Kenya safari feedback

----- Original Message -----
From: GordIRIS
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 3:52 AM
Subject: Re: feedback request

Hi Chris,

My family and I just returned from spending almost 3 weeks in Kenya during which we took a 7 day safari with IntoAfrica (December 30 to January 5) and we couldn't have been more pleased with all aspects of our safari and our visit to Kenya. We had an absolutely fantastic time - the most wonderful and interesting vacation that we've ever had! We travelled along the coast, staying at Lamu, Malindi and Diani Beach, spent some time in Nairobi, and took the safari.

A huge part of what made our trip to Kenya and our safari so fantastic was the wonderful IntoAfrica staff, but firstly, as you specifically asked, a comment on the political situation in Kenya while we were there. We felt totally safe while on safari, as we were in the National Parks or outback of Kenya, away from almost all other people save for safari operators and other tourists. Also, before our trip, we had been told by you (Chris) that if there was a need for us to change hotels in Nairobi, IntoAfrica would move us from our downtown Nairobi hotel to another hotel away from the downtown area. That was comforting to know, but there wasn't a need to change hotels. In fact, the signs of post-election unrest/violence were barely evident to us (although we had seen a newspaper so knew about the violence in Eldoret and certain other locations).

For example, one morning in Nairobi, we saw about a dozen flak-jacketed policemen walking along a downtown street and on another street, a truckload of men in military clothing. We guessed that these were not usual occurrences, but we didn't know for sure. We also saw a small group of individuals shouting at one another. Some people in front of a hotel about a block away seemed to be worried by this group, but the gathering didn't seem to us to be something to be overly worried about, and my daughter and I watched for a few minutes from a block away. In addition, we guessed that the streets of Nairobi were quieter than they might be at other times. We were also advised by our waitress at breakfast to take a taxi rather than a matatu, and were told by a taxi driver that the matatus were not running because of the post election situation, although we saw for ourselves that the matatus actually were running. The waitress at the downtown restaurant also told us that while we were away on our safari, the restaurant had been closed for a week because of the post election chaos a few blocks away. These were the only signs of unrest that we noticed. In fact, on our last day in Nairobi, we walked from one end of the downtown to the other and shopped along one of the main streets at the street sellers' sidewalk stands, and felt very comfortable in doing so. And, in fact, my 18 year old daughter continues to live in Nairobi, volunteering at an orphanage there, and I feel fine about her remaining there despite the post-election unrest.

Anyway, the details:

Joseph, our driver, drove exceptionally well, slowing down just the right amount where the back roads were rough so that we had a very comfortable ride at all times. While sticking to the park roads, he got us very close to the animals for lots of fantastic wildlife shots. I was also convinced that he was attune to my digital camera 'on' sound, as he always seemed to stop the vehicle for us to observe and take a picture immediately after I turned on my camera for a picture. And, not least, we felt very safe at all times with his driving (and not speaking for other family members, I can be a bit of a worry wart when I'm not driving myself).

Cecil, our cook, was amazing. We felt like kings and queens knowing that he got up at 5am to prepare our breakfast and lunch. When we saw what he had prepared for us each day, we knew why he had to get up so early - essentially, a buffet at every meal. The food was delicious, healthy, with loads of variety, and he even catered at every meal both to our son's carnivorous tastes and our daughter's vegetarian diet. And there was certainly plenty of food too. We felt a little guilty about not eating all of the delicious food that Cecil had prepared until we realized that he'd never know the smaller quantity that would have satisfied us if we always tried to finish every last morsel. My husband and I definitely put on a few pounds on Cecil's cooking

As for our guide, Nicholas, we can't say enough good things about him - simply put, we cannot imagine a more perfect guide. He was such a personable young man that my husband and I would have liked to squeeze him into our suitcase and taken him home with us. He was polite and professional, always concerned about our welfare and also had a great sense of humour so was a lot of fun to be with. In addition, he was extremely articulate and had an incredible knowledge of absolutely all things Kenyan. There wasn't one question we asked about Kenyan animals, birds and plants, history or politics that he couldn't answer. We'll really miss him.

The office staff both in the UK and nairobi was also great. Chris answered all my emails promptly and fully, and Daniel and Patrick were available by phone to deal with our change of arrival in Kenya and saw us off on our safari to make sure that everything was just right.

As for the safari itinerary - it was terrific. We were especially pleased that the IntoAfrica company has a fair trade policy and that its safaris benefit the communities that are visited - and we could see those benefits for ourselves (the school near the Maasai village for example). As for specific highlights, there are too many to mention them all, but some of my favourites were the gorge walk at Hell's Gate - it was the most exciting walk I have ever taken; the white rhinos and pink flamingos at Lake Nakuru Park; being taken by Jonathan, a Maasai man, to his home in the Maasai village; watching a family of 12 lions from a few feet away as they walked along the road; and my most favourite experience, hearing the lions roar during the night at the bush camp guarded by several Maasi warriors with spears, clubs, and bow and arrows (I wasn't nervous at all, just excited to hear the night noises). It was an amazing week that we'll never forget.

So, my husband and I heartily recommend to any readers that they should take a cultural safari with IntoAfrica, and that in the short term, provided the political climate in Kenya doesn't escalate from what it was a week or so ago, from our perspective, there is no reason for travellers to postpone their plans.

My husband and I would be happy to receive phone calls or answer emails from anyone with questions about our IntoAfrica safari or our 3 weeks in Kenya.

Iris Allen,
Winnipeg, Canada
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----- Original Message -----
From: vanessa sprague
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2007 9:01 AM
Subject: RE: feedback

Dear Chris
Yes, we are back safe and sound after a tiring long journey. It was good to meet your wife en-route, she certainly has contrasting life styles and weather!

Thank you to your company for organising such a good week. We thoroughly enjoyed all of it. It was good to have a variety of activities, with animal safaris and cultural visits. I enjoyed our visit to the boma and seeing a different life style. Buying bead items from there was rewarding as I knew who had made each item and the money paid was chalked up for that family. That was something I found hard on the trip: my western standards of life are very different from Kenya and I didn't know if help/presents would be appreciated and if the person concerned would really pass it on to those who would appreciate it. IntoAfrica safari allowed me to take some help without causing offence so thank you for your guidelines.

All the staff on our trip were excellent, very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. I was impressed on our late arrival at Lake Elementaita after a gruelling journey when Patrick looked quite disappointed that we did not want him to make us spaghetti! He was up for creating a 3 course meal.

It was also great to have a local contact number as Daniel was able to help us out with transport on our last morning. I thought that we would have time to visit the giraffe sanctuary on arrival from Mombasa over night train before needing to be at the airport. Instead a driver was able to meet us at a station prior to Nairobi as the train was running about 6 hours late and we were getting into danger of missing our flight!

All 3 of us had a good week. Tasha enjoyed all the company and doing the hokey-cokey at the school. Phil really enjoyed walking across the plain from the Maasaai boma with Jonathon. That was more of a bonus we had really thought, actually getting out and walking in the environment.

I will certainly recommend IntoAfrica to anyone for a fantastic trip. We saw and experienced more than we had expected in an informative and sensitively managed manner.

Please feel free to use us as a source of recommendation and thanks again for a great week. It was rather surreal being in Kenya and reading about red-cross food parcels being delivered 30 miles away from my own home in England because of the floods!
Have a good summer
Vanessa

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----- Original Message -----
From: ann.menard@bt.com
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 8:04 PM
Subject: RE: feedback

Chris,

Thank you for the opportunity to express our appreciation for the amazing IntoAfrica Kenya Explorer trip. The itinerary, logistics, and expert staff made this an unforgettable and truly enriching experience.

From the moment we met Peter and Daniel and Nairobi, we knew we were in good hands.

First and foremost, Nicholas was an amazing host and teacher. Nicholas’ engaging and intuitive personal style and his wealth of knowledge and experience amplified the beauty and richness of the country, the wildlife and the people of Kenya. It was such a pleasure to meet him and to experience Kenya with him as our guide.

Linus and Patrick are true gems as well. They are great at what they do and we were lucky to have them as our driver and cook. For anyone considering the Kenya Explorer trip, I would hope that they are lucky enough to experience it with this expert team!

The diversity of the Kenya Explorer itinerary truly set this safari apart. The combination of game drives and cultural interactions provided new wonders each day. The multiple locations that we visited and the various accommodations added to the adventure. Meeting the Masai community and the home stay with the Mikemyi family were the absolute highlights of the trip!

Also, thank you for all of the pre trip assistance. Your regular communications, willingness to address our questions and the pre trip guides were greatly appreciated.

I would be happy to be a reference for any prospective travelers and I have already recommended IntoAfrica to family and friends!!

Many thanks and kind regards,

Ann Menard

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----- Original Message -----
From: Susanna Cockburn
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2007 9:25 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris,

I apologize for the late response; although I didn't actually get back from Kenya until April 4.

I did indeed enjoy my safari with IntoAfrica. I had been a little apprehensive about the first night's camping but in fact I think if I had to choose it would be my favourite evening. Having the Maasai start our campfire and then later sing and dance for us and hearing about their culture from Ntutu; meeting and talking with Hellen about her project to help young girls and widows; visiting the school where we got such a fantastic welcome from the children was all very special and an experience that will stay with me for a very long time. I felt as if we were getting to know these people and their community on a far deeper level than "tourist seeing colourful native culture".

Next, I can't say enough good things about Elijah (guide), Patrick (cook) and Samuel (driver). They were all great at their particular responsibilities and also very enjoyable company. In particular, Elijah's knowledge of the many different birds we encountered was quite incredible - even replicating their calls. We had some terrific animal encounters in both the Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru parks - saw all of the Big Five without it even being a priority (at least for me)! Do please pass on my best wishes to them.

One minor comment would be that it would have been useful to know a little more detail of potential additional costs ahead of time - e.g. the fact that there would be beadwork crafts available for purchase to help Hellen's project (with a guide as to prices) and the cost of our swim at the lodge in the Mara - so one could be better prepared with respect to the amount of local cash to bring.

I would be pleased to act as a reference and if you would like to post these comments, please do so. Kenya was as beautiful as I remembered it from my childhood and I've decided I will simply have to get back for another visit some day, hopefully with my daughter next time.

Susanna
Edmonton, Canada

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----- Original Message -----
From: Oscar Jacobs
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 6:46 AM
Subject: [RE]feedback

Hi Chris,

Below as promised is a bit more feedback for you, from Hannah and from me. Thanks again for an experience we will never forget. I feel like we got much closer to the Kenyan landscape and people in one short week than I would have ever expected. Camping in the bush the first night with Ntutu and company keeping watch by the fire was amazing, as was following a group of over 40 giraffes on foot. The school visits were equally amazing. Really everyone was amazing - Patrick for his cooking, Samuel for his driving and Elijah and Nicholas for being extremely knowledgeable, patient and entertaining guides.

A suggestion for you: On your FAQ you mention concerns over children, but not teenagers. I think for a kid like Hannah, a teen with a social/environmental activist bent, your trips are pure gold. Not sure how many other teens you have had but maybe worth tapping that niche a bit more?

When I have described our trip to friends who gone for a fly-in/luxury lodge experience they have responded with envy. Thank you so much for that wonderful opportunity! Asante sana!

Oscar & Hannah Jacobs,
London(UK)

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Original Message -----
From: Strosch
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 8:15 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Hey Mr. Morris -

Thank you for asking for my feedback. I have many wonderful things to say about your company and all the employees and an item to comment on.

The three guys that were with us for the week were wonderful and they all need a raise. Great crew. Daniel at the Nairobi office was particularly of great service to me. As you know I did not have much time to plan this trip and Daniel really helped to put together my second week. I cannot thank him enough for getting things together and minimizing my time in Nairobi. Could you please send me his email address so I may send him a thank you. I also loved the homestead stay and am grateful that that was an option! Amazing family!

Additionally not enough good things can be said about Ntutu! What a great tone he set around the campfire and allow me the opportunity to ask any question about his culture without feeling ignorant or embarrassed. He seems to be a great warrior as well.

The comments I have is that I understand cell phones are a way of life and that is how people stay in touch. When we are on game drives, parked in front of any magnificent animal, bird, or scene it is nothing shy of horrible to hear one of those terrible ring tones going off. Could you please require that phones be put on off, silence, or vibrate while on game drives and safari walks (Yep we've done this CM).

Hope that this was helpful. Lastly I need to extend a special thank you to you for all of your assistance in getting me on this safari and all the last minute work you did.

Many thanks, Lauren
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----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Robson
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2006 12:32 PM
Subject: Thank You from the Robsons

Chris,
Jane and I want to thank you for giving us such an excellent trip in Kenya. We want to say just how good our guide, driver, and cook (Nicholas, Joseph and Demetrius) were, with no effort being spared to make sure all went well and to make sure we were happy and informed. Their knowledge of the game parks, the animals, and local customs was a real bonus and their good humour set the tone throughout.

All the IntoAfrica arrangements went like clockwork including our trip to our old VSO school. Here we were treated as celebrity guests and met some old friends from 38 years back, as well as addressing all 350 pupils about their school.

Thank you once again.
Regards,
Peter Robson
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----- Original Message -----
From: Nina Loechte
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2007 4:30 AM
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris,
We had a very good holiday. Very different from anything else we have tried, but that was what we were looking for.

The most exiting part op the trip was probably, besides watching the nature and the animals, travelling on the dirt roads. After a lot of rain some were in very bad condition, and we got stuck in the mud once. We got out of the mud by pushing the 4wd ourselves (in Masai Mara park, very exiting!) But also visiting a local farming-family and the Masais was a very good experience. And we got a good, broad impression of life in Kenya compared to just a safari trip.

Other tips for people booking this holiday: Come with an open, positive mind and you will get a lot of adventure.

Impact on environment: I suppose we only made a little impact on the environment, and benefited the population by being tourists and buying their services and goods.

Rating: Our holiday was very enjoyable. Though I would consider to whom, I would recommend this holiday.

Best regards,

Nina Loechte,
Belgium
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----- Original Message -----
From: Christine Wahl
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 8:34 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris,
Just last night I finished printing out all 300 pictures from our Africa adventure! What a marvellous time we had, full of wonder and awe and unbelievable adventures!

First, let me start by commenting on the remarkable staff you have in your Nairobi office. From the meeting at the airport to the travel arrangements to the shipping arrangements of souvenirs, we were treated like VIPs and were personally attended to by everyone in the office. In particular, Daniel and Patrick were most helpful, and Joseph was an excellent tour guide for the time we spent in Nairobi.

The safari itself was more than we ever expected. Our guide, William (whom we nicknamed "The Warlord" because he seemed to know people everywhere we went) was fabulous. He was very friendly and established a good rapport right from the beginning. He was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and the people, and never seemed to tire of my endless questions about various cultures. He introduced us to so many people, people we would never have been able to interact with otherwise. He understood our desire to be as "African" as possible and helped us understand various cultural practices, etc. He acted as as intermediary many times, and we always felt very comfortable with him escorting us around (even when we were the only wazungu in sight!). He taught us many Swahili words ("nyama choma" was one of the first!) as well. He brought Scrabble and we brought Backgammon, and we had many good times playing games before dinner. It's because of him that we felt at home so far away from California.

Isaac and Simon were very friendly and accommodating as well. As a driver, there is NONE BETTER than Simon! The horrendous state of the roads was quite a shock, but Simon negotiated them very well and we had the utmost confidence in his driving (especially when we compared him to the matatu drivers, bus drivers, and other safari tour drivers we encountered on the road!). He was patient and helpful and a very good wildlife spotter as well. And Isaac's cooking was delicious. We ate so well, we were afraid that we wouldn't fit in our clothes later! Indeed, there was an abundance of food at every meal, and we didn't want for anything.

We thoroughly enjoyed the game drives and even the brief visits to towns like Narok, Gil Gil, Nakuru, and Naivasha. The highlight for us, as I'm sure it is for many others, was the people we encountered. Jonathan and his village were very kind and we were pretty much in awe during our visit. It was completely out of our realm of experience, and we enjoyed interacting with the people and distributing our tokens of appreciation. I'll be sure to send along the pictures we took.

The family in Gil Gil were truly some of the sweetest, most generous people we've ever met. We had a delightful visit, with a nice meal and stimulating conversation afterwards. We were able to experience things we had never done before (milk a cow, make "mokemo" (sp?), sleep in room with a mud floor, etc.). The homestay with them was a wonderful experience, and we now feel we have friend in Gil Gil.

The accommodations all were quite satisfactory, especially the bandas at Lake Elementitia. We were quite surprised by the relative luxury of the place, and George was a very friendly host who made sure our every need was met. We were very impressed, and if we come back to Kenya, we will most certainly want to stay there again.

We had a superb trip and are thinking now about trying to take our kids (all five of them!) back next summer. I highly recommend your company to anyone thinking of a safari, and after discussing other tour operations with people we met during our stay in Mombasa, I have concluded that we really found the best one.

Again, I will be sending photos to your office since we did not get Jonathan's address. And we'd like to send a backgammon set to William so he can have one on future safaris. We also have a thank you package for your office staff. We very much appreciate all the effort they put forth making us feel like we were the only clients you had!

Christine Wahl,
California, USA

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----- Original Message -----
From: Michelle Saldivar
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2006 12:58 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris,

We are indeed all back home safe and sound and thinking about the great time we had in Kenya. Thanks to you and all the IntoAfrica staff for making it a really good experience.

We initially thought a week would be a short trip but it was actually perfect as it gave us an opportunity to get close to the people, culture and natural beauty of such an amazing country. Our crew became our friends. When we arrived in Nairobi, a group of people travelling with another company, told us that they had a great time but that we should prepare to eat beans on toast for the week. Fortunately, we were blessed with the company of Samuel, a superb chef who worked wonders over a camp fire. We still think about his fried bananas! Samuel the driver was incredibly skilled at navigating rough roads and spotting wildlife; always getting into the right position for us to admire and take pictures. Elijah is a walking encyclopedia and a wonderful guide. His love for and knowledge of the natural world was contagious. The skills and qualifications of all the staff far exceeded our expectations.

Our favourite night was the first night camping under the acacia trees. The sounds of the African night made an unforgettable impression. We had great conversations with the Maasai warriors who guarded our camp and a very enjoyable visit to their village. Overall, the animal sightings were varied and exciting. At times, however, we felt rushed and under a very tight schedule. We understood we had a lot of ground to cover but given the poor condition of most roads, getting in the car after the last bite of lunch and spending many hours in a rough road was exhausting. We also had an unfortunate breakdown of our first vehicle and we got stranded for half a day waiting for a replacement; this made the rest of the trip even more hurried. In a second car incident we got stuck in the mud after a torrential rain but had a fun time pushing and ultimately walking back to camp. Our advise would be to alert prospective tourists to the fact that there will be many hours spent in the car on very bad roads.

We have left a part of our hearts in Africa and look forward to many more visits in the near future. We have already referred IntoAfrica to many friends who are also taken by our experience. Feel free to share our comments with prospective visitors.

Thank you and best wishes,
Bill, Michelle (USA) and Carlos (Mexico)

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----- Original Message -----
From: Dr. Karen
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2006 5:46 PM
Subject: greetings from north carolina

Chris,
Hope all is well with you and your family.

I have been meaning to write to tell ya'll what a fantastic time we had on safari. Every day was amazing and wonderful, we couldn't believe sometimes at the end of the day that all these experiences and moments and scenes had been in one day.
We totally enjoyed Patrick, his cooking was delicious and always a delight. I loved the fresh veggies and soups and little touches he added. He was also good company.
Really enjoyed my time with Simon too. He is such a quiet and kind man and his driving very skilled and careful. The roads were horrible but he navigated them with patience. I sat in the front with him many days and enjoyed my visits with him.
The absolute gem of Kenya for us both was Rebeccah. We was incredible. Not only did she know every bird, animal plant geography politics and culture, but she has a darling personality and great sense of humor and also very consciencious and responsible too. We felt like three girlfriends on vacation together. She is also very clever and an amazing story teller. I give her my highest, highest recommendation and thank you so much for having her be our guide, she was our greatest treasure.
Even though I thought I went to Africa to see the animals, I found the people the most moving experience. The animals were fantastic and totally satisfying, however the interaction with the Maasai and the school kids and your staff made the greatest moments for me. My hightlight I love to tell patients and friends most was the night we camped and I got to sit up with Jonathan Kiserian for hours under the stars by the fire and visit with him about his life. One of my most magical moments of my whole Africa trip. Also the visit to his village was very touching and I treasure the bracelets I got from the village women. We enjoyed giving them red shirts and glasses too and donated to their school and some money for food. Thank you for creating relationship with them so we felt like their welcomed guests.

Your whole safari was done with real integrity and beauty and style. Yes I am spreading the word, I hope you enjoy all the success you deserve for enriching people's lives here and there by your company.

I took some great pictures I would love to see get there successfully. The best is of your wife's sister at the market. It is such a great close up of her beautiful face, I have a friend who wants to paint it.
Also have a great picture of her family and also of the Maasai village women and kids. They said they'd like to see them when I took them. Jonathan said he' like the picture I took of him too.
Also have great pictures of your staff I'd love for them or you to have.
Also of the Mt. Kenya school kids and principal. I'd also love to send them a map of Africa and the World and maybe some pencils, at least the map and pictures.
Is it possible to send these to you and you could distribute them next time you're out.? I don't want to hassle you but I would love for these to actually make it where I committed to try and return them.

Sure do hope the rain comes for you soon. It is in the news here about the drought there and I am grateful to have a real heart sense of what that means for Kenya.

Karen

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----- Original Message -----
From: jose luis
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2006 1:30 AM
Subject: kenya explorer review

Hi Chris, William, Nicholas, Samuel and all the staff!!!!

Greetings from a cold winter day in Spain…Sunny at least. Sorry for the delay.
Here are my comments about the trip.

Well…It is difficult to summarize all my impressions in short, but I will try.

The company and the crew deserve the best marks, You have a concept of tourism that makes us all feel involved with the country and its people and at certain times you felt like a local… visiting a lively maasai market, or chatting with locals in a riverside of a maasai village. The camping night in the wilderness was a great start, chatting at the bonfire with thorough explanations from William about the Kenyan culture…In the middle of the night a stampede just a hundred meters away…Unfortunately I could not get a real rest because of my back stiffness. Early morning, taking a walk through the savannah spotting animals was a good way to realize that this is the no man’s land…you feel vulnerable. I keep in my mind the visit to the maasai village, fortunately unspoilt by tourism, and how they are happy to get by with a subsistence economy (meat, milk and blood); we western people should learn about them.

The visit to the National Parks were superb, they were not crowded, and apart from that we took our time to enjoy all the places: Imaging us having a sundowner with the sole company of a rhino in Lake Nakuru!.

Ah! Going back to the permanent tented camp in Masai Mara we were startled by an elephant feeding in the middle of the track…What a view!.

The cheetah was the missing one in the games.

Visiting the school was very enjoyable and rewarding as well…very cheerful children.

About the accommodations, they are good.

The staff was very attentive and friendly. Translate my congratulations to all the staff.

My highlight: the Maasai People.

José Louis Sánchez,
Ávila---Spain.

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----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Busschots
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 5:33 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris, sorry it took a while to write back to you. Yes, we had a wonderfull time in Africa. We are big fans of east africa and your organisation too. Joseph, Dimitrios and Nicolas were fantastic. No remarks, only praise. The only slight detail that went wrong was that there were no sleeping bags for us when we arrived.... the guides found us 3 instantly.... incredibile. We'll make publicity for your organisation of course!!!!!!
Thanks a lot and hope to travel again with you soon.
cheers
Paul
(from Belgium)

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----- Original Message -----
From: Paddy Heron
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2005 11:51 AM
Subject: RE: feedback

Hi Chris,
Have been very busy since got back. Sorry I didn't get back to ya before now.
The Safari was amazing. The guides were excellent the food was great and the scenery stunning. We especially liked the fact that the Masai village we went to was not overtouristised (I'm not sure if that's a real word but I'm Irish so I get away with it!).Yes we just felt it was very authentic and at times felt like we were in the way which is a good thing as they were just going about their normal routine. William and Nicholas were excellent guides, very helpful and friendly and they really knew their stuff.
Thanks for running a conscientious company very well.

Paddy Heron.

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----- Original Message -----
From: LindyAHenry
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Sunday, October 02, 2005 3:29 PM
Subject: Re: feedback and school support

Dear Chris
Sorry to take so long to reply but with regards to my comments on my holiday:
I had the most wonderful experiences during my time in Kenya. The safari far exceeded my expectations and we were so lucky to see almost every animal there was to see. To watch two lionesses stalking a zebra was the most amazing sight and something I will never forget!

Our guides, drivers and cooks were brilliant. We were given so much information on the animals and the people of Kenya, the drivers ensured we had plenty of time to stop, watch the animals and take photos (how they can drive and spot a leopard in the grass is beyond me but they did!) and the food was lovely, particularly our last meal of a typical Kenyan's fare.

Amazing as seeing all the animals was, which is what a safari is all about really, my best memories will be of meeting the local people on our journey. From the Masaai in their manyatta's to my homestay in the Kikuyu village and our trips to markets, villages and the school. This was the real Kenya and I cannot put into words how grateful I am for the pleasure of meeting these people. They were informative of their own culture and enquiring of ours. They have given me a totally new perspective of Africa and more importantly made me appreciate just how lucky I am. They are an amazing people who are so full of hope for their future and grateful of what they have that I felt humbled by them. I hope one day to go back and see the improvements they are making. If I had a million pounds I wouldn't want to go the "luxury" route! Kenya is its people and its wildlife when they are truly in the wild, and unless you can get to see this you would be missing the heart and soul of it and only seeing the body.

If anyone would like to email me I will be happy to respond.

Finally, thank you for your information on sponsoring a child. By the time all the extras for uniforms etc are added to the school costs I am afraid this would be more than I could afford. I am however, happy to donate £100.00 which is only about half of what is required. Perhaps you could let me know then if you are happy enough to take this amount and use it as you best see fit?
Thank you again Chris and I look forward to hearing from you about my donation.

Regards
Lindy (and Stephen, who is back at University now and had a fantastic trip to Mt Killimajaro)

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---- Original Message -----
From: Lee Hearson
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 1:47 PM
Subject: Aug 7th safari

Hi there Chris,
Just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed the Kenya Explorer safari that we have just been on. In fact this is my second attempt at writing something, the completed first one at the touch of the wrong button got lost! One huge success for us about the trip was that our 16 year old daughter, despite our considerable misgivings/doubts etc. really enjoyed all that we did - even admitted as much! She had been studying Kenya at school & it really brought it all into perspective/reality for her. We were really impressed with William & Nicholas, the guides who were knowledgeable, resourceful, helpful & cheerful. Their eye sight was amazing, so good at seeing & identifying the numerous animals & birds that we saw.

We all had 'best bits' of course. Bev’s was visiting the Maasai village & seeing their kids but mine was using my binoculars to see the fantastic views & sights - the broad panoramic expanses of the Mara - magnificently unforgettable. The organising, food, vehicles, the mix of culture & animals/game parks that you set up was just right. I also greatly enjoyed the organic farm visit & the school at Mt Kenya. So to see a little of what life was like for the people was just as important to us as the wildlife & countryside.

I was very glad that we had taken as much as we could carry in the way of clothes bric-a brac etc. to give away to the community at large. We had just experienced at home the G8, Live8 etc. & it really made us realise just how much we in the West have that we dump without a second thought but would be so valuable in Africa.

A big thank-you to you & the team for giving us a superb insight into Kenya, its problems & beauty, memories & experiences that will remain with us for a long time. The game drives were amazing, and its incredible how close we got to the animals, at one point the giraffes were walking towards us! These last lines from Libby who we have to thank for urging us for so long to go!

Best wishes Lee Hearson & family,
Twickenham, London, UK
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----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Smith
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2005 2:26 PM
Subject: Kenya 7-day safari 24 July to 1 August

Chris,
I am just writing to let you know how we got on on our safari to Kenya. The whole trip was completely excellent. I had no preconceptions whatever. I have been so busy at work that I had not had time to do any preparation or research and so had no expectations.

Elijah and Rebecca were fantastic guides. Cruelly in our jeep we tried to find more and more difficult questions about the wildlife or the people or the habitat but they were able to answer everything. They were both such fun and so friendly but made sure that we really did understand the dangers that could occur if we did not follow their advice.

The food was great. I don't think that we could possibly have expected to eat so well and so much, all cooked on camp fires and stoves. Of course the game drives and walks were amazing - that goes as given.

Probably the things that made the most significant impression on us were the visits to the Maasai village and to the school. My great fear was that we rich Europeans would arrive, be performed to, pay and depart - something that would have given dignity to nobody. I know that our whole group felt strongly how powerful a part of the trip these visits were. I think that we all felt really privileged to have been invited into Jonathon's home in the village and into the classrooms and the staff room at the school. I think that Brian Green has already been in touch about our proposal to sponsor a school pupil at the school we visited and I know that we would like this to be the start of an ongoing and sustainable relationship.

We met some fantastic fellow travellers and between spotting amazing wildlife, we had no end of fun en route. One of the biggest worries I have now is whether to go on another similar trip in the future - I would be anxious that our experience would be almost impossible to live up to.

In a single sentence I would say that this was the most positive holiday I have ever been on.

I remember when we booked up with you, a group that we had stumbled across on the web, I was nervous about contracting with someone I had never heard of. If ever you wanted to refer people to me for an honest reference, please feel free.

Paul Smith,
Head of Compliance Monitoring
The Banking Code Standards Board,
UK

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---- Original Message -----
From: Joshua Christopher Wilson
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2005 5:53 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Chris,
Having never been to Africa and holding many reservations about tour group travel, Elisha and I had our concerns about taking our honeymoon in East Africa. After only a short time into the East African Explorer trip I made a mental note that I needed to email you as soon as we returned home. Everyday, multiple times a day, I found myself thinking, "This is simply amazing." Our experience with IntoAfrica was phenomenal in every respect.

The staff, from the guides to the drivers and the cooks, were not only well informed and highly skilled at what they did, but they were so friendly, accessible, and such characters that they were more like traveling companions than anything else. It immediately seemed obvious that they enjoyed their jobs, one another, and meeting new people that it made us feel instantly welcomed and part of the group.

In addition to the staff's contribution to making the trip distinctive and memorable, the cultural components of the trip were outstanding. As opposed to being taken to any of the made-for-tourism villages that collect around places like the Maasi Mara or Ngorongoro Crater, each village, school, or women's collective visit over the course of the two weeks felt genuine and helped create the feeling that we had visited East Africa and not just a series of national parks. We are grateful that IntoAfrica provided the means for us to see aspects of East African life that would largely be inaccessible or missed if one were traveling independently or with another tour company.

Finally, while you have no direct control over this, we also really enjoyed the company of our fellow travelers. Something about IntoAfrica seems to have attracted some people who we would be friends with if we met them at home. Luckily, two of the others on the trip live near us and so we will see them again. Our time with IntoAfrica stand out as one long two-week highlight of our month in East Africa. I have trouble thinking of any way that the experience could be improved upon. Thank you for making it possible.

- Josh Wilson & Elisha Larez
PS Feel free to post this if you would like.

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----- Original Message -----
From: Stephen Burns
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2005 8:01 PM
Subject: Re: safari

Dear Chris,
Though Emma and Georg are still in Kenya, Kimberley, Janet and I have been safely back in Halifax for some time. Not long enough to have sorted out all the photographs, perhaps, but surely long enough to write to tell you that we had a splendid trip. Everything happened as promised. We learned a huge amount. Elijah and Patrick and Joseph were efficient, friendly and enormously skilful. We want to thank you, and all who helped, for making this visit to Kenya an exceptional adventure.

Sincerely,

Steven Burns & Janet Ross

Steven Burns
Professor, Department of Philosophy, Dalhousie University
HALIFAX, N.S., CANADA, B3H 4P9
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From: Sarah Hickson
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2005 1:38 PM
Subject: RE: feedback

Dear Chris
Sorry not to have replied earlier.

I enjoyed the Kenya trip very much. Rebecca, Joseph and Patrick were great, and very professional and knowledgeable. I would happily recommend Into Africa to other people, and thought that the relationships with the local school, village, environmental programme etc were excellent, and sensitively handled.

The only negative thing I would say is that for me it was a disadvantage joining a trip where everyone else in the group had just done a safari, albeit in Tanzania. I got the impression that the other three all felt that they were 'repeating' certain experiences, which had been exciting for them first-time round, but now felt rather 'routine' - camping out in the wilds, seeing certain animals etc. They spent a lot of time comparing the two trips, which inevitably had an impact on my own experience.

Hope this is helpful.
Best wishes
Sarah

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----- Original Message -----
From: Lise Ørskov
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2005 9:39 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris and everybody at IntoAfrica

We are indeed back from Kenya ( and Zanzibar ) after 16 wonderful days in Africa - and we only have positive feed back to give to IntoAfrica: to you, Chris, who gave good advice before going; to Daniel and Patrick at the office ( both of whom came to say hello and goodbye to us when we set out and came back from our trip which was very touching ) and who found a very good solution to our wish to add an extra day to our Safari. And above all to our tree companions on the Safari in Kenya: Joseph, Demetreous and Elija. They gave us great experiences with the animals, with the nature and with the people of the places we visited. Joseph is a skilled an experienced driver, and although we did have a few starting problems with the Landrover we felt perfectly safe with him by the wheel - even on the very rough roads here and there. Demetrious treated us like kings and queens. We're not used to that kind of service and 3 course meals both for lunch and dinner, but we really enjoyed it. And Elija... what an extraordinary young man. He seems to have read about 20 books on flora, fauna, people, culture, landscapes etc. and he seems to know every information in them by heart; on top of that he is a very pleasant guide who is always trying to get the very best out of every minute, every hour and every incident. Indeed an extraordinary young man. We're sure he has a great future within guiding and wild life protection.

We were very pleased with the places that have been picked for lodging - both the hotel, the campsites and the bandanas. There seems to be a perfect balance between natural beauty and tranquillity, reasonable pricing and clean and comfortable beds and rooms. A very good balance actually.

So for the time being we have no suggestions when it comes to improvements as we are totally satisfied. In fact we are quite sure that many more Danes would be interested in the kind of safari profile and services that IntoAfrica offers. Please, don't hesitate to contact me for further discussions on this matter if you're interested on expanding to a Scandinavian clientele.

1000 thanks - and if we go to East Africa again we'll get in touch :-)

Friendly regards Lise and family

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----- Original Message -----
From: Andy Ward
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 2:42 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris

I'm sure you've been given all the superlatives before but we would want to use all of them to describe our trip with IntoAfrica. Less than 24 hours from London Heathrow and we were camping in the wild with a Massai guard! from start to finish we had an amazing experience.

All the guides drivers and porters were exceptional, Rebecca, Samuel and Patrick were incredible and fun to be with. we felt very privileged to have our own safari experience. Rebecca was very knowledgeable and interested in what she was doing, Samuel is a great driver on those roads with an amazing ability to see very small animals from a great distance... and the food was just great.

We're really glad you persuaded us to do the safari in Kenya for many reasons but the wildebeest migration was quite a sight to behold.

All the connections seemed to work well and we felt very looked after. Once again thank you for all your help and all your people in Africa.

Can you let Rose in Arusha know that we got on the plane fine and thank her and the taxi driver for making it happen! ( nothing to do with IntoAfrica, we were given the wrong airport to go to : Arusha instead of Kilimanjaro, and we had a hair raising taxi ride from one to the other to get our plane to Zanzibar! ) But it's all part of the experience.

I'll get on with writing something on the website... Keep up the good work... If ever you're in Bristol give us a call

cheers
Andy ward & Hannah

ps we've got a fair few photos as JPEGs i don't know if you might be able to use some for promotional purposes etc...?

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----- Original Message -----
From: Pat Bailey
To: 'IntoAfrica UK Ltd'
Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 6:10 PM
Subject: RE: feedback

Hi Chris. Apologies for the late reply but we only got home last Friday ( spent a week travelling slowly back to Cape Town from Johannesburg).

In summary, it was an absolutely great trip which both Felicity and I thoroughly enjoyed. We wanted a true African experience and we certainly got it!! Our first surprise was when we were picked up at the Boulevard Hotel at the start or the trip. We were met by Elijah at reception and assumed that he was going to be our guide, driver and chef all rolled into one. Parked outside was this loaded Toyota where we were then introduced to Joseph the driver and Muli the chef. THREE people looking after just the two of us!! And looking after us they certainly did!! Elijah was an excellent host and a very knowledgeable guide. Joseph handled the sometimes horrendous roads with great skill ( we didn’t even get one puncture) and Muli was a relevation, serving up top-class 3 course meals for breakfast, lunch and supper. Together, they really were an excellent team and we cannot speak highly enough of them.

The highlights of the trip were the stay in the bush on Day 1 and the visit to the Maasai boma, the Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru ( both awesome!). Lake Navaisha was nice but one needs to spend more time exploring more of the lake to get a full appreciation. We would rather have spent more time at Lake Nakuru or Mount Kenya. The visit to the local Kikuyu villages was very interesting and informative, but the walk there was quite long ( although Elijah kept us fascinated with his knowledge of the plants and trees in the area and their medicinal properties). The wool-spinners visit was very worthwhile. If we had to do it again, we would suggest possibly a shorter walk/visit to the Kikuyu villages but to include spending time exploring parts of Mount Kenya which we didn’t do.

All in all, we had a fantastic time and we will certainly be visiting Kenya again. Thank you to you and your team in Kenya.

Regards

Pat and Felicity

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----- Original Message -----
From: Yatin & Tom
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Cc: Zambito, Thomas F (BearingPoint)
Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2004 1:30 AM
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris,

We know this e-mail is long overdue, but unfortunately soon after returning from Kenya/Tanzania, we got caught up in too many things at the same time and have had no time until now to unwind and catch up on our trip and all the pictures that we took there. Anyway, here finally is our feedback from the trip.

Our trip to Africa was one of the most fun and exciting that we have ever taken. The powers of the Internet were extremely valuable in organizing and planning for our Kenya excursion even before we got to Nairobi. You guys were great in terms of setting things up.

Overall, our Kenya adventure was wonderful. It was thoughtfully planned out and the people on your team were very knowledgeable and helpful. The trip was a great balance of wildlife safari and cultural experiences. Getting to understand the local culture and interact with the people is something that both of us were looking for from our trip.

We were quite disappointed when we were researching into safari companies in Kenya and were having a hard time finding a company that would give us something better than the typical "westernized" safari tour. That is, until we found IntoAfrica! Visiting the village of Olanganaiyo and interacting with the villagers in what was clearly not a "tourist village" was amazing. We loved the opportunity to visit the primary school and hang out with the kids. It was great to see a tour company that was doing so much to help and benefit the local community.

Kassim, our guide, was a lot of fun and very patient with our numerous questions. Both Samuel (our driver) and Patrick (our cook) were great too. Patrick's cooking skills, especially the range of local Kenyan cuisine that he dished out, kept us satiated throughout the trip. Sitting down with Kassim at the end of the day and going through our set of digital pictures and labeling them with the names of the many different species of birds and animals we saw was quite useful when we returned home and put together our photo album. The only thing about having such a helpful group of people with us was that it was sometimes a bit disconcerting was that there were three people helping out a tour group of two! We're not sure there is anything you could have done about it though.

The guys were quite flexible in moving plans around a bit when we happened upon something that wasn't on our schedule, but we wanted to explore nonetheless. For example, in Naivasha we came by a group of kids off to Sunday school. We ended up following them to their school and got a wonderful serendipitous experience of watching the kids sing and dance! Even though it meant having to push the rest of the schedule for the day off by an hour or so, we were happy to note that everyone was quite amenable to it.

Finally, our pictures are online at http://yatin.chawathe.com/photos/2004-03-Africa/ As we'd promised, we will mail a CD of the photos to you. Please send us a postal address where we should mail the CD.

--Yatin and Tom

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----- Original Message -----
From: Elaine Griswold
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2004 5:33 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris,
Yes, we are back home, but, no, Kenya does not seem far away! I am there everynight in my dreams!
We four all had a WONDERFUL time. The plan of starting on the slopes of Mt. Kenya and visiting the Kikuyus there at the beginning and moving south to the Mara was an excellent one. It gave us a chance to get our "clocks" on African time, to exercise, to get to know some of the plants and birds, and to concentrate on the people, before we were overwhelmed by the wildlife at Lake Nakuru and Maasai Mara. And overwhelmed we were!

But, I get ahead of myself. Mountain Rock Lodge was lovely except that we were exhausted from travel and a warm/hot shower would have been welcome, but the water never reached above room temperature. (sorry Elaine - there was a boiler problem and we've fixed it now by installing electric water heaters in each room) I don't think that this would be a problem during most of the year, but it was pretty chilly in Nov. and we had been rained upon for 24 hours while taking "our leisurely stroll" up Mt. Kenya. Otherwise we enjoyed our stay there very much-- the food and service were excellent, and waking up to baboons playing on the lawn and swing set was very exciting. William and Solomon were so knowledgeable about the wildlife and people of the area that our learning curve was steep. Duncan was a terrific driver-- under amazingly difficult conditions-- the traffic in Nairobi makes Manhattan's look tame, and the muddy, steep two-track up and down the slope of Mt. Kenya was very exciting. Patrick's cooking was amazing (typical meal: soup, bread, chicken, 3 kinds of vegetables, rice, fruit/dessert); all made from scratch in the bush!

The day that we spent with the family of my Kikuyu friend around their village (Mukurweini) was wonderful. We are so glad that it was possible to arrange this. We got to see the lovely small city of Nyeiri; drive (with my friend's sister-in-law directing) through gorgeous countryside to their village; have a typical Kikuyu meal (in their very nice, westernized home); pick coffee cherries; see how the coffee is processed (sorted, hulled, dried etc.); visit a traditional home/hut of an old Kikuyu woman who showed us how she lives; visit the primary school where my friend had gone to school; and visit a nature center to do some bird-watching! What a day! It was great to have Duncan and William with us as the mother didn't speak English, and they could help us communicate with her. Also they made all of the arrangements on the phone with one of the brothers ahead of time.

Our stop at Lake Nakuru NP was too short! When we arrived it was late afternoon, so we went for a game drive before dinner. Spectacular! We saw thousands upon thousands of birds and at least 30 different species in a very short time. Then on the way back to our bandas we came across three leopards! They were moving in and out of the woods, and settled by the edge of the road to drink out of the ditch. In the morning we saw both black and white rhinos, more birds, lots more mammals etc. The only negative about the place is the bandas where we stayed. They need a "woman's touch."

Long, beautiful, rough ride to Maji Moto-- lovely place to camp, lots of Maasai to greet us, and wonderful large tents. Duncan, Patrick, and William made camp efficiently while we took a short walk to see our first spoonbill in the reservoir. Later, we visited the hot springs. They were really, really hot! We could have used some of that hot water at Mtn. Rock! When we returned, Patrick had a feast waiting for us. The next day was a very long, very interesting, very hot walk with Jackson, our Maasai guide. We met lots of Maasai along the way, and saw quite a few antelopes of various kinds-- nothing threatening-- and a ton of new birds. One of the women carrying a load of wood on her head strap allowed me to try it on my head! We were tired by the time we got to our campsite, but revived to go visit the nearby Maasai village.

Moses, our guard and guide for the next 36 hours introduced us to his cattle, wives and children. We were invited into the hut of one of the wives so we could see how they live-- very interesting, very smokey (but not really smelly). They were lovely people-- attractive in appearance and welcoming. Again, it was great to have William with us-- he was able to interpret and accept the offered honey beer while we were a bit apprehensive about our G.I. systems. (BTW, we had NO problems with intestinal upset etc. Another very positive comment on Patrick's cooking!)

The next day we spent "lolly-gagging" across the plain (bird watching). It took the 4 of us about twice the usual time because we wanted to identify every bird we saw. William didn't seem to mind this-- he liked using our books to make sure he had the exact species right. He also liked our word for this slow movement: "lolly-gagging." That afternoon we were greeted by another group of Maasai men. They wanted to dance for us-- so we agreed (small sum of money); an audience of 4 with 7 performers! Then they wanted our men to join them! "White men can't jump!" But, the Maasai certainly can! The next morning we walked a bit as Patrick and Duncan broke camp and met up with us, and then on to Maasai Mara NP. We saw everything we had hoped to see there and then some. William couldn't believe how lucky we were! Cheetah chasing gazelles and coming back to her two cubs! Lions, herds of wildebeests, zebras, elephants, tons of various kinds of antelopes, monkeys, baboons, lots of new birds, spotted hyena, black backed jackal, hippos, crocodiles etc., etc. Marvelous! We were like kids in a candy shop. Oh, I forgot to mention the stunning landscape! Our accommodations on the edge of the park were fine-- roomy tents, bathrooms with flushing toilets and hot water. Although rustic, there was the "woman's touch" here, and the view from the open-air dining room was beautiful.

All in all, we felt very well-cared for, very safe, very stimulated and entertained as well as "educated."

We have hundreds of wonderful photos (mostly digital), and Joe is out having some of them printed to send to William who said he would make sure that they made it to the right people. If we can figure out how to compress the files, we'll e-mail some to you as well.

Suggestions:
Encourage people to go to the Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers for the tour and souvenirs. This is a great project and a wonderful place to support. I wish that there had been a few more such places included in the itinerary-- we really didn't like buying things at the typical souvenir shops or from the women who surrounded us at some of the park gates. We did buy some stone and wood carvings, but would have enjoyed visiting the craftsmen working and buying from them more. (In Uganda we bought some items from a shop that benefited the Bwindi Orphanage-- that was a better experience also. Actually, in Uganda, the souvenir "hawkers" are much less aggressive, and we appreciated that.)

On the packing list, I would add a plastic cup (with a lid) for teeth-brushing and for the occasional drink bought while in transit. We also wished that we'd brought along some decaf coffee ("singles") and some decaf/herbal teabags. We finally found a jar of Nescafe decaf at a supermarket and had that after dinner the last few nights. With all of the excitement of the days we wouldn't have slept at all with the added stimulation of caffeine. We were glad that we'd brought along several packages of "Wet Ones," and "Kleenex." We'd brought several items (sweatshirts, ponchos, leathermen, backpacks, extra binoculars etc.) to give to staff as well as school supplies (especially for the schools we visited in Uganda), but the extra luggage and weight was a big bother, and, when we flew from Nairobi to Entebbe, a big added expense. Is there any reasonable, dependable way to ship things to Nairobi?? I will ask the same question of the folks in Kampala.

I suspect that this is more feedback than you'd asked for! I guess once I got going it was hard to be very general. We LOVED our trip, can't stop talking/dreaming about it, and would recommend IntoAfrica to anyone who wants a "real" experience. I only wish that more Americans would make the journey. A big "Thank you" to you and all of the IntoAfrica staff!

Best regards from,
Elaine in NJ where the wind is howling and the temp is 4 degrees C.

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----- Original Message -----
From: elise&jason jones
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 12:15 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Hey Chris
Currently in Poland and about to step into Russia but definately wont be forgetting our time in Kenya.

We had an absolute ball on the safari. We've been recommending Into Africa to everyone we have met as an alternative to the usual "see-all-the-parks-and-drive-around-all-day-looking-for-animals" Safari. It was the right balance of animals and culture and meeting the Maasai & Kikuyu people really rounded out the experience of Kenya as an amazing country to visit. The crew were fabulous and so helpful - Demetrios cooked such amazing and yummy food especially the banana's & custard, Duncan was a great driver & leopard spotter (Jason was very impressed about the use of Landrovers!), and William & Nicholas astounded us with their knowledge especially of birds.

From my side only (Elise), The trip would have been better over 1 or 2 extra days just so you can relax a bit more in places like the first campsite, mountain rock lodge & lake navaisha. But Jason thinks it was just fine.

Anyway, hope this helps a bit, and yes we dont mind our comments going
on the web site.

Thanks Chris

Elise & Jason

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From: Roger Schmidgall
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 3:45 PM
Subject: Safari feedback

Chris, we just arrived last evening from Africa.

Yes, I do have some feedback-- extremely positive!

My son, Matt, and I thoroughly enoyed our safari. It was a perfect match for our interests--cultural as well as wildlife.

William is an expert guide. He knows the country and the wildlife and gave us a good education on both. He is also an expert "spotter" of hard-to-see game. One of the highlights was his spotting a flock of vultures devouring a wildebeest carcass. We never would have seen it ourselves. He also spotted the black rhino and gave us a few seconds for photos before it disappeared.

Joseph is an expert driver. We marveled about his concentration and skill in traversing often-hazardous roads. He also rescued several other safari vehicles that had unwisely ventured into muddy areas. Joseph made us feel safe on roads where other drivers needed to be more cautious.

Duncan is an expert chef. We exclaimed over virtually every meal--the diversity of the menu and the excellent taste of the dishes, prepared outdoors and timed perfectly for our schedule and needs.

You have an excellent group of folks and a great itinerary. We especially enjoyed our visits with the Masai/Kikuyu villagers and schools.

We felt well-provided for and cared for. Thanks for your excellent safari!

Bravo!

Rog and Matt Schmidgall

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From Paul Wardman & Maryann Brown, Kenya Explorer, 2nd February 2002

Thanks Chris for setting things up this end but a special thanks to Patrick Wanjohi in Nairobi for going that extra mile to accommodate all our personal wishes and interests. Its this personal attention that stands IntoAfrica out of the crowd and Patrick excelled our already high expectations, especially in the revised arrangement at the end of our safari to take on more time at Samburu.

For us, the IntoAfrica experience hit the spot perfectly - close enough and intimate with genuinely unaffected indigenous people, the 'raw feel' of bush camping but with the luxury of a brilliant chef, warm and friendly driver and the tales of two guides.. every night! More genuine than the packed luxury lodges and more personal than the Overlanders, excellent!

Of course the first night camp and our time with the Maasai walking to his cattle, in their boma and the market will all be etched in our memories forever. They are indeed an incredible people, it was just amazing how untouched those that we saw were (through Kimeli we learnt that two Maasai women we met were mocking us for "wearing funny clothes" (ie not a red blanket) and "carrying water" (when they are so many streams around). It’s very easy to be cynical about meeting so-called genuine indigenous locals but this was unquestionably the real thing. Credit to you for going to the effort of going so far off the beaten track (though at times I had to wonder where on earth we were going!!).

Also we very much wanted to mix and involve with the team, rather than a stand-off colonial experience and we certainly got that. I want to make special mention of Linus our driver, and part time guide. The most genuine person you could hope to meet, as well as doing his job tirelessly, offered so much more of an insight, gave time to talk to us about anything and everything that makes up Kenyan life for him. Which mostly revolved around Ugali!! We lose count of the funny stories we relate down the pub now, most of which stem from Linus. Keep hold of him, he's a star! Patrick our chef was also brilliant, worked so hard every day and very sincere. His ugali feasts are something to behold, and his passion fruit salads have yet to topped. Jimmy (trainee guide) came out of his shell towards the end of the trip and we had many a laugh during our quizzing of each other of various bird types. Finally, there is Kimeli of course. Kimeli's animal and plantlife knowledge is impressive but most impressive of all is his knowledge of birdlife. Over the course of the week I found myself subconsciously getting much more drawn into the birdlife, and with so much variety there is never enough time. Testimony to both his and Linus' expertise came when we stopped overnight in Treetops, it was just amazing how much of this had sunk in, and just how little other tourists get told. And also comparing stories with friends and family who have gone with other tour operators. Quite an eye opener..

So, our experience was nothing short of FANTASTIC. And I chose the word experience carefully - way way much more than a holiday, and much much more than just an adventure. Thanks!

Paul Wardman & Maryann Brown, Kenya Explorer, 2nd February 2002

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7th Jan 2002

Dear IntoAfrica,
Yes we are now back and we had a really very good time.

Franklin is a great guide. Congratulations. The cook was also good especially when considering the conditions under which he had to cook!

What could be improved? The time of departure for the safari. We arrived to Nairobi very early in the morning and left to our first camp site around noon only. Also, you should always inform your clients that there is no electricity to some of the camps. Unfortunately, we had no battery in our video camera once we arrived to Masai Mara !

Anyway, these are small details! It was really an unforgettable experience ! I hope we will be able to travel with you again !

Regards, Elisabeth Razi

-----Αρχικό μήνυμα-----
Αποστολή: Παρασκευή, 4 Ιανουαρίου 2002 10:45 πμ
Προς: Razi Izabelle
Θέμα: Kenya feedback

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Dear Chris,

Beverly Ingram had a wonderful trip to Kenya this past August. She had only great things to say about the staff, Linus and David the drivers, William the guide and Daniel to cook. She ran into trouble at the Boulevard Hotel in Nairobi which was pre-booked and Patrick came to her aid and worked out the problem. She will not stay or recommend the Boulevard hotel however.

The people she met, especially in the Loita Hills villages were a highlight, the food was fresh and varied throughout the tour and well prepared. Overall, she was very satisfied and would like to return in the future, and has stated she will use your company again. The staff made her trip special and she felt safe and well cared for.

Thank you for taking such good care of her, and I as well look forward to working with you again.

Louise

CTC, Rancho San Diego Travel, Inc.
3733 Avocado Blvd, La Mesa, Ca 91941
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Chris,

Thanks for such a great trip. We had an amazing time. Here are some more specific thoughts for the future: What Worked Well 1) Loved the Mara - full day there was a good change to the original itinerary 2) Loved the variety of camping in bush, in campsite, lodge, etc 3) Loved the homestay and the visit to the Masai - great culture 4) Our guide Franclin was awesome! What Could Be Better 1) Spread out the fun - felt like the first day or two was so full because everything was so new to us (We did 3 Mara drives, hippo pool, swim at lodge, outside camping, and Maasai visit all in the first two days).
2) A few beers and sodas on the bush safari sections. Please feel free to use us as a reference. Thanks again, Julie Woffington Procter & Gamble Brand Manager - Cheer, Dreft, Ivory Snow
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My message, though, is unequivocal: the trip you took us on met and surpassed my highest hopes for what we could do on a short trip to East Africa. As a faculty member in an academic program, my worst fear was that the trip would be nothing more than a lark for the students. Instead, they got a most substantial introduction to the culture and social life of Kenya - and had a lot of fun doing it to boot. The range of Kenyan life that we saw was remarkable. And, we had a day to see animals; it would have been a shame to go all the way to Kenya without doing that.

Your tour leaders were knowledgeable, friendly, and very capable. William in particular was excellent. Please don't hesitate to pass this message to other potential customers. You may also have them contact me directly if you like.

Jonathan Sadowsky, Professor of African History, Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, USA

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From: Barbara Klante
Subject: IntoAfrica Inquiry

Dear Ms. Metcalfe,

Chris Morris of the IntoAfrica tour company has given us your name as a reference. We are preparing to send a group of our students from Case Western Reserve University into Kenya with his company, and would like to ask you about your experience as a former client.

I realize that you are leaving soon for Tuscany (one of MY favorite places in the world!) If you have a moment before departing, could you please send a short message letting me know when and where you travelled with IntoAfrica, and what you thought of their logistical arrangements? Our particular concern, of course, is the safety of our students. Were you satisfied with the precautions taken by your guides, the information they provided, and the contingency plans they had for any emergency situation?

We would appreciate any information you could provide.

Barbara Klante,
Assistant Dean and Manager of Special Programs, College of Arts and Sciences
Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, USA

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From: "Penny Metcalfe"
To: bxk13@po.cwru.edu
Subject: Re: IntoAfrica Inquiry
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 08:55:25 GMT

Dear Ms. Klante

I have travelled twice with IntoAfrica - this year and last. They are a great outfit, with strong commitment to putting something of their tourist operation into benefiting the local people.

Logistics run very smoothly. We had three different drivers during our trips, and I was impressed by their competence and safe driving. Their guides are friendly, knowledgeable, well-trained and speak excellent English. If any of your group are birders (feathered variety!) try and get William as a guide - he is an expert. Last year we did a guided walk in the Loita Hills, with William as guide, Daniel as cook (he is an artist in his craft, and can apparently produce three course meals high on Mount Kenya, as well as in the lower lands of Loita).

Chris is very highly thought of by the local chief and his people. Security at overnight camps was excellent with local people providing guards, very reassuring as we were two women travelling alone (if having an entourage of guide, cook,and driver can be described as "alone"!). This year we did a tour including walking in the foothills of Mount Kenya, at Lake Bogoria, camped at a game ranch, and at Lake Naivasha. We were introduced to local people and toured a local school, and the William Holden Centre for environmental experiments. Everything went smoothly, and there was obviously good support between different groups - they have full radio contact most of the time, reception conditions permitting. We felt safe at all times.

Hope this is useful to you.
Yours in haste
Penny Metcalfe

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Envelope-to: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
From: "justin | klubnik"
To: "IntoAfrica UK Ltd" <enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Kenya feedback
Date: Mon, 6 Nov 2000 08:57:15 -0500

Dear IntoAfrica,
First off, the trip was absolutely terrific. I believe everyone in our group thoroughly enjoyed their trek through Kenya. I thought you did a fabulous job of taking us to locations of cultural interest (the schools, markets, villages). Our group was really interested in getting past some of the tourism and seeing how life really is in Kenya and we got to do that. I was honestly suprised (and delighted) to see how far off the beaten path we got when we went out to the Loita hills.

The guides were all very friendly, helpful and timely from the moment they picked us up at the airport until they dropped us off. I also thought they did and excellent job of getting us to so many places in such a short period of time.

As far as suggestions, I would put two people per home on the homestays instead of just one. It was very exhausting, and kind of unnerving being alone in an environment like that. I know some of the other people who participated in the homestays felt the same way.

Aside from that I thought the trip was terrific. All the hotels and lodges we stayed at were great, or at least suited our needs, and places we camped were beautiful. The game drive in the Masai Mara was better than I could have ever imagined. I had no idea we would see that many animals, and be that close to them. The guides did a fabulous job that day. They knew where to find all the animals, what they were, and interesting facts about them. All in all, I was quite pleased with the tour, and all you managed to pack into our relatively short trip.

Justin Klubnik,
Case Western Reserve University, Ohio

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