Reviews of safaris to Northern Kenya

"Kenya was fabulous. Highspots were Sarara Camp in general (a whole list of things), the fab Villa at Saruna Mara ( terrific staff); Peponi (just being there...). And hotel One Forty Eight in Nairobi was a superb place to arrive at after a long flight...

We were especially impressed by the cheerful helpfulness of all the Kenyan people we met, in all the places we stayed- and in between.

Plus- the weather was perfect...." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 13 on a Kenya safari

"We started with an outline of what we wanted to do on this trip and then sat back and let Richard Trillo fine tune all the details. Everything worked in the most extraordinary fashion, so seamlessly, that one could have imagined this was a trip arranged and run countless times, not just for us.

From Richard's front-end suggestion to stay at Macushla House and have a driver to explore around Nairobi, to the last days at Sarara appreciating the remarkable conservation successes achieved through a joint venture with the Samburu people, I wouldn't change one thing.

Expert Africa earns my loyalty every time, and I think it is safe to now call myself an Africa addict." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 18 on a Kenya safari

"Our trip was a visit to Lake Turkana, Marsabit and then to Samburu National Reserve. We were pleased that we did the circuit in that order as it gave us a luxurious end to the journey.

I had some difficulty to find an operator that was willing to cover Northern Kenya, but Expert Africa had the knowledge to create a suitable itinerary for us and find a company experienced in touring the region." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 7 on a Kenya safari

"One of the Camps did not hit our buttons but it was still a good camp.

We use Expert Africa regularly - it is always a good service." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Kenya safari

"This was a well thought out combination of experiences in a country I like and have visited many times over the decades. Sarara and Kicheche Mara were very different in style and location, each with their own pluses, and the Emakoko an excellent surprise at the end. Richard seems to intuitively know what I will like, which is a pretty impressive skill." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 9 on a Kenya safari

"We had an excellent trip to the Masaai Mara and the Matthews Range/Samburu. The two locations we chose were very diverse but were both beautiful and interesting in their own ways.

Everything on the trip was smoothly arranged, with a minor exception.

Would highly recommend Expert Africa. They have organised multiple trips for us in the past, which have always been exceptional." Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 7 on a Kenya safari

"No better way to celebrate our Fortieth Wedding Anniversary, returning to previous haunts." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 12 on a Kenya safari

"Inevitably it was a bit of a ‘whistle-stop’ tour as we covered a great deal of ground; however all the travel arrangements were quite excellent and our thanks must go to Richard Trillo of Expert-Africa for his advice and organisation; to Gaig Leshan Safaris for all their help; to Asilia Africa; and not least to Alex Hunter at Ol Pejeta for all his kindness and hospitality.

Without exception the management and staff wherever we stayed were friendly and helpful, the food was excellent, whilst the standard of diver/guides was of the highest order.

All in all this was an outstanding trip in every respect. Thank you." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 11 on a Kenya safari

"We'd like to start by commending our drivers, who did our land transfers from Nairobi to Nanyuki and then from Wilson to the international airport via an afternoon in Karen (where we recommend the Talisman restaurant where we dined). Both our drivers, John at the start of our trip and Edward at the end, were first class.

Second, we should also mention why we land-transferred to Nanyuki, ie to visit the Karatina market, reputedly the second biggest food market in East Africa. While we had a business-specific reason for making this unusual visit, we can certainly recommend it for anyone who wants an interesting and different experience for a couple of hours in the Nanyuki area, meeting and chatting with local small business people.

All this being said, the heart of the trip was, of course, the safari in general and, in particular, the opportunity to visit - and therefore support - three community-based projects in Laikipia which are all run in somewhat different ways. Our growing sense for some time during our regular visits to Africa since 2006 has been that, with national parks in some parts often failing to provide adequate environmental and wildlife protection, much of the future may well lie in community-based and private (eg Mundulea in Namibia where we stayed in sept 2013) projects. This trip firmed up this view further, especially as it gave us a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the commitment of the local community to the projects and its aspirations, including for the education and related opportunities available to future generations.

Despite the ready sharing of views by those we met, we are cautious about trying to draw firm conclusions other than in the following respects. First, Laikipia is a fabulous part of Kenya and well worth visiting for both its wildlife and its culture. Second, we feel that these community-based projects are genuinely helping the local community consistent with its aims and aspiration and are, therefore, well worth supporting. Third, it will nevertheless likely to difficult to balance preserving tradition with the evolving way of life which inevitably ensues.

Finally, a word of thanks to the Expert Africa team, especially Richard Trillo, for their efforts putting together for us what was another excellent trip." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 13 on a Kenya safari