind and patient for our family and a perfect match , we had a great time !
US
Email John Ulferts | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Reliable, excellent company
We have completed three trips with Gametrackers K in Kenya and each trip has been exceptional. Gametrackers makes your Africa dreams come true. We put together an itinerary of parks we want to visit, and they make it happen. Gametrackers always maximizes game drives so that you have as much time as possible with the wildlife. Whether camping in the bush or staying in lodges, Gametrackers makes sure you have a quality experience. I highly recommend the company. Request Rufus as your driver if you can and Benard as your cook if you are camping.
US
Email Susanne | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very experienced tour operator with excellent service and outstanding guides
I planned our trip pre-pandemic in 2019 and initially I booked with Gametrackers an 8-day safari only, but when at the end of January 2022, we decided to start to travel again, I planned our whole trip with them to have one place of contact if we had to cancel again. This turned out to be a great decision because everything was organized perfectly. We did not have to worry about anything because every accommodation, transport, activity, and PCR test were taken care of.
When I selected Gametrackers I compared them with 4 other tour companies that were mentioned in my travel guides and I chose them because of their long experience, the company exists since over 40 years, and their reasonable pricing – some other companies offered the same safari, with the same accommodations and transport for up to 18% more. It tuned out that Gametrackers have also the most experienced and knowledgeable guides. Rufus who traveled with us for 10 days is amazing. Not only he can answer every question you could think of, but he also knows where the lions are climbing trees, giraffes are drinking water, the leopards are hunting. He is the best travel companion you can think of, we just had to express our wishes, and he took care of them. We were so spoiled.
One other thing that is very important for a safari is the vehicle and Gametrackers has simply the best. Their cars are specifically adapted for game viewing. You can lift the roof so that you have a 360 view, and you are still protected from the sun.
Before the travel we had our doubts if it is safe to travel again, but now we are so happy we did it. I read in my guidebooks that in high season it can get busy to the extent that you have 20 cars parked next to every sleeping lion, but we had it all undisturbed. Gametrackers guides are all vaccinated and tested before the start of the trip. The hotels are arranging a doctor to come in the hotel to take the PCR test if needed. Everything was much easier than expected.
Our trip started in Nairobi. The safari included in Kenya: Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, and Amboseli, in Tanzania: Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. Then we flew from Arusha to Zanzibar visiting Stone Town and Chumbe Island. At the end we travelled home from Dar es Saalam. It was an amazing experience.
