Travel reviews by Ms. N from Montana

"This camp may be one of my very favorites. Sarara is unique. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful throughout the entire stay. Rehama , my special host was so very kind and attentive. I had a woman guide - Anne, and her name - Nashipae means happiness. My other guide was Kalamon, meaning writing pen. Both were extremely knowledgable about the birds and the animals. They respected the distances while viewing the wild animals. They both shared their culture and answered all my questions in detail. The area was hot so I did enjoy the natural made pool every afternoon while watching other animals drinking in the pool below me. Animals were everywhere. I visited the Montessori schools that are in mobile tents to accommodate the pastoral community. All the materials were made by college students and each child had an oil cloth mat and then an activity to work on while I was visiting. There was no paper and pencils or crayons, but none were needed: the activities were so well planned and fit in with their culture...This activity was one of my favorites. In addition, I visited a village and also the mobile clinic. I met the male nurse who works with mothers and small infants in order to assist them with challenges they may be experiencing. The female nurse, Dorca, called me from Nairobi, she regretted not being there to greet me.
The singing wells were fabulous. It was difficult to imagine what staff were talking about before I visited the wells and seeing all the warriors and the animals. What is heartwarming is that the pastoral community leave the area by early evening so that the wild animals can also use the water in the dry riverbed. Respect for others is a mainstay of this community.
I also visited with the ladies who bead and learned they use all left over bags for their stitching. If you travel to Sarara, you might wish to bring small beads for them to use. In addition, I visited with the blacksmith. He takes scrapes and makes beautiful bracelets, rings and other items. He uses skins to force air into the fire to melt the metal. His services are needed everywhere in the community.
The people dress so beautifully everyday and it just makes me smile while remembering the beautiful colors and wonderfully welcoming smiles I encountered every day.
I am already planning a return trip to this wonderful camp: who supports the surrounding community and the tasks needed to be addressed.
I appreciated the good lighting, the robes provided, the massages provided, the outside shower was definitely one of my favorites - thank you.."

"I was met by William at the private airstrip arriving from Sarara. Right off the start, William identified many new birds for me in this area. William also could point out the ellies in the distance and even upclose. We saw hyenas right away too. What a great guide. We even made a list of 100 birds in one day of guiding. Upon arrival at the camp, Louise met me with her dog and suggested activities for me. She arranged for me to go horseback riding that day at 3:00pm. What a special treat. I was able to see the last two northern white rhinos and the one surrogate that lives with them in the Ol Pejeta Conservatory. I saw Najin and Fatu. This area is memorilized in memory of Sudan... I was also riding by the graveyard of other rhinos that had been killed.
The camp does a great job of providing support for the surrounding community and really follows the students that clients can adopt. A student is followed from primary school all the way up to college. If a student is not doing well or faltering, a tutor is brought in to rectify and assist the students. I chose this camp because of its committment to the community.
I saw so many rhinos, and ellies and other animals with William. This is a really fun camp. The food is also delicious - I had a spun sugar dessert one evening. I was given so many choices for my meals and there were always flowers nearby and on the tables. There were two fireplaces for warm eating. The lighting in the tents was great: I also appreciate the robes, and the flashlights and leaving the tent open for me at night. The hot water bottle is also a great touch at night. Thank you Louise."

"Oh my, how shall I begin? Right after picking me up at the airport, we spotted lions.... Bernard had me open the door and lie on the floor of truck to take a low picture.... he really knows how to help a person with photo taking. He is the very first guide to assist me in such a way. The female guide, intern, Stella was a delight to have in the car. Every time that we ventured out, we saw many animals and many birds and created a long list of new birds. We saw baby hyenas and watched leopards maneuver their baby wildebeest carcass around the tree branches. I could not have asked for more sightings!! We even saw the Verreaux owl one night and then again, two owls talking to one another. This is the most game I have seen on any of my trips and I shall return. This camp also supports the surrounding community and students. I visited with Hudson, who is the liaison between the community and the camps. He is so articulate and is so caring. It was a pleasure to meet with him and learn about the foundation. Thank you.
I appreciate the robes, the flashlights and the yoga mat in the room. After being in the truck all day, it feels good to stretch and help my old bones recuperate.
The only reason I did not see the ellies at this camp is because we were staying in the areas to see the leopards and the cheetahs and lions and hyenas."

"I shall definitely stay at this hotel again. The staff were very helpful and the room service and food were excellent."

"At Elsas' I was met with kindness and enthusiasm. Staff members were very accommodating and could anticipate what I needed. The guiding was excellent. He took his time to correctly identify the birds with me and pointed out small details that would differentiate similar birds. I had my own guide and we left early in the morning and returned at 7:00pm in the evening. The packed meals were outstanding. Being a vegetarian, I had at least 2 choices for every part of my packed meals. The presentation was excellent: even when it was pouring rain outside the four wheel drive. I feel that this lodge had the best meals I have had in all my trips to Africa: Philip, the chef created delicious and aesthetically appealing meals each and every time.

My expectations for a safari lodge were more than met. The room was spacious and always clean and comfortable. I had a wonderful thoughtful poem on my bed each evening: food for thought. I could hear the animals in the evening and did not see any other cabins once I was in my lodgings in the evening.

The manager and assistant manager took the time to visit with me and talk about the charity work that the lodge supports. The lodge used environmentally friendly materials every day and tried to lesson their impact on the environment.

My only suggestion would be to not use those juice boxes with the plastic wrap and straws - just put some juice in a glass jar and call it good. Cloth napkins were used and thus very little waste throughout the trip."

"Frances and George were my day long guides at Serian and were full of energy and enthusiasm. They could spot all sorts of animals and birds with clarity. They took their time in correctly identifying the birds and pointed out the tiny details among similar birds. They both shared their bird books with me and discussed the details with me. The two guides shared their family life and were interested in learning about mine. We took breaks during our day long trips to eat and practice yoga. They were so enthusiastic and participated with graciousness. What a fun time we all had. Francis and George and I shared laughter all day long and became good partners in our quest to locate the animals I wished to see. They were respectful of the animals in keeping their distances. The guides and I stayed out from 6:30am until 9:30pm: as you can see, they had unparreled energy and enthusiasm for their love of the land and the animals. We tracked different animals in order to witness kills and chases. We heard lions roaring right next to the car: and cats eating their kills.
George would write down the birds for me in my booklet, while I wrote down the dates and the areas in my bird book. They would stop the car to listen to the crickets and the frogs in the dark of the evenings. They stopped the car to watch the fireflies flit about in the evenings. These guides took the time to enjoy the quietness and the beauty of the environment and made sure that I had time to experience it myself. I am so grateful that I had these two guides sharing their love of their country with me. What a treat. I shall return again: I know because this was already my second time in one year. Thank you everyone at Serian."