Ways of Africa Team
Ways Of Africa Travel
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2023)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $800 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Brad | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Wonderful Safari in Kenya Made Excptional by Collins - an Outstanding Guide
Our recent safari in Kenya through Ways of Travel was a memorable experience, filled with breathtaking landscapes, incredible wildlife, and the warm hospitality the country is known for. The itinerary was well-planned, offering various game drives, cultural experiences, time in a Massai village, and brief periods of relaxation (sleep) in the lodges. HOWEVER, WHAT TRULY ELEVATED OUR TRIP FROM GOOD TO EXCEPTIONAL WAS COLLINS, OUR SAFARI GUIDE!
When we met Collins, it was clear that he was knowledgeable and deeply passionate about Kenya's wildlife and ecosystems. His ability to spot animals from seemingly impossible distances was magical. Whether tracking elusive cheetahs, positioning us perfectly to witness a lion pride's hunt, or patiently explaining the intricate behaviors of a herd of elephants, he made every moment in the bush come alive.
Beyond his expertise, our guide had a warm and engaging personality. He went out of his way to ensure that everyone in the group felt included and comfortable, tailoring the experience to meet individual interests. His storytelling, peppered with humor and fascinating anecdotes, made even the longer drives enjoyable. As a member of the Massai tribe, he brought an intimate, first-hand understanding of life in Kenya and its beauty and struggles. Collins also had an incredible knack for positioning the Land Cruiser optimally to capture photographs from the optimal angles and lighting, helping us capture those once-in-a-lifetime moments perfectly.
While not luxurious, the accommodations were comfortable and well-situated, allowing us to immerse ourselves in Kenya's natural beauty. The meals were fresh and delicious, and the staff at each lodge was attentive and friendly. While a few minor logistical hiccups occurred, they were quickly overshadowed by the overall quality of the experience.
In summary, this safari was a fantastic adventure, and we owe much of that to Collins, our exceptional guide. If you're planning a trip to Kenya, I highly recommend prioritizing a knowledgeable and experienced guide – it makes all the difference. This trip was more than just a vacation; it was a profound and enriching journey into the heart of Africa.
Would we do it again? Absolutely – especially if we could have Collins leading the way! Thank You!
Email Joe | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible honeymoon experience
We booked our Honeymoon through Ways of Africa travel. I seriously cannot recommend this company enough. Paul was fantastic through the planning phase, helping choose the correct hotels for us and planning our trip for the best experience in the time we had.
When we landed we were picked up and taken straight to our hotel in Nairobi for the night. The next morning we were introduced to Dan, our driver for the whole experience, who was nothing less than fantastic. His local knowledge of the area and contacts/friends he had with the tribesman made for an unreal experience. Dan somehow knew where all the animals would be in Maasai Mara, and we were lucky enough to see basically every animal there is to see there.
The hotels booked for us were also perfect, the rooms were huge and comfortable (with incredible views), the food was fantastic and the staff couldn't be friendlier!
I simply cannot recommend this company enough. I genuinely believe we were the envy of all the other tours out there :)
DE
Email Robin and Katrin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Just perfect!
We just finished our 4 days trip to Samburu and Meru with Ways of Africa.
We can just recommend Ways of Africa to everyone.
It was just perfect from the beginning: very professional, transparent communication.
The tour itself was perfectly organised, too. Everything went on time, they chose very nice hotels.
Our drivers did not become tired at all trying to find another animal after another.
So to all, if you look after an unforgettable experience: Book with Ways of Africa!
NL
Email Walter | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Heaven on earth. Excellent-> A+
Expect to see every bird / animal.
Highest recommendation for Lake Naivasha-> Lake Nakuru-> Masai Mara.
Including boat trip - several nature walks and many safaris.
Service A+
Reliability A+
Communication A+
Guide A+
Heaven on earth!!
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Email Molly Radford | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I went on 3 safaris in Kenya - Ways of Africa was the best experience
Ways of africa felt the most prepared of any safari i went on. My guide spoke completely fluent English (not always the case in other safaris) and he made my experience INCREDIBLE. Would highly recommend Ways of Africa over any other tour company. They were very flexible to my needs and came with a well equipped, cooler van than the rest of the safaris I went on in Kenya.
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Email Kristin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible
Ways of Africa were absolutely wonderful to work with and I'm so happy I chose them!
Myself and my 3 friends chose their '4 day, 3 night' package that started with a night in Nakuru, then a night in Maasai Mara, and finally, a night in Naivasha. I was aware that it would be a lot of driving, but ultimately I'm SO glad I chose this package as it allowed us to see more of Kenya and experience different landscapes and different lodges each night.
The booking process was easy and painless. Initially, I reached out to about 5 different safari groups and Paul's reply instantly stood out as the best and most professional. Not only did he provide his Whatsapp and offered to hop on a call, his itinerary's PDF was beautifully outlined and he quoted me a fair price. Paul and I exchanged a series of emails, and once he and I confirmed our exact itinerary dates, I wired over the deposit. (Actually, before doing so, just for *extra* due diligence because I'm paranoid, I googled the emails of all 3 campsites listed in his itinerary and emailed them just to confirm that they have heard of/worked with Ways Of Africa in the past, to which they all wrote back and confirmed.) It's always nerve wracking wiring over big sums of money to someone halfway across the world, so this helped me feel safer in knowing for sure that they were reputable. Ultimately, it was a no-brainer that Ways of Africa was a trusted and reputable company.
We arrived in Nairobi and right off the bat, Paul and his wife Janet met us at the airport at 6:30am and introduced us to our awesome guides Sammy and Wilson. Their van is a 9 seater van, so the 4 of us fit very comfortably in the back, each able to hog a window seat. Not only that, the seats are designed to tilt 145 degrees so we were able to lay nearly flat for much of the journey, allowing us to nap until we got to our destination. (Side note: the van also has a pop-up roof, so once you're on your game drives, you're able to fully stand up and get a 360 view of your surroundings.)
Nakuru ended up being our favorite destination of the three. This was mainly because we got extremely lucky on our game drive and saw 3 of the Big 5 right away. A lioness waltzed right up to our van, a cheetah killed an impala and dragged it up a tree for lunch (tragic to witness but so be the circle of life)... a giraffe grazed right over our van, zebras galloped beside us, the list goes on and on. It was truly spectacular and the lake at sunset was next level. Kudos to Sammy and Wilson for being knowledgeable, attentive, and friendly guides who knew exactly where to go, and could spot things all the way in the distance almost instinctively. A big highlight of why we loved Nakuru was also because of our lodge Maili Saba Camp. This was the best stay of the three, based on comfort, beauty and hospitality. We were greeted at the door with freshly squeezed mango juice, our rooms looked out at the most breathtaking hillside views, and the meals provided were delicious. Not only that, they brought hot water bottles to our beds to help us keep warm at night, and also sprayed our rooms with mosquito repellent. Later, I was told that the camp actually helps to generate funds for a local foundation which provides schooling and training for disadvantaged youth. If you go, please tip them well, they truly deserve so much love!
Day 2 we got up early and drove out to Maasai Mara, which was also incredible. We had hoped to see baby animals on this trip and got exactly that here. We were immediately greeted by a pride which had 3 adorable lion cubs, and then a little later, by a family of elephants with the most adorable baby elephant in tow. The Maasai Mara Reserve is almost x17 times larger than the Nakuru Reserve, so there are definitely more animals here, however they are more spread out and a tad longer to find. But once again, Sammy and Wilson were incredible at their jobs, and helped us find everything we hoped to see. Hard to pin point, but perhaps most thrilling was the lioness who gave us a front row seat to her explosive diarrhea.
That night, we stayed at Fisi Camp, run by two very nice Irish expats who started the business in their retirement. Bear in mind, Fisi Camp is a tented campsite, so it's definitely more rustic and laid-back. That said, it was perfectly fine for 1 night. We had hot showers, decent food (in fact, their broccoli soup was quite good), and enjoyed sitting out on our decks for sunrise. The perk is that the camp is located only 8 minutes from the Reserve's gate, so you're able to get clean and rested pretty immediately. We also visited the Maasai Tribe in the morning of our 3rd day, which was a nice added experience ($30 USD entry per person paid directly to the chief's son).
Naivasha Lake was our last stop. It started with a boat ride across the lake and ended with a walking tour at Crescent Island. It was kind of nice to experience something different after two full days of driving. We saw some birds, some buffalos peeking out in the water, etc. The highlight would be docking at Crescent Island where we got to step out and do their walking tour. We walked right beside zebras, giraffes, monkeys etc, and saw other folks having a nice picnic there. It was a unique experience and I'm glad we got to get some proper steps in.
At night, we stayed a Camp Carnelley's, which I originally thought (because of pictures online) would be my favorite of the three, but ended up being my least favorite. The rooms were fine, but there was no hot water, and the power also unexpectedly went out at night, so we woke up to our phones basically dead. There were no lights in the camp grounds, so everything was super dark and the Bandas were hard to find after dinner. It's a picturesque place, and certainly on arrival had the aura of a cool laid-back expat-run hostel, but the hospitality was simply lacking. I would not recommend this place for extended stay, but 1 night was honestly fine. Hopefully what we experienced was just a one-off bad day for them.
Overall thoughts: 4 days was the perfect amount of days for a safari first timer. You get to have the full experience, without overdoing it. I think any extra days, our bodies would have struggled to sit in the van without proper exercise. I loved that we picked Mid October to come. It wasn't too hot, it wasn't too cold, it was just perfect. And the bonus is, there were much fewer tourists around, so we were often the only van in sight, not needing to compete for space with dozens of other vans (which, I've read if you go in June July August, the migration months, is something that is inevitable).
Ways Of Africa were incredible every step of the way. A solid portion of what you're paying for in your downpayment to them is siphoned off to the campsites/lodges, your breakfast/lunch/dinners, and the park entrances, so remember to please tip your drivers/guides well, because they absolutely deserve it for the work they're doing, and many of them rely on tips heavily. They wake up earlier than you do and go to bed later than you do to make your experience smooth and painless. Sammy and Wilson became immediate friends over the course of the few days we spent together, and we were sad to part ways at the end! If you made it all the way to the end of this review, hello to you, hope you have a wonderful trip and I highly recommend picking the Ways Of Africa team.
IN
Email RP | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
Recently traveled to Kenya with Ways Of Africa as our tour guide. The start of the trip wasn’t the smoothest—airline lost my bag, and my family, who was supposed to arrive a few hours after me, missed their flight through no fault of their own. Paul and his wife, who run Ways of Africa, met me at the airport in the middle of the night, took me out for coffee to lift my spirits, and went above and beyond to adjust our safari plans.
Paul even arranged for my bag to be delivered and made sure my family could join the next day. And from there, our safari adventure was fantastic! saw the Big Five in the Masai Mara, experienced stunning landscapes, and lots of good picture :)
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Email Mona Labranche | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceptional
We had a wonderful experience. Our trip was customized to meet our needs. The safari camps were exceptional. Our driver/guide Sammy was very knowledgeable and accommodating. Went above and beyond to make sure we saw the big five and more. A trip to remember!
LK
Email Niveth | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An Unforgettable, Customized Safari Experience with Ways Of Africa
We chose Ways Of Africa because they offered a great package, with tours that can be fully customized to fit your preferences. Paul’s prompt responses also made the planning process smooth.
This was my first time in Africa, and meeting Paul (the manager) and Collin (our guide/driver) at our apartment in Kenya made everything feel seamless. We settled the payment, and Paul gave us a clear overview of the exciting five-day adventure ahead.
Outside, Paul’s wife welcomed us by the 4x4 safari jeep with gift bags—such a thoughtful surprise! (The 4x4 is a must for safari; skip the mini-van if possible.) After saying goodbye to the couple, we spent the next five days with Collin, who was fantastic at his job.
We explored Amboseli, Nakuru, and Masai Mara and were lucky to spot the Big Five. Thank you for this unforgettable experience—I’ll be back soon!
Check out my blog for more info: https://medium.com/@niveth/traveling-to-kenya-and-going-on-safaris-as-a-sri-lankan-58a65cc62483
CA
Email Shushil Saha | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent planner with various resort and resources.
The tour operator greets in person with experienced Masai tour guide which very much appreciated in the beginning of our tour.
All the resorts are in the wild we were able see the zebras, 🦌 and verity of 🐦.
While we were in wild safari with very comfortable and reliable new Toyota land cruiser provided with snacks and drinks.
The food variety in resort were excellent choice and world class food was served.
In our daily routine, the tour operator kept us updated our safety and well-being.
The operator have great reliable transportation and manpower to meet our demand.
