Come As Guests, Leave As Family.
Odyssey Safaris
- Located In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2002)
- Member Of:
- APTA, ATA & KPSGA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $400 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Coralie from NM, USA | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible, professional, fantastic, beyond my wildest expectations and I can't wait to go again!
It was my first trip like this and Odyssey could not have been more helpful .... from making all connecting air flights to the extended stay we wanted. They are very professional but caring, never condescending. Our plane was two hours late into Nairobi but they were there with smiles. I will never use another company and I will always recommend Odyssey Safaris! I'll be back!
US
Email Carol Belden | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything was perfect from beginning to end
I felt lucky to have picked Odyssey Safaris for my African trip. It had great flight connections, long, but pleasant.
We arrived and our guide Simon was there to meet us. He was fabulous. Our lodges were all first class and we were so impressed with the service and dining experiences. The foods were outstanding and so many fresh vegetable dishes with different flares to them. The Safari adventures were the best ever. The parks were all first class and we saw every animal, many times over. I couldn't have been happier with a trip. The weather was perfect and NO mosquitos. What a dream come true for me.
The only thing I would like to see more of is better communication and patience from your office. Remember this is someone's first trip and they have no idea what to expect except what they read. Remember you went there for the first time once also. Pleasant people but somewhat in a hurry or impatient. Thank you for a great time!
CA
Email Jane | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Legendary adventure that will never be bested
Many days we said if all is does is rain for the rest of the trip, it’s okay because of the amazing things we have already experienced. But the weather was great and each day was better than the last. I highly recommend Odyssey as a tour company, our transportation was top notch. Food was excellent, wildlife was epic. The variety of birds was an unexpected treat. We added a day and went to sheldrick elephant orphanage, this was my favourite part of the whole trip!
US
Email rene raaymakers | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An East African dream come true...
I have read an entire library of books,mostly memoirs and other nature and environmental books that have to do with East Africa and the animals in it. I finally got to go to all of the places I had read about in August of this past year.
There is only one prerequisite to visiting Africa, you must love and respect animals, and the most amazing animals on the planet are in Africa. I used Odyssey Safaris for my Safari company and I could not be happier. I emailed the Connecticut office and Mark always got back to me within the same day if not the same hour, as our trip came closer to I started emailing Lucy which is the African component of this wonderfully organized Safari company. They handled everything: plane tickets all lodging of course all game drives transfers to and from two airports and they provided us with the most wonderful safari guide ever, Erastus. With over 20 years of experience, Erastus was a font of knowledge. I ask a lot of questions and there wasn’t one he could not answer, even more amazing is he liked to be asked questions and he loved to share information about not only the amazing animals of his country but the warm, welcoming people as well.
The month of August is an excellent time to visit East Africa as it is the start of the wildebeest migration from the Masai Mars into Tanzania. I am not sure who organized this most perfect itinerary to visit Africa but from the start to the finish it builds and builds on itself until you were in the final, ultimate Safari land of Masai Mara. The trip starts in Nairobi where we stayed an extra night because we absolutely did not want to miss seeing our adopted elephant, EMOLI, at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. This amazing elephant orphanage has been rescuing baby elephants who have lost their mothers due to poaching, drought, and spearing. They have been doing this work since the 1970s and have successfully returned hundreds of orphans now grown into the wild that return to them over and over to bring their own babies that are wild born. Adopting an elephant through them really is a must as you get to go to a private viewing of the orphanage that the public does not see. Words cannot even begin to express the emotion and joy of seeing a little elephant that you adopted years before run right in front of you and then you get to visit him as he is drinking his bottles of milk. Odyssey safari handles the arrangements and you pay a small fee for your guide to take you there, there are other optional tours you can arrange with them as well if you are an Out of Africa fan you may want to visit Karen Blixen‘s home at the bottom of the Ngong hills. The Safari begins the next morning with the long drive to an amazing lodge right at the entrance to Ambesoli National Park. This Park is famous for all of its elephant families, you will be moved beyond words to be among these gentle giants that are completely Majestic and silent other than the munching of grass. We also had wonderful encounters with lions, cape buffalo, hippos, baboons, flamingos and this is not to mention all of the different types of antelopes and zebras and cape buffalo, wildebeests and something you will grow very fond of and surprise yourself, warthogs fondly known as Pumbas.
After two wonderful days at the Sopa lodge you will drive to another lodge that is also Sopa brand and sits right on Lake Naivasha. Every single place we stayed on this trip was wonderful, the food was incredible, the staff absolutely amazing but this was my favorite lodge of all, the reason being, the grounds All-around each individual lodge have resident zebra, waterbuck, giraffe and in the evening, the hippos wake up and make their way from the lake to the ground to graze. The staff do an excellent job of educating all visitors if the dangers of hippos. They provide escorts in the evening to take you to and from your lodge to dinner and it is quite fun to look out your window and see hippos eating right outside your door. We took an optional boat tour on Lake Naivasha where the island and animals from the movie Out of Africa can be visited
The next morning is a full day at Lake Nakuru where we saw along with many African animals, our first rhinos both white and black.
Next stop is the vast, incredible Masai Mara and wildebeest migration of National Geographic fame. We saw all of the big Five here including a leopard kill. We stayed two nights in the most comfortable tent camp you can imagine with amazing food and views of hippos sunning themselves on the Mara river. I gained an incredible respect for all of the big cats and we saw many. The Masai Mara and Serengeti plains must be experienced to fully comprehend them
At the end of the safari we opted for the two night Zanzibar stay on the Indian Ocean. We planned our on scuba diving at the gorgeous Ocean Beach resort we relaxed at before the flight home.
I have not one negative thing to say other than I hope the tide can turn for all of the poaching and wildlife conflict that occurs in the most amazing land I’ve ever seen I want to go back... soon.
US
Email Nanette | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our trip was amazing, everything we hoped for and more.
We had an amazing time in Africa. Odyssey Safaris coordinated the entire trip that included 7 days of safari, 3 nights in Zanzibar and 5 nights in Cape Town. Our safari guide was fabulous and made every effort to make sure we saw as many animals as possible. The other guides that we had in Zanzibar and Cape Town were also great. All of the lodging was excellent, with even the tent camps being very comfortable. It was so nice to have everything arranged such as airport pickup taken care of. Two activities that were not part of the tour that we added on that I would highly recommend are the visit to the Masai Village, (although be prepared for some serious bargaining) and the trip to Robben Island in Cape Town.
US
Email Tricia | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
AMAZING!!!!!
This is truly the trip of a lifetime. Everything was wonderful from the greeting at the airport to each of the individual contractors. I will go back as soon as I can.
US
Email Sue | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a liftime with impeccable service, wonderful hotels and food and guides !
These guys were the best-communication before the trip was flawless and during the trip they go out of your way to make sure you are getting what you need and are comfortable and happy. This trip exceeded my expectations and was really a trip of a lifetime- I liked them so much I am having them take me on a Gorilla Trek in 2019!
US
Email Ann Marie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thousands of animals, striking landscapes, expert guide, great pictures...what more could you want!!
Setting up the trip, which we customized a bit, was easier than we thought. Everyone at Odyssey Safaris was very accommodating. Our guide, Simon, was phenomenal. From the time he picked us up at the airport he made us feel safe and comfortable. He always pointed out animals in the distance as we approached on our game drives and he was quick to show us unfamiliar birds. He took us up close with game for some awesome photos, and kept our best interest at heart when moving us from one conservancy to the next. We couldn't have asked for more in a guide! All of our accommodations were great - comfortable and clean, with all the amenities (we loved the hot water bottles!), and the meals we shared as a family were delicious. I was impressed with all of the options available at mealtime. Our party of eight (two families of four) still talks fondly about this trip and how much we all loved it. It was such a positive experience. We plan on returning someday with a few more family members in tow! I'm happy that we chose Odyssey Safaris as our tour operator.
US
Email Kayla | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Trip Ever!!!
This was my first trip out of the country and I’m not sure how I’m ever going to top this! I wanted my trip to be safari centered and they totally delivered. Unfortunately we missed Table Mountain because we were late getting to Cape Town because of flight delays, but the rest of the trip was AHH-MAZING!!! Our tour guide turned out to be the cool uncle I never had. My tour happened to be very personalized which I appreciated. We did a lot of driving up to Johannesburg, but it was cool because we sung and laughed almost the entire way. It was a busy trip, but a fun trip! I even got to walk in the wild with my favorite animal, the cheetah!!! If I could do this all over again, I would! Can’t wait to book my next safari!
US
Email Heidi | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
The trip was beyond our expectations......we saw so much stayed in beautiful accommodations..our guide was knowledgeable super friendly our trip was so special