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Traveller reviews

Travel reviews by Mrs J. from Colchester

Review Distribution

Excellent
Good
Average
Poor
Terrible

Total number of trips

1

Countries visited

1

Lodges stayed in

3

Excursions taken

0

Trip of a Lifetime

Kenya between 21 Dec 2018 and 6 Jan 2019

Trip rating: Excellent
"Returning to Kenya where we worked and met 30+ years ago was always going to be emotional. Taking our grown up family (3 children, a son and daughter in law) to share the experience with us was something we had always hoped to do. They all loved every minute of the trip and now understand why we have always been so passionate about Africa, and Kenya in particular. Yes of course it has changed, particularly around Nairobi, but there is much that is the same - the people are friendly, helpful and all loved our story, there is a sense of optimism and they have done so well to ban plastic bags - hopefully the bottles will be replaced too one day! We were worried we would be disappointed but we have had the holiday of a lifetime. It is a pity Kenya's tourism industry is not more buoyant as the country has so much to offer. Safety is an issue but we took the advice given to us about where we could safely walk (particularly at Tiwi Beach ) and we never felt in any sort of danger. It is also pretty essential to have a local guide with you, eg for climbing Mt Longonot, and as we cycled through Hell's Gate Freddy was never far behind us!
Thank you Richard for spending so much time talking to me and understanding what we wanted to do - I know we don't fit the usual holiday requirements of most people but it was worth every minute of the detailed planning and finding the right accommodation!"

Arranged By Richard Trillo


Macushla House

Macushla House

"Macushla House Review"

2 nights Arrived 22 Dec 2018
"We loved Macushla House. It was a perfect introduction to our holiday in Kenya. We arrived tired and early in the morning (the traffic from the airport wasn't as bad as we were expecting) and were immediately made to feel welcome. Our rooms were ready and we were expected for breakfast so we were able to have a rest and get ourselves sorted out easily. The staff were all friendly and helpful, and it was a very relaxed environment. The gardens are lovely and although the view of the Ngong Hills is largely obscured by trees we could see them in the distance. We spent the afternoon visiting the school my husband and I taught at 30+ years ago and returned to the hotel early evening. We ate in the hotel both nights as one of our party had been unwell in England and needed to rest - the menu choice and food were good both nights and very reasonably priced. Having driven around Nairobi and seen the development and challenges of the roads we really appreciated the quiet haven of the hotel. It is quite a way from the city but well worth it - as a family we don't like large impersonal hotels and all agreed we would definitely stay there again if ever back in Nairobi. It is a bit quirky with different themed rooms and interesting decor.
We visited the Elephant Orphanage which was excellent and the Giraffe Centre which is a bit more touristy but interesting nevertheless - both are easily reached from Macushla House but you need a driver / taxi.
Our two nights there set us up perfectly for the rest of the holiday.
The stand alone bungalow is being prepared as an airbnb property with the option of self catering or using the hotel for breakfast / meals."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Image alt

Otter House (own arrangements) (Not currently featured by Expert Africa)

"Otter House Review"

3 nights Arrived 24 Dec 2018
"A lovely cottage in a fabulous location. It is just off the road and there is a path down to the lake which is a lovely walk. A guide came across from the Birds of Prey Sanctuary next door to escort us on request and also gave us a tour of the sanctuary which was interesting and good fun (a little unnerving being in such close quarters with large pecking birds!!). We really enjoyed being independent and learning about the local development of the sanctuary and local history. Lake Naivasha is still a wonderful place - so peaceful on the lake and so many birds - we have never seen so many fish eagles!
The house has huge potential but compared to some of the reviews we had read we suspect there may be a bit of a problem somewhere. Joseph, our contact did not appear at all, there was a housegirl some of the time who didn't really do much, although she did tell us that the wifi wasn't working because the owner hadn't paid the bill with a bit of a smile on her face. There was also a night askari who needed prompting (by Freddy) to light the outside fire for us. The house is comfortable and security is good but it is very basically equipped, ie. not enough plates, cutlery etc. It is a shame because it could easily be a very good alternative to the lodges. We were very happy there but it would have been much harder work without Freddy as back up."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Average
Facilities
Average
Ol Kinyei Adventure Camp

Ol Kinyei Adventure Camp

"Spoilt for life by our Ol Kinyei Safari!"

3 nights Arrived 27 Dec 2018
"This was the highlight of our trip. Brendan and I have done many safaris, including Kruger Park and this is top by far. The whole Conservancy experience was great - excellent game viewing and so much better for the feeling that it was being done with the blessing of the local people. The visit to the local village was a really genuine experience. The day in Masai Mara was a huge contrast - 22 vehicles around 1 leopard, but it was lovely to see the Mara river again and we did see a lot, although we missed the plains game of the Conservancy. We all felt we would have been disappointed with the amount of general animals had we stayed in the Mara.
The camping experience was great fun and suited us much better than a more luxurious one would have done, to us it fitted much more comfortably with the environment and with our hosts. The tents were comfortable and the shower system worked well. The askaris did a good job of chasing the elephants away at night!!
The camp staff were amazing, and our two guides, Ben and Geoffrey were excellent at finding the animals and birds and telling us everything we could possibly want to know about them. The vehicles were the best we saw anywhere and they were very happy to put us in two rather than be crowded in 1 vehicle. Our breakfast on the way to Masai Mara felt like a real "Out of Africa" experience!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent

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