Kenya customer reviews

The next hotel was very different – I guess more modern/straight lines – but also so luxurious and the wildlife was unreal!! We saw a cheetah catch and kill an impala, a leopard walked under our jeep, and we watched a lion cub play with, then suckle milk from its mum – it was amazing!!

On the coast, we didn’t wear shoes for 5 days – we all totally relaxed – we didn’t even leave the resort except at 5pm every evening when the boys played the daily 90min barefoot football match with the staff and local workers.

The one thing that really surprised me and which I hadn’t thought about before we went – the food! The food was incredible!! So fresh and tasty and healthy, amazing salads, traditional BBQ, bush breakfast with mimosas, fresh crab to smash on wooden boards – it was unreal!! We can’t thank you enough for the memories we have made!

The organisation was great – met at the airport, taken to the hotel and met the following morning by John who guided us over the rest of the holiday. He was great company and very knowledgeable and made sure we had a good time. All the accommodation was great and beds were comfortable. The balloon ride was a great success – I am so glad we did that as it is a great way to see the Masai and experience a once in a lifetime flight. We are very happy with you and your team helping put together and organise a very memorable trip.

All of the places we stayed were top notch in terms of their hospitality and service. The farm stay was a favourite with some of us because it was just so tranquil and the activities were pitched perfectly. The gardens there are heavenly and S and I very much enjoyed being shown round by Sammy, the head gardener and learning about the self sufficiency of the farm. The kids enjoyed a bit of horse riding and one enjoyed an afternoon of football. We all loved the dogs!

The trip to Ndarre Ngarre was a definite highlight as was our first sighting of the Laikipia Plateau – accessorised with hundreds of buffalo! Lolldaigas is a stunning reserve.

The lodge a favourite with some because of the incredible view. It’s not every day you can see elephants from your bedroom window. The boys enjoyed their treetops sleepover and the guides were great. View from the top of Baboon Rock was also fabulous and we all loved the camel safari! The food was absolutely gorgeous as well and even our fussy pants 14 year old found plenty he liked (and even tried some new things).

The camp was also great in terms of hospitality and of the really big ticket animal spotting! Our guide Maurice and his student Kevin were convivial and incredibly knowledgeable guides. We really enjoyed our time there although it seemed to go so quickly! Highlights were probably several big cat sightings and having a picnic lunch in the midst of the migration of what must have been hundreds of thousands of wildebeest near the Tanzania border. Unforgettable!

The final resort was gorgeous and had great water sports. It was a perfect way to finish the holiday. We all loved tubing so much we did it 2 days running. The huts were beautiful and comfortable and the food was absolutely gorgeous. We’ve really raised our salad game since returning inspired by all the lovely options they had!

It was a brilliantly curated holiday. It had something for all of us and the sights and sounds of the bush will stay with us all forever. Thanks again for putting together such a brilliant trip.

The safari camp was really cute. The tents are surprisingly comfortable with plenty of space, massive beds and spacious bathrooms. The food was excellent – really fresh and tasty and huge portions (we could only eat about half of what they gave us!). The showers are hilarious – one of the staff ask you what time you would like your shower. They then fill up a large bucket with hot water which then feeds the shower. The game drives were brilliant – our guides were very knowledgeable and managed to find us all the Big 5 as well as lots of things to see on the way – a herd of zebras trying to cross the river, a pride of lions playing at sunrise and a cheetah eating a gazelle…

Luxury lodge – this place is just wow! I walked into our cottage and thought it was the main hotel reception! The views are incredible and the interiors just gorgeous. We loved all the experiences – the camel riding, horse riding, the visit to the local village and the sleep out in the Treehouse. Our guide, Lodo, was the best – he was very funny and really engaged the children. We all enjoyed him teaching my 12 year old son how to be a warrior!

Here, they are really good at thinking through all the little details. For example, after the camel ride we had a cooked breakfast in the bush which was beautiful. They even had a little wooden toilet with toilet roll and a makeshift basin to wash your hands. This was a sight for sore eyes after 3 days of wild wees in the Mara!! They also made sure to have a different dinner experience every night – we had dinner in our living room, out in the bush by the Treehouse and then on a balcony in the main house.

The farm was then a really quirky, low-key choice. I loved all the decor in the cottage we stayed in and the fact that we had a living area as well as two outside terraces to sit on. The kids enjoyed all the activities that the farm organised – from ice cream and bread making, to milking the cows and particularly cuddling the bunnies (even my 15 year old like this).

My husband and I really appreciated the trip out to the waterfall – it was freezing cold but really exhilarating and definitely needed after the trek up there. Our guide was good as he marched us up there quick-speed so that we could beat the crowds. The game drive was also great. We weren’t sure whether to do another game drive as we’d seen to much already but the landscape was very different. In particular, it was great to see so many animals clustered around the lake having their sun-downers! Our driver was really knowledgeable.

As with the other two places, the food was delicious and they like to get you eating in lots of different locations across the property to mix things up a bit. The food was particularly hearty here (stews, roast dinners) and the ice creams were fantastic. I’m still dreaming of the rose and pistachio one!

The boutique lodge on the beach was just heavenly! We needed some chill-time after the action packed first part of the holiday and this place was perfect. We loved the sea villas which are completely open to the sea, with your own balcony and extra large, super comfy beds. Our host, Kirmana, was excellent and particularly good at ensuring that all the food that we got was free from all of E’s allergies. The food itself was also gorgeous, lots of fish, prawns and other seafood and delicious afternoon teas with great cakes. The resort is very relaxed, with loads of places to sit in the sun or shade and lots for the kids to do – pool, darts, table tennis and watersports.

I hadn’t totally appreciated that during the summer months you can’t snorkel as the water is too choppy and not clear enough. Similarly, you can’t really paddle board or kayak easily as the waves are too big. However, there was plenty of other things to do so it didn’t affect our enjoyment.

Things I would tell a friend… Bring a woolly hat, gloves and warm coat for the mornings on safari which really are freezing!

We honestly had the best time – now onto next year!!

We were all sad to leave the Masai Mara behind but then had the best time at the boutique hotel. We had expected to want to spend time exploring the town and other restaurants, but actually the food and facilities at the hotel were amazing and there was enough variety for us all to eat from a range of cuisines every day. We were in garden rooms which although did not have a sea view, were perfect – we did enjoy watching the monkeys jumping across the trees from our balcony.

The thing that made everything so perfect, though, was how well planned it was – both at your end and with your partner. Our driver, Steve, was exceptionally knowledgeable, flexible and just seemed to sense the pace that we needed. Please do pass on our huge appreciation of him to his managers there. It was so helpful to have your country notes as well. We all looked at these at various points.

We are so grateful that we have been able to offer our daughters a trip to such a wonderful country, it was their first trip outside of Europe/N America, so really opened their eyes to the wider world. We just couldn’t have done it so successfully without your help and knowledge – thank you so much. If ever we are lucky enough to book another big family trip away we will be sure to come back to you!

One of our favourite activities of the whole trip was the boat ride on Lake Naivasha and the walking safari on Crescent Island where we could get shockingly close to the animals. Also the hike in the gorge at Hell’s Gate National Park was very beautiful and worthwhile. It was an optional add-on and we’re so glad we did it.

The safari days were so special in both Massai Mara and Serengeti. We loved the tent camps that hosted us, our favourite being the Serengeti Tortilis Camp with it’s vast savannah vistas, and the staff were delightful there. We enjoyed eating our meals with our guide Julius at our assigned table in the Tortilis Camps. We saw more animals that we ever imagined possible.

Zanzibar was a dream I didn’t want to wake up from! I don’t believe I’ve ever stayed in lodging as comprehensively outstanding as our hotel – the restaurant alone would be a reason to stay there. The menu changed every day and was so creative, fresh, and local. A highlight was a special beach dinner which was a seafood feast served to us at a lantern lit table in the sand. One of those things I’ll remember forever.

The tented camp was gorgeous with amazing views. It was nice to stay there the night before we flew to Zanzibar since it was quite close to the airstrip so we didn’t have to drive all the way from Ngorongoro Crater that morning before flying. Thank you for all your work to coordinate this trip for us.

One recommendation: We packed long-sleeved legs and arms for safari and had some warm layers, but it was pretty chilly in the foothills, and we definitely needed more. We did do the trip out to Ngare Ndare, which was good – nice to swim in the pool/waterfall and nice to get out and about in some sunshine that morning.

The trip to the safari camp was good/easy- not sure I realised the planes were that small! The safari camp was fab. I loved staying in the luxury tent; we had good game drives and saw loads of amazing animals. My parents loved it. It was also really nice to have a Masai driving and guiding us, and the general feeling around the camp of being served by Masai was really enjoyable. Food and service were maybe half a notch down from the farmhouse, but really good overall and overall a magical, memorable experience.

The beach time was a bit spoiled by the weather, to be honest. For the first 48 hours, it was great – the little cottages were wonderful, it was nice to swim in the sea and go snorkelling, lovely to be around a pool with the monkeys, amazing to sit in the sunset bar etc. But then we had rain.

Overall, it was a really lovely holiday – the Mt Kenya farmhouse will really live long in the memory. Hard to explain why – just quite an unusual experience really.

The fenced camp was a bit of an oasis with loads for the kids to do (various games, archery, swimming pool overlooking the bush, Jenga etc), and the game drives were awesome, being able to get incredibly close to the wildlife. We could have reached out and touched the lions had they not been chased off by an elephant. Intense! All the staff were magic and so attentive, and all knew your names immediately.

From there to the farm in the foothills of Mt Kenya. Your recommendation to break up the safari stints here was ideal. What a beautiful place. Again, staff were a hit, as were the resident Great Danes and Jack Russells. Far more chilled and no 5.45 am wake-ups, which was well received by F.

Loads to do though for the kids: collecting eggs from the hen coop; holding (and naming) rabbits; horse riding; milking cows; bread baking; treasure hunts; art class. The trip to the lagoon and waterfall was also fantastic. Throughout our trip, the food was amazing, but here it really was exceptional. Virtually everything we ate was produced from the farm itself, and was so varied.

Onto safari part 2: the Maasai Mara. Very cool lodge, if a bit more “rustic” in terms of accommodation. It took M a while to get her head around the fact that it’s unfenced and lions roaring during our first night divided opinion in the family, but seeing giraffes and Topis wandering past through the flysheet from our bedroom the next afternoon was really pretty cool. The Mara Conservancy was so abundant from a wildlife perspective. So many things to see, and again we got incredibly close to some fabulous stuff, and enjoyed yet more bush breakfasts and sundowners.

The resort at Diani beach was gorgeous and so brilliantly chilled – apart from when the monkeys emerged from the forest at tea time! Having our lunch at the beach bar when we first arrived, the kids shot down to the beach. F returned: “That sand is like flour. And not just flour out of the packet. Sieved flour!”

Thanks so much again. It really was incredible.

The wildlife was more plentiful, and there were a few more trucks, but it didn’t feel too crowded – compared to the national park, which we visited for the day for the great migration. It really was a spectacle to witness so many wildebeest and zebra, so definitely wouldn’t have missed it. But there were a lot of trucks (which our guide, Keiwa, had pre-warned us). Outside of the national park, it was less busy in the conservancy, and on many occasions, we were the only ones around.

Then our third stop at Diani beach was also spot on. We lucked out again as they had upgraded us to a private 4-bed villa with pool & butler!

In summary, I was a bit apprehensive about our first trip to Africa, and the trip you’ve organised has been fantastic. We saw so much wildlife (4 out of the big 5, so we’ll have to return for the rhino), lions with cubs, a hyena nursery (about 7 mother hyenas lounging around with their cubs), mating ostriches, a day-old baby giraffe, baby elephants, hippos, and a heavily pregnant cheetah. We had a stunning sighting of a leopard climbing up a tree to feast on her kill. Loads of beautiful birds and much, much more.

Many thanks again.

Even though it was a small reserve, it wasn’t busy and felt quite special for our first game drive. We’re so glad we added that day to our itinerary & would highly recommend it for anyone keen on seeing rhinos (they weren’t so easy to come across in the Masai Mara).

We really enjoyed the drive to the Masai Mara – 5 hours flew by. Even the kids spent some time looking out the windows rather than their screens (they were quick to cotton on to the fact there was Wifi available in the jeep!)

The lodge in the Mara was another great place to stay, with easy access into the park. The family tent was enormous and we enjoyed the extra space. We added on a visit to a Masaai village which felt very authentic, a great learning opportunity & a unique experience that may not be around for too much longer as I can imagine it may easily become commercialised as tourism increases.

The Masai were very welcoming, and we were happy to buy a few souvenirs as a thank-you for their time. The game drives in the Masai Mara were spectacular. Our guide, Derek, was fantastic and very flexible to our family needs – he also had great taste in music (we loved the Afrobeats soundtrack he provided!). Driving in the Jeep was comfortable for both long drives & the game drives – we loved the pop top because it allowed us to stand up but also stay shaded from the midday sun.

When we arrived at Diani Beach we initially thought the boutique hotel might be a bit small and limited with no real activities on site, however, we discovered it was very charming and actually well suited to our needs & once we worked out all the available activities in the area, it was perfect for us. It may not appeal to all families with older children who might prefer a bigger resort with access to water-based activities such as canoes & paddleboards.

We loved Diani beach, the weather was great, the sea beautifully warm, and we enjoyed diving trips on the reef, a sunset canoe in the mangrove and a fantastic day trip to Wasini island with snorkelling in the marine park.  We also loved exploring all the various local restaurants.

We realised that due to the changes in our flight times we had a full day & half back in Nairobi before flying home so we arranged to take part in a Kibera slum tour (booked with Kiberatours.com) and spent a very interesting few hours learning about life here as well as visiting some local projects that support women with Aids & a school for disadvantaged children. I would highly recommend this for anyone who wants to get a little bit under the skin of what life in an African city can really be like (we have previously done something similar in Mumbai).

All in all, we had a wonderful trip. It was right up there with our Sri Lanka holiday that we booked through you around 7/8 years ago. We found the Kenyan people incredibly warm & welcoming everywhere we went and would thoroughly recommend Kenya as a first safari destination as it was so accessible, family friendly and very easy to see an incredible variety of animals. October was a great time to go as it wasn’t too busy.

Thanks again for all your help, particularly when it came to cancelling & rearranging our original trip. It was very much worth the wait!

The elephant orphanage and giraffe sanctuary were amazing, and the guides very educational and good at keeping the kids safe from the giraffes – some are head butters! We didn’t realise we were going to Carnivore, and I’d forgotten to tell you James is vegetarian, my error!! But we chuckled at this and had a good time. It was quite touristy there.

The lodge at Lake Navaisha was absolutely stunning. We would thoroughly recommend you continue using them – we had a wonderful time there, and it was fantastic to have 3 nights and settle in. The lodge is really well designed and absolutely beautiful, and the staff were just so friendly – our 3-year-old was like a little celebrity!! The food was great, and the chefs so friendly and helpful, sometimes cooking special food for our kids despite all the food on offer! Our middle son is very fussy!

The rooms were perfect and worked so well, very large with balconies overlooking the lake, and so many monkeys running round, which the kids loved! The boat trip was brilliant; lots of hippos, and our guide fed pelicans and an eagle, which swooped down to catch a fish. The walking safari was amazing, and we were so close to the animals! Lovely guide again.

The cycling safari in Hell’s Gate was also so fun, and everyone so helpful at organising a seat for our 3 year old, a trailer bike for our 6 year old, and our 9 year old cycled 12k on quite a bumpy dusty track, thanks to the encouragement (and pushing!) from our lovely guide, such an experience. Baby giraffes were running (possibly away from leopards!), zebra, buffalo, antelope etc. Ken was also very flexible, adjusting timings and schedules according to the kids.

The drive to the Maasai Mara was about 5 hours, fine for most of us but our poor 3 year old was a little travel sick! The lodge was really lovely, again incredibly friendly, welcoming and accommodating staff, and delicious Indian food. Our rooms were perfect, on the first floor with balconies overlooking the river. The kids spotted some huge footprints going into the river and spent a long while investigating what animal it could be, taking photos of animals’ feet they saw around the lodge! The mystery was solved when the first night I was putting the children to bed, and heard the unmistakable sound of a hippo plodding through the river!! We went out to watch them walk by, by moonlight, only about 5-10m from our balcony.

Then safari – wow, what an experience!!!! I wondered if the kids wouldn’t be too excited after the sanctuaries and Lake Navaisha, but they were beyond excited, standing on the seats and looking out trying to spot animals, huge beaming smiles and hair blowing in the breeze. The Land Cruiser was perfect with the roof going up. I’ve done safari before (in Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa), but this outdid those trips by far.

We saw a family of cheetahs hunt and kill an impala, lions stalking warthogs, lions eating zebra, jackals, hyenas, a deadly puff adder (rarely spotted, I think?!), and so many elephants, giraffes, buffalo, and antelope, all in the stunning savannah scenery. I was very grateful for your tip of getting the children their own binoculars, and they loved them!

We did an amazing walking safari along the Nile with a Mara ranger, past hippos and crocodiles, with another great guide who loved our son. We also had a cultural visit to a Maasai village, with another really lovely guide, songs, dancing, high jumping, being taught how to make fire, and lots of talk of being circumcised and how important it is to stand firm and not cry out!! They were very keen to adopt our daughter! The lodge was lovely in the evenings, with big roaring fires, live guitar music one night and a Maasai dancing/jumping display another evening, cocktails and the staff so helpful at getting warm milk / hot chocolate for the children – unforgettable, unique bedtimes.

We had a fabulous time in Watamu – a paradise that we’re currently missing very much. Lots of snorkelling, stand-up paddle boarding, tidal drifts, beach time and swimming. It is absolutely fabulous – I thoroughly recommend.

Finally, your notes were really helpful, very detailed and spot on. Thank you. I also read I Dreamed of Africa on your recommendation, which was very moving and poignant reading in Kenya.

Huge thank you for an incredibly special, extraordinary, and unique experience that we will treasure forever.

I/we loved the food at the Laikipia lodge and their kitchen garden was really interesting.  The field-to-fork, organic produce really sets things higher in our experience, and we looked forward to every meal.  The food was outstanding and garnished with flowers, presented like the food was artwork each day with freshly baked bread, homemade juices, jams and preserves. We came home with the owner’s cookbook as our daughter was so taken with the bush kitchen.

Our accommodation there was very special and I think we’ll remember it for a long time. It was perfect for our children (12 and 14) with its smooth acacia staircases and nooks up high where they could sleep behind a zipped canvas door.  It was really fun accommodation for their age. 

The Masai were awesome too – guarding our Mara camp while we slept there, and it was interesting to try two different types of accommodation, including a tented camp.  We really enjoyed seeing more unusual animals in the Masai Mara too – like the jackals and bat-eared foxes (so cute). 

Diani was a welcome rest after the energy and excitement of safari.  We loved the hotel.  We tried Teppankai and were treated to a gargantuan, never-ending feast, which was very tasty but too much food for us.  So we mostly ate at the main restaurant, which we enjoyed.  The beach was amazing with fine, white sand and azure blue sea, but we didn’t enjoy the local vendors on the beach.  After a while, we preferred to stay within the boundary of the hotel grounds. 

The internal flights were all great, and it was fun to experience flying over the landscape. The drivers to and from the airport were great.  There was one in particular who helped us so much when we arrived at Wilson for our return flight.

Thank you for all your help pulling together the itinerary for us. We had an amazing trip overall.

The food everywhere was delicious and very good quality.

Our driver for the first week, John, was fantastic! We all got on very well with him. He had the perfect balance of interesting conversation and local knowledge, but also happily left us to sit quietly and look out the window. When you spend a lot of time together, it’s so important you get on well!

Thank you both for all your hard work in putting together this trip of a lifetime! We all agreed it was unforgettable and truly wonderful!

All the staff, drivers and camps were great. Felt like we had been to one of our relatives’ homes. I am sure R said, that it felt like visiting your grandma!

We loved the Serena Camp, so lovely, the food, view and the service was great. T was lucky to see the White Rhinos at Lake Nakuru (K was so disappointed not to tick off all the Big Five).

The Masai Mara, what can I say? T with his camera clicking away was a pleasure to watch. The animals didn’t disappoint us either. I am attaching some of his photos. You are welcome to use any of the animal pictures for your website.

Finally, thank you so much for organising the cake for L. It was very touching. He certainly was surprised.

Hells Gate  – we enjoyed the bike ride so that all worked well.

In terms of transfers and people picking us up etc all went very smoothly. The two nights in Nairobi were enough for us and the visit to Sheldricks and the Giraffes worked well. We had Steven as our guide for the week and he was just brilliant. Couldn’t do enough for us, was really considerate about snack stops (kids not me!) gave us loads of info and arranged everything we needed for us e.g. picnic etc. Really enjoyed our time with him. 

Diani was then lovely too – just very unsettled weather which no one can control. We did a boat trip for snorkelling and then a day at Shimba Hills – amazingly we saw nothing all day !! But that’s the way it goes sometimes. We were perfectly happy with the lodge. It was clean, the food was good and there was loads to do with the games areas and evening entertainment.  I had seen some negative reviews online but we had a great time and the staff were so friendly and welcoming.

They even arranged for someone to come to the airstrip when we were there as we realised that we had left something at the hotel – but had gone through the security bit so couldn’t leave, which was really kind of them.

The beach is beautiful too and the staff keep the sellers away from you if you do want to go on the beach. 

So, all in all, a fantastic trip – thank you for advising and booking everything for us! We had a great time and can’t wait to go again!!  

Transfers all went well and the safari camp was perfect for what we wanted. It was fun having an open camp and C absolutely loved it and was happy on even the longest game drives, especially after he took over my camera! I guess the only downside was we did have to do a lot of driving as it was so dry there (I gather worse at Amboseli). We had our own open-sided jeep and a very good guide called Daniel who was incredibly knowledgeable.

So a great trip – thank you for arranging (and especially for re-arranging) – in C’s words, `best holiday ever’!

The hotel in Lake Naivasha, was ideal (beautiful spacious room, good food) and allowed us to have some relaxing pool time on my son’s birthday after the cycle through Hell’s Gate. A small improvement would have been if we’d realised the driver who collected us at the airport was going to be our guide for the next week – James was very kind, polite and knowledgeable, but not very forthcoming with info so it took a day or so before we realised he was our guide for the whole trip and was looking to us to let him know how we wanted to manage our itinerary, both at Lake Naivasha and in the Mara. For example, it took us a day or so in the Mara to realise that it was up to us when we wanted to do our game drives and that we could spend as much or as little time in the park as we wanted. 

The camp in the Mara was fabulous – we had an amazing time, accommodation, service, and food exceeded expectations. The game drives were fantastic with abundant wildlife at every turn – we only failed to track down a rhino – giving us an excuse to return one day.  We were very lucky and saw so many amazing sights – several fresh wildebeest lion kills, a crocodile killing a wildebeest crossing the Mara River, lion cubs, lots of baby elephants, zebras, giraffes and warthogs, and celebrity cheetahs and their film crew!

Transfer to Mombasa and then on to Diani Beach was an adventure for the kids and went smoothly.

Diani Sea Resort also exceeded expectations – food and facilities were excellent.  We enjoyed the pool and daytime activities were well received with a small and friendly team organising low-key beach volleyball, water polo etc, and always ready to partner up for a game of ping pong or a board game if there was a child at a loose end – all very relaxed.  

The room, though it seemed fairly basic at first, was actually absolutely fine – clean, comfortable beds, good air conditioning, and hot showers.  The beach was beautiful but was essentially a no-go area during the day as there were so many vendors that it was impossible to take a walk – such a shame as no one sunbathed /played on the beach outside of the hotel’s organised activities. We were able to enjoy gorgeous walks along the beach before breakfast.   

Thanks again and sorry it’s taken so long!!

– The accommodation  – the places that we stayed were all characterised by great locations and brilliant hospitality.  At Deas Gardens our youngest daughter M was invited to go and play touch rugby at the park with the family – she loved it.  It is the only park she has been to where she could play and see Zebra at the same time!  Olepangi Farm introduced us to fascinating people, both in terms of hosts and guests – and the setting was beautiful.

– Our driver Joseph was so enthusiastic about the wildlife – and was tenacious about pursuing reported spots!  We only missed out on a leopard, we saw all of the other Big 5 in abundance.  He clearly wanted us to get the best experience that we could out of Kenya and we really appreciated his kindness, experience, and good driving skills!

– Diani Beach was beautiful – my teenage daughter was in absolute heaven!

Perhaps some advice re the costs attached to non-itinerary activities would help with planning.

Other than that, it was our much anticipated trip of a lifetime – thank you! Definitely the worst holiday blues I’ve ever had!

Kenya
Laikipia was a highlight – we loved the wilderness camp there and the kids had so much fun. It was really family-orientated and particularly memories include jumping into and swimming in the river, rafting, tracking a lioness and a bush dinner followed by sleeping out under the stars (on E’s 12th birthday). I would so recommend this place to others – everything was just really nicely done from the high grade G&Ts for sundowners, to afternoon tea and cake to the communal meals. I was particularly pleased that we went here first as it was a great introduction to safari – the wildlife in terms of big cats is less abundant but this is more than made up by all the activities on offer.

The Masai Mara was completely different – loads and loads of lions which was fantastic! We also see cheetah there as well as lots of other smaller animals. One comment I would make was that Eagle Lodge was a long, long way from the Mara River, which meant that our opportunity to see the wildebeest crossing the Mara River as part of the Great Migration was limited to one day. If I could change one thing about our trip it would have been where we stayed in the Masai Mara – Eagle Lodge itself was lovely but it was in its own conservancy area and not in the “main part” of the Masai Mara.

Tanzania
And then on to Tanzania where is was good to have a break from safari, have some downtime and do some more cultural activities. We particularly enjoyed going early morning hunting with the Bushmen and the boys loved practising their bow and arrow skills!

Then back to the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti where we finally saw leopard and the elusive black rhino – well worth the long wait and hours of bumping around in the jeep! Kubu Kubu lodge was wonderful, although we enjoyed the more basic Angata Camp too. Perhaps it would have been nice to stay in a lodge with a view of the crater itself but I suspect that would have added considerably to the price! We also arranged a hot air balloon ride whilst in the Serengeti – an expensive but unforgettable experience.

Zanzibar
Finally, onto Zanzibar! Glad we stayed in Stone Town for a couple of nights before heading to the beach. Seyidda Hotel was charming and well-located although on arrival the family room we were given was a little strange as it only had two very small double beds in it for the five of us!! The hotel did put an extra bed into the room for us but it is worth noting as perhaps not all kids would be happy to share a bed with their siblings! Hideaway Hotel was lovely – it had just the right level of luxury and the beach was beautiful.

I could of course go on and on about the trip and all the amazing things we saw! I haven’t yet had an opportunity to go through our photos properly – needless to say we have hundreds and hundreds! When I do, I will send you some.

A really big thank you to you and the team for organising such a wonderful trip for us – we have so many amazing memories and being away together for 30 days was (in the main) such a happy time – wish we could do it all again!

All the best – until the next time!

The vehicle we travelled in was spot-on allowing us as a family to be together, stretch out and watch the world go by, without worrying about where to go and what the children were arguing about in the back! Testament to this fact is that our three girls would happily snooze, chat or look out the window for the long journeys and we didn’t have to break out the screens until the last day (a long drive back to Nairobi)!

The safaris in Ol Pejeta, Lake Naivasha and Masai Mara were very all different and wonderful.  We loved the varied nature of the trip, the beautiful highland region of Mount Kenya, Lake Naivsha with it’s bustling town and the Masai Mara with it’s stretching plains and long vistas.  Everyone we met was so friendly and happy that we were visiting their country. The programme of events was perfect, the trip to the elephant orphanage and giraffe sanctuary on the first day was great for getting a taste of what was to come, the children loved getting up close, the giraffe’s were a particular hit.

Similarly the trip to see the chimpanzee and rhinos in Ol Pejeta was great, my highlight was feeding a blind, black rhino and I will always remember his slobbery kiss as he took the greenery from my hand!  We could have stayed in the Masai Mara for much longer, on reflection I think an additional night here would have been our only change, we loved just looking out across the plains.  The girls really felt like they were in Lion King land. The animals were fantastic to see, having done safari before I knew the magic of it but my husband admitted he didn’t think he’d enjoy watching the animals as much as he did!

To be honest the accommodation blew us away.  Maybe you under sell yourselves but we really didn’t expect it to be so good!!!  The family cottage at Ol Pejeta Lodge was just amazing, huge and beautiful.  We loved the open fire and the big beds. We could have stayed for a week. The welcome we got was as if we had returned home from a long journey, perhaps it was a taste of colonial Africa.

We all fell in love with Dea’s Guesthouse too, the gardens were simply beautiful and we felt we’d arrived at our grandmother’s house with the care and hospitality we received.  The family loft room was perfect and the girls loved their first experience of sleeping under a mosquito net!  The home cooked food was delicious and they had clearly considered the children.

Then the Ashnil Mara Camp, again mind-blowing!  The level of luxury and service given its location in the middle of the Mara was just amazing. And again the space we had as a family was perfect.

Onto our last week in Malindi at Temple Point, we were certainly all ready for some relaxing time and being in one place. There was a slight problem when we arrived as they had given us three rooms, which weren’t connected and our children (being of an age) were not comfortable sleeping alone after one night the hotel managed to find us a family room, this was all dealt with very well and in a friendly manner so nothing that bothered us too much. The hotel was perfect for the children, over the Easter weekend it had a full schedule of entertainment.  We all loved the evening shows and then the open-air movie. There was plenty to do during the day, from darts, to Easter Egg hunts and water balloon fights, the kids loved it (as did we!)  We also did a fantastic beach walk and the children got to hold sea cucumbers, star fish and feed a rather ugly moray eel.  We did a dolphin-watching excursion with snorkelling, our 4 year old was so excited about swimming with all the fish and seeing Dory!

All in all Liddy it was just perfect, exactly what we wanted and actually a whole lot extra.  Thank you so much.

The Masai Mara was as wonderful as we hoped and we were very lucky with our wildlife viewing – masses of lions and cheetah as well as huge herds of plains game. Some lovely baby elephants too which the children enjoyed. Our guide here (Roger) was particularly good and what we don’t know about African game isn’t worth knowing! We were worried that the novelty of game drives would wear off on the kids but Roger managed to keep their interest going throughout. Highly recommended.

Then the beach was gorgeous and we loved Medina Palms. All very luxurious and exactly what we needed after the safari. Our rooms were AMAZING. And the food was superb here, so we all ate far too much of it.

Thanks for arranging such a great trip.

We were very pleased to have taken your advice and got straight out of Nairobi as from what we saw it was a dump. It didn’t take long to get to Sweetwaters and was so lovely to get there. The kids were straight in the pool and M and I sat down with a cool beer and felt that the holiday had truly arrived!

We saw a lioness with her cubs on our first morning drive which set the bar high, but we continued to be very lucky throughout the trip and ticked off the big-5 several times over. I also loved the birds but the kids were not remotely interested and all did exaggerated yawns the minute I pulled out the binoculars. However, Stephen, our excellent guide, was brilliant and somehow managed to point out enough birds to keep me happy, whilst also spotting plenty of bigger animals for the rest of the brood.

Of all the hotels, our favourite was probably Epiya Chapeyu. Amazing food, lovely staff and we saw elephants just nearby, down at the river.

The Sonrisa was also perfect for us. We saw lots of the big charter resorts and they looked awful so we were greatly relieved to turn up at the Sonrisa. It was really comfortable and just what we needed at the end of the safari.

Anyway, sorry this is brief. I’ll try to send more details soon but I just wanted to say thank you. Do also pass on to your local agent that Stephen was brilliant as he really went above and beyond. The kids adored him. Cambodia is next so we’ll be in touch!