20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
THE BEST SAFARI! Request Joseph, bring water
Amazing Memories Safaris will leave you with truly amazing memories! We made contact with this company through safari bookings.com and was met with a response within a few hours. Ann was happy to help us plan the trip we really wanted to go on, and was fast to respond to any questions. Her communication was very clear and friendly, and I could tell she wanted us to get exactly what we wanted out of the trip, I really appreciated that.
The cost of our trip was very reasonable compared to other companies, for this specific itinerary:
Day 1: pick up from hotel and drive to Amboseli, evening game drive (this was amazing!)
Day 2: full day game drive in Amboseli — our favorite park! There is so much to see here and it is a bit smaller than Masai Mara, so you don’t have to drive around as long to see stuff. It’s all right there! We saw so many elephant, a pride of 12 lions, warthog, zebra, wildebeest, hyena, lots of hippo, and plenty of birds.
Day 3: drive to Lake Nakuru for an evening game drive. — This was also amazing! We saw rhinos at a very close distance, and even witnessed a pride of lions eating a zebra. It was so amazing. I regret not booking another full day in Lake Nakuru.
Day 4: drive to Masai Mara for an evening game drive. This is where we got up close with two cheetahs! Soooo cool!
Day 5: full game drive in Masai Mara. This park is huge, and you have to drive very far, but this was the only park we saw cheetah, and 3 male lions with full mane. We saw wildebeest cross the River, big crocodile, and LOTS of hippo. Masai Mara has it all, but it is a lot of driving, and after 5 days of driving on Safari, it gets a little tiring. But thats what it’s all about!
Each lodge was really great. You have to realize how incredible it is that these lodges even exist out there in the wild. The beds are clean, the washrooms are basic but very clean and functional, everywhere we stayed provided PLENTY of food. Some meals were better than others, and some lodges food was better than others, but yet here is always something good to eat. If you have to eat rice and beans (these were always delicious) for a few meals, do it, because it is incredible to be there.
We stayed at the AA Amboseli, Eagle Palace Hotel in Nakuru, and AA Mara Lodge. Each were 5 stars in hospitality.
PLEASE READ: the drinks are not free. The water is not free. Your driver will provide you water for the game drives and car rides, but outside of the car, and in the lodges, no water is free other than the two small bottles in your room. Water for purchase is expensive. 300 shillings for a 1.5L bottle really adds up $$$. I would suggest buying 5L bottles from a supermarket ahead of time if you drink a lot of water. You can buy a 5L bottle for around 250 shillings. We brought 2, and it wasn’t enough. Our guide, Joseph Mwaniki (the best of the best) was gracious enough to let us stop at a supermarket to buy more water in Lake Nakuru.
Also, your driver is important. A senior driver will know a lot about the park, which roads to take, and how to navigate so you can see what there is to see without getting lost. I highly recommend Joseph Mwaniki as a guide. When we return for another safari one day, we undoubtedly will request him. He was so nice, and so knowledgeable about each park. He made us feel safe and welcome at all times. He wanted us to see everything, and we did! More saw more than what we thought would see. He is now a friend, and we cannot wait to return to see him one day.
Another thing to mention.. the van. The van was GREAT. It was so comfortable, more affordable, and was able to handle the safari roads BETTER than the “cool” Land cruisers or 4x4 jeeps. The roof pops up so you can see everything you need to see. Go for the van. Save your money!
Day 6: The last day we included a hippo boat ride in Lake Naivasha. This was also a great experience. It was a small private boat, not the big hippo boats you see other groups do. I recommend it.
They also provide you an AMAZING Safari hat which was very useful for keeping my hair out of my face while we were standing up and driving through the parks.
Everything was amazing and it left us with so many amazing memories. We can’t wait to go back.
GR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience!
Everything went exactly as planned. Hillary and his colleagues were not only professional but caring and understanding.
Our luggage got lost during our flights and they undertook every communication and action needed and brought our luggage to Marrera valley where we stayed for the night during our safari. So, even though we got unlucky nothing was changed and we were able to have this amazing experience at its most.
Our guide Mandela is one of his kind: He speaks English very good, has great knowledge on the flora and fauna of every park we visited, he is a good driver and a kind person.
Can't thank enough Suricata Safaris for this eye opening experience!
GR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Life-changing Experience
We couldn't ask for more. Everything was flawless. The communication with the Suricata Safari was excellent and they were able to even help us with our lost luggage from the flight. Our guide, Mandela, was just amazing. As a driver, as a guide and mostly as a human being. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this life-changing experience.
If you're looking for a safari operator which will take care of absolutely everything and will also respect the employees, look no further.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fun and friendly guides!
This has been the best vacation we’ve ever had. We spent 6 days with Paradise Adventure Vacations, and every part of our time met or exceeded our expectations.
The biggest reason people come to Uganda is to see the great apes, and it was really important for us to see chimpanzees as well as gorillas. Very few groups specialized in this, and Paradise did a great job making sure we were able to see both. We have two children that are technically too young to trek gorilla, but Paradise helped us make sure our kids could have this experience. Their pricing was exceptionally reasonable, especially since it covered all the park fees and permits.
The best part of this trip was our guides Mussa and Yonah. We worked with 6 guides during our stay in Africa, and these two were the most fun and had the biggest personality. They also worked the hardest of anyone to make us feel valued and welcome at every step of our journey. It was wonderful to get to know them. Mussa and Yonah were constantly going above and beyond to make the trip amazing, and even changed some of our accommodations on the fly once they got to know us, and put us places that met our interests better than the official itinerary. It was clear they knew their stuff, and they were great ambassadors for Uganda.
We asked for mid-range lodging, and the places we stayed at were all great. We’re so glad we had an opportunity to travel with Paradise Adventure Vacations, and we recommend them highly! Thank you so much!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience for our family
My family just got back from a month in Africa, and it was the best vacation any of us have ever had. Asila Adventures was a big part of our time in Africa, and they did a fantastic job! We had booked through another company, but they didn’t operate in Kenya, and so they passed us on to Asila for Lake Nakuru, the Maasai Mara, and Amboseli.
We started our trip with Sammie, who was fantastic. He was very welcoming, was great with our kids, and worked exceptionally hard for us. He knew so much about the different animals, and really helped us understand them and the places we went to. He taught our kids a little Swahili, and made sure we all had an awesome time.
After returning to Kenya from Tanzania, we met up with Jimmy, who was the most knowledgeable of all our guides. He was very patient when we wanted to stop to look at weird things (camels or bones). He asked us where else we had been/ were going, and he worked especially hard to make sure we saw things that we wouldn’t be able to see anywhere else.
Both safari cars were awesome, and had charging stations and cool water in them for us to use as necessary. I strongly recommend Asila to anyone who is going on safari in Kenya! Thank you so much!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic family safari experience
This has been the best vacation we’ve ever had. Every aspect of our trip with Vimat exceeded our expectations! Throughout the entire planning process, Vincent was great at listening to our goals and creating a customized plan that met those exactly. He made sure we had the best chance of seeing the animals we wanted to see, got us to each of the places we were interested in, and even changed the lodging and accommodations to meet the kinds of places we wanted to be.
It can be nerve wracking sending several thousand dollars to a company you’ve never worked with before, especially when you can’t meet them in person first, but Vincent’s clear and consistent communication; guidance; and professionalism helped make it so much easier. I chose Vimat over all the other possibilities because of the quality of service and communication he offered.
The price of an 11 day custom private trip was very reasonable, and I actually think we probably should have paid more. We booked a “mid-range” package that had some accommodations that were nicer than any place we’ve stayed on 3 continents. The camps and lodges were all spectacular, but we were most impressed with the Karibu camps in the Serengeti. Every place was clean, welcoming, had great food, and fantastic rooms.
Our main guide, Alex, who worked with us throughout Tanzania was the most professional and skilled of the 6 guides we worked with in Africa. He knew the places very well, could teach us about the animals, saw things we never would have spotted, and always put us in the right place at the right time. He was very flexible, listening to us when we wanted to stop for something that isn’t “usually important,” and making sure we were ready before moving on. When our youngest fell ill, he accommodated a change of plans. He also showed real knowledge of the habits of animals, and because of his insight and patience, we saw amazing things. The other guests at the camps we saw were consistently jealous of all the cool things we saw, and Alex was a big part of that.
Parts of our safari took us into Kenya, where another firm that Vincent had worked with provided guides and transportation. The cooperation between Vimat and their Kenyan counterpart, Asili, made border crossings between Kenya and Tanzania a lot less complicated. This group also did an amazing job, and made sure that every part of our safari was wonderful.
We couldn’t have had a better experience, and we can’t recommend Vimat Safari highly enough. Thank you for Everything!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari trip!!
We had a wonderful experience with the savannah explorers!
Paolo and Jerry (the guides) were great!
They were funny, kind and always ready to please every request and to answer every question. We saw a lot of wild animals and the places in Tanzania are stunning!
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful safari
Magnificent guides, funny,kind and patience, thanks to this guys this was a great holiday!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Charismatic and trustworthy.
Had a great time with Wild Excursions. The staff was polite and hospitable and the service was good. Also thought it was reasonably priced. Would do it again!
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well planned and managed safari trip - Nothing to worry.
First of all, let us all as family THANK YOU for the smooth planning of the trip while also considering all the requests that we made. Although we had only been connected with email even then we had not felt ourselves away from you. Very well management and support whenever it was needed. We never had to ask for anything.
Secondly, from the bottom our hearts we thank all the staff that we have interacted with, especially our guide Karacha who had shown us around and spotted the nicest place to enjoy the safari. Staff at Zebra Plains (Ruth, Ceasar, Moses and the Chef). Hospitality at Zebra Plains was marvelous. Everyone at Zebra Plains was running around to make sure guests are provided with maximum comfort. Not to forget Jeru who took us around Nairobi for the city tour, such a nice and energetic person.
As to accommodations, Great Rift Valley selection is very much appreciated an extraordinary property to unwind and enjoy the views from room to Lake Naivasha. Nakuru Lodge location - middle of the jungle although Baboons were very scarry !!!! Last but not the least The Zebra Plains. Ms. Ruth and her team were absolutely marvelous.
Thank you for all the support and extraordinary life experience made possible by SPIRIT OF KENYA.
