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
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari with Kenya Walking
Had a very good experience and time with a safari organised by Kenya Walking Survivors. Great availability of the director Mr Otieno who follows everything and monitors the quality of their services. Special thanks to Silas our super guide and Jacob the great cook. Even with a budget Safari everything was great (except the masai village where I was expecting to spent more time)
exciting and a different experience
I think Kenya walking tours are good and trustworthy. What I liked best are the game drives in Samburu national reserve and MasaiMara. The tent were equipped with beds and showers, but there was no connectivity and couldn't send messages nor an wi fi. I admit the distances between one park and the other are too far and we spent alotof time on the roads, some of them really rough and bumpy which left me exhausted at times butin the end you'll find it was worth it.
DK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trustworthy and great service
We had a great trip to Masai Mara. The tour was executed exactly as described in advance. The service and food was very good and the guide was excellent at finding the wild animals,
HU
Email Eszter & George | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Communication with Kenyawalk
We found KenyaWalk on this website and we chose to contact them because of the excellent reviews we read here. Though our safari is due in July, we can say that we already have very good impressions on KenyaWalk and the company's boss, Oti. He is very quick and effective when it comes to communication and it is also easy to contact him on Skype. We think he is funny, open, flexible and patient with his clients. We are very excited and can't wait to meet Oti and his team and go on a safari with KenyaWalk.
RU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari!
Before the trip many times I wrote letters and called to Mr.Otieno about our route. He helped create the best route. In nine days we visited 5 parks in Kenya and Tanzania. Total we had four people from. When we arrived Otti already waited for us in airport. He took us to a nice hotel and organized a tour of Nairobi. All hotels and campgrounds where we stayed was consistent with price and quality. The driver was a good guide and very well known parks. Addition to the driver , with us the whole trip was a great cook who always cooked delicious food. During Safari had no problems, we saw all the big five, made the best photos and went to rest on Zanzibar. If you need more information, Otti have my contacts.
US
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
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
fun fun fun
me and my wife visited kenya and we went to Masaimara,Samburu,Lake Nakuru and naivvasha.it was fun to be there and we saw many animals.the food we ate was great.the manegement was well organized and we did not have worries.Kenya walking Survivors thank you..see you in coming years.
DK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An amazing safari!
We had a very good week on the safari.
We contacted Kenya walking Sunday and Thursday morning we started the safari
Mr.Otieno was very quick to answer the emails even on Sunday's. We also changed the trip a bit so it fit to what we wanted to see. Even in the middle off the trip we wanted to go to a different place, we just call mr Otieno and changed it. It was so flexible, we have never experienced that before.
The cook made nice food and the driver did everything he could so we could have the best experience with the animals. The only thing was that we had to ask him about the animals, he didn't just tell about them himself.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience and excellent customer service
Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris organized a safari tour and a Kilimanjaro trek for us, inclusive of all the transfers between the 2 places We were really happy with the experience. The customer service was great! Mr. Otieno was very responsive at all times, night or day. The company is also very flexible and cares for the customers needs. The accommodation and food provided was up to our expectations too! I strongly recommend this tour operator!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful experience; stressful circumstances
First, I must thank Kenya Walking for helping my husband and I have the experience of a lifetime. We visited Tanzania and Uganda and were sincerely amazed by the African wildlife, scenery, and people.
We chose Kenya Walking because of Otieno's quick communication, the ability to customize our itinerary, and the price. We are still grateful to have experienced so much for the price, but feel that it's important for other prospective travelers to be aware of some aspects of unprofessionalism we encountered. They are mostly small things that added up to create an atmosphere of distrust for us.
Examples of unprofessionalism:
-Multiple last-minute hotel changes, including skipping Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda to stay at a poorly rated, loud city motel with water problems (original hotel was around $100, changed to $10 room)
-Incorrect itinerary dates. Even after reviewing our itinerary upon arrival in Uganda, both Otieno and our driver forgot that we were staying two days in the gorilla park to do extra hiking. We had to fight pretty hard to convince them to correct this.
-Over-worked, tired driver speeding considerably and close to nodding off during long drives (I would highly recommend flying into Kisoro to do gorilla trek, or at least requesting a Ugandan guide. Our Kenyan guide had to drive overnight from Nairobi before picking us up and continuing the drive. We also suspect he took a wrong turn which we followed for 90minutes before correcting.)
-Borrowing gas money from us. This favor was asked as a loan until our driver found an ATM, though we never found one. We ended up letting him keep the money as part of his tip, but the company never followed up to thank us or ask whether we got our money back.
-Other small inconveniences included late departures (2hours on our first morning in Tanzania with no communication on their end), spotty attitudes from guides (our Kenyan guide did not like Ugandans... and we were in Uganda), considerable time waiting for guides to deal with problems in banks, broken jeep roof in Tanzania (fortunately this didn't happen until our last day there).
I hate to make this list, because until Otieno asked me to write this review, I had managed to forget all the negative aspects of our trip and only think of the magic moments we had with elephants, lions, gorillas, mountains, and new friends. Even with all the drama of our trip, I don't regret choosing Kenya Walking as I'm not sure we could have packed everything into our time and budget with a different tour operator. I also suspect travelling with Kenya Walking Survivors may be an entirely different experience in Kenya, rather than Tanzania and Uganda where we visited. I have only the best wishes for our guides Mike and Jonas and for Otieno.
If you decide Kenya Walking Survivors is the best fit for your trip, please be prepared to respectfully advocate for yourself and your itinerary.
Reply from Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris Ltd
Posted on Oct 20, 2014Hi Sarah, thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear you were disappointed with your Part of the trip while on safari.
ACCOMMODATION
I would like to confirm with you that before you use the facility ,we had to talk and discus with you and you agree, This was because you took a lot of time at the equator stopover and by the time you arrive at the town which is 12kms from lake Bunyoni Resort it was late in the evening and due to the security alert I could NOT let you Drive to your booked Hotel at Bunyoni Resort due to security on the way.So I had to give you the briefing and also alert my Driver and we did this because We value our clients life after discussion with you.Then the following day you where transfer you your early booked Hotel
The loud music was from the Neigbour hotel and the accommodation was well and it was the same rate but in town compare with lake Bunyoni Resort which was at the lake side,I admit thus was the difference. And we apologized for that difference if you did NOT like the facility
ITINERARY
I would like to Re-confirm with you that we discus with you all the program in Uganda and all was fine,And I accepted you to add your Exra activity which you did the following day trek to the Rwanda boarder at no Exra cost to the company.
Secondly our drivers always wake up early and sleep early,They are to have at least minimum sleep of 8hours.I apologized if truly you saw him nodding ,because he is the same guide who has been doing a lot of the trekking for Gorilla tour to our clients
GAS
You remember when you ask the driver to drive you upto the boarder of Rwanda to go and see the Batwa tribe.
I would like to inform all the travelers that due to security we don’t give or make our Drivers carry more than USD$200 .why?Due to security , if they miss/lose the money the clients will be stranded and they always carry the money which is fine for them for the fuel depending on the distance,
Now you made a decision of the change of itinerary after the Gorilla trek that he was to drive you about 80kms one way for the Batwa tribe ,there was no ATM anywhere he could get money for fuel and he inform you ,But he had to do this because you told him you will top him up the gas,because he wanted to drive back to look for the ATM to top up the Gas,
So im again sorry for topping the driver up at no Exra cost for your benefic and he Refund it back ,But at the end of the day when he wanted to refund the cash you told him this was his tip the money which you gave the drive was totaling USHS.150,000 which is equivalent of USD$58.
EXPEREIENCE
As you said you suspected the driver to take wrong side,but what happen is that he was told that the route you took was block a head so he had to turn back for another route which was NOT block.so thus why he return and took another turn,
Most of our drivers are over 15years in this land and very experience on guiding and driving.
If he did not communicate on this We apologized that next time you will have the communication on any small change on road from the driver to any clients.
LANDCRUISER 4X4
I would like to inform all our travelers that we have bad roads in Africa especially in the parks which make vehicle both 4x4 and 2x2 breakdown i.e on the wheels,body parts, engines so you should expect this as part of Africa Road which we don’t have nay control but should we have any breakdown we always make sure we fixed them to control the waste of time for the game Drive.We again apologized for this and im happy you where happy when it was solve very faster.
REVIEW.
I would like to confirm that I ask you to write a review on this trip ,so that both positive feedback to be maintain and improve and Negative feedback should be check on so that the next group don’t get to the same problems again.
Otherwise im very happy again that you are fine with our organization and we apologized for any aspect which did NOT make you enjoy your trip.But you are still welcome to East Africa next time. We promise all our clients will NOT have the same mistake.
Thanks you again for all the positive and negative feedback you have given us,This will make us to be on our watch list on the services we provide our clients.
Thanks a lot Sarah and Partner