AR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Highly responsable
I highly recommend this safari. Steve was great. And also the guides and drivers. The accommodations were fantastic and we’ve got to see a lot of animals.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once we arrived - the best holiday experience we’ve had
The quality of this safari truly came together not even the moment we landed in Tanzania but as we were landing.
We saw elephants waving their trunks and zebras run across the runway behind us, what an entry to a safari.
Our Safari guide Onest was exceptional & made the trip go from good to unforgettable. Our 2nd guide Joshua was also fantastic in leading us up through the Udzungwa mountains to see the 2nd tallest waterfall in Tanzania.
To see all the animals we did (lions, zebras, hippos, crocodiles, warthogs, elephants, giraffes & loads of different species of birds, the list goes on) it was exceptional especially from day 1 on the safari.
We camped the first night at a public campsite although a bit nervous, followed by 2 nights in lodges. I’d recommend only trying camping if you’re feeling brave as it’s quite a nervous experience to be in the wild unless you’re a good sleeper!
The food served was great by our personal Chef Chomie, we had some delicious breakfasts & dinners.
The overall service was fantastic.
The only concern was the communication before the actual safari, we found that it was a bit ambiguous around payment structures and changes to actual payment amounts / times for pick ups even on the day of flying.
I would ensure well in advance you confirm with other members of the Safari (flights, taxis, accommodation & proof of payment) where possible to ensure you have a more stress free experience before your trip of a lifetime.
On the trip, no issues whatsoever.
Thank you to Elias & the team for going to great lengths to making sure this all worked out in the end.
Asante Sana
PT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An incredible experience with our guide, John Walker
Everything went well with Jocky Tours. I contacted them directly by email to make the booking, and they were always clear with all the information.
As for the safari, everything went to plan. Our guide John Walker really enhanced the experience. He was always very talkative, good-humoured and full of energy. He knew exactly how the animals would behave.
We went for the budget option, so we stayed in low-budget camps. Even so, they were all in very good condition and very clean. The only downside was the time wasted picking people up and dropping them off at the camps, but as it was a budget experience and we were sharing a car, there’s no way round that. I highly recommend the agency and, above all, the guide John Walker.
CN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It's a company that responds really quickly
Carolyn is very patient, responds positively, the hotel we booked is great, and we were very lucky to see Mount Kilimanjaro.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Tarangire and Ngorogoro National Park
We did a short safari in Tanzania after climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and decided on Ozon Light which was a great choice for us. Our guide, Elijah, was flexible and fun and made sure we had an amazing time in the parks we visited. He was also an awesome ambassador when it came to making sure our lodge hooked us up with everything we needed for the long safari days. We had a fab time with Elijah and Ozon light and would definitely choose them again for our next Tanzania safari! Thanks for everything Elijah!
TW
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The team took great care of our child.
During our trip to the scorching hot volcano, the tour guide, driver, and chef arranged by the agency were extremely professional and took great care of us. They kept us well-supplied with plenty of water, delicious food, and cold drinks. Our whole family felt completely safe and at ease throughout the journey, and the scenery was truly unique and breathtaking!
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Flexible friendly excellent
We had the most amazing time on our family safari organised by Steve. The organisation was easy and efficient before the trip, Steve was always very responsive. Flexibility was given to our different start and drop off points (we did Malindi - Tsavo East - Tsavo West - Watamu) as well as working around the lodges we wanted to stay at. We travelled with our two kids who are 8 and 10 years old and they could not have loved it more! Our driver Solomon was absolutely incredible, he was patient and entertained all the kids’ questions about the wildlife and really tried to ensure they saw what they were most excited about from close up, from your lion pride to the cutest baby hippo in Mzima springs. He was always attentive to our rhythm while ensuring we stayed relatively on track time-wise. He has an eagle eye (or should I say giraffe eye!) for spotting hidden animals and by the end the kids were keen spotters too! Attention was given to every detail, e.g. the car was cleaned every night fresh for the next morning’s game drive including the windows and the floor, which did not go unnoticed! (Those small things make all the difference) The views, landscapes, wildlife and organisation all combined to make this an unforgettable experience for our family. Thank you so much Solomon and Steve!
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable safari experience made special by a wonderful team.
Highly recommended!
As this was our first safari, my biggest concern was finding a legitimate and trustworthy safari company. I spent a lot of time researching and inquiring with more than a dozen companies before making our decision.
After our experience with Horizon Wanderlust Safaris, I can confidently say that we are very happy that we chose them for our first safari. From the planning stage to the end of our trip, everything was handled professionally, and we always felt that we were in good hands.
A special thank you to Emmaron, who was incredibly patient and professional throughout the entire planning process. I had a lot of questions, and she always took the time to answer them without ever putting pressure on us to make a decision. We changed and adjusted our itinerary several times while planning the safari, but Emmaron stayed with us throughout the entire process and was always helpful and accommodating.
I would also like to thank David for making the safari possible within our budget and for arranging everything on the operational side. Thank you as well for assigning John to us as our guide — it made a huge difference to our experience.
And then there is John, our guide, whom we cannot thank enough.
His knowledge of the animals, their behaviour, and the different reserves really showed how experienced he is in the industry. Our long drives between the different reserves were never boring. Instead, our time in the vehicle was filled with stories, conversations, laughter, and interesting things we learned about Kenya and its wildlife.
One of the things that amazed us most was the sheer abundance of wildlife. Everywhere we went, there seemed to be something to see — large herds of elephants, zebras, buffalo, giraffes, antelopes and so many other animals. The reserves themselves were incredible, vast landscapes that seemed to go on forever, and each one had its own character and wildlife experience.
Of course, wild animals are unpredictable, and nobody can guarantee what you will see on safari. But John's experience, patience, and decision-making played a huge part in giving us some incredible sightings. We were fortunate enough to see the Big Five and the Ugly Five, many of them remarkably close.
Beyond his knowledge and experience, John is also a very warm, kind, and thoughtful person. He genuinely cared about whether we were enjoying ourselves and always made sure we were comfortable.
It was a truly unforgettable and emotional experience for both of us. Seeing these incredible wild animals in their natural environment, surrounded by such vast and beautiful landscapes, was something we will never forget.
We would genuinely recommend Horizon Wanderlust Safaris to anyone planning a safari in Kenya. 🐘🦁🦒🇰🇪❤️
MT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely attentive, flexible and professional in creating a fantastic customized Safari holiday
We started planning our holiday a year in advance and were in touch with a number of travel agents / tour operators both at home and also from Kenya. Splendid Vacations was one of two or three which we came across on TripAdvisor. We received information and quotes from all them, but it was clear from the beginning that Splendid Vacations seemed to be the most professional in terms of the communication and assistance to provide a number of options when creating the itenary for the week. As it turned out, Splendid also offered the best pricing.
James Kilorit was our primary contact, and patiently helped us with the planning as early as 9 months prior to our holiday. Once we had agreed on the destinations, James proposed various hotels / lodges, ranging from luxury to budget. However, we were not restricted to his suggestions. We actually found some additional accommodation options ourselves and he was able to include them in the package.
Our guide and driver for the week was Alex, who was great. Passionate about his job, his knowledge of the game parks and animals was impressive. Alex was polite and helpful. We were able to witness the Big 5 in their natural habitat within the first couple of days.
Some advice on the actual game drives - whether you are staying in a luxury or budget accommodation, the guides are always going to take you to see the same animals. So the choice of accommodation is not going to impact your 'animal spotting' experience. What will make a big impact, however, is 1) your choice of vehicle ; 2) whether you have it exclusively for yourself or are sharing with others. We had a Toyota Land cruiser to ourselves (family of 5), and this was great. We saw others squeezed into smaller vehicles, and we did not envy them at all.
At the end of the safari we spent 1 1/2 days in Nairobi to relax before our flight back. We had been offered to go to a beach resort in Mombasa, but as we travelled in September we were all beached out and preferred to give this a miss. Nairobi, however, is chaotic and not a city you can casually walk around. If you want to relax, you need a good hotel which you are happy to stay in for most of the time. We did venture out to a very good restaurant called Inti (Perivian / Asian) and also visited the Utamaduni Crafts Village. Nairobi of course has its own game park and also Elephant and Giraffe sanctuaries, but after a weeks safari we were ready to give those a miss.
In summary, it was a great holiday and I would happily recommend Splendid Vacations to everyone.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Custom Safarai - Great Guide & Responsive Team
My friend and I enjoyed a 10-day private safari in Kenya. Titus replied promptly afrer we reached out online and crafted a well-organized itineray tailored to our requests. Philip, our guide, was extremely professional and thoughtful. He helped us spot nearly all the animals on our whishlist, and brouhgt us to every destination we hoped to visit. I will definitely recommend Amazing Memories to anyone planning a Kenya safari.