Maurice, Your Personal 24hrs Safari Consultant
Africa Safari Classics
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2008)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, ASTA, NTA & FTA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $4,336 to $7,805 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Jenna | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful time, can't wait to go back!
My sister and I went on an East African 9 day Safarai in Kenya and Tanzania with Africa Safari Classics and have finally got around to doing a review (almost a year later, whoops)! We had a great time - loved the people and the environment. We'll attempt to give you a brief, or not so brief summary.
First night we stayed in EKA hotel in Nairobi, which was lovely, clean and had good food. Maurice, our contact for Africa Safari Classics met us at the hotel the morning of departure for safari and went through everything with us again, prior to introducing us to our first guide, Mackenzie, who looked after us very well in Kenya and taught us our first Swahili words.
The next morning we headed to Maasai Mara reserve, where we stayed for 2 nights at Basecamp Mara, which was amazing! We were blown away by the welcoming staff, fantastic accommodation and mass amounts of food (delicious, but a bit too much for us - 3 courses 3 times a day). Grounds were beautiful, 'tent' was amazing, loved the eco side of things and the positives for the environment. Also note Obama and his family stayed at Basecamp Mara too. We were warned to lock our tents to stop the Baboons 'taking our passports' and going through things. Basecamp is mostly fenced, however one sides boundary is 'fenced' by a river that also backs onto the reserve. You can often see animals passing through the reserve from the camp grounds. The Maasai staff also danced for us one night too, which was great to see their culture. Reflecting back, I think Maasai Mara was the best animal viewing we had. We managed to get up close to Lions, Cheetahs and many others. We managed to see a small crossing at the Mara River also, and Mackenzie did a great job getting us good spots while not interrupting the animals or other viewers. I liked the accessibility of Maasai Mara - there were a lot more tracks that meant you could get to other spots more easily if you saw something in the distance.
Day 3 we drove from Maasai Mara (Kenya) to Serengeti (Tanzania). This was a very long day of driving, including through the boarder and immigration. We joined a small family and their guide for some of this day, who had booked with the same company. At the boarder we found our new driver, Abdul. Abdul, like Mackenzie, is a veteran at tour guiding and was a pleasure to be with. He joked with us and answered our many questions.
We arrived in the Serengeti with a little game drive and arrived at our accommodation at Serengeti Tented Bush Camp. Upon arrival it looked like a bunch of canvas tents in a field, but the tents were simply amazing! My sister was actually speechless. We had the most comfortable mattresses there compared to everywhere else on our entire trip (including Singapore). We each had a double bed to ourselves, accompanied by a writing desk and sitting chair with footstool. The ensuite had a flushing toilet, but you need to give notice when you want a shower so they can fill it for you. Worst shower we had, but they made up with everything else, plus what else can you expect in the middle of the Serengeti?! The staff were very friendly and loved teaching us Swahili around the campfire. The food was lovely, but not quite as great as Basecamp Mara. Most of our stories are from our time in the Serengeti. We loved just being with the staff, learning the language and seeing the animals pass through the field. This accommodation is not fenced at all and we loved it! The first night I saw our guard chase away a Hyena over dinner. The second night I woke to hear a pride of Lions killing something right outside the staff tent (roughly 150m away from us), then heard all the Hyena's calling and fighting the Lions for the carcass. Hence why many of our stories come from that time.
Day 5 we left Serengeti and headed to Ngorongoro Crater in the hope of finding a Rhino. The Crater is worth a look as it's quite fascinating. We did see one Rhino from afar, plus many other animals. We stayed at Bougainvillea Lodge, which wasn't the best accommodation we had, but still quite good.
Day 6 we departed for Lake Manyara National Park. Lake Manyara was probably the prettiest park in my opinion due to the rainforest-like trees. Despite being the most beautiful, unfortunately it had the least animals and was quite anticlimactic at this stage in the trip. It's worth noting that we apparently did the cheaper route - Kenya to Tanzania, rather than Tanzania to Kenya, but therefore meant the smaller parks were at the end. We didn't see Lions in trees, which is unique to this park. We were told this is reasonably uncommon to see; not rare, but uncommon, mainly due to accessibility of cars. We stayed at Manyara Wildlife Camp, which was gorgeous once again!
Day 7 we headed to Tarangire National Park, which was quite pleasant. Stayed at Lake Burunge Tented Camp, which was fabulous! We had time to relax with a swim. The staff sang a version of happy birthday to someone, which was joyful, cheeky and simply beautiful!
The only day I felt unsafe was the day we crossed the border. I found the people, it was mainly the children we noticed, were less friendly than in Kenya. Of course some were great, but others yelled at us as we drove past and seemed angry we were there. A few matters later dawned on me. Basecamp Mara in Kenya works well in conjunction with the local Maasai people, and many Kenyan's have experienced the good of tourists and missionaries, and realise the good it brings to their country. However the roads we travelled on our first day in Tanzania went through many secluded villages. The tour cars travel on these dirt roads, generally varying 60-80km/hr, which creates mass amounts of dust and disruption, while the locals are just trying to live a simple life and move their herds from one place to another (generally on the roads).
I would definitely go back (if I ever save the money). The people are fabulous - kind and funny. The culture is fascinating and the animals are marvellous. Thank you, Maurice, for a wonderful time!
[Flights: We flew Melbourne to Nairobi (Kenya) with Qatar Airways via Doha. Loved Qatar Airways - so polite, give you everything you want and free care packages! We left Mt Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), also with Qatar, and flew to Singapore for a relaxing stop over (not realising how relaxing Africa would be).]
Email Rikki | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Safari fun
We were very happy with our choice of Safari Company with Africa Safari Classics. Maurice was on the ball from the start, helpful and prepared to go the extra mile in transporting a box back to Nairobi by road when we had luggage restrictions.
The guides were knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. The Lodges comfortable with delicious buffet meals in 2 of them. While the other had a set menu but the food was just as good.
We didn't see as much wildlife as we had expected (not without our guides trying their best). As we had been on safaris before we put it down to the time of year. Tsavo West is a great place to get bird shots.
HK
Email Kit | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
“We Highly recommend Africa Safari Classics”
Hi Maurice,
We have back to the reality world and start our work as well. Everything is fine. It was a very memorable time for me and my wife with you and Boniface when we are in Kenya.
As I told you before, we have enquired several travel agents from the Kenya Tourism Official Website and your Company is the fastest one which gave us the feedback, and of course, the price is reasonable when compared to the other agents. We are much appreciated that your Company gave a lot of advices to us by emails which made us have more information on our mind.
The safari is good and Sunbird Lodge is a very good accommodation with lovely scenes, delicious food and facilities. The room is also very nice as we can look at the lake when we woke up. If we have more times, we can spend times in the Sunbird lodge and walk around the surrounding and have some times on enjoying the sunbath and swimming. It should be very nice then.
I would like to give Boniface a thumb. He always keeps the car clean as well as himself. We wanna say a big thanks to Boniface for taking us to the places, he is very good at spotting the animals and he drove us to watch many animals, with the help from Boniface. We are very lucky that we could watch the BIG 5 in the first 2 days trip. Boniface told us many animals’ information like the features of the animals and how to distinguish the male and female carnivores and herbivores. Boniface is very on-time, patient person who take care of us very well, he reminded us every time to safeguard our camera when we crosses some lakes and roads. When we started our first game drive in Masai Mara National Reserve, Boniface brought us to an area where a dead Thomson Gazelle’s was on the tree, suddenly Boniface told us the Leopard was heading towards the tree and he drove on the underbrush and let us see more clearly. The Leopard climbed on the tree and started its meal, it is a very precious moment as Leopard is hard is find and we can watch the whole process from climbing to eating.
Overall speaking, the Kenya Trip was a very good experience and memory for me and my wife and we will never forget the scenes we saw during the safari. As we back to work, we still not have too much time to sit down and share the nice photos with our friends, but we are very sure that we will highly recommend the Company, and the tour guide to our friends. Hope we can back to Africa and see with you guys in the coming futures. Cheers ^^
Regards,
Kit
Hi Maurice
It was a nice surprise to meet you too in Arusha, I wasn't expecting to see you but it's always good to put a face to a name. Thanks for coming to meet us. I was extremely happy with the communication from you prior to making my booking. You always responded promptly. You also went out of your way to tailor a holiday to suit our interests and budget. Both of these factors encouraged me to book with your company. You seemed professional, your website appeared professional and you offered to Skype. Your attention to detail and promptness was reassuring. Our driver/guide was excellent. We were very happy with his knowledge and expertise in finding the animals and providing information. He was attentive and looked after us well. He was a safe and competent driver and we enjoyed his company as he spoke good English and was clearly experienced. All these skills and factors added to the enjoyment of our trip. The standard of the accommodation was excellent and service good wherever we stayed. We were lucky enough to get upgraded from Tloma to Kitela Lodge which was a pleasing and lovely bonus! I would certainly recommend your company to friends and family. I certainly hope to come back to East Africa again and would use your organization if booking a safari or activity holiday. Our trip exceeded my expectations in terms of standard of accommodation, service and enjoyment. I would like to thank you again and wish your Organization every success for the future. Please let me know if this is the feedback you require and whether you have any further queries. Many thanks again.
Email Peter P | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Luxury accommodation, good vehicle, competent and friendly driver. And LOTS of animals.
We had just completed a few weeks of work with an NGO. Maurice designed a safari for us which included pickup from the NGO in East Kenya and drop off at Nairobi airport at the end. And it all went like clockwork.
All accommodation was very good but the two tented camps were amazing. Luxury with hot water (only a little cold water at the NGO!) and fabulous food.
Our driver Thomas was knowledgable and tried hard to find good sightings. He obviously knew his way around the parks and was always in touch other drivers about possible animal sightings. Vehicle was also excellet - a stretch Troopcarrier with fridge and inverter for 240V charging. Even when there was an issue with the vehicle that had to be attended to, Thomas arranged (and paid for) a game drive through the camp we were staying at so we wouldn't miss anything on our itinerary. Then picked us up when he said he would - our tour never missed a beat.
Oh, and we saw a lot of animals.
Email Mitsue | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome Experience!
My husband and I got to experience an amazing safari trip in Kenya.
The itinerary flowed smoothly, and the camps and lodges chosen met and sometimes exceeded our expectations.
Because the plane schedule from Kenya Airways changed suddenly, we lost a night at our final destination in Seychelles which was very disappointing and frustrating.
Maurice, our safari coordinator, was gracious enough to provide a substitute stay at a bed and breakfast high star hotel.
One of the first-class tent resorts that we stayed at included Little River Camp which was ideal for honeymooners with an emphasis on personal attention to you as a visitor.
Because there were so many moving parts regarding our stay in different tents and hotels, we were anxious in determining what was next on the agenda.
In spite of the time difference between Washington DC and Kenya, Maurice always answered the phone at all hours to answer our questions and he did it without complaint or showing the frustration that he must've surely felt.
Even during our stay when we were confused about what was the next event, Maurice in his usual calm way assured and guided us along the way of the event without hesitation or frustration.
We got to experience nature in action with a lioness hunting and feeding her cubs which is something very few people get to witness!
Tony, our safari driver was the perfect guide—very thoughtful, skilled, and very attentive of our safari surroundings.
With him we saw the big famous big 5.
He always had snacks and drinks on hand, along with his silly humor, which definitely added to the experience.
And he even took us to take a dip in the Buffalo Spring which was an unexpected bonus.
We got to converse with Maasai warriors in their village and visit their homes where they explained to us their way of life, the daily tasks and what it took to become a warrior.
We saw cheetahs hunting for their prey up close and personal.
In addition, several times we saw lions. One lion was in the high grass hiding from a group of gazelles as he watched their movements.
In another case we pulled up with 1 foot of pride of 7 lions leisurely relaxing after a kill. This was very scary because we were as close to them to become their next meal if they so chose to.
We fed an elephant from the back of our tent as we watched a group of monkeys called the Monkey Menace steal some of the food from the elephant.
Our trip ended up in Seychelles at a 5 star resort where the amenities were first class in every respect at the Kempinski.
Be aware that if you are going to tip for the services, the currency may be different in each region that you plan to visit.
Email Karen D | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
African Safari Classics is a top-notch tour operator that provides seamless, personalized experience
I recently traveled to Africa for two weeks of Safari Bliss. Our group included a childhood friend and two of his friends I had never met. We only agreed to the trip because our mutual friend had been on two previous safaris arranged by Africa Safari Classics, and Maurice (who made all the arrangements) curated a personalized trip for us based on all the favorite sites our friend had visited, along with some new ones. I would have been very hesitant to "shop" for a tour company online without firsthand knowledge of the experience I might hope to have. WOW - was I ever amazed by our incredible safari experiences in Kenya, Tanzania, and our final few days of relaxation in Zanzibar. I appreciate all the effort that went into making my trip memorable.
The sequence and flow of our itinerary were excellent. We started off with a day of leisure in Nairobi at the Tamarind Tree Hotel to adjust to the time change. Tours were arranged for us at the Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, and a bead factory. I enjoyed each of these immensely (don't miss the Giraffe Centre for some great photo ops). We set off the next day for the first of our five-day Kenyan safari drives in Amboseli, beautiful Lake Naivasha, and the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. For the next phase of our adventure, we boarded a small plane for a flight to Central Serengeti in Tanzania. Everything was ready for us, and we said goodbye to our Kenyan driver, Boni, to be met at the other end by our Tanzanian driver, David. We enjoyed four days of game drives in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with a stop at Olduvai Gorge. The final part of our itinerary began with a flight from Arusha to Zanzibar for three final days of relaxation at the beautiful Next Paradise Resort. Each camp and lodge was unique and provided a different perspective of the region. The accommodations were comfortable and well-chosen, each with its own flavor, enhancing the overall experience. Maurice, our tour organizer, checked in daily with our drivers to make sure we were having a wonderful time, as well as checking in with me - I call that first-class service.
From the moment we landed in Nairobi, where our driver Patrick was waiting with a sign, to the arrangements at our final destination, everything was perfectly organized. The logistics were seamless and handled in true "Hakuna Matata" stress-free style. Africa Safari Classics will always be remembered by me as a "No Worries" company that embodies the true spirit of the people at every location I visited. I was able to thoroughly enjoy every moment of my vacation.
The food was delicious and varied, catering well to different dietary needs. We had a gluten-free member of our party and preferred more vegetarian options, which were available everywhere we stayed. The game drives were thrilling, with an abundance of wildlife sightings that exceeded my expectations. We had several, what I like to refer to as "National Geographic moments" that I will never forget. We were able to locate the Big Five must-see animals as well as many more varieties and amazing birds everywhere you turned. Each day brought new and exciting encounters. One week later, I am still sorting through hundreds of stunning photographs, trying to narrow down the best of everything that captured my heart.
Something to think about when you go on a safari: You will be spending hours and hours in your vehicles driving, from location to location and on the drives themselves. The drivers you will spend all that time with make all the difference in the world. We spent our first five days with the driver that our companion had traveled with on his two previous Kenyan safaris. His name is Kasimba Boniface, a.k.a. "Boni." He brings his 36 years of guiding experience and knowledge to your adventure, from finding the hard-to-spot animals and getting you up close and personal, to helping other guides get their vehicles out of the mud. All the other drivers call him "sir," and he is known and respected everywhere he goes. What he adds every day is a jovial spirit, a giant heart, and more laughter than our vehicle could hold - I haven't laughed this hard in years (don’t even get him started on the “Shewee”). He and Maurice helped make my birthday at Zebra Plains Mara Camp the most wonderful one I have ever experienced. If your excursion includes Kenya, you have to request Boni (and make sure to ask him to give you a demonstration of how hippos handle their poo). We had a wonderful driver in Tanzania as well. David was a gentle soul with a wealth of knowledge. He was fantastic about explaining all the facts about each animal, and he knew land sizes, populations, and so many details about everything we were seeing, like a walking encyclopedia. Boni and David were exceptional guides. Their knowledge, cooperation, and initiative greatly enriched the safari experience. They were attentive to our needs and provided excellent customer care, ensuring that every aspect of the trip was enjoyable.
Thank you, Africa Safari Classics, once again for organizing such a fantastic safari. I look forward to recommending your services to others and hope to travel with you again in the future. I left a part of my heart in Africa.
Best regards,
Karen
Email Zach D | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari in Tanzania, Kenya & Rwanda
My wife and I hired Africa Safari Classics for our honeymoon to Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda. We'd never been to East Africa or on safari so there was a learning curve to both. Maurice did a great job taking the ideal trip we described and turning it into an itinerary that worked for us. He took to heart that we wanted to prioritize time in the bush seeing animals and cared less about fancy lodging and amenities (this was hard to get through to other outfitters when we told them it was our honeymoon). Maurice's meticulous attention to detail put us at ease leading up to and during the trip. He was always available to answer questions, checked in about how things were going, and set us up with professional, smart and fun guides for each leg of our trip. I'd definitely recommend Africa Safari Classics to friends and family.
Email Ignacio | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Another excellent Experience with Maurice and the team!
We have just completed our 3rd trip to Kenya with Africa Safari Classics.
As ever the quality of service is outstanding in each and every aspect.
Maurice was always on top of all the details and organized our trip exactly to our expectations.
Peter, our driver (for the second time), did an amazing job. He is so patient and willing to share his knowledge of the park and wildlife. Constantly making sure we spend enough time at the sighting and also searching for unique opportunities for us.
I can't recommend Africa Safari Classics enough. Simply amazing!
PL
Email Jakub | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Tanzania with Zanzibar - best trip in my life
I had the great pleasure of taking a private, two and a half week trip to Tanzania, safari and stay in Zanzibar, organized by Africa Safari Classics. The safari included the National Parks: Arusha, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and additionally Olduvai Gorge. Accommodation at Venus Premier Hotel, Tarangire Osupuko Lodges, Migunga Tented Camp, Robin Safari Camp Serengeti was very good, close to the entrances or in the parks itself with delicious food and excellent, very friendly service. In particular, Migunga Tented Camp very close to Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Kuhama Camp – both tents very clean, without any insects. What's more, from the lodge in Osupuko Camp at Tarangire National Park, I had the pleasure of observing a herd of waterbucks in the morning and at evening, and in the Migunga Tented Camp - Marabou storks. The internal As Salaam Air flight from Arusha Airport to Zanzibar and the transfer to the Nur Beach Resort Hotel went very smoothly.
Staying at the Nur Beach Resort right on Jambiani Beach on the east coast of Zanzibar was also a perfect choice. I had my own hut, the food and service were excellent, and thanks to the complete silence around the clock, I could relax. It was also difficult to find a better location on the whole island (during my stay in Zanzibar I was also on the beaches of Nungwi and Kendwa – very nice but relatively small and very crowded with tourists) – from the hotel I could go for many hours long walks along the beach, because in this part of the island individual beaches form a several-kilometer-long series of beaches – the longest in the whole of Zanzibar. I also had the opportunity to take tours of the island, which allowed me to explore Stone Town, Prison Island, Jozani Forest, spice farm, and Mangapwani Cave.
Maurice, Sales Director deserves special recognition for the excellent organization of the entire trip, including the choice of accommodation, professionalism, excellent contact, daily support and commitment to ensure that the program is done in the smallest detail and with safety. I am no less grateful to the guide and driver Ally, who constantly provided me with a great deal of knowledge about the country, the characteristics and customs of the wild animals observed. Thanks to his excellent commitment and perfect daily cooperation in spotting animals, I had the opportunity to see many animals, not only: elephants, lions, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, Grant and Thomson's gazelles, hippos, ... but also many for the first time in nature – with the leopard at the forefront in the Serengeti Park.
All this makes the trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar organized by Africa Safari Classics an unforgettable experience for me and without a doubt the best trip I have made so far in my life. I highly recommend Africa Safari Classics!