PK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Short and sweet trip. Had a lovely time
Over all a good experience. Kennedy is a good help from the day we communicated. Definitely will come again
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professionell and very helpful
Clearly not a High-End-Safari, it provides an excellent service. You get full value of your money back. My experienced driver did a good job to show everything, what was possible in Octobre, which is not the best month to visit the Serengeti.
FI
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well-planned safari, pleasant communications.
Meru National Park
Highly recommended! The park is not too large, and the good spots are nicely concentrated. We saw rhinos, elephants, and lions from a very short distance. Many giraffes, zebras, antelopes, hippos, waterbucks, and lots of interesting and colourful birds. The park has multiple streams (called rivers) which are both beautiful (with all trees) and attractive for many species.
The general plan of safari
The plan was quite typical for a 2-night safari, but it worked well. Maybe the duration to drive from Chuka to the national park was too optimistic in the plan, and in the end of the first day we had only 1 h time in the park. Dan was already turning to the lodge (without going to the park), but we insisted on having at least a short visit, since this was in the original plan. And it was a good 1-h, since we saw, e.g., four lionesses (of course without knowing that on Sunday we would have even better view on both male and female lions).
Our second day consisted of a continuous, 8-h game drive, including a 1-d lunch break at a camping site inside the park (and with a swimming pool which we of course used for a short dip). Afterwards we thought the continuous drive was not such a good idea, particularly since the day was really hot. It would have been better to have a 4-h drive between 7 and 11 AM, then lunch at the lodge and another 2-h drive from about 4 to 6 PM. We will be wiser next time.
Our driver
We had a polite and friendly driver, who was knowledgeable of many animals and trees. He was flexible and open to our suggestions. Maybe the only very minor problem was that he was not an expert in Meru National Park. However, he was brave and smart enough to admit this and hence he invited a local ranger to join us. The end results for really good.
The Ikweta lodge
Two years ago, in our safari in Tsavo East, we stayed overnight in a lodge that had a drinking place for animals just in front of the camp. It was wonderful to see many animals even during the dark. This was something we missed this time in the Ikweta lodge which is located a couple of kilometers outside the camp. But we missed nothing else.
The lodge is simply wonderful. Tents are cozy and the interior designer has done a great job. The restaurant is great with really good, albeit not very innovative Mediterranean-like food. Good alternatives for vegetarians and non-meat eaters. There are many, many cats within the camp and restaurant area. We like cats and were even happy to have Mia (one of the cats) in our laps. However, maybe some guests are less happy with the cats.
SE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Proffesional, friendlyand service orientated
Excellent tour guide/driver knowledgeable and with a keen eye to find rare game. Accommodation were great.
My safari took place during off-season so there were some late change of plans iot coordinate other guests. That meant a lot more time spent commuting in the car. Other than that I would give it 5 out of 5.
RU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good!
I have booked Safari of Nationl Park Nairobi. Driver's name Jimmy. He is friendly and good driver, very possitiv guide.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Lots of great animals to see
It was a good trip, but we did lots of driving. We probably could have skipped the last park in lieu of some extra time to enjoy some of the earlier ones.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
safe and well managed
well organized, timely and kind approach. very much enjoyment and fun
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professionalism & Heart welcoming
From the fresh start to the end of our trip (Tanzania & Zanzibar) Mike and his team have been more than professional, the went out of their comfort zone to get things done and make us enjoy our honeymoon trip. My wife and I want to thank John our driver in Tanzania for his patience, kindness and jokes. We can't get enough of this tanzania beautiful landscapes, big fives, and Zanzibar's beaches. We appreciate Eyes on Serengeti service and professionalism throughout the adventure. We therefore recommend without hesitation their service.
Gael & S
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good option for custom itineraries through Kenya
We (late 20s couple) typically never book with a tour company for our travel but since this was our first safari we decided to work with Kenan Travel to arrange a private tour. Our safari was 2 weeks through Kenya where we stayed at a wide range of properties from budget to mid range to luxury.
Pro:
- Jane was extremely flexible and worked with us so that we could have the exact itinerary we wanted. It was very easy to continue to make adjustments as we delayed the trip a year due to covid.
- Mike, our hiking guide for Mt Longonot, was absolutely fantastic and would highly recommend working with him for short hikes or longer trips.
- Vehicles were in good condition and prices were reasonable.
- The parks / reserves / conservancies we visited were of course amazing - the Naboisho Conservancy is not to be missed.
Con:
- Some small issues where Jane/Kenan Travel were not aware of some new policies / regulations:
- We stayed outside the park at Samburu and were not able to re-enter for a morning game drive on the day we were leaving, apparently this is a new policy
- We did not get a reservation for the elephant orphanage in Nairobi and couldn't visit
- Flamingo Hill Camp is "inside the park" at Lake Nakuru, but due to rising water the small section of the park with Flamingo Hill Camp is cut off from the rest of the park. The new park gate is a 40 minute drive away through the city and around the lake - it would have been good to know this ahead of time since it was quite inconvenient.
- our driver/guide for the main part of the trip, Simon, wasn't a great fit for us. He didn't realize it was our first safari until 3 days into the trip, and we typically got a late start on morning game drives. We had a different driver/guide for the last day of the trip at Nairobi National Park who was great, and the guides at Basecamp in Naboisho Conservancy were truly excellent.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
First Safari everything worked really well.
James is a really good driver. Felt safe All the Time. You feel that his passion is doing safari.