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 Naomi | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent guide, very lovely accomodations, I recommend them to the adventurous person.
Our experience was more than we expected. We had an excellent and knowledgeable guide. Our vehicle was comfortable and even had an outlet for battery charging. Two people can move around freely for picture taking.
The accomodations were very nice, some were rustic and some more luxurious. Breakfast and dinner were full course; lunch was brown bag and somewhat repetitious in it's menu but certainly enough to satiate. Ample bottled water was available and our guide even made hot tea for our lunches. We went off season and were glad we did as we had no crowds fighting for spots to take photos. Wifi, even when claimed was hardly functioning. Texting probably works best.
US
Email Bané | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Simply amazing
I and my 16 yr old daughter have taken the trip in April 2017 and there really are no words to express our satisfaction with the complete experience. From the moment we have arrived in Nairobi and transport to the hotel, to the last minute and the drop-off at the airport.
Our guide for the week was Erastus and he was in good part responsible for the whole positive experience. He is extremely knowledgable (by the end of the trip we were joking that there is no question he can't answer), curteous and pleasant to be around.
Hotels we were accommodated in were all really nice, clean, all had free wi-fi. The food was very good and there was always plenty of choices (buffet style for all meals). If you are expecting to have filet mignon you will be disappointed but otherwise plenty of variety. All in all, highly recommend it to anyone looking for safari experience!
US
Email RandyM | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime
After receiving quotes from many safari companies and after reading many reviews, we chose Odyssey Safaris. Mark Cahill offered a private safari that matched everything we said we wanted to see. He got us good flights and helped to resolve a last minute flight change due to an American Airline cancellation. Lucy and Beatrice made sure we were fully prepared for the trip. Our accommodations were great at all locations. The food was great and plentiful. We saw rhinos, leopards, cheetahs, lions, hyenas, and a multitude of grazers. We saw the great migration and river crossings at the Mara River. We spent three nights in Masai Mara, two nights in the Serengeti, two nights at the Ngorongoro Crater, one night in Lake Manyara. On the last day we visited Arusha National Park before traveling to the airport. Our Kenyan guide, Erastus, and our Tanzanian guide, Tadei, were exceptional. They got to where the animals were and made sure we had perfect spots to do our viewing. They were very attentive to our needs and our desires. Many thanks to everyone involved in making this a perfect trip.
US
Email Pamela Witzmann | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most outstanding trip we have every had ,as the accomodations, food and Safaris were spectacular
This was a trip of a lifetime for us, and by choosing Odyssey Safaris we were not disappointed. The accomodations were first rate ,the food
was always delicious and presented well, even the boxed lunches. The Safaris , however were the main thrill. We cannot say enough good things about our driver Simon. Not only was he a very careful driver, but attentive to our needs and was a great source of information.
All of our arrangements were prefectly timed and smoothly made. Odyssey did a wonderful job of making these arrangements so hassle free.
We were treated to some of the most outstanding views of this country and were never disappointed in the wild life we were able to observe in it's natural habitat. We cannot say enough about how welcomed we felt by the Odyssey staff, all of the hotel staff and the peopleof Kenya and Tansania overall. It was a such a memorable trip.
US
Email Brenda and James [Les] | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
First class Odyssey Safaris enabled us to see African wildlife in their lovely natural surroundings.
Fun and different and one from our "bucket list"! Everything about this safari exceeded our expectations. We were very impressed with the expert handling of any concerns both before and during the tour. Each day went very smoothly. The lodges where we stayed were really comfortable and delightfully unique with service that was friendly, welcoming, and professional. We appreciated the good food too! We enjoyed the company of all the people in our group [fifteen, including us]. Our very competent driver/guide Simon went out of his way to give both us and the other couple in our land cruiser a great "safari experience" [We loved the land cruiser!] Simon provided us with expert information about the numerous beautiful animals we saw [ the cheetah was one of our favorites], with plenty of photo opportunities, as well as information about Kenya in general. We learned a lot. He made plenty of "comfort" stops along the way and time to souvenir shop! We thoroughly enjoyed the well-planned optional activities : the Masai village in Amboseli, the boat ride on Lake Naivasha, and the elephant orphanage in Nairobi [where we "adopted" a baby elephant]. This was a great and unforgettable experience. Thank you!
US
Email Maura | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip of a lifetime!
Booked a groupon for the Kenya Safari. The booking process and communication process went smoothly thanks to Beatrice and Mark and I felt comfortable with all arrangements prior to the trip. Francis was a very good guide and driver throughout the whole trip. I recommend adding a day and seeing the elephant orphanage and giraffe center. The temperature and weather in April was very nice with rain usually in the evenings (I think we lucked out with good weather though) and everything was so green and the animals were all fat and happy! All four lodges were very nice at Safari Park hotel, Amboseli, the lake, and Masai Mara- can’t pick a favorite because each had their own charm. I do recommend trying to request a river view room at the Masai Mara camp- if I did this trip again that’s the one thing I would try and do (everyone in our group got bush views). Don’t skip the boat ride at the lake! I also recommend the horse riding at the lake lodge if you like horses. The safari trucks were comfy and roomy with plenty of water bottles available. I added an extra day at Masai with a bush flight from the park back to Nairobi which was a nice ending. One thing to keep in mind is that the driving time between parks is long and may not be comfortable for small children, especially during rainy season in April when delays and detours can make the driving time around 7-8 hrs. Overall this trip greatly exceeded my expectations!
US
Email Tracy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I got my money's worth on day one and the trip just kept getting better.
I booked my trip through groupon and it was a fantastic deal. The accommodations were amazing, the food was great, Kenya was a gift, our guide (Francis) was the best and deserves a raise. I can't recommend this tour company and this country/safari enough. It was the rainy season which meant more adventure (be prepared) and fewer tourists.
US
Email Dan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had the most enjoyable travel experience from the beginning to end.
Initially I was unsure of the of what to expect from this type of vacation but Odyssey squelched any questions and doubts I had in making such a trip. From my very first communication with the company, I was impressed with their professionalism. Once we arrived everything fell into place and ran smoothly. Our driver was over the top good in all aspects making our trip a wonderful experience. The lodges we stayed at were fabulous and the staff at all the locations were so helpful and courteous. I can not say enough of this safari as we saw all that there was to see and I would highly recommend anyone to try this outfit.
US
Email Melody | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our trip with Odyssey Safaris far exceeded our expectations.
Four of us had traveled in Kenya and several other African countries, but
it was a first for the friends who accompanied us on this trip. All of us agree that it was an outstanding trip. The driver\guides were experienced and delt with unexpected events like weather and road conditions efficiently. They were very knowledgeable about the parks we toured. Their ability to find wildlife and get us close to
the animals for optimal viewing was remarkable. The accommodations were beautiful, each offered unique architecture and outstanding service. Everyone was friendly and it opened the opportunity to meet local residents. Odyssey Safaris worked with us and went out of their way to help all eight of us from various states plan our trip. This trip was equal to other more expensive trip we had taken. We highly recommend a safari with Odyssey Safaris.
US
Email Rochelle | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Odyssey created a magnificent vacation experience for my family that far exceeded our expectations.
From my first conversation with Mark and Lucy, I felt like my family was in good hands with a supportive, caring team. My many calls and emails were answered promptly. Mark, who bore the brunt of my novice questions, answered all my concerns with patience and good humor. Even during our trip, when I had a question, I received a very quick response from an Odyssey team member in Kenya, as well as an email from Mark. This, to me, showed that Odyssey was on top of every aspect of our trip and had our back.
From the moment we touched down in Kenya to our departure at Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania, our drivers/guides took care of all our needs. Charles, our driver/guide in Kenya met us with a bright smile. He was an exceptional guide and driver who had a great sense of humor. I'm sure our trip was enhanced because of Charles. We feel very lucky to have met him and have him show us his country. Charles was able to find a leopard as soon as we entered our first game drive. We joked, that everything else is downhill now. This was not true, every game drive was incredible. If we get to return to Kenya, Charles has to be our driver/guide.
Charles passed us on to our Tanzania driver/guide Gibson at the Kenya-Tanzania border. Gibson had big shoes to fill, and he did just that. Gibson was another excellent guide/driver. He was very accommodating with our schedule and needs and was very knowledgeable. I would definitely request him again if we are ever lucky enough to travel back to Tanzania. I was very touched when he presented me with a gift at the end of our tour.
All the lodges or tented camps we stayed in were good to great. Be prepared to not have wifi, hot water or even electricity at some of the places during certain hours (mostly overnight). It was kind of liberating to be disconnected for a time. Most of the place we stayed had amazing views. I do have some favorites, but they were all very nice. Most meals were buffet style, which my family enjoyed. While I didn't mind the few times we had a pre-packed picnic lunch, my husband would have liked to have been given more of a choice of options.
We spent long hours in our safari truck driving from one location to another, but I would never trade the six-hour drives for an internal flight. We were able to experience so much more while driving, getting to stop along the way and meet some local Kenyans. We also got to really get to know our guides. The drives passed quickly due to so much to see.
We did do a few extras while in Kenya. While in Nairobi, we had previously fostered a baby elephant at The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. We were able to meet all the baby elephants and watch as the came in for the night. I highly recommend this experience. We also went to the Giraffe Center. While we enjoyed feeding the giraffes, this is something we've done in the US.
While staying at The Sopa Lodge in the Maasai Mara, we scheduled two private bush meals; one dinner and one breakfast. Both of these experiences were great and something we were glad we got to do.
If we got to do this same trip again, the one thing I would do differently would be to add a few days, in the end, to relax in Zanzibar. This was a once in a lifetime experience for us and it exceeded all expectations. I will be recommending Odyssey Safaris to anyone who is interested in going on Safari.