Safari Adventure
Big Time Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2006)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $450 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great safari but the driver and car could have been better
I went on a three day Masai Mara trip and the Masai Mara is just awesome. But Tom, our guide: 1) had a pretty old minivan, what made it bumpy sometimes, 2) was distracted on the phone many times instead of looking out for animals and 3) everyone was promised a window seat but we were 9 people the last two days so the van was very crowded.
I know there are other more encouraged drivers with better cars at big time safaris. I would not recomend a safari with this guide (ok maybe he had a bad week... but still...)
EG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Budget Safari
Everything was great, safe, and affordable (for budget safari). The guide was very helpful, Martha is too patient and answered all the questions and the concerns. The people tried to do their best to make my trip to Kenya a great one. I can say, I spent less money in Kenya than what I will spend in my country for the same period of time. Masai Mara was awesome, Hell's gate was too nice, I was very happy and the other tourist from all over the world had the same feeling.
All you have to take care about is the hotels, sometimes they try to deceive me to take more money (for ex. fees on Wi Fi !!!) but this happens anywhere in the world that's why it is ok for me.
If I come back, I will choose big time safari. I will recommend it to my friends too.
Thanks.
IN
20-35 years of age
value for money
My contact David is very helpful. I had taken the three day trip to masai mara. It was a wonderful experience and a must do for all wildlife enthusiasts. Had also visited the giraffe center and crocodile park in nairobi. Had recommended big time to many friends and everyone was all praises. Hoping to have more experiences.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well organized, beautiful experience and they do what they promise!!!
We had a great time. Communication by mail and almost immediate response. Everything was possible, we made changes, and changes again.... And at the end, everything was 100% organized.
Correct driver, and the cook made nice meals. Accomodation as promised. The safari itself was superb, we saw the Big Five within 3 hours. Really enjoyed the tour with Big Time Safari.
Martha and John, and everybody else who made this such a great experience: THANKS!!!!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Trip, But Very Unprofessional
First I'll start by saying that we had an amazing trip, saw many animals, our drivers were good, and Big Time was much cheaper than the other safari trips that I read about online.
However, I'm rating them a 2 because if you sign up with Big Time, you should understand what you may be getting into. They are slightly dishonest, and they consistently try to get more money from you.
It started by us agreeing to a 9 day safari online in advance of our trip. When we got to the Big Time office, we paid, but they made us pay an extra 5% to use credit card... And they do not accept checks. So they immediately violated the contract we agreed on, but after arguing, there was nothing we could do, because our whole trip depended on this safari, and we had no backup plan. So we paid extra.
Then, we learned that our 9 day safari was actually 2 smaller safaris with travel days in between. And despite the contract saying "all meals and hotels/campsites are included in the 9 day safari price," they made us pay extra for our hotel and meals in between the 1st and 2nd safari. They also charged us $20 if we wanted to use their sleeping bags at the campsite, when bedding was supposed to be included.
Now here comes the most ridiculous part. We were encouraged to change our safari plan by a Big Time manager instead of the one we originally decided on. We finally agreed to do the change. After we arrive from completing the safari, he says that we need to pay extra for changing the route! When this was never mentioned to us before! He even threatened to take the money that “we owed” out of the driver’s paycheck if we would not pay. It was completely unprofessional.
To sum up the experience, the actual safari was wonderful. Our drivers were very nice, and the vans were full (8 person van for safari #1 and 4 person van for safari #2), but we still had great views. However, the management uses too many sneaky tactics to get you to pay extra.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dishonest, bad hotels and unprofessional
The 13 day safari we booked with Big time safaris was massively over priced for what we received. The hotels were poor quality compared to other similar priced tour operators. They advertise as covering Tanzania yet set us up with a completely different dishonest company that did not fulfil the trip we had paid for, cheated us out of our lodge that we had paid for and lied to us the whole time both about animal facts and our trip. Do not use this company under any circumstances.
US
Email Emily G. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
10-day Safari in Kenya & Tanzania - Fantastic Experience!
We recently went on a 10-day safari through Kenya and Tanzania with Big Time Safaris Ltd. The process from start to finish was fantastic. In the early planning process they helped us cater the tour to cover exactly where we wanted to go and package it to our budget and time constraint. The staff (especially Martha) was quick to respond to us and helpful in all communication. When we arrived, they were so friendly and made sure we were very comfortable throughout our stay. Our tour guide Wanjau was AMAZING! He was so knowledgeable and really made our trip a once in a lifetime experience. I would highly recommend this company to anyone who is looking for the best safari company.
ES
Email Leticia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
6 Days Kenya Maasai Mara,Lake Nakuru and Amboseli. fue una experiancia maravillosa.
Vimos una gran cantidad de animales. los campamentos, la comida y el trato de todos y cada uno de los trabajadores es impecable. Nuestro chofer, perfectamente cualificado en la busqueda de los animales. Un gran viaje y una maravillosa experiencia. Sin duda, totalmente recomendable!
US
Email Caroline | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
Big time safari was great to me. Good price and also good service, it was my first time going on a safari and I wil use them again... I will recommend it to anyone without hestision!!
MA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A unique experience made possible by Big Time Safaris team
I selected Big Times Safaris company to organise a 15 day family trip to Kenya based on research and reviews over the internet. The whole experience turned out to be exceptional by all standards thanks to the professional service provided by BTS team members. My wife and 3 teenage daughters enjoyed very much the Safari part in the Massai Mara, Nikuru lake and Ambosselli parks. We saw plenty of animals: gnus, buffalos, several species of gazelles, zebras, lions, hyenas, guepards, elephants, birds etc... We were very lucky to have witnessed a massive river crossing by the gnus.
The camps and mini bus we used during the travel were very clean and the driver/guide was not only a safe driver but also very knowledgeable and courteous guide.
We also spent few days in Mombassa area which gave us the opportunity to rest and enjoy the Indian ocean and a large variety of delicious food at the Reef beach hotel. We also discovered how beautiful the corals around the Wassini island were.
Overall the whole experience was very good and we will recommend it strongly to our friends.