Travel reviews by V & C from London
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
1
Lodges stayed in
4
Excursions taken
0
Unforgettable Kenya experience
Kenya between 26 Aug 2015 and 8 Sep 2015
"We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Kenya and Richard at ExpertAfrica was instrumental in orchestrating the perfect trip for us. We had communicated our preferences to him in terms of wildlife, activities, budget and also the mix and sequence we were seeking to achieve and he was thoughtful, creative and flexible to put together a truly unique trip for us that exceeded our every expectation!
The highlight of our trip was our time at Samburu, where we enjoyed (perhaps with some luck) exceptional moments (lions stalking impala herd, lion stealing a leopard kill, leopards climbing trees, cheetah making a kill among others) and had the privilege of travelling with one of the best guides we've ever experienced in Francis at Saruni Samburu - a breathtaking setting for a lodge!
Our time at Meru at the start of our trip and just before getting to Samburu gave us an intimate and involved experience which was a perfect way to kick-off the Kenya experience. After Meru and Samburu we enjoyed the overwhelming abundance of the Mara. Our stay was initially in the Mara North Conservancy where we were able to enjoy more flexible activities like walking safaris and night drives and concluded in the main reserve with spectacular river crossings on our last day in Kenya!
Throughout our trip, we felt very safe and the locals were always welcoming, cheerful and always happy to help and went the extra mile to make us feel comfortable and at home. We also had a vegetarian dietary requirement which was perfectly catered for throughout our trip at all the lodges. Recent events have hurt the tourist business in Kenya which is a real shame as the country, its people and its wildlife have a lot to offer and a lot for the rest of us to learn from!
We would absolutely visit Kenya again and almost certainly call ExpertAfrica on our next African holiday! Thank you very much for helping us with this memorable Kenyan experience!"
The highlight of our trip was our time at Samburu, where we enjoyed (perhaps with some luck) exceptional moments (lions stalking impala herd, lion stealing a leopard kill, leopards climbing trees, cheetah making a kill among others) and had the privilege of travelling with one of the best guides we've ever experienced in Francis at Saruni Samburu - a breathtaking setting for a lodge!
Our time at Meru at the start of our trip and just before getting to Samburu gave us an intimate and involved experience which was a perfect way to kick-off the Kenya experience. After Meru and Samburu we enjoyed the overwhelming abundance of the Mara. Our stay was initially in the Mara North Conservancy where we were able to enjoy more flexible activities like walking safaris and night drives and concluded in the main reserve with spectacular river crossings on our last day in Kenya!
Throughout our trip, we felt very safe and the locals were always welcoming, cheerful and always happy to help and went the extra mile to make us feel comfortable and at home. We also had a vegetarian dietary requirement which was perfectly catered for throughout our trip at all the lodges. Recent events have hurt the tourist business in Kenya which is a real shame as the country, its people and its wildlife have a lot to offer and a lot for the rest of us to learn from!
We would absolutely visit Kenya again and almost certainly call ExpertAfrica on our next African holiday! Thank you very much for helping us with this memorable Kenyan experience!"
Arranged By Richard Trillo
Offbeat Meru
"Sparse but more intimate and exclusive safari"
3 nights
Arrived
27 Aug 2015
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Saruni Samburu
"Truly exceptional and spectacular experience"
3 nights
Arrived
30 Aug 2015
"Saruni was one of our most memorable holidays experiences ever! The location of the luxurious villas built uniquely into the cliff top with expansive views over the valley was truly breath taking! The food and dining experience was great up on the terrace - spectacular views with a cliff edge fireplace under a blanket of stars! The staff were really attentive and friendly and made our stay here special. The Italian owners have done a classy job of the decor and design of the lodge.
Samburu park was absolutely fantastic - we were overwhelmed by half a dozen close encounters with leopards, hunting/stalking lion prides, a close experience of an explosive cheetah chase/kill and an abundance of elephants, giraffes, zebra, gerenuk among others! Our guide, Francis, was a genius combining borderline divine tracking skills and a real passion for sharing his immense knowledge of wildlife with a humorous and engaging style.
We'd have to dig deep to find a flaw - the only one we could come up with is that the lodge is about an hour's drive from the action in the park, but this is the price to pay for the spectacular view, clifftop location and amazing staff! The landscape is also a little dry and feels more like a desert than the savannah grasslands you'd expect to see in Kenya!
We would return to Saruni in a heartbeat and would struggle to pin the star attraction here between the spectacular lodge, amazing staff, inspired guiding and exceptional wildlife!"
Samburu park was absolutely fantastic - we were overwhelmed by half a dozen close encounters with leopards, hunting/stalking lion prides, a close experience of an explosive cheetah chase/kill and an abundance of elephants, giraffes, zebra, gerenuk among others! Our guide, Francis, was a genius combining borderline divine tracking skills and a real passion for sharing his immense knowledge of wildlife with a humorous and engaging style.
We'd have to dig deep to find a flaw - the only one we could come up with is that the lodge is about an hour's drive from the action in the park, but this is the price to pay for the spectacular view, clifftop location and amazing staff! The landscape is also a little dry and feels more like a desert than the savannah grasslands you'd expect to see in Kenya!
We would return to Saruni in a heartbeat and would struggle to pin the star attraction here between the spectacular lodge, amazing staff, inspired guiding and exceptional wildlife!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Offbeat Mara
"Good choice in the conservancies"
3 nights
Arrived
2 Sep 2015
"Offbeat Mara is well located sufficiently close to the river crossings (just over an hours' drive) but also within a stone's throw away from the hill that is home to the Offbeat lion pride. The route to the crossings across the plains is enjoyable and we were lucky to spot baby leopards and some hyenas but the actual crossings can be a bit hit and miss of course.
Our walking safari and night safari were particularly interesting and unique - we saw a rare Aardvark and a lioness hunt a baby gazelle, which got away twice! The opportunity to spend a lot of time in close proximity with the Offbeat lion pride during the day and at night was excellent and it was great to watch the young cubs play.
The lodge was nicely laid with space between the tents. The atmosphere was relaxed and laid back, but at times this felt like bordering complacency. We noted that some of the tents were being refurbished, which is timely as they're beginning to look a bit tired!"
Our walking safari and night safari were particularly interesting and unique - we saw a rare Aardvark and a lioness hunt a baby gazelle, which got away twice! The opportunity to spend a lot of time in close proximity with the Offbeat lion pride during the day and at night was excellent and it was great to watch the young cubs play.
The lodge was nicely laid with space between the tents. The atmosphere was relaxed and laid back, but at times this felt like bordering complacency. We noted that some of the tents were being refurbished, which is timely as they're beginning to look a bit tired!"
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Good
Service
Average
Activities
Good
Rooms
Average
Food
Good
Facilities
Average
Mara Ngenche Safari Camp
"Locally-run perfectly located for crossings"
2 nights
Arrived
5 Sep 2015
"Ngenche is nestled deep into the dense bushes and right by the confluence between the rivers and is a great spot to be based to get to the various locations to watch the river crossings quickly from the camp. The rooms were luxuriously decorated in a traditional style and the local staff were attentive and friendly. The tents are right by the river and at night the hippos walk right past your gardens to graze!
Our guide was very proactive and was always on the radio and eager to get us to the best spots to see the river crossings. We were also lucky to see some cheetah cubs and a rare solitary black rhino, both thanks to our guide. While we were short of luck for a couple of days on the crossing, we finally had a rewarding experience on our last morning!
The Mara plains can be a little daunting with lots of wildlife and lots of safari vehicles so being located well and having a good/patient guide is key to enjoying the experience here and Ngenche did not disappoint. All our previous safari experiences in Kenya were at hosted camps so it was also interesting and unique to experience a different setting at Ngenche."
Our guide was very proactive and was always on the radio and eager to get us to the best spots to see the river crossings. We were also lucky to see some cheetah cubs and a rare solitary black rhino, both thanks to our guide. While we were short of luck for a couple of days on the crossing, we finally had a rewarding experience on our last morning!
The Mara plains can be a little daunting with lots of wildlife and lots of safari vehicles so being located well and having a good/patient guide is key to enjoying the experience here and Ngenche did not disappoint. All our previous safari experiences in Kenya were at hosted camps so it was also interesting and unique to experience a different setting at Ngenche."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Our guide (Paolo) was very knowledgable and we had the time to ask him questions and learn more about the ecosystem. Among other more common sightings, we saw a leopard in the evening, a rare sighting of a serval, white rhinos, hippos and a great diversity of birds. The sun rises/sets were particularly stunning and there were plenty of great locations for bush breakfasts / sundowners.
The camp was perfectly located on a river with regular visits from elephants, giraffe, waterbucks and other wildlife right at your doorstep. The food, in particular, stood out as exceptional despite one of the simplest and most basic tented kitchens among all the camps we visited on our trip. The accommodation was simple but comfortable, bucket showers were prompt though not perfect for guests with arachnophobia!
We would recommend Meru for both first timers and more experienced safari-goers, particularly at the start of your itinerary."