HK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic 6 Days 5 Nights Trip for 2 with David
Myself and my girlfriend (now fiancé but more on that later) have just come back from 10 day trip to Kenya. We spent a big portion of those days (Private tour for 2 people, 6 days/5 nights - 2 nights in Masaai Mara/ 1 night in Lake Nakuru/ 2 nights in Amboseli in a Land Cruiser) in the hands of the company and our guide David.
Before we booked the trip, Robert was always very prompt and honest in his responses, which was the difference maker for us, as we did talk to a few tour companies for comparison. Robert also never made us uncomfortable with hard selling - something we don’t really appreciate and something which we experienced with other tour companies.
On with the journey- After arriving at the airport, we were picked up by David, who greeted us with a friendly smile and off we went on our adventure! The trips by road to the parks are quite long and the roads are a tad rough - so be prepared for some bumpy moments but we were lucky that David was a fantastic driver so the trip was smooth and we even caught some sleep along the way. He also made sure that we always arrived on time as scheduled.
As we went in April during the rainy season, we did get some rain during some of our game drives but we were able to experience the safaris in all their glory. On Day 1 of our trip in the Masaai Mara, we were lucky enough to catch some cheetahs in action as well as Hyenas picking the bones of the corpse! The Masaai Mara was definitely our favourite spot and our only regret is spending only 3 days/2 nights here. We stayed at the Mara Ashnil and it was very good, although not as great as our latter accommodations in the trip. Mara Ashnil is a luxury tented camp but hot water and electricity is not 24/7, which can be uncomfortable for some but we managed alright.
After a 6 hour journey, we arrived at Lake Nakuru which is a smaller park famous for the Black and White Rhino, and pink flamingoes and we did get to see them. However, as good as the park is, it pales in comparison to Masaai Mara in terms of the sheer awe factor of the landscape and wildlife. The hotel, Nakuru Sopa Lodge, was absolutely terrific with a stunning view. We were pleasantly surprised and had a great night’s stay here.
To the final leg of our journey, and the longest drive. After 8.5 hours, we arrived at Amboseli and saw the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro. It was here that I proposed to my fiancé at sunset with the view of Kilimanjaro in the background and David was kind enough to capture those moments with my camera :)
Amboseli is absolutely stunning for the aforementioned view of Kilimanjaro (clearest in the early morning and late afternoon when there are no clouds), and for the various families of elephants. David’s vast knowledge of the safaris taught me that almost 200,000 elephants use to roam the grounds in the 80s, whereas now there were only around 2,000 left, such a shame! However, David got us very close to the elephants and we saw families of elephants bathing and crossing the road right in front of our car! We stayed at the Kibo Safari Lodge, which was perfect and with a view of Kilimanjaro right outside our window! Amboseli is second to Masaai Mara on our list of favourites. And thus ended the trip for us with the company, safe to say the experience was massively enjoyable.
Food on the trip was very good - hotel buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner at Mara Ashnil and Kibo Safari Lodge, and set courses at the Nakuru Sopa Lodge. During the long drives, we had takeaway lunch boxes and plenty of water along the journey. We were fed tremendously well!
Our guide David was very knowledgable and gave valuable insights into the Safaris, animals, and the country and culture of Kenya throughout the whole trip. He was always on hand to answer all of my queries (and I consider myself a curious person so I asked a lot of questions!) and one of the highlights of the trip was just getting to know him and also the country and culture of Kenya through him. His friendly demeanour and enthusiasm rubs off on you and made our trip very enjoyable. He is very highly recommended by us!
After the tour was over, we were dropped off at Wilson airport where we flew on with our own agenda to the coast, with wide smiles on our faces from the highly memorable experience of this safari with Explorer Kenya :)
NL
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very good experience... Christine was very good in coordination and follow up.
Communication, Service.. all lived up to our expectations...Safari van was neat and well kept..tour guide Jason did his job well...he made sure we spot maximum animals possible...
NL
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
He was awesome.
Everything, the whole trip was amazing. Unforgettable.
NL
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
High peaks expeditions with Global Exploration
My experiences with global explorations in the summer were really Nice. All the people are super Nice and they know a lot about their country. They really make sure you see the best of it.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
NZ
Professional, efficient, comfortable and an all round wonderful experience with this tour operator
The communication was good from the moment we arrived at Mana Pools airstrip and we were met by the two guides. They made a great effort to explain the processes, daily routine and to share their huge knowledge of the trees, birds and animals of the African bush with us.
The service over the four days was excellent - especially in terms of our comfort - setting up the tents with chemical toilets for night use, warm water for daily evening showers and warm water washes in the morning. food was delicious and all cooked over the fire - including chocolate cake for afternoon tea. Good coffee in the morning.
All drinks were included and there was always ice cold soft drinks and water available during the super hot days we experienced.
We participated in the Mana Shoreline trip - 4 nights - pleasant mix of paddling in canoes, bush walks and game drives. We had two camps with two nights in each which made for a far more relaxed tour than changing location every night.
The trip more than lived up to our expectations and we would highly recommend this operator.
NL
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
it was amamzing, all the guides are so nice and they tell you so much about the culture! Perfect!
We had 3 weeks with high peaks expeditions and there was not one miss communication. We have learned so much about Tanzania, about the culture, the animals and the food!
Not only for that i would recommend high peaks expeditions, the people who work for high peaks expeditions are so kind, they want the best for the people and they are truly a blessing to be with!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic; The lodge, transportation, and logistics, were flawless.
I could not have asked for a better company to use. Natasha quickly and patiently answered all my questions and helped when we had an unexpected flight cancellation. I would highly recommend Sun Safaris.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Phenomenal wildlife experience. Absolutely the best!
My wife and I have had the pleasure and privilege of traveling to Mana Pools with Natureways on 5 different occasions spanning 20 years. While we have traveled throughout southern and east Africa, we’ve made multiple repeat visits with Natureways as they have consistently provided exceptional and unique safari experiences. Our times with Natureways have resulted in some of the most astonishing wildlife encounters. While timing and luck have a lot to do with what a tourist is able to experience – we chalk up our streak of successful safaris with Natureways to the superior guiding we’ve been lucky enough to have. Our most recent trip in October 2019, our pro guide was Mark Van Zuydam, and our exceptional soon to be pro guide Ranga. Mark’s uncanny ability to anticipate and predict unusual spottings was impressive. On a morning walk, he believed a pack of wild dogs would make there way to the river for a drink – while proceeding through the bush, Mark halted, and slowly crouched down with binos scanning the landscape. There! By the fallen tree – a leopard has just captured an impala… As we watched through our binos, we could see a large male impala struggling. The leopard was a large male and was on the cusp of seizing the impala – however, just then, a monkey called. Mark shifted and scanned to his left and calmly said – “hmmmm this will be interesting, the dogs are on the move” As we watched the dogs proceeding in the direction of the leopard, the leopard released the impala which much to our amazement stood up and darted off… the Leopard vanished as well. We carefully and methodically proceeded to the river in a parallel path to position ourselves for a better sighting of the dogs… Arriving at the river, two hippos were fighting (a serious fight) – the dogs proceeded down to the waters edge (downstream from the fighting hippos). A crocodile leaped out of the water onto the shore making a go for the dogs. The dogs jumped back – but proceeded to antagonize the crocodile until it slipped back into the river and swam away… Mark again suggested we reposition under some trees (providing shade and cover) anticipating the dogs would come up from the river’s edge and lay down for a nap… Like clockwork, the pack of dogs chose to lie down under a group of adjacent trees (~100 feet away) – where we watched and observed them for +45 mins at which point we made our quiet exit. That same day we spent our late afternoon fishing for Tiger fish. While fishing, Mark spotted two hyena in the distance and said – “I expect it will be a noisy night…” further clarifying he said there was a newly formed pride of lions who were in the process of establishing their territory in the vicinity… “The lions won’t be happy with these hyenas in the area… “ At dusk we witnessed the lions organize to ambush the hyenas – the chase was on! The lions successfully ran the hyenas off… That night (mid-night) the lions began to roar not more than 100 fee from our tent. They roared and paced throughout the night in ~10 min increments – so intense, my wife and I were nearly shaken out of our bed… We were lucky enough to record several roaring episodes… Absolutely one of the most amazing nights – albeit sleepless. These our just two examples from countless unforgettable time spent with the Natureways group.
Accommodations:
Not only does Natureways provide world class guiding, they also provide well appointed camps (mobile) that are managed by a top notch crew. The tents are remarkably large (considering they are broken down and moved each night.) The dinning table is adorned with fine locally made table cloths and napkins. Beverages and other refreshments are abundant with a wide range of top shelf spirits, South African wine and locally made beer. The staff make every effort to ensure their guests are safe, comfortable, informed, entertained and depart with lifelong memories..
Food:
The chef, Isiah, if he hasn’t already, he should be a recipient of the “best bush chef in the world” award. Everything is seared, poached, roasted and cooked over an open fire. The quality and variety of food is extraordinary and only second to Isiah’s ability bake some of the best rolls you’ll ever have – yes baked over an open fire – perfectly proofed, fluffy and golden brown – fresh everyday!
Overall – For anyone looking for a truly unique and “adventurous” experience in one of Africa’s most fascinating game parks – Natureways will exceed your expectations on all levels. Cannot recommend Natureways and the experiences they offer enough.