Reviews of safaris to Amboseli and the Chyulu Hills

"once again Claire has hit it out of the park. Her attention to detail is outstanding. The weakest camp for us was Tortillis as it was large and had not a lot of animal life. We loved Kifaru house and want to return. We also did the conservation tour at Lewa which included meeting the dog tracking team--would highly recommend this to any other travellers. There are only 3 days a week on which it is possible to do this but it is well worthwhile. We also liked elephant pepper camp --the sheer volume of animal life there was amazing.

Suggestions to help us improve our tripsor our service Not any I can think of." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 16 on a Kenya safari

"Our entire trip was spectacular! Everything was arranged perfectly and everything went smoothly without any problems. We would absolutely recommend Expert Africa to our friends and family and we will definitely use them again in the future!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

No suggestions. Everything was perfect! Just a side note that your website with its very in-depth and honest reviews of lodges, locations and animals is superb! I am very detail oriented and I love that I can look up any lodge and your website will answer any questions I have." Read full review: 7 nights in Africa; 7 on a Kenya safari

"This was the best family vacation we’ve ever taken.

We absolutely loved every single day. Everything was seamlessly arranged by Expert Africa." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 10 on a Kenya safari

"Overall our trip was excellent.

Looking back, perhaps the most wonderful thing was the feeling that someone was in control and we didn’t have to worry about anything.

It was wonderful. Thanks a lot!!!" Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 7 on a Kenya safari

"The whole trip was so well organised, we didn't have to think about a thing. Someone was always there to tell us where we needed to be.

The internal flights were also a breeze. I probably would have fewer flights next time and perhaps not go to either Amboseli or Laikipia,instead visiting the Kicheche camps in the Mara." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 12 on a Kenya safari

"Its quite difficult to put into words just how amazing a country Kenya is. For all the corruption and general bad press, if you scratch the surface and get to know the people, its quite simply addictive.

Richard organised a wonderful itinerary for the safari. The rain made this year a totally different experience, the driving was much more difficult, but the countryside looked rich and green and all the herbivores which have struggled so much in recent years are all thriving which is wonderful.

We also loved our two weeks in Msambweni, meeting the village people and helping with charity work for HIV orphaned children, donating football kit for the local team, the Msambweni Super Eagles, who then arranged a friendly match for us to see the new kit in action! The kit was green with green and white striped socks, however, only a handful of the players had football boots!

I also took out items for the maternity unit at the local hospital, including packs for new mothers who arrive at hospital with absolutely nothing containing a blanket, knitted hat, a selection of clothes and socks - all small things but which make a huge difference.

Thank you very much for another fabulous holiday." Read full review: 29 nights in Africa; 13 on a Kenya safari

"Many thanks to Expert Africa, and our wonderful advisor, Jessica Plumb, for working with us to plan our amazing adventure. We could not be happier with the camps she suggested and the itinerary.

Each location offered something special - something different - but with the same high-quality surroundings and excellent service. It was truly seamless and a trip of a lifetime.

If we are ever lucky enough to get back to Africa, I would only turn to Expert Africa to plan our trip.

I can't imagine how this trip could have been better!

Thank you so much Jessica and Expert Africa!!" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 10 on a Kenya safari

"Before visiting Kenya, we have been to four countries in Southern Africa (Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) five times, and each one of those trips were highly enjoyable.

Nonetheless, we figured it was time to check out East Africa for a change. To be honest, we were a little apprehensive about this trip, because many guidebooks or websites tell you that in both Kenya and Tanzania visitor numbers are much higher than in the South of Africa. As the New York Times wrote earlier this year, they witnessed a cheetah hunting and making a kill in the Maasai Mara, and in no time, the poor animal was surrounded by 50 vehicles. Well, even though the number of cars per sighting was, on average, higher than in Southern Africa, we experienced none of such extremes. I guess, we were lucky with the choice of camps and/or locations.

For instance, we took great care in picking camps that are using open vehicles with a maximum of six passengers and not vehicles with pop-up roofs, let alone minibuses. For a serious photographer, such conditions would seriously limit your freedom to move, and in the case of pop-up roofs you would have to stand up and, often, you would look down on animals. In other words, it would be a nightmare ruining my trip. I realize that the camps we picked are significantly more expensive, but this goes hand in hand with providing better guides, better amenities and facilities, and better service. The good news is that in our experience, the camps in Kenya are not quite as pricey as Botswana accommodations.

One more comment about the number of cars per sighting: The official rules in the Maasai Mara clearly state that the maximum number of vehicles per scene is limited to five (per animal, not animals!). Taken literally, a pride of 8 lions could be visited by 40 cars, and we have witnessed scenes with up to 20 cars. On other occasions, for instance when observing cheetahs or leopards, we have noticed that local wildlife rangers do in fact make sure that there are no more than 5 cars on the scene. Throughout the entire trip, we were blessed with guides that showed great patience and perseverance to stay at a scene for longer. Quite often we were also lucky enough to be the only two guests in the vehicle. The only camp where there were six passengers in a car was Lewa Safari Camp.

As in previous years, I enjoyed recording our wildlife sightings. Overall, we saw more animals here than in any other place in Africa. And our encounters with the big cats were especially noteworthy, because often they were full of drama. I should point out though that we did not see any wild dogs anywhere. Of the four areas visited, the Maasai Mara was, thanks to our guides, and despite the higher number of vehicles, a photographer’s paradise.

What we also appreciated in all five camps was that they allowed each party to have their own tables at mealtimes.

To summarize, this trip was so good that we are almost certain to return to Kenya in the near future." Read full review: 30 nights in Africa; 20 on a Kenya safari

"This trip was organised with a highly professional advisor and went according to every detail perfectly.

I will definately book through you again.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Honestly? None - your company is professional and know their product to a very high level." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 11 on a Kenya safari

"We worked out while we were away that this was our 25th safari. It was by far our best and Kenya has become our new favourite safari destination.

The people are so welcoming, polite and friendly. The camps were all very well run with excellent food and facilities. The internal flights were well organised and efficient, albeit with lots of stops!

As we do quite a lot of self-guided, self-drive safaris, it was nice to go to camps with an emphasis on photography, so that they would position the vehicle as we would if we were driving and in a few instances, suggest angles that we hadn't thought of." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 14 on a Kenya safari