Holiday Reviews
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same trip can have different views!
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Budget camping safari in Kenya, independent reviews
 Reviewed 31 Mar 2007 by Amy Wilson |  |
I had an excellent holiday thank you. I met some really great people and made some good friends. I will definitely be going back to visit them in Australia next year.
I really enjoyed the basic-ness (if that is a word?) of the holiday. It was good to see the real world out in Kenya. I think that staying in a hotel and flying to the different reserves is probably very nice but you don't really get a feel for the country you are visiting.
The team at this operator really made the holiday enjoyable. Our drivers John and Stanley were very experienced and could spot wildlife that we couldn't even see through binoculars, and that was while they were concentrating in driving. They both had a brilliant sense of humour and we were all able to have a good joke (especially out of our white person "skin maintenance!")
We saw some amazing wildlife, the big 5 and more. I have got some amazing pictures that will get put on my wall but also stay in my memory for a long time to come.
Tips that I would give to other travellers booking this holiday is to be prepared to get back to basics but to learn how to really appreciate what we have at home. As far as the wildlife goes there is no way you can describe how close you can get to animals and how amazing it is to be able to see them in their completely natural wildlife, you just need to book this holiday and see it for yourself. There is a lot to be said for the faithful Land Cruiser and these are definitely the only way to get the best from your holiday with an experienced driver behind the wheel.
I feel my holiday did benefit the local people as we were able to buy gifts from local villages. There were also a few local men who helped on the campsites so earning extra money for their villages. I was amazed at how good their English was.
The 2 chefs on our trip also excelled themselves, so Thank You to Fanwell and Teddy. On our 2nd campsite we had a great guy called Phillip too who really worked hard and looked after us, so a big Thank You to him also.
I would definitely give this holiday ***** and have been merrily recommending it to anyone and everyone who will listen!!!
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
I really enjoyed the basic-ness (if that is a word?) of the holiday. It was good to see the real world out in Kenya. I think that staying in a hotel and flying to the different reserves is probably very nice but you don't really get a feel for the country you are visiting.
The team at this operator really made the holiday enjoyable. Our drivers John and Stanley were very experienced and could spot wildlife that we couldn't even see through binoculars, and that was while they were concentrating in driving. They both had a brilliant sense of humour and we were all able to have a good joke (especially out of our white person "skin maintenance!")
We saw some amazing wildlife, the big 5 and more. I have got some amazing pictures that will get put on my wall but also stay in my memory for a long time to come.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Tips that I would give to other travellers booking this holiday is to be prepared to get back to basics but to learn how to really appreciate what we have at home. As far as the wildlife goes there is no way you can describe how close you can get to animals and how amazing it is to be able to see them in their completely natural wildlife, you just need to book this holiday and see it for yourself. There is a lot to be said for the faithful Land Cruiser and these are definitely the only way to get the best from your holiday with an experienced driver behind the wheel.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I feel my holiday did benefit the local people as we were able to buy gifts from local villages. There were also a few local men who helped on the campsites so earning extra money for their villages. I was amazed at how good their English was.
The 2 chefs on our trip also excelled themselves, so Thank You to Fanwell and Teddy. On our 2nd campsite we had a great guy called Phillip too who really worked hard and looked after us, so a big Thank You to him also.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
I would definitely give this holiday ***** and have been merrily recommending it to anyone and everyone who will listen!!!
| Reviewed 1 Dec 2006 by Marjorie Stevens | |
 |  |  |  |  | Click on any of Marjorie's photos to enlarge. |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Having the knowledge of our driver, Stanley, when we came across the leopard and her cub and the cheetah. Without his expertise, we would not have spent the time to learn so much about the habits of these two cats and the other animals we saw.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Remember, if shooting digital to take sufficient batteries to power your camera. There is no chance to recharge the batteries while camping.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, Stanley, our driver, put together strong teams at each camp site so that the locals benefited from our visit. We also toured a Maasai village where the chief indicated that the tour company paying them for our visit helped them do things like send children to school. Fanuel, the cook, also shopped locally for some of our food. Because we were camping, conserving water and taking away our garbage, our visits to the Conservancies had minimal impact.
4. Any other comments?
***** I am reborn! Simply the best holiday I have ever been on. I know that in years to come, I will still talk about the cheetah we saw.
Read the operator's response here:
We as a tour company are working closely with the local community at Selenkay as mentioned by the chief when they went on the visit to the Maasai village.| Reviewed 30 Jul 2006 by Heather Smith | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Spending the daytime seeing amazing wildlife in a beautiful national park...followed by a tranquil evening with lovely people, eating amazing food (cooked only on camping equipment eg pizza, shepherds pie, mango crumble- pure genius!). Truly remarkable.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for camping, and sitting in the jeep on bumpy roads.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
The campsites are located in conservation areas. This hopefully benefits natural ecosystems and local people.
| Reviewed 14 Jun 2007 by Jacqueline Lyons | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Going on an unscheduled walk with Masai tribesmen through their land and learning loads about how they live off the land. Seeing an elephant drink water by night was lovely also, and the food was top class every day.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure to bring Kenyan shillings as American dollars don't seem to be used outside of the big towns/cities and you'll most likely end up needing a small amount of cash. Unless your flip-flops are very strong, there is a risk of having a spike from one of the many thorn trees go up through your flip-flop and into your foot which is sore! Be secure with personal belongings.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
It definitely brought money to local people. It was a camping trip so not heavy on electricity if that can be construed as environmentally friendly...
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very insightful and interesting. It involved quite a bit of travelling through the country so gave the chance to see some of 'real' Kenya as opposed to just the touristy bits, which I was glad about.
| Reviewed 4 Mar 2007 by Genevieve Ford | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The most enjoyable part of our holiday was the combination of the safari aspects (game finding & watching) with travelling between different destinations and having an opportunity to see the country and the people.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Tips I would give to a traveller booking this holiday are – travel light, you don’t need much – and be prepared to see ways of life you hadn’t really considered before.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
The holiday did benefit local people in the sense that the company was Kenyan, the people helping out were from local communities and there was involvement in seeing how communities live.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
My rating would be a 4…some stories and would recommend to anyone…my five star goes to Kilimanjaro, which I climbed the previous week on behalf of a charity – that was an unbelievable, life-changing experience!
| Reviewed 27 Jan 2007 by Sheila Aldridge | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Visiting a Maasai Village and close encounters with animals particularly Hippo's.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take Kenyan shillings make sure you get a visa.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
The visit helped local people by creating employment for local people hence
protecting the environment and wild life.
| Reviewed 10 Jul 2005 by Peter Madley | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Excellent game sightings and a walk up a river bed with some Masai warriors.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
"Safari" means "journey" and you do cover a lot of ground so it would be wise to arrange some kind of relaxing break before the long flight north.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Very, very little environmental impact and local people were employed at every place where we camped.
4. Any other comments?
Thanks for giving us the link to this operator.
| Reviewed 24 Feb 2007 by Paul Mannix | |
Yes we did enjoy our holiday, though it was tough going at times. Here are my contributions:
By chance I came across some rhinos whilst walking around in the Kigio conservancy - they were rather close and this was thrilling and unexpected. From the planned activities, though, the crown goes to seeing the Masai Mara lions.
Pack light since you're on the move a lot (and camping after all). No light at night so get a good torch - a head-mounted one is ideal too. Bring flip flops or similar to wear in the showers. You could use the in-car 12V socket to charge stuff if you have an appropriate adapter. The chef has a cool-box you can chill beers in, which you can pick up en route between camps. Be prepared for some bumpy rides both off-road and on. Thoughtfully, the staff place plenty of water and some snacks into the cars each morning - a nice touch.
There are Masai helpers at some of the camp sites, which provides a very obvious sign that they are benefiting from this trip. In most places Westerners are approached for money one way or the other; however, the Masai behaved impeccably. It was refreshing to go to the Masai village and not be pressed into buying something or donating money as would usually be the case. Instead the Masai were welcoming and unassuming. Well done to them. We showed our appreciation in the tips we gave the helpers and by buying things from the in-camp stall (at which there was no pressure to buy).
Very good, but not excellent. The tents weren't in great condition (some leaks) and the cars broke down a couple of times each. The staff were really good though, and the chef deserves praise. A very worthwhile experience.
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
By chance I came across some rhinos whilst walking around in the Kigio conservancy - they were rather close and this was thrilling and unexpected. From the planned activities, though, the crown goes to seeing the Masai Mara lions.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Pack light since you're on the move a lot (and camping after all). No light at night so get a good torch - a head-mounted one is ideal too. Bring flip flops or similar to wear in the showers. You could use the in-car 12V socket to charge stuff if you have an appropriate adapter. The chef has a cool-box you can chill beers in, which you can pick up en route between camps. Be prepared for some bumpy rides both off-road and on. Thoughtfully, the staff place plenty of water and some snacks into the cars each morning - a nice touch.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
There are Masai helpers at some of the camp sites, which provides a very obvious sign that they are benefiting from this trip. In most places Westerners are approached for money one way or the other; however, the Masai behaved impeccably. It was refreshing to go to the Masai village and not be pressed into buying something or donating money as would usually be the case. Instead the Masai were welcoming and unassuming. Well done to them. We showed our appreciation in the tips we gave the helpers and by buying things from the in-camp stall (at which there was no pressure to buy).
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very good, but not excellent. The tents weren't in great condition (some leaks) and the cars broke down a couple of times each. The staff were really good though, and the chef deserves praise. A very worthwhile experience.