Kenya Expresso Tours and Safaris (KETS)
Rwanda
Uganda
Zimbabwe
Contact info
About Kenya Expresso Tours and Safaris (KETS)
Kenya Expresso Tours and Safaris Ltd offers Safari package, Holiday Vacation in Kenya and Africa at Large. we have a great team just for you. A team that wishes you nothing but the best safaris and holiday Vacation. taste of luxury and budget with a commitment to quality. Besides tailor-made safaris, we have a great collection of itineraries that suits family, honeymooners, private groups, singles or couples, and KETSAFARIS collection (New). All these itineraries are custom made by our specialists and approved by the counsel. This is done to ensure that there is the flexibility to fit your requirements and to ensure there is a balance between family time and yourselves.About our safari vehicles
We offer safaris using a four-wheel Toyota land cruiser jeep and mini vans, each of the vehicle is equipped with long-range VHF radios for easier communications in the parks. All safari vehicles are fitted with speed governors and with two extra tires just in case of punctures. Our vehicles come with seven window seats with plenty of legroom. All safaris are operated with modern specially designed and constructed safari vehicles with pop up roof for excellent game viewing. Each vehicle is in radio contact with other vehicles so they can get you to areas where game has been spotted.
As an initial matter, Paul (whom I believe is the owner and operator of KETS), is one of the most responsive people on e-mail I've met - which is saying a lot given that I'm an attorney in NYC. This was very much appreciated as my wife and I planned our honeymoon and constantly changed the accommodation and route we wanted to take.
KETS is very flexible in that respect as well. We spent two nights in Maasai Mara in Kenya (at Ashnil Mara Lodge), two nights in the Serengeti in Tanzania (Mbalageti Lodge), one night in Ngorongoro (the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge) and one night in Amboseli back in Kenya (at the Ol Tukai Lodge).
In Maasai Mara, we had Daniel as our private driver/guide. He was very easy to speak with, knew the animals and where to find them, and was generally a great guide. Maasai Mara is significantly smaller than the Serengeti, but is beautiful and less regulated than the Tanzania parks - allowing us to get closer looks at the animals. That's not to say that KETS did any off-roading or anything, just that there are more off-trail roads that get you closer to the animals.
We saw a cheetah with a young one, a leopard with a young one, a lion pride resting after a kill, hyenas and jackals finishing the kill, another attempted kill by a lion at sunset, and huge numbers of elephants. We didn't see tons of wildebeests or zebras, but that came later. And Ashnil Mara lodge was beautiful. A perfect view over the river where you could watch hippos as you ate/drank. And the staff was beyond generous. The food left something to be desired, but not a whole lot KETS can do about that one. One note, and this will be common throughout this review - the drives are long. So be prepared. From Nairobi to Ashnil Mara took us about 6-7 hours. But the last 2-3 hours there is at least animal viewing. There are also a couple of stops where you can look at some African crafts if you're so inclined.
The drive from Ashnil Mara to the Mbalageti lodge in Serengeti was the longest drive. It was a full day. Although we stopped for lunch across the Tanzania border that was probably unnecessary (and I think KETS recognized it too, as Paul mentioned that for future tours they would not be making that stop). Without that two hour stop, we would have been in the park much earlier. Also of note, Kenyan drivers are not allowed to drive in Tanzania (well, they can, but it's a ridiculously expensive process). So we switched from Dan to Oswald (Ozzie) at the border. Ozzie was phenomenal. Very personable and again very good with the animals and working with the numerous other safari cars to do everything they can to show you the animals you want to see most.
For us, that was cheetahs and Ozzie went out of his way to find them for us (four of them in fact...). The Mbalageti lodge is the most beautiful one we stayed in with views that can't be matched. And the western part of the Serengeti park is really beautiful with thousands of wildebeests and zebras. Can't say enough about that lodge and well worth the long drive from Maasai Mara. Even with the drives, we would strongly, strongly recommend seeing both Maasai Mara and the Serengeti.
After our second night at Mbalageti, we had a long drive to Ngorongoro (probably another 5 hour drive). But this one is the easiest drive as it's all in the park. And the central part of the Serengeti is a great chance to see leopards (we were lucky enough to see two). The arrival at Ngorongoro is incredibly impressive. And the crater offers your best chance to see the elusive rhino. The Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge left quite a bit to be desired, but I'm not sure what KETS can do about that. There are only a couple of lodges there and it does have an incredible view - the rooms are just very outdated and not the most comfortable. That might be an area where you look to fork up a bit more money for a four-star lodge if that's the kind of trip you're looking for.
Amboseli could probably be skipped. Ol Tukai is a gorgeous lodge, but if that's your last stop, you'll have already seen most everything that Amboseli has to offer except views of Kilimanjaro. It breaks up the drive a bit from Ngorongoro, but I think if we did it all over again, we might have skipped that stop. Ol Tukai is gorgeous though - so definitely not a bad place to just relax after a long safari. We switched drivers again at the border (from Ozzie to Duncan). We didn't have much time with Duncan since we were winding down and largely chose to relax instead of go on game drives in Amboseli. But he certainly seemed knowledgeable of the animals/area and fell in line with the other KETS drivers we had.
Long winded, I know. So to summarize, KETS was everything we had hoped for and could have expected. We would strongly, strongly recommend KETS to those of you looking for a Kenya and Tanzania safari!
United States
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We always use KETS when visiting our Sheldrick elephant orphans. KETS provides reliable service to Sheldrick Centers at Umani, Ithumba, Nairobi, and Voi. As we need to bring our own food, the driver helps us shop at the Emali food stalls.
Paul Mwendwa, KETS owner, is a trustworthy and honorable gentleman. He always provides a competitive quote. We highly recommend KETS, especially for Sheldrick patrons.
United States
Wonderful journey with KETS! We six people are all satisfied with the whole arrangement!
The total cost is reasonable and the experience is wonderful!
Paul, our sincere friend, is so knowledgeable and friendly. He is definitely an expert on animals and Kenya. Love him!
Everything is so good! Highly recommend to everyone! Next time I go back to Kenya, I’ll definitely choose KETS and Paul again!!
China
Could not recommend this more. I was overwhelmed by the choice of operators and was recommended Paul by a friend - it completely surpassed all our expectations. All communication before, during and after was prompt. Our guide was an absolute pleasure to hang out with all day, he made sure the only thing we had to worry about was having a good time. The accommodation was great and most importantly we had so many incredible encounters with the animals. Worth every penny.
United Kingdom
Have used KET Safaris 3 different times dating back to 2016. Always had great experiences with communication prior to the trip and the trip itself. Have seen the big 5 on several occasions, the lodging has been great, and KET has been willing and helpful in customizing parts of a journey or helpful in booking ancillary services (ie a train ticket).
Thanks to the team for great experiences.
United States
This review is long overdue but hopefully better late than never! My husband and I did an 8-day safari with KETS and we loved every minute of it. Our guide was Paul and he was wonderful. The booking process was so easy and we were able to customize our itinerary exactly how we wanted it. Paul was great about answering all our questions and was always very quick to respond. On safari, Paul was very knowledgeable about every location we went to and knew the best spots for wildlife. He was very patient with all our questions and requests. Thank you Paul for the trip of a lifetime! We will definitely be back, hopefully next time with the kids!
United States
We booked a 5-day safari with Kenya Expresso Tour (KETS) and it was amazing. Paul responded quickly to all our questions prior to arrival as well as helping guide us to what we should do as a family of four with relatively young children. This was our first safari and it was perfect! Service was excellent, experience was amazing and Paul went over and above to make sure we got to see as many of the animals as possible.
For anyone planning a Kenya safari, KETS should be your first contact!!
United Arab Emirates
This is the second time I have used KETS and I was not disappointed in the slightest. Once again I had an amazing experience and was extremely lucky to see the animals in very close proximity. All correspondence with Paul via email was great and he was very responsive. I was very happy he was our driver for the trip! Paul is extremely knowledgeable, punctual and a credit to the company! The safari van is very comfortable with plenty of water bottles/juice provided. I highly recommend this company for a personalised experience and a lifetime of spectacular memories! I can't wait to return to Kenya with friends for another amazing safari experience with KETS
United Kingdom
We booked a 7-day safari with Kenya Expresso Tour (KETS). The owner, Paul Mwendwa, responds quickly to inquiries. This was my fifth safari with KETS, so I know what to expect: a competitive quote, excellent service, integrity, a reliable vehicle, and a world-class experience that is both unforgettable and safe.
We are patrons of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, so this safari was customized to allow us to spend time with out foster elephant babies at both Ithumba and the Voi Stockade, as well as the Nairobi Nursery. Paul was also our driver, and was always punctual with our visitation schedule at the orphanages.
Ithumba must be the only place on earth where one can view wild elephants in such large numbers as they mingle with the orphans... an extraordinary experience.
We enjoyed several game drives in Tsavo East National Park. Paul has a good eye and strong instinct when it comes to viewing wildlife.
Regarding the exit covid test requirement, Paul made it easy: he took us to West Nairobi hospital that emailed results in 4-hours.
For anyone planning a Kenya / Tanzania safari, KETS should be your first contact.
United States
We have just had a fabulous fortnight in Kenya organised by KETS. I gave Paul an outline of all the parks we wished to visit and he organised everything. Lodges were fantastic and the whole trip made so memorable by our wonderful driver and guide Benedict. We particularly requested him as we had such a good time in the Mara in 2013 with him. Thanks to Benedict we saw a kill, chases and the elusive leopard, apart from all the other wonderful sights you would expect to see in Kenya.
A wonderful safari and, if we were to return, we would definitely be contacting Paul again.
He is actually arranging a trip for my sister's friend in December and I am sure he will have a great time, like we did.
United Kingdom
We just returned from our safari in Kenya with KETS, and it was incredible. Specifically, our package included Tsavo East & West, Amboseli, Lake Naivasha and Masai Mara. Our driver Sammy was clearly very experienced, informative and genuinely wanted us to have a great time. He definitely made the trip as great as it was. I have wanted to come to Africa; Kenya specifically for most of my life, so it was a dream come true. When planning the trip, you won't have a better contact than Paul! He was always quick to respond, organized and helpful with any questions we had.
Thanks KETS, we'll definitely be back to Kenya someday!!
Canada
Cleanliness of vehicle
Meet and greet team
Quality of itinerary
Responsiveness of staff
Park reviews written by None
Incredible elephant safari destination
When: Oct. 8, 2019, 1:04 p.m.
When: Sept. 20, 2019, 10:34 a.m.
One of the best parks in Africa
When: Sept. 19, 2019, 11:10 a.m.
Tsavo - The largest national park in Kenya
When: Oct. 22, 2019, 12:09 p.m.
Rare sights of tree-climbing lions
When: Sept. 24, 2019, 10:46 a.m.
When: Oct. 15, 2019, 12:34 p.m.
Adventure with the African white rhinos
When: Oct. 10, 2019, 2:30 p.m.
Adventure in a park within a city
When: Oct. 29, 2019, 11:08 a.m.
