Nariku Travel Experiences

We all (4 of us) had a fantastic time in so many ways. Andrew, our driver was experienced and brilliant at getting us to the right places at the right time in the Kenyan National parks - he made a great holiday Excellent. We saw all the big 5 as well as a cheetah family, a lion pride doing a multiple hunt, and Wildebeest migration across the R Mara. Our favourite park was the Maasai Mara, and we loved visiting the Maji Moto Maasai Cultural camp and engaging with the Maasai culture and school. In addition we had a great time in Nairobi at the Giraffe centre and David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, as well as 3 museum visits to Karen Blixen, Nairobi Railway museum, and the National Museum, all of which were substantially enhanced by having personal guides showing us around. Finally we went by train to Mombasa and spent a few days relaxing at the beach and exploring Mombasa. The accommodation was generally good, with the Ashnil Mara Camp being the standout excellent - the staff were all so friendly and helpful and facilities and food excellent. The plans all worked well and had a marvellous balance in the 4 parks - Lake Nakuru, Maasai Mara, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli. Day after day, when we thought things couldn't get better - we would experience something even better! The one time we had a hiccup in the accommodation it was sorted out quickly and effectively. Thank you to Joseph and Andrew in particular.

Hotel Reviews

Ashnil Mara Camp

Maasai Mara

The best hotel we visited in Kenya. The rooms were spacious, well appointed and equipped. On chillier nights, we came back to find hot water bottles in our beds! Very friendly, discretely attentive and effective staff who obviously take a huge pride in their work and made us feel very welcome. Great views of the river and hippo, with antelope and other animals around the lodge grounds but not intrusive. Great facilities, including a fire pit in the bar in the evening. A convenient and inviting pool. Great meals (every time) and waiters to welcome you back each time we came in. At 5.30am on the morning we left, there was someone waiting to take our bags when we came out of our tent!! A delightful place to relax after a day on safari.

Authenticity & Character

The staff were genuinely friendly and went the extra mile to make our stay great.

Location

brilliant ambience, with sound effects at night and hippos in the river by day!

Staff

They quickly learnt our names and everyone was friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was comfortable and the tent was fully equipped with everything we needed, including en suite facilities.

Wildebeest Eco Camp

Langata, Nairobi

The tented accommodation was adequate, set in a pleasant environment. Food was fairly basic and lodge routines weren't explained very well - the evening meal is a communal meal at 7pm, and you need to be there at 7! Some staff were friendly, but we detected some tensions among the staff.

Lake Nakuru Lodge

Nakuru

A beautiful situation, with views down to the lake and the park, with the Rift Valley on the horizon. Accommodation was good with plenty of space and en suite facilities. A great dining room with good views of the lake. Friendly and helpful staff. A good pool. Comfortable. We enjoyed our time here.

Authenticity & Character

Good views and location

Location

Views to the lake and park and the rift Vally on the horizon

Staff

Friendly and supportive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

No problems here

Maji Moto Maasai Cultural Camp

Maji Moto

An authentic experience of living with the Maasai people, who are very warm and welcoming. We were a little nervous when we arrived but we're made to feel fully at home and shown around everywhere. We loved the visit to the school and the village, and a real taste of the Maasai culture and community. We were welcomed into their lives and it was wonderful. The meals were all excellent, and particularly the evening meal, with the traditional entertainment afterwards. Though living in a Maasai hut, we felt very safe at all times, protected by the warriors from any wild life. In 24 hours we had made friends and experienced something of the life of the Maasai living at one with each other and with nature. I wouldn't have missed this experience for the world!

Authenticity & Character

Living in Maasai built huts and accommodation. Living like they live.

Location

Staff

They welcomed us as friends and family, and that is what we felt like all though the time we were there.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sentrim Amboseli

An open, quite large lodge just outside the National park. Elephant and giraffe could be seen around it, and a baby antelope was resting in the shade of our hut. The accommodation is quite spacious and well fitted out, with the outer walls of the hut being mosquito proofed. It was clean comfortable. The pool is pleasant and has a pool bar. The dining area and bar are open and give the place a very relaxing and pleasant environment. The buffet food was good with variety, as most of the hotels we stayed in. An enjoyable stay here for 2 nights. There is a balloon safari camp close by, so we were aware of the balloons being filled and fired up on the first morning, but it was not intrusive.

Authenticity & Character

Pleasant but fairly functional lodge.

Location

Outside the national park, but still quite close. No views, but an airy and spacious site with views to Kilimanjaro.

Staff

some seemed to be a bit new and confused about dining room protocols!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Liked the mosquito nets in the tent/hut walls.

Lake Naivasha Country Club

Naivasha

A beautiful setting, with an old style lodge fronting onto the lake, with a huge lawn running down to the water. In the evening, the hippo family come out to graze the grass. During the day baboons play in the garden. The lodge has an early 20th Century country club vibe, but is slightly run down. Our tent/huts were very compact and the bathrooms were in need of upgrading. From 7pm to 6am guests have to be escorted by security because of the presence of the hippos, but that adds a certain charm to the site. The bird life and hippos (in the water during the day) make the setting very attractive, though the abandoned chalets on the waterfront add to the run down feel. The food in the dining room is excellent and the staff are friendly and attentive. Recently taken over by Muthu, so may get the conference centre make-over!

Authenticity & Character

Olde world feel, but somewhat neglected.

Location

Excellent site on the edge of the lake

Staff

Friendly and efficient.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our rooms could have done with some updating and were very cramped.

Muthu Nyali Beach Hotel & Spa

This has fairly recently been taken over by the Muthu group and is set up as a conference hotel. There were several large conferences taking place the first few days, which affected the busyness of the dining room at lunchtime adversely. Our rooms initially were sub-standard and in need of refurbishment. Showers and Aircon didn't work and decor was distinctively worn and shabby. However our complaints and kimkim representation produced significant upgrades to fully functioning rooms with sea views. There are two outdoor pools, a pool bar and access to the beach (public) which we enjoyed. However, the conference focus of the hotel means there is very little to help tourists in terms of available excursions or activities, or support for getting around Mombasa. This hotel has no currency exchange or cash facility, we needed to get ourselves to a local ATM. The food in the dining room was good quality, but on the Sunday the dining room closed as there were no conferences, and we had to order food in the cafe (which was very good - but less choice). The staff were generally friendly, but the management (while responsive to our complaints) are oriented to a conference clientele, not tourists. We organised our own visit to Mombasa and spent most of the rest of the time relaxing by the pool. There is a bar which is very dark and has a large sport TV display, and a cafe terrace overlooking the beach. Also a gym and spa.

Authenticity & Character

Much of the hotel rooms need refurbishment. Public rooms are functional

Location

Its on the beach, and close to Mombasa, but not set up for tourists.

Staff

Staff were polite and very responsive to complaints ....

Cleanliness & Comfort

decor and furnishings are somewhat tired. Beddings and towels were clean.

Activity Reviews

Nairobi National Museum

Kenya

A guided tour of some of the history of Kenya that is so fascinating. It combines some of the human history with the rich natural history.

David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Kenya

Amazing privilege to watch orphaned elephants being fed! Informative background information about elephants and the work of the Trust. Lots of "Aah' moments

Giraffe Center

Kenya

Being able to get close to Giraffe is a privilege, as well as to feed them and find out about the work of the centre. The interaction with the giraffes is fascinating.

Karen Blixen Museum

Nairobi

We had a guide around the museum which was brilliant as it gave us real insights into what we were looking at. This museum starts to paint the picture of part of the history of Kenya and how people have contributed towards that history. I hadn't realised that coffee doesn't grow well at the altitude of Nairobi!!

The Nairobi Railway Museum

Kenya

A gem of a museum, that also came alive as our guide explained the history and significance of the different artifacts. It has a unique collection of locomotives and the history of the building of the railway is a key to understanding something of the development of Kenay over the last century. A fantastic experience, not simply for railway enthusiasts but also those kenn to understand a bit more of the history of Kenya.

Lake Nakuru National Park Game Drive

Nakuru

A wealth of natural birds and animals in their own environment. A privilege to witness these - particularly the Rhinos. In addition to lions, Giraffe, Antelope, Zebra and Warthogs, we also saw a Leopard! Such and abundance of nature in all its forms - and so many birds!!

Maji Moto Maasai Cultural Activities

Maji Moto

We found this a really moving experience, to be welcomed and included in the family of the Maasai culture. See the Hotel review.

Maasai Mara National Reserve

Masai Mara

Our favourite Game park. Here we had some unique and special experiences. Seeing prides of lions close up, Cheetahs and their cubs, lion's hunting, Antelope and wildebeest in such large numbers, and then Wildebeest migrating across the R Mara. A wonderful God-given privilege.

Maasai Mara Game Drives

Masai Mara

These game drives, as described in the Reserve description above, were facilities by Andrew our driver. His experience and expertise enables us to enjoy and have the experiences we had. Thank you Andrew.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

His skill to get us close to the action and to find the action - Thank you Andrew.

Transport

And Andrew's skill in driving a 4x4 across such rough country.

Lake Naivasha Activities

Kenya

WE enjoyed walking around with the animals - as a contrasting means fo transport!! Also the boat ride, with its sights of so many different s[ecies and the demonstration of the Fish Eagle swooping to catch its food! Incredible.

Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park

Elephants having fun, elephants keeping cool, young and old. Incredible animals. And also plenty to reflect on with the changing nature of the park and climate change.

Hello Joseph

Thank you for all of your work in planning an amazing trip to Uganda and Tanzania. All of the hotels/bush camps/lodges were excellent. There was never a hold up/question about entrance permits when we arrived at the National Parks. The airport pick ups were very smooth, even after a 2 hour arrival delay.

The meals while basic were plentiful, soup, salad, fresh rolls, rice/potatoes, mixed veggies, meat/pork/fish/chicken, dessert, tea/coffee/cold milk. Alcohol/wine/beer was available for an additional cost. Breakfast of fruit, cereal, eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, toast was pre ordered the night before and was ready upon your arrival. The box lunch was a sandwich, dessert, yogurt, fresh fruit, juice/water. It was interesting to see how the chef would vary the meal each day by using various spices or sauces. At the Rhino Lodge, one of the items offered at supper was roasted potatoes in a peanut butter sauce!! Surprisingly it was OK!! Some of the meals were a buffet style, some were served, while others were a served buffet. There was no issue if you wanted seconds.

After seeing 100’s if not 1,000’s of animals in Tanzania, I was slightly disappointed with the lack of animals in Uganda (15 elephants and a similar number of zebra/impala) trekking to the chimps and gorilla was certainly a highlight. My driver in Uganda, Nassar from Able Tours, said that Uganda is a farming country and if a farmer comes across a fresh livestock kill, they spread poison the kill hoping that it will poison whatever did the kill. He also said that zebra do not have any natural predators, so they usually die from old age. Driving thru Uganda I was very surprised to see the height and steepness of the landscape. We had to take a short 10 KM detour, due to road construction, it took us thru a large tea plantation and it was eye opening to see the people harvesting the tea leaves, with the wicker baskets strapped to their backs on the steep hills. Watching the person, who took the full baskets back to the processing location climbing up and down the hills, made my legs and back ache!! I am a motorcyclist; it was very surprising to see all the motorcycles that are used to transport all of the commerce. I saw motorcycles carrying 5 people, ladies riding side saddle on the motorcycle, lengths of metal pipe, lumber, live animals, many yellow water pails, large branches of bananas, large 50 kilo bags of beans and rolls of metal roofing. Whatever needed to be transported was done with the small 100/125 cc motorcycles. I saw people helping to push these motorcycles up over the hills as the motorcycles did not have the power to get over the top of the hill when they were loaded. The boat ride on Lake Mburo was refreshing after the long and rough roads in Uganda. The night I stayed at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, there was a commotion outside my tent around 11:30 PM. The noise carried on until about 3 AM until it finally subsided. In the morning, when I went down for breakfast, the staff asked how my night was, did I sleep well? I mentioned the noise and the staff just smiled and said, “Yes, the forest was not happy last night.” Apparently something had upset the local monkey group and they wanted everyone to know about it! Nassar told me that we were going to take a ferry across Lake Victoria, to save a 200 km drive I asked Nassar if he could swim, he said “NO, water is meant only for 2 things, cooking or bathing. There are things in the water that will eat you.” The ferry held 8 vehicles, about 300 of my newest non swimming friends and 50 motorcycles. There was no actual landing ramp, you just landed as close to shore as possible. Some of the ladies who had long dresses on would be carried off the ferry by someone so that their dresses did not get wet. I was the only one who was surprised by this, as it apparently is a common procedure. The ferry landed about 1 ½ KM from the Pineapple Guest house. The extra day that I stayed in Entebbe at the Pineapple Guest house was interesting. The guest house has 4 rooms each with private bath/shower and a balcony. There is a out building for families that sleeps 4. The swimming pool was a nice spot to meet other travelers and exchange stories. If you ever visit the guest house, ask for their Pineapple custard dessert. It is actually pineapple upside down cake with a large slice of pineapple on the bottom and a warm sauce that you pour over the dessert. I have never seen a pink pineapple but they are growing right on the property. I walked back down to the landing area (1 ½ KM) the next day and watched the activity at the local market. The Boma Hotel in Kampala/Entebbe was very nice with a swimming pool attached to the dining area. Unfortunately a late evening arrival and an early morning departure did not allow me time to enjoy the pool

The Chanya Hotel in Moshi was my first experience with a tented bed!! There is a swimming pool which was most enjoyable after my Kilimanjaro trek. All of the hotels in the cities are located along a main road, but there was never any noise from the traffic, and each hotel was gated. The Rhino Lodge is located near the rim of Ngorongoro Crater. The balcony faces a mountain range and it was enjoyable to sit and watch the evening sky, while listening to the animals wandering the property. When I went to go bed, I was surprised to find 2 hot water bottles under the covers, warming the bed!! Arriving at the bush camps you are met by the staff who offered hot towels to wash the dust off of your face and also a glass of cool “refreshment.” The rules about the camps were explained and you are given a walkie talkie to contact the main tent. You were told NOT to walk up to the main tent by yourself in the dark. You called the main tent and a guide would arrive to accompany you to the main tent. Hot water was provided for a shower, you told the staff what time you wanted a shower and they would bring you 2 large pails of hot water that was then mixed with the water that was on the roof.

In Tanzania, my driver was Rama from Nariku Travel Experience. He was excellent in spotting the animals that often were hiding in or under a tree. When we first met, before we entered any National Park he said there was 1 rule that I had to follow, that was NEVER get out of the vehicle until he says it’s OK. After seeing a pride of lions lying on their side in the tall light brown grass, I soon realized what he meant. I commented about the lions and he smiled and said that if I was going to go to the bathroom over by the tree that I would probably not get back!! Rama explained about the 2 safaris and asked me what I wanted to do. He said we may be 20 KM away from the camp watching the animals when it is time to return for lunch. If we returned it could take an hour each way plus the time it took for lunch and then we would have to return and find the animals. He said we could take a box lunch with us and stay with the animals. As I came to photograph the animals, that was the option I chose. Rama’s knowledge and experience was tremendous as he was often able to position the vehicle in such away that allowed for some amazing photos. He was more than willing to wait until I was finished taking all of the photos that I wanted and often he would suggest a slightly better location. We witnessed 2 lion kills, one directly in front of the vehicle, about 20 meters away. Rama saw 1 of the lions stalking a gazelle, while the second lion went into the bush to chase the gazelle out. Rama drove right to the edge of a water crossing, where we parked and waited. Shortly after, the lion managed to capture the gazelle. Later that evening back at the camp, some of the other people who had witnessed the kill said, while eating meat with their supper; that was not very nice to witness the lion kill.

The 2 tours were completely different. In Tanzania, Rama stayed with me the entire day in the vehicle, he would stay at the same camps, ate with me or if I was sitting at the common tables with other guest, he would sit with the other drivers. I felt that I had made a friend, we chatted about his family, life in Tanzania/Canada and anything else that came up.

In Uganda, Nassar, was very pleasant, he drove me from point to point, dropped me off with another guide and he would return to take me back to the hotel. He did not seem to stay at the same camp/lodge nor did he ever have a box lunch for himself. The first day I realized that he did not have a lunch, I offered to share mine with him, but he stopped along the road at a vendor selling BBQ meat, cassava, bananas or corn to purchase his lunch. One morning Nassar mentioned that he was slightly sore as he had stayed at a small hotel in town and was able to play football for about 2 hours that evening with some of the local lads. We both laughed and commented about knowing how he felt!! The trip in Uganda was basically a 5 day drive with 2 days trekking to see the chimps and the gorilla. It seemed to be a long uneventful tour, due to the lack of animals.

The overall trip was amazing, I think that had I arrived in Uganda first and saw the few animals before going to Tanzania, there would not have been any slight disappointment. All of the hotel staff were extremely helpful and friendly, more than willing to chat about their life and to learn about my life in Canada.

Thank you for arraigning this adventure, perhaps there will be another longer safari soon!!

Wilf McQuinn
Canada