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Ancient Wild Safaris

6 reviews
Reviews: 6
Private, custom tours
Group, set date tours
Photos: 3
Main focus: Mid-range
Established: 2015
Headquarters: Kenya
Languages:
English


Contact info
About Ancient Wild Safaris
At ancient wild safaris,we aim to provide our guests with custom made budget packages for mountain climbing,camping,lodge and luxury safari trips across the east africa region.We offer pocket friendly packages for family tours,group camping expeditions,mountain climbing packages,coastal and beach holiday tours as well as birdwatching and migration packages. We strive to break away from the usual packages and showcase to our visitors the true wild experience in east africa. Our expert guide has a wealth of knowledge in wildlife that you will find priceless during your trip.We take you to places you have not explored before and hope to make your safari an unforgetable experience.
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"Jeep got stuck - do not book Ancient Wild Safaris"
By: Julia
Safari enthusiast
Kenya Kenya
10 kudus
Photos (0)
Reviews (1)
Visited: Sep. 2017 Reviewed: Nov. 25, 2020

We did a 3 day Safari in Masai Mara with Ancient Safaris at the beginning of September.
Our jeep already got stuck on the first day because of some mechanical problems, so we couldn't get into the park this day. Furthermore they didn't replace the jeep. Our driver promised that they repaired the jeep and that everything is ready for the next day, unfortunately we got stuck again for several times on the next day.

We spent a lot of time waiting till the car cooled down again. It was really annoying, also because nobody told us what was going on.

And we didn't get any refund or compensation.

All in all we are really disappointed. Our Safari with Ancient Safaris was definitely not worth the price and we can't recommend it!

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Countries visited: Kenya
10People gave this
a kudu

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By: Julia
Kenya Kenya
Countries visited: Kenya
Visited: Sep. 2017
Reviewed: Oct. 17, 2017

10People gave this
a kudu

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"Do not book with Ancient Wild Safaris"
Safari enthusiast
United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates
10 kudus
Photos (0)
Reviews (1)
Visited: Aug. 2017 Reviewed: Apr. 12, 2020

What was meant to be an amazing experience was tainted by our experience with Ancient Wild Safaris.

Fortunately, we didn’t let the complete lack of management ruin our trip. However, it added an immense amount of stress to what was meant to be a relaxing break from work.

There was not a day that went by that I wasn’t worried about the next part of the journey and spent my time trying to get in contact with you or information from you.

I had started to get concerned before we left when I had to continually chase up the details and request copies of tickets and bookings. We were assured everything was in place and that a file of the printouts would be provided in Nairobi. It wasn’t.

1. Our 1st driver thought he was taking us back to Nairobi and it wasn’t until he asked how many days we were staying in Nairobi after Amboseli that he called and was made aware he was driving us to Lake Nakuru

2. After chasing and chasing on the booking receipts we needed one of your team met us before we flew to Mara and promised that we would get a copy of the remaining documents we needed at Neptune. I made it clear at this time that I was not happy and that you should be making sure I had them emailed to me

3. Our 2nd driver who was meant to pick us up from the airstrip didn’t show up - he had been sent to a different airstrip

4. The Masai village experience was terrible. We paid the 100 USD each and then they tried to charge us 450 USD for souvenirs. They then also asked for money for their school. All in all it was a 600 USD excursion and not worth it one bit.

5. Our 3rd driver was not aware of when we were flying out to Zanzibar and neither were we as we still didn’t have any flight details.

6. I called and emailed a number of times once we reach Ngorongoro as again there were not details as to our flight the next day.

7. Your manager on the ground in Tanzania said he would meet us before we got to the airport. He didn’t. He then asked us to come to the office. He then called and said he would send someone to the airport. 20 mins later still no one. The driver called again and he then said he would send ticket numbers through. Another 20 mins and no ticket numbers. The driver then called back again and was told to take us inside even though we had no tickets to show the security.

8. We then arrive in Zanzibar and there is no driver - we have to pay 60 USD on top of what we had paid you for the transfer and arrange a driver ourselves.

9. We then get to the hotel and they ask for our booking voucher which we didn’t have as we still had not been provided any details in paper or email form.

10. The new contact in Zanizbar, Kondo, then called and was at that time the 1st person who had actually apologised for any of this - there had been no apology from Mike and his team at Ancient Wild Safaris only excuses and blame pointed to the Tanzania operations.

11. Kondo again apologised as he was not able to get us the VIP seats that should have been booked for us on the ferry on the way back - if this had been organised properly and booked when we paid our deposit then we would have had the VIP seats we wanted.

12. Thank \fully there was a man with a sign to meet us in Dar es Salam which was a relief……this was no thanks to Ancient Wild Safaris but to Kondo and his company who had taken over managing the last part of our trip.


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Countries visited: Kenya Tanzania
10People gave this
a kudu

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United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates
Countries visited: Kenya Tanzania
Visited: Aug. 2017
Reviewed: Sep. 24, 2017

10People gave this
a kudu

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"Wonderful safaris in Kenya"
By: noo
Safari enthusiast
Singapore Singapore
12 kudus
Photos (0)
Reviews (1)
Visited: Aug. 2015 Reviewed: Jul. 23, 2019

Ancient gave us a wonderful safaris experience for two week. Very good arrangement and very good driver & guide- Joseph. He is an experienced guide and arrange all the programs and time very well. We are totally satisfied with them.

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Countries visited: Kenya
12People gave this
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By: noo
Singapore Singapore
Countries visited: Kenya
Visited: Aug. 2015
Reviewed: Sep. 17, 2015

12People gave this
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"Fantastic experience! Ancient Wild Safaris took amazing care of us!"
Safari enthusiast
United States United States
24 kudus
Reviews (1)
Visited: Jun. 2016 Reviewed: Jan. 20, 2019

My wife and I went on a 7-day safari to Samburu, Lake Naivasha, Hell’s Gate, and Maasai Mara through Ancient Wild Safaris for our honeymoon and we couldn’t have possibly been more pleased!! From the very beginning of booking, Michael was very helpful and happy to accommodate a few special requests we had (adding an extra day in Maasai Mara to the itinerary). They offered to pick us up directly from the airport, but we wanted to arrive a day early to help with the time change adjustment. Michael and Joseph (our guide for all seven days) arrived right on time at our hotel the next morning, and Mike went over the entire itinerary in great detail. Joseph was an amazing guide! He listened to what we wanted, kept track of all the animals we’d seen, and would continually find and spot more and more new animals for us.

We could not have asked for a more perfect tour guide than Joseph! He has been working in the safari industry for ten years and is extremely knowledgeable of all locations and animals, including being able to name every bird we spotted. He even keeps a couple books in the care of the animals and birds found in East Africa to share with his passengers. This was great when we wanted to learn a little more about the leopard we were watching sleep in a tree ?. Everything Joseph does is to ensure that you have an amazing time, always saying that it is important that every client receives excellent attention when they’ve paid so much money and travelled so far. His van (which is four-wheel drive) is exceptionally capable, even pulling out multiple trucks stuck in the mud. The roof rises up about 2-3 feet (and is constantly open during game drives) and the windows slide horizontally so you can always snap great photos. He even has a power outlet installed in the van so you can charge your phone/camera while on game drive should the need arise. You are in excellent hands with Joseph!!!

We were on a budget safari and were very surprised at how nice the accommodation was. We weren’t exactly sure what it meant to be in a “camp”, but it was much more sophisticated than we expected. In every location we had our own private bathroom with a shower in our room, mosquito nets (not that we actually needed them), power outlets to charge electronics, and we received three hot meals a day (except when we were on game drives, in which lunch was packed for us), and plenty of bottled water was always available in the car with Joseph.

Thanks to Joseph we saw every animal we could possibly think of including all of the Big 5!! Elephants, rhinos, giraffes, all types of gazelle and antelope, topi, hippos, zebras, wildebeast, water buffalo, crocodiles, lions, cheetahs, leopard, hyenas, jackals, monkeys, baboons, dozens and dozens of different species of birds. The list simply goes on and on!! And Joseph always knew where to find them! The guides all have CB radios and because Joseph is so knowledgable of all the parks, whenever an animal sighting (e.g. lion or leopard) was reported he always knew exactly where to go.

While in Maasai Mara we toured one of the Maasai villages, getting to go inside their homes and learn about their unique culture and identity. This was a truly humbling experience and a highly recommended part of visiting the Maasai Mara park! The villagers were extremely friendly and welcoming, taking great pride in their home and eager to share with us.

An added bonus that I had not anticipated was the driving between the parks. This allowed us to see the beautiful Kenyan countryside and see what the country holds outside of just tourist attractions. As another added bonus, Joseph knew of and took us to several fun local attractions that fall on the route between parks. We really felt like we got to see Kenya!

An important note:
-The hotel we stayed in the first night didn’t want to exchange a $100USD bill because it was older than 2000, but Michael and Joseph took care of it for us. So be sure all the cash you bring was minted in 2000 or after, as many places won’t accept it due to the ease of counterfeiting.

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Countries visited: Kenya
12People gave this
a kudu

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United States United States
Countries visited: Kenya
Visited: Jun. 2016
Reviewed: Jun. 28, 2016

12People gave this
a kudu

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"Best experience of my life!!!!"
Safari enthusiast
United States United States
69 kudus
Reviews (1)
Visited: Jun. 2016 Reviewed: Dec. 01, 2018

We booked a honeymoon trip with Ancient Wild Safaris to Samburu, Lake Naivasha, Hell’s Gate, and Maasai Mara because of the very affordable price and because those were the exact places we wanted to visit. Everything went Perfectly!!! From Michael who is fantastic and answered all our questions and requests, to the Wonderful and Experienced Guide and Human Being Joseph, to seeing all animals we could see in these parks (lions, cheetahs, leopard, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, crocodiles, zebras, wildebeest – the migration – elephants, baboons, monkeys, all types of gazelles, ostriches, buffalo, warthogs, and an incredible variety of birds) to the Kenyan lifestyle and the very welcoming Maasai village visit, and to the great camping and lodging, everything went perfectly.

Joseph is a fantastic guide. He is kind, knowledgeable, on time, caring, smart, and generous. We spent a lot of time on the game drives. He is well respected and liked by other guides and we always got tips about where wildlife was. We spent lots of time in quiet, observing lions (we saw 5 the first day on our 2 h evening game drive!!!! and at least other 10 the next days), cheetahs, leopards and all the other animals. We saw them walk, run, sleep, and mate!!!! We saw it all and it exceeded our expectations. We took fantastic photos. Joseph knows very much about all animals and knows the names of all the birds. He is very experienced and drove us exactly to the places where wildlife lives.

Because we told Michael we were on our honeymoon we got the most pleasant surprise – a free boat ride at Lake Naivasha!!! It was one of the most wonderful experiences of our lives. We saw hippos having dinner and then get in the water and play!! It was so much fun. They are very active and interactive. One family was more territorial and snorted water in the air when we approached. It was a blast!!!

Samburu is awesome. It’s a bit warmer there than in Maasai Mara but we saw many animals concentrated together. Lake Naivasha is fabulous. Right by it is Hell's Gate!!!! Do not miss Hell's Gate!!!! I learned how to ride a bike 5 days before leaving for Kenya so I could ride a bike in the canyon. It was amazing. We were alone with zebras, gazelles, giraffes, warthogs, and wildebeest. And the walk down the Hell's Gate gorge is out of this world. Maasai Mara is everything you expect from savanna and more. All the Big 5 and so much more. We spent 3 nights and 2 days there, which gave us enough time to do different things.

Joseph was great with the schedule. Told us every night what time we would start next day (which was earlier than others) and what we will do. He was Always ready before us and the car was cleaned every night! On the way to Lake Naivasha we passed by a private conservation park and we could see about 7 rhinos chilling, which was so unexpected. We also stopped at a rug factory and at Thomson’s Falls which were great surprises. We felt always taken care of and guided to see the most.

We never got stopped on the road by the road blocks and police, which I heard happens for other drivers, and our car was in great condition on all the difficult roads and specifically to Maasai Mara. We never got stuck any where. In fact all other drivers on the game drive knew Joseph’s great car and good nature and we stopped to help other cars stuck in the mud. This was fun because it gave us the opportunity to get out of the car to take more photos and stretch our legs.

We had no problems with lodging. It was all we expected and more. Everywhere we had our own private bathroom and electrical outlets to charge phones, cameras, etc. Food was fantastic at the Maasai Mara camp. The village visit was lots of fun and a life changing experience. We were short on cash but the village people are happy to trade souvenirs for anything you can trade (bandanas, a sweater, raincoat).

I don’t have enough words to say how happy we’ve been with this tour operator and our guide. They even accommodated our traveling plans. We requested an extra day in Maasai Mara because our flight left a day later and that was solved in our advantage because we stayed with Joseph and did not change to a new group. Michael was very responsive and very eager to please.

We will go back to Kenya and we will surely use Ancient Wild Safaris again!! I fully recommend them for the best experience. They may serve budged safaris but they are of very high quality.

Thank you!!!!

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Countries visited: Kenya
11People gave this
a kudu

 Like this review? Go on, give it a kudu!
United States United States
Countries visited: Kenya
Visited: Jun. 2016
Reviewed: Jun. 28, 2016

11People gave this
a kudu

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"The amazing safari we will remember - forever!"
By: sast
Safari enthusiast
Canada Canada
13 kudus
Photos (0)
Reviews (1)
Visited: Aug. 2015 Reviewed: Dec. 23, 2016

We started planing our Kenya safari trip late, and it was quite difficult to navigate your wishes and family (2 adults and 2 children) through many different options and operators. After several weeks of our extensive research, we decided to pick Michael from the Ancient Wild Safaris and it was the best decision - not because we want to justify it, but simply because it provided the best value and overall experience for all of us!

But while these accolades reflect well on the amazing job Ancient Wild Safaris does, these words are not why I just called them for my trip. I called them because I have traveled with others before, and I know firsthand what problems you may expect. No problems here, just amazing experience! I was blown away by the job Ancient Wild Safaris did for us.

This operator, specifically our driver Patrick and Michael succeeded by emphasizing the key things: excellence of guiding us through the reserves, respect and polite manners, comfortable vehicle, utilizing the expected comfort of accommodations and cuisine, with a lot of first-hand knowledge and insider clout to make things happen that other safari providers probably can’t.

I learned it after showing our photos to other people we met during our trip... you want to hear it? OK, just imagine seeing one, two, or three lions plus hundreds of other animals in one single day... because we observed more than 20 lions and thousands of others! Yes, just in one day (out of total six)! Amazing!

Or better to say... simply, the best! Thank you Michael/Ancient Wild Safaris for this experience!

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Countries visited: Kenya Tanzania
13People gave this
a kudu

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By: sast
Canada Canada
Countries visited: Kenya Tanzania
Visited: Aug. 2015
Reviewed: Sep. 20, 2015

13People gave this
a kudu

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YAScore: 21/100
Based on 6 reviews

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