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 Richard | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Bargain Groupon delivr what we paid for - 4 off-season Kenya resorts, +game drives but long xfer
It was a bargain Groupon trip WELL WORTH the MONEY - especially incl. air travel. Four quality Kenya game Park resorts (no Tanzania) about 2 days at each but transfers between each (plus repack/ checkout) rather grueling for 8 days game safaris ("10d/9n" package). Long resort transfer travel times included rest-stops (even some box-lunch stops) at the ubiquitous curio shops. Had we been in the market for negotiating carving/artwork prices I might have looked forward to stopping but with 5-6 hr travel times between Parks, "running the gauntlet" of sellers to use the [very clean, BTW] bathrooms in the back got rather old, fast. But I'd be singing different tune if I bought more trinkets.
Choice of Game Parks and resorts quite good. Nice mix. Amboseli. Lake Naivashu (even Lake Nakuru without Flamingoes) and the top Masai Maru NR delivered all that was promised. Just transport between them was grueling.
[perhaps "road travel" transfers could be done at night?]
Other safaris have flown us by prop plane to the grass strip at Masai Mara, but not at these prices (or gear weight limits) - so once again, this was well worth the price.
Other pluses included roomy Land Cruisers - only 4 pax in our vehicle + guide. Great! Guide (Francis) was tops. Vehicles maintained well. Food was great with variety. Photo ops at the resorts themselves were great - game right outside windows.
Extras requiring cash (~$30) included Maasai Village visit, the water safari by boat, tips, curios, plus the $50 cash entry visa fee.
Plus we sort of lost a day of touring Nairobi by arriving from US so late in the evening. Due to 9 pm arrival, traffic jams at the airport and streets of Nairobi, there was nothing to do but sleep at first Nairobi motel.
Communication-
Could have used more communication between Odyssey vehicles (our radio was down) and...once we paid Groupon, I was apprehensive about lack of communication from Mark at main office (is there one? or just an answering service?). The "Odyssey Chatter" link to help us prepare was broken. Beatrice was unreachable. I had fears about "hidden extras" - there were none. I had questions for Mark about Entry Visa, Immunizations, cash needed - but, when needed, Mark really delivered on Emirates tickets from our home gateway city. That too, was a great deal.
Time of year - April - for Kenya not the greatest but we saw the big 5, numerous cheetah cubs, Hippos, Snake, colorful big and little birds. Even dung beetles. Great backdrops of Kilimanjaro. Fish eagle fishing on Lake Naivashu was quite unique.
Long story short - I would book Odyssey again. I would recommend them. They could improve on communication to customers and between drivers.
US
Email jennifer | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
unfortunate experience *updated*
Update February 2nd, 2017:
The owner of the company called me with concerns about my review, so I will clarify that further.
I said the food was not good, which was too blanket a statement. There was a buffet for every meal, and most people could find something in it that appealed to them. There was always a certain amount of Indian food, as Kenya has a large East Indian population. I wouldn't go expecting gourmet offerings, but the food was satisfactory. Mark (the owner) said he eats fruits and vegetables every time he goes there, but it seemed to me like no one wanted to risk it on my trip.
As for options that cost more, I was referring to side trips that are offered if you have the time.
Another point I didn't make in my review was to be sure to bring extra cash-like at least $250. There are many things you will need it for, and they gladly take American dollars, so no need to change money.
Original review:
My experience with Odyssey started out well: I though they had good communications and returned my emails and calls promptly. Where it all fell apart was when they had a problem with the return ticket and did not give me accurate and timely information. This caused me a lot of anxiety and anger, because they were not honest and forthcoming about what was happening. It turned out fine in that I did get home, but my feelings about the trip are tainted.
The tour itself seemed to be ok, with a lot of driving and very little rest or down time. Also, the food was not good. Many of the options are not really available at all, and most cost extra money.
I would caution anyone interested in this company to be aware of every detail stated in the package, and keep a careful eye on arrival times and any changes that are made.
Reply from Odyssey Safaris
Posted on Feb 2, 2017Thanks for taking my call today to discuss your trip and review. I appreciate your frustration with the return flight situation which was out of our control. I think we both understand that we were honest with what was happening, but had we been more thorough with information this would have alleviated any anxiety. For that we are sorry.
With regards to the food, thank you for your discussion regarding that comment. I hope you are able to add an update to this review with more detail. If I can summarize our discussion the food was satisfactory but because of some concerns arising from comments from health care professionals in the United States, there was anxiety about eating fruits and vegetables that couldn't be peeled. We don't feel this is accurate and I appreciate you sharing this with us so we can address this with travelers in the future. I hope we can see you in Africa again!