Dear Moses,

We wanted to thank you very much for the wonderful dinner at Carnivore.  We have NEVER experienced anything like that and enjoyed ourselves so much!!

We arrived home safely, but very tired.  We gave your email address to someone we met in the airport who asked about the safari.  We didn't get her name, however we gave her our name and yours.  Hopefully, she will contact you.

The trip was an event that we will treasure in our memories forever!  We both agree that it was the BEST vacation we have ever had.  We haven't seen the pictures yet, but will send you a few of the good ones as soon as they are processed.

Thank you for a wonderfully planned itinerary.  You are commended for your attention to detail on every aspect of the trip; Madukha Safaris is VERY lucky to have you as a employee.  We were so impressed with your professional demeanor and your English diction.  We will definitely recommend you to our family and friends and we are looking forward to booking another safari with you next year.

You are welcome to use our comments in any published material or advertisement for Madukha Safaris.

Thank you again for everything!

Best regards,

Judy and Tom Overman
Email: judyinlutz@yahoo.com

Hi Moses,

As we promised we would write to you!! The trip was great. We had a good time in Masai Mara, saw lots of animals and flew over them!!!!! The balloon trip was the best thing ever... Take good care!!

Ariana
livingspace@caribsurf.com

Hello Moses,

Thank you for your season greetings
Really my trip was marvelous...!!!  thank you again for all these souvenirs in Kenya...MASAAI MARA was SPLENDIDE...!!!! PHENOMENAL...!!!!
See attached 2 pictures for our driver & guide...THANK YOU CHARLES...!!!

Maurice Aubin

Hello there Moses,

Thanks for your email from 19 June 2006.
Sorry to take so long to reply, but we don't use the hotmail address much now that we are not travelling.

We certainly remember the unique safari to Treetops you arranged for us last November, and are very grateful that we were able to do it, despite our trip to Kenya being so brief.

We were very happy with your organization.
Benson, our driver did a fine job and we were particularly thankful to him for taking a detour on the return to retrieve my sunglasses left behind after a previous trip. 

Outspan was well organized and supplied a sumptuous lunch, although probably more lavish than we would normally choose. We were acutely aware of the contrast between what is provided for "Western" tourists and what is available to the majority of the Kenyan people.

The Kikuyu village and performance seemed rather contrived.

Treetops itself was a special time. We were privileged to be allocated one of the balcony suites, "The Princess Elizabeth Suite".

We are interested to hear what you have in mind for us as your reference for the Australian market.

With best wishes,
David & Katrina Broadbent
dkbroadbent@bigpond.com

Hi Caroline,

I did send some feedback on April 6.  I'll copy it below for you.  Do you want more?  We had the trip of a lifetime!
Cheers, Wendy

Hi Moses,

Just recovering from a great but very exhausting trip.  Everything worked out as you arranged...thank you.

The guide we had, Edgar, was very good.  He took care of us when we got sick....some bad food we had eaten at the Impala Hotel when we arrived I think.  The Sopa Lodge where we were provided a doctor to take a look at us.

However we were only sick for about 24 hours on the second day  so we could continue the safari on the third day OK.  We still have churning stomach problems...but I guess that happens. Maybe it is also a reaction to the Malaria pills.

Edgar took us to see many wild animals....lions, hippos, elephants, cheetas etc etc.  He had a good eye.

If you are looking for feedback, the land cruiser we had was quite old with a cracked windshield so we were a little worried it would break down.  We did get stuck a few times, but each time Edgar was able to put on the 4 wheel drive and get us out of the mud hole.

Zanzibar at the Blue Bay Inn was very lovely. The food was good as well as the service. 
All in all we were very happy with our trip.  Thank you for taking such good care of us.
Cheers,

Wendy & Ron Scott
Founder of Scott Walking Safaris
1187 Queen Street # 1
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3H 2S4 Canada
Tel. 902  -  423  - 5000
Email: wendyscott@ns.sympatico.ca

Hi Moses,

I’m sorry for the delay but finally I have found some time to keep my promise.

As I told you already at the Carnivore dinner, the way to arrange such an expensive holiday was a risky experiment: fact is that all the money which has to be prepaid will be a barrier for people because they doubt if they get value for their money. I think this item is the main problem to deal with potential clients.

Therefore I took some precautions. When we were in the booking phase, I asked via the website button of the Kenya Association of Tours Operators how they would deal with financial problems of operators (if they occur) but till today I never got an answer from KATO.

That gives no confidence. Finally I called some lodges and the beach hotel to check if reservations were made for our party. Some said yes, others didn’t give me that information. The communication from your side was excellent, but I can imagine some people need more confidence.
 
I was relieved, as we arrived in Nairobi, that we were awaiting by you and Kuria. My advice is to think and deal more in that way with potential clients.

The first very good thing we did was to travel private. We encountered people sitting with 20-25 persons in a coach, spotting the wildlife. I cannot imagine that’s the way to discover Kenya.
Because we travelled with children of ages 12 and 14 the much travelling was not such a big problem. My advice is to check the ages of travelling children before arranging the holiday.

I wonder if the 2500 km on the very bad roads in Kenya is suitable for ages < 10 years and also for people who are older then 60 or for disabled people.

Sometimes after long travelling days we had a need for quiet, but there was to less time for that. Sometimes the children wanted to take a swim in the pool but unfortunately they were a little bit disappointed about that.

Regarding the lodges, its clear that the Serena lodges were the very best. Okay, what you pay is what you get, but sometimes the difference was very big. Panafric Hotel in Nairobi and the Wildlife Lodge on the Ngorongoro Crater were the less. Towels were too less, were frayed and the service was not fine. In every lodge the food and drinks were fine, especially with attention to the food logistic problems they have. Although I can imagine they have them.
         
Visiting Masai Mara was the biggest event. Thanks for the good advice to visit MM and not Serengeti because of the Great Migration of the wildebeests. However we missed the crocs in the Mara River, the spectacle that the crocs attack the wildebeests.

We asked you to visit Tanzania also but we didn’t realize that it were such big distances, especially while there is only one official pass through for the Kenya/Tanzania border. Probably it is better to visit only parks or reserves in Kenya at one time and split the visit to Tanzania for a next holiday (for the wealthy people…..).

We had a friendly and well skilled driver in Kenya, the Tanzanian counterpart was significant less. Sometimes when we had questions I had the impression the man just was guessing for an explanation. He didn’t know very much about wildlife. Pat Kuria on the back.
Probably it is good to provide clients with things they can discover while they are in the costal region. Some like it but none of us, we had a need for rest.

When we arrived in the beach hotel we were a little bit disappointed because the interconnecting door with the children’s room which we asked for was not possible. But finally it worked better as we expected. No problem.

Dear Moses, overall we had a lovely holiday in Africa, our wishes have come true, thanks for that all. Whenever we are able to visit Africa again, we surely will.

Please say hello to Kuria and tell him I will sent the photographs on a CD soon.
Let me finish wishing you the best.

Best regards,
Jan, Carla, Bob en Lieke.

The holiday safari arranged through Madukha Tours was an excellent experience both the booking and the actual safari was very efficient, friendly and easy.

The thing that stood out was our ability to say what we wanted and Madukha's ability to come up with a package including hotel pickups and airport transfers with minimum fuss.
The next thing that stood out was not only did you arrange it but it all worked, from the taxi at the hotel to the safari pickup everything fitted together well. The standard of the lodges was first class and we had a great experience.

If there was one thing that didn't go down too well was the regular stops at souvenir sellers. In Kenya this can be aggressive and is something we are not used to in Britain and get a bit bothersome. This may well have been done in good will to break up the hard journeys between safari parks.

Overall I have to say the safari was an unforgettable experience and I regularly recommend your company to my friends and colleagues.

Howard Newton
Satisfied customer.
howard.newton@bt.com

Dear Moses,

Just a short message to let you know that we have all arrived home safely.
Thank you once again for a wonderful safari and holiday of a lifetime.

Yours sincerely,

Jill White and all the White Family, Northampton, England. X
jillwhite101@hotmail.com

Hi Moses,

Thank you very much for organizing our holiday which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Everything went smoothly. The only small hitch was the missing reservation at the wildlife lodge but the manager found us a couple of rooms in a flat which was fine.

Gaspar was an excellent and knowledgeable driver and we would highly recommend him to other travellers.

Many thanks and kind regards

Susie Pitt
joeandsusiepitt@btopenworld.com

Dear Moses,

We would just like to say how much we enjoyed our safari and beach holiday with Madukha Tours. Both holidays were very well organized and the safari was made even more enjoyable with our driver guide, Ben’s input. Not only was he obviously a very experienced driver, but also very knowledgeable regarding the wildlife. How he managed to spot all the animals and birds whilst driving was a miracle!  Also the accommodation on safari was very comfortable and the food was excellent. The staff were all very pleasant and helpful.

The holiday at Mbweni Ruins Hotel, Zanzibar was also wonderful. The hotel was exactly as described on your website. It was very comfortable and the staff, as on safari, were very pleasant and helpful. It was a peaceful heaven and the botanical gardens were very interesting. With having such a secluded beach directly in front of the hotel we didn’t have anyone “pestering” us to buy their wares!

We were also very impressed with the punctuality. Whenever we were picked up for a tour, airport and hotel transfers, Ben and the other drivers were all on time. In fact in most cases, they were early! This takes a lot of the worry out of a holiday.

Everything went on very smoothly and we would just like to say how much we enjoyed our last evening at the Carnivore Restaurant – It was quite an Experience.

We would highly recommend Madukha Tours for a well organized and interesting holiday.

Many thanks,Kind regards

Lynne and Geoff Crocker,Walsall Wood, West Midlands,Englandgeoff@crocker37.freeserve.co.uk crockerdial@hotmail.com

Hi Moses,

As we promised we would write to you!! The trip was great. We had a good time in Masai Mara, saw lots of animals and flew over them!!!!! The balloon trip was the best thing ever... Take good care!!

Ariana
livingspace@caribsurf.com

Jambo,
I intended to contact you when we first returned from our holiday but I have had little time to attend to it, my apologies for the delay. This was our second safari / holiday in Kenya. The first was with Somak and was very good. This visit, booked through Maduka, was even better (and cheaper).

Communications and the service provided by Elvis in the UK was first class. In Kenya all the necessary arrangements were in place throughout the holiday, it all went without a hitch.

The safari segment of the holiday was particularly spectacular. I think the season we chose was the quieter time of the year which meant my wife and I were the only two people in the vehicle and we even had the balloon ride to ourselves. It was like having our own personal safari. The icing on the cake was the driver / guide. A delightful chap named Nick. His personality and extensive knowledge of the geography and big game of Kenya made all the difference. He constantly went out of his way to ensure our safari was an experience never to forget. There can't be many better driver/guides in Kenya, he is a great credit to your company.

My only slightly adverse comment would be about the accommodation in the lodge at Lake Nakuru. That was a bit basic and had we been there for more than one night, it would have been a problem.

I have no hesitation in recommending Maduka for a holiday in Kenya, indeed if you wish to make this e-mail available to your prospective customers, please do so.

We will be returning to Kenya for another holiday sometime in the near future, hopefully with the rest of our family. I shall be pleased to contact you again at that time to make the necessary arrangements.

Many thanks and best wishes,
Norman & Marie Lister
sales@mariesantiques.co.uk

My overall assessment of our safari holiday with Madukha is:

EXCELLENT IN EVERY WAY.

The lodges were sumptuous, both in fare and service; our guide was
wonderful, courteous and knowledgeable; our individual requirements
regarding meeting up with the tour was meticulous. I can't think of any
area that was wanting.

I would be quite happy to be quoted on these comments.

Henry Cooper
henrycooper@eircom.net

Dear Moses, 
You asked for some feedback following my safari so here it is. 
EXCELLENT!

Everything ran smoothly (except the roads!).David's driving was exceptionally good.
His eyesight and knowledge were fantastic.The accommodation was perfect.

I would do it all again and wouldn't hesitate in recommending your company to my friends.
The only thing which I could suggest which may have made it even better is to take account of the fact that several people may fly out of Nairobi late in the evening. 

This means that rather than leaving early from the Masai Mara and getting back to Nairobi at lunchtime, you could have a morning safari for 3-4 hours, then drive directly to the airport arriving around 6 pm.  This would have certainly suited me and I suspect others as well. Altogether though a wonderful experience.

Could you please wish David well (he was a bit poorly) and thank him for being such an excellent driver and guide.

Regards
Richard
richard@researchguidance.org

Hi

Thanks for the chance to offer some comments. 

I would say that everything went well, generally, and I would recommend you to others. 
The tour was well organized.  Our driver did a good job and was an informative guide.  the lodges in the game parks were comfortable and reasonably priced. 

the lodge booked on the coast between Mombassa and Malindi (I forget the name) I didn't care for as much.  It was a huge tourist factory.  I would have appreciated knowing that before the booking was made because I wanted a smaller, more personal place. 

Hope this helps.
Regards,
Tom Park
tpark92@hotmail.com

Hi monica,

we arrived back safely after a fantastic honeymoon at Hakuna Majiwe...it was all that we hoped for and the owner Claudio proved to be a real friend...even inviting us to his home for 'late drinks' ...our stopover in Stone Town at Emerson and Green was fantastic also or garden room was incredible and we will never forget the most romantic and atmospheric meal in their intimate rooftop restaurant .. we can only thank you for making this special holiday so unforgettable for both of us.

Our only minor complaint was the flight back from Nairobi...the standard of service was nothing like the inbound flight from Heathrow which was terrific....the flight back was marred by poor service and the fact that we did not receive our full meals or indeed any breakfast at all...we were told this was the fault of ground crew not loading enough meals.

However this did not spoil out time in Tanzania...and something we realise was out of your control. Once again may we both thank you for your service and professional attitude throughout...something that European tour operators could learn from...if we travel to Africa again you will be our first stop in arranging our journey...thank you...Steve and Sarah (his new wife!)

Steve Barney
silverfox_4@hotmail.com

Dear Moses,

I wanted to write and let you know that our Tanzanian Holiday went extremely well.

Everything worked like clockwork. The quality of the accommodation provided was excellent and the service of the staff who helped us was always first class.

My wife and I had a very good holiday and were very pleased with the work done by you and your team. Thank you. We will not hesitate to recommend Madukha Tours & Safaris to our friends.

Best wishes,

Peter Ross
Telephone: 44  01582  522840
Email:peter.ross@ntlworld.com

Moses,

Many thanks for organising such a great trip to Kenya. We all had a fantastic time and enjoyed every aspect of the holiday.

We asked you to arrange a holiday that would be appropriate for a family of 4 - children aged 10 & 12 - and would incorporate safari and beach. The itinerary you gave us was excellent value for money and included everything we wanted.

I would specifically like to thank you for organizing such an excellent guide and driver. Courier (I'm unsure of the spelling) was professional at all times, knowledgeable and highly responsible.

Overall Madukha Tours did an excellent job for us and we were very pleased with all aspects of the holiday - including all aspects of the administration and the excellent recommendations for hotels and lodges. Specifically I would like to highlight the way in which Madukha Tours responded when our plans changed due to the weather. We needed a last-minute flight from Masai Mara to Nairobi and this was arranged quickly and efficiently. I'm sure that the larger companies would not have been able to react so quickly.

Many thanks also for dinner at The Carnivore - it was a truly memorable end to a fantastic holiday.

We would be more than happy to provide references for you to people from the UK. Additionally, we have no problem in you using our comments on your website. Please go ahead.

We'd be happy to be your Ambassador here. Just let me know how we can help.

Many thanks

The Green Family
Elmsfield House,Worcester Road ,Chipping Norton,Oxon,OX7 5XS,UK
Email: Julie@elmsfield.co.uk