Clients exploring the Kenyan Parks
Australken Tours & Travel
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 1996)
- Member Of:
- KATO & ETT
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $155 to $450 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Andy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best 4 day Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha and Hell's Gate Tour
This company took care of my husband and I from start to finish. Zippy herself was there at pick up to introduce us to the driver Gregory and the cook John, and also at drop off to ask us about our experience.
It was an incredible tour and safari in Masai Mara Game Reserve. Gregory is a great man who drove very well and will make sure you will see as many animals as you like and as many as time and distance permits.
The accommodations were as they were described and better. Both places we stayed at in Masai Mara and Lake Naivasha (the cottage overlooked the lake!!!) had hot water for showers, electricity, perfectly working toilets, mosquito nets and comfy beds. Wi-Fi is provided in the van.
We were very well fed with freshly cooked food, drinks (bottled water, tea and coffee, we got a smoothie treat also!) and fruit snacks. John is a great cook who always asked for feedback from our meal. He walked with us in Hell's Gate National Park and Gorge (amazing park, lots of walking, hiking, some climbing but BEAUTIFUL and worth it, we had another John as our friendly and informative guide).
Gregory and John were amazing company and we had long talks with them in the van, after meals and while on tour. Very friendly, professional, and respectable people who were patient and efficient.
We just finished our safari tour and we were quite sad on the ride home because we had such a memorable time. Australken Tours is fantastic, reliable and easy to organise with. Highly recommend!
Email Nadine, John and Ellie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Brilliant from start to finish !!!!
We initially sent a few requests out to various safari companies via safaribookings.com and straight away Australken were the most action packed itineraries and cost effective. We were taking our daughter for her 18th Birthday first time for her in Africa so was so important that the trip, accommodation and other aspects were good. We dealt with Zippy in organising the trip she was amazing so flexible when I asked to add this and that to the itinerary and she was patient with my indecision regarding accommodation. Zippy always responded really quickly to my many questions. When at the last minute we asked if she knew any drivers for Nairobi to take us sightseeing once the safari was over Zippy kindly gave us an Australken driver who took us round various tourist hotspots and even took us to the airport for our flight home !!! We then about three weeks before the trip found out my partner was pregnant and could no longer travel we could not get any money back on the insurance Zippy went out of her way and got us some refund from the hotels which was so appreciated. The Safari itself wow where do I begin the various accommodation and standard of food were amazing, the truck was comfortable even having WiFi!! the driver/guides were really knowledgable answering questions and giving interesting information. We got to see all the animals we had hoped to including the Rhino, pride of lions, giraffe, hippos.. amazing views of kilamanjaro, great Rift Valley. I could go on and on .... nothing was too much trouble for them Zippy met us at at the airport and again at Nairobi after safari it’s personal touches like this that add to an already amazing trip. Thank you Australken we will be back.
NL
Email Suzanne & Thijs | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience
We’ve been on a 4day safari to Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara. It was beyond expectation! We’ve seen everything we want and even more. The contact with the organization went really well. Zippy was super quick in her reply and she was also very helpful. Our guide Symon showed us everything what we want and explained a lot about the nature. Our chef Daniel made us nice food (especially the soups). This altogether made it an incredible experience - thanks a lot! Highly recommended!
RO
Email Georgiana | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 17 days safari
We wanted a personalized itinerary for our 17 days budget safari, and we couldn't have been more happy about the tour that Australken organized. It was perfectly thought from start to finish, accommodation was very well chosen, the guide, Nelson, was very knowledgeable and respectful with the nature and animals, we had a cook, Daniel, who cooked for us every day a delicious food. Overall, it execeede our expectations!
AE
Email Amani khasawneh | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
4 days private safari
Everything was great and well organized. I really appreciated that zippy the manager came to the airport with the driver just to make us feel more welcomed. The driver/guide Mr Evans was very knowledgeable and he knew everything about animals and where to look for them. He tried his best to show us everything in this little time we had! Zippy was generous to offer us a complimentary airport drop off and give us a very nice gift at the end of our safari.
RU
Email Anastasiia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
If I could give more than 5 stars I'll give it!
We are soo lucky to discover Kenya with Australken tours! We have a wonderful team - guide Edwin, cook John and masai Tom, with whom we made our 4-day trip to Masai Mara. Edwin told us a lot about animals, and about Kenya in general. I will never forget our cozy dinners somewhere in the African savannah. The trip was perfectly organized, Zippy was in touch and was always ready to help. Throughout the safari, the Internet was always available, but the days were so exciting that it was not really needed.
We saw everyone with the exception of the black rhino, which there are not so many left. We even saw the leopard that Tom and Edwin found. Watching him was unforgettable.
Big thanks to you that you were always fed us in the car on the road, even though I didn't drink all the soda that accumulated all the days of trip :))
The attitude was so warm that we left Kenya with great sadness! We are so lucky with the team that I don’t even believe that it happen to me.
PH
Email Ela | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience!
I don't have enough words to describe just how thankful I am to Zippy and Symon for giving my partner and I the absolute BEST experience in Kenya! Zippy is incredible - she met us upon arrival and before we left, making sure all was well with us. Throughout the whole planning process, she was more than accommodating and was so patient with me regarding all my questions and requests. Symon, our guide and driver, was nothing less than amazing. His knowledge and experience really made our trip memorable - you could ask him anything and he would have an answer for you. Also, he really made sure that our trip was worthwhile, making sure that we got to see all the animals we wanted and giving us the best vantage points to view them.
Will definitely book with Australken again for the other countries they cater to, or just when we come back to Kenya. Thank you so much, Zippy and Symon, you guys are amazing.
Email Claire | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great service, efficient, friendly, experienced
We did the 3 day safari to Ol Pejeta and Samburu. Everything was very well organised and we were very pleased with the driver-guide, the vehicle, the accommodation. And we managed the see the big 5 despite the rainy season, owing to our driver's expertise. We had very informative conversations with him and the drives were great. Great driving skills too, negotiating flooded causeways ! The welcome and farewell committee was lovely too.
US
Email Neha - The Art of Travel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Service Beginning to End - Will do another Safari again with Australken
This was our first Safari experience and like most people, we were worried about so many things: our first-time visit to Africa, vaccinations, mosquitos, safety, cost, food options, getting scammed, and so on. We received several competing quotes from various safari tour companies but decided to finalize our tour with Zippy from Australken Tours & Travel.
In our travels all over the world and throughout the 6 continents, we have not met any tour operator as professional and communicative as Zippy. It seems like she is an A.I. She is on top of everything. All your questions get answered promptly with care and understanding. Zippy also customized our tour and helped us narrow down on Amboseli, Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, and Maasai Mara in 7 days! This itinerary turned out to be perfect!
Zippy came to pick us up at NBO airport and dropped us to our hotel in Nairobi. The next morning she came again with the paperwork, our Safari vehicle and guide/driver Al (Albanus).
Our guide/driver, Al was excellent. Perhaps we were lucky to have him paired with us. With 29 years of safari experience, he knew everything about the wildlife, birds, the general flora and fauna of Kenya! Our 7 days Safari felt short because we were having too much fun and also we learned a lot. We saw lions on three occasions and four out of the big five. (We didn't spot a leopard this time). In addition, we saw various wildlife we didn't even know exists. The big cats take most of our imaginations when we think of Africa or a Safari. But the Savanna is a rich ecosystem and there is SO MUCH variety and wildlife all over Kenya, that you will feel like your tour cost was a bargain!
Zippy was available and communicative throughout our safari (as needed). At the end of our tour, she met us again and even gave us a lovely souvenir from Kenya! If we have to summarize our experience in one sentence, we will say, we will definitely recommend Australken Tours and Zippy to all of our blog readers, friends, and family! The overall safari experience surpasses your expectations (if this is your first time).
Moreover, we ourselves will be back again to do another safari with Zippy! Africa is amazing and 7 days do not do justice! We are already craving more!
Neha & Sal
The Art of Travel
www.artoftravel.tips
US
Email Derek | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic Safari - Good Price, Excellent Service, Great Team! Definitely Recommended
We had a wonderful time on our four day safari through Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha and Hell's Gate. The safari exceeded our expectations, and the team was wonderful!
Our driver/guide, Johnstone, was friendly, very knowledgeable and did a fantastic job of getting us through some treacherous roads. Many other drivers were getting stuck, but we rode right through with no issues at all. He also listened well to what we were aiming to see and adjusted the drives accordingly - including having our lunch sitting right next to a beautiful giraffe along the road. The cook, John, was also super friendly and made some wonderful meals for us, starting with a fantastic soup every night for starters. They made a great pair, and we loved them as a team together. Zippy was absolutely fantastic with fast, helpful responses to any questions, and I only have great things to say about her and the company. The vehicle is a minivan with a pop-top which is perfect for wildlife viewing. It was a little older (particularly compared to some of the new vehicles we used in Tanzania), but we got a great price for a private tour, and it actually turned out to perform better than a lot of the Land Cruisers that were stuck in the mud as we rolled past with ease, so I would definitely recommend it.
All in all, we had a wonderful trip, saw tons of animals and loved our experience. We would absolutely use Australken again and recommend them to anyone else!