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
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.
Email Jayne Mc | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Stacey in the office was so patient in helping with the perfect custom itinerary for us!
After some lengthy research I decided to book my Northern Kenya trip with Gametrackers and I am very glad I did. They were very understanding when I had to postpone due to covid travel restrictions with international travel. They communicated promptly and helped me work out the perfect itinerary. I made many adjustments to the original itinerary and Stacey was always accomodating. We had a great trip!
FR
Email SANTI FABIENNE | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An unforgettable trip to North Kenya. Real professionals in the field and very friendly
We organized with Gametrackers a tailor-made solo trip to North Kenya (Turkana Lake, Kalacha, Marsabit, Samburu Reserve). The team is very attentive. The trip was beyond my expectations. First of all in terms of logistics, very good all-terrain vehicle. A driver guide who knows the terrain well and who was able to organize and offer me all the tribal visits on site. An outstanding cook with varied and excellent meals. A permanent exchange on the culture of the country. A very safe trip in terms of security and compliance with measures against the Covid. All this in a very happy atmosphere. In short, a very good value for money and a wonderful human experience in breathtaking landscapes. If I have just one tip, book with Gametrackers and travel, travel. Asanti Sana Zack and Peter. Asanti Sana Gametrackers.
Email David Hensley | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful - and varied - safari experiences with a first-class guide
On a recent trip to Nairobi we booked a trip to Naivasha with Gametrackers which was so good we booked a trip to Amboseli for the following weekend. On both occasions we were really lucky to have Adrian to guide us. He has a degree in wildlife conservation, and knows a remarkable amount about the birds and animals, and about conservation and the ways in which the human environment is encroaching on the wildlife. Adrian also has quite remarkable eyesight, with an ability to spot and recognise animals in the distance that we could hardly see, which hugely enhanced our experience of the trips.
I would also recommend all of the trips we took.
The boat trip on Lake Naivasha was wonderful, not just seeing fish eagles, king-fishers and hippopotamus on the lake, but also seeing game onshore from the lake.
We took the cycle tour of the Hells Gate park, just near Naivasha, which is an extraordinary trip. Not only the freedom of being able to cycle through the park, past warthogs and buffalo, zebra and wildebeest, but also the geography of the park, with dramatic cliffs and gorges.
The the second weekend we went to Amboseli - a four hour drive but well worth it. The Amboseli reserve has a range of environments from marsh and swamp to dry savannah, all under the enormous presence of Kilamanjaro. We saw lions after a kill, elephants walking past the camp at breakfast, and most memorably, when Adrian spotted some bat-eared foxes with cubs, a Martial Eagle flew down and took one of the cubs.
I'd strongly recommend Gametrackers for putting together a custom tour to meet your needs. We had tremendous trips.
US
Email Christopher Buchel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
4-Day Masai Mara Safari with Accommodation at Crocodile Camp
When searching for a safari in Kenya, it is very easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of safari companies available, especially when booking from abroad, with no real possibility of face-to-face communication. Compounding this quandary is the lack of online reviews and resources with which to evaluate choices in a decision in which one is likely to make a significant investment.
What originally drew us to Gametrackers, therefore, was the fact that the company has existed for over 35 years, is an Eco-Tourism Kenya Corporate Member and is a member of KATO, a key tourism trade association in Kenya that has instituted high standards and a code of conduct that must be upheld in order to retain membership. Such safeguards protect against unscrupulous tour companies that deceive and exploit potential clients.
At a customer service level, however, Gametrackers proved to be superior in both response time and thoroughness. Our contact via e-mail, Judy, always responded to our messages the business day after receiving them and was helpful in addressing any of our questions and concerns. With such care, it was easy to place our trust in this safari company. Adding to this was the multitude of options of safari packages of varying length and location.
Concerning the safari experience itself, we will both easily state that it is and will remain one of the most memorable experiences of our lives. Lending to that was, of course, our sighting of a multitude of animals, from wildebeest, to lions, to hippos, to cheetahs, and elephants, all in their natural environment of the Maasai Mara, a landscape breathtakingly beautiful in itself. However, none of such sightings would have been possible without the expertise of our driver, guide and tracker Tim, whose knowledge, professionalism, and attentiveness to our needs were paramount. Tim is an encyclopedia of wildlife knowledge, able to answer almost any of our questions regarding the wildlife we spotted on our trip. And if he did not possess the answer himself, he was quick to extract a book that did or made a note to answer the question after returning to camp in the evening. He is also an incredible resource to two curious travelers, such as ourselves, who wished to know more about Kenyan culture, politics and society. But beyond that, Tim is an amazing person, whose intellect, care, eloquence, and affability contributed to our experience more than we could ever state. He is someone we were happy to spend our meals with, and who we would gladly continue to do so if he were not a continent away.
Accommodation at Crocodile Camp exceeded our expectations in both amenities and service. We expected to be sleeping on the ground in a small, pop-up tent, but instead spent each night sleeping in a mosquito-netted bed in a large, screened permanent tent with an attached bathroom, lulled to sleep by the sounds of the Maasai Mara night. All meals were home-cooked, and tasty, perfectly fitting to nourish after a long day of safari.
We would, without hesitation, recommend Gametrackers to anyone seeking an experience in Kenya to be remembered for a lifetime. We feel it is important to state that there certainly are accommodations available surrounding Maasai Mara with fancier rooms in 4-star resorts, more modern vehicles to drive around in, a pool to swim in, et cetera, and if such things are important to you, we were told that Gametrackers would gladly meet any of these requests. Simply stated, this is a company that deserves your business and will work to meet any of your needs.
PL
Email Pawel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly and professional
I chose Gametrackers to organize a 10-day safari in the parks: Masai Mara, Naivasha lake, Serengetti and Ngorongoro.
Communication with Gametrackers was excellent. They answered all my questions usually very quickly. Thank you Stacey.
All the team were friendly and professional. Peter's dishes were delicious.
Everything was just as I imagined. If I could change something, I wouldn't change anything.
AT
Email PETER, LISA & FRIENDS | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
My high expectations were fully met
After best experiences with Gametrackers in 2012 I decided to choose them again for a 11-day private safari to Lake Turkana via Chalbi desert. And I was again fully satisfied with the service me, my wife and three friends got from Gametrackers. With Judy I worked out the itinerary in the shortest time. After 2 Mails all was clear and we had full agreement. I was very happy to be on safari again with Adrien the driver guide I already had in 2012. On the game drives with him I recorded again with great pleasure the special feeling he has what animal would do next and therefore, he had always the car in the best possible position when leopards and lions, respectively passes closely to us. And I appreciate very much that he never goes too close to the animals - we kept distance, admired the wild animals and tried not to disturb them too much. Moreover, Adrien is a very good driver not only during the game drives but also on the beaten tracks in the desert.
Peter, the safari chief, is the congenial partner to Adrien. He also did a great job during the whole safari and we all were very happy to have him with us. Consequently also my 2nd safari with Gametrackers was a full success and met all our expectations.
US
Email Alisa Krinsky | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Gametrackers is a great safari company with highly skilled and professional staff.
My husband and I would highly recommend Gametrackers for your safari in Kenya and Tanzania. The communication with the staff during the planning phase was excellent. Stacy and Judy were responsive and helpful in answering all of our questions. Our guides during the safari were fabulous. We did a 10 day excursions with our own guide and cook and both were amazing, If we ever returned, we would request both of them by name, Daniel and Benard, as they were the ones who made our experience phenomenal.
Email ROB AND MADDY | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing experience, different from you typical safari.
We had an amazing experience with Gametrackers Kenya. We did the Turkana safari, but modified to 9 days. Stacey was so helpful, from itinerary generation and modification, to booking at short notice - we visited their offices, they had one day to prepare and we were on the road before 6am the following morning! We were lucky enough to have Rufus as our guide - an amazing human, with many years experience in the tour industry. His knowledge, presentation, language skills and enthusiasm were second to none - we could not have asked for a better guide and driver. Our chef Peter ensured we were well fed - amazing breakfast, ample lunches and copious dinners; we were definitely never left wanting! The vehicle was well equipped and very comfortable - my partner and I were the only ones of the trip, in a large 7 seater vehicle! The campsites and activities were all as expected.
The safari itself blew us away. We hadn't done a Masaai or Seregeti safari, and we put off by the numbers and the idea of essentially a traffic jam. We wanted to get off the beaten track, and have a bit more of a wider cultural experience - and boy did we get it. The places, the people, the animals and the landscapes all got better and better as the trip went on. THe landscape was ever changing, taking us through deserts and rainforests. It was eye opening and breathtaking. The gamedrive in the Marsabit Reserve was played down to avoid disappointment, however again blew us away. Elephants, lions (and cubs!), giraffes, zebras, leopards, cheetah (and cubs!), and all the antelope and gazelle you could point binoculars at. A definite highlight.
We travelled in November, and were apprehensive about the weather - the short rains. However the weather was amazing, and it was great to see the wildlife looking healthy and well fed, rather than half-starved and drought effected.
This is definitely a MUST if you want to avoid the crows and get away from the well trodden tourist tracks!
I can't thank the whole team at Gametrackers Kenya enough - you guys really blew us away!
Email Abbas | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Exceptional Customer Service
Although I wasn't able to go on safari with Gametrackers due to a last minute injury, having used several other Kenyan tour operators in the past, I am compelled to write about Gametrackers' exceptional customer service.
Being a lone traveller with specific needs makes it quite difficult to find a suitable group to join. I got in touch with several Kenyan tour operators and Stacey was always the quickest to respond to my numerous queries and never lost patience with me either. Gametrackers also provided me with the only working solution to go on safari. The other operators just weren't flexible enough to accommodate a single traveller at a reasonable fee.
My preference is to get off the beaten track and knowing the Mara extremely well, I talked to George our guide before committing to going on safari. George had excellent knowledge of all the areas I was interested in visiting and he was extremely polite.
Unfortunately on the day before the safari I hurt my back and I was unable to travel. Even with the last minute withdrawal, Stacey, Rufus and George were caring and understanding. I was touched by their genuine concern and well wishes. I will not hesitate to use Gametrackers in the future and recommend them highly.