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
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Email Mo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great safari overall
We did a package that included safaris in several major national parks in both Kenya and Tanzania, plus climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. All transfers between different places were smooth. All safaris and the climb were led by very professional and friendly guides. We experienced/saw almost everything we expected.
The only recommendation I'd give them is to make it more efficient in getting park permits to avoid long waiting time.
Overall, a great experience, especially at a very competitive price.
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Email Nola Lara | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our Amazing Ten Day Kenya, Tanzania Safari with Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris
I cannot thank Mr. OT Otieno and Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris enough for the absolutely amazing 10 day safari that Mr. OT and his company arranged for us. My review is long overdue because after our safari, we continued on in Zambia, South Africa, and Qatar for 5 more weeks. So, in order to help people decide if what we chose to do is right for you, I will first give a short highlighted summary, and then will follow with a more detailed version.
We chose a driver/guide type safari and NOT a fly in,out safari because we wanted to see the land and meet more people. The roads are rough, very rough at times. So keep that in mind in what type of transportation you choose. Other roads are perfectly paved and smooth. But you have the whole safari van/ jeep to yourselves. I took some Dramamine because I get motion sick in a tub (seriously) used my jacket as a pillow, and enjoyed the ride because I was in the real world of the Great Masai Warriors, the Great Migration, the fabulous Serengeti and everyday people. We saw it all. We loved it all. We felt safe at all times, even when we heard the lions roaring at night from our tented lodge in the Masai Mara.
We chose the 10 day luxury upgrade Kenya/ Tanzania safari and paid a fraction of the cost that other big name safari companies were charging. (We originally chose the standard tented lodge safari, but we are closer to 70 than 60 years old and wanted a few more comforts. But the standard ensuite lodging probably would have been just fine) Also, only lodging changed when we upgraded, not itinerary or mode of transportation.
The upgraded version included 2 nights Masai Mara at Osero Tented Camp, 2 nights Lake Naivisha at Sopa Lodge, 1 night Amboseli at Kibo Tented Lodge, 1 night Lake Manyara at Serena Lodge, 2 nights Serengeti at Sopa Lodge Serengeti, 1 night Ngorongoro Crater at Bougainvillea Lodge. Several of the places included authentic evening entertainment. (Separate reviews for each lodge will be written under each lodge's name). In summary, each tented lodge/ lodge was beyond luxury, (Osero even had a bath tub) each lodging gave turn down service during which the mosquito netting was set up for extra protection. We never saw a single mosquito in our lodging. There were fans but no AC, but not needed. It really cools off at night as you are pretty highly elevated most of the trip. Hot water bottles were provided in our beds at a couple of places for heart. This was more than enough and we had plenty of blankets. Never slept so well.! (We went end of December/beginning January) They seem to go above and beyond for getting rid of mosquitoes at these camps, lodges. However we still did all the recommended precautions, malaria meds, vaccinations, and sprayed 30% deet morning and night. We were picked up by our first driver, Ken, at our Nairobi hotel(Fairmont Norfolk where we left our 2 big suitcases)got to meet Mr OT, went on our way for 10 glorious days and night, and we were safely returned 10 days later to our Nairobi Hotel, where we stayed for one night before flying onward in Africa.
1. We researched over 500 different safaris and over 100 safari planning companies and decided on Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris (KWSS) because of the high praise and reassuring reviews we read on TripAdvisor and other safari review sites.
2. We chose a locally owned company, (Mr OT, a Kenya native) because we wanted to use a company that gave back to the local community.
3. Mr OT returns emails and phone calls swiftly and thoroughly, even once final payment is made and even while on safari.
4. You must have an open mind to other cultures and be willing to see the real Africa or you may not enjoy yourself.
5. I requested of Mr OT safe, knowledgable drivers. Ken (Kennedy) was our driver/ guide in Kenya and Khalid in Tanzania. They were fantastic drivers, very knowledgable, and courteous beyond fault.
6. My husband did the hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara. He really enjoyed it. But I would not prepay. Too many weather conditions can prevail. You can book it at the Masai Mara lodge. However, if you go in high season, you may want to firm things up, but I still would not prepay. But that would be your call, of course.
7. At the border, you change cars and drivers. I requested that Ken stay with us until we cleared customs and met up with next driver and of course he did.
8. Because roads are very rough in spots you may be lucky enough to have a couple of flat tires along the way or need car repairs, another area we were lucky enough to experience. We met so many more locals and never felt unsafe. Never once felt unsafe. Mr OT 's driver have 2 way radios at all times, as well as phones. And there are other safari vans passing all the time. One flat tire is how we met a family from France. Another flat tire we met many locals who invited us to their local shops for 30 minutes. The drivers always have spares, but the passing drivers all know each other and want to help. I might add that we saw some very pricey safari companies having similar problems along the way. It is one of the chances you take driving with your own driver versus flying. But flats can happen anywhere and do can repairs.
9. I only point out the above #8 in order to help you decide what type of safari to choose. We had fun through it all. Always felt safe. We never once regretted what we chose. (Driving everywhere versus fly in,out safari) I just want to share our experiences and we enjoyed ever single experience. And I will hopefully help you in your decision making.
10. Mr. Ot's drivers knew how to find the animals sooooo well. We saw lions mating from 15 feet away, we saw the Great Migration where it is in January (Serengeti at that time) We saw all big 5 and many many more. Our road blocks were herds of wildebeests crossing or families of elephants, babies included. Our "selfies" were "photo-bombed" by giraffes and monkeys. All meals were included and we had some picnics in the most beautiful spots.
I hope I have given you the "feel" for what our safari experiences were. Please keep in mind that no one can guarantee duplicating any life experience. The safari is what you make it, with Mr OT's help, and your drivers' help, and all the wonderful people you meet. But I can add this, just in case one of your worries is safety: I am an adventurous scaredy-cat. That means I am cautiously adventurous, always, always putting safety first. And I can honestly state the Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris and Mr. OT and his wonderful drivers Ken(Kennedy) and Khalid delivered to us an enjoyable, amazing, safe safari. My husband and I hope that amazing and safe travels will always follow you. Salvador and Nola Lara
CZ
Email Jan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great company, nice experience, no problems at all, just enjoy the animals => definitely recommend!
10 days safari (Kenya + Tanzania), January 2017
Preparation:
We (young couple, no kids) have chosen Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris for 10 days trip in Kenya (7 days) and Tanzania (3 days). The boss, Mr Otieno, was very helpful with communication in advance – before choosing specific trip and paying deposit I have exchanged quite few emails with Mr Otieno to clarify all the topics. He was replying fast and efficiently. Upon arrival in Nairobi we have visited Mr. Otieno at the office and just confirmed what we already agreed over emails.
Kenya:
Our guide for Kenya was Antony and we also had a cook Sam for few days with us. Both of them were really great – Tony could find all the animals and drive to great spots to take picture and watch it. We visited Masai Mara, lake Naivasha and Amboseli in Kenya. In Masai Mara we were lucky (+ Tony made a great job) to see most of the animals we wanted to see: from all common zebras, warthhogs and wildbeest as well as elephants, buffalos, ostriches, hippos, giraffes to cheetahs, leopards and lions. We were even able to watch the black rhino strolling the plains. In lake Naivasha we added plenty of birdlife, hippos and some nice 2 hour walk in safari and ending our Kenya tour in Amboseli was highlight as well. In contradiction to dry Masai Mara (it was dry season) Amboseli was partially green and thus more herds of animals were coming to these green spots. And Tony could find and show us all the animals. Kilimanjaro is visible clearly from the park so it adds to it’s appeal. We also visited Masai tribe village nearby to investigate how life goes in there.
For Sam, the cook, he was the best:) We liked his food most of all the dish we had in Kenya, including some quite fancy camps/lodges, where the food was really great!
Thanks, Tony & Sam, it was really nice experience!
Tanzania:
The guide for Tanzania was Rama. He has great knowledge about the animals and is great in spotting them. I wonder what eyes both guides have – they could saw what took us 10 seconds to find with binoculars:) Rama is a good guy, trying to care about his guests as much as he can, he keeps you informed about how much further till park etc. In Tanzania we visited three places: Lake Manyara, Serengeti and NgorNgoro crater. We spend only 3 days there and should be more to properly see everything. From high level the animal spotting is more or less same with Kenya – it depends on your guide, luck, time what will you see. For us we saw similar animals as in Kenya – lions, elephants, zebras,... For Lake Manyara we did not see the tree climbing lions, it seems to be quite rare to see them, on the other hand we saw many pelicans and water birds, hippos and other animals. Serengeti is one ecozone with Masai Mara so it was full of life here as well: we saw many lions, cheeta, leopard, hyenas there. By the way it’s best to go early morning or evening for safari – you will see more animals active. If it’s cloudy it should be fine during a day as well – it was cloudy in Serengeti and animals were pretty much active. There were also big herds of wildebeest roaming. We slept in a camp inside the Serengeti with no fence, so it’s possible for animals to come in the camp. Don’t be afraid though – after dark a staff member will escort you to your tent if you need and during day it’s safe to walk around. It was really wonderful place to be. NgoroNgoro is wonderful – it’s 20x15km crater with a lot of life inside – lions, elephants,...we saw black rhinos from far distance. The athmosphere of the creater is wonderful and Rama can provide you with details about the life there as well as rocks or anything you are interested in. Last day Rama rode as to the border with Kenya where he handed us over to David to drive us back to Nairobi airport.
Thank you, Rama, for the tour!
Accomodation & Transport
For the accomodation and transport – everything was fine. Accommodation was good, always with own toilet and shower, most time something between big tent and cottage (sorry don!t know the exact name for it). It were nice, cosy and clean places with some bonus usually: In Masai Mara small monkeys, in Naivasha you can watch hippos mowning lawn after sunset (you need powerful flashlight!) and in Amboseli were some Masai people performing dance at fire after dark, Serengeti has wonderful inside-park-no-fence camp (best accomodation!), NgoroNgoro was wonderful resort with small swimming pool etc. Also we watched the stars.
Not sure if it’s obvious but guide and driver is one person:) Roads are often bumpy and dusty, but the car is comfortable. We even had car broken but were able to fix it quickly with some local „servis“ in about 20 min. In Kenya it was for 7 passengers (tuned minivan) while in Tanzania it was original safari 4 wheeler. In both cars the rooftop is opened and you can perfectly watch the animals – if you are lucky you can see lions or elephants or other animals from several meters and hearing them breath, eat and move is wonderful. Be sure to take binoculars, it’s helpful, if the animals are further or you want to see the details. You have breakfast and dinner at hotel while for lunch you are provided with lunch box – usually grilled chicken meat, sandwich, fruit, snack, juice and some other things. We liked the food and were positively surprised – we did not expect to be fond of it (some paper guides refer to the food as not-highlight).
Summary:
It will depend on season but you should see a lot of wildlife in both countries – Kenya or Tanzania. Guides do know a lot about the animals and are able to find them (that’s even more important). Still you can be lucky or not – one day in same place we saw rhino, lions, elephants, cheetah etc. within 2 hours, next day you can spend half day wondering and not seeing much, luckily there is always some zebra, gazella, wildbeest, warthog or some other animals, so it’s not big deal.
Accommodation was nicely thematic (african style), always with all necessities (toilet, shower, bed, mosquito net), clean, usually quite simple (don’t expect 200 square meters palace). Transport was comfortable, of course when it’s bumpy, it’s bumpy in every car, between safaris it can take some time, usually several hours, but that’s just the distance you have to cross in every vehicle.
Both guides took care of us well, se we really had no problems at all and just enjoyed the holiday by watching animals. It was perfect time.
So definitely Recommend from us.
CA
Email Ian & Michelle | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything we expected and more!
For anyone planning to do a safari in Kenya, we would highly recommend you contact Mr. Otieno at Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris. He is extremely professional in his work, responding quickly to email questions to ensure that your vacation of a lifetime is worry free and enjoyable. Aside from the very affordable price, which is largely dependent on your accommodations, we chose Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris because they guarantee everyone on the safari will have a window seat and limit the tour group to 6 people max., while providing a vehicle large enough to accommodate 8 people, so the journey is very comfortable. This is quite important as many reviews don’t mention the fact that the travel time between game reserves (Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Maasai Mara, and Lake Naivasha) can take 5-7 hours depending on traffic. We met Mr. Otieno the day after we arrived in Nairobi, and we were pleasantly informed that out of our 4 person safari (us and some other couple), it was now going to be a private tour for just my girlfriend and I, as the other couple that we were scheduled to travel with had requested to start at the end of the itinerary and to visit the game reserves in reverse order (Maasai Mara to Amboseli). Again, this displayed the professionalism of Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris, in that they did not charge us additional costs for a “private” safari, nor did they try to shift our travel dates to fill the vehicle with other people. Our 8 day safari was an absolute delight and definitely a trip of a lifetime! Our driver Zachery was great, spending the full day out in the reserve, sharing his incredible knowledge of the animals and the terrain. Our cook was Sammy, who made us wonderful meals each night, a true chef in the kitchen. For the last night of our safari, at Lake Naivasha, Mr. Otieno surprised us with an accommodation upgrade at the famous Elsamere Conservation Center, where each night the hippos would wander up from the lake and graze on the lawn surrounding the dining area…a perfect ending to the perfect trip. The only minor issue we had on our trip was that our drive from Nairobi to Amboseli game reserve took longer than expected because of traffic, so we weren’t able to make our evening game drive, which wasn’t an issue as we spent the entire next day (7:30am-5pm) out in the reserve. As well, Mr. Otieno was very professional by refunding us the entry fee for the evening safari drive. Thanks again Mr. Otieno and team, for a great African Safari experience! From Michelle and Ian (in Toronto).
SE
Email Anders Olofsgård | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent experience
I have been on a few safaris before, in Tanzania, Botswana and also in Borneo. What was different this time was that I did not have my family with me but was going alone with a complete focus on wildlife and bird photography. The focus was therefore not on luxury accommodation, gourmet food or relax time by the pool, but rather finding a company and a guide that was willing to put in the extra effort to help me find and identify the mammals and birds I was hoping to see for a reasonable price. And KWSS delivered more than that, which I am very grateful for. They even took it upon themselves to suggest last minute changes to the itinerary to accommodate my interest in birds, and hosted me in accommodation nicer than the one in the itinerary we originally had agreed upon. Otieno always responded quickly when I had questions at the planning stage and my guide Kennedy went out of his way to make my trip unforgettable, a very knowledgeable and friendly guide and an excellent driver. The accommodation generally exceeded my expectations, the food was perfectly fine (it's a safari, you cannot expect too much) and everything worked without any glitches from pick up to drop off. I can warmly recommend KWSS and would not hesitate to use them again.
Email Julie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
14 day safari
From the first time I contacted Mr OT about our tour the communication was very professional & response time was extremely quick. I have been to Kenya several times & this tour lived up to all my expectations. The price we paid was very reasonable compared to other companies I looked at. Our guide/driver John was very knowledgeable & friendly with a good sense of humour. We are already planning to book another tour with this company. I would highly recommend them.
Email Ann Sheppard | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful, amazing experience. Wonderful accommodation. Great driver &guide.Well put together Safai
A brilliant experience from start to finish. Well organised by very knowledgeable staff. We were well looked after from the start to finish. One of the best companies that I have ever been with (I have been on 6 safaris). I would recommend this company to any one wanting a great, reasonably priced, value for money experience. I can not fault this company and hope to go on holiday again next year with them. I think they beat all the more well known and more expensive tour companies out there. Having someone based in Nairobi is a good idea, they have been exceptional from start to finish. I had a wonderful time. Excellent service throughout. thank you I had a wonderful time. Looking forward to the next one.
IT
Email denis | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
7 days Tanzania Safari
We have joined the company of Mr. Otieno for our last Safari in Tanzania . I asked for a safari focused on the great migration but not only. He made a really nice program based on all my requests.
The guide/driver we had was amazing he suggested us also to change one night to save time. Still don't know if it was a good idea or not, but at the and we have experienced the tented camp, only one night. We spent the rest of the night in 2 wonderful lodges and in one acceptable . I feel to recommend this company for your Safari
Email Sunnie and Mick Gill | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
comfort safaris on a budget
Our 2nd trip to Africa was much shorter on a much more restricted budget. We were uncertain we could do it without the hassle of camping. The trek across camping grounds to get to the loo in the middle of the night loses its allure at our age.
Enter Kenya Walking Survivors Tours. Comfortable lodge accommodation on a camping budget.
Our Driver, John proved to be not only a skilled driver but a knowledgeable guide. His ability to find the animals we wanted to see was impressive. At one point we happily sat and waited for nearly a hour to see lion cubs, when others came and went without seeing anything, we were told, "patience." His advice rewarded us.
Thanks to Kenya Walking Survivors Tours we had the most exciting and memorable holiday.
We have become safari addicts. There is no doubt we will be travelling with them again, it's just a matter of how quickly we can save the money.
I have no hesitation in recommending KWST to anyone contemplating travel in East Africa.
If none of the itineraries suit, they will tailor one for you.
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Email Mattie Simas | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kenya Adventure
I started planning my trip to Kenya with KWSS in Oct. 2015. The tour operator was very accommodating and offered many suggestions to my itinerary. I started my visit with a 2 night stay in Nairobi, 3 nights in the Massai Mara, 5 nights in the Amboseli, and ended my amazing tour at the Lewa conservation in northern Kenya. The best part of my trip was my Amboseli stay and tour guide Anthony. Anthony was well suited guide for my tour and was a lot of fun to hangout with. Thanks Anthony for being such an incredible guide and driver!!