AfricanMecca Is Professional, Well-Schooled In Tourism

Our trip was outstanding and we rave about our experience to anyone who will listen. We took 4 tapes of film on the video camera, and when we watched them, it was like being in Kenya all over again. We have to ask ourselves, was it really that beautiful? I took 18 rolls of 35mm film and also some digital shots. All those elephants and giraffes just posing and asking to have their pictures taken — how could I resist. I selected my best shots and have put together a beautiful album, with each picture labeled.

We were extremely pleased with our itinerary, with our wonderful and knowledgeable guide Gabriel Kariuki, with the comfortable resort-like accommodations, with the genuine warmth of the people of Kenya, and with the opportunity to see animals and tailor the experience to our liking.

I guess I will say a few things about each thing I listed.

THE COMPANY
AfricanMecca is a professional company well-schooled in the tourism business. Our conversations with Raza were always informative. Any question we had was answered in a timely manner, and we felt we received personalized service. It is obviously a company which does everything possible to please its customers. I would highly recommend this company to any traveler. Also, AfricanMecca’s website is so thorough that it provides a link to almost any type of information a traveler might want to know.

THE ITINERARY
It was a wise decision to have us start with Tsavo West and end at Masai Mara. With each new location, the animals grew more abundant and easy to see. Kilaguni Serena was one of our favorite lodges, especially because of the watering hole so visible from the open-air dining room. It was fascinating to sit and watch various animals coming and going, all while we were having lunch! It was extremely relaxing.

Amboseli National Park was one of our favorite places. There was a diversity of landscape, with marsh area as well as bush country. We saw numerous elephants close up, and thoroughly enjoyed our visit to a Maasai village.

Samburu National Reserve was another favorite place. Here we saw lions close up, as well as giraffes, baboons, and a myriad of other animals. Larsen’s Tent Camp was our favorite accommodation. It was truly luxurious, serene and secluded. The staff did everything possible to make us feel welcome, and their chef was outstanding! We were sorry to leave. Our visit to a Samburu village was also a highlight.

The Naivasha Simba is a nice place, but it is more like an international convention center that could be located in any number of countries, rather than a place which gives guests the sense that they are in Kenya. I understand that lodging was unavailable at Lake Nakuru, so Naivasha was a good alternative. We did have an exciting boat ride on Lake Naivasha to see the hippos.

We were briefly chased by a male hippo. Aside from that, it was very beautiful on the lake — we saw a lot of birds and water bucks. Being near Naivasha had an unexpected bonus. On Sunday morning we were able to attend Mass at St. Francis Xavier Church – a very moving experience for us.

We had a great day at Lake Nakuru. Aside from seeing the flamingos, we got really close to white rhinos, ostriches and a leopard. Monkeys climbed in through the vehicle’s open roof when we went to the restroom. They stole granola bars from my back-pack. That really made us laugh!

We had heard the Masai Mara referred to as “the Jewel of Kenya,” and it is no wonder! This beautiful grassland / plain is teeming with animal life. The wide vistas make for some beautiful scenery shots and animal silhouette against the horizon. The early morning and late afternoon shots are the best! There was much activity at the migration crossing at the Mara River. A zebra herd was separated by the river, but could not continue to cross because of the crocodiles.

The hippos in the river were also very active. Our most interesting experience was watching the lions, jackals and vultures claiming their rightful share to zebra carcass. The Mpata Club was another delightful place to stay. The individual units were very secluded from each other and positioned right at the edge of an escarpment overlooking the Masai Mara. The view was breath-taking.

After a loooong and dusty drive back to Nairobi, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Norfolk Hotel. The dinner was excellent, and we had to leave all too soon the following morning.

OUR GUIDE
I can’t say enough superlative things about Gabriel Kariuki. First of all, he is extremely knowledgeable. He knew the genus and species of almost every animal, bird and plant we asked him about, as well as the characteristics and behavior of the particular animals. He was most accommodating. Although he always gave us a choice of what we wanted to do, we almost always deferred to his expert and experienced opinion. He was able to drive us to places where we were the only ones to see particular animals. We really felt a part of nature without other tourists in the vicinity. At times, it was just us and the animals.

Gabriel was also willing to engage in interesting discussions of politics, culture, history — any number of subjects. In addition, we felt very safe with him. He handled the vehicle well in heavy traffic as well as over rough terrain in the wilderness. He was always mindful of our comfort and safety. And of course, his warm and friendly smile and a few lessons in Swahili made the trip even more fun. I hope you will request Gabriel as a guide for future travelers.

FOOD!
Delicious, well prepared, attractively presented, a wide variety from which to choose.

THE STAFF AT THE LODGES
We were always met with a warm “JAMBO!” and “KARIBU!” They were genuinely warm and friendly, and willing to engage in conversation with us. We got to know a little bit about them, and it was nice seeing a welcoming face after returning from a game drive.

Thank you for planning one of the best trips I have ever taken. The experience and the visions in my memory will remain with me always.

Proffesor Donald S. Kisiel, Suffolk County Community College, Long Island NY
United States

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