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 Daniel Rodellas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safary, poor organization
Our overall experiencie was pretty good because we could see tons of animals and the big 5 but there where things about the company that didn't work well:
In the website offers it's said that they do the game drives with 4x4 vehicles and a picture of a "jeep" appears, but when we asked in the office they said that they only have pop-up roof minivans and they had to speak with safaribookings to change it. For the moment, they didn't...
We where supposed to sleep in a guesthouse in lake nakuru that was surrounded by nature but they said we could sleep in an upgraded place so we accepted and it turned out to be a hotel in nearest town, which for us was a "downgrade".
We also had to change our guide/driver on our way fron Nakuru to Masai Mara. This is not a problem but it was strange. It was even stranger that the second guide we had to meet was suposed to be "Paul" and it was "David" without informing.
David was great but he knew nothing about our itinerary and he asked us what was it. He had to call the company a couple times to solve his questions.
To end, the day before we left, our car had a problem in the engine inside the Masai Mara and we had to leave the park stopping every 5 minutes. The next day, we had to wait until the engine was fixed to leave to Nairobi.
FR
Email Edwige | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great driver to see many animals, basic accommodation and meals
Communication was good, except for the first lunch. We had a special departure from our city, not Nairobi, which leaded to sweet snacks and bread only to be bought for lunch. We would have preferred to prepare ourself a real picnic if we were warned before.
Safari was great, we saw so many animals thanks to the driver!
Accomodation was very basic, we had single beds even if we requested before double bed and the camp was almost empty. They were rushing us to eat a basic dinner with self service, in an area without enough light.
In summary, Great driver to see many animals, basic accommodation and meals
MY
Email sin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fast Feedback and Excellent Guide
Mr O reply my mail very fast and fullfil most of my requirement.
We found out one of the lake cannot spot Flamingo, and he agreed to change to another one without charges.
Thanks both Mr O and Anthony.
Anthony is a very helpful, young and energetic guide, especially in Masai Mara. We have a very good trip with him during this few days. We spot all big 5. And we feel very comfortable to stay with him this few days.
DE
Email Mary S. and Christian P. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A safari of a lifetime :-)
My fiancee and I booked a customized Safari with Kenya walking Survivors safaris and we were not disappointed! Mr Otieno, the man behind all the planning adhered to all our wishes and beat our expectations. We did a 7 days Safari: We visited Nakuru National Park where we had a game drive, we had 2 days Maasai Mara where we had the experience of a lifetime doing exciting multiple game drives and sleeping out in a cool tented camp with beautiful people and took an adventurous walk through the Green Crater Lake in Naivasha. My heart still skips a beat when I think of this walk :-P
The transfer from the airport to our hotel and later to our family in Kenya ran smoothly. All was catered for and we had the best company one would wish for.
Our driver and guide David was always commited, reliable and a good source of information. He had an answer to all our questions and knew exactly where and when we could see which animals.
Our chef Omondi saw to it that our appetites were satisfied. He never disappointed and always had our favourite dishes in mind.
Being a kenyan, I thought I knew alot about my beautiful land but I was proved wrong! Kenya was presented to me in way I had never seen it before.
My German boyfriend never ceases to tell everyone of the amazing experience he had.
We both agree that that was not our last safari. We are planning to go on many more and we already know who to consult: Kenya walking survivors safaris Ltd.
IT
Email Francis | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience, once in a lifetime
Excellent service with friendly staff. The tour guide really went out of his way to guarantee as many game sightings as possible. The camp was comfortable with hot water showers and the food was decent. Highly recommended! ps. avoid the Masai villages around the Maasai Mara Safari Park, proper tourist traps (entrance fees are not regulated and can be as high as 30$ pp)
US
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!!
PK
Email Dr,Zahoor Khan | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Samburu Masai mara
Excellent response to emails and good response to questions asked well organized, vehicles did not have airconditioning Roads to Masai mara vbad and dusty got very hot inside the vehicle got exhausted good guides good choice of booking camps
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.
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.
Owner really needs to improve after sales service....Else would have been an excellent experience
OT (the owner) was extremely responsive to our needs before I booked the trip. We went for a 10 days Safari covering Tsavo, Amboseli, Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha and Nakura. Due to flight delays, we had to make some changes in the itinerary and that is when the problem started. Although he tried to be flexible, he did not talk to us directly to understand if we were satisfied with the change. He was just not responsive. He did not remember the extras we booked, did not instruct the driver about the plan properly, gave a different hotel name to the one we were originally booked for to the driver in one occasion and so on. The trip was excellent but these things and the fact that for 2 days out of the 10 days trip he booked us in sub-standard hotels really spoilt our mood. On one occasion we had to wait for OT to give the driver the money for the park visit thereby delaying our visit.
The driver-guide (John) was excellent and did his best to cover up for these short comings. I think OT has a good team of people but due to mis-management he will start getting not so good reviews.