Big Time Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2006)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $1,735 to $7,805 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
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If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Ava | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Nothing but great service
I booked my Safari from new york because Big time had the best prices so who knew what to expect.
They recommended a great hotel for me in Nairobi, got my bus tickets to Mombassa at no extra charge.
Our Safri was wonderful and we had Ken as our guide and driver and we saw everything and more plus he stopped for snacks when my son was hungry. He was fantastic and had connections with other guides so
we got to see it all. Could not be more satisfied. Did Masa Mara and Lake Nakuru; the accommodations at
Masa mara are tents with bathrooms very basic and 4 star at Lake Nakuru. The price might be a bargain but the service is exceptional all around. Love Big Time thanks for making it affordable.
Email Tom Phillips | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent customer service, organisation and Value for money
Big time organised a 11 night stay for us in Kenya and Tanzania. Everything went amazingly well and we loved every minute of the trip. We had an amazing time in the Masai Mara, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti getting very close to the animals. We were picked up and delivered to the airport before and after the trip and all our other requests were sorted for us. The Tanzania leg was subcontracted to another Safari company but that was all done very professionally and we saw no drop in standard when we crossed the boarder. Would happily recommend big time to anyone looking for a budget safari
Good for budget
Big Time Safari LTD were great at keeping in touch with us before the safari and answered all our queries promptly. Martha was very friendly and helpful- doing everything she could to make our trip memorable. We were picked up and dropped off at the airport (separately as we had different flights) at very awkward times in the morning for free as part of this package. We did the 3 day masai trip which was pretty cheap. You do get what you pay for so cannot expect luxury (accommodation was very basic, food was good though) but every basic need was catered for. Our group had a great dynamic which helped make our trip most enjoyable- we managed to see the majority of the big 5 on our first game drive in the afternoon. Highly recommended.
IE
Email Kate | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience
We really enjoyed our safari to the Massai Mara. Martha from Big Time safari is fantastic and helped us every step of the way. We wanted to add a few days in Tanzania and they even accomodated that, although we did NOT have a good experience with the Tanzanian safari group so be sure to ask for Martha and you will have an experience of a life time!!
MX
Email Chencha Flores | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!!!!
Everything its amazing!!! we spend a lot of time with Big time's services, actually all our time in Africa… was with them, an awesome experience, all the drives, the cookers and the office guys was very very friendly with us.
All the time they had a lot of attentions with us and try to get us the best time there… actually they help us with personal stuffs!! Was our Kenyan family
Thanks big time!!! been honor of you name, was a Big time in this trip (safari) ;) see you soon!!!
Email Maryellen Gamberg | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Big Time Safaris = Big Time Experience!
If you are looking for an outstanding safari experience at an affordable price, Big Time Safaris is the travel company for you. The safaris that BTS offer is a great deal for singles, couples, and families like ours. The service provided by this company is extraordinary and the value is unbelievable. You will receive exceptional assistance from Anne or Martha prior to your trip. Anne answered our countless questions immediately and helped us to plan the perfect trip. Our family did a ten day Kenya and Tanzania safari. Our guide in Kenya was so knowledgeable about each and every animal and how best to see them. It was clear to us that he was the "go to" guide among all guides. We learned so much about every animal as well as the Masai culture. Unlike lodges where the game drives happen in the morning and the afternoon with lots of down time in between, BTS maximizes each day with sunrise, day long, and/or sunset game drives, as well as other cultural experiences if you choose to. Our Tanzania safari also had a great guide and an outstanding chef who prepared enviable meals during our pitched tent camping in the Serengeti and Ngorangora. We wanted an authentic camping experience because we thought that it would put us in the most natural setting. Our safaris included a nice balance of accommodations at modest but more than adequate hotels, fixed tents (with beds and bathrooms = glamping!) as well as traditional pitch tents (all equipment provided) where docile zebras grazed at our door. You can keep your luxury lodges, I'll take a true once in a lifetime natural experience like that any day!
Our safari vehicles held 7-8 people. One of the best parts of the trip was meeting our fabulous travel companions and people at the campsites from all over the world. We left with many friends, both locals and travelers alike.
One of the many wonderful services that BTS provides is that they picked us up from the airport the day before our safari and brought us to our hotel. They then picked us up from our hotel and delivered us to their offices where the safari began, and returned us to our hotel (airport if you need) at the end. This is a huge savings as we did not have to take taxis as we would have with the other safari companies that we looked into. As well, we were able to leave large suitcases in their offices at no charge. Other safari companies charged for this service. This allowed us to store our bags for future travel after the safaris.
BTS is your one stop company for all your trip needs. We were able to arrange for a private driver through BTS, at a ridiculously low price for 8-10 hours, for the three days we spent in Nairobi after the safari. Anne helped us to plan three amazing days in Nairobi. We were so overwhelmed when the owner of the company and Anne, our planner, visited us at our nearby hotel the morning after our safari to make sure that we were happy with our BTS experience. I could go on and on about how wonderful this company is and how outstanding our safari experience was. It's hard to find a safari that includes everything and some for this price. We will most certainly book our next trip with Big Time Safaris!
CA
Email Carter | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great first time experience in Africa with Big Time Safaris
We did the ten day Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater tour. Right from the start we were picked up from the airport, which we felt more comfortable with than finding our own taxi. We had an extra day before our safari started and John Obae, the CEO/President of Big Time Safaris, came to the hotel to make sure that we were alright and made sure we would not be bored during the day. He set up a wonderful day touring the different attractions around Nairobi. I was very impressed that they made this extra effort to ensure that our visit was excellent.
The drive to Masai Mara is long and rough, but there is no way around it. Great experience driving through rural Kenya. The Eco Lodge was more than satisfactory as we had our own tent, which included a large bed and private bathroom. Food was great. Our guide made every effort to ensure that we got up close to all animals (Thanks Patrick). You have the opportunity to go to a Masai Mara village. Allen, the Masai man who shows you around, speaks excellent english, but be prepared to purchased some of their merchandise.
Arriving at Lake Nakuru, the hotel that we were supposed to check into was full, but we were quickly taken to another hotel next door and given rooms. The water level of the lake has risen substantially over the past several years to the point where all of the flamingos have left to a different lake. The itinerary says that there are flamingos there. It was still a nice drive around the lake and we did get to see a group of rhinos.
At Lake Manyara, the accommodation is absolutely sensational and far exceeded our expectations. The name of the accommodation was Panorama Safari Camp and we had private "igloo" rooms, great views of the Great Rift Valley, electricity, wifi, very clean bathrooms, full service bar (accepted major credit cards), singing/dancing, and an acrobat show. The game drive itself is a little slow, but you can't expect to see animals constantly.
Camping in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater are both more than adequate with the Ngorongoro site being a little better equipped (warm showers and plug ins to charge electronics). Remember to bring warm clothes as it is quite cold over night and in the early mornings. Both game drives were good, but not quite as good as the Masai Mara Reserve only because there are fewer roads, limiting close access to animals.
Our guide, Lenus, and chef, Hodgie, were great. Hodgie can really cook and we were never close to being hungry. Lenus was very easy to get along with and liked to joke around. He was also very knowledgeable about the animals.
Budget hotels that are provided are also more than adequate. Warm showers, wifi, breakfast, etc.
Just allow yourself to go with the flow while on the tour. Things can change quickly, but you are always taken care of.
Lastly, not enough can be said about Martha at Big Time Safari. We were in contact with her for many months leading up to our safari and also during our safari. She is always quick to tend to all our needs, such as booking hotels and arranging drivers. Her customer service is truly exceptional and she made our time here run smoothly.
Budget friendly and kid friendly
Summary:
We had a great time with on the BTS budget safari with our young family. Our 1 and 3 year old children were safe, well-fed and cared for, and we got to see the Big 5 and more on our game drives. Food was good and plentiful, accommodation was suitable, guides were friendly. Not 5 star luxury touring by any standards, but it was better than expected and we had great service from Martha at BTS Kenya.
BTS:
- It's difficult to find a well-priced safari tour that allows young children, but Big Time Safaris provided us with a fantastic tour for our family. We traveled to Kenya with a 22 month old and a 3 year old, and BTS were very accommodating of their child car seats and general needs. Martha runs the show in the Kenya office and she's great. Answers emails and Whatsapp messages very promptly and she's very knowledgeable about everything. She was very understanding when our flight to Nairobi was cancelled at the last minute, and adjusted our tour so that we did not miss out on any game drives despite arriving 6hrs late and missing the original start time.
The tour:
- the tour was great. We were prepared for very budget lodgings given the cost of the tour but were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the tented camp in Masai Mara. the budget hotel in Lake Nakuru was quite nice too. The Tanzanian side was more in keeping with the 'budget' title, and we slept two nights in the public camping grounds near the Crater and Serengeti, but the facilities were fine and we had no complaints.
- you get different guides in Kenya and Tanzania. Both sets of guides were very kind to us and our kids, and we enjoyed the game drives immensely.
The kids:
- The vast majority of Kenyan/Tz tours available on Safari Bookings had age restrictions to >8 or even >15yrs. Clearly that wasn't going to work for my family, and we had very few operators to choose from. That said, BTS were really excellent.
- Camping/budget safaris will obviously not suit every toddler, but ours really enjoyed the experience. They had fun camping and we were sensible and prepared extensively - we brought snacks and toys for them, installed our own child car seats so that they could sleep on the drive and were securely seated, etc.
- Be aware that the public camping sites get pretty cold in the evenings, particularly the Crater. We brought toddler sleeping suits and sleeping bags and the kids slept well.
Note:
- We chose a tour that covered Kenya (Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara) and Tz (Lake Manyara, the Crater, Serengeti). Be aware that the Tanzanian part of the tour is not conducted by BTS, rather it is run by a separate Tanzanian company. We did all our correspondence through Martha in Kenya, and I would recommend that other travellers do so, too, to avoid any confusion or payments issues with the Tanzanian office.
Unique experience - value for its money
Safari with Big Time was an amazing experience, I can only recommend them! We had the experienced driver Richard who was able to show us the best (animal) spots of the Masai Mara. The first evening we got to see a lion family eating a freshly killed zebra. The day after we were lucky to see the leopard which is hard to spot. There were many other tourist vans, but Richard got to drive us to the best spot to see the leopard from a very close point of view. Tents are comfortable, a bed with matrass and musquito net are provided. There is a decent toilet with a lavabo and a shower. In the morning and evening, there is warm water in the camp. During those periods, there is also electricity provided by a generator. Food was tasty, as a man I had enough to eat during every meal. One of Big Time's added value is their hospitality. My flight got delayed with 4h. Their driver was still waiting for me in the middle of the night. Due to this delay my hotel got cancelled, but Big Time arranged me a hotel in the center of Nairobi at a friends price (17€ instead of 40€ official price). The day after just before Safari departure, as I just arrived, they guided me to an exchange office, helped me out buying a local sim card and assisted me to supermarket for groces. To summarize, a great experience definitely worth the money!
JP
Email tomoya | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
reliable and reasonablly cheap
they can make flexible and cheap plan as a professional.
drivers are also reliable and good guide.
i stromgly recommend u.