QA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Impeccably planned trip!
Svai personalizes the trip to suit your needs and we had a trip that we will remember for a lifetime!!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Brilliant communication
Kipok were excellent since the start. They replied to my messages instantly and were patient explaining all the different options for safari. The driver was on time and helpful. It was a great experience.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Super helpful, flexible and willing to make changes.
Silas was very helpful from the start and made planning the trip very easy. I was on a solo trip and had some specific requirements but he was very accommodating of my itinerary.
The safari itself was an almost transformative experience! All the guides and drivers were amazing and go out of their way to help you have the best experience. The stay in the all the hotels was really good too. Special mention for the Lake Naivasha Sopa lodge.
All things considered, it was a wonderful experience and will definitely recommend Silas and Apodiformes to everyone.
IN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Nairobi National Park by Anil Kumar
Average, good for picnic.
IN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Lake Nakuru National Park by Anil Kumar
The lake is getting deeper and bigger with every passing year, making it more salty and less desirable for flamingoes. Almost half of flamingoes have started going to other nearby lakes, trees in and around the lake are dying. The only positive thing is the population of Rhinos is growing and you can see them early in the morning from close range.
IN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Hell's Gate National Park by Anil Kumar
Very good and unique eco system.
IN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Magical and as always fascinating.
This was my fifth trip ( yes fifth) to Masai mara, and as always it never dissapoints you. Its full of animals ( the big four) as Rhino is only available in Lake Nakuru National Park. Pricing is quiet reasonable, the food, the ambiance, the sound of laughing hyenas and lions at night coming to your tents at night make it so adventurous. So its a highly recommended trip for nature lovers. As always I booked through safari bookings, the best online company which gives a huge choice to pick your tour operator.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Naivasha & Maasai Mara
I spent 1 night at Kongoni Lodge in Naivasha while visiting Hell’s Gate National park as well as experiencing a (separately paid) boat ride on Lake Naivasha. Both the lodging and the food at Kongoni Lodge were excellent!
I then spent 2 nights at Enkorok Camp in Maasai Mara. When checking in at Enkorok, my lodging was not as expected. I was paying a discounted rate, and because of this, Enkorok camp put me up in the manager’s room as opposed to a tented guest room. Enkorok claimed that another guest extended their stay last minute, and so they no longer had a tent for me and therefore had to give me the manager’s room. I contacted Bencia about this and both my driver (George) as well as Alfred (back in Nairobi) were immediate to act in solving this issue. I ended up getting a refund of 2/3 the price for that first night, due to the fact that I still ate the meals/stayed in the room, and Enkorok then set me up in the correct room for my second night. Bencia had also offered to find me another camp to stay that night, but that would’ve been more of a hassle, especially with timing. The food at Enkorok also was not great. Neither of these things are due to Bencia, and are instead attributed to the Enkorok camp itself. Bencia works with many other lodges and camps, but I was not impressed with Enkorok itself.
My driver, George, is amazing!! Alfred was just as helpful and accommodating while working from Nairobi. I had great experiences with both of them and during safari itself!
IL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kendy- expert as a guide and wonderfully person
We loved the wild life, kendy's knowledge made the trip perfect. And his motivation to meet every need overwhelmed us. Tanzania showed us Great nature. And so did Kendy. Thank u for many laughs and your friendship.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Compass Odyssey is an excellent Company to work with and plan a safari - highly recommended.
After reading all the 5 star reviews about Compass Odyssey, I decided to write them an email saying that they are the company I would like to deal with regarding an African Safari for my wife and I. Choosing this company was the best thing I could have done!! We have just returned from the trip of a lifetime to Africa thanks to the expert travel planning skills of Darren and Kate. We spent 12 days in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
My first email to Compass Odyssey was back in June 2021 during the height of Covid and travel was almost impossible. I indicated that we would like to visit Kruger/Zambezi River/Victoria Falls/Chobe NP/Okavango Delta in September/October 2022 for between 10-14 days, hopefully Covid restrictions would be over by then. From this limited information Darren and Kate put together a wonderful trip for us which we will always remember.
Our safari started and ended in Johannesburg, with 3 days in Kruger National Park, 3 days in Victoria Falls, 3 days in Chobe National Park and 3 days in the Okavango Delta, before flying back to Johannesburg. The whole trip went like clockwork and every place we stayed was perfect for us. (We also spent 2 days on either side of our safari in Johannesburg to ensure some relaxation time on either end of our safari, and ensure that missed or late flights from the US were not a problem).
Our email communications with Darren and Kate during the 15 months leading up to our trip was absolutely first class – all my emails were answered promptly, usually within 24 hours, and I never felt any pressure at all to commit to anything during those long 15 months. The attention to detail in our pre-trip agenda was fantastic, from what travel documents were required, current Covid requirements and restrictions in the different countries, flight details, pickup times, meeting places, transfer names and times, Victoria Falls activities, etc, etc.
As for the safari itself...there were so many highlights. We saw the Big Five while we were at Kruger but the three that top my list were:
1. Being about 30 feet from watching 8 lions feasting on a recent cape buffalo kill...apparently there were 18 lions gorging themselves at this kill and some were just hiding and relaxing in the grass after having their fill This was at Chobe NP.
2. Again, being up close and personal watching 3 lionesses nursing 10 baby lions about 2 months old. Once they'd had their fill they just rolled over on their backs and chilled, taking no notice of their viewing audience. This was at Okavango Delta.
3. Following a leopard walking through some grass and climbing a dead tree where it continued to pose for us as we closed in and took pictures of this magnificent animal. This was also at Okavango Delta.
Add to these seeing wild dogs, hyenas and jackals at Kruger, rhinos with babies on the Rhino Walk, the magnificence of Victoria Falls, being up close and personal with crocodiles, elephants and hippos, unbelievable sunsets like you see in National Geographic, and so many other highlights. I have almost 2,500 photos from this trip.
All of the people we met on our trip were great, extremely friendly, and could not do enough for us.
I cannot emphasize how much we enjoyed this trip that Darren and Kate planned for us – it was wonderful and I highly recommend Compass Odyssey for anyone thinking about booking a safari.
