An Honest assessment of A&K's Safari
As I write this, John and I are on our British Airways flight home from Nairobi after spending 2 weeks on Safari (and then squeezing in a bit of mission work) in Kenya and Tanzania. Our luggage in the overhead is filled with treasures we are taking home to our children and grandchildren, complete with a bit of dust from the Serengeti and Massai Mara. So many thoughts and memories are going through my head - how do I convey to you the beauty of what we have seen and experienced? And not just the wildlife, but the sunsets over the savannah, the lovely people we met along the way, our fellow adventurers and the people who call Kenya and Tanzania home.
In truth, I didn’t want to go on this safari. I was pretty anxious, so anxious that I couldn’t sleep the night before we left. But going on this safari has been John’s life dream and, after loving this man for 42 years and being married to him for 41, I live by the following decision:
where John goes, I go. 😊
Everyone told me that going on safari would be a life changing experience. I listened politely, but didn’t really believe it. However, they were absolutely right. In fact, I texted my dear friend after our very first day in the bush seeing the animals in their natural habitat and said, “Carole, you were right! This is amazing!”
Our adventure began in Nairobi where our Abercrombie and Kent representative met us at the airport and shepherded us past the chaotic throngs of people to quickly get through immigration using the “Diplomats and VIP” lane and out to our private car that would take us to the hotel. The hotel was a lovely, modern, open-air hotel with Africa themed art (which put us immediately in the safari mood), elegant service, and all the amenities we Americans have come to enjoy (powerful air conditioning, elevators, restaurants, bar, pool, room service, good water pressure in the shower, etc.) and excellent security around the property.
Our bush guide for the Kenya part of our safari (our safari included Kenya and Tanzania), Godfrey, a very well-educated and godly man who was born and raised in Kenya, met us in the lobby with gifts and a brief overview of the safari and specifics for the first day. By the time we went up to our room that night, my anxiety level was settling down.
Ok...maybe this safari was going to be alright after all.
We chose to take A & K's 12 day safari in Kenya and Tanzania (see map below).
After a good night's sleep in our lovely hotel in Nairobi, we met the rest of our group - 3 delightful ladies who had grown up together in Atlanta and a nice family of 3 from Baltimore. There was a total of 8 in our group. (Note: A & K group size can go as high as 18 - 3 safari vehicles holding 6 passengers each). This small group size was one reason we chose A & K.
Here is a brief overview of our itinerary (A & K has many safari options):
Amboseli National Park, Kenya:
This is the home for large herds of elephant families living at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, along with zebras, leopards, giraffes, monkeys and a vast number of species of birds. We would go out on “game drives” twice a day, in the early morning and in the late afternoons, to see the animals when they were most active. Midday was for enjoying a lovely lunch outdoors while groups of cute monkeys entertained us. One peaceful afternoon as I was sitting outside and enjoying the views of the savannah, a large bull elephant came up to the back fence of the property and stood there for about 10 minutes - just watching us and we watched him. I was about 20 yards from him. It was an amazing moment I won’t forget.
Tanzania:
Crossing the border from Kenya into Tanzania was quite an experience, but our A & K team made it as quick and painless as possible. As we crossed the border, we were met with our Tanzania bush guide and driver (both born and raised in Tanzania). This was another A & K practice we valued – A & K hires locals in each country to be the guides
and drivers – because they are experts on the animals, culture, art, history, etc. of their own country and to support people with excellence jobs and opportunities to advance in their careers. Our Tanzania guide was from a Maasai tribe and told us many stories about life in a Maasai village; at 5, he was in charge of herding the sheep and goats (with supervision from the older boys) and by adolescence he was out herding the cattle and protecting the herd from the wild animals that inhabit the region. One day as we were out on a game drive, he told us about how to scare off the various kinds of animals and how to watch for signs that they are about to attack. His practical knowledge of animal behavior was truly amazing.
Here we visited Arusha, Lake Manyara National Park (lots of baboons), and the Ngorongoro Crater (the largest unbroken ancient caldera) where we saw vast buffalo herds, elephants, giraffes, leopards, impala, zebras, wildebeest, many species of birds. We were blessed to see 1 black rhino; they are an endangered species with only 20 total in the park. We stayed along the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater in order to be the first to enter the park when it opened at 6:30AM and get down into the crater to see the animals when they are most active.
Our early morning reveille was blessed - we saw a large number of lions and
lionesses with their cubs enjoying a breakfast of 3 early morning wildebeest kills. Our safari vehicle was maybe 20-30 yards from their feast. We got to watch the animals take their turns - first the lions, then lionesses, then the cubs, then the jackals and hyenas as the vultures circled off in the distance, keeping a close eye on their turn.
Every animal has its place in the food chain hierarchy and absolutely nothing is wasted.
Timing is so important on a safari. A & K made sure we were where we needed to be early in the morning and late in the afternoons to get the best viewing. As we were leaving, we saw safari trucks from other companies just arriving; they were too late, the show was over and the animals were sleeping off their feast.
We stayed in a lodge overlooking the crater (magnificent views at sunrise and sunset)
Our Hot Air Balloon ride at sunrise over the Serengeti
The Serengeti is absolutely gorgeous and vast with over 500 square miles of savannah. We had a private tour of Olduvai Gorge, where famous Paleontologists Mary and Louis
Leakey made many fossil finds. In our
game drives, we saw more lions, leopards, Cape Buffalo, elephants, zebras, giraffes, and my personal favorite,
the warthog. Why do I love warthogs? We have a corgi named Charlie at home. Warthogs with their round bellies, little legs, and funny trot looked like the “corgi of the savannah” to me. 😊
We took a hot air balloon ride at dawn to enjoy sunrise over the Serengeti – floating over large herds of wildebeest, zebras, elephants. After the balloon ride, they escorted us to a lovely outdoor champagne brunch overlooking the Serengeti. During brunch, we enjoyed conversations with fellow adventurers from all over the US, Hong Kong, Kenya, Holland, and Australia. These animals draw fans from all over the world.
The Maasai Mara National Game Reserve in Kenya
Due to the vast distances in Kenya and Tanzania, it’s much more efficient to fly between game reserves. Although it was a VERY small plane that made me a bit nervous (just 8 of us and the pilot), the plane was in excellent condition and the pilot well experienced.
Once again, A & K shepherded us across the border, back from Tanzania to Kenya and we were off to see “The Great Migration” in the Maasai Mara. This was the crowning experience for us - the moment we had all been waiting for.
Our expert guide, Godfrey, told us we needed to get up very early to arrive in the spot the wildebeest and zebras often use to cross the river and then we would wait patiently for them to arrive and cross. It might take hours before it happens, but it would be worth the wait. The most famous Great Migration pictures are often of the animal jumping into the water to cross the river, swimming as fast as they can while the crocodiles try to catch them. We got into position, seeing the huge herds of wildebeest and zebras on the opposite side. The “leaders” would come down to the river looking for a safe passage, see a view crocodiles, and then climb back up, deciding that spot was too dangerous. For 90 minutes we waited, watching the leaders come down, look around, go back up and try another spot. Our guide told us to be quiet, so we wouldn’t spook them.
By God’s grace and blessing, the herd kept moving closer to us with each exploratory trip down to the river. When the leader finally decided it was time to go - he jumped in the water and swam as fast as he could to get away from the crocodiles. Then a few more wildebeest jumped in. Then it became a frenzy of hundreds and hundreds of hooves and horns and stripes as the zebras joined the wildebeests in crossing the river.
Seeing the Great Migration on the Maasai Mara was one of the most amazing sights we have ever seen!!!!! Click on this link to see John’s videos on our YouTube channel of the Great Migration he filmed that day: https://youtu.be/vHg1milUV6g
Flight Back to Nairobi-
Once again, we took a small plane (this one held about 14 passengers) and had 2 pilots- taking off from a dirt runway to fly back to Nairobi. A & K had a “day room” (a hotel room you occupy just for the day) for us to enjoy until our flights home that evening. We said
good-bye to our group; we had become wonderful friends over the course of the trip and prepared for our mission trip out to Eldoret, Kenya to visit the school we have been supporting for the past 20 years. (more on that another day).
Click on this link to see all of our safari videos - the animals, our accommodations, the flights, the Masai village visit, our guides and vehicles on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureAwaitsWorldTravel/search?query=safari
Would we recommend an A & K Safari to our clients, friends and family? Absolutely!
They delivered on every promise. Every. Single. Promise.
Our group started calling A & K “Awesome and Knowledgeable”. Why?
1. Our bush guides' and drivers depth of knowledge - of the animals, the environment, the history and the many cultures and tribes.
2. Seamless travel.
3. Best access to the wildlife - there were times when I could have opened my window and touched a zebra or wildebeest.
4. High-quality, well-maintained safari vehicles. (We saw many broken-down safari vehicles along the journey...not good and not safe.)
5. Lovely hotels with amazing views, excellent food and gracious service.
6. Authentic experiences few people will ever get to enjoy.
7. Excellence in a crisis - We had a flat tire one day while very near a lioness. Our bush guide and driver had it fixed in 5 minutes. Excellent training on display.
8. Excellence accommodation of dietary needs. Those with special dietary needs such as food allergies or gluten free were very pleased.
9. The overall value - it is not an inexpensive trip - but it was worth every penny. And, of course, you don’t want to go cheap in Africa.
Who would love this experience:
1. If you want to see “the Big 5”- lions, leopard, elephants, rhinos, cape buffalo.
2. If you want to see “The ugly 5”- warthog, hyena, wildebeest, marabou stork, vulture.
3. If you want seamless travel.
4. If you love luxury accommodations.
5. If you prefer small group size.
6. If you enjoy “surprise and delight” moments - A & K are masters at this!
7. If you want to be up close and personal with the animals.
8. If you require highly trained bush guides and drivers who were raised here.
9. If you are interested in meeting the locals - visit Maasai villages and homes.
10. If you prefer to give your travel dollars to a company that is actively making a positive difference in the lives of the people who live there.
Who might do better with a different type of A & K safari experience:
1. Those who suffer from back pain. It is a bumpy ride at times.
2. Those with serious health issues - you will be very far from medical care.
3. People with mobility issues may have a hard time getting around.
4. If you don’t like dust. There is a lot of dust on the savannah.
5. If you don’t enjoy looking at wild animals.
6. If you don’t like being with a small group - you may prefer a private safari.
A & K curates many different types of safaris, including some where you fly to each game reserve. A & K also offers individual safaris and the opportunity to design your own safari experience. They also have a fabulous “around the world in 28 days” small plane experience that is out of this world and we are considering taking.
Of course, individual or customized safaris cost more, but if you are going to invest in a once-in-a-lifetime safari experience, you want it to be exactly aligned with your travel style.
With hundreds of different tour companies and options for a safari - we can help you find the itinerary and tour provider that fits the experience you are looking for in a safari.
Give us a call and let's start the conversation.
Remember, your next adventure awaits!
Comments