Private 5 Day Kenya Safari to Mara Lake Naivasha and Amboseli

For planning, Simon quickly answered questions covering Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, including in-depth answers on wildlife parks, activities, accommodations and transportation for a 7-day safari. From the minute we entered our first park, Amboseli, it was clear that our guide Richard, knew every road, and where to find game. Very quickly we were in the thicket of more than 100 elephants, with scores of birds flying around, more than I’ve every seen in any wildlife documentary. We watched as the elephant herd crossed the road right in front of us. We stayed at Nyati Safari Camp, were greeted with fresh fruit juice, had satisfying meals, and enjoyed large en-suite tents with locking doors and a view of Kilimanjaro. After two days, we went to Lake Nakuru and found rare and reclusive Black Rhinos exactly where Richard predicted. We had seven sighting of them! The next morning, we went in search of White Rhinos, and we were not disappointed, with several sightings including a pair just off the road – 10 feet away from us. Next, we were off to find cats at Masai Mara. We had so many sightings of Lions and Cheetahs I can’t remember them all. Talk about close encounters, at our last game drive, we had 5 male lions using our jeep for cover to trap a Cape Buffalo. We stayed at Crocodile Camp bordering Masai Mara, right next to Talek Gate, with crocodiles and hippos wandering the river below our zippered in-suite tents. There’s an air of faded glory at this camp (the tents are worn, and our sink spigot wasn’t working, but was fixed the next day). However, the Masai staff were wonderfully friendly, with a superb cook, and an outstanding location. We saw gazelles, giraffes, topi, hyneas, impalas, bush bucks, baboons, monkeys, warthogs, mongoose, jackals and other wildlife. There was no need for a tracker, Richard’s keen eyes could pick out a cheetah we couldn’t spot with binoculars. Richard knows the park roads like the back of his hand and was a master of positioning his Land Rover for perfect wildlife viewing. Thank you Simon and Richard for an amazing safari!

We had an unforgettable 6-day mid-range private safari, expertly organized by Mwema Africa Safaris. Our itinerary included the Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, and Amboseli. The goal of our trip to Kenya was to experience its rich wildlife, witness the Great Migration, see the Big 5, and catch the iconic view of Mount Kilimanjaro. As first-time safari-goers, we wanted to make the most of every moment – and thanks to Simon and our incredible driver and guide, Richard, our dream came true! The entire trip was exceptionally well-organized. Simon was fantastic, providing fast and clear communication through WhatsApp. He was flexible, accommodating all our requests, including adding an extra day to our original itinerary and swapping Lake Naivasha for Lake Nakuru. One of the best decisions we made was upgrading our vehicle from a van to a Land Cruiser – absolutely worth it! It made a huge difference in comfort and the overall experience. Richard, our guide, was a true gem. His passion for wildlife and his deep knowledge, gained over more than 10 years of experience, was evident throughout. He had an amazing ability to know exactly where and when to find animals, from cheetahs and lions to elephants and giraffes. His keen eyes also helped us spot more elusive animals hidden in the parks. He was thoughtful, patient, and ensured we had an incredible close-up experience with Kenya’s wildlife. This safari exceeded all our expectations, and we can’t thank Simon and Richard enough for making it a trip of a lifetime!

Communicated with Simon while we were still in USA via WhatsApp.. he was good in explaining all the intricacies and details of this safari trip. When landed at NBO, his assigned Tour guide / driver Mr. Richard picked us up from Airport and we were on our way to Masaai Mara. Richard was very good and knowledgeable. He made us comfortable and spoke perfect English. He spotted animals and other key things to see which we would have never spotted. Driving skill wise he was good and not aggressive on road which is how we like it to be. We needed some help mid safari and Mr. Simon was able to help us out and modify trip accordingly. We selected mid option for stay between budget and Luxury and were generally happy with the camps..Throughout the trip Richard was happy to stop wherever we wanted for pictures and even went back as we forgot our charger in one of our camp. Overall we are very happy and would recommend them to anyone looking for good safari. PS Simon is USA based to its easy to deal with for USD transfer, etc

From the second Simon sent through our original quote, everything was so easy. Simon helped me to upgrade a few of our lodges, so we built ourselves a custom package, which was absolutely perfect. Starting in a beautiful tented-campsite near the Masai Mara, and finishing in the most breath taking lodge near Amboseli. I couldn’t recommend the boat safari to Crescent Island (on Lake Naivasha) enough either, the views were amazing! Simon also passed on our dietary requirements and all of the camps looked after us very well. Our guide/driver was Paul, who was so welcoming. Paul was able to answer all of our questions, ensured we took lots of great photos and made sure we felt safe at all times during the trip. Paul is charismatic and great fun to hang out with. The Toyota van was comfortable and just as capable on the trickier dirt-roads as many Land Cruisers. Arguably the van is a smoother ride on the long drives between game reserves. Thanks so much for our amazing safari - we hope to be back very soon!