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
BR
Email Andreza | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fraud
We booked a 4 day safari with Mr Otieno on May. It was supposed to start on August 4 at 8:30.
We kept contact with him throught email until August 31. On August 2 we tried to contact him without success. The website was off. All the telephones off. We read coments on trip advisor and safari bookings that he disappeared since August 1.
Today he didn’t show up to pick us up. We are going to the tourists police.
Email Sarah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
BEWARE: Please do not book before reading this!!
When my mom and I agreed we wanted to come to Africa this year, I contacted multiple safari companies. Kenya Walking (KW) was the fastest to respond. I also chose to go with them because they are local, the reviews online seemed great, and it was in our budget. We paid half then, and half when we got here on July 17th. We were supposed to have a 15 day Kenya and Tanzania trip.
Our first 10 days, all in Kenya, were fantastic. We were very satisfied with the experience and nothing went wrong. However, on our 11th day, when we were supposed to go to Tanzania, everything dissolved into chaos. The driver who was supposed to pick us up at the border was not there. There was a group before us to told us they had been waiting at the border a day, and they did eventually get picked up. We were worried, but we waited there like the company told us to do. KW kept saying they would be there shortly. After hours in the hot car, we finally went to the hotel. KW told us to get a room there (we paid for it), and that the driver would arrive in the morning. The next day, after calling and waiting for hours, still no driver. KW hung up on me and then just stopped answering the phone.
We were finally picked up, just as we were leaving to go back to Amboseli, and taken to Tanzania. The next 5 days there ( we stayed a day extra because of all this) were awful. No permits, hotels, or meals were paid for. We would be waiting at the park gate for hours until either a permit came through, or we paid for it ourselves (it is way more expensive to pay for permits yourself. we paid $280 just to get into serengeti). There were a couple middle men between KW and us, and all of them were calling us telling us a different story or a different plan. The hotels we did stay at, we either paid for or the owner let us stay there, despite not being paid yet. Of our 5 days in Tanzania, only 1 was very good, and we had to pay for hotels that night. Between my mom and I, KW had been paid $440 each day for us to be there. That money was nowhere to be seen. I soon found out the likely cause
Fortunately, getting back to Nairobi was smooth. There was a driver there to pick us up. By this time, I had peiced together some of the story. Our driver then told me the rest.
KW is run by a guy named OT. Last year, OT apparently spent the equivalent of $500,000 on a peice of land with tourist money. He thought the land investment would return a profit by the time the tourists arrived in june/july. The guy who sold him the land was a conman, and the money was lost. So, clients were stuck in the same situation. At the time, OT had his tour company license taken away. Somehow, perhaps with a bribe, he got it back. He also seems to have doctored his reviews online (there is warning on trip adviser now about it). This year, it seems he may have done something similar, lost all the company's money. This disaster unfolded starting on Saturday, July 28th, when the group before us got stuck at the border. It has been one week since then, and now the company's website is down, multiple guests (including myself) have filed reports in the Kenya Police office and with the Kenya Tourist Police, and the drivers are doing the same because they have not been paid. Our drivers were so kind, I feel terrible that they have not received compensation for their time and work, as this is their livelihood. I was also told there are 16 people stuck at the Tanzanian border, and more tour groups stuck around the country. We received an email from KW promising to refund us by certain dates later this year, but I have doubts that will happen.
What a terrible situation that has impacted so many people. We feel fortunate that this didn't happen before we got here or right after, because we did have a great first 10 days.
Email Ashok Singh | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An experience of a lifetime that got ruined…
Pros:
They can customize packages for your needs.
Affordable to an extent (Don’t forget to bargain though)
They also do safaris in Uganda and Tanzania
Cons:
They do not deliver what they promise.
There is a vast disconnect between the Guide/Driver and Mr.Otieno. The guide controls what you do on your trip. We missed 3 (2 evening (1 Amboseli, 1 Mara) and 1 morning at Nakuru) game drives and one was shortened (The last morning at Mara) as the guide was in a hurry to get out of the park. We did phone and also email Mr.Otieno to get things sorted however, nothing worked. He kept on promising that all will be right and as per the promised itinerary however, the guide kept doing what he wanted. The guide/driver (Anthony) who took us around for 7 days was experienced doing the same thing for 17 years however for them, it’s business. The guide started throwing tantrums as we spoke to Mr.Otieno regarding the game drives that he refused to take.
They fail to understand the needs of customers. In my case, we were 4 wildlife enthusiasts in a single vehicle; all disappointed with the way we were treated. Kenyan wildlife was my dream come true with this trip however, the guide ruined it (He and his tantrums).
I would still have rated them a “5” if they could just stick to what was promised as per the itinerary.
Dear Mr.Otieno, You must start understanding what people look for and deliver what you promise. This is a business for you; however, for us travelers, it’s a dream to plan and execute something like this.
ES
Email Ana paez | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beware!!! Fraud
We arrive today to a 10 days trip, already payed and they didn’t show up! We when to their office and there was no one. They dont get the phone... we went to the police and we found 3 more persons as us.
Now we dont have the money and we dont have vacations!
What you do in this cases?
US
Email Cynthia | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Tanzania part of the trip was a disaster
There was no driver at Tanzania border for us. The group before us also had no driver show up. The company would not tell us what was going on, and eventually would not answer any of our our calls. So the communication was horrible. We had to spend the night at a hotel by the border and pay for it ourselves (they say they will reimburse us). The next morning, they said a driver would be ready by 10am, but we sat around outside the hotel until 4pm with no word from the office. They were ignoring every call. We were finally met by a taxi driver who transferred us to another driver in Arusha and we had to drive at night to reach the hotel at Lake Manyara at 9:30 pm. As I write this, we are sitting at gate to Manyara Park where we have been waiting for nearly 2 hours, because Kenya Walking Survivors has not transferred money to the Tanzania company so our driver cannot get us in the park. We have no idea how much longer we will wait. They seem to have forgotten to make the necessary arrangements and preparations for our time in Tanzania. Park will not take my credit card because we are in a tour van. So we have lost 2+ days and morning light for photos. We are very unhappy now, and feel that we are wasting a lot of time with only a few days left in Africa.
Our Kenyan driver was very nice, and the Kenya part of the trip went smoothly. Oddly to me though, on the first day we were picked up, driven to office to pay last half of cost, then to get gas, and then to pick up water. It would have been nice if they had gotten gas and water before picking us up. They had half of the money up front. Our lodgings were nice and the Kenya part went well. I was not expecting the very long long drives on bad roads between the parks. It usually took all day (6-9 h) to go from one place to the next. The law does not allow driving tourists in the dark, so we used up lots of daytime to get from park to park. However, that is the nature of traveling in this area.
Our main problem has been the horrible experience getting into Tanzania, and getting into the park this morning has been just as bad. Horrible communication, and nothing has been prepared beforehand.
US
Email Vidhya | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They believe customers are the their king n queen and they work towards to achieve that. We really o
We really loved the experience as a whole. Start to end we appreciate everything how it was organized. Felt Tanzania side hotels n stay were classy compared to Kenya. Evans (Tanzania tour guide) was the best of all, his priority was safety n comfort of clinets at the same time made sure we got see everything. Over all best one to go for would strongly recommend to try Kenya Walking tours.
US
Email Heather | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience!
Where to begin?! A former client of Mr. Otieno recommenced KWSS, and we are so glad he did! Everything was perfect from start to end! We were a group of 8 who planned this trip over a year in advance. Communication was excellent and Mr. O was very patient with our requests, providing a very personalized experience.
We arrived at the very beginning of the season and were not sure we would see the great migration but we ended up in the middle of thousands of wildebeest! Our sightings included a leopard eating a gazelle in a tree, lions eating a zebra, lions mating, dozens of farting hippos (hilarious!!), Elephant herds, wildebeest giving birth, and the list goes on!
Our guide in Kenya was David- thanks for the adventure! In Tanzania, GodLove took amazing care of us (he felt like family). We are so grateful to have met them!
All hotels were clean and well appointed: hot showers, great food and awesome staff.
If you’re considering a safari, don’t hesitate to book with KWSS! You will not regret it!
Email Aleksander | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very professional. All as it was discussed.
Very kind and professional service. All prepared on time and as planned before by email. Well done! Thank you!
IT
Email Elena L. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Good service, we are really satified
I went several times in Africa when I was young and in Kenya it was my 4th time, usully I travelled with tent and my sleeping bag but this time I went with my kids (and I am a little bit older!) and I decided to have a more comfortable trip. So I asked several Agents, also the ones I've tried in the past and, after long thinkings, I decided to try KWSS. Mr Otieno was very patient in replying to all my questions and to send me several different options in order to "built" the final package. At the end we decided: 1 night in NBO Airport + 2 in Amboseli + 1 in Nakuru + 3 in Masai Mara. In order to keep the rate very cheap, Otieno suggested me some very basic accommodations, but, after having read the reviews on different websites, I decided to change 2 of them. He was always so quick in replying on all my requests and efficient on everything. After the trip I would have changed also the Mara accommodation but, at the end, it went. Regarding the driver, I had some unlucky experiences in the past with unprofessional drivers, lazy, not interested either in the customer nor in the animals and this conditionate a lot the quality of your trip, so I was worried about this possibility!. Instead we had John, very funny guy, good driver in the traffic, always on time, so patient with the kids and, although he does not have a huge knowledge of the animals from a zoological point of view, he really does all his best to look for all of them, he is always on the right place at the right moment, he really does all his best to put the van in a perfect position for great pictures and to let you see the animals at the best possible. He also let you take all the time you need to admire them. Really I would recommend this Agency.
US
Email Michelle Dayan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding professional and highly trustworthy and recommend
I have been in touch with mr O the owner of the company for the past year .During this time I made so many itinerary changes and additions and was always replied with patience and promised all was well noted and taking care of .I had the pleasure of meeting Mr O in Narobi at the beginning of our two week safari in Kenya and Tanzania I returned home yesterday feeling I fulfilled a dream of a lifetime.Thank you Mr O for making our trip so enjoyable,The drivers ,guides flights accommodation all definitely a 5 star