What a fantastic experience. From Michael setting it up and educating us about the safari, to Jackson, our guide for the trip -- knowledgeable, professional, funny -- you could not ask for more. Saw all the animals we wanted to and took hundreds of pictures. Hotels and food were very good, and very exciting to stand up in the truck being so close to the animals. Thank you again for a wonderful safari and we highly recommend to all!!

Jeanne and I took the 8 day Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Amboseli Safari by Odyssey Safaris in Feb 2024. For background, we are both eighty and don’t get around like we once did, so a safari sounded like our dream trip. Our trip went something like this: Our guide/driver Urastus met us at Nairobi airport and drove us to our first hotel. We were surprised that the hotel entrance had two guards, and a tire puncturing strip, which had to be dragged away (not exactly like a US hotel). The next day we visited the Nairobi game preserve, where the highlight was that we got to see Rhinos up close. The following day we were off to Amboseli National Park, where the highlights were: * View of Mount Kilimanjaro in * Lions, cheetahs, zebras and wildebeests * Visit to Maasai village, where we had a private tour of the village, which included seeing the interior of one of their huts. The tour was led by the Maasai leader himself, and included a series of cultural dances and a demonstration of some of their medical practices. As we joked to Erastus, each day was better than the previous day, what will tomorrow bring? After two days we were off to Naivasha, where the highlights were: * Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge is a beautiful resort, with great rooms and beautiful grounds. * Hippos on the grounds at night (they come from the lake every evening). * Boat trip on the lake, where we saw three hippo families, sea eagles, and Crescent Island, pictured in the movie “Out of Africa “. * Trip to Lake Nakuru, where we saw pelicans, cormorants, monkeys etc. We also saw a gazelle feeding her baby. Off to Masai Mara: * Highlight of entire trip: While watching a pride of lions, one of the females started walking toward the savanna and a cheetah arose ahead of her, looking in the opposite direction. The lion started trotting, and when about 30 feet away, the cheetah realized it was being chased and took off in a sprint. We thought that the lion was going to catch the cheetah until the cheetah put on a burst of speed to save its life. Erastus and I just said "wow". * Second highlight: We came across a lion kill, where two male lions apparently had killed a cape buffalo and dragged it under sone trees to dine. One lion was fast asleep, while the other feasted on the buffalo. The scene was crowded with safari vehicles, so it took a bit of jostling to get a clear view. We watched as one male lion lifted the buffalo partially off the ground to flip the prey over. Magnificent strength. Fantastic trip. I will paraphrase something I read in one of the reviews: "Erastus and only Erastus as my guide". Thank you, my Kenya friend, Erastus. In summary, the trip was well structured, although exhausting (in a good way), the animal sightings were amazing, the exposure to the Kenyan culture was enlightening, the accommodations were great, the food was great and the total experience was fantastic. Do this trip if you can.

I would recommend this experience for everyone who is a nature lover. I know by going in March, which is the off season, we did not see the hoards of animals as we could have during the migration however we still saw alot of animals. By going in the off season we felt like it was a private safari. We were the only ones in our vehicle, our guide and staff at hotels treated us like we were special. This trip was for our 50th wedding anniversary, the staff over heard my wife and I talking and surprised us with a display and cake. We also had the champagne breakfast with the hippos, which we throughly enjoyed. We had a great guide with Charles, he was very knowledgable, courteous and patient with us, a great guide who always had a knack to put us in the right place at the right time. To see some amazing sites. This was a once in a lifetime trip for two seventy year olds and it was more than we expected. Thank you.

My wife and I recently returned from an 8-night Safari tour with Odyssey Safaris. We toured Kenya and in addition to spending a few days in Nairobi, we visited Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara. We cannot say enough positive things about our experience with Odyssey Safaris. We opted for this company because of a friend ‘s reference. Our contact with Odyssey Safaris began months before the trip through phone contacts and numerous email exchanges. They showed amazing flexibility in tailoring our trip in accordance with our plans and budget, making useful recommendations along the way. Kudos to Mark and Lucy for their personal advice and attention. Upon landing in Nairobi, we were met at the airport by our extraordinary driver/guide, Simon. We cannot overstate how impressed we were by Simon. He was kind, friendly, and very knowledgeable not only about Kenya, the particulars of each park we visited but also about the animals and their behaviors. Simon was always willing to go the extra mile to get us the best sightings of animals and the most memorable sceneries. We will never forget that one time where all of a sudden he told us “sit down and hold on, we are going somewhere to see something “ and in a matter of minutes, there we were meters away from a Cheetah; or when after an early evening drive instead of taking us back to camp, like the other outfitters, he took us up a hill in the middle of the Masai savannah where we were all alone to watch THE most beautiful sunset that we had ever seen. We were extremely impressed by all of this, including the lodges and camps that were chosen for us throughout the journey. Each location had its own charm. The food choices were excellent, the service was remarkable and there was absolutely no concern about cleanliness. Kudos must go out to Eliud, another associate of Odyssey who drove 2 hours just to meet with us in Nairobi to give us an overview of the safari and thank us for choosing their company. We were impressed with the whole experience and can’t thank Odyssey Safaris enough for having made this trip a truly memorable experience that went above and beyond our hopes and expectations. A few hints Kenya has many microclimates. Some areas were very hot and dry while on other occasions depending on the season and time of day, it can get cool or wet so bring layers to account for rapid changes of weather conditions. Bring candy for the kids and wave at them, they love to wave back. Kenyans are very friendly and kind to tourists. We never had a bad experience. Driving between parks will bring you through some beautiful Kenyan countryside. Some of the roadways are very busy with truck traffic so getting from point A to B will take longer than you would expect. It’s all part of the journey so it’s best to sit back and enjoy the ride. We always felt safe with Simon behind the wheel. Thanks again to Odyssey Safaris and in particular, to Simon for having made this trip one of the most memorable experiences of our lives.

Odyssey Safari delivered everything mentioned in my personalized itinerary: there was nothing for me to worry about. I travelled alone but I was fortunate to have in my group five other wonderful people. All three lodges where we stayed at were superb; the food was excellent and Simon, our guide and driver, was wonderful. Simon is an excellent driver: we always felt safe even when traffic was impossible; he was punctual, knowledgeable and kind. He always found the animals we were looking for and we had the best view most of the time. I will recommend Odyssey Safari to my friends and any one who asks me. A wonderful experience.

This trip was a dream come true! We are so grateful to Odyssey Safari. From start to finish Everything was taken care of, we didn’t worry about anything. Michael and Mark answered all our questions and handle every detail. Our guide Simon Wachira was the absolute best, taking care of our every need and getting us into the best possible position for fantastic photos. Thank you Odyssey for the trip of a life time.

Our family had an absolutely epic trip last September to Kenya. Simon was an amazing tour guide. Everywhere we went was fabulous, and it was truly an unforgettable experience. I was so happy to see the lengths Kenya takes to protect the animals that love there, and the Odyssey Safari tour guides are so knowledgeable, caring, and lovely. Definitely recommend Simon x100, and he was so great with my 7 year old. I would do it again in a heartbeat!!

Fantastic safari in Maasai Mara. Our safari guide, Charlie, was phenomenal. Incredibly knowledgeable - could answer every single one of my questions and ID every animal and bird I did or didn't see lol.

Excellent itinerary. Odyssey Safaris is first class. They answered, reacted to or helped with every request. They went over and above to help retrieve lost luggage during the trip (It was not their problem but they were very helpful in getting luggage to us). Nice having the same Safari driver from start to finish. Charles (the driver) was over the top from small requests to his knowledge of Kenya, Safaris, travel and most importantly the wildlife - from knowing them to where and how to find them!!! He was the most accommodating escort - nothing fazed him. We labeled him the G.O.A.T. !!!! He thought we were calling him a goat until we explained that meant Greatest Of All Time - and he was. Would highly recommend Odyssey. Just tell them what you want and let Lucy put the trip together - very accommodating to individual requests and changes. And make sure you ask for Charles!!!

I went to lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara. I contacted Eliud because a friend recommended them and it was the best recommendation ever. Eliud sent me different options for my trip. The communication with them was perfect. Once in Nairobi, Eliud met me at the hotel with my driver David. David was AMAZING: knowledgeable (from birds, to plants, to details I asked about every single animal we saw), respectful, patient. David loves his country and his job.

Wow - what an absolutely amazing trip! Sylvia was so helpful and diligent. She worked with us over a good few weeks to tailor the trip to our requirements - and did an absolutely brilliant job. Thanks! We were looked after by Jackson. You couldn't ask to have a nicer, and more knowledgable guide/driver. Jackson has a massive smile - and an even larger heart. He has encyclopaedic knowledge of the many parks we visited, and where to find the animals. We easily found the Big 5, and so much more! I'm a keen photographer and Jackson was incredibly patient, contributing great guidance to provide the best angles - and also volunteered to be in a few pictures too! The choice of hotels etc. was great - and throughout the Odyssey team were attentive to all our requirements. Our trip also included a week in Tanzania and the Odyssey team worked seamlessly to ensure that our whole trip was expertly organised. We would definitely recommend Odyssey. Thank you so much for making our 25th anniversary trip something to remember for the many years to come!

10/10! It was perfect, our guide Charles made sure we saw it all! Every day was well thought out, the pre planning with Sylvia was a breeze - even with my 100+ questions! I will be talking about this trip for years, and I highly recommend everyone go on safari.

My family and I spent 14 days with Odyssey Safaris in Kenya. We visited Amboseli, Ol Pejeta, Lake Elmenteita, and Masai Mara, For the entire two weeks we had Eliud as our guide and he was excellent. Odyssey Safaris did an incredible job arranging the trip and every minute of the 14 days was a dream vacation for my family and I. This was my third trip with Odyssey Safaris and I will only use them for all of my future African trips. I highly recommend Odyssey Safaris!

There appear to be hundreds of Safari Tour companies in Kenya. I'm glad we were recommended and selected Odyssey Safaris for our dream vacation. The company goes into careful detail selecting accommodations. Each individual and each first class with a warm and welcoming staff going beyond and above expectations. Meet at the airport our tour guide was a rich and knowledgeable resource for all things Kenyan and when it came to Game Drive's he was second to none. The intimacy he had in knowing the parks and the animals along with network of seasoned game drive guides on the CB radio enabled us to see on multiple occasions not only the BIG 5 but the Ugly 5 as well. Along with a sleuth of lesser-known animals. Serval Cat, White and Black Rhino, Gerenuk and too many to mention. Back at the Lodge our sightings always seemed to be more than others.

Mark and his team were nothing but exceptional from the first email to accommodating our flight delays. We saw the big 5! Our tour guide Francis was wonderful and did everything to make sure we saw all we wanted. From multiple leopard sightings to seeing the migration and lions killing and eating a wildebeest…they delivered!!!

This has been a trip that I've wanted to make for a long time and I'm so glad I did! I didn't plan it this way but it turned out that this trip was just me and my guide, Erastus, and at first I was afraid it may mean that the guide would be less interested in making everything memorable with just one person instead of a group. But it was not the case at all! Erastus did everything in his power to make sure I was everywhere and saw everything, we got to talk about a lot of wildlife and about life in Kenya, and my solo status actually meant he could customize the experience to me specifically. It was amazing! I felt like a true VIP! Also each of the properties was comfortable and memorable and different. My favorite was the camp in the Maasai Mara, where I could hear the animals all night as I slept and got to feel the excitement of actually being immersed in the incredible surroundings. The trip was great, I got a ton of incredible pictures that all my friends back home were amazed by, and i'll have wonderful memories the rest of my life. Odyssey Safaris did great work, from the CEO personally meeting everyone, to the helpfulness of the support staff (thank you Mark and Lucy) and of course to the man himself, Erastus, and his ability to spot animals that I would never have noticed, and for being just so all around amazing. It was great and I couldn't ask for more. Thanks!

We recently took a 10 day private safari to Kenya with Odyssey Safaris. There were 11 of us including family and friends on this safari. From the time we interacted with Mark and Lucy to set out the itinerary to the various conversations we had prior to the trip, we knew that Odyssey would provide the best services possible. The entire experience was amazing. The hotel and camp accommodations, food, transportation and game drives were superbly organized and top class. The guides, Simon and Jackson, were super knowledgeable and very accommodating of the requests. We were able to witness all the Big 5 and more animals, various bird species and the natural scenery in the Amboseli National Park, Lake Naivasha and the Masaai Mara National Park. We would highly recommend Odyssey Safaris for anyone thinking of organizing such Safari trips.

Asante Sana (Thank you very much) to Kenya and to Charles/Kihingo our guide. He made sure the trip was perfect and made it his personal mission to make sure we saw the big five, and we did. He was very friendly and accommodating of our requests. He gave us insight on not only the animals but his beautiful country and its people. Yes there was traffic. Yes it was insane at times. Yes the roads are bumpy and not paved, and there was a lot of driving. But this is the expectation when we booked so we prepared ourselves. Charles made sure we were comfortable and we always felt safe. We took coloring books, crayons and some American candy and snacks to share with kids in the village as well as randomly as we drove. Seeing their faces light up was an experience in itself. Everyone we encountered was extremely friendly, accommodating and flat out just wanted to make sure we were having a good time and well taken care of. The office staff (Beatrice), through the entire booking process, was as timely as they could be considering the time difference. I never felt I wasn’t being helped. Having everything online and customizable was great. The parks we visited were beautiful and the optional activities well worth it (especially that hot air balloon at Massai Mara). How close we were able to see wildlife was just amazing. They were literally outside our lodge door at times. An experience we will never forget, made mostly possible by Charles. Thank you!

Highlights of Kenya with a 1 night extra add on in Masai Mara, Not so rainy, rainy season April 15 2022 (April 6-16) 4/6-7 (travel from NC, USA to Nairobi) 4/8-10: landed in Nairobi at 1230 am (middle of the night) got to the hotel around 3 am. Note luggage delays are a problem with Qatar Air. Got a few hours of sleep , bfast, then rode to Ambosseli (favorite park overall). Afternoon Game Drive. 4/10-11: 2 nights ambosseli. We chose early morning game drives with break in the heat of the day when animals are usually less active and early evening game drives. 2 nights Ambosseli, 2 nights Naivasha with ½ day activities near hotel and afternoon in Nakuru to see the white and black rhinos and the huge flocks of flamingos. The lodge at Ambosseli was our favorite lodge. It was honeymoon level fantastic with lots of animals on the property..I think it was called the Naivash Sopa. 3 nights Masai Mara. Beautiful Savannas, Cheetahs, Crocodiles, Hippos behind the Tent Camp (glamping). Ask for a tent far from the reception area as the loud birthday celebrations (seemed every night) were LOUD..drums, some sort of horn etc.) I’m writing this relatively short review on the way from Masai Mara back to Nairobi Airport. This has been by far the most worthy 5 Star review I have endeavored to write. I honestly don’t usually write often so bear with me. Main reasons I’m writing this is for all you who are considering a safari, Odyssey Safari is the way to go. I’m not getting paid or compensated in any way but the experience my wife and I had from beginning to end was outstanding. Granted, the travel from east Coast USA to Kenya is a long and arduous especially with COVID restrictions and fear still looming with inconsistent constraints in each country. Ok, here we go. Booking: Mark C was great to speak with and plan a trip that was tailored just for my wife and I based off extensive personal and professional experience. 10 nights and 11 days ends up being about 8 days of game drives / safari time which was actually quite a lot and Odyssey worked hard to ensure the best value (can tailor for number of days and the level of comfort to budget you prefer. Safari: Jackson was chosen to be our “driver” by the company and we feel like he was quite a blessing. I honestly affirm he was a key reason that made this such a special experience. His resume is so impressive (special schools and certifications coupled with over 30 years of experience). Odyssey sent me his relevant bio and I thought it was a bit hard to believe but I admit it was all truth that was made evident. His professionalism, patience, kindness, knowledge, city driving, 4 X 4 offroad/overland prowess was very experience. He knows such much about the animals, African history (include colonization impacts), natural history, and also a careful eye for dangers in the city, towns, and of course the bush. Jackson is so so much more than a driver. Tourism professional, wildlife expert, photography consultant, animal behavioral specialist (which greatly aiding in finding animals and getting the optimal positions especially in friendly competition with other guides). I also noticed that he would track animal footprints as well as read the signs of other animals to gauge where some of the predators would likely be / go. Elliot who manages the guide’s seems like a good dude and I imagine Odyssey only employee’s top notch Guides/drivers but I can only speak to the excellence of Jackson. Special note, one day my wife was feeling ill and he was able to shift plans for a rest day and went with me to get some medicine that did the trick. He also handled the temporary Kenyan Fuel Shortage and 2 flat tires with ease and very little impact on timelines. Oh, the Customized supped up Toyota Land Cruises with extension and panoramic pop up hard top roof was top notch and we seldom saw its equal during our time there. Jackson handled fording rivers and some really challenging terrain better than any off-road driver I have seen. Rainy Season? Yes. Early April and likely March would be my choice to come because of the value / budget coupled with the lack of crowds. We were concerned we wouldn’t see much of the animals due to being rained on (animals hunkering down and out of site) as well as tall grass. We actually got great weather and most of the places we went the grass was quite low and visibility was excellent (Ambosseli, Naivasha, Nakuru). Masai Mara has the vast Savannah’s which did have large areas with taller grass but it actually made the beauty greater and we still saw plenty of animals to include my favorite…Cheetahs!! Nakuru saw a single black Rhino and about 10 White Rhino’s to include some babies. Another great reason for spring is that many of the animals give birth and we saw lots of babies and toddlers (zebra, gazelle, giraffe, buffalo, and various other antelope, etc.) Ok, much more I could write but I’m still trying to enjoy myself on the trip of a lifetime. I hope to come back in a few years after saving (time and money). Note: my wife L Moon also wrote a review with some more details in case you are interested

AMAZING!!! The entire experience with Odyssey Safari was fantastic and I wish I could give them more stars! They far exceeded our expectations. Our guide/driver, Jackson was a true pro with more than 30 years of experience that showed! From the game drives to handling the off-road adventure, he was excellent. He maneuvered the vehicle well for prime spots to see the animals in action, sunrises, and get beautiful photos. We also enjoyed his company and wealth of knowledge about the animals, parks, history, culture and so much more. Our trip was in the rainy season of April but Mark was right that there’s still so much to see, the park is far less crowded, and there’s many baby animals. It only rained at night, which kept the dust down and deepened the colors of the plants. The whole package Mark put together was perfect for our budget. The vehicle was comfortable with great functionality. We enjoyed the extra activity of the wildlife walk by Lake Naivasha with Sam and he had lots of helpful info about the animals and kindly took pics of us closeup to the giraffe, zebras, and antelope. We hope to return and we’ll definitely book with Odyssey and request Jackson. Such an amazing trip!!