50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable 16-Day Custom Kenyan Safari with Odyssey!
We recently returned from a custom 16-day safari in Kenya organized by Odyssey Safari, and it was truly the trip of a lifetime. From start to finish, the logistics were handled with incredible care. Our flights booked through Kenya Airways were seamlessly planned, making long-distance travel completely stress-free. The accommodations throughout the journey were overall exceptionally well-appointed—we had just one minor blip at one property, but it hardly put a damper on what was otherwise a flawless, high-end experience.
What elevated this adventure from a great trip to an extraordinary one, however, was our phenomenal team: our driver/guide, Erastus, and our photographer, John.
Erastus is hands-down the best driver and guide you could ask for on the savanna. His driving skills across tough terrain are top-tier, and his ability to spot wildlife is uncanny—he found us a unbelievable density and variety of animals. What we appreciated most was his balance and intuition: he possesses vast knowledge about the wildlife and local ecosystems, yet he never overwhelmed us with a non-stop talk track. He shared fascinating, insightful details when it mattered most, allowing us to absorb the quiet magic of the bush in between.
Having John as our dedicated photographer was an absolute game-changer. Instead of constantly viewing the breathtaking landscapes and wildlife through a camera lens or worrying about capturing "the shot," John’s expertise allowed us to be fully present in every moment. Knowing we would have professional-quality photos of our safari gave us total peace of mind to just sit back, watch, and take it all in.
If you are considering a custom safari in Kenya, we cannot recommend Odyssey Safari highly enough. Ask for Erastus and John—they truly made this an unforgettable journey!
SA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I highly recommend this safari experience to anyone visiting Tanzania.
I had an amazing experience on my 5-day safari in Tanzania, visiting the incredible Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. The whole trip was beautiful, well-organized, and exceeded my expectations.
From the very beginning, the staff were extremely helpful, friendly, and responsive. During the booking process, they provided me with a very clear and well-organized itinerary, so I always knew what to expect each day.
One of the highlights was our accommodation. In Ngorongoro, we stayed right on the rim of the crater, with incredible views over the crater. In the Serengeti, we stayed in camps/lodges right in the middle of the reserve, surrounded by nature and wildlife. Being so close to the animals made the experience feel truly authentic and unforgettable.
The safari days were full days, giving us plenty of time to explore and look for wildlife. Our driver was excellent—very professional, kind, and cooperative. He genuinely did his best to help us see as many animals as possible and had great knowledge of the wildlife and the areas we visited.
The lodges also included all meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—which made everything very convenient and stress-free. Everything was well organized from start to finish, and I felt very well taken care of throughout the entire trip.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience
Robert was an amazing guide! We saw the big five in our first game drive itself (including a black rhino). He was very knowledgeable and passionate about what he did which made the experience worth it. I would recommend him! For Amboselli we had Peter and were disappointed by his lack of enthusiasm and unwillingness to spend time to show us wildlife or have any conversation.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Approachable, reliable, and competent. Excellent.
A fantastic experience.
From the very beginning, the Kibo agency was helpful and accommodating regarding all my needs.
Everything was excellent—from the driver and the guide to the entire Kibo team.
Price, quality, availability—everything you need for peace of mind and to make the most of your safari.
I recommend this agency to anyone looking for an unforgettable experience.
Top quality
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Patient, good driving skill
Very reliable, good for communication, and the price is reasonable
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
To the dot
Simon was an amazing tour guide. Always full of interesting facts about wild life and always answered any questions we asked. When with Simon, don't even think about killing a tsetsefly because it's all part of the wild. 🤗. Anyway, Lulu safaris organized everything to the dot, and all we had to do was enjoy nature and ourselves. We also had children with us and their needs were catered for to the dot.
TR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very very good experience
It was a wonderful experience; we are very pleased. Everything went smoothly the whole time, and we saw all the animals.
(automatic translation from Turkish)
Amazing Time with James!!
We spent about six days with James exploring Kenya last month and all I can say is WOW!! We met him at an airstrip and he greeted us with the warmest smile. As soon as we drove into the Masai Mara, he started sharing all of his knowledge with us. We learned sooo much about the animals, nature, and the country as a whole. I teared up when we had to leave him and couldn’t have imagined other guide. He made an already special trip even more amazing!!!
RO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional operator
I had a fantastic experience with Axis Africa Expeditions and would highly recommend them. Everything was well organized from start to finish, but what really made the safari special was our guide, Ken.
Ken was excellent throughout the entire trip. He genuinely went above and beyond to make sure we had the best possible experience and made a real effort to help us see as much wildlife as possible. He was patient, knowledgeable, attentive, and always willing to go the extra mile to find the animals and get us into the best positions to observe and photograph them.
You could really feel that he cared about making the safari memorable for everyone, rather than simply following a standard itinerary. Thanks to his effort, we managed to see an incredible amount of wildlife and had a wonderful experience in the Maasai Mara.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Bait and Switch Company
My wife and I booked the 12-day East Africa Bush Expedition Kenya & Tanzania. We thought the marketed itinerary and hotel accommodations Apodiformes listed on Safari Bookings was what we're going to get. Well, that wasn't the case. Silas sent over a PDF of an itinerary saying, "As per your request, kindly see attached itinerary for your consideration". I assumed the itinerary Silas sent would be the same as listed on Safari Bookings. It was not. They changed accommodations that were not nearly as nice and much further away. Lesson learned!
Two of the three driver/guides were nothing more than a taxi driver. Silas even said to us upon departure he only has one driver/guide because if there's two, they end up talking to each other and not the customers. Well, while in the Mara for 2.5 days, our driver/guide had a trainee. The driver/guide talked to the trainee more than us.
Some of the game drives call for full-day drives but only lasted a half day.
The jeep had a mechanical issue that needed fixing. So, the morning we were to do a full-day game drive in Ngorongoro Crater our driver/guide sent a couple texts that were short and rude. At first, it was I'll be late, then it turned into a substitute coming to take us on the game drive. Long story short, after keeping us waiting in the lobby for hours, the substitute picked us up and we did a game drive for UNDER 2 hours!
The last accommodation was rated a 7.2 on Tripadvisor. The "new itinerary" had us here for 2 nights. It was so bad we considered ending the expedition early.
Silas contacted me months before the expedition requesting $3,000 that was not due until arrival. This was on top of the $3,784 deposit already paid. He said big company's purchase blocks of rooms at hotels and lodges and the $3,000 would ensure reservations. Most of the accommodations where we stayed had vacancies and the $3,784 would have easily paid all of the accommodations. So, in my opinion, this was Silas' way of squeezing a larger deposit out of us.
Overall, we would not recommend Apodiformes as a tour company. If you do use them, double check the "final" itinerary and make sure the quality of accommodations are to your satisfaction and not 2.5 hours away.