In the best hands
Early on, I could see we were lucky to have the company we chose to safari with (Sep 2025). African Home is very professional, our driver was savvy, safe and very organised. He got us to places before it got busy, he knew all the roads extremey well. I have to add that their choice in accommodation is great, we stayed in the best camps and lodges. It was a perfect week. I recommend Ol Pejeta for quiet safari drives to see rhino, lions and leopard - that conservancy is quite special.
事業者からの返答
Thank you for your wonderful review. We’re delighted to hear that your 5-day safari was such a smooth and memorable experience.
It’s great to know that you felt in good hands from the start, and that your guide’s knowledge, organisation, and timing made a real difference to your game drives. We’re also pleased that you enjoyed the accommodation—selecting the right camps and lodges is something we put a lot of care into.
We’re glad you had the chance to experience Ol Pejeta as well—it truly is a special place for a quieter and rewarding safari.
Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back again for another adventure.
Inconsistent service
We used Africa Home Adventure Safaris for two customized safaris, one in June 2024 (hiking and Ambiseli), which I would give 4 stars, and one in July 2024, which I would give one star. Albert was our point of contact, and for the most part, he was responsive and quick to get back to us on What’s App. Accommodations were excellent, mostly at Sopa and Serena lodges (highly recommended after tiring days). We upgraded from Enchoro (owned by Albert), and chose another camp.
Our first Safari ran very smoothly, and we were thrilled with our guide, George. He was responsible, communicative, engaging, knowledgeable and friendly. We had daily briefings, which outlined our plans for the following day, and he constantly checked-in and engaged with us. He took an interest in us, and created a warm and friendly atmosphere. We felt that George went above and beyond to ensure we had a great experience, and we learned a lot about animals and Kenyan culture. I would rate our first safari as a 4 because the jeep was old, windows were hard to open, it was hard to see out the front windshield, and we ended up with a flat tire one evening (luckily it didn’t affect the Safari, as the Sopa lodge helped George change to the spare tire). We also had a payment problem at Mount Longonot, which took an hour to solve (see comments below).
Our second Safari in July was a completely different experience. While we received a new, comfortable jeep, we had a last-minute guide change, and was given Kenn (instead of Jared). While Kenn was nice and polite, he was certainly no “guide”. He served merely as a driver, and not always a safe one (often driving too fast on the bumpy roads, and flying over speed bumps). Kenn engaged very little with us over the course of our 5-day safari, and didn’t seem particularly interested in connecting. When we asked questions, he often seemed confused (perhaps his facility in English was poor). Kenn didn't communicate anything beyond animal names. He didn’t know names of any small birds. Ironically, we discovered an African bird book on the dashboard on the final day of our trip, which Kenn was using as a folder for his receipts.
When we stopped to view animals, we could hear guides from other jeeps sharing information, while Kenn remained silent. We learned nothing from Kenn about animals, birds or Kenya culture. It felt like Kenn was simply driving us around to check-off animals from a list. Often, he would begin to drive away while we were still standing and taking pictures. While George knew exactly where to park his car, anticipating animal movement, with Kenn, we had to suggest places for him to stop, to get the best views of the animals.
Aside from some dangerous driving, the most significant complaint was Kenn’s poor communication. We never knew what was happening. There were no daily briefings, like we had with George. We often had to ask him what was the plan for the day. On a few occasions, Kenn’s lack of communication left us unprepared. For example, on the day we drove from Ol Pejeta to Lake Nakuru, after eating breakfast at 6:30 am, we didn’t get to the next lodge until 3:00pm. We were not advised to pack snacks (or a packed lunch) and were told we would arrive at the lodge for lunch. On another occasion, on the second day of entry into Masai Mara, we were not informed to bring passports. Luckily, everyone in the jeep had theirs on hand. Finally, on two occasions (Ol Pejeta morning game drive and Masai Mara evening game drive), Kenn tried to cancel these them due to timing, but we insisted they occur as we pre-paid for them).
In general, Kenn seemed distracted and not particularly interested in our group of four people. His phone beeped constantly, and he was often distracted by calls and texting (even while driving). Once, he stopped at a roadside mall, got out of the car and left the jeep without saying anything. When he returned (15 minutes later), and we asked what happened, he told us he had personal business to attend to.
I blame the mishaps of the second safari on African Home Adventure Safaris. Even though I booked months in advance, they would not support my request for a specific guide. Albert assured me that all their guides were accredited and equally good. That is not the case. Also, African Home Adventure Safaris should be aware that several national parks (for hiking and safaris) don’t accept cash, and there should be a plan for payment (perhaps a company Visa card). We had to problem-solve and use our visa for some park entrance fees. We were reimbursed in cash, but these mishaps took time. Finally, when I mentioned that our second Safari was not up to par, Albert apologized, but didn’t seem particularly interested in hearing about the problems.
While any trip to Kenya will be a good experience, and you will see an abundance of animals in the parks, a knowledgeable and engaging guide makes an ordinary experience extraordinary. With an abundance of excellent Kenya based tour companies available, I would recommend you choose one where you can request a specific guide, based on reviews. A good guide makes a HUGE difference. Thank you George, you were amazing!!
事業者からの返答
Hi Dana
I am so sorry that we were not able to provide George for your second trip and that has annoyed you despite my numerious visits to your hotel informing you that George had a personal engagements and won't be available for this trip.
Kenn has been working for us for 5 yrs and we believe in him as a good guide, you may have not allowed Kenn to do his job well because you had your mind fixed on George because you had already bonded in the earlier safari. It's just fair to travel with an open mind and to be flexible with guide so that he can do his job.
The delay on the 3rd days was as a result of Kenn spotting three lions on top of a tree in Lake Nakuru National park which was interesting and you took a lot of time taking pictures. You were just 30 minutes to the lodge and Kenn was just communicating with the lodge to make sure you don't miss your lunch, if we were to restrict this itinerary and say no stoping until you get to the lodge, then again it would have been not a good safari.
Your entire safari experience depends on the company, the guide and yourself and all must work together to achieve good result.
All our vehicles are new and i am happy you mentioned this, flat tyre at the end of a game drive in a rough terrain is normal and can't compromise the quality of a trip. Our jeeps has two new spare tyres at the back and that can attests how we care and responsible we are to our guests.
The introduction of the online park fees payment with minimal internet access in some locations sometime hinder the smooth operation and everyone is trying to cope with it without compromising the trips, internet sometime don't work at all and you witnessed this.
We will improve on areas that we never meet your expectation and we thank you so much for allowing us to be of service to you.
