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
Email Daf | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
KWSS - 10 day safari - Amazing holiday!!!
We booked this around 8 months in advance of going on the trip. We looked around for various travel agencies and Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris Ltd came out the cheapest and had a huge number of very positive reviews on here. From the beginning, Otieno (the manager and owner of KWSS) was excellent. He replied very quickly to all our queries, always putting out minds at ease. The only regret we have was not paying it all in advance and getting the extra discount.
From the moment we arrived in Kenya, we were in constant communication with Otieno as our luggage didn't arrive (it went to Ethiopia for some reason). We left this with Otieno to sort out and he did. We were picked up from the airport and dropped off at our hotel and then picked up the following morning for the start of our safari trip.
The actual tour itself was amazing. From the moment we were picked up by Benson (or driver) everything was forgotten about with our luggage. Benson is a lovely man with a great deal of knowledge about birds and animals. He was so excited every time we saw any type of animal, be it a Rhino a Dik-Dik or a Zebra. This enthusiasm really made the trip for us. Benson was an extremely good and safe driver and we were never worried whilst being driven around. The car itself was very new and although we saw many other cars breaking down on a daily basis, due to the way Benson would drive the car, we were never worried this would happen to us.
We were on a trip with another couple and it worked out very well. There was plenty of room in the car for all of us and the bags were safe in the boot. Again, some of the other vans you see were very cramped and did not look comfortable at all. In terms of the accommodation we stayed at, it was excellent and as per the itinerary. We loved the hotels, some were very luxurious and others right in the parks, they were very varied and very comfortable. We slept well and don’t have a bad word about any of the accommodation.
The only thing I would advise KWSS and Otieno is to amend the itinerary as some of the drives from park to park were longer than advertised meaning we did less or more some days. The roads aren't brilliant and I'm sure the distances are correct, but the times calculated in the itinerary are not. This didn't mean that we missed out on anything as Benson would always be happy to go on additional game drives where possible and his knowledge of the parks meant that we had a much better chance to see all the animals.
If you’re thinking of a safari trip, but think this one’s too good to be true, it’s not. It is amazing and everything went smoothly for us. Everything was very well organised and we loved the whole trip. When we go back to Kenya, we will certainly be going with KWSS.
HK
Email Nelson Kong | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safari trip, Big five, River Crossing... Thank you Anthony for bringing us all pearls
My wife and I had 8 days safari trip in Kenya. We had an unforgettable experience in Samburu, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara and Lake Naivasha
Thanks Otieno (owner of KWSS) for effective back and forth emails before our trip and gave us ideas and suggestion on tailoring our program. The accommodation selection is just terrific. Lodge in Samburu is located by the riverside. The sunrise is so romantic, and the staff service and foods there is outstanding. Cottage in Masai Mara AA Lodge is another kind of experience, the galaxy at night is awesome when the sky is clear. We spent our last night by the lake at Camp Carnelleys, it was just so relaxing. And the foods served by the Bar are awesome.
It was great to have Anthony Kioko being our professional driver and also the guide. His driving skill, wildlife knowledge, sharp vision and accurate estimations made our every game drive full of fun and surprises.
We are so lucky to see the Big Five in Samburu and also the other Big Five again in Masai Mara. The highlight is the river crossing at the Mara River. Although the group is not that big, just around 3-400 of wildebeests and zebras, it just made our dreams come true. (Please give a big hand to Anthony, I would highly recommend him if you are going to join KWSS)
Besides game drive, the boat safari at Lake Naivasha and walking safari in Green Crater Lake are another kind of adventure in Kenya. We are so happy to have such experience before leaving Kenya.
All in all, we will definitely go again after 1 or 2 years. We have started to miss this paradise when we back to town.
Amazing Safari Trip in Kenya
Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris Ltd was good and the price was cheap. My husband and I had a great experience in Kenya. We visited Samburu, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara and Lake Naivasha from 24 Aug 2016 to 31 Aug 2016. My driver, Anthony Kioko, was the best. He helped us to see the big 5 in just 3 days! He also took us to see the amazing “Masa Mara river crossing” successfully. He always knew the best position for photo-taking. Comparing with other agents’ cars, he was always the top 3 drivers who reached the animal!
BR
Email Carol Moreno | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect safari
I had a perfect safari with these guys! For a whole week we visited the main parks in Kenya (Masai Mara, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha), and it was amazing! The guide, Peter, is very experienced, and he knows how to follow the right tracks to put you face by face with the Big 5! We saw so many animals and beautiful places, it was an unforgettable experience!
Great experience & Good Coordination
A 12 days trip to Kenya , Me and spouse alone . Private tour and the best part of the tour is our Guide /Driver Mr Shem, a Knowledgeable and very humble person . Mr OT was excellent in coordination . Met him at His office and from the next day the tour started . Tsavo _, Amboselli , Nakuru , Naivasha & Maara . Mr Shem was very cooperative and made us feel very comfortable . Everything was well organised . Baloon safari was awesome - a lifetime experience , pl do not miss it . Have patience in Massai Mara ,Natures Unfolds at its own course and our Guide was very patient and even suggested us to few locations where get to see Lions and Leopards very close . If it had been a 4X4 vehicle Mr Shem would have felt comfortable and he was at its best in driving with the Vehicle given to him . An wiressless Radio would have been a added advantage which was Missing.
We are planning our Next trip to Massai Maara very soon ..., of course with Kenya walking .., Mr OT - will meet you soon .., Keep it Up team.
NZ
Email Girish Rege | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable African Safari Experience
We had wonderful experience in the wild. We had been told to be careful in Kenya, but we only found kind, helpful and co-operative people. OTL (owner) was all beaming with a smile when we visited him. Our driver Charles was very patient and had good knowledge of Nakuru and Masai Mara. We saw all the Big 5 (Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Leopard and Buffalo) at very close quarters albeit almost touched them. Lots of birds and other animals as well. There was never a dull moment. Nature unfolds right in front of you sometimes bit cruel when you see a kill in action. We were 1 day in Nakuru and 3 days in Mara and everyday we saw a kill. It was thrilling and very exciting life experience.
I would recommend Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris a) They are reasonable in price. b) They promise and deliver. c) The jeep you are in is sturdy and safe, has walkie talkie (just in case). d) The driver is knowledgeable.
CA
Email Grace | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Trip- Not to be Missed! (10 day Kenya and Tanzania)
We had an amazing 10 day trip to Kenya and Tanzania courtesy of Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris Ltd. Mr Ot was kind and so good with responding to my million questions. Our guide Richard was funny, courteous, knowledgable and an amazing guide. Sam our cook was fantastic! I never realized food could taste so good... We saw amazing things like flamingos flying in a swarm, a cheetah and her cubs, lions in a pride feeding on a kill, biking through Hell's Gate, and so many fun things. Our guide in Tanzania Abas was also great and the service impeccable. I highly recommend booking with Kenya Walking Survivors Safari Ltd., you will not regret it and have the time of your life!
CH
Email Tobias | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unsure solvency of the company - Definitively not a care free safari!
First of all: this review has nothing to do with the beauty of Kenya and Tansania nor our personal tour guides or cooks (they have been super helpful)! Both countries are beautiful and their people have been exceptionally friendly and accommodating!
However, if you want a carefree safari tour in which all bookings/reservations/parking fees are payed in advance (as discussed and payed for) then we suggest to book with a different company. We cannot express how disappointed and frustrated we were in regards to the organizational skills of Kenya Walking Safari's (KWS) management. It caused us many nerves/patience and most of all time during our 10 day safari.
In order to be fair with KWSS we would also like to say the at the end of our tour KWSS compensated us with approx 5% of the tour price for lost time and wrong calculations.
Anyway we would like to explain what happened:
We booked our safari tour in April 2016 for our trip in August 2016. We had extensive contact with KWS which gave us confidence because they were always very responsive and answered all of our many questions. We payed well in advance (a good amount of money!) and expected that all accommodations/services/park fees would be payed/booked for us in time for our arrival.We are very well aware that we can come across unforeseen circumstances and that flexibility is required. However only to a certain extent.
During our tour we encountered four issues which we would like to explain for others in more detail:
The first issue we encountered was during our first lodge in Maasai Mara. Taking KWS's suggestion, we swapped 1 day in our tour due to ongoing animal migration in the region (adding 1 day in Maasai Mara and take 1 day off from our Tanzania tour).This was a good idea because we were able to see the river crossing. However, we didn't receive the same standard room we booked for originally.We wrote KWS a mail to see how to proceed (since there was a clear down grade on our room).They didn't reply to us until the end of our safari tour.
Second issue:after wonderful game drives in Maasai Mara and a great time at Lake Navaisha we headed off for a very long drive (8h) to Amboseli National park. According to our itinerary (which was reconfirmed verbally and on print during our face to face briefing in the Nairobi office) we were booked at the Kibo Lodge (high class safari lodge). We were then surprised to hear from our tour guide that he had just received a text message from the office saying we would be spending 2 nights in the AA lodge instead of Kibo (another down grade as they have different room rates). Apparently Kibo was fully booked due to government officials.We decided to see for ourselves and were more surprised to hear onsite from Kibo lodge that they did have available rooms and no government officials! We of course did not take the room in the AA lodge and insisted on taking a room in Kibo (according to our tour program we had payed for). We then found out from the hotel manager that they no longer accept KWSS clients because the company has outstanding payments. We (including our tour guide) tried to call the KWSS office many times (including the "hotline number") because this was a situation we were not going to accept. We were not able to get the manager of KWSS on the phone and waited 4 long hours until we reached someone from the office.They suggested that we pay the 2 nights ourselves (400$) and we will get a refund. Obviously, after all that we had heard and experienced we were not ready to pay ourselves. Due to the kindness of the Kibo hotel manager and our persisting tour guide we were able to check in at 8.30 pm. KWSS had promised to send the money to Kibo the next day, which they then did the next afternoon.However, low and behold,we encountered another group from KWSS on the second night at Kibo. They had the same problem! Unfortunately they weren't as lucky as we were and had to go to another lodge.
Third issue: after transferring from Kenya to Tanzania,we slept a night in Fanaka lodge to be ready early morning to go to the famous Ngorongoro crater.We were supposed to depart at 8am.However, our tour guide told us that there was a problem because KWSS had again not yet sent the money for our accommodations and park fees for Tanzania. KWSS's Tanzanian business partner, contacted us and suggested we pay 440$ and KWSS will refund us as soon as the money has been wired (apparently there was a technical problem so money transferring was not available). As you may guess, this was not an option for us.KWSS's credibility was non existent. So we called the KWSS office and were surprised that they actually picked up the phone. However this wasn't very helpful and the Tanzanian business partner had to borrow the money from his relative (!) so we could go on with the tour.We waited for almost 3 hrs until we were able to leave.
Fourth issue: after all that had happened, we decided to cross check our past accommodations and realised that KWSS had double calculated the first hotel night in Nairobi. By the way: don't accept a booking at Henessis Hotel.This is a shabby hotel which by far did not meet the standards of our other accommodations. This could have been an honest mistake but we decided to list all the issues we had during our tour for full transparency.
To come to an end: After many emails and involvement of a 3rd party, KWSS management was cooperative and quick in refunding us (after we finished our tour) for wrong hotel accommodations and lost time (several hundred dollars in total).
In short:
- If you want to do a safari tour do it definitively in Tanzania and Kenya - people (incl. tour guides and cooks), nature and food are amazing!
- If you are looking for a carefree package KWS is not the best option
- If you insist and put pressure on KWSS you probably will get refunded for issues, however we believe this only worked for us because we involved a third party
Email Michael | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolute highlight of Kenyan adventure.
(3 day safari to Amboseli and Tsavo)
I was a little unsure about this company but I trusted the reviews and have no regrets for doing so. This safari was the opening three days of our Kenyan trip and was so worth it.
Joseph was always on time (even when we weren't!), hugely knowledgeable, chatty and especially accommodating. He really went out of his way to show us everything he possibly could and to teach us as much as possible.
We had a huge open top car between the three of us so plenty of space. The camps and lodges we stayed at were lovely (check Kibo camp), and the price was comparatively very reasonable. I would have happily have paid more, I will certainly return to KWSS for another Safari in the future.
Excellent service. Professional tour planning and guiding
Kenya Walking Survivors really excellent in all parameters: planning, guiding, service, honesty, accommodation, safari