US
Our honeymoon experience is worth putting on a cover a wedding magazine.
My husband and I were so grateful for the way we were treated by the gorilla tour booking driver/guide on our honeymoon in Uganda. We were willing to spend a little more just to ensure we had the best experience. My peak moment was when we took a sunset boat cruise at R.Nile in Jinja. Just being at this historical and magnificent river was so magical for us. It was truly a honeymoon experience.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A truly great experience spent with experienced and friendly guides in great locations.
After wanting for many years to travel to Kenya and try to spot the famous big 5 I finally decided it was time to achieve my goal.
Trips for safaris can be very ranging in costs of which many were out of my budget. I am not the kind of person who needs the luxury of the lodges to stay in overnight and prefer to experience more of the culture and meet others of like mind. I decided to look for a camping style trip and came across KWSS and looked at their 7 day trip.
The price was in my budget range and the itinerary covered the aspects of the trip that i was interested in.
I emailed the company and spoke to 'OT' the owner of th company. There was a couple of options for payment which was either a deposit and the remainder closer to the holiday or full payment on booking which gave a further discount on the trip price. I was a little concerned about the large sum up front as i obviously had never dealt with the company before but after speaking with OT a few times i decided to go ahead and pay in full. The payment was made through paypal and i felt pretty confident there would be no issue.
I emailed OT many times during the following months to ask all types of questions and he was always there to answer and normally with a very quick reply.
Finally after many months our holiday arrived and on arriving in Kenya we were met by David a driver and a guide for KWSS a nice guy who also does the Gorilla trek which i intend to do one day in the future. David took us to our hotel for the evening which was part of the booking with our safari due to start the next morning.
We were booked into the Hennessis hotel. The hotel is a little dated in places and you had to run around to catch the water in the shower but the food in the restaurant was good and the bed was comfortable and the room clean so i had no complaints and frankly as with all of my trip for the price i paid i did not expect the highest of luxury.
The next morning we were met by our driver and personal cook. We had a small delay as our original driver unfortunately broke down enroute to us and the company quickly swapped staff around to come meet us. Our driver who was also our guide for many of the safaris was Sammy (Samuel) and our cook for the trip was Jacob. I didnt meet the other guys and although im sure they would have been just as great we got on really well with Sammy and Jacob and had a great week with them both. As said previously I went for the budget trip more than luxurious and i have to say i am very glad I did, it was a great experience, throughout all of the trip it was just myself and my friend along with Sammy and Jacob in our vehicle and we had loads of room to spread out and see everything. We stopped enroute to visit supermarkets and get provisions for Jacob to prepare our meals which was great as we got to see the towns and met a lovely lady who had a fresh fruit stall built into a container and it was great, we sat and had a plate full of juicy, sweet fruits whilst watching the world go by with people just going about their business all with a smile on their face and no care in the world.
During the week we visited Lake Naivasha and took a boat trip which is an optional choice and an extra cost but worth it if your visiting and then stayed at Camp Carnelleys in one of their caravan type chalets. The site also had a great restaurant and bar area where you could sit in the evening and enjoy a tusker or three and relax. We also visited Green Crater Lake whilst in the area did a walking safari where our guide took us out and showed us the animals the view from the top overlooking the lake which was amazing. We had lunch at the lake a 3 course meal which was also included in the price of our trip. The only additional expense was for drinks other than water which is expected and a tip to our guides.
The following day we travelled to Lake Nakuru and stayed inside the park at the Kenya Wildlife club lodge. There was only our group and another at the lodge and being in the park you could see the animals just walking around in front of the house which was just fenced off to prevent animals getting in. I suggest taking some drinks with you though if your staying here as currently there is no bar nor anyway of purchasing anything whilst your there for the evening.
After another game drive in the morning we made our long way to the Masai Mara where we stayed in the tented complex of the Mara Springs which had the best shower of the week, the restaurant had a bar to have a few beers and Jacob prepared our meals for us where we dined.
The next morning we left early for our game drive in the Masai Mara, we were out for about 12 hours with Sammy driving us from one side to the other and back again and everywhere in between or so it seemed ! How he knew where he was at anytime I have no idea but he certainly did. We spent the day in search of as many animals as we could find and at all times Sammy was in contact via his radio and phone with other park guides trying to locate the lions and leopards and cheetahs, he found them all. I will never forget sitting in the van watching the leopard just hanging in the tree whilst sleeping and having our picnic which had been provided by Jacob for our trip for the day. Throughout all of our trips we were lucky enough to spot and shoot through a camera lens (the only shooting that should EVER take place) the big 5.
On the way back to camp we visited the Masai village for which there is a small fee and they showed us some of their local dance and their houses and way of life. There was also the chance to buy some little gifts from their stalls.
Our night was spent back in the tented campsite before travelling back to the Hennessis hotel for our last night. The last day before travelling home we were taken by David again to visit the baby elephant sanctuary to watch them play and feed and also the giraffe centre where we got to feed the giraffes and get some great photos, definitely a day to remember.
David then took us to the office for KWSS where we got to meet OT which was a pleasure. I found OT to be a pleasant young guy who is still trying to build up his company, we had a couple of little points about the trip which he took note of, like adding more info to his itinerary information given out but as they say in Kenya Hakuna Matata, if you expect perfection and top of the range accomodation then its going to cost you this trip was as close as for me and at a great price for what we got and I loved it all and will remeber every experience. We were looked after fantastically by Sammy, Jacob and David and it was a pleasure to meet them all along with OT. On leaving I left Jacob with my Arsenal shirt as he is a fan and probably knew more about them than me and I couldn't stand seeing him wear the Stoke shirt he had any longer :)
Thanks for a great trip and I look forward to my next time with KWSS.
If you are looking to book a trip I highly recommend them.
All the best
Steve.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dream Vacation to Africa and we owe all our thanks to Kerry Ririe at Pembury Tours! Thank you Kerry!
Visiting Africa has always been a bucket list dream of ours, so when my husband and I were finally ready to book our trip, we reached out to several custom tour operators to design our perfect vacation. We received close to a dozen quotes and itinerary recommendations from other vendors but Kerry from Pembury Tours had such a friendly and positive manner from the beginning that I knew she was the right travel advisor for our perfect trip. Kerry was amazing throughout our entire booking experience, right until the last minute when we arrived home. Kerry’s professional and positive personality, combined with her extensive travel experience and knowledge, was what hooked us to do business with Pembury. She was more than happy to redesign our custom itinerary a number of times (dates not working out, price adjustments, activity recommendations, etc) and she was always quick to reply and acknowledge our questions and share her knowledge with us.
I cannot express enough how amazing our trip turned out to be. A trip of a lifetime, and I have so much gratitude for Kerry and the experience she helped design for us. We did not have to worry about anything! Nothing! This is the first time we’ve ever trusted a travel advisor (normally I plan all our travel itineraries, accommodations, activities, etc) and I am so thankful for Kerry’s expertise and friendly advice… I would 110% recommend Kerry to any one of my family and friends. The entire experience was extraordinary – she put together our dream 14-day itinerary, at a price we could afford, in a quick and efficient manner. All of our transfers, accommodations, activities – everything – were taken care of for us and we always had a direct line to call the company during our entire trip if we had any questions or concerns.
Pembury is an excellent company. Highly recommend using them. Kerry was the icing on the cake – she was beyond excellent – professional – positive – and absolutely a dream to work with to prepare our vacation. Highly, highly recommend Kerry as your travel advisor. I cannot say enough good things about her, and we are just so thankful for absolutely everything Kerry did for us! Thank you Kerry! We had the trip of a lifetime!!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Close encounters with S African wildlife accompanied by background information on flora and fauna.
What an incredible experience! It was like a cruise ship on land. This all inclusive guided tour afforded us to just focus on the incredible experiences we were provided by Andy. Andy's knowledge of animals and the territory along with his exceptional culinary skills provided us with a singular trip of our life. We toured early in the morning and just before sunset when the animals were most active. Andy would stop and point out animals where people on self-driven tours simply drove by because they didn't see anything. We were treated like VIP enabling us to thoroughly enjoy our guided tour.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Drivers in the City
Booking with Wild Destinations was incredibly easy - as our company sends teams each year to Kenya this company came highly recommended as a result of strong and consistent service. It was only a matter of sharing all dates and location requirements and we were booked almost immediately.
Upon arriving in Kenya the team was not sure what to expect but met with John and Moses for the first time. They were immediately friendly, professional and willing to humor us and teach us a few token Swahili words. By the end of the week the entire team was emotional saying goodbye. Moses and John became fast friends, consistently reliable, always early and always with a smile on their face. They went above and beyond during our time in the city and by the end, each team member could say a dozen things in Swahili. It was nice to have consistent drivers because we felt safe and were able to establish a rhythm. They were constantly looking out for us and I know for a fact that under whatever context I travel to Nairobi next, I will give them a call to at least have dinner with them but definitely to book for any driving needs. Best city safari I've ever had :)
DE
Best Operator I got to know in Africa
All in all I used 4 different tour operators on my 10 weeks trip in Africa, and to me, Kiboko was the best one of them. I loved the camp we stayed at in South Luangwa, the facilities were simple but good enough and the guide was great, especially with spotting the wildlife during green season. All in all, for me it was the perfect choice.
RO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
I have just returned from 8 wonderful days in Uganda. When I contacted Africa Adventure Safaris, Anna replied fast to me and in less than 2 weeks we managed to create the most wonderful safari itinerary. She made everything possible to customize our trip, to fulfill best our needs and wishes, to find the best lodges that were in our budget limit.
Everything was perfect! Amazing view from the lodges, wonderful people that took good care of us, tasty food. Also we got a skilled guide, William, with very good knowledge of the African wildlife and I couldn't feel safer with him driving us around the country.
CZ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
4 day Semi Luxury Safari in Tanzania
Hi,
This was our first Safari so can't compare but I have to say that we loved it. The communication with Victor from care kilimanjaro was quick and he explained a lot. We opted for semi luxury option (Rhino lodge in Ngorongoro + 2 tented camps in Lake Manyara & Serengeti) and all of them were really awesome. No need to worry if you choose this option. All accommodations were spacious, very clean, had comfortable beds and even private bathroom with towels and toilet. All of them also had an electricity plug so we could charge our electronics every day.
I really appreciated that Victor organized for us both transfers from the airport and 2 nights at the hotel in Arusha. We stayed at Venice hotel which locals refer to as "VEry NICE" - can't argue with that. Everything went smoothly and we had a great rest before & after Safari.
We had a 9-seater Toyota for our game drives which was fine. All are window seats so it doesn't really make difference how many people are with you in a car. We didn't feel jammed or somehow limited by other people + we were a pretty good group so had a lot of fun together. From what I saw all other companies are using the same or very similar cars. Our guide wasn't the most communicative one but he had a great eye and spotted loads of animals and this is really what matters the most.
To sum up we had an awesome experience. There were few minor misunderstandings that are really not worth mentioning but you need to realize this is not Germany. I would recommend this company to anyone especially for their price to value ratio.
Jozef
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome Trip Very Well Planned By The Owner
One of the best thing is how Africa starpal team gave the information needed,we booked our trip very late but we are glad that they organized it perfectly and how we needed it.We travel from Mombasa for 4 days Masai Mara and Nakuru.Paul and Davido our drive guide nickname were stand by at the airport at the time we arrived. Everything was very well arranged.The lodge and camp at Mara ,food was ok as per our request and vehicle was very maintained and clean.The guide was very friendly and very knowledgeable about everything,we saw a lot of wildlife at Mara.We will definitely travel with them and we can recommend them to any person planing safari to Kenya either local or non resident.It was an amazing trip!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Awesome experience
We did a 8-day safari in September 2016 with Benson safaris. Our trip included 1 day at Lake Manyara, 1,5 days in Tarangire NP, 1,5 days at Lake Natron, 3 days in Serengeti NP and 1 day in the Ngorongoro crater.
We had an awesome time with our guide Issa and our chef Waziri.
Issa is a great guide and able to spot animals at any distance. Thanks to him we saw the Big Five and also a cheetah after a hard days work of finding one. He stopped our car for photographs whenever we wanted and so we could spend time to enjoy the animals close-by. Issa has an amazing knowledge about animals and the Tanzanian landscape as well as the culture. He was able to answer all of our questions in a very competent way. Waziri was our chef for the time. It is amazing how he was able to prepare great meals in the given conditions. We were always looking forward to open our lunch box at noon. We also loved the fresh scones and daily soups he prepared on our trip.
The planning of the trip with Benson was very good as well. Benson was quick to answer our emails and helped us to prepare a great itinerary without pushing us to do things we don't want to do. From beginning to end we had a very good feeling with Benson and always felt safe during our time. The car we had was well equipped and accompanied us through Tanzania safely.
Overall we had an awesome experience with Benson safaris. If we ever do another safari in Tanzania, we will definitely take Benson Safari and ask Issa to be our guide and Waziri to be our chef again.