Andrew will take you to remote places
Wildebeest Safaris
- Located In:
-
China
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 1997)
- Member Of:
- ETT & TRA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $450 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Richard | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent itinerary with knowledgeable guides and good accommodations made for a rewarding safari.
The requested itinerary for an 18 day photographic safari by professional photographers through parks in both Kenya and Tanzania including the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti met most of our expectations and was very rewarding, due in large part to the expertise of the driver/guides Dennis and Hamza. They were excellent in locating game and getting us into position to best photograph the animals after a little coaching on how to position the vehicles. It appeared however, that they were not always adequately informed regarding the details of the trip that had been committed to us. Not everything was as advertised, for example, the first day two planned activities were not included, and a lunch on the last day was missed.
For the most part, the accommodations were as advertised with some camps better than others, however charging electronic devices was difficult in a couple of locations. The food was adequate to good and again the quality and variety varied by camp.
Optional additional activities, such as a photo safari on water at a lake and a visit to a Maasai village were offered and taken, which were very good, but the additional cost should have been advised before embarking on the adventures.
As there were some long and very difficult road transfers between parks, adequate rest and washroom stops were not sufficient on some legs. A six hour transfer with no bathroom break planned for senior citizens is not acceptable.
The largest complaint was the timing and execution of our departure at the Nairobi airport. Instead of departing our last camp at a time that would have allowed the proper travel time, with lunch included as advertised, and gotten us to the airport at a time coinciding with airport checkin, we departed the camp in the morning, did not stop for lunch and arrived at the airport at 3pm with a departure at midnight, and we were dropped without any guidance regarding the airport or facilities for waiting for a checkin at 7pm. We felt abandoned.
Given the few issues, we were satisfied with our trip and experience and would use Wildebeest again with a better understanding and agreement on some of the details mentioned above. We didn't expect anything beyond what we contracted for, but we did expect to receive what we contracted for.
IN
Email Rohit | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari exp. But don't deal with noah
I booked the safari experience from Wildebeest from aug 11 to aug 15th. Nairobi airport pickup - amboseli - Nakuru - mara and back to nairobi.
Our guide was dennis.
I had an amazing time, thanks to Dennis , the vehicle we were in was very good and Dennis made sure we felt safe. He made sure we had a great safari experience and we were lucky to see the migration crossing as well.
I would recommend the experience with Dennis to everyone.
The 2nd part of our journey to diani was riddled with troubles and we had to waste an entire day of our expensive trip because of Noah the owner/manager. Noah is the unprofessional manager who left us high and dry on 3 occassions -
1. He messed up our train tickets and we ended up wasting an entire beach day because of an early bus (our last resort) because of his unprofessionalism.
2. He messed up our mara hotel itinerary and we had to travel 3 hours extra late in the night and had the audacity to blame us for his goof up.
3. He tried to charge us extra park fees - 160$ for his own mistakes.
Notably, we got really bad seats in the train that he did book, his delay in payments for the park fees made sure we waited 20 mins min each time outside the safari gates.
Never once did he ever make an apology that was genuine.
Although my experience with widlebeest was amazing, I have a sour taste because of noah, would strongly urge folks who deal with Noah to document everything on email as proof.
5/5 for Dennis our guide.
10/5 for Kenya and the experience
-5/5 for Noah the owner/ manager.
3.5 for wildebeest, still one of the best experiences of my life minus the issues we had to deal with because of noah.
Go for it but be careful and document everything.
Jeff's the man
Jeff was a friendly, informative and accomodating guide, making our trip really fun and memorable. No issues at all communicating with each other, and we agreed daily what time to start our day so everyone could be prepared and aligned with the schedule.
NP
Email Ansu & Agya | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great service
My friend and I had a wonderful experience with Wildebeest. Right from the pick up from the airport to all the game drives and balloon ride that was arranged. We were very lucky and managed to see 31 lions! 2 cheetahs, 2 leopards and countless elephants, giraffs and hippos - this was mostly due to our guide/driver Daniel, who knew where to take us. This made a big difference. Overall a fantastic holiday and we would definitely recommend it!
SG
Email MK | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Overall smooth experience
We booked Wildebeest Safaris after a lot of research and after talking to many different agents. Main differentiation was that they were able to arrange the camp that we specifically asked for (Entim) and the price was competitive. Also, before the trip we asked a lot of questions to Noah (the owner) and he responded to all of them with the requested assurances. We asked for a good guide and he allotted Dennis to us. We asked for unlimited Water and he agreed and he allowed us to pay balance on arrival instead of all advance (we initially asked for some payment at end of the trip which he refused)
We stayed at 2 days at Lake Nakuru (Flamingo Hill) and 5 days at Masai Mara (Entim Camp). Flamingo hill camp was very good whereas Entim was excellent. Stay at Entim was incidentless but the stay had Flamingo had a problem when we were leaving as there was some dispute between Wildebeest and Flamingo and they held us hostage till Noah went to their office and offered himself as hostage instead. It was probably a past payment dispute and we lost 2 hours while they were talking to each other. The good thing was Noah rushed to their office early morning so that we could be released and leave for our onward journey. Flamingo offered us a bottle of wine as a compensation for the inconvenience so it was good gesture on their part. So all in all it wasn't a very unpleasant experience and some glitches are a part of every trip.
Dennis was a great person to have as the guide. He was very patient, is vastly experienced with Masai Mara area, is a safe driver and is a fun person to talk to. He answered all our questions in relation to the forest or the animals and whenever he spotted an animal he knew which one it was. He also showed us the animal in his book which he carries with himself describing the animal and interesting facts about it. That helped in better understanding what I was seeing infront of my eyes. He also agreed to wait when we wanted to at a particular spot and was not forceful to leave unless it was dark and time to get back to the camp (we waiting 5 hours for the five Cheetah brothers to wake up from their sleep and he was waiting without cribbing). Even if we barely had little time left, he ensured we atleast got 5 mins with an animal sighting so that we dont go back disappointed. He was constantly calling his network of people on phone to ask for right places to visit and he wouldnt tell us what was there till we reached to create excitement and element of surprise. Probably just his style. We took bathroom breaks whenever we needed and ate packed lunch at whatever time we wanted. Even if we wanted to eat in the car, he didn't insist otherwise. He was very good with spotting animals from a far distance and he spotted some really good lions which anyone would have easily missed. Another good thing was that he was a keen photographer himself (we went there mainly to shoot) and hence he understood if we wanted some specific angles and took the efforts required for us to get the right shot. He was happy to take the car in any position we asked so that we could take satisfying pictures. He was always ready to leave on time and got us back only when it was time to leave. It was only once in Nakuru that he ended the Safari at 4pm instead of 6.30pm as he wanted to get his car fixed which should have been done before we arrived in Kenya so we lost about 2 hours there. But largely my experience with Dennis (as well as Wildebeest Safari) was a pleasant one and I recommend them to others as well.
PL
Email Piotr Poznan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
6 Days Big Cats Safari pro and cons.
I have booked by them 6 Days Big Cats Safari Package.
2 nights Samburu National Reserve - Samburu Sopa Lodge.
1 night Lake Naivasha - Lake Naivasha Country Club.
2 nights Masai Mara - Zebra Plains Mara Camp.
Communication wit the company before the trip was fast and efficient. I made them full prepayment for the trip.
Before the trip I have informed that it is very important for me to start all activities just after sunrise and finish just before sunset as I am interested in photography. JUs before the trip they have changed the accommodation by Lake Naivasha for Kongoni Lodge. I have informed than that tis lodge have some negative comments on Tripadvisor and they answered that all lodges there have similar quality.
Samburu Sopa Lodge - Samburu NAtional Reserve.
I can only recommend this park and this lodge. On the first day we saw the pack of 7 wild dogs and leopard.
On the second day 4 leopards, 1 cheetah and 5 lions. Lodge was very good with good restaurant. In in the park however to the places we saw animals it takes 30 minutes of drive. Food at lodge was great. WIFI available only in restaurant area was slowly. In the rooms was available European plugin to recharge the batteries.
Kongoni Lodge.
First of all the drive from Samburu to Naivasha took 8,5 hours. Much more than planned. We arrived at 15.30.
I did not like this place. It is very remote place. Additional 30 minutes drive. They charged me 50 USD for the boat trip close to the lodge. In the itinerary they wrote me that the boat trip cost 25 - 30 USD. In this lodge they do not give food for drivers. So the driver did not get dinner and breakfast.
Lake Naivasha boat trip. However overpaid it was interesting 2 hours. I saw hippos from very interesting photography perspective. @ giant kingfishers, many pied kingfishers, Nubian woodpecker, many pelicans, spoonbills, African fish eagles and sandpipers. The trip was OK.
Zebra Plains Mara Lodge.
The place was nice. Restaurant good. WIFI available at the restaurant area but was slowly. Minus was that it takes up to 25 minutes to come to the gate of the park.
Masai Mare - very good plac to spot predators. In 3 days I saw 2 prides of lions with the kill. Once with wildebeest second with buffalo. First day 5 cheetahs and on the second day the same 5 cheetahs and one female. Disadvantage of this park is that there are plenty of tourist and if any predators are found immediately are many cars around.
David was very good driver and guide. He was able to find many of animals. He had the radio in the car so he easily communicate with others drivers if they found something. It was really pleasant to travel with him through Kenya.
Cons - on the second day in Masai Mara at 17.00 driver informed me that we must finish the safari for today. In fact he used the limit of petrol. I lost 1,5 hour of the day in the very good afternoon light for the photography. This was the question of refilling the car for additional 15 liters of petrol - 1500 schilling - 15 USD..... He solved the problem for next day and we started at 6.30 a.m.
Second small minus was travel time. The way from Samburu to Naivasha took us 8,5 hours. So we have been almost late for the boat trip. There were no issues on the road. So simply travel time was planned unrealistic.
Overall - the itinerary of the trip was very good. I saw and took pictures of all big cats and as bonus of wild dogs.
The driver David was very experienced and saved the trip. The company organized the trip with some minuses. I would suggest if you are photographer to underline with them how important is for you to be just after sunrise and before sunset in the park. If you simply want to see the cats it is enough to come a little later because thank to the radio the will find them all. Also do not agree to change the lodges from those which are in the original plan. If you ask me if I would book with them again I would answer yes. But confirm precisely all details.
Email Charlie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Polite staff and great value
Communications were initially very good and provided an excellent break down of a proposed itinerary. Subsequent communications were not so good and took some time for a response.
The service was great. We got picked up from Nairobi and then driven out to Maasia Mara in a mini-van. We had the van to ourselves and our driver was very polite and knowledgeable. The tented camp that we stayed in was perfect for our needs.
The tour itself was great too. Our driver was polite and knowledgeable and made the trip far better.
In all, a fantastic experience and one that my family will remember for years.
DE
Email Lisa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We would recommend this tour operator to all our friends and family.
It was easy to communicate because of E-Mail and WhatsApp contact. We had an informative chat with Noah to find the right tour for us. Our driver Andrew in Kenya was a great guy, he gave us a lot of Informations about every animal we have seen and he knew the hot spots to find the big five. We felt safety all the time and had a lot of fun together.
In Tansania our driver was Ibraham-a funny and nice guy, too.
The service was great during all the days, we didn‘t miss anything!
US
Email Matt | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience.
The trip was well organized. Our guide in Tanzania was truly world class. Our family felt safe and well cared for the entire trip. Overall the accommodations were excellent but we did have a couple of nights that were not up to expectations. In particular, the Nairobi hotel on the night of our arrival.
Email Sacha | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience
I absolutely loved it all - thank you for arranging a very good itinerary. Hamza, our guide, was such a delight and definitely made sure we enjoyed the safari.
The two minor things I would say for improvement is: under your information tab (on the itinerary), that the weather for winter needs to be updated. I didn't realise that the temperatures would be about 10˚C in the mountains, and therefore didn't pack a warm jacket. In terms of lodging - Ocean Paradise Hotel only gave us half board when we were promised full board according to our itinerary.
Apart from that though, the people of Tanzania are wonderfully warm and welcoming and we had the most wonderful time.