The Team Behind Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris
Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris Ltd
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2003)
- Member Of:
- Eco Tourism & Kenya Wildlife Services
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $64 to $490 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
ES
Email Laura & Francesco | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable safari experience
From the beginning Mr Otieno has been very helpful, friendly and professional. As it was our first trip to Kenya we had a quite a few questions and he has quickly answered all our doubts in a very professional way.
The tour was perfectly organized from the beginning until the end. Our private tour guide Peter was just amazing. He is a brilliant person, with a big heart, very professional, speaks perfect English, knows everything about his country and the Kenyan wildlife and nature. Every question we had asked, he could answer. Without Peter this trip wouldn't have been so special. Thanks Peter for being such an amazing guide!
If we ever go back we will definitely book Peter as our tour guide.
Visiting 4 different national parks was perfect. In every single part we saw some new animals. We even saw the BIG 5, and we were really lucky, as we saw much more wildlife. The nature in Kenya is amazing. Our favorite national park is definitely the Maasai Mara. It is good to do there at least 2 days. It is so big and there is so much to see.
A highlight of our trip was definitely the hot air balloon safari over Maasai Mara: unforgettable! The champagne breakfast after landing out in the nowhere was unbelievable. It's still giving me now goosebumps. So special and romantic (definitely worth spending that extra money for it).
All the resorts booked were beautiful and clean. The staff always friendly and helpful. We only have got great memories from this trip, which was our honeymoon, so it was very special for us from the begin.
We would highly recommend booking with Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris and you will be in great hands.
So definitely 5 star rating!
Thanks Ot & Peter for this unforgettable holiday & adventure...we will be back soon.
DE
Email Sam | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent tour operator
We had an outstanding safari experience with KWSS! Great team, incredible accomodations and a very fair price.
Another benefit is the possibility to customize your safari as you want. Otieno reacts really quickly and tries to satisfy the needs of his clients.
I would definitely recommend KWSS and would be glad to visit other regions with them!
TN
Email Imen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing once in a lifetime experience!
it was just fantastic! Locations were stunning, staff were all very friendly and helpful, food was delicious and level of service was excellent. I can't really fault anything during our stay!
Kenya Walking Safari is a top notch company. Their communication with us during the planning of our trip was always fast and accurate. They made sure to answer all our questions (and did we have questions...) prior to our trip.
From the moment we land in Kigali, we were in their hands. The rest of the trip we drove around the parks with our guides. The guides' knowledge was impressive!
I would highly recommend them for your trip.
Things you need to know:
- it gets cold in the morning. You start the morning with 3 or 4 layers, a hat and a blanket over your knees, but by 9am you're down to t-shirt. The temperature gradient really is that severe.
An amazing experience
Our Kenyan safari with Kenya Walking Survivors was a once in a lifetime experience. What an amazing safari that Kenya offered, and what an excellent experience our tour company provided for us. We saw the big 5 and A LOT more...there was no animal of these majestic creatures of Kenya that we hoped to see which we were unable to in 7 days (except the cheetah). Our tour guide jackson was extremely friendly, fun, and very helpful not just during the safari but for lodging, food, and so forth. Our tour company was very helpful and generous to help us in needs outside of our itiniery, such as going to hardware stores and taking us to an alternative hotel when we had a particular issue. Our cook also was great, making excellent Kenyan food for us. And the lodging had everything we needed. We couldnt have asked for a better safari, and a better vacation. Shall surely come back and choose this tour company again!
Email Mr Williams | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent in all Respects
Animal viewing...first class
Timekeeping...first class
Accommodation...first class
Value for Money...first class
The company kept all their promises...Thank you!
US
Email Oddessey and Shad Beavers | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Safari Trip
Day 1: Arrived in Nairobi in the evening and our driver picked us up from the airport. We could not find our driver at first because there were so many people with signs picking up passengers. Due to the trouble we had finding our driver, I advise when looking for your driver to tell them you will be by the customer service area. I also suggest OT making a sign shaped like a number 1 so the sign will stand out. We checked in at the Hennessey hotel after a short ride from the airport. People were standing outside of the hotel but it is a gated. Hotel in my opinion is not a mid-range-luxury hotel (which is what we paid for). However it served its purpose for one night until our excursions started. If you stay at this hotel it is considered a 2 star when comparing hotels we are accustomed to in the USA. If you stay in this hotel make sure you are nowhere near the kitchen (room 108) because they start preparing breakfast at 4am. The breakfast was served buffet style. I didn't go for round 2 of getting another plate but it served its purpose as well. Also all restaurants make omelets so I took advantage of that after my first day. Beverages were served at room temperature. When our driver Sam dropped us off, he informed us he would pick us up at 8am and he was promptly on time.
Day 2: We drove to Massai Reserve the morning and arrived at the AA Lodge in time for lunch. Note road is bumpy but my main concern was our safety and we felt at ease. The hotel met our expectations and beyond. Very clean and even though there was limited internet access and no TV we didn't need it. Massai tribe came and entertained us with their ritual dances and chants.
Day 3: We took a hot air balloon ride and arrived to the site in time to see the sun rise. We had breakfast on the reserve and afterwards we had time for our second game drive. The service and food was grade A.
Day 4: Lake Narvasha was our destination today. We enjoyed the boat ride and had no complaints until it was time to check into Camp Carnelley. The room we requested was bandet 2 and was not the same room as described when booking the room. It had very old carpet with stains vs the hardwood as advertised. Comforters had stains and bathroom outhouse was not to our standards. The trailer was aluminum and it held the heat from outside which made it bearable to stay in the mobile home no more than for 5 minutes so we left the room quickly. We were told this was a campsite Lodge but it was a mobile home\trailer. We requested another room, preferably the one like the picture provided on their site as well as Walking Kenya site. They stated they were booked and the room was nonrefundable. Due to this we had our driver take us to the nearest lodge where we had to pay for our own room. We however were going to eat at Camp Carnelley since that is where our free meals would come from. After we checked into Fish Eagle Lodge that took 15 minutes max, we went back to eat dinner at Camp Carnelley. We could not eat at the lodge because they sold our room. Now we were out of a room that our driver was going to stay as well as food. We had to go back to our Lodge and purchase or meals from there. We did get a refund from OT of $160 but it was a month after our trip because they had to work it out with Camp Carnelly first.
Day 5 & 6: No complaints at all with Lake Narvasha and Kimojoro. Peaceful and serene setting.
Day 7: This is when things got tricky. Our next destination was Tanzania to go to Serengeti. As we arrived at the boarder we were not allowed because we had no proof of taking the yellow fever shot. We informed the officer the shot was taken but our yellow card was not signed properly. In addition we were told Americans didn't need to take the shot. I even confirmed with OT but we were given incorrect information. It seems if you are a USA citizen that steps foot in Kenya first that you WILL need the shot. If we came directly into Tanzania proof was not needed. We were told we had to pay additional funds to confirm USA has us on file for taking the shot. We declined and due to that we didn't go to Tanzania at all. I'm glad we waited to buy our Visa's for Tanzania and only purchased Kenya's visa at the time because we would have lost money from visa, game drive and hotel.
Day 8-11: We arranged with OT to book a flight and hotel to Mombasa for the rest of our trip and we stayed our remaining days there. We had no complaints with the exceptions of having to pay yet again for hotel and food.
Overall would I use Kenya Walking Survivors Safari again? YES!!! They were always professional, assisted with our needs and most importantly answered all of our questions. Some monies were lost but we gained an experience that was priceless!!!
Reply from Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris Ltd
Posted on Apr 11, 2016THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE FEEDBACK AND BELOW ARE ANSWERS OF YOUR FEEDBACK IN CAPITAL/BLOCK LETTERS.
Day 1: Arrived in Nairobi in the evening and our driver picked us up from the airport. We could not find our driver at first because there were so many people with signs picking up passengers. Due to the trouble we had finding our driver, I advise when looking for your driver to tell them you will be by the customer service area. I also suggest OT making a sign shaped like a number 1 so the sign will stand out. We checked in at the Hennessey hotel after a short ride from the airport. People were standing outside of the hotel but it is a gated. Hotel in my opinion is not a mid-range-luxury hotel (which is what we paid for). However it served its purpose for one night until our excursions started. If you stay at this hotel it is considered a 2 star when comparing hotels we are accustomed to in the USA. If you stay in this hotel make sure you are nowhere near the kitchen (room 108) because they start preparing breakfast at 4am. The breakfast was served buffet style. I didn't go for round 2 of getting another plate but it served its purpose as well. Also all restaurants make omelets so I took advantage of that after my first day. Beverages were served at room temperature. When our driver Sam dropped us off, he informed us he would pick us up at 8am and he was promptly on time.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE INFORMATION,AND I HAVE TALK TO THE HOTEL HENNESIS AND NEXT TIME MY CLIENTS WILL ALL BE BOOKED FAR AWAY FROM THE KITCHEN,SO THAT THEY CAN NOT HEAR THE NOISE FROM THE KITCHEN,
Day 2: We drove to Massai Reserve the morning and arrived at the AA Lodge in time for lunch. Note road is bumpy but my main concern was our safety and we felt at ease. The hotel met our expectations and beyond. Very clean and even though there was limited internet access and no TV we didn't need it. Massai tribe came and entertained us with their ritual dances and chants.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS CONFIRMATION THAT ALL WAS TO YOUR SATISFACTION
Day 3: We took a hot air balloon ride and arrived to the site in time to see the sun rise. We had breakfast on the reserve and afterwards we had time for our second game drive. The service and food was grade A.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HAPPY WITH THE SERVICES AND FOOD.
Day 4: Lake Narvasha was our destination today. We enjoyed the boat ride and had no complaints until it was time to check into Camp Carnelley. The room we requested was bandet 2 and was not the same room as described when booking the room. It had very old carpet with stains vs the hardwood as advertised. Comforters had stains and bathroom outhouse was not to our standards. The trailer was aluminum and it held the heat from outside which made it bearable to stay in the mobile home no more than for 5 minutes so we left the room quickly. We were told this was a campsite Lodge but it was a mobile home\trailer. We requested another room, preferably the one like the picture provided on their site as well as Walking Kenya site. They stated they were booked and the room was nonrefundable. Due to this we had our driver take us to the nearest lodge where we had to pay for our own room. We however were going to eat at Camp Carnelley since that is where our free meals would come from. After we checked into Fish Eagle Lodge that took 15 minutes max, we went back to eat dinner at Camp Carnelley. We could not eat at the lodge because they sold our room. Now we were out of a room that our driver was going to stay as well as food. We had to go back to our Lodge and purchase or meals from there. We did get a refund from OT of $160 but it was a month after our trip because they had to work it out with Camp Carnelly first.
Day 5 & 6: No complaints at all with Lake Narvasha and Kimojoro. Peaceful and serene setting.
YES,AS I TOLD YOU ,IM HAPPY YOU RECEIVED ALL THE REFUND AFTER 30 DAYS WHICH WAS VERY FASTER BECAUSE I HAD TO SOLVE THE ISSUE WITH THE HOTEL,I WANT TO CONFIRM THAT CARNELLEYS HAS GOT THREE DIFFERNT ROOMS
1.BUDGET CAMPING
2.TWIN ROOMS AND SHOWERS OUTSIDE
3.BANDAS WITH ALL TOILETS AND SHOWERS INSIDE
SO I WANT TO CONFIRM THAT THE PANDAS WHICH WAS ON THE PICTURE WAS THE ACCOMMODATIONS I DO OFFER MY QUEST,IM HAPPY THAT YOU ENJOY THE LAKE NAIVASHA AND THE KILIMANJARO.
Day 7: This is when things got tricky. Our next destination was Tanzania to go to Serengeti. As we arrived at the boarder we were not allowed because we had no proof of taking the yellow fever shot. We informed the officer the shot was taken but our yellow card was not signed properly. In addition we were told Americans didn't need to take the shot. I even confirmed with OT but we were given incorrect information. It seems if you are a USA citizen that steps foot in Kenya first that you WILL need the shot. If we came directly into Tanzania proof was not needed. We were told we had to pay additional funds to confirm USA has us on file for taking the shot. We declined and due to that we didn't go to Tanzania at all. I'm glad we waited to buy our Visa's for Tanzania and only purchased Kenya's visa at the time because we would have lost money from visa, game drive and hotel.
IM HAPPY TO CONFIRM THAT YOU CANCEL THE TANZANIA AFTER CONSULTING ME AND IT WAS YOUR RIGHT TO AMENDED YOUR PROGRAM TO MOMBASA.
THIS TO CONFIRM THAT EVERY CLIENTS HAS TO HAVE YELLOW FEVER FOR ANY EAST AFRICA VISIT THUS IS KENYA,UGANDA,TANZANIA,RWANDA ,SO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL THE YELLOW FEVER WELL SIGN ,SO THAT WE AVOID THE MIGRATIONS MAKING ALOT OF QUESTIONS,
THE LAST ACCOMMODATIONS AND FOOD I.E DINNER WAS NOT INCLUDED ON YOUR PROGRAM SO THUS WHY YOU HAD TO PAY FOR THE LAST NIGHT,BUT ALL OTHERS WHERE INCLUDED,
Day 8-11: We arranged with OT to book a flight and hotel to Mombasa for the rest of our trip and we stayed our remaining days there. We had no complaints with the exceptions of having to pay yet again for hotel and food.
Overall would I use Kenya Walking Survivors Safari again? YES!!! They were always professional, assisted with our needs and most importantly answered all of our questions. Some monies were lost but we gained an experience that was priceless!!!
HOPE TO SERVE YOU AGAIN IN EAST AFRICA FOR THE GORILLA TREK AND THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
Email Katy Harris | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari - the experience couldn't have been better!
My friends and I took a 4 day safari with Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris Ltd (KWSS) - visiting Lake Navaisha, Lake Nukuru and the Maasai Mara Nature Reserve - following a conference we were coordinating in Nairobi. From start to finish, I really couldn't flaw KWSS. Over email, before we began, they were extremely responsive (usually answering emails within a few minutes of sending them), thorough and helpful. They picked us up on time from our hotel in a comfortable and well-equipped van and we set off. Anthony (our driver and guide) and Sam (our chef) couldn't have been more friendly, welcoming or knowledgeable. The food (cooked using local ingredients) far surpassed our expectations - it was absolutely delicious and always consisted of several different dishes. Anthony bent over backwards to accommodate our every need and was able to answer every question about the local flora and fauna that we threw at him. We saw hippos, lions (at v close range!), rhinos, eagles, leopard, cheetahs, water buffalo, giraffe, zebras, elephants - the list goes on and on. Anthony had an excellent relationship with all the other guides in the park so was able to find the Big 5 with ease and his eagle eyes spotted animals that were just a speck on the horizon! The accommodation was basic but clean and very good value for the cost. All in all, I couldn't recommend this local company enough - the itinerary was exactly as described (with the added bonus of an extra game drive we hadn't expected!) and they even accommodated us in their office for several hours before we flew home to save us waiting at the airport on a Sunday night. The trip really was a once in a lifetime experience - we could not have had a better time or seen or done more in our 4 days. I would also definitely recommend going at low season - the weather was glorious and we could get so much closer to the animals with only a few other trucks around. Book your trip today!
Email Ben T | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic - couldn't fault a thing
Kenya is a beautiful country and it was made even more so by the expert knowledge and friendly disposition of our guide Anthony. With just a few days to spare following a business trip, we managed to squeeze in Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and the Maasai Mara - and none of the parks disappointed. Our lodge and campsite were comfortable and well-appointed, and the food - cooked fresh by our cook Sam who came along with us - far surpassed expectations. Within just two days we had already seen the Big Five up close - including black and white rhinos - along with cheetahs, leopards, hippos, crocodiles... the list goes on! Our guide Anthony had the eyes of a hawk - navigating bumpy roads with great skill while still spotting lions hiding in long grass. It was a trip of a lifetime and I can't recommend Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris enough (and make sure to ask if Anthony and Sam are free!)
Email Hannah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The trip of a lifetime!
I've just returned home from what can only be described as the trip of a lifetime thanks to Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris! Myself and two friends were travelling to Nairobi for work and had a few days at the end of our trip to explore the country. When looking into safari options, we struggled to get a gauge of which tour operator to book with given the number of companies available - I have to say that our expectations were exceeded in the most wonderful way thanks for our friendly, knowledgeable tour guide Anthony and Mr Otieno's excellent coordination.
We were told this was a basic package (and our expectations were low due to the price) but as soon as Anthony and our chef, Sam picked us up from our hotel, we knew we were in safe hands. From the outset both Anthony and Sam were very welcoming and went above and beyond to ensure that our safari experience was a memorable and enjoyable one.
We went on a 4 day trip starting at Lake Naivasha for a boat ride where we saw hippos, various birds and even had the opportunity to see a bird or prey swoop down to feed on fish! From there we headed to Lake Nakuru for an evening game drive where we stayed in a comfortable lodge and was cooked our first hearty and nutritious meal by Sam. Anthony was fantastic company and we learnt a lot through our conversations with him about the wildlife and Kenya more broadly - he is very smart and engaging and I have to say, a lot of fun!
Anthony was disappointed that we hadn't spotted any rhinos on our first game drive so he tweaked our itinerary to add an additional early game drive on the morning of day two where miraculously we came across both black and white rhinos at close range. His commitment to ensuring that we experienced as many sightings of these rare animals as possible was impressive and endearing.
From there we drove down the Maasia Mara and had a second evening game drive where we saw two prides of lions, the second pride where literally metres from our van - an unforgettable experience to be sure! Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, Anthony drove us to a spot where we were found ourselves directly beneath a leopard asleep in a tree!
On the third day, we went on a full day game drive where we spotted cheetahs, more hippos in the Mara river and a crocodile on the banks along with herds of elephants, zebras, buffalo and giraffes. We were simply stunned!
Each day we ate well thanks to Sam and his culinary skills and ended the day putting the world to rights with both Anthony and Sam over a cold Tusker beer!
If you are unsure about which tour operator to go with, I could not recommend this company highly enough! On our last day, we had quite a bit of time to kill before our flight home and Mr Otieno welcomed us to rest and relax in his office and where we felt extremely welcome and well catered for.
Kenya is a beautiful country and our experience could not be faulted thanks to this wonderful team!
I would definitely recommend this operator to my friends and already hope to start saving for another safari with them to Uganda!
Thank you KWSS.
Hannah
Email Dr Tobias Kaufmann | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organised, flexible, allround itinary, responsive service, good price and value for money
Out of a number of quotes Kenya Walking Survivors Safari Ltd offered one of the best quotes. E-mails/ communications are answered very promptly and in full. We had a very complete and well organised itinary. Our very friendly driver gave his level best to make sure we see the maximum possible and are safe/ comfortable at all times. In fact, we had a private safari with only us three on the tour. Choice of accomodation was very good, too. We were able to make changes to our itinary during the safari. On our last day we had to wait all day for our flight until 2300. Kenyan Walking Survivors Safaris arranged for a car and driver to show us around Nairobi including museums and the elephant orphanage. This was not part of the agreed itinary and it was provided to us at no extra cost. Brilliant, really and already planning for next year.