Embark on the Safari Of Your Dreams

Our Kenyan safari with Native Afrika Voyages was exceptional from start to finish and would not have been possible without Ella McKendrick, who first recommended the company. Ella shared a carefully curated list of local Kenyan and Tanzanian operators, helping us book directly with trusted local businesses, avoid unnecessary middlemen, and better support the local economy. Her Kenya-specific travel checklist was extremely helpful and made planning easy and stress-free.

From the first contact, Native Afrika Voyages were a pleasure to work with. Linet stood out for her prompt, clear, and professional communication. She took time to understand our budget, accommodation preferences, and interests, and designed a fully tailor-made safari. Her flexibility with instalment payments was greatly appreciated, as was the extra care she took in arranging our Nairobi airport transfers, giving us peace of mind from the moment we arrived.

Linet personally met us on the first day of the safari to walk us through the itinerary and safari guidelines, and we were given thoughtful welcome items, including hats and reusable water bottles. Our driver, Cyrus, was outstanding from the start — highly skilled, safety-focused, and extremely knowledgeable about Kenyan roads, wildlife, and animal behaviour.

Our time in the Masai Mara was extraordinary. We saw an incredible range of wildlife, including multiple lion encounters, elephants, buffalo, cheetahs, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, hyenas, and a leopard resting in a tree. Staying near a Maasai village also allowed for a meaningful cultural visit. Our final night in the Mara Triangle at the iconic Mara Serena Lodge was a highlight, with breathtaking scenery and unforgettable sunrise and sunset views. The safari concluded perfectly with a bush sundowner overlooking the Mara.

Cyrus later drove us to the Isebania border and personally assisted us through customs, ensuring a smooth handover to Safari Soles for the Tanzanian portion of our trip. The coordination between the two sister companies made the transition effortless.

Cyrus deserves special recognition for his skill, warmth, and deep knowledge, which made the safari both safe and enriching. By the end of the journey, he felt more like a friend than a driver.

We highly recommend Native Afrika Voyages for anyone planning a Kenyan safari. Thanks to Ella McKendrick’s guidance, her excellent resources, and the exceptional care of the Native Afrika Voyages team — especially Linet and Cyrus — this was a truly unforgettable safari experience.

Photo Credit, My travel companion: @aussiecobra

This journey would not have been possible without Ella McKendrick, who recommended Safari Soles in Tanzania and their sister company, Native Afrika Voyages in Kenya. Her advice was invaluable: she connected us directly with trusted local operators, avoiding large marketplace platforms and unnecessary commissions, while also supporting local African businesses. Ella also shared detailed country-specific travel checklists, which were incredibly useful and made planning far less overwhelming. It was also reassuring that our safari closely reflected what we had seen in her YouTube travel videos — everything unfolded just as she had shown and described.

From the start, Safari Soles were professional, responsive, and easy to work with. They took time to understand our budget, accommodation preferences, and interests, and created a fully tailor-made safari. Flexible instalment payment options were another appreciated touch.

Our trip began in Kenya with Native Afrika Voyages before our driver Cyrus escorted us to the Isebania border and assisted us through customs, where we were seamlessly handed over to Godlisten from Safari Soles. It was one of the easiest border crossings we’ve experienced, and travelling by road allowed us to see both countries properly.

Godlisten was our driver and guide for five days in Tanzania, taking us through the Serengeti, Ndutu, and Ngorongoro Crater. He was kind, highly experienced, and an excellent driver, and his knowledge of wildlife, birdlife, animal behaviour, and Tanzanian history greatly enriched our safari.

After the safari, we stayed at Arusha Farm House. On our final full day, Enock drove us to Materuni Waterfalls and a coffee-making tour in Materuni Village near Mount Kilimanjaro, introducing us to our local guide Elya, whose knowledge of the area and plants enhanced the walk.

The Materuni coffee experience was a highlight of the trip, with warm local hosts, singing, fresh Arabica coffee, and a shared lunch in the village. Spending time with Enock, Elya, and the local community, learning some Swahili, and hearing young Tanzanian perspectives made this day especially meaningful.

Safari Soles’ accommodation advice was excellent, including their suggestion to spend a night in Ndutu rather than staying entirely in the central Serengeti. The Safari Haven Migration Camp was a beautiful tented camp I recognised from Ella’s earlier Safari Soles trip.

What truly sets Safari Soles apart is their customer-focused approach. We appreciated meeting Laurent, the manager, to share feedback, and on our final morning Frank drove us around Arusha and to the airport, friendly and knowledgeable like all our drivers. Complimentary drinks in the vehicles and the high-quality safari vehicles were thoughtful finishing touches.

Overall, we had a fantastic experience and highly recommend Safari Soles to anyone planning a dream safari. I would also highly recommend Safaris by Ella — her guidance, resources, and personal experience were invaluable in planning our perfect trip. Special thanks to Ella McKendrick, and to Godlisten, Enock, Frank, Laurent, and Boniface for their care, expertise, and excellent coordination.

*photo credits my travel companion: @aussicobra

Thanks for your recommendations and help. My daughter and I were beyond thrilled with the 8 day safari – one of 3 companies you suggested.

The service beforehand (Esther); our guide/ driver (Anthony) was great – friendly, professional, safe, experienced; a comfortable vehicle. Saw loads of wonderful animals. We travelled in March, not crowded.

All accommodation was great and they catered to our food requests (gluten and dairy issues). Food was very good.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.

Wanted to do a Kenyan Safari to celebrate the 60th birthday of my dear Amita Ran into a blog by Ella Online.

She sent us few names whom she had travelled with. Shortlisted Meek Trails.

Lovely experience with Pauline and her mates. Wilson our driver and guide was a big plus. Chirpy with a nose to smell animals and extremely knowledgeable

Had more sighting of animals and birds than we anticipated.

Great hotels (few having only fans and having none) with yum food

Extremely beautiful trip which culminated with the gorgeous Diani Beach with all inclusive resort

So happy I read Ella blog

My partner and I stumbled upon Safaris by Ella a few months ago and decided to give it a try – what a fantastic discovery it was! Through Ella we got in touch with trusted safari companies in Kenya, got quotes, and eventually embarked on the adventure of a lifetime!

Thanks to Ella’s suggestions, we booked an 8 day safari tour with Meektrails and had an amazing experience. Our tour guide was very knowledgable and did everything in his power to make sure we would see as much as possible and have a fantastic time in Kenya. The trip went beyond our expectations and we’d definitely recommend Ella and Meektrails to anyone interested in a safari tour in Kenya.

Ella was also very helpful before our trip – she shared a lot of useful information and guidance that helped us prepare for our trip and learn about Kenya.

All in all, a great experience!

Came across Ella’s site while searching for a family safari option in Tanzania. We contacted her recommendations and of those Frank at Serengeti Clarity was extremely responsive and helpful at setting up a custom made tour for us. Ella also provided a nice pdf summary of things to think about for travelling. I would just add that if you fly into Kilimanjaro be prepared for very slow moving queues to check visas and passport. We had a great family holiday. Thanks Ella for providing the reviews.