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vacation to Seychelles & Kenya
Alma Wimsatt, 27th December 2022Truly an epic once-in-a-lifetime trip. Everything far exceeded our expectations. The logistics of the trip worked perfectly!
Accommodation Visited
Alphonse Island Lodge
“Where to I start? Alphonse Island is truly a gem. We did all the activities offered - from snorkeling (mantas, sailfish, coral) to flats fishing to sundowner cruise to SCUBA. All world-class! The bungalows were perfect, the food delectable, the surroundings beautiful and the SERVICE is unreal! It's an hour flight from Mahe and from the moment you get to the IDC hangar, you can leave it up to the staff to take care of you. Just follow their lead.
We very much appreciate the way Alphonse tries to preserve & conserve the environment. We have been to Fiji & Great Barrier Reef - Alphonse is much better.”
Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi Airport
“We stayed for a night and it met our needs perfectly. The hotel is very near the airport and when you arrive @ 5:30 am, this is much appreciated. We checked in very early but they had our rooms (4 rooms) available for a reasonable upcharge. The rooms are very clean, spacious and had strong wifi connection throughout the hotel. We had breakfast and lunch at the ground-floor restaurant. Service was very good and the food was delicious. We had dinner and drinks (order Dawa) at their 5th-floor restaurant. It was fantastic with wonderful service as well. In general, the staff at Four Points are very engaging & friendly. The workout facility was wonderful with great views of a national park but the pool was under renovation when we were there.
Note: Don't be alarmed by the tight security. Guards will check out your van and luggage as you pass through the security check. Just remember that these are good precautions for your benefit.”
Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp
“Excellent and more! The guides (Wilson & Steven) are very friendly, engaging, accommodating & knowledgeable. Our butler (Yallel) was very professional and catered to all our needs. We loved that he shared stories about his family. The chefs and all the rest of the staff at Kichwa Tembo were very accommodating and they treat their guests very well. The camp is absolutely gorgeous coupled with the delicious food. Everyone at Kichwa Tembo made our safari experience extraordinary!
We did the following optional activities that I would STRONGLY suggest: 1) night game drive; 2) sundowner cocktails - the view & Masai presentation are great; 3) bush dinner - a MUST do - what an incredible experience - food, drinks, bonfire and every portable toilet are provided. Spend the extra money to do these activities.
Now for the safari at Maasai Mara - we remain speechless and in awe with Maasai Mara. Of the Big 5, we saw 4 (except rhino) but that really didn't impact our impression of the place. The other animals we saw made up for it, especially the family of cheetahs. It is truly breathtaking! We are incredibly fortunate that my entire family and some friends were able to the beauty & vastness of Maasai Mara.”
Staff Review
“This trip was planned for 17 months (April 2021) amidst the uncertainty of COVID. We started with a different expert who left Mahlatini a year ago. She made sure that let us know that she was leaving and endorsed us to Claire. That was very professionally done.
Claire took over and she has been most helpful. Since we were planning this trip from the US & booked with a lot of lead time - there was so much correspondence that took place. Fortunately, Claire was patient with us. As you can imagine, lots of changes took place when it came to traveling to Africa. We very much appreciated that before the trip, Clair organized a Zoom meeting that helped clarify many of our concerns. Claire was very good with making sure all our Covid, visitor permits and eVisas were complied. Very important, with the trip booked more than a year in advance, we also felt secure about all the advance payments made to Mahlatini. we knew Mahlatini was a reputable travel organization.
During the trip, while in Nairobi, I had to contact the emergency email. This was on Jan 1st. Within a few hours, someone from Mahlatini responded via email and by phone and addressed my issue.
Suggestion: Mahlatini sent us a packet prior to our trip. This came from the UK to the US. Since we traveled during Christmas, one packet did not arrive in time (including the backup). Any packets mailed should be sent with ample time to consider possible delays.”
