Kenya Expresso Tours and Safaris (KETS)
Rwanda
Uganda
Zimbabwe
Contact info
About Kenya Expresso Tours and Safaris (KETS)
Kenya Expresso Tours and Safaris Ltd offers Safari package, Holiday Vacation in Kenya and Africa at Large. we have a great team just for you. A team that wishes you nothing but the best safaris and holiday Vacation. taste of luxury and budget with a commitment to quality. Besides tailor-made safaris, we have a great collection of itineraries that suits family, honeymooners, private groups, singles or couples, and KETSAFARIS collection (New). All these itineraries are custom made by our specialists and approved by the counsel. This is done to ensure that there is the flexibility to fit your requirements and to ensure there is a balance between family time and yourselves.About our safari vehicles
We offer safaris using a four-wheel Toyota land cruiser jeep and mini vans, each of the vehicle is equipped with long-range VHF radios for easier communications in the parks. All safari vehicles are fitted with speed governors and with two extra tires just in case of punctures. Our vehicles come with seven window seats with plenty of legroom. All safaris are operated with modern specially designed and constructed safari vehicles with pop up roof for excellent game viewing. Each vehicle is in radio contact with other vehicles so they can get you to areas where game has been spotted.
We had previously been to Kenya with Kuoni but this time I wanted a more personal experience so looked at arranging things myself. Having seen the glowing reviews of KET Safaris on this site, I decided that they were the right company for us - my husband, sister and her partner. I did get quotes from others, but Paul was quick to respond and answer my many questions. I outlined the parks I wanted to visit and this included Serengeti, and Ngorogoro in Tanzania. Between us, we worked out an itinerary which was realistic distance wise and included all the parks we wanted. Whilst I think we are all a little nervous about sending deposits to people we don't know so far away and paying the balance in cash when we arrive, you shouldn't worry as it was fine.
When we arrived at Nairobi in the evening, a driver from the Meltonia Luxury Suites collected us and we stayed there overnight. Paul arrived at our hotel on time in the morning and introduced us to our first driver Benedict.It was a long and dusty drive to the Mara, but we had a couple of comfort breaks en route and when in the park Benedict took the longer route to the hotel to see some wildlife on the way. The Mara is one of the best places to view game and again it didn't disappoint. The Ashnil Mara was wonderful, very luxurious, great food and the staff couldn't do enough. I will review all the lodges and hotels individually but they were all good.
Day four, we crossed the border at Isebania which was chaotic with laborious form filling but didn't really take as long as we imagined. A word of warning, don't use the loos here as they were not very nice and they charged both men and women 200 shillings. After saying our sorry goodbyes to Benedict who we were really fond of, we were introduced to Jeremiah (Jerry). He was younger and initially a little quieter but soon learned to understand our sense of humour and joined in the jokes. He was an excellent driver and spotter and clearly passionate about his job. We stayed at the Mbalgetti Lodge in the Serengeti which had fantastic tented lodges overlooking the countryside and was not fenced so was very natural. I do have reservations about this lodge because it took over 30 minutes to reach the other roads every time we went on a game drive which meant an hour of our drive over the same area (see separate review).
After two nights, we then drove on to Ngorogoro which I have to say in itself was a little disappointing. Due the vast area in the crater (caldera) we mostly viewed game from a distance. However, Jerry did anticipate the destination of two black rhinos and drove round to enable us to watch them coming almost directly towards us before they headed off to the water. Rhino lodge was wonderful with open fires in restaurant and even in our rooms.
Back to Kenya and our third and last guide Bryon. He had more long distance drives as we had to go to Amboselli, the next day Tsavo and finally Watamu. Whilst he did drive faster than the others we still felt safe and he found us lots of elephants in both these parks. He dropped us off at Watamu having bought us (courtesy of Paul) a final lunch in a restaurant in Malindi. We stayed at the Ocean Sports which again I will review separately.
I would like to thank Paul publicly for a wonderfully arranged safari. Everything went like clockwork and all three drivers were exceptional. I would recommend KET Safaris for anyone wanting to take book their holiday independently.
Finally, an update on Nairobi Airport. We flew from Mombasa to Nairobi on 22 Sept 2013, after the awful terrorist attack at Westgate Mall, for our onward flight to Heathrow. If you have unfortunately booked with British Airways be warned. The airport is totally chaotic. When we finally found out which building we should be in (having joined two queues into buildings which were not the right ones), we had our hold luggage manually searched despite it having just been scanned. The hand luggage was then rescanned and we were then ushered to the tents outside and BA had the only tent which you could not enter with any refreshment as they were scanning hand luggage yet again. This, apparently, had nothing to do with the terrorist attack. Then, as if to add insult everyone had to have the contents of their bags emptied and they made us switch all our cameras on and off before roughly trying to cram the equipment back.
There is no duty free, restaurant or bar - just a small tent offering coffee and sandwiches etc. in which you have to stand to eat or drink the meager offerings. It was pouring with rain when we were there and we huddled under the canopy. The portable toilets are all outside the tents so you have to go through the security again to go to the loo and then back again. We were there for three hours and it was not fun. No other airline tent had this ridiculous extra security.
United Kingdom
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We always use KETS when visiting our Sheldrick elephant orphans. KETS provides reliable service to Sheldrick Centers at Umani, Ithumba, Nairobi, and Voi. As we need to bring our own food, the driver helps us shop at the Emali food stalls.
Paul Mwendwa, KETS owner, is a trustworthy and honorable gentleman. He always provides a competitive quote. We highly recommend KETS, especially for Sheldrick patrons.
United States
Wonderful journey with KETS! We six people are all satisfied with the whole arrangement!
The total cost is reasonable and the experience is wonderful!
Paul, our sincere friend, is so knowledgeable and friendly. He is definitely an expert on animals and Kenya. Love him!
Everything is so good! Highly recommend to everyone! Next time I go back to Kenya, I’ll definitely choose KETS and Paul again!!
China
Could not recommend this more. I was overwhelmed by the choice of operators and was recommended Paul by a friend - it completely surpassed all our expectations. All communication before, during and after was prompt. Our guide was an absolute pleasure to hang out with all day, he made sure the only thing we had to worry about was having a good time. The accommodation was great and most importantly we had so many incredible encounters with the animals. Worth every penny.
United Kingdom
Have used KET Safaris 3 different times dating back to 2016. Always had great experiences with communication prior to the trip and the trip itself. Have seen the big 5 on several occasions, the lodging has been great, and KET has been willing and helpful in customizing parts of a journey or helpful in booking ancillary services (ie a train ticket).
Thanks to the team for great experiences.
United States
This review is long overdue but hopefully better late than never! My husband and I did an 8-day safari with KETS and we loved every minute of it. Our guide was Paul and he was wonderful. The booking process was so easy and we were able to customize our itinerary exactly how we wanted it. Paul was great about answering all our questions and was always very quick to respond. On safari, Paul was very knowledgeable about every location we went to and knew the best spots for wildlife. He was very patient with all our questions and requests. Thank you Paul for the trip of a lifetime! We will definitely be back, hopefully next time with the kids!
United States
We booked a 5-day safari with Kenya Expresso Tour (KETS) and it was amazing. Paul responded quickly to all our questions prior to arrival as well as helping guide us to what we should do as a family of four with relatively young children. This was our first safari and it was perfect! Service was excellent, experience was amazing and Paul went over and above to make sure we got to see as many of the animals as possible.
For anyone planning a Kenya safari, KETS should be your first contact!!
United Arab Emirates
This is the second time I have used KETS and I was not disappointed in the slightest. Once again I had an amazing experience and was extremely lucky to see the animals in very close proximity. All correspondence with Paul via email was great and he was very responsive. I was very happy he was our driver for the trip! Paul is extremely knowledgeable, punctual and a credit to the company! The safari van is very comfortable with plenty of water bottles/juice provided. I highly recommend this company for a personalised experience and a lifetime of spectacular memories! I can't wait to return to Kenya with friends for another amazing safari experience with KETS
United Kingdom
We booked a 7-day safari with Kenya Expresso Tour (KETS). The owner, Paul Mwendwa, responds quickly to inquiries. This was my fifth safari with KETS, so I know what to expect: a competitive quote, excellent service, integrity, a reliable vehicle, and a world-class experience that is both unforgettable and safe.
We are patrons of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, so this safari was customized to allow us to spend time with out foster elephant babies at both Ithumba and the Voi Stockade, as well as the Nairobi Nursery. Paul was also our driver, and was always punctual with our visitation schedule at the orphanages.
Ithumba must be the only place on earth where one can view wild elephants in such large numbers as they mingle with the orphans... an extraordinary experience.
We enjoyed several game drives in Tsavo East National Park. Paul has a good eye and strong instinct when it comes to viewing wildlife.
Regarding the exit covid test requirement, Paul made it easy: he took us to West Nairobi hospital that emailed results in 4-hours.
For anyone planning a Kenya / Tanzania safari, KETS should be your first contact.
United States
We have just had a fabulous fortnight in Kenya organised by KETS. I gave Paul an outline of all the parks we wished to visit and he organised everything. Lodges were fantastic and the whole trip made so memorable by our wonderful driver and guide Benedict. We particularly requested him as we had such a good time in the Mara in 2013 with him. Thanks to Benedict we saw a kill, chases and the elusive leopard, apart from all the other wonderful sights you would expect to see in Kenya.
A wonderful safari and, if we were to return, we would definitely be contacting Paul again.
He is actually arranging a trip for my sister's friend in December and I am sure he will have a great time, like we did.
United Kingdom
We just returned from our safari in Kenya with KETS, and it was incredible. Specifically, our package included Tsavo East & West, Amboseli, Lake Naivasha and Masai Mara. Our driver Sammy was clearly very experienced, informative and genuinely wanted us to have a great time. He definitely made the trip as great as it was. I have wanted to come to Africa; Kenya specifically for most of my life, so it was a dream come true. When planning the trip, you won't have a better contact than Paul! He was always quick to respond, organized and helpful with any questions we had.
Thanks KETS, we'll definitely be back to Kenya someday!!
Canada
Cleanliness of vehicle
Meet and greet team
Quality of itinerary
Responsiveness of staff
Park reviews written by None
Incredible elephant safari destination
When: Oct. 8, 2019, 1:04 p.m.
When: Sept. 20, 2019, 10:34 a.m.
One of the best parks in Africa
When: Sept. 19, 2019, 11:10 a.m.
Tsavo - The largest national park in Kenya
When: Oct. 22, 2019, 12:09 p.m.
Rare sights of tree-climbing lions
When: Sept. 24, 2019, 10:46 a.m.
When: Oct. 15, 2019, 12:34 p.m.
Adventure with the African white rhinos
When: Oct. 10, 2019, 2:30 p.m.
Adventure in a park within a city
When: Oct. 29, 2019, 11:08 a.m.
