JOCKY TOURS TEAM
Jocky Tours and Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2002)
- Member Of:
- AMREF & KWS
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $2,324 to $30,988 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
CH
Email Alex C | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Hire professionnals
Accommodation was fine and according to expectation (that's the +1 star) but the guide Solomon, rather call him the driver was not at the level at all: confusions on accommodation places and morning meeting hours, not very good placement during safaris, no communication, vague and short answers, question able eyesight for animals with no binoculars of his own.
Add to it an old car not very confortable full of 8 people from 3 différent agencies, and with car radio not working, i call it amateurism as you can find Chinese talkie radio for 30-35usd only ! All car passengers agreed on it.
Result: no bearded lion, no leopard spotted meaning no Big five completed.
For 1500usd/pax for 6 days (even 2000 for some other passengers), you are in the right to expect better as we feel guide accounts for a good 60% of experience.
It was even more frustrating as on the final transfer from office to hotel, another guide of this agency Louis explained us far more things about the animals in 20mins than Solomon in 6 days... Then maybe kind of bad luck on the 20 drivers they have, still HUGE disappointment on our main yearly trip.
So i want to mostly blame here the agency who appointed us someone not tailored for this job who they should propose to reconvert as maybe taxi driver... And despite reclamations during trip agency did not agree to change driver halfway as well.
I wont redo it and definitely dont recommend this agency and its sisters (jungle roam/jocky tours/Big five).
CA
Email Rejeanne lacoste | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Better speak to your manager at the camp , she was not very happy to serve us , the food no good
We have nothing to say about our guide PITA , he was excellent , he try hard to find animals in the safari to show us, he explain everything , I recommandent him , his the best. But about the camp , the ladies there were not very at there place to received tourists, always said , wait a minute…no smile, they laughed together, they said that the power is on at 6 to 10 , but it was not that. And the food , so bad for the price Jocky Tours charge us. We have the same night meal , 2 times, the beef was too hard in our mouth, you have to review your meals and the staff at the camp. We were 2 couples and my friends had a frog in his bathroom and ants in his mattress…
Email Julie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Possibly poor computer security
We contacted Jocky Tours for a quote. They responded and we started communicating with them through the email address on their website [email protected]. All communication was to / from this email. We sent payment as requested. When we got to Nairobi, they had no record of the emails or the payment. We suspect their email was hacked and our communications were being directed to a fraudulent third party. We have opened a fraud investigation on our side but caution anyone to be careful doing business with them.
Email Ronald | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Over promised, and under delivered.
The guide Joseph was fine. He was accommodating and knowledgeable.
The accommodation at Lenchada Tourist Camp was super sub-standard.
1. I was in a single tent that looked nothing like what was presented on the website. The bathroom looked like a prison bathroom; it was unclean with plenty of cracked tiles and mold.
2. There was no Wi-Fi, even though the website promised Wi-Fi. When I inquired about the service, I was told, "It's broken".
3. The food service was chicken; chicken and more Fing chicken cooked the same exact way every dinner. And it was not high-quality food. It was a buffet designed to spend the least among of money. They frequently run out of food.
4. The security was below standard. My tent zipper kept malfunctioning and would not close properly. A baboon was able to entire my tent and steal my backpack while I was on safari. Although the backpack was recovered, my clothes were spread on wet ground, plus my laptop and camera were damaged.
5. Luke warm water that you had to request be turned on.
6. Limited electricity (6:30 pm - 10:00pm and 5:30 am-7:00 am). Again, this was not disclosed in the advertisement.
7. Dirty carpet and plenty of insects.
8. A mosquito net with holes.
Not worth the $340 cash (they insisted on cash for a good reason, I would contest the charge on my card if they accepted credit or debit) I paid for three days. In short, the trip was over advertised and under provided.
RU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Overrated. Had no luck with a guide driver.
So the main complaint is about information. It seems that our guide driver Matu was a lier! Or a joker, but it was not good that information about animals he gave us and other guides gave was very different. As not an local we cannot prove anything so it was kind of unfair. Also, he was late every day. Talked a lot with somebody on the phone and with other drivers. It was very uncomfortable to travel with him. He never commented his actions. We were driving about 3 hours under the hot sun with no words where are we go and what a going to do. And he had very bad accent. He always said "glass" instead of "grass" and other words.
Also it is a complaint about hot drinks. It was highlighted in the contract that drinks like sodas and beers are not included. But they didn't say a word that hot drinks are not included into lunches and you should buy it!
But they gave us a better price for that time. But at the same time the hotels and camps they are providing are so poor and incomfortable. Other proc is that they didn't want a prepayment (you know that e-payment systems are not brillliant in Africa) and the water was included in price.
I want to say a big thanks for Vinsent.
Reply from Jocky Tours and Safaris
Posted on Mar 13, 2015Thank you Faridah for your honest feedback about your safari Experience with us.We have made follow up with our guide Matu and found out that he indeed acted very unprofessional.All the drinks were included and you were not supposed to buy any drink by yourself,Matu says he didn't read the program well,which is nonprofessional. About "glass" and "grass" its his local/native language accent influence which we regret and apologize.We also apologize for learning that the hotels and camps we recommended you to didn't meet your expectations,though its because of the budget you wanted.
Thank you again for your honest feedback that will help us better/upgrade our service,We have suspended Matu for being unprofessional and sincerely apologize for any inconveniences caused to you.
We would like to invite you or your friends back to experience better service.Again Thank you Faridah
IT
Email Federica | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Not well organized, the program was not well described, we faced lot of extras.
The tour itself was beautiful; we really enjoyed the safari in the Masai Mara, but less so the Nakuru and Naivasha areas. The most disappointing thing for us was finishing the day's program at 3 PM without being able to do anything until the next day. The accommodations and lunches were mediocre for what we paid.
Despite this, John Mwangi, our guide, was very helpful and kind to all our requests.
ES
Email Luca | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
50% trust, lack of clarity
If you book the 4-day tour (Masai Mara + Lake Nakuru), be sure to carefully review the detailed itinerary they send you. It may differ from the one originally advertised, and the changes aren’t always obvious.
On Day 3, the program mentions a possible boat tour depending on timing — but this never happens, even though you arrive around 14:00, which would allow enough time for an activity.
In fact, the driver confirmed to us that nothing was planned at all for that afternoon — he told us this first thing in the morning, clearly indicating that this was known in advance.
So, on Day 3, expect only a 4-hour drive and not activity. This does not depend on arrival time! It is a saving for them not offering an activity on the 3rd day!
The experienxe itself was great but there is clear a lack of clarity.
EG
Email Nermine | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wilson is very good tour guide very helpful and want us to see everything and to enjoy our time.
We didn’t like the camp lachanda camp the one in masai mara it was catastrophic not clean there were babons outside the tent and we didn’t sleep also it was very expensive , really bad experience but Wilson is very good tour guide very helpful and want us to see everything and to enjoy our time we like him so much
IE
Email Edel | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Dissbility Awareness Required
I spent four days on safari. Whilst I enjoyed seeing the animals, hearing the driver describing everything and sharing his knowledge, I felt that there was a lack of understanding at times.
I had physical challenges during my trip which proved difficult at times. If somebody uses a Mobility Device, they use it for a reason. Everybody needs Washroom Facilities so leaving a wheelchair behind at camp is not on. If people are getting out of the jeep for picnic lunch and visiting Curio Shops, a person with mobility issues cannot be exoected to stsy in the jeep for hours on their own or in the extreme heat.
I did enjoy the safari but feel that some DisabilityvAwareness Training would not go a miss.
NZ
Email Grant Maslowski | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Much room for improvement
Hi,
I did a group tour with Jocky Tours and Safaris: 7 Days Masai mara/Nakuru/Naivasha/Amboseli. This was my first ever safari, and I followed this with another safari in Tanzania and a Mt Kenya hike with a third company. This safari I rated 3/5 stars, the Tanzania safari 2/5 stars and the Mt Kenya hike 5/5 stars, and I’ll tell you why. Firstly the pickup was 40 minutes late and the excuse was an obvious lie - said to be a car crash but there were alternative routes and the route that was said to have had a car crash had no signs of one (we went this way after he picked me up). This wasted time and waiting around unfortunately was the main theme for this safari - very frustrating. Other team members were often staying at different accommodation and we spent much time just driving between accommodation on dreadful “roads” that had been washed out by recent flooding but also waiting on others to join the vehicle over and over! For example, waiting for nearly an hour outside the Masai Mara gate for one person to join the rest of us. This person was also waiting at his accommodation (under instruction) while we were all waiting for him! Such stupidity of logistics that could so easily be avoided. And we could have driven into the park and looked at the wildlife while we waited for him there and he could have joined us by getting a lift in another company vehicle but no! What really grinded my gears is that the best times of the day for viewing wildlife in action, and in the best light for just viewing and for photography are early in the day and late in the day, and these times and opportunities were repeatedly wasted. I thought perhaps this company was just a bad egg, but the safari in Tanzania was worse - mainly because of the guide who talked bullshit answers when he didn’t know the answers - I happen to be an ecologist who has worked in multiple countries so I often knew more than he did and when he didn’t know what he was talking about. The guide on Mt Kenya said he didn’t know the answers to my questions sometimes and I respected this honesty. Big cats were the priority by far but some people really want to see other wildlife too like elephants, giraffes and birds. We spent a lot of time driving past magnificent wildlife just to watch lions sleeping. My recommendations to Meru Slopes unless you want people to choose other companies like I wish I had: don’t waste peoples time and take advantage of being on safari during the early hours from dawn and then again in the last few hours of daylight. The middle of the day is terrible for wildlife action and photography. Ask people what animals they want to see rather than assuming lions are #1 for everyone. Choose guides that are local (driving a 4WD isn’t that hard, and the Masai people should be employed as the Masai Mara was their land) and perhaps also with relevant degrees in ecology for example - although the local Masai already have a culture of knowledge regarding the wildlife there. This tour has such potential and variety. Until these changes are made I recommend trying a different company or paying more for a private safari.
Cheers,
Grant