Africa Safari Review

Overall Rating

I used Julius Safaris (website: http://www.julius-safaris.com/ ). It was excellent. They have lots of contacts so you can do the safari you want, when you want. I found a lot of the package deals with holiday companies cram lots of people into a van and only leave on set dates for set times.

Julius can offer you a fully flexible service and specialises in private safaris so you can enjoy your own space and spend as much time as you want with the animals without being hurried along. My driver stopped for every single animal I wanted (and there were a lot!) so I could take as many photos as I liked. This really made the experience special as I really felt I was making the most of my time. I can't imagine wrestling with 7 people in a van to all try and swap round to look out the top or whizzing past just because we had already stopped for that animal before! Realistically only 4 people can look out the open top of the van at a time.

Julius's trips are very well organised, the drivers are punctual and very friendly and helpful. They are a mine of information for the local area and seem to have an amazing knack of spotting even the most shy of animals! Julius also uses really high quality lodges so you get the best experience. Again, the package tours often use inferior lodges and charge much more for the better ones. Julius offers excellent value for money and checks to make sure you have had a good time before accepting full payment so you needn't worry about sending money abroad or booking with him. You are in very safe hands and you won't be disappointed, in fact I think you will be suprised at how well your trip went when you speak to others in the resort who went with the package deals. Local operators know their stuff and know how to get you the best deal and the best experience. A high point was seeing huge herds of animals crossing the savannah and getting to see animals really close up and personal at the water holes.

I booked 2 other day trips to Mombasa and Wasini through Julius and they were also excellent. Kisite national park is amazing and Julius's trips mean you go into the coral reefs in the park (fees included in your trip price) rather than skimming around the outside like some trips do. You wouldn't want to miss the actual park, the variety of fish is amazing, you see so much just snorkelling.

Thanks Julius for making my time in Kenya so special. No way I would have fit everything in without your help. Asante Sana!