The Plains of Africa

I we went with no expectations and were blown away! It was definitely the trip of a lifetime

It was a great experience. Everything was top notch! Our guide was exceptional and gave us valuable information. I would highly recommend this trip.

Such a great trip! So many wild animals, informative Tour Manager, Driver Guides, and welcoming staff at all the game lodges! Such a great mix of education, sightseeing, safari, and dipping our toes into African culture. We felt safe, protected, and well cared for our entire time in Kenya and Tanzania. Collette did an excellent job with the selection of game lodges, lunch locations during transitions, and inclusions. The extension to Tanzania was well worth the extra time and money. In both countries we saw the Big 5, had a nice balance of activity mixed with free time. It was a once in a lifetime trip to the African Bush. Such amazing memories, I recommend the small group experience. So nice with just 18 people.

Trip of a lifetime! This was my first time traveling as a single woman with people I did not know. Every element of this well thought out itinerary was taken care of. I didn't have to do a thing. My travel agent Julie Fisher took care of everything with care and great attention to the smallest detail. I will definitely be taking more trips with her and this company.

It was overall an amazing experience. Everyday you thought it couldn't get better than this, then wow each day exceeded the previous day! Tour manager was exceptional. Everyday was a memorable experience!

We throughly enjoyed our safari trip. It was more than we expected and were greatly appreciated it all. Our guide was exceptional and we were able to see the “Big Five”. I highly recommend the trip and Collette. It was our 2nd tour with them and I look forward to doing more with Collette.

Great tour. Exceeded all expectations. Lots of animals with very knowledgeable tour guide and manager. Felt safe all along the tour. Our best tour yet.

Great experience

The Ark was the worst place out of all.

Can't pick a most memorable experience since the entire trip was so memorable! All I can say this trip was awesome and so was the driver (Joseph) and the tour director Philip. The only downside was The Ark. This in my opinion should be just a luncheon and a few hours visit not a stay over, rooms are so small there is no place to move around in them and they were hot inside. Beds were almost on the floor. Not impressed with The Ark. We also greatly enjoyed our breakfast in the bush.

George our tour manager was so incredible, knowledgeable, efficient and kind. He was concerned about each and every one of us having the BEST time - which we did!! Our driver Juma would seek out all the best spots to see animals and take pictures. On our first day we actually witnessed a Lioness making a kill for her cubs., which is highly unusual to be at the right place at the right time!! They both went out of their way to please. There are so many favorable experiences to name just one is impossible. We were amazed at the accommodations, the food, - the surprises that Collette had planned, all the animals we saw - all of The Big Five except the Leopard and so many babies, which made it even more amazing. We highly recommend this tour our manager George and our driver Juma!!

It was an amazing experience. The tour was well designed to give us maximum exposure to animals and culture. I liked traveling from one reserve to the next because it gave us a chance to seem how people live. The non-game drive activities were interesting and mostly worthwhile. The staff was especially wonderful. Robert did a great job and we loved being with Samson, our driver guide. The only downside was an outdoor dinner after a very long day--it just wasn't as well executed as the cocktails and breakfast in the bush we had experienced at other location. But that is a very small complaint about an otherwise amazing and wonderful experience.

Papa whiskey and Wallace were great lots of positives no negatives until we changed to leopard truck too small hard to get in no handles, seatbelt didnt work. Awkward and uncomfortable to sit for long periods of time. Get newer trucks, these were terrible!

We stopped to watch a group of elephants. A juvenile elephant was eating close to where we stopped. He quit eating and walked over to and around our vehicle to check us out. Up close view of how large they really are! Was happily surprised at the number of lions, leopards and cheetahs we saw.

Thank you very much for making it such a memorable experience. The tour was the most enjoyable experience for the whole family.

Exceptional Trip!!! We saw an abundance of wildlife.

We saw lots of animals and food and accommodations were beyond my expectations.

The lodges were excellent, the game drives provided us with lots of opportunities to see animals in the wild. It was amazing!!

Amazing trip, the best! Sampson snd Juma were so knowledgeable and accommodating .

It was an incredible experience. We saw every wild animal I had hoped to see and more. Our driver in Kenya was persistent and ensured that we got the best perspective for our photographs. Everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful. My most unexpected sighting and a wonder to behold was seeing hundreds of flamingos flying to the lake. Two hours earlier there was not a flamingo in the lake. When we drove past it again there were hundreds of flamingos in the lake and hundreds flying and landing on the lake. They were more graceful and beautiful than I had expected. I was not unfamiliar with flamingos having seen them all my life but never flying. The inside of their wings is a deep pink that one never sees unless they are flying. I am 74 and did the trip with my grandson age 22. Collette's choices for activities were memorable for both of us. The small group size allowed everyone to have a maximum experience. Seeing the wildlife from our jeep was up close and personal. The expert driver was as knowledgeable as any tour guide and provided us with lots of information regarding the wildlife and environment. The variety of food and the different accommodations added to our experience. I do have some dietary restrictions and I was given access to the chef's when needed. I am glad I did this trip while I have the mobility and good health to enjoy all the activities. While I loved the accommodations they were not handicap friendly. Our group included an individual who used a cane. Many locales had no elevator or ramps and the rooms were a long distance from the restaurant and required climbing stairs. I think that this information should be made available so clients can make informed decisions regarding their participation.

Our tour manager and driver were excellent.

First tour with Collette. Our guides Hussein and Nimrod were well informed and very organized.

Be prepared for a long flights. The tour was exceptional in large part due to our guides Hussein and Nimrod.

The number of different species animals was wonderful. Our driver and guide Nimrod and Hussein were very good at finding the animals and also very knowledgeable about the animals, culture, and people.

Great tour saw everything that was promised and then some. Great tour driver Peter was great went out of his way to make our tour memorable

Wonderful tour!!!!!!!!!!!

Bed bugs in hotel, riding for five hours in cramped vehicle with no break

The animals close up, the spectacular Mt. Kilaminjaro.

The sunrise and sunset game drives were amazing window into the everyday lives of the animals. It was our own private "nature program" only live and upclose!

My wife Janet & I recently took the Collette Tours "12 Day Plains of Africa Tour to Kenya & Tanzania Africa" (we are 57 & 66). The Tour was one of the best tours we have ever taken from day one to the last day of our stay! Everything was handled professionally from the airlines, transfers, hotels, meals, lodging, and activities. We enjoyed our guides Julius Mwangoma and Wallace who looked out for our group of 6 persons in our Safari Jeeps fabulously! We were able to take wonderful pictures from the vehicle which has a roof that pops up so you can stand and get close to the wildlife taking pictures without any problems or safety concerns. We were treated to the Big "5" wildlife animals of Africa; the lion, the black rhinoceros, the elephant, the leopard, and the cape buffalo, as well as jaguar, zebra's, giraffes, white rhino's, gazelle and more! The Hotel's were 5 star all the way, as was the service, staff, and attendants. We highly recommend Collette Travel, 5 stars out of 5 stars and 2 thumbs up, Way UP!

Our tour excelled our expectations. We saw every animal and more. Photo ops were spectacular.

Watching the lions and cheetahs. I think the air balloon ride is over priced. Going to the village and learning the ways of the people. kissing the girafe and being surrounded by the elephants.

We saw the "Big Five" several times and the and the "Samburu Five" as well but the most memorable experiences were a lioness with her 3 new born cubs and spending time on the Serengeti.

No tour manager ever showed up

It was spectacular every day. I can't really cite one particular thing. The souvenir locations were a bit repetitive though in terms of merchandise. As we were leaving the Nairobi airport had the best selection of stores.

People keep asking me what was the most memorable experience and I almost always give a different answer. There were just too many to single it down to one!

Our driver/guide was wonderful. So knowledgeable, patient, untiring. He drove us thru some very difficult terrain and traffic conditions without incident. As long as he was in charge, I never worried about anything. We saw more animals than I could have ever imagined. there were a few places we could have skipped and added more time to what was good. The Ark, the giraffe sanctuary, and the falls come to mind. The vehicle was sadly in need of refurbishing. The seats were really too close together to be comfortable to the people in back. The springs were totally sprung - we sat in depressions. I also would like to take issue with our visit to the Masai village, for which we were totally unprepared. After we arrived, we were told that we were supposed to have brought something for the children. None of us did. It made for some very embarrassing moments. I also hated that we were subjected to being made to buy crafts from the entire village! I enjoyed seeing the village, but wish I had know what to expect, so I could have prepared for it.

1 star transportation for an advertised 5 star safari). They need to improve their land transportation, drove us around 4 to 7 hours a days in a old van with no seat padding or springs over dusty very bumpy dirt roads, not only for the game drives but for the travel between parks which took 4 to 5 hours. Also reduced the number and time of game drives (primary purpose of the trip) for unwanted extras.

The hot air balloon ride over the Maasai Mara watching the great migration was the best! A once in a lifetime experience!,

This was an awesome experience. However, we were give a 1 hour and 15 minute transfer time at Heathrow. From previous experience with this airport, I felt this was not enough time. When I called to discuss this I was told there was no problem. However our flight from Chicago was delayed and we missed our connection resulting in a trip to Cairo, Addis Ababa and then Nairobi. This resulted in a 40 hour trip. After the delay the person at Collette was very nice but didn’t change the result. Also the information booklet didn’t list the extra excursions or the prices. This would have been helpful. Additional trips and tips added another $1500 to the trip.

Stanley hotel was not up to snuff.

Exceptional tour guide and driver guides. Loved the visit to the Masai Village.

Highlight was seeing 300 camels all at once!!

Every days highlight was built on every day. Balloon ride was amazing , we saw all of the big 5. Our tour guide/driver Robert was awesome. Overall it was a ten out ten and would highly recommend this trip

Favourite experience was seeing my first leopard. We were able to cross the big five off our lists.

The tour, guides, accommodations, food were all superb... the transportation was terrible... no legroom, bad rides during game drives

see above for review of the tour

Generally seeing the animals in the parks in their natural environment and in particular getting to see the lions

Excellent experience. Tour guide in van was superior. We saw more animals than expected

i saw everything that i wanted to see & then some. the best experience was going over the plains in a balloon.

Of course, the most memorable experience of the Safari was the ANIMALS. To be able to see them up close in their natural state, was just amazing.

An excellent trip and we saw the Big 5 plus lots more. We had an excellent driver/guide and an excellent tour manager. It is a tiring holiday, there are some long journeys and very busy days but even when traveling there is a lot to see from the bus. There were 5 of us in our vehicle which makes it a bit cramped when trying to view wildlife and leg room is very limited. All the hotels were very good. Most meals were buffets with amazing variety when you consider how remote the locations were. My highlight was the hot air balloon flight over the Masai Mara.

It was a good, well planned trip.

The tour was great, exceeded our expectations! Hotels were excellent, food was excellent and the drivers and guides were knowledgeable and helpful, made sure we got the great pictures we did! Seeithe Big Five and many other animals was a photographer’s dream come true!

Watching a lion stalk, kill and drag away a wildebeest and later watching her bring her two cubs to feed on the carcass.

Surprise Sundowner happy hour overlooking a river at sunset, with entertainment!

Worth every dollar I spent. The most memorable experience, spectacular yet gruesome, was watching a lioness pulling a wildebeest down and dragging the huge animal off to the waiting cubs.

41 hours of uncomfortable travel in Nissan vans

It was amazing to see the animals in their natural habitat and up close. I think seeing the leopards and cheetahs was an added highlight for me.

Fantastic tour having seen the Big five animals in their environment .

The people were great. Our driver/guide, ****, was wonderful. BUT, the van was very uncomfortable. Very jolting on the bad roads.

Excellent accomodations, driver and sights!

Knowledgeable guides making the trip just like the brochure. Best bit was all of it actually!

Well exceeded my expectations. Being out in the bush with the animals was awesome.

One of my favorite experiences was the pride of lions - at least 15 and the last day we saw an elephant and her little one moving from the swamp to shelter because of the wind./Users/eileen/Desktop/IMG_1166.m4v

Affordable, enjoyable, well organized, great food and lodgings.

Perfect service from our tour manager and our driver.

We were very pleased with all the animals we saw including the elephant orphanage which was wonderful! The visit to the Masai village was a highlight. Really appreciated getting to visit the bead factory and weaving factory. Hearing how they began and about the women they help added so much to any shopping we did.Our tour manager was terrific!

The visit to the elephant orphanage was the highlist of the trip.

Seeing the "big 5" was awesome.

The fabulous accommodations, food, and people of Kenya! Oh, and the animals!

price good,staff top notch, rooms as promised,home staff helpful

The opportunity to view the lions in the Samburu reserve was a highlight.

Animals up close, lodges fantastic

Every need was met and always anticipated answers to any questions.

The bush breakfast in Lake Nakuru.

No tour manager, seeing the animals

The Plains of Africa is rated as a "5" for activity which led me to believe there would be walking/hiking. Not true. Due to the locations no one is allowed out of the vans (of course) but the rating was deceptive. In contrast the Tanzania extension was rated a "3" which is appropriate. The brochure discusses the tipping protocol which is very helpful but obviously no one from Colette has been on this tour. There wasn't a guide and a driver, it was only one person doing both duties. The guides were very knowledgeable about the locations, their culture and the animals. The most amazing part of the tour was the animals and how very close the vans were able to get to these wild critters.

Loved hot air ballooning and the champagne breakfast experience!

Every day we were taken to surprise,we saw lions having a feed ( antelope) in the wild,the Eagle hovering in the sky,eventually there were 24 vouchers lining near the lion in 4 rows patiently to have a taste,it was something .

Our driver Hussain, would receive "++". My favorite memory was being able to see so many animals at a close range.

We saw two adult male lions take down and kill a cape buffalo in Lion Hill. It was amazing. The trip was spectacular. Loved visiting the Masai Village too! What an experience. A highlight for sure!

The local tour manager, Tom, and the tour guide/driver, Nicholas, were extremely knowledgeable and friendly. The tour manager arranged for a birthday cake for me....as well as for a doctor to visit me when I was ill for one day. All our needs seemed to be anticipated and handled! Nicholas handled all our questions and requests with grace and humor. It was a true pleasure to spend time every single day of the tour with him....he was both interesting and interested. He could spot animals from what seemed like miles away and easily handled things when a Cape Buffalo didn't like the looks of our van! Tom and Nicholas were friendly and professional. I've already recommended this tour, and them, to my friends!