Evaluation This was our first safari, so we had no idea what to expect. Here’s what this particular trips consisted of. Part of the time we were driven from lodge to lodge, part of the time we were on wildlife drives, and there was some free time, which could be filled optionally with nature walks or boat trips. You’ll be doing a lot of being driven around, in other words. In the game parks that’s unavoidable, since getting out of the car is dangerous. Some safari companies fly you between the lodges, but I think that’s making you miss experiencing the country. We didn’t object to the amount of driving we did, since there was so much to see, both in the parks and in the country in general. It was all a great and wonderful experience.

When we were looking for a safari in Africa, we came across the usual big names, with corresponding big price tags. Finding this trip, which we booked through Masai Travel, and its much more reasonable price tag, we wondered what we were going to find. We were pleasantly surprised that Somak Safaris,the company that does the safari in Kenya, was very professional. Our guide, Job, was pleasant, capable, and knowledgeable; all accommodations were very luxurious, the people running the lodges professional, and the food excellent. We don’t feel that we missed anything.

On the other hand, the US operation, Masai travel, was irritatingly unresponsive. Phone calls were regularly not returned or only through email a day later, some urgent questions were never answered. Their info sheet misses some crucial items such as that Kenya requires a 6 month validity of your passport past your stay. Mine was a few months short of that, which we didn’t notice at first since we were counting on getting our Visa upon arrival in Kenya. The Kenyan embassy said it would be no problem, but we were afraid Swiss airlines might be less broadminded. In the end it all didn’t matter, but it was surely irritating that Masai travel never returned any of our urgent calls or emails. That said, I think Masai got us a very good deal on the trip.