Nicholas helped us plan and experience highli...

Kenya | Aug 18 - Aug 29, 2024

Nicholas helped us plan and experience highlights of Kenya in a trip well tailored to our family of 6 (including children ages 8 through 13). He was very knowledgeable, flexible, and professional in ensuring that our trip went smoothly and maximized everyone's enjoyment.

We enjoyed a full 4-day itinerary in Nairobi to enjoy some city experiences before heading out on safari. We enjoyed the David Sheldrick's rehabilitation center, the Nairobi national park, the Giraffe center, the Bomas of Kenya homesteads, and the Nairobi national museum. Transportation to and from these locations was comfortable and smooth, in a minivan that fit all of us easily. We hesitate to give a full 5 stars for the Nairobi stay only because our hotel (Fair Acres Boutique), while it was comfortable and nicely located, hosted a large party (conference? wedding?) on our final night there and loud music/speeches kept us all up close to 1am. This was just as we had finally recovered from jet lag so made the following day a bit of a struggle.

Our next stop was Ol Pejeta, where we enjoyed 2 nights at the Sweetwaters Serena camp (beautiful grounds right within the conservancy, including a watering hole frequented by many animals day and night; cozy and well appointed tents; great meals in a beautiful central lodge; very kind and thoughtful staff). Nicholas took us on safari throughout the conservancy and also to visit various programs including the Chimp exhibit and a Rhino rescue center.

Next we spent two nights at the Sopa Lodges in Naivasha, where we enjoyed a boat tour of the lake and a walk on Crescent Island - for beautiful distinctive scenery compared to the prior few days at Ol Pejeta. Sopa Lodge was a very impressive property - comfortable rooms within private cottages, spread across large lake-front grounds with tropical landscaping. Another excellent dining experience with a large buffet for every meal and very kind staff.

Our final stop was 3 nights in Maasai Mara, where we stayed at the Ashnil Mara camp. Another excellent lodging option - comfortable and cozy tents, beautiful dining/common area with views of the river (and occasional hippos/crocodiles), bar with a firepit, pool that the kids enjoyed greatly, fantastic food and very friendly staff. Nicholas again took us on game drives each day (based on the frequency/duration we were looking for) which were highly successful thanks to his knowledge of the park and connections with other guides.

Nicholas was an excellent host throughout the week - always pleasant, open to changes in the itinerary, ready to offer his recommendations, eager to get to know us. Our itinerary required lots of driving (3-5h between destinations, plus the game drives) on roads of varying quality and often with hectic traffic. He is an excellent driver and his 4WD vehicle was roomy enough for all 6 of us plus our luggage, and well suited for safari drives with its pop-up roof... however I would have felt a bit safer (especially on the long highway commutes) if it had cross-body seatbelts rather than just lap belts.

Overall, this is a trip that we invested a large amount of time and effort in planning, and it turned out even better than our high expectations, thanks to the dedication and expertise of Nicholas. Would not hesitate to recommend other travelers to work with Nicholas to enjoy a tailored visit to Kenya.