Travel reviews by Gwendolyon from Ithaca,NY
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
1
Lodges stayed in
4
Excursions taken
2
The trip of a lifetime
Kenya between 21 Oct 2023 and 3 Nov 2023
"WOW! WOW! WOW! This was truly the trip of a lifetime.
For 6 decades (since I fell in love with Born Free) I have wanted to travel to Africa. The opportunity arose when I ceased the opportunity to go on safari with a wildlife photographer I followed on Facebook. I had no idea what going on safari with her meant, but knew from her photos and connection to Africa and the animals that this was how I wanted to do it. Her trips are completely organized through Expert Africa with Richard Trillo, organizer and planner extraordinaire!
The information, the attention to detail, planning, everything was managed perfectly. Expert Africa (Richard) walks you through every step along the way; and if they can’t answer a question specifically for you (like which travel insurance should I get), they provide necessary information to perform your own research and make the decision that fits your needs. Informative packets are sent with answers to all the questions you may have (as well as ones you didn’t know you needed the answers to). Weather, culture, money, gratuities, obtaining the appropriate visas, etc. Everything is planned so that you are never alone once you arrive, and never need to figure out how to do something.
Everyone is sent an itinerary for the trip including everyone’s flight information, who will be meeting you at the airport and helping you through customs, driving you to your destination(s). All travel, including flights within Kenya, are taken care of, including providing day rooms on your last day prior to your flight and bringing you back to the airport at the end of the trip. And when they ask on their booking form what your food preferences are, make sure to fill it in (no matter how silly you think it may be, this from my own experience). All the destinations, camps, and lodges want to accommodate you as best they can.
The camps are perfect. Perfect accommodations, perfect food, amazing staff. Joyful always. Informative always. Welcoming everyone into the family.
I didn’t have the opportunity to research other travel companies, but from this experience with Expert Africa, I have absolutely no reason to look into any other companies. I plan on returning to Africa. And I plan on ONLY going through Expert Africa. And I am telling everyone I meet that indicates they’ve “always wanted to go”.
Thank you for the service your provide, Expert Africa.
Thank you for providing opportunities to travel to this most cherished continent in a way that respects, sustains, and helps to protect these lands and all their inhabitants."
For 6 decades (since I fell in love with Born Free) I have wanted to travel to Africa. The opportunity arose when I ceased the opportunity to go on safari with a wildlife photographer I followed on Facebook. I had no idea what going on safari with her meant, but knew from her photos and connection to Africa and the animals that this was how I wanted to do it. Her trips are completely organized through Expert Africa with Richard Trillo, organizer and planner extraordinaire!
The information, the attention to detail, planning, everything was managed perfectly. Expert Africa (Richard) walks you through every step along the way; and if they can’t answer a question specifically for you (like which travel insurance should I get), they provide necessary information to perform your own research and make the decision that fits your needs. Informative packets are sent with answers to all the questions you may have (as well as ones you didn’t know you needed the answers to). Weather, culture, money, gratuities, obtaining the appropriate visas, etc. Everything is planned so that you are never alone once you arrive, and never need to figure out how to do something.
Everyone is sent an itinerary for the trip including everyone’s flight information, who will be meeting you at the airport and helping you through customs, driving you to your destination(s). All travel, including flights within Kenya, are taken care of, including providing day rooms on your last day prior to your flight and bringing you back to the airport at the end of the trip. And when they ask on their booking form what your food preferences are, make sure to fill it in (no matter how silly you think it may be, this from my own experience). All the destinations, camps, and lodges want to accommodate you as best they can.
The camps are perfect. Perfect accommodations, perfect food, amazing staff. Joyful always. Informative always. Welcoming everyone into the family.
I didn’t have the opportunity to research other travel companies, but from this experience with Expert Africa, I have absolutely no reason to look into any other companies. I plan on returning to Africa. And I plan on ONLY going through Expert Africa. And I am telling everyone I meet that indicates they’ve “always wanted to go”.
Thank you for the service your provide, Expert Africa.
Thank you for providing opportunities to travel to this most cherished continent in a way that respects, sustains, and helps to protect these lands and all their inhabitants."
Arranged By Richard Trillo
Tamarind Tree Hotel
"Welcome to Nairobi!"
2 nights
Arrived
22 Oct 2023
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Nairobi Giraffe Centre visit
"Selfies with Giraffes"
23 Oct 2023 • Morning excursion
It was lovely to visit the giraffe centre, and wonderful to learn all that the centre is doing.
I am grateful to the conservation efforts in Kenya to preserve the world's most precious species (especially as the human race continues to destroy all that is so precious and important). Being able to get up close and see how beautiful these animals are, and look into their eyes is quite a privilege. Feeding them is a novelty, and I think an excellent experience for children (and adults). I think it is important for the guides to make the point that feeding them in this scenario does not make the giraffes dependent on humans feeding them so that when they get re-introduced it is not a "handicap" to these giraffes.
Also, at least for us, we got there early, and I would have liked for us to spend some more time with the giraffes before it became more crowded prior to going in for the presentation. It was a bit disorienting for me to walk out of the presentation into the crowd of people all competing for a space with the giraffes. I know that having many people is good for the centre (to raise funds), but for me personally, I am never comfortable when there are big crowds of people circling around animals. I know the animals are fine in this scenario, but, I just wonder if there is a way to structure the visits so that at any one time, there is more of a balance between those in the building for the presentations, and those outside feeding.
This is a wonderful organization providing an extremely important and necessary service for the animals, and the people of Kenya, Africa, and the rest of the world. And I am grateful that this exists.
I am grateful to the conservation efforts in Kenya to preserve the world's most precious species (especially as the human race continues to destroy all that is so precious and important). Being able to get up close and see how beautiful these animals are, and look into their eyes is quite a privilege. Feeding them is a novelty, and I think an excellent experience for children (and adults). I think it is important for the guides to make the point that feeding them in this scenario does not make the giraffes dependent on humans feeding them so that when they get re-introduced it is not a "handicap" to these giraffes.
Also, at least for us, we got there early, and I would have liked for us to spend some more time with the giraffes before it became more crowded prior to going in for the presentation. It was a bit disorienting for me to walk out of the presentation into the crowd of people all competing for a space with the giraffes. I know that having many people is good for the centre (to raise funds), but for me personally, I am never comfortable when there are big crowds of people circling around animals. I know the animals are fine in this scenario, but, I just wonder if there is a way to structure the visits so that at any one time, there is more of a balance between those in the building for the presentations, and those outside feeding.
This is a wonderful organization providing an extremely important and necessary service for the animals, and the people of Kenya, Africa, and the rest of the world. And I am grateful that this exists.
Nairobi Elephant Orphanage visit
"Playful gentle giants "
23 Oct 2023 • Afternoon excursion
What an amazing experience to visit Sheldricks. We had a private visit and were able to spend time with these gentle giants, watching them play with each other (and us) and see their personalities.
While excruciatingly heartbreaking that these innocent creatures have been orphaned through either human or natural causes, it brings me hope that the process and dedication of the staff at Sheldricks will ultimately give them the chance to live with an adopted family in the wild.
Learning about the process, how each young elephant has a dedicated human day and night, until they are ready to move up to the next level of getting ready for re-introduction, and then ultimately brought to a home in the wild, while the staff live in the nearby camp for as long as necessary until the elephant stops coming back to their human and has been fully adopted by their new family- typically about 5 years.
My heart explodes with gratitude for this dedication and true efforts for providing a way to sustain one of earth’s most cherished creatures.
While excruciatingly heartbreaking that these innocent creatures have been orphaned through either human or natural causes, it brings me hope that the process and dedication of the staff at Sheldricks will ultimately give them the chance to live with an adopted family in the wild.
Learning about the process, how each young elephant has a dedicated human day and night, until they are ready to move up to the next level of getting ready for re-introduction, and then ultimately brought to a home in the wild, while the staff live in the nearby camp for as long as necessary until the elephant stops coming back to their human and has been fully adopted by their new family- typically about 5 years.
My heart explodes with gratitude for this dedication and true efforts for providing a way to sustain one of earth’s most cherished creatures.
Kicheche Mara
"Home on the Mara"
4 nights
Arrived
24 Oct 2023
"What an amazing place. The people, the food, the tents, the guides. Everything was perfect. We had no idea what to expect, and never in our wildest dreams would have expected such perfection.
From the moment our guide, Saruni, picked us up from the airstrip, our greeting and reception when we arrived, the comfort of the “tents”, the thoughtfulness in remembering and catering to each guest’s needs, the laundry service, the wake up coffee, tea and cookies, the amazing and delicious meals, it was all perfect. The staff, Maurice, Fred, Priscilla, and Charles, to name a few, go out of their way to ensure the guests’ comfort on all levels (food, accommodations, activities).
I made the mistake of not indicating a food preference on my Expert Africa form and Priscilla noted this to herself. For the following meals she prepared for me a separate dish accommodating this. Sam made sure we got to our tent safely every night and to the truck every morning; and also went out of his way to assist my traveling companion when she hurt her leg. Everyone we met made a point of talking with us, getting to know us, and making us feel like family.
I am in awe of the amount of knowledge our guides, Jimmy, Saruni, and George have to share with us. Prior to the trip I had no true understanding of what a silver rating implied. It becomes overwhelmingly clear once we were in the trucks with them. Every animal, every plant, every bird and their song. Everything about their behavior. The connection with some of the animals, knowing their history and behavior."
From the moment our guide, Saruni, picked us up from the airstrip, our greeting and reception when we arrived, the comfort of the “tents”, the thoughtfulness in remembering and catering to each guest’s needs, the laundry service, the wake up coffee, tea and cookies, the amazing and delicious meals, it was all perfect. The staff, Maurice, Fred, Priscilla, and Charles, to name a few, go out of their way to ensure the guests’ comfort on all levels (food, accommodations, activities).
I made the mistake of not indicating a food preference on my Expert Africa form and Priscilla noted this to herself. For the following meals she prepared for me a separate dish accommodating this. Sam made sure we got to our tent safely every night and to the truck every morning; and also went out of his way to assist my traveling companion when she hurt her leg. Everyone we met made a point of talking with us, getting to know us, and making us feel like family.
I am in awe of the amount of knowledge our guides, Jimmy, Saruni, and George have to share with us. Prior to the trip I had no true understanding of what a silver rating implied. It becomes overwhelmingly clear once we were in the trucks with them. Every animal, every plant, every bird and their song. Everything about their behavior. The connection with some of the animals, knowing their history and behavior."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Buffalo
5 sightings
Cheetah
5 sightings
Eland
4 sightings
Elephant
5 sightings
Giraffe
5 sightings
Hippo
5 sightings
Leopard
3 sightings
Lion
5 sightings
Spotted Hyena
3 sightings
Wildebeest
3 sightings
Zebra
5 sightings
Kicheche Bush Camp
"Perfection!"
4 nights
Arrived
28 Oct 2023
"I didn’t think anything could be more perfect than our experience at Kicheche Mara until arriving at Kicheche Bush Camp. As with Kicheche Mara, the people, food, tents, and guides were beyond our wildest expectations. The greeting and reception when we arrived, the comfort of the “tents”, the thoughtfulness in remembering and catering to each guest’s needs, the laundry service, the wake up coffee, tea and cookies, the amazing and delicious meals, it was all perfect.
Kicheche Bush camp is slightly smaller than Kicheche Mara making the experience a bit more personal. With the smaller camp it was easier for us to meet most of the staff and make more of a connection.
Ann and Dido welcome you and from the very beginning confirm food preferences and any other needs that may not have been communicated to them earlier. Abraham and Kennedy do everything to make sure you have everything you need during meals and just relaxing. Brian took care of our tent making sure everything was perfect for our comfort. Beatrice was a joy to be around and ensured that all our food needs were attended to. Charles and Gladys prepared the most delicious meals and desserts. Peter ensured our safety to and from our tents in the dark.
I am in awe of the amount of knowledge shared by the guides. Every animal, every plant, every bird and their song. Everything about their behavior. The connection with some of the animals, knowing their history and behavior. We drove both with the seasoned Patrick, and the younger Josphat. In addition to all the knowledge they bring (and continue to learn in the rare moment of them not knowing something) Patrick’s keen eye for the perfect photo, and Josphat’s sense of humor, made driving with each of them unique and exceptional experiences."
Kicheche Bush camp is slightly smaller than Kicheche Mara making the experience a bit more personal. With the smaller camp it was easier for us to meet most of the staff and make more of a connection.
Ann and Dido welcome you and from the very beginning confirm food preferences and any other needs that may not have been communicated to them earlier. Abraham and Kennedy do everything to make sure you have everything you need during meals and just relaxing. Brian took care of our tent making sure everything was perfect for our comfort. Beatrice was a joy to be around and ensured that all our food needs were attended to. Charles and Gladys prepared the most delicious meals and desserts. Peter ensured our safety to and from our tents in the dark.
I am in awe of the amount of knowledge shared by the guides. Every animal, every plant, every bird and their song. Everything about their behavior. The connection with some of the animals, knowing their history and behavior. We drove both with the seasoned Patrick, and the younger Josphat. In addition to all the knowledge they bring (and continue to learn in the rare moment of them not knowing something) Patrick’s keen eye for the perfect photo, and Josphat’s sense of humor, made driving with each of them unique and exceptional experiences."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Buffalo
3 sightings
Cheetah
1 sighting
Eland
2 sightings
Elephant
3 sightings
Giraffe
4 sightings
Hippo
2 sightings
Leopard
2 sightings
Lion
6 sightings
Spotted Hyena
5 sightings
Wildebeest
4 sightings
Zebra
5 sightings
The Emakoko
"Easing back into reality"
1 night
Arrived
1 Nov 2023
"The Emakoko provides a great re-introduction into the “real world” after returning from safari. The staff are totally dedicated to our comfort and needs, the rooms are lovely, comfortable, and welcoming, and the food is delicious.
Being able to relax on the veranda after bumping around in the trucks for 10 days is a welcome comfort. In addition, driving around the park provides the opportunity of seeing rhinos which were not present in the conservancy. Although we didn’t get to drive as much with the guides here as at the camps, the short time we did spend with them was quite enjoyable and informative. Hanging around with hyrax as company was an added treat.
As lovely as the hotel is, the photos lining the walls of the constant reminder and glorification of colonization and game hunts seem a bit disturbing. While it is good to know history so as not to have it repeated, it would be a welcome addition to have less glorification of what I imagine may be a difficult reminder to many of the staff.
Finally, I spent time reading the history of the lodge book in the room. While it provided good information regarding the history of the lodge, and the work performed by the owners, the actual writing was filled with many, many editing mistakes and did not appear to have much proof-reading prior to printing. I suppose people that do not spend as much time as I do reading and proof reading documents might not find this annoying, but it really took away from the experience, for me, of learning about the place. (and yes, I suspect there are many editing lapses in my reviews as well :-) )."
Being able to relax on the veranda after bumping around in the trucks for 10 days is a welcome comfort. In addition, driving around the park provides the opportunity of seeing rhinos which were not present in the conservancy. Although we didn’t get to drive as much with the guides here as at the camps, the short time we did spend with them was quite enjoyable and informative. Hanging around with hyrax as company was an added treat.
As lovely as the hotel is, the photos lining the walls of the constant reminder and glorification of colonization and game hunts seem a bit disturbing. While it is good to know history so as not to have it repeated, it would be a welcome addition to have less glorification of what I imagine may be a difficult reminder to many of the staff.
Finally, I spent time reading the history of the lodge book in the room. While it provided good information regarding the history of the lodge, and the work performed by the owners, the actual writing was filled with many, many editing mistakes and did not appear to have much proof-reading prior to printing. I suppose people that do not spend as much time as I do reading and proof reading documents might not find this annoying, but it really took away from the experience, for me, of learning about the place. (and yes, I suspect there are many editing lapses in my reviews as well :-) )."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Sightings report
Lion
1 sighting
White Rhino
2 sightings
Zebra
1 sighting
The rooms were beautiful and comfortable. The staff were exceptionally friendly and accommodating. The food was delicious. The pool was lovely.
The only issue we had was when we decided to order off of the menu for dinner one evening rather than the buffet. It took more than 1 hour to receive our food and unfortunately when we did, one of the orders was not made as requested. The staff insisted that it be sent back, and when a new dish was replaced, it still did not fit the request (although at that point our traveling companion was really hungry and had absolutely no interest in sending it back). It is possible that the particular server was having a particularly tough evening.
Regardless, the buffet food is all diverse and delicious, so if (when) I return, I will only eat off the buffet, and then the experience will be perfect."