PL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great Honeymoon experience
We had picked Kenya for our honeymoon and wanted a mixture of relaxing beach time and safari. Looking into the safari offers we stumbled upon Mattaw Safaris and eventually went with them as they were super friendly while being professional and seemed to have a much smaller operation than most other, much more commercial offers. - We were not disappointed.
It is important to note, that many of the tourism businesses in Kenya are owned by foreigners for example Chinese or Indian businesses so most of the profit does not contribute to any local development. Picking a safari offer we were happy to have signed with Mattaw as they are running only four Safari vehicles and put every penny into running an orphan village in the west of Kenya. Bud never smeared it into our faces, but the locals we met working for him were openly happy and glad that Mattaw Safaris is not just another foreigner making quick money in Africa but someone who contributes to the local community.
Bud organized the full week: transport, lodging, itinerary. The plan was pickup and drop-off in Nairobi and visits to Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara National Parks. Charles was our guide and driver; he is very knowledgeable, and we were glad to have him as he also knew the parks very well which contributed to a great experience. We learned a lot about Kenya and Kenyan culture. All picked accommodations, as well as the order of National Park visits, was great. We would go with him again any time and having seen others crammed into Minibuses, we definitely recommend and appreciated having our own guide with our own Land Cruiser.
Before we went to Kenya, working out our personal travel plans and picking a safari offer we were a little freaked out by not finding any review on Mattaw which was not 5/5 stars. We deemed it too good to be true, having returned home now, we understand. They deserve every star out of those 5, so “unfortunately” our review will not be any different .
Thank you, Bud and Charles for making our Honeymoon a great experience.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Most wonderful travel experience ever
Our experience with Africa VIP tours was excellent. The organizing part was very professionally done and they always went the extra mile. We felt very special and had the most memorable travel time.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful 9-day safari in Tanzania
We did a 9-day safari as a couple and visited Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Lake Manyara. We had a wonderful, relaxed and really amazing time with Ombeni, our guide, and with the company Gosheni that organised everything very well and smoothly. The lodges and tented camps were great. Most importantly, our guide Ombeni was extremely nice, very professional and experienced. We saw so many different aminals, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, he knew all the places where to go. We also were very impressed by the wonderful landscape, he explained many details to us plus he solved our minor problems within minutes. We really had a great time together. We can only recommend him and Gosheni!
HU
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Expert and provide excellent service
The communication regarding the trip was very smooth , taking care of each details, responding immediately to questions , queries . The safari was fantastic with a very professional guide . Absolutely meeting my expectations , I felt safe ,comfortable , inspired and enjoyed the Tanzanian adventure.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent guide, Anthony, made this a trip of a lifetime.
We had the trip of our lives in Africa and a large part of the success can be credited to our guide Anthony. He was fun, talkative and informative. He is a great driver, an amazing driver. We went where we wanted to go safely and assertively. Great fun! He has an amazing amount of knowledge about the safari area and the animals, continually adding much to our day with his additional information. An example are the three times we were able to watch lions mate because Anthony knew they were getting ready by their demeanor, and would say be patient, give them more time. I am sure we saw a lot of wonderful animal behavior because Anthony has a keen eye for them and could explain their behavior to us. He knew where the find the animals!
He also taught us a lot about the landscape, trees, and other vegetation such as the sausage tree that is eaten by giraffes and elephants.
Anthony also knew more fun stuff such as the equator place and what fun we had there with a science experience to prove we were on the equator.
I also want to stay that due to Sue's brain cancer and other sore muscles and joints for both Sue and Bob, Anthony was very careful helping us in and out of the Land Cruiser, which was a very worthwhile upgrade. Very much appreciated!
Lastly we just want to mention all the extras and there were so many. We loved the phone ring tone on his phone because it is a favorite song. Sue loved talking and laughing briefly with Anthony's wife and daughter - great fun! A sparkle to the days! He provided so much extra sparkles to our day. We feel very blessed to have been matched with Anthony as our guide. It was a fantastic match. Again we had the time of our lives and a large part of that is because of Anthony. Five out of five stars! Thank him for all the fun and laughter. He is a great man with a great heart and is also a great guide! The accommodations were also excellent, especially The Elephant Bedroom!
As far as doing some things different, for me, I would alter the itinerary so there was less 1 night stops, as there is barely time enough at a location to relax any before having to pack up and checkout. I would also reduce the number of box lunches packed by the resorts, or find a way to keep them cold. My stomach, is affected by food sitting out too long, and they were sitting out too long for my aging body, but were large enough and had enough variety that I could eat the bread and fruit and cheese, but at times they were necessary to keep out schedule working good.
We hope to come back, as the Kenyan people are so nice, and we would choose Africa FlashMC tours again and ask for Anthony.
Bob and Sue
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent organization
This was an amazing safari, booked a 7 days safari with this company and I cannot complain about anything. The communication, arrangements, payment and the safari were excellent. I could give them 10 stars if it were possible.
AT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best Tour guide, very chilled, lot of fun and experienced. Good English.
Great tour of 5 days, Joseph took time to do everything and explained a lot. His English is very good and he is fun to be with. We spend even the evenings together. He knows a lot about the animals and nature. Absolute recommendation, I would not go with anyone else! Poa kichizi kama ndizi, like they say in Suaheli.
Thank you for the good time, we will never forget these days!
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Bryson was nice and reliable
We had very good experience with Safari Soles. Great service, very kind staff, lots of animal and enough time to observe them, delicious food and wonderful landscapes.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Safari Experience
My teenage son and I had a great experience courtesy of Spirit of Kenya. John was our tour guide, and he was friendly, courteous, knowledgeable and obviously very experienced, overall an excellent guide. We saw an amazing amount of animals in a short time, definitely more than expected or compared to what I have seen on other safaris. The accommodation at Julia's Camp was excellent, with very friendly and helpful staff. The food was also very good, including some local dishes. The booking process and pickup arrangements were also very professionally done. I would definitely recommend Spirit of Kenya to anyone traveling to Kenya.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic!!!! Amazing experience and an absolutely wonderful operator! Fuller reccomend!!!
All aspects excellent and couldn't do anymore for us. We will be returning!!!