We were returning to Africa and wanted to go on safari again with the help of Best Camping Tours & Safaris, the same company we booked with in 1995. We were delighted to work with Imraan, the son of the owner we worked with originally. Imraan asked us a few key questions and in no time put together an itinerary that fit our goals and timetable. He arranged an amazing safari experience, smooth transport and a fantastic lodge accommodation. He recommended traveling to Maasai Mara by small plane as the weather had made the roads difficult for travel. It not only saved us time, because we likely would have been stuck on the roads as other travelers were, but it also added immensely to the experience – the flight was spectacular. The private guide Imraan arranged at Maasai Mara grew up in the area and was intimately familiar with everything and every place in the park. The lodge Imraan booked, Keekorok, was wonderful. The staff treated us so well. The lodge was spotlessly clean, and the food was outstanding, with a huge variety of dishes and loads of fresh fruit and vegetables. But it was the setting that stood out. it was an oasis, with a variety of animals nearby and even walking through the grounds. The hippo pool with viewing tower was captivating. We can’t say enough about the impeccable service and value of Best Camping Tours and Safaris. We will definitely look forward to booking with the company again in the future.
Had a really wonderful and memorable time with Joseph who is our guide as well as driver. Very friendly and knows his way around, with his perseverance, we were able to see Africa Big 5 with our own eyes.
Imraan was very professional and answers every pre-trip questions timely and accurately. We even had a briefing right before the start of the safari so that everyone is on the same page and to clarify any questions we may have.
Very professional service and I will highly recommend their service to anyone looking for a wonderful safari adventure in Kenya
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The tour to Kenya was more than satisfaction, excitement and ‘recharging’ for everybody who love Nature, Animals and Birds (fauna & flora of a real JUNGLE). BCTS is not simply a ‘Professional’ entity, but a ‘Very Personal Touch – Organization’. All arrangements during our (all of us in the age group of 60 to 73) ten days’ tour, were excellent and absolutely haselfree. One need not worry about stay, facilities, food, conveyance and everyday timetable. The Owners, Managers, Co-workers, hotel – staff were very affectionate. The Owners were really concerned for our wellbeing throughout our stay till departure. No words to express our satisfaction for the tour as a whole, towards the Owners Mr. Shiraj & Mr. Imran Nanji who took care of us with real affection, wholeheartedly. Especially our Driver Mr. Ben was a wonderful personality; being very alert, sober, enthusiastic, expert in locating right spots during game drives, and very patient too! Our manager Mr. Thomas was a great help to us at all difficult times. Camera (any type), Binoculars are ‘a must’. Our short visit of total 14 days (3 days in Masaimara) was so memorable, that we had our ‘Lifetime Experience’ which everybody must have at least once! GO KENYA ONLY WITH BEST CAMPING TOURS AND SAFARIS AND ENJOY!!!!!
One of the best trips. Visited Nairobi , Masai Mara , lake Nakuru , Samburu, mt. Kenya, Amboseli- in Kenya. Then immigrated to Tanzania n visited Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire forest reserve. Had a fabulous sighting of the BIG 5. Very well planned tour by Best Camping tours. Superb hotels n Resorts at all the game reserves. Fabulous drive through Kenya and Tanzania. Fabulous Drivers and who were our best tour guides too. Vegetarian food was also arranged by Best camping for our group.
This was an incredible family trip !! From the moment we arrived in Nairobi and through the travels to Rift Valley, Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Ol’ Pajeta and back to Nairobi, Best Camping Tours & Safaris took great care of us. Imraan (owner ) was fantastic in communicating with us and helping us plan the trip in every detail. Paul, our driver and guide had a 20+ year experience and he made sure we saw everything that there was to see. The kids were mesmerized by the parks, the scenery and the animals. Accommodations were above expectations and the food was awesome.
Thank you Imraan and Paul for an unforgettable experience !!!!
Ask Stephanos T about Best Camping Tours & Safaris
We had a great Kenyan Safari Trip from April 6 – 15. Mr Imran Did a great job of planning our trip and taking it to a logical conclusion. He took care of us all very well and our personal food preferences were met to the minutest details. His manager Thomas & our Vehicle Guide cum Driver – BEN. were of great help. Ben is a running encyclopedia of Kenyan Parks and and has eagle eyes to spot the wild life and position his vehicle at the right spot for us for great viewing. He is very patient, does not loose his temper and is very soft spoken. He does not easily get swayed by our tempting requests and follows the discipline and rules of the parks and softly tells ” sorry we can not go this way “. It was really our good luck to have a guide like hi on the tour.
Mr. Imran & Mr. Sheraz Nanji ( Imran’s Father ) sre really blessed to have great teams to manage their show. In fact they are all there with them because of the family like treatment they must be getting from Imran & Sheraz bhai.
I can blindly recommend them to anybody planning a safari in Kenya.
We took a two week safari with Imraan in Sept 2017. He was a great host starting with the pick-up at the airport through the entire experience. He even arranged a 4 am airport departure with his private driver. The cost was really great. All of the accommodations were way above expectations, didn’t feel like a tent clamp at all. Everything was clean and well maintained, beds were comfortable. Paul (guide) was very safe and helpful driver and guide. He found all the animals we wanted to see and was entertaining along the way. We would highly recommend them to anyone!!
We were a group of 9 from mumbai and from the time we landed in nairobi,best camping guys made us feel a part of their family and gave excellent service.the hotel accomdation in massi mara,samburu,nakuru,mount kenya,amboseli and ngorongro/tarangire in tanzania were very good.the rooms were well spaced out,neat and clean,all of us were vegetarians and we had no difficulty on that front throughout our tour.i would highly recommend best camping safaris for those wishing to have a real feel of wildlife game watching with excellent service and well informed drivers.the only regret i have is that i stayed only for 12 days .
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We did a 4 days tour with Best Camping Tours. They planned everything for us from Airport pickup to Airport Drop and everything in between while giving us very personalized service and taking care of all our special requirements.
On the very first day, we had a problem with Airline and we arrived very late in Nairobi which they handled very gracefully. With reference of them, we managed to get a very good discount on our Hotel – when i say very good it means much below the standard rate of that room on that night – almost half the price.
We went to Masai Mara with private Safari Car for two nights. Local arrangements were outstanding and we truly experienced the thrill of living in the wild, in a tent! Caretakers were extremely polite, caring & well cultured. they showed us around all the wild animals; within few hours we managed to see all the big 5’s” – seriously I am not joking, all the big 5’s. It looked like the tour guide was so seasoned and knew every bit of national park that he took right at the spot where those animals could be found. Other day, we witnessed a hunt as well. Local Masai guards, who guarded our tent at night, were amazingly sweet and surprisingly good at English. They took special care of our dietary requirements as well.
They also showed us a local Masai village (you can find those amazing videos and photos on my Instagram account) and gave briefing about traditions and way of living.
We went to Lake Naivasha for one night with same car and then our back to Nairobi. Driver cum Guide, Mr. John, was so eager to help us when we made a request to have some photos in tea farms. At the same time, he was very protective about our safety.
No doubt, this was one of our best adventurous trip and this team made it even more interesting and unforgettable. Did I forget to mention value for money? Yes, we got best value for our money and let me mention here that we were having economy budget.
To all those, who are seeking adventure in Safari Capital of Africa, should stop right here on this page and no need for further internet browsing – Just go with this company – You won’t regret it!
3 day / 2 night tour with Best Camping Tours and Safaris (and a note on Kisumu-based companies)”
Reviewed March 25, 2017
The Maasai Mara triangle was absolutely brilliant; so glad I came here. We saw everything we wanted except the ever-elusive leopard, and I came away a very happy camper! I did a combination tour with Lake Nakuru; if I had to book over, I would have skipped Nakuru (where everything is too far away to see without binoculars, and you certainly can’t take pictures without a mega zoom lens) and asked for another early morning game drive at MM. The early morning drive was the best – that’s when we saw most of the predators. Sunset was wonderful as well, but sunrise took the cake, as it were. A quick note about Kisumu-based tour companies: I was based in Kisumu and got quotes from both Zaira and IntegriTours; the first price IT quoted me was $160 more than Zaira!!! When I asked him to break that price down for me, he actually gave me a different number – almost $100 less than he’d originally said. That seems like a pretty shady business practice to me. I ended up going with a group out of Nairobi so I could pay a bit less, but ended up paying for a private driver to take me to Narok to meet them. It would have been easier to start the trip from Nairobi! Really loved the company I went with, though. The scenery we saw, the thrill of sleeping in tents while falling asleep to howls and growls, and watching the animals sprint across the open savannah were worth every penny.
Best experience ever with Best Camping Tours & Safaris
Best experience ever with Best Camping Tours & Safaris We had an amazing time while camping with BCTS. They were absolutely professional, from the airport complimentary pick-up to the end of our safari. Everything was perfectly organized and we felt super safe in every moment. All the staff were very kind and helpful, and the service they provide is superb!
The camping was so comfortable; the tents were spacious and had thick mattresses and blankets, the bathrooms had hot water showers, the dining room had light and plugs in order to charge the mobile phone or camera batteries. But the real highlight is that the camping is right at Talek gate which means that you can wake-up at 6:25 a.m. and being in the park spotting giraffes at 6:30 a.m. since it is really close to the gate in contrast to other low-cost safari companies that offers cheap safaris but being to far away from the gates (which means to lose so much time before entering the park). Another point to have in mind is that we had several safaris, specially at sunrise and sunset, which are the best hours to spot felines.
The food was absolutely delicious (thanks Steve!) and the camping was guarded by two Masais (John & Bill) that did not allow any animal to get close to the camping and were very nice and kind. Our driver Joseph had such a good eye when finding animals hidden in the bushes. He was trully professional and accomplish strictly the safari schedules.
To sum up, it is a great option to go on a quality and also budget safari, 5 out of 5!
Very good and professional safari company with great staff
Everything was very well arranged, from the pickup at Nairobi Airport, hotel in Nairobi and a great safari experience. The camping facilities are good and the overnight hotel after Nakuru parks is very nice. Our guide Edward is not only very friendly, he really makes sure you have a great safari experience. The vehicles are comfortable and in good condition. The food is very good as well. Great value for money!
Two days in Masai Mara and a day in Lake Nakuru National Park
The tour was exactly what I wanted and an amazing way to finish my trip in Kenya. We spotted the Big Five over the course of the safari and our driver, Joseph, couldn’t have been more knowledgeable or helpful. I would definitely recommend!
Perfect service
Best price , with best quality . I booked a 7 days tour , perfect service , especially for dinner , we had a young and amazing chef . Best choice , we ‘ ll back with our baby ..
A wonderful chance to experience an amazing safari at budget costs
I went on safari with Best Camping in September 2016 ehwith my friend. From the very start it was easy to plan, I spoke with Imraan and was offered flexibility on dates and pick up and drop off locations. Ben was an excellent driver who made us laugh, and has an excellent eye, meaning we saw elephants, lions, zebras, giraffes, ostriches, hippos and more. The tents were small but adequate, with hot showers, electricity after sundown and the occasional bonfire at night! The food was plentiful and it was an all round enjoyable experience, at much less than most other safari operators. Would thoroughly recommend.
It must be 20 years since I watched “Born Free” or read the novel “Chader Pahar” and today here I am, amidst the Savannah looking for lions in the infamous African bush, camping by the Talek river in the Masai Mara game reserve guarded by the Masais or glamping in Amboseli National Park with a view of mighty Kilimanjaro peak from our luxurious tents. We must be pretty lucky to get a nice clear view of mount Kilimanjaro throughout the afternoon game drive or spotting three of the twenty double-horned black Rhino surviving in the vast Masai Mara plains under the eclipsed Sun.
The illusive leopard betrayed us but a miniature version, the serval cat compensated. The Big four were spotted doing the routine works in their natural habitat including lionesses hunting a wildebeest down. The herbivores were everywhere and the road blocks were frequent during the game drives. The often neglected smaller African mammals were recorded in close vicinity, The Cheetah family came too close for comfort, the Nile crocodile were spotted in the Mara River waiting a mere few inches from the zebras while the latter was hesitatingly drinking water before crossing the river.
We were spellbound by the amazing Milky Way at night when after the delicious Swahili dinner, we sat around the fire gulping stories from our Masai guards about their culture, tradition and the interaction with the wildlife. I still remember them telling that no Masai ever consumed any wild animal meat. The vibrant, colorful costumes of the Masai tribe make them so emerged out from the rough terrain. Today’s Masai people are way modern, they use civilized tools, socialize with outsiders, make conversation in English, some even stay in town. But the real Masai warriors still lives in traditional mudhouse, drink cow blood mixed with milk and like people say, Fear None. The trip was so smooth and successful, thanks to Mr. Shiraz Nanji and the Best Camping Tours and Safaris Ltd.
Thanks for a fantastic safari through the Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru. We experienced sunrise and sunset drives through the game parks and made it to the Tanzanian boarder. Our driver Paul was well experienced, friendly and flexible to our needs and excellent at spotting and tracking the animals. I highly recommend this tour company for your next Kenyan safari!
Best Camping Tours and Safaris- for the Love of Kenya’s Wildlife Posted By Stephen Morton On October 6, 2014 (12:34 am) In Travel Deals Kenya is a place where nature and its diversity can be experienced at its best. The wildlife of this place has become a major attraction for all the tourists. People know this place for its amazing wildlife diversity. Kenya has marked its place in the list of travelers as with time more and more people are shifting towards its beauty. Best camping tours and safaris is the name for those who are looking for Budget Kenya safari tours.
They plan the best tours for you and with the best ideas. Their name has been suggested by many travel books that have mentioned their packages worth trying and perfectly planned. They have special offers for their clients so that they are able to pick up the best according to their need. They offer the best camping safari to you all you need to do is find the package which suits your plan. If you are planning a 3 day trip they have the perfect package according to that or if you are planning to stay longer they also have a perfect budget camping safari for you. You just have to finalize your plan and discuss with them, and they will make sure that your plan is executed. Kenya Safari Tours have their own charm which you will not find in anything else. These tours are not just the major part of Kenya’s growth but also an essential activity in the tourist interest list. Every national park has a different thing to see and thus every park will help you gather a different experience which you will not find otherwise. They arrange camping safari, lodge safaris, solo traveler and a lot more. Every tour must have something different from the other and they make sure to out that special effect in every package. These safaris are a great way to break the mundane and get out of the boring life. When you need something more than the usual these safaris are a great way to go. From beautiful sunsets to the amazing early morning rides, they can ensure you that your package will be planned as per your needs. It is just a simple process and with their services it becomes easier to find the most appropriate one. All you need to do is visit their website and get to know more about their services. You can visit them at www.bestcampingkenya.com , click and plan the best!
Warthog, Lake Nakuru National Park
Excellent safari!
We had an excellent 7 day safari with Peter as our guide. We visited Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli. Could have skipped Lake Nakuru. Peter was an excellent guide who listened to our needs and was also great at finding animals. We saw so much action with animals in our only 2 full days in the Masai Mara. We had really good cooks while at camp. The elephants at Amboseli and views of Kilimanjaro were worth the long trip there. The safari price was really reasonable for what we got.
The registration staff was helpful and considerate of our needs and always responded promptly to our email inquiries. They were accommodating and customized a tour to our specific needs. Extremely reasonable in price. Accommodations were very comfortable and above expectations for camping and price. All staff friendly and helpful and we were very pleased that it was Eco tourism and local people were employed. Also pleased our guide respected environment and rules…saw several other tours that damaged the grasslands all the time and crowded the wildlife, not ours. Food was made fresh and with attention to our preferences and was tasty and excellent. Accommodations were clean even though rustic. Locations of campgrounds less than 5 minutes from entrance to parks so no time wasted each day. Tour guide kept us safe, and was excellent at predicting where animals would be, go or do and we saw 23 lions including two cubs and a mating adult pair, 7cheetahs including two kittens, lots of herd animals, giraffes, hippos, hyenas, jackals, birds, tons of elephants (:-) and more and generally VERY close! A wonderful, beautiful week. The rainy afternoon weather was the only obstacle to seeing more. Especially impressed with night guards at campground in Masi Mara who watched over us all night. Van was clean and very comfortable for all day travel. Loved pop up roof for 360 degree viewing. Only wished for more educational information from guide about the animals, plants, country and people. It was not lacking but we would have been happy to learn more about this exquisite country. Small problem with radio not working on last day and 4wheel drive needing maintenance so only two for part of tour. Driver was skilled so not a problem, he navigated all terrain expertly but should be 100%. Food at restaurants was only average, food in campgrounds wonderful. Our guide protected us from hawkers when we did not want to shop and brought us to excellent places to do so when we did want souvenirs. Tour of Masai village very interesting and really glad for that part but watch out for selling at the end….set up to get you to buy a lot, which we were happy to do because tour was free and extensive, but be prepared to haggle down inflated prices at end there and in all locations…haggling is expected. Tour office kindly stored our unneeded luggage for the week. Driver willingly modified the days to maximize out tour time versus eating time, which was our preference. Wish there was a “very good” before excellent for rating. Website needs a LOT of improvement. Our driver’s son will graduate with that skill and we feel strongly that he should be hired right away so the website can be improved. It was not easy to navigate and was not engaging or appealing. If we had not had a recommendation from a friend, we would’ve gone with another company with similar pricing but much better and informative website. Very grateful that driver shared his binoculars and recommend taking a pair or having camera with strong zoom…rhinos we saw were pretty far away. Happy the crocodiles were also far away! Other side of the river suited us fine as well as the soldier with the rifle escorting us! After watching video postings of “lion opens car door” would NOT recommend the other companies with open sides/no doors as well as locking your door (although ours only opened on one side and was a slider which they didn’t seem to open) as the lions came right next to us! Our driver was so good at placing us in their path! Was an amazing experience we didn’t think we could afford but thanks to this company we had an awesome, unforgettable, memories for a lifetime safari. Thank you!
An amazing adventure, great mix of the simple and luxurious, a wonderful celebration of Kenya.
Can very happily recommend this safari company. For those on a budget it provides a fabulous safari itinery. Our guide Joseph was highly knowledgeable and a very good driver, and always willing and able to answer our questions. In the 7 days of our safari we covered many miles of Kenya seeing its beautiful and diverse landscape, and also saw a vast range of wildlife, some which was very hidden and only discovered through Joseph’s eagle eye vision. I appreciated the chance of enjoying both the simple and the more luxury end of the market through a couple of very good value upgrades.We also enjoyed several days at Diani Beach after the safari which Best Camping organised for us, again an excellent value package and at a very good hotel. This was my first visit to Kenya after a 40 year gap, having spent my childhood here. I could not have wished for a better experience. Many thanks to all the team who made this possible, Shiraz, Imraan, Joseph, Thomas.
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Dear Shiraz, Thank you so much to “Best Camping” for making our trip to Kenya such a wonderful and memorable one. Everything went smoothly and we both felt safe throughout thanks to the travel itinery you helped us to create. Special thanks to Joseph, the most fantastic animal tracker and wildlife guide as well as driver, and to Thomas who was a very supportive presence and to Steven, the cook in the Masai Mara who looked after after us beautifully. Thanks also to the protective presence of the two masai men. Hotel in Diani was excellent, as was the upgrade in Amboselli. A final thanks to Imraan who received and responded to such a mountain of emails before the trip even started. A pity we did not get the chance to meet.
Appreciated very much that even though only two of us we were still able to go ahead with the trip. Hope very much that you will have increased interest in 2015. Will put a recommendation on Trip Advisor, Warmly,
My son (age 13) and I have just back from a safari trip in Kenya, which organized by “Best Camping”. We booked tour no. 6 for 7 days (Masai Mara, Nakuru, Amboseli). This trip was for both of us a life experience. We enjoyed a lot from the wild nature and the lovely people of Kenya. All this couldn’t happen without the wonderful staff of “Best Camping”; from the manager Imran Nanji who is very nice and reliable person, Charles our excellent guide who took care of us as a father, and the lovely staff in the camps which pampered as all the way. Everything in the trip went smoothly and according to plan and all verbal and written promises of the agency. I absolutely recommend visiting in Kenya and “Best Camping” agency.
Highly professionally organized and run mixed camping/lodge safari through five Kenyan parks ”
Best Camping Tours And Safaris has been in business for over 25 years , and so they know the safari business extremely well . Have been on safari with them perhaps a dozen times over many , many years , and always have a wonderful experience . Above all , their attention to game drives , connections between the parks and number of parks offered is fantastic . There is great variety in their safaris .Their camp site at the Masai Mara on the Talek River is in a superb location for wildlife viewing .
“Best camping are just that! Simply the best in every way.”
All excellent. Best Camping provide a reliable and safe service to some of Kenya’s most outstanding sites, on time to collect you from and drop you back to the airport, friendly drivers and with excellent local knowledge of animals and birdlife. Excellent with children and prepared to be flexible to meet the needs of customers
From start to finish everything was sorted, nothing to big or to small. ”
The Company- Contact with the company was easy, within 24hrs there was always a response. Imran and his staff were excellent, they were always on hand to answer any questions. When there- The bush camp in the Mara was excellent, you are right in the park, with animals coming down to the river behind. The food was excellent and the guys in the camp were always on hand if you needed anything. Safari- The drivers were excellent, masses of knowledge, found plenty of game while also still being respectful to the park and the surroundings.
Overall- The company and safari were awesome
” The real deal ”
I did a 7days safari (Lake Nakuru, lake Naivasha, Masai Mara, Hells Gate, Amboseli) In the overall i have to say that was a superb safari. We had a excelent driver (John), who was a important part of the experience . We had extraodinary moments in the safari itself, and inside the parks we were as good or better than the people of much more expensive companies. The amenities are a littlebit rough but acceptable. I think is a very good relation quality-price. Imraan was very attentive with our questions, and always happy to give us any advice we needed.
“fun and excitement ”
We have been on a number of trips with Best Camping Tours and Safaris and really enjoy them. All staff are so helpful, professional and friendly, and eager to please. Nothing is too much for them. Accommodation is always clean and suitable, lodges and sites are excellent, meals are more than adequate and of very fine standards. We always see plenty of game…often animals that others miss. It is never rushed and there is always plenty of time for photos and just looking.
All is so professional, yet friendly and relaxed. We certainly recommend this company to both seasoned safari goers and to novices.
” Two week safari with a small private group of friends.”
Supportive and knowledgeable tour guides who showed us many beautiful places, animals and birds. Their ability to spot and identify was amazing. Our accommodation was varied and included lodges and camping grounds. All offered something unique, great food and a closeness to the local people. We always felt safe and secure and would recommend Best Camping Tours to everyone.
” Well organised, saw everything ”
Arrived at Kilo Airport from Nairobi and met by local guide, David. To Lake Manyara and accommodation at the Serena Lodge with beautiful views over the Lake from the escarpment. Next morning toured the National Park with plenty of baboons, elephants, impala, hippos and pelicans with flamingos in the distance. In the afternoon off to the Serengeti with brief view of Ngorongoro Crater on way through. At Serengeti stayed at the Sopa Lodge. Next day saw lions very close up within metres, thanks to knowledge of our guide, seemed very good at spotting wildlife I would never have seen. Saw resident herds of zebras and elephants, although the main wildebeest migration had made it up to Masai Mara due to early rains this year. Saw a cheetah cross the road immediately in front of us, and a leopard in a tree about 50 metres off the road. After Serengeti we travelled back the next day to Ngorongoro to stay at the Sopa lodge there perched right on the rim of the crater. Saw rhino about 5 km away, unfortunately well off the road, and a male and female lion who had just decided to lie down and have a sleep right next to the road! The traffic jam of vehicles jockeying for the sight didn’t phase them at all ! Amazing ! . Next morning early departure to make it to Arusha Airport by 12 pm. Flew via Precision Air again in their ATR72 aircraft to Zanzibar where we stayed at the Tembo House Hotel in the heart of Stone Town. Once there spent 3 days doing the Spice Tour, and boat trip out to Prison island off Stone Town. David a friendly guy, with good rapport with other guides, which led to sharing info on where to find the wildlife.
Happy to recommend Best Camping Tours & safai to anyone wanting to visit the National Parks in both Kenya and Tanzania.
“Fantastic few days safari. Would definitely recommend “
We did 2 nights in the Masai Mara and loved it. Imraan and his team looked after us very well, the tents were small but comfy (and it’s incredible to fall asleep to the sound of wildebeest and zebra), the food tasty and plentiful, and the staff were very friendly. We also saw a lot of fantastic game, including the migration which had started early.
If you’re on a budget, this is definitely the company for you. We would highly recommend Best Camping. Thanks again
Dear Imraan S. Nanji,
Just a note to let you know that we arrived safely at home in Switzerland yesterday evening.
We just would like to say : “First of all, we will never be the same; we will never look upon on our daily lives with the same eyes. Calling this the “trip of a lifetime” would be an understatement. The animals were amazing, the accommodations were both exotic and luxurious and the food was superb, but this would not really tell the story.
The reason our lives have ‘changed’ is because of the people and most of all because of our guide. In Amboseli and in Tsavo our guide “Ben” were so wonderful. He made the trip special and we are convinced that he are all an asset to your company.” Thank a lot Ben, for your generosity, your human quality and for your simplicity and to have us follow up to the end of our trip. And thank you too for your, dear Imraan for your professionalism, help and kindliness.
We hope see you again one day.
Warmest regards,
Hello everybody!
We are really sorry: time go fast and very late sending you the pictures! You will find some with this message. Sacha and Norah really enjoy the safari and talk about it, about the animals, about you, Joseph, … to everybody. They miss you all. Everything is ok for us: we start to work, to go to school, … Will have vacation in July. Hope to see you again. Thank you again for everything; it was great! Take care.
Best regards.
Imraan & staff,
I still can’t believe I was so fortunate this tear to enjoy your awesome country. The safaris were fantastic with more animals that I’ve imagined to see and experience in their lovely parks & reserves. You are the best to plan this excellent safaris vacation!
May you have a joyful and wonderful Christmas! I hope to send many clients your way to plan their vacation to Kenya & Tanzania.
Blessings,
I first went to East Africa 24 years ago , and since then have been on safari in Kenya , Tanzania , Botswana and Namibia many , many times . I love the adventure of the safaris and traveling in the National Parks . My first safari in Kenya all those years ago was with Best Camping and over the years have probably been with them a dozen times.
Why Best Camping ? Each time I go to Kenya I see new safari company vehicles in the Parks . What experience , what record do they have ? Shiraz founded Best Camping Tours and Safaris about 30 years ago , and now he has been joined by his son Imraan . So they have been in business for many , many years ! Their experience and record of maintaining their vehicles , the itineraries and connections through the Parks they offer , the enthusiasm and knowledge of their guides/drivers ( such as Joseph , Bernard , Elliot and the now retired Peter ) , the quality of the food at their permanent camp sites …….these are all second to none !!
The safaris offer a variety of accommodation , some camping , some budget hotel , some lodge . One can visit many Parks . They are varied , exciting and good fun . But for me the clincher is the emphasis Best Camping puts on their GAME DRIVES . The three nights at the Masai Mara means there is plenty of time devoted to the game drives .
Right now I am back in Australia , but am looking forward to my next safari in Kenya with Best Camping !!
Dear Shiraz/ Imran,
Trust you are well. Albeit, a bit tired, we all reached safely on Thursday. We have now getting readjusted to “work” and other mundane matters.
We wanted to express our thanks and gratitude for organizing such a great experience for us in Kenya.
Let me admit, I had gone in with a lot of trepidation regarding the trip, which was compounded by the unfortunate airport burning down incident. It is to your great organizational ability that you managed to rejig our programme multiple times upon our requests.
The places where you had put us up were absolutely fantastic (Serena properties at Sweetwaters and Tsavo and the Sarova property at Nakuru were far better than what I had expected).
As regards the safaris, I will let the photographs tell the tale. I think we saw every animal/ bird which we were eager to see in the safaris. I have clicked way too many snaps, a microscopic cross section of those should be accessible by clicking
The personal touches and interest shown by you guys made the trip a very memorable one.
Last but not the least, a huge round of thanks would be due for Joseph who was our companion for the eleven excellent days. He was tireless in his enthusiasm to show us wildlife (which is incredible after 20 years in the profession). His ability to see and identify animals and birds at impossible distances was astonishing. I would request you to please thank him on our behalf and if possible send him a copy of the pictures.
I again thank you very much for the wonderful trip and hope to be back probably before too long. Should you guys be in Delhi anytime, please do get in touch. My number is ——————.
Thanks and regards,
Dear Imran and Shriaz,
I just wanted to email you to say thank you so much for an incredible week on safari! Tom and I hadn’t seen each other for 3 months as he currently works in South Sudan, so we really wanted our time in Kenya to be special, and boy did you guys do that!! I don’t think I’ve ever had a holiday that’s provided me with so many days where I’ve been gob-smacked/blown away/overwhelmed.
Our camp by Amboseli was so peaceful and being able to sit in the late afternoon sun looking out at snow capped Kilimanjaro (with a cheeky cup of red wine I might add) was a great start to our trip. I could have spent hours just sat up observation hill in Amboseli and watch the world go by – I had to literally be pulled away!
We felt so fortunate to see so many animals (as you can see from the list we kept) and our guide George was excellent! We were especially lucky to see a kill on our dawn drive at the Masai Mara. 25+ hyena, 2 lions, 1 unfortunate topi, surrounded by jackals and vultures, with the sunrising. I just couldn’t believe – what an experience!!
Anyway, just wanted to say thank you. And to share a couple of our photos with you (maybe they’ll make it onto your walkk in the office!)
Photo 1: Me sat next to our camp fire in Amboseli
(with Kili poking out the cloud inthe background) Photo 2: Me at observation hill in Amboseli Photo 3: Our gorgeous little camp (Amboseli) Photo 4: Lions enjoying a Topi steak Photo 5: Our viewing list Photo 6: Me and Tom looking very happy in Masai Mara
Many thanks,
Dear Imraan, You and your company deserved to get the best feedback from your customers as far as I know. Joseph was the best for us. I and my wife enjoyed every single moment during we were staying in Kenya. I would like to recommend your company if I have a chance to meet any other people who are planning to go for Kenya safari.
Best Regards,
Dear Imraan,
This is a short e-mail to say “Thank You” for organizing what has turned out the best adventure of my life, the 2012 Kenya Camping Trip.
The professionalism of Best Camping Tours and Safaris and the in-depth knowledge and dedication of its staff are like none I have come acroMasai Marass with any other operator. The staff who drove us on the Safaris seemed to know everything about the animals that we came across; their names, habitats and habits.
In addition to that the good maintenance of the camp site and gear meant we did not have to worry about much during our stay.
Your dedication to ensuring that we’re well looked after, and how you’ve gone out of your way to make sure that everything is taken care of as it should be has really left me so impressed that I now would comfortably recommend Best Camping Tours and Safaris to anyone wishing to visit Kenya.
As a small token of my appreciation please find attached a link to my best photos taken during the trip and a short video I made of it too. Please feel free to use any of thiis material in whichever way you wish.
I sincerely look forward to meeting you again. Until then, thank you and your entire team for all your hard work and dedication.
all the best
Thank you best camping and Joseph for this wonderful experience in Kenya !
An amazing view of the lions in Nakuru national park, thanks to our driver Bernard who brought us to this wonder by driving 70kph in the park…
Imraan and Best Camping, Thanks for the great trip to Masaai Mara and Nakuru. My father and I had a great time on our trip and Joseph did a great job at helping us find all the animals we were looking for. We hope to be back in Kenya at some point and would love to do another safari with you guys. Thanks again and best wishes.
Best Camping Tours and Safaris LtdThank you Max. It was a pleaseure meeting you both and having you on our safari.
Hello Imraan and Shiraz and all the team at best camping Just wanted to say a very big thank you for making our time in Kenya a special one. We are very grateful for your time and making us feel comfortable and safe in Nairobi.
A huge thank you to Bernard for been a great safari guide, he knew where to take us to see all the great animals.
And thank you for booking our onward travels on Mombasa, our hotel was lovely and the flights all went very smoothly ( Bamburi Beach Resort – North Coast Mombasa ).
We are currently in Johannesburg and fly home to England on Saturday.
We have had an amazing time in Kenya.
Thank you for everything.
Kind regards
Hello Imraan & Shiraz
Well we are now back home with a stack of wonderful memories of our visit to East Africa.
Thank you both so much for the way you and your staff looked after us during our visit, it was far more than we could have ever expected and with you organization everything went smoothly, in spite of several issues that you had to sort out for us.
Thanks you also for the little specials that go to make a holiday so memorable.
The only regret we have is that Hilda was unable to share the experience, but then there is always next time!!
Hi Imran,
I am Suriya, son of Dr.Subramanian. We came around July 3rd week for Masai Mara and Nakuru. I have attached few photos in this mail. That zip comes around 3.7 MB, not sure whether that size is supported. If you are not getting the attachment, let me know, we can try something else. And I won’t forget to thank you for making this trip a memorable one 🙂Thanks,
Save
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Best Camping – Ace organization! Imraan is the head honcho there and took excellent care of us. We had 3 nights in the Mara (2 camping and the last night at the Lodge) There is nothing that compares to camping in the Mara! The camp was located near fig tree and bordering what looked like a tributary to the Teleki river…that means tonnes of animals to hear, and beautiful views around the camp. Our driver, Peter, was also terrific (cheerful, knowledgeable and better yet, keen to pick up on new things…not an I know it all kinda guy!) Prices were also very reasonable. A combination of camping and the hotel made it much more value for money
I recommend them strongly
I used Best camping for a holiday we planned for ourselves and a friend of ours visiting from Germany. I am fromKenya and have been to the Mara many a times, but it was the first time my husband and our friend were going. It was an amazing trip and something we will all remember for a lifetime. Best camping arranged everything for us. The accommodation, the staff and all the arrangements were stellar. We definitely got our moneys worth with them. I had researched other touring companies, as i wanted it to be perfect, all the other ones were way more expensive and not at all personalized. The MD at best camping contacted us directly and made sure the trip was arranged to our liking. He was very flexible and not trying to sell us a standardized one fits all package. I would highly recommend going with them if you are planning a trip to kenya and want to do safaris. We just visited the Mara, but am sure all their destinations are great. On our next trip there, we will definitely be using them to go on safari – especially now that we have our daughter – 🙂
Dear Imraan,
First of all I apologise for taking this long to get in touch! We went on the safari in our last few hectic days in Kenya, and I’ve been extremely busy ever since I’ve been back home. I’ve however been wanting to write to you for a long time.
The experience was nothing less than fantastic! The trip was more than worth the time we took out for it, and given the chance to turn the clock back to before that weekend, I would willingly do it all over again. The whole experience more than met any expectations I had set, and the only disappointment was something over which nobody has any control: we didn’t see any male lions, which seeing that my surname is ‘lion’ in Italian, was the one animal I was more keen to see than any others. Like I however said, I obviously know that this is not something that could be controlled, and in fact I think we were quick lucky with the number of animals we did in fact get to see.
I guess I therefore have an incentive – seeing a lion – to come to Kenya for more voluntary work and another safari 🙂 Of course I don’t know if that will at all be possible, however I want you to rest assured that I have nothing but positive memories of the whole experience, including the safari, and I would not hesitate in any way to recommend you to others.
Regards,
We got back last night, and I wanted to let you know what a wonderful time we had on the trip. The amount we got to see, Eliud’s tireless driving, the wonderful meals everywhere we stayed – including at the campground, courtesy of Steven. Everyone was also great, including Eliud and Steven, as well as John and Joseph. All told, an incredible journey!
Thank you!
Best,
Imraan,
Thought we would drop you a line from Lamu! We have spent the day on a dhow heading out to fish in the waters off Manda Toto – absolutely blissful.
We also wanted to thank you again for a great safari and encouraging us to fly directly to Lamu on Saturday. The best decision we made and Laura is now firing on all cylinders again!
Best Wishes,
Dear Shiraz, Imraan
we have returned from our journey in Kenya, have enjoyed thoroughly our stay there.
Thank you for organizing the first week we’ll keep excellent memories of our
Joost and Michelle – Amboseli Campsite
week with Best Camping Tours and Safaris. Will certainly also recommend your services atopportunity.
A great thanks to our driver Joseph, cooks Joseph, Steve, Robert and George, and Thomas, and who else may have helped.
Attached 2 pictures in front of Kilimanjaro.
Hope to have an opportunity to come back in a not too long future!
best regards.
Shiraz
Greetings from the States!
I wanted to thank you again for all your help and for accommodating us during our trip to the Mara and Mombasa. I got real sick while in the Mara and we initially canceled the later portion of our trip. The next day, after getting some rest and beginning to recover health-wise, we decided to continue onwards. Thanks so much for your patience in cancelling our program and then “rebooking” it on such short notice. We had a really good time and got some very nice photos in Masai Mara and enjoyed the weather/food in Mombasa.
Thanks again for such great care and patience. Hope to visit Kenya again soon!
Best,
Dear Imraan and Shiraz,
We wish to place on record our sincere thanks to both of you and your team for arranging such a wonderful trip for our families. All of us really enjoyed our trip to the fullest.
Each location of our visit : from watching the big cats in Masaai Mara to the Hippos growling at night next to our tents in the night; our kids shouting in joy upon watching the giraffe, zebra, rhinos, elephants and specially the big cats, the dusty and back-aching travel through the jungles (though irritating felt worthwhile at the end of the trip), flamingos at Nakuru and the surprised views of leopard and the lions at Nakuru, shopping at Nairobi and the whitesand beaches of Mombasa : carries so many memories for our entire life. Most of these have been captured in our cameras and will remind us for a long time to come.
We would like to specially thank you for taking care of and reminding us of small items which really made our trip pretty smooth – including minutely checking our itinerary and finding the big mistake of flight date.
Thanks again and please feel free to connect whenever you are in New Delhi, India Please convey our heartfelt thanks to Peter who was a great help in taking us around.
Regards
Shiraz,
We got back last night, and I wanted to let you know what a wonderful time we had on the trip. The amount we got to see, Eliud’s tireless driving, the wonderful meals everywhere we stayed – including at the campground, courtesy of Steven. Everyone was also great, including Eliud and Steven, as well as John and Joseph. All told, an incredible journey!
Thank you!
Best,
Jambo Imraan,
We are back to Paris now. We spent a really good time in Kenya that we’ll never forget. Everything was excellent : the staff, the program, the organisation, the lodges and especially Joseph. We really appreciated the safaris. Sure we’ll come again. We’ll spend you some photos soon. Thanks you very much for this wonderful trip.
Hey Imraan! Just wanted to say thank you and that we had a great safari! many thanks to peter and Nicholas….they were excellent guides. we had an amazing camp fire at amboseli last night with peter and the cooks telling us great hair raising stories about the man eating lions of tsavo!!!! it was an incredible night! thanks so much! take care bye
Dear all
Sabine has returned to Switzerland and I am back in Dadaab. Our safari with Best Camping was a great experience and we would like to send you a big thank you for this unforgettable trip. Everything was well organized, all your staff is friendly and helpful, phantastic game rides, the camp sites are nice and clean and your cooking teams prepared delicious food. John was a great guide and driver.
Please give our thank you and our best regards to your people, particularly to John!
We enjoyed our 6 nights lodge safari with Best Camping Tours Company in May-June 2009. We had a wedding anniversary and planed to celebrate it in Kenya. It was just exactly what we were looking for, even better than we could expect. We visited Masai Mara, the lake Nakuru, Aberdares and Amboseli. Unforgettable journey! Everything was good organized. We had got a perfect stay in lodges. All lodges were located in the national parks and we could see and hear wild animals around. I would say there were five star hotels: good food, good service. We impressed by game drives. We saw all animals what we planed. On the second day we already completed our Big Five. There were only two of us in mini-car. Many thanks to our driver John! He knows everything about animals and knows where animals can be seen. Special thanks for wedding anniversary gift from BC- a bottle of wine. Only one thing we would like to be fixed, that’s roads in Kenya. Now we came back home and at the evening we watch the video and the slide show what we made in Kenya and remember our tour again and again. Thanks for the wonderful safari ! We will recommend safari in Kenya and Best Camping Tours to our friends.
Jambo Shiraz,
We have made it back to Canada only wishing we were back in Kenya. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all you did for us it was a trip of a life time and we will be back. Many thanks go to Joseph for all his help I can see why everyone loves him. I will be sending pictures to you as soon as we down load them. Wishing you and your family all the best and once again THANK YOU for an awesome trip.
Safari BCTS 3
Dear Imraan
It’s four month ago since we enjoyed a one-week private safari guided tour with your company at Masai Mara campsite and with a brief excursion to Nakuru. Enclosed we send you three photographs out of an array of many hundred shots taken during the safari excursions in Masai Mara. We have previously been to Safaris in South Africa, Kenja (Amboseli) and Namibia. This safari at Masai Mara during migration period was the best and most varied in terms of animals ever experienced! Another good choice was to pay the little extra to have a minibus and driver to ourselves – a family of four. Also to mention is the experienced and safe driver who was with us, the excellent food we enjoyed by George and his helpers at the campsite plus your advise and de-briefing for and after the tour.
We certainly have no hesitation to recommend your company, wishing you and all the team involved all the best.
Kindest regards
Safari to Amboseli http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/
Hi,
I just quickly want to share a recommendation … I went on a 2 1/2 day safari to Amboseli three weeks ago and really had a good time. I was reading all these “horror” stories on the Thorn Tree and other forums, so I was a bit worried in the first place. And a friend of mine who went two weeks earlier didn’t get into the park the first day …
When I was in Nairobi I looked around a few companies and ended up at Best Camping Safaris (they are in the LP, too). They were the first to tell me that the train time table had changed – I wanted to go on safari right after coming from Mombasa, originally – while other companies didn’t think it was a problem (I am now sure I would have missed the entire safari …). Since they had a tour with free places for the day that then suited me best I decided to go with them. And it was really great. Just a summary of the main good things:
– they picked me up in Naivasha at my hotel on the first day of safari for free (as they had clients coming from Nakuru) – there was only three of us in the minibus (and we were not shifted to other groups) – the guide was really friendly and trying everything to give us a good time; he always stopped immediately when we wanted to; went backwards for a better photo position and even continuously suggested good spots for us on his own – food was good and really plentiful, they didn’t even try to overcharge for beers 😉 – on the last day the driver made an extra game drive in the morning that was not planned – because we hadn’t seen lions from really close (we didn’t on the one either, but still …) – we could leave some of our luggage at the office – and even after the safari for some more days when I went to the coast – they gave us a free transfer to the train station from their office in the evening (we didn’t even ask for that – they just suggested bringing us there!) – I even got a present since it was my birthday on the last day on the safari … – my travel companions had a car problem (gear box) on their previous safari and they got a car without delay – so it didn’t really effect their safari
So, I must say I can just recommend these people. After all they were really nice and made you feel they try to do their best to give you a nice time.
Dear Best Camping: I recently returned back to US after an 8-day camping safari with Best Camping through the Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Samburu and a brief stop at Mt. Kenya. What an experience!
John, our guide, was amazing. He was able to tell us so much about the animals, the plants, the land! He was so kind and very funny! My brother, Zach, and I really enjoyed being with him on the safari. His years of experience have really made him an expert safari guide!!!! And, despite the roads in Kenya, we never experienced any car problems. He was a very careful driver!!!
I have to admit that I fell in love with Masai Mara… The animals, the scenery- it was all so surreal. Attached are some pictures from a pride of lions and their recent buffalo kill. It was unbelievable! Lucky Lions!
John spent so much time and attention pointing out and looking for animals. Particularly the leopards which we finally saw in Samburu on the last days of our safari. We spent many a game drives searching and it was so worth it when we finally saw the infamous leopard!
The facilities was accommodating and very relaxing. There may be nothing better than camping in the game parks! The sounds, the stars, knowing that you are part of something so much bigger!
I LOVED every minute of the safari and would definitely recommend Best Camping Tours and John as a guide to anyone considering a Kenyan safari! Keep up the great work and I look forward to seeing you again!
Kind Regards,
Hi Shiraz,
Lisa and I would like to thank you both for setting us up for a most amazing safari adventure! We really had a blast, and were blown away by the animals. The idea to upgrade us to the Lodge for the last two nights was excellent. We found the Lodge superb, with excellent service and much better food than expected.
Again, thanks to both of you for this life-enriching experience!
Dear Shiraz, Thanks a lot for organising such a wonderful Safari for us. It was a very good experience and to top it all we should thank John for taking such good care of us. He took us to the right places at the right time. The lodges that were booked for us were also fabulous. I think had we communicated our return flight properly it would have been better, as we could have stayed at the Shareena Amboseli. The only thing that put us in a situation was Kenya Airways. We spent an extra 14 Hrs in Nairobi because of the delay. We also have a lost baggage case. My one baggage did not come through. It contained all the wood work that we had bought. We might get the claim but the good things that we bought would never come back. Kenya Airways was a big letdown.
A big thanks to Nargis and Imran also. Hope Imran has liked the photos that he down loaded from my camera. Ask him to put up a few for the board. It will remind you all of us. Another thing is that……you have a good ambassador for best Camping in Oman now. We shall recommend you to all we know and wish to go to Kenya. Thanks again and take care.
Regards
Dear Best Camp personnel
Jambo !
I would like to thank you for our wonderful trip. We had the greatest safari & will surely remember it for the rest of our lives.
Please extend a special word of thanks to Thomas and Peter (our driver) who were so kind and helpful during our entire strip and stay in Kenya. Our kindest regards and thank you to the Masai people and staff at the camping site as well. It was a humbling experience to see people taking pride in their country and heritage and extending such a warm welcome to foreigners – fellow Africans.
We tell everyone about our great African safari in Kenya. Keep up the good work.
Regards & Blessed be
Dear BCTS,
Thanks again for a wonderful and eventful week. We have a lot of nice memories. John was magnificent, big thank to him! Big Five completed! I hope to see you sometime in the future. Best wishes and good luck in your business Michal and Martina Krepelkovi
P.S. We got home alright, but with a day and half delay due to severe snow storm…Something not likely in Kenya
Hi all from Best Camping,
Just a quick note to let you know that we (your first Belgian group – Wouter, Evelyn, Liesbeth, Anita, Brenda, Joris) arrived well in Belgium. All our luggage and souvenirs arrived in time without any damage.
Rest assured that we all are very, very content about last camping trip. A big thank you for everybody in the office, and a special thank you for our excellent guide Humphrey (or “De Jos” like we used to call him 🙂 who took care of us like a father for his children. Our safari was excellent, the guidance couldn’t be better, weather was good and the food delicious. Give our best regards to “De Jos” and hopefully we will meet again under the same circumstances.
Best Regards,
To Joseph and the staff of Best Camping,
It’s already one month a ago that we are back in Holland again, but our mind is often still in Kenya and we try to keep in touch by looking pictures from our safari, wearing my Kenyan dress on Saturday evening, even looking the film ” Out of Africa” again, but slowly it’s slipping away from us by daily life business. But we’ll never forget the beautiful time we spent in your country. We had a splendid safari from 28 December / 6 January 2006 with our prefect guide Joseph and a very nice group, we all are still in contact with each other and remind each other the nice time we had. We have seen all the animals we wanted to see and Joseph always knew exactly what he was doing, knew exactly where he could find the animals. Nighttime was cosy around the fireplace and the food was always perfect (and prepared hygienic, no one ever had diarrhea) we can recommend Best Camping to everybody who plans to go on safari in Kenya. In one word perfect organized! If the occasion is there we will make a tour again with Best Camping. Thanks to the management for the organization and special thanks to Joseph our guide.
Hello Nargis,
Well all too soon the holiday is over, and I wanted to drop a quick note to tell you what an amazing trip we had. I complement you and all your staff, including drivers, as well as the cooks at both sites. The food was excellent and our many transfers were always on time. The lodge at Tsavo West was outstanding!
We will long remember our trip to Kenya, and I will highly recommend your company to any of our friends who are considering a safari. The professionalism of your staff was top notch.
Thanks again,
Thank you so much to “Best Camping” for making our trip to Kenya such a wonderful and memorable one. Everything went smoothly and we both felt safe throughout thanks to the travel itinery you helped us to create. Special thanks to Joseph, the most fantastic animal tracker and wildlife guide as well as driver, and to Thomas who was a very supportive presence and to Steven, the cook in the Masai Mara who looked after after us beautifully. Thanks also to the protective presence of the two masai men. Hotel in Diani was excellent, as was the upgrade in Amboselli. A final thanks to Imraan who received and responded to such a mountain of emails before the trip even started. A pity we did not get the chance to meet.
Appreciated very much that even though only two of us we were still able to go ahead with the trip. Hope very much that you will have increased interest in 2015. Will put a recommendation on Trip Advisor,
memorable.
Thanks,