FR
Disappointing
Very dry landscape, very little wildlife. Some lions, leopards and wild dogs. Almost no herbivores. I do not recommend reserving at the end of the dry season for this reason.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Nakuru National Park by Netty and Danny Heighton
The park is smaller and don't see animals closer and didn't see thousands of flamingos
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Freddy was very informative and accommodating but not that flexible when it came to schedules.
I enjoyed my time at the Masai. The place was breathtaking, animals everywhere (we saw more than 20 lions!) and the hotel was spectacular! But I wouldn’t say it was a great value for money for various reasons. We had to skip lunch the first day because the restaurant we stopped at ran out of food. I was promised water but didn’t receive any until the last day. There was also an activity that I had to give up since the driver said it was optional and wasn’t paid for then later found out that it was paid for but it was too late to go. And it was supposed to be a 3 day safari when actually it was just a day and a half. I would recommend checking what time the park is actually open and confirming the schedule for when you will go for a game drive before booking.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Tsavo East National Park by Mary Harvey
Nice but animal population sparse. Some good birds here.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Nakuru National Park by Mary Harvey
Not a lot to see here. Very expensive boat trip, $50 each which only lasted an hour and didn't see many animals! A better lake was Naivasha which had a great variety of birds on the lake and animals in the park. The best place to see black and white Rhinos and an abundance of flamingos. Weren't taken to the actual park.
VI
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Expensive and unjustified
The price compared to competitors was expensive. The accommodation is mediocre (there was no hot water some nights) and the food is mediocre.
ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Masai Mara National Reserve by Maria Arreba
In October, there were very few animals around. Migration had already ended. However, the amount of lions we saw was very big, and we had the opportunity to watch how they behaved. The fact than migration wasn't on, reduced the number of vehicles around and we could see some lions and other animals alone.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Not my best experience but nice to see big animals in real life
Tsavo east and west + Amboseli / Lansdcapes were nice but very dry in many places so no animals as it was desertic.
Compare to my souvenir 13 years ago, (only 2 nights in Nairobi) this new experience to let my kids discover Kenya was really poor. Only possible to see one lion's family from closeby. A lot of driving with no animals in the parks.
Kenyan people see you as only m a way to make money and give you pay same price as in Europe. They really abuse on the price they want you to pay and when you see the difference in fixed price shops... When I spend a lot of money in my travel all inclusive, I don't expect to spend so much extra money when I go to Africa... 50Ksh a coffee in one place and 250Ksh at the next stop for the same instant coffee. And also, as a single woman, not feeling safe outside the hotels or without the guide in the safari.
+ The tour organizer made a big story and refused to let my 3 days safari continue because 1/3rd of the amount was still to pay after 1 day safari. Like if I will fly away for the safari... We were late starting the safari and he really made me feel like a thief, breaking my holiday feeling.
It could be a beautiful place to visit but I did not like how European are threaten. We are not all stupid tourists full of money...
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Easy, nice, reliable but greedy
The communication with Lydia was very easy and fast. She is very responsive and reliable. Just make sure she understands what you write, because sometimes she understands the exact opposite. She is very a very nice person, so no problems there, it was great and we got what was described, even if it was the wrong order. Days 5 and 4 were switched :-)
But (prices according to October 2023):
1. She charges 30$ each for the Massai village although it only costs 10$.
2. She charges 35$ for the boat tour although it only costs 20$.
3. She wanted 25$ for a taxi from our hotel to the airport although with bolt it costed less than 6$.
4. She wanted from us 80$ more (which she didn't take in the end) because the gas prices went high.
I would have no problems with her charging a bit extra, but this, for people who are on a budget, is not proper and is strictly greedy. So more like 3.5 stars instead of 5.
As for the tour:
1. Don't pay for the extra activities ahead. This way you can see what the activity is all about and if it is worth it for you.
2. For Massai Mara, I think it does make a big difference if you get there before or during the migration. Else (like us) you have more than 1 million zebras and wild beasts (and flamingos in Lake Nacuro) less.
3. The Massai village was nice and you get a good feeling thinking you help them by donating your money. You can also buy some souvenirs at the market in the end of the tour they give you.
4. The boat tour IMHO has nothing to offer and is not worth it. There are a few hippos under water, a few birds and sea eagles, but that's about it. If the sun is out, it means sitting in a scorching heat for an hour or more.
5. I found the Amboseli Camp great, but the morning tour there is a tourist trap. 10$ for a Massai guy taking you for a 4km walk through dusty ground with a promise of maybe seeing some animals and ending up seeing a few giraffes. Better get 2 more hours of sleep and save your money. And better yet, take a tour through one of the sanctuaries around Lake Navashi, where you really actually walk next to the animals. Many different ones.
6. I think the Amboseli reserve is actually nicer in the dry season, because many animals are concentrated in areas around the swamp. There is also a great variety of birds there regardless of the season.
7. Hopefully you get a good driver that will no where to go so you can see interesting animals, will turn off the radio when watching them and will give you a good angle for your camera. If not, don't be shy to ask for it.
All in all it was much fun and full of very nice people.
If you are booking only the safari, consider booking or going afterwards to Mombasa or somewhere along the coast.
I hope I helped somebody with this review.
Take care and have fun.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing experience but the toilets and ablutions at the entry gates were horrendous.
Been to this reserve a number of times but I must say my experience today left me disappointed. No pos machine at the main gate to pay by card . No pos machine in the Hilltop restaurant and the food was mediocre . Limited wine available as their liquor license had expired. The gardens at hilltop have also deteriorated since my last visit and I can see attention to detail is missing .