BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
My advice - Avoid Morningstar, There are better options
Before diving into our experience with Morning Star, just a note on the side that we were happy with our lodge Zebra Plains. Nice room and proper food, however all items which Morning Star had to foresee (transport & guide) were far below expectations.
Transport
- Car we very old and not clean
- Some windows didn't open and some didn't even have a handle anymore
- Seat belt didn't work so one of us had to move to the back of the car
- The back of the seats could only be reclined if you put all your weight on it and forced it down
- Every rest spot was a tourist trap next to a local souvenir shop, especially on the way to the Mara when you still hadn't even see anything stopping for souvenirs doesn't make sense. Other companies were stopping at the big fuel station where you had nice restaurants for a break.
"Guide"
- this was the most disappointing of all!
- Our "guide' was a disaster, actually he was not a guide, he was just a totally not interested driver.
- In case we saw an animal he said maximum two lines of explanation, or sometimes we even had to ask to give some info of the animals we saw
- He seemed not interested in us nor in the safari, his goal was to start late and return early to limit his time on the road
- We also noticed the lack of flexibility. An early safari was not possible, for some reason the earliest we could leave was 7 am which is again a huge lack of customer intimacy
- The only day he proposed to start early was the day we had to head back to Nairobi so he could finish early and go home
- He also didn't show any interest in taking our pictures at certain spots. He only left the car for our picture if there were other 'guides' around taking pictures of their customers
- All tips we gave him were a real waste of money
- I have wanted to go to the Mara since I was 10 years old, with a heavy heart I can only say that he ruined our experience and will always leave a stain on our memories of our Masai Mara safari. Zero conversation, zero enthousiasme, zero interest... just a disaster experience with him.
When looking at the other agencies parked at Zebra Plains, we noticed the drivers of Mufasa, African Horizons and the Holiday Dealers were much more friendly towards us.
They asked us several times how we were doing and what we had done on the day, while our guide disappeared as soon as we left the car. On top of that their cars were much more recent, clean and of better quality.
Looking at the money we spent for this safari, it totally doesn't correlate with the service we received from Morning Star.
There are many safari companies in Kenya who offer these tours, we took a chance on Morning Star and it is clear that it was the wrong bad.
So please choose carefully for your safari as well and avoid Morning Star. As mentioned above Mufasa, African Horizons and the Holiday Dealers would be my pick now.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Engaging, knowledgeable, and well organized tour.
We had an amazing tour of Kenya with James. We were met at the airport in Nairobi and spent the night in a very nice hotel the city. We enjoyed a full day in Nairobi with sites including the Giraffe Center and elephant orphanage. There a few things that can make you smile more than seeing baby elephants drinking from gallon sized bottles and playing in mud. We travelled to multiple parks in Kenya including Samburu National Preserve and Lake Nakuru National Park. We finished our trip in the Masai Mara at the luxurious Kichwa Tembo Tented camp. We saw a large variety of animals, including the big 5.
The tour cost was very reasonable, especially considering we were a small group of 4 and had very nice accommodations for the entire trip. All of the camps and hotel had laundry service which was very helpful. Meals usually included a large variety of delicious options and offered accommodations for my food restrictions.
Our guide, James, was very thorough every step of the way. He gave us options on the parks we wanted to visit and planned the perfect trip. We would definitely use the same tour company if we’re able to visit Kenya again.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience!
Jimmy was a great driver. We were in a hurry and he wanted us to see everything, even such that he was overtaking other drivers! Clearly very experienced guide. Great safari day
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Elephant heaven!
Our one day safari into Botswana was dealt with efficiently and quickly at the border. Our day was split between river and land. Both were enjoyable and fun. However, we were disappointed not to have seen any big cats, mainly seeing elephants, giraffe and antelope. Nonetheless, it was a good intro for someone on their first safari experience.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I strongly condemn owner Paul Shayo also his guides
My girlfriend Tammy and I decided to travel to Tanzania and climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Since we were both young girls, the decision was not much thought out and we looked for a good company and contracted with Shayo Trekking and Safaris Company. Everything was fine, but when we got there, the owner of the company, Paul, demanded more money than the previous contract, which we refused to pay. Since there were no men with us, they took advantage of our weakness, even we were sexually assaulted and had their guides Nelson & Saimon Urio nearly raped try on the mountain. We were accompanied by guide Saimon Urio in the tent where we stayed at night. We felt very uncomfortable while he was there. After he leaves we are relieved. When we told the matter to the owner he demanded only money from us without any response. I strongly condemn Paul. My opinion is that he must be a bad person that's why his guides do such horrible things to customers. Anyway we survived somehow. Anyone thinking of traveling with this company should avoid them as they offer the worst jobs like rap and extortion out of contract. From our experience no woman should travel with them.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great safari !
Thanks to Ruben and all the staff at MoAfrika's Dumela camp, we were able to go on an incredible safari and see lots of animals. It will remain a memorable experience. Communication, the tour and service are perfect !
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional Crew Made Our Safari Unforgettable
It was an incredible trip, truly authentic. The entire crew was absolutely amazing, going above and beyond to make our safari experience unforgettable. For my first safari, it set the bar so high that I imagine it will be hard to beat.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great!!
Going with Richard to Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Mburo was one of the greatest experiences of my life! So amazing to walk with the giraffes up close, and see the elephants, as well as many other animals. Wow! Can't wait to go again! I highly recommend Richard, and Musana!!
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari with Allen has been the best experience of our life
If you wish to experience an unforgettable safari, I highly recommend choosing Allen Guide! He is a fantastic guide, he shared with us his vast knowledge about animals and the territory. A great professional, punctual and always available, he was always ready to stop the jeep at the right moment so that we could witness certain events and was always willing to adjust the vehicle to allow us a better view and consequently take more impactful photos (even without us asking him!). His ability to notice the presence of animals from a considerable distance, even those hidden, is incredible. Thanks to him, we were able to see with our own eyes all the animals we hoped to meet, even animals we didn't know existed. Allen managed to maintain a serene and joyful atmosphere while remaining extremely professional. Moreover, it was really nice to compare ourselves and learn about some aspects of a new culture. We learned a lot from Allen, after this safari we turned back home culturally enriched and with our eyes full of so many wonders. Thank you so much Allen, we will never forget this experience, your incredible knowledge and your sincere smiles.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
super cool guy
Awesome safari at a good price. Solomon was a really cool guy to chat with and so was our guide, Suma. Highly recommend!