Absolute Holiday Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2006)
- Member Of:
- Ministry of Tourism Kenya & Kenya Tourism Federation.
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Roger Simmons | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good communication, great animal safari for the budget - but lots of travel and a moving itinerary.
I travelled with my sister on the 12 day safari in Kenya and Tanzania.
David is an excellent communicator, which made booking informative and simple.
Collection from the airport prior to the safari was a nice complimentary service.
When we were collected to pay our itinerary was changed.
Our driver in Kenya, Stanley (Stano), was fantastic. He knew where to go to find the animals and was always happy to pause so we could take photo's. The accommodation in Kenya was varied from very nice to functional. Keep in mind its a budget holiday so manage your expectations on the temperature and volume of water in your shower.
Do take a power bank to recharge your phone - electricity access is variable. I took a solar charger and power bank and didn't need any mains supply.
Minivan transport in Kenya was fun as we shared with 6 other people, who helped make the holiday. The roads are bumpy and some of the driving styles are not what you might normally expect - but its fun.
We did the hot air ballon, which is very expensive for an hour's ride and it is hit and miss what you drift over. The champagne breakfast is also nice and we were glad we took the opportunity.
The transfer from Kenya to Tanzania was lengthy and involved a series of transport changes. The shuttle bus is public transport to Arusha and would have been improved by a dedicated tour operator vehicle.
We were issued a revised itinerary in Tanzania, same places but in a different order - which was fine. It appearered this part of the safari had been subcontracted out to another company. Our booking of tents with bed and bedding was downgraded to tent with mat and blanket. We did ask for the original but when we got to the camp we still got the mat and blanket.
Accommodation in Tanzania was mixed, some very nice and some a basic tent which you take with you on the 4x4.
More great travel mates - 6 of us plus the driver, Gervas - who was excellent and the cook.
The food is mixed but good considering its travelling with you and cooked on site.
The trip back from Arusha to Nairobi is again very long after a long safari, but I must say both companies were very helpful in adjusting our travel arrangements after my sister was unwell and unable to travel.
Overall I would probably just stick with Kenya for safari. I'm not sure adding Tanzania added to what we saw but did significantly add to the travel time. As long as you can go with the bumpy roads and 'flexible' itinerary its a great budget holiday.
IN
Email REX B M | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A buget safari with all details coverd
I went to Masai Mara-Nakru-Amboseli 6 days safari in Sep-16 ....3rd week
Highlights:
1. A worth visiting place & safari...a must see place
2.. Absolute Holiday Safaris is a reliable company and the Manager David was polite and good to us.
3. Driver cum Guide Stanley was extremely good. Initially he looked to be little different but he made the trip enjoyable
4. Stanley took us every where ... even near to the animals when other vans did not dare to do it.
5 . When I lost my video camera in Lake Nakuru and traveled 15 km with out knowing it , Stanley took every effort , called some one there and got back my camera safely.....Weldone....Thanx Mr. Stanley. God Bless you.
7. We enjoyed every hour of the day ....especially Amboseli,,,, but could not see Mount Kilimanjaro due to misty condition.
8. Over all the safari was well organised.
Negative points:
1. The tented accommodation was not up to the expectations.
2. Always the food was bread, jam/butter/ Watermelon /some rice/etc .
But I really enjoyed the safari .
TN
Email Haifa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great tour and a great guide
The tour was great, Masai Mara was everything we expected it to be and more: Wildebeest, Antelopes, Cheetah, Leopards, Hippos, Elephants, Lion cubs, sunrise over the hills... Lake Nakuru was also lovely.
Gibson, our guide and driver was perfect
DK
Email Cecilie Lykke | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience, but a horrible, bumpy ride.
AbsoluteHolidaySafari offers safari trips where you get a lot of value for your money. We chose a 3 day safari in Maasai Mara, and really looked forward to it. We were picked up at the airport and driven to our hotel on our first day in Nairobi, which saved us a lot of hassle finding taxis at the airport. They also picked us up on the first day from the safari and to the office where we met up with the others we were sharing a car with.
I was expecting like a range rover safari van, but when the trip is as cheap as ours was (300$ pr. pax) we had to settle for a Toyota van with 9 seats. And trust me, the trip to Maasai Mara and during our safari was horrible. If I could choose again, I would spend a little more money to get a better car, but we made the best out of it.
The safari in general was amazing!! We had Richard as our driver, and he's sort of the veteran of all drivers. He really gave us a nice experience and we got to see so many animals. We saw cheetahs 2 times, which we learned was very rare, and a lot of lions, elephants and other animals. You really get to see all the animals you want to on this trip, and if you're going on a safari to see animals and not for luxury, I would highly recommend this trip.
The beds are hard, the facilities are on a low standard, but not too bad. The food was okay, but as others have written here, there can be quite long gaps between every meal, so you should bring some snacks. And remember to bring water, you only get 1 litre per day, which is NOT enough...
We really enjoyed our trip and got to know some really nice people during our stay at the camp. If it's your first time on safari, this is a very nice tour that is affordable, where you still get to see so many animals.
ES
Email Nuria | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience
We enjoyed a lot this experience. Everything was planned as in the schedule. We joined people from other agencies, (they work like that), so finally all of us did the same, but we should say that our plan was the one done (as others booked with other agencies they had different plan and some of the were dissapointed).
It is a really good value quality/ price, taking into account that this is a budget safari. Do not expect great lodges or food but we felt it like magic, being in contact with nature.
AE
Email Magda | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari
Overall we had a good experience with Absolute Holiday Safaris. Coordination, lodge bookings, communication, pick up and drop off - all very positive. And competitively priced.
The actual jeep we were allocated was rather time-worn, but (surprisingly enough) made it successfully to and back from Serengeti...part of adventure I guess! Our driver/guide was attentive and welcoming, however I would have preferred if he had offered insight/info about animals and areas we visited.
US
Email Pratt | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Splendid safari with gorgeous animals, great guide but mediocre lodging
We just returned from a 7-day safari with Absolute Holiday and Safaris limited to Masai Mara, Nakuru and Amboseli. . They are a resource sharing group with Big Time safaris. We were quite happy with their service. They picked us up at the airport, transferred us to Sarova Stanley and we began our safari the next day with 4 others. Our contact person, David, was quite cordial and helpful. The highlight of our safari was Patrick, our safari driver and guide. We had requested for Patrick based on testimonials on the Internet and were truly pleased. He is a warm, nice person with a solid knowledge of the animals and the savannah. I remark on his ability because he was able to spot and land us as virgin spectators into various animal adventures. That was remarkable. Altogether it was an excellent trip. We chose the budget option to experience the savannah closer. However, in hindsight, I will opt for a bit less modest accommodations next time. Our camps and tents were too primitive with loads of plumbing issues and some dreadful-looking insects as natural lodgers. We plan to opt for a less-primitive lodging experience next time.
KW
Email Ines | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
patient and taking care of our sugests
The company makes all the ofer things, also the people from company was on charch during the safary
AE
Email Rasida Sakherwala | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was a great experience. Definitely worth experiencing!
Our trip was well organized by Mr. David, from start to finish. He always replied by emails
and lived up to our expectations. Our guide Mr. Gibson was knowledgeable, punctual and cooperative.
Overall, we enjoyed the safari and highly appreciate his service.
CH
Email VN | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Pleasant Experience
David was the sales representative I was in contact with. He was very responsive and very happy to find ways to accommodate my requests for modifying the itinerary. David's hospitality was fantastic and exceeds that of other companies. The safari was operated by Big Time Safaris. The driver was very friendly and skilled but not outstanding. The driver was not so familiar with the region, which led us to taking some wrong turns. He could also improve his wildlife knowledge as he mistook Grant's gazelles to be Thomson's gazelles. Overall though, the safari progressed smoothly. The accommodations were nice and the van was comfortable.
Reply from Absolute Holiday Safaris
Posted on Feb 4, 2021Thank you so much Vance for a great review about your Kenya Safari with us, we really appreciate it highly, Thank you also for the great remarks about David. Concerning the safari guide yes he agreed from Sweetwaters to Meru National Park he had some direction issues and assured us that would happen again.
About the operation due to covid 19 we had to have a strong agreement to make sure all confirmed booking that was cancelled due to the pandemic and new bookings either private or group joining is done with as per the agreement and that when we signed the agreement just for the benefit of the clients.
Thanks in advance
with Kind regards
John.