THE A TEAM
Axis Africa Expedition & Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Member Of:
- KATO & TRA
- Tour Types:
- Mid-range & luxury tours with set start dates and a fixed itinerary
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $1,200 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Katie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent for a mid-range safari
Axis was recommended by a coworker and I can see why! I contacted many safari companies and a lot of them made me feel bad about my budget. Axis, however, was completely understanding and willing to give me multiple options as I tried to plan a last-minute trip. Jackline always replied to my questions promptly and worked with me until the itinerary was exactly what I wanted.
Safari itinerary: 5 days/4 nights, three nights in Masai Mara, 1 night in Lake Naivasha
Accommodation: Mara Maisha Camp was huge but still had the high end camp look you imagine for a safari. The buffet meals were good but you may struggle with the meat options if you dont like bones, gristle, and toughness (I think this may be common for Kenyan food and chose the vegetarian options most of the time). I was also disappointed that our booking didn't include any water or soft drinks at meals, but I guess that's how they keep the price down. We didn't have much time at our hotel in Lake Naivasha, Enashipai Resort, but it was very nice and reminded me a bit of resorts in Hawaii.
The Safari itself was fantastic and that is fully due to our amazing guide, Peter Ngigi. His passion for being a Guide really showed as he took us to areas other safari trucks weren't going to and told us all about the different animals. We managed to see everything except leopards and black rhino, but that was not for lack of trying! I particularly appreciate how much Peter thought about creating an experience we would remember; he made sure I got the best photo angles and even took photos of my husband and me so that we'd always have the memories.
My only suggestion to Axis is to include more transparent guidelines/suggestions for tipping and incidentals not included in the trip cost. I brought the recommended amount of cash to tip our Guide and accommodations, but did not factor in 1) being highly encouraged into doing the Masai Village tour ($30 USD per person plus tip) 2) tips for Lake Naivasha boat driver and guide on Crescent Lake 3) gorge hike in Hell's gate ($75 USD plus tip). I researched prices and tip suggestions a lot before the trip and didn't find specifics like this anywhere. So my recommendation to anyone reading this review is to bring a lot more cash than you plan on, or be good at saying no.
If you are looking for a reputable and reliable mid-range safari option, book with Axis!!
AF
Email Sophie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
11/10 - fantastic safari experience!!
Had the most amazing experience on my 3-day safari with Charles, our guide and driver! Charles was super knowledgeable about all the animals and the Maasai Mara itself, he was a great driver and in only 2 days we saw 3 of the big 5 (lions, elephants and buffalo, plus a cheetah!) Accommodation in wild nest was super cozy and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. Food was great. Overall I would highly recommend Axis Africa safaris to anyone looking for great value for money, and guaranteed safari sightings! I was nervous as a solo traveler but the group I was with were super welcoming and friendly and Charles went out of his way to make sure everything went really smoothly. I hope to do another safari in future!
ES
Email Enrique | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Top
Marcus | Masai Mara
Lions — Multiple sightings across every drive. Large prides, cubs, males and females resting and roaming. The Masai Mara is cats territory and Marcus proved it over and over.
Cheetah — Marcus tracked a cheetah mid-hunt and we watched it take down a gazelle right in front of us. One of the most raw and breathtaking things we have ever witnessed in nature.
Rhino — The most special moment of the trip. A rhino sighting is something very few visitors ever get. Marcus made it happen. We were speechless.
Elephants — Large herds moving across the savannah with that quiet, unstoppable grace.
Hippos — The Mara delivered something truly unique: we watched a full fight between two adult hippos in the river, raw and thunderous, and just minutes later spotted a newborn calf sheltering against its mother on the bank. Emotional doesn't cover it.
Nile Crocodiles — Massive, motionless, menacing along the Mara River. Marcus explained their behaviour with fascinating precision.
We cannot recommend Marcus highly enough. Professional, passionate, and with a knowledge of this ecosystem that goes far beyond anything we expected.
Email Isaac | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome trip with an awesome guide.
This was one of the best trips I have ever had. Richard was an absolutely fantastic guide. Definitely request him. Everything was well organized from start to finish.
A well-organized tour operator with excellent guides.
We had a wonderful safari experience and everything was very well organized. Our guide, Richard, was kind, attentive and extremely knowledgeable. You can really tell he is passionate about his work, and he made the whole experience much better. He always made sure we had the best possible experience in the parks. If we come back, we would definitely love to have Richard as our guide again.
Email Isabella | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience, hakuna matata!
We had an AMAZING time with Axis Africa! From the beginning, Rita was very helpful and organised, and orchestrated our Safari perfectly. Our driver Raymond was very keen to find all the animals, he is very knowledgeable and accommodated all of our requests. He always made sure we had the best spot for the pictures, we had an amazing time. Overall the experience was seamless, the recommended hotels were perfect, big shout out to Elephant Gorge Camp and Entim Camp Masai Mara, I highly recommend both! Nakuru Sopa Lounge was also very good. The biggest highlight with Axis Africa is the value for money, other companies were charging twice the price, for what I imagine to be the same experience. We had a magical time and saw A LOT of animals!
Hakuna Matata!
Just had the most fabulous week with the Axis Safari. You don’t need to worry about anything , just enjoy the trip. Our guide Raymond was very patient and always keen to find the animals for us to see. The hotels were fantastic too. We are now leaving Kenya, but if we could we would definitely stay longer!
Email Richard | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent communication & execution
I would definitely recommend Axis. Their initial whatsapp communication was brilliant and this set the tone for all that followed. Our driver / Roger was superb - so knowledgeable and informative. All aspects of the Safari were superb and exactly as Axis had specified
CA
Email Mike | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The top!
Very nice safaris with Roger, good truck, good food, The explanations from Roger was very clear and he found easely animals, I recommand this nice guy!
Email Cameron | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Roger was very friendly, with fantastic driving and going out of the way to find us the best animals
The tour was fantastic, every type of animal spotted and fantastically guided by Roger. 2 days in Maasai Mara and we saw a huge number of lions. Would highly recommend.