20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The trip of a lifetime!
I've just returned home from what can only be described as the trip of a lifetime thanks to Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris! Myself and two friends were travelling to Nairobi for work and had a few days at the end of our trip to explore the country. When looking into safari options, we struggled to get a gauge of which tour operator to book with given the number of companies available - I have to say that our expectations were exceeded in the most wonderful way thanks for our friendly, knowledgeable tour guide Anthony and Mr Otieno's excellent coordination.
We were told this was a basic package (and our expectations were low due to the price) but as soon as Anthony and our chef, Sam picked us up from our hotel, we knew we were in safe hands. From the outset both Anthony and Sam were very welcoming and went above and beyond to ensure that our safari experience was a memorable and enjoyable one.
We went on a 4 day trip starting at Lake Naivasha for a boat ride where we saw hippos, various birds and even had the opportunity to see a bird or prey swoop down to feed on fish! From there we headed to Lake Nakuru for an evening game drive where we stayed in a comfortable lodge and was cooked our first hearty and nutritious meal by Sam. Anthony was fantastic company and we learnt a lot through our conversations with him about the wildlife and Kenya more broadly - he is very smart and engaging and I have to say, a lot of fun!
Anthony was disappointed that we hadn't spotted any rhinos on our first game drive so he tweaked our itinerary to add an additional early game drive on the morning of day two where miraculously we came across both black and white rhinos at close range. His commitment to ensuring that we experienced as many sightings of these rare animals as possible was impressive and endearing.
From there we drove down the Maasia Mara and had a second evening game drive where we saw two prides of lions, the second pride where literally metres from our van - an unforgettable experience to be sure! Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, Anthony drove us to a spot where we were found ourselves directly beneath a leopard asleep in a tree!
On the third day, we went on a full day game drive where we spotted cheetahs, more hippos in the Mara river and a crocodile on the banks along with herds of elephants, zebras, buffalo and giraffes. We were simply stunned!
Each day we ate well thanks to Sam and his culinary skills and ended the day putting the world to rights with both Anthony and Sam over a cold Tusker beer!
If you are unsure about which tour operator to go with, I could not recommend this company highly enough! On our last day, we had quite a bit of time to kill before our flight home and Mr Otieno welcomed us to rest and relax in his office and where we felt extremely welcome and well catered for.
Kenya is a beautiful country and our experience could not be faulted thanks to this wonderful team!
I would definitely recommend this operator to my friends and already hope to start saving for another safari with them to Uganda!
Thank you KWSS.
Hannah
SK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect management from the beginning...
First of all I have to say it started with a good and fast communication with a manager of Sunset Africa - Godfrey. It was my first time in Africa so needed to know a lot of local infos, conditions ... and he explained me everything and tried to manage everything I asked for. When I started to be sure to decide for Sunset Africa (I asked more companies to make me an itinerary offer with a price) I found some feedbacks and as there was mentioned the name of the guy I did a conversation with it made me trust to send my money thousands km-s away :) Yes, all our stay was planned very well exactly as I correct it and Godfrey was the first in Arusha who I met and everything went easy and clean. Safari has been excellent after all we moved to Zanzibar (managed by SA as well) and there was a perfect location and program as well as all the stuff who did take care of us in all our stay in our almost 2 weeks in Africa. However everytime is some complications but definitely they want to help you as they can so thumb up for this company. Thanks again.
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing adventure
What a trip! From start to finish I was in awe. The wildlife, the natural surroundings, the atmosphere on safari!
We took a 3 day trip to Masai Mara and the company was great taking care of our every need, staying in authentic accomodation-we even got the opportunity to visit a Masai Village. I would highly recommend and I will definitely be back!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic - couldn't fault a thing
Kenya is a beautiful country and it was made even more so by the expert knowledge and friendly disposition of our guide Anthony. With just a few days to spare following a business trip, we managed to squeeze in Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and the Maasai Mara - and none of the parks disappointed. Our lodge and campsite were comfortable and well-appointed, and the food - cooked fresh by our cook Sam who came along with us - far surpassed expectations. Within just two days we had already seen the Big Five up close - including black and white rhinos - along with cheetahs, leopards, hippos, crocodiles... the list goes on! Our guide Anthony had the eyes of a hawk - navigating bumpy roads with great skill while still spotting lions hiding in long grass. It was a trip of a lifetime and I can't recommend Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris enough (and make sure to ask if Anthony and Sam are free!)
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari - the experience couldn't have been better!
My friends and I took a 4 day safari with Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris Ltd (KWSS) - visiting Lake Navaisha, Lake Nukuru and the Maasai Mara Nature Reserve - following a conference we were coordinating in Nairobi. From start to finish, I really couldn't flaw KWSS. Over email, before we began, they were extremely responsive (usually answering emails within a few minutes of sending them), thorough and helpful. They picked us up on time from our hotel in a comfortable and well-equipped van and we set off. Anthony (our driver and guide) and Sam (our chef) couldn't have been more friendly, welcoming or knowledgeable. The food (cooked using local ingredients) far surpassed our expectations - it was absolutely delicious and always consisted of several different dishes. Anthony bent over backwards to accommodate our every need and was able to answer every question about the local flora and fauna that we threw at him. We saw hippos, lions (at v close range!), rhinos, eagles, leopard, cheetahs, water buffalo, giraffe, zebras, elephants - the list goes on and on. Anthony had an excellent relationship with all the other guides in the park so was able to find the Big 5 with ease and his eagle eyes spotted animals that were just a speck on the horizon! The accommodation was basic but clean and very good value for the cost. All in all, I couldn't recommend this local company enough - the itinerary was exactly as described (with the added bonus of an extra game drive we hadn't expected!) and they even accommodated us in their office for several hours before we flew home to save us waiting at the airport on a Sunday night. The trip really was a once in a lifetime experience - we could not have had a better time or seen or done more in our 4 days. I would also definitely recommend going at low season - the weather was glorious and we could get so much closer to the animals with only a few other trucks around. Book your trip today!
Great service
Well organised, communication from start to finish was very well handled. The only thing they can improve on is having a credit card machine. Would recommend and certainly use again in the future.
SG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful Trip,No Complaints
We spent five days with karibu safaris in masai mara and lake nakuru Arony as the guide. The excellent organization of the guide allowed us to live a great experience safely. Arony knows his job and the parks Added to this, this is a tour that we highly recommend even with children which was our case.
CA
Review from a 3 week tour of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in Jan 2016
Review from a 3 week tour of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in Jan 2016.
Before I begin the review of atc, I wanted to make note that many of overland tours are similar in terms of itinerary, food, vehicle, etc. What really makes or breaks the trip are the people. If you have a bad group (whether crew or passengers), that's really what's going affect you the most.
I did not have a good group - a lot of negative people, complainers who really should have not booked a budget camping tour in Africa but they were too cheap to do an upgraded so instead chose to complain about everything.The point of this is, you can't really base your decision to go with a company based on reviews.
Anyways, overall everything advertised in the itinerary was delivered but I don't think itinerary was transparent about the amount of time spent on the truck. It would have good to include approximate distance and time travelled each day would be good so passengers are informed beforehand (not during) of how much time they'll actually be spending on the truck. I would estimate 3/4 of the time was the truck.
The food mediocre Less processed ingredients should be provided and definitely more variety. There should have been opportunity to try local food but there was none, that was hugely disappointing. Instead of buying crappy food from the supermarket, why not take us a local restaurant once in a while? The crew did not eat what we ate for lunch. They would get local food. In one instance we stopped right in front of a restaurant (where the crew ate, yet we were given the same old thing) and ridiculously overpriced souvenir shop (e.g. quote given for a small wooden statue - $400), absolutely ridiculous.
The overland truck was sufficient though had there been more passengers, I definitely would not be happy being cramped on that truck for the amount of time were on there. The truck itself looked/felt dirty but because it's dated and old but the driver did clean it.
Campsites were in good condition and most (if not all) had an option to upgrade, hot water and wifi (though often didn't work) and bar/restaurant. Tents and sleeping mats were durable, good quality, though stinky because you often have to pack them up when they're still wet from condensation or rain.
Aside from the driver, I didn't find the crew to be friendly or approachable. They did not interact with the group and were aloof and to be quite honest had a chip on their shoulder. I felt that we were a nuisance to them and they couldn't be bothered with us, and it often felt they were talking about us in Swahili. I certainly didn't feel at ease with them. I also didn't feel any effort was put into the trip, just the bare minimum just to say they did it. It didn't come across that the leader and cook enjoyed their jobs.Having said that, the cook did provide us with a hot breakfast everyday even if that meant waking up at 4am.
The payment method was ridiculously complicated and unnecessary. It should be the crew's responsibility to ensure they have the required local payment, not for passengers to be carrying US$ for local payment.
However, my biggest complaint is about being overcharged (and feeling ripped off). For one, the prices for the optional excursion were much higher than should have been. We paid $500 (plus tips for the guides, cooks, etc) for 2 days for the Serengetti excursion, yet others I met during my travels paid the same amount for a 4 day tour! In Zanzibar, the spice tour was $40 with ATC yet I got it for $15 on my own (lunch and transportation included) only 3 other pax. All the Zanzibar excursions were double if not triple the prices. The whole point of going with a group was cheaper prices but ATC charges the same or more.
I also don't understand what the local payment went towards. I paid equivalent of $80USD/day. Campsites cost $5 (according to tour leader), the food purchased cannot possibly be more than $15/person/day - even that is a high estimate. Fuel, I'm not sure how much that would be but certainly not $60/person/day. Most days were spent on the bus (no entrance fees or other costs). So what was that money used for?
Hope this helps others in deciding.
SG
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent and efficient service.
Communication is very easy and very efficient completely living up with expectation. We are very satisfied with the way our Kruger Park visit was organized. On top of it, Rhino Post lodge is probably one of the best in Kruger Park itself for it atmosphere, friendly people and the high quality of the safaris. The best for viewing animals
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Experience
My wife and I had a great experience with Seka and Taste of Afrika Tours. The staff was very knowledgeable and provided excellent service. Highly recommended.