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Kikambala Tours And Safaris
Email: kikambalasafari@googlemail.com
Tel: +254735266956
Tel: +254735266956
Tel:+254727326575
I've decided to write a few pages for Alwis and Abdullah (in the picture above) who helped to make the fortnight we spent in Kikambala so special.
We booked a fortnights break at Royal Reserve Safari and Beach Club in Kikambala for my partner Lucia and myself, my 14 year old son and my parents who are in their 70's.
After reading about other peoples experiences of staying at Royal Reserve on www.tripadvisor.com we were concerned about the prices the hotel charged for the Safari which we hoped would be an essential part of our holiday.
It seemed as though our only choice was to make a choice between the resorts over-priced Safaris, or to buy a similar but cheaper deal from a beach boy - but then would then have the worry about being ripped off, or going on a "cowboy trip" with no insurance.
Shortly after arrival, we were lucky to meet Alwis who was setting up a new Safari and Tour business on the Kikambala Beach Road next to the Royal Reserve complex.
We were the first customers of his new venture, and he offers exactly the same tours and safaris as the beach boys and resorts but at much lower prices. Using Kikambala Safaris saved me over a thousand $ from the resorts list price!!
If you are visiting Royal Reserve Safari & Beach Club, Sun and Sand Resort or the North Beach Hotel, then it will be in your best interests to read about my families experiences below.
Alwis and Abdullah offer a range of Safaris from a one day express safari, to a full week visiting National Parks throughout Kenya.
We chose a 4 day 3 night Safari visiting Tsavo East, Tsavo West and Amboseli National Parks.
The tour is inclusive of all meals, accommodation and National Park fees - the only thing you need money for is drinks, souvenirs and a good tip for the driver at the end of your Safari.
We booked a fortnights break at Royal Reserve Safari and Beach Club in Kikambala for my partner Lucia and myself, my 14 year old son and my parents who are in their 70's.
After reading about other peoples experiences of staying at Royal Reserve on www.tripadvisor.com we were concerned about the prices the hotel charged for the Safari which we hoped would be an essential part of our holiday.
It seemed as though our only choice was to make a choice between the resorts over-priced Safaris, or to buy a similar but cheaper deal from a beach boy - but then would then have the worry about being ripped off, or going on a "cowboy trip" with no insurance.
Shortly after arrival, we were lucky to meet Alwis who was setting up a new Safari and Tour business on the Kikambala Beach Road next to the Royal Reserve complex.
We were the first customers of his new venture, and he offers exactly the same tours and safaris as the beach boys and resorts but at much lower prices. Using Kikambala Safaris saved me over a thousand $ from the resorts list price!!
If you are visiting Royal Reserve Safari & Beach Club, Sun and Sand Resort or the North Beach Hotel, then it will be in your best interests to read about my families experiences below.
Alwis and Abdullah offer a range of Safaris from a one day express safari, to a full week visiting National Parks throughout Kenya.
We chose a 4 day 3 night Safari visiting Tsavo East, Tsavo West and Amboseli National Parks.
The tour is inclusive of all meals, accommodation and National Park fees - the only thing you need money for is drinks, souvenirs and a good tip for the driver at the end of your Safari.
The first day of our tour started early at 6am when we were met outside Royal Reserve Safari & Beach Club by Alwis and Abdullah. We then drove through Mombasa City Centre and out onto the Nairobi Rd towards the Tsavo West National Park.
The guys were full of information about the buildings, towns and people we passed on route making a long journey very interesting. Once in the park, our open roofed 4wd vehicle was perfect for game viewing and it wasnt long before Abdullah was pointing out animals which we would never have noticed in the bush.
This was our first "game drive" as we made our way through the park towards Ngulia Lodge where we were to spend the night.
Tsavo West is an amazing park and I'm not going to spoil your future visit by telling you in advance about everything we saw - apart from the fact that the lodge is truly amazing and the animals awe inspiring.
This is a list of the animals we saw in Tsavo West:
Dik Dik, Zebra, Impala, Water Buffalo, Elephants, Giraffe, Leopard, Chameleon, Lesser Kudu, Squirrel, Termites, Fresh Water Tortoise, Lizards, Warthog, Crocodile, Hippos, Fish Eagle, Vulture, Hornbills, Ostrich, Vervet Monkeys, Baboons.
We also drove throught the Tsavo West Rhino West Rhino Sanctuary - home to 20+ Rhinos - but we werent lucky enough to see one - however we can have no complaints as on the way back to the Ngulia Lodge we saw a Leopard drag a small antelope up a tree and eat it!
The guys were full of information about the buildings, towns and people we passed on route making a long journey very interesting. Once in the park, our open roofed 4wd vehicle was perfect for game viewing and it wasnt long before Abdullah was pointing out animals which we would never have noticed in the bush.
This was our first "game drive" as we made our way through the park towards Ngulia Lodge where we were to spend the night.
Tsavo West is an amazing park and I'm not going to spoil your future visit by telling you in advance about everything we saw - apart from the fact that the lodge is truly amazing and the animals awe inspiring.
This is a list of the animals we saw in Tsavo West:
Dik Dik, Zebra, Impala, Water Buffalo, Elephants, Giraffe, Leopard, Chameleon, Lesser Kudu, Squirrel, Termites, Fresh Water Tortoise, Lizards, Warthog, Crocodile, Hippos, Fish Eagle, Vulture, Hornbills, Ostrich, Vervet Monkeys, Baboons.
We also drove throught the Tsavo West Rhino West Rhino Sanctuary - home to 20+ Rhinos - but we werent lucky enough to see one - however we can have no complaints as on the way back to the Ngulia Lodge we saw a Leopard drag a small antelope up a tree and eat it!
Contact : kikambalasafari@googlemail.com
Day two saw us driving to Amboseli National Park on the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. After a long drive through some amazing countryside in the Masai Mara we arrived at the park, and instead of going directly to our accomodation at Kibu Lodge, Abdullah drove us into the park to see a male lion which was sitting close to one of the tracks in the park (he gave up a good portion of his afternoon rest to ensure we didnt miss seeing this amazing animal - thanks Abdullah).
Kibu is a tented complex rather than a formal hotel, but dont be put off, each tent has its own loo and shower - they were really nice 5* camping with views of the snow capped Kilimanjaro!
Amboseli is like chalk to Tsavos Cheese - again I'm not going to tell you why- somethings you have to discover for yourself - I will tell you that it is well worth the time you spend getting there.
In addition to seeing many of the animals we saw in Tsavo West, Amboseli we were able to add the following animals to the list: Lion, Hyena, Ibis, Crested Crane, Pelican, Hartebeast, Wildebeast, Thompsons Gazelle, Land Tortoise, Maribou Stork, Egyptian Geese, and a huge column of ants!
Kibu is a tented complex rather than a formal hotel, but dont be put off, each tent has its own loo and shower - they were really nice 5* camping with views of the snow capped Kilimanjaro!
Amboseli is like chalk to Tsavos Cheese - again I'm not going to tell you why- somethings you have to discover for yourself - I will tell you that it is well worth the time you spend getting there.
In addition to seeing many of the animals we saw in Tsavo West, Amboseli we were able to add the following animals to the list: Lion, Hyena, Ibis, Crested Crane, Pelican, Hartebeast, Wildebeast, Thompsons Gazelle, Land Tortoise, Maribou Stork, Egyptian Geese, and a huge column of ants!
Day three saw us having yet another early morning game drive through Amboseli, with the snowy peak of the mountain being clear of clouds for the first few hours of the day.
We then drove to Voi Lodge in Tsavo East, and again Abdullah gave up some of his free afternoon time, to show us a pride of 8 Lions which he had heard about on his two way radio. If it wasnt for Abdullahs amazing eyesight and bushcraft we wouldnt have seen half of the animals we did - he is a very experience guide and his knowledge of the animals you see is second to none.
Again Tsavo East is different to Tsavo West and Amboseli - It was how I imagined the world to be a thousand years ago - no roads, houses, people - just huge rolling savannah filled with roaming game.
Yet again the Lodge was amazing - with spectacular views. The meals throughout the safari we excellent with a wide choice of dishes at every meal.
After seeing so much game at the other two parks you would think that there would be nothing new left to see in Tsavo East - however in addition to the animals we had seen in previous parks we were able to add the following to the list: Oryx, Jackal, Bush Buck, Monitor Lizard, Secretary Bird, Giraffe Gazelle, Marshal Eagle, Snake Eagle, Abysinnian Roller, Nile Monitor Lizard, Vulturine Guinea Fowl, African Crested Guinea Fowl, Gama Lizard, Rock Hyrax, Mongoose and Hunting Dogs.
There were many other animals we saw which i forget to take note of. The only large animal we didnt see in Tsavo East was a Cheetah - which whilst rare elsewhere are commonly seen in Tsavo East.
Thursday morning was another game drive through Tsavo East and then the long downhill run back to Mombasa.
We were absolutely knackered but very happy, awestruck would probably be a more accurate description.
I cant thank Alwis and Abdullah enough for their eyesight, knowledge, good humour and generosity - they really offered a superb package.
Use them - theyre amazing guys
Email Alwis : kikambalasafari@googlemail.com
We then drove to Voi Lodge in Tsavo East, and again Abdullah gave up some of his free afternoon time, to show us a pride of 8 Lions which he had heard about on his two way radio. If it wasnt for Abdullahs amazing eyesight and bushcraft we wouldnt have seen half of the animals we did - he is a very experience guide and his knowledge of the animals you see is second to none.
Again Tsavo East is different to Tsavo West and Amboseli - It was how I imagined the world to be a thousand years ago - no roads, houses, people - just huge rolling savannah filled with roaming game.
Yet again the Lodge was amazing - with spectacular views. The meals throughout the safari we excellent with a wide choice of dishes at every meal.
After seeing so much game at the other two parks you would think that there would be nothing new left to see in Tsavo East - however in addition to the animals we had seen in previous parks we were able to add the following to the list: Oryx, Jackal, Bush Buck, Monitor Lizard, Secretary Bird, Giraffe Gazelle, Marshal Eagle, Snake Eagle, Abysinnian Roller, Nile Monitor Lizard, Vulturine Guinea Fowl, African Crested Guinea Fowl, Gama Lizard, Rock Hyrax, Mongoose and Hunting Dogs.
There were many other animals we saw which i forget to take note of. The only large animal we didnt see in Tsavo East was a Cheetah - which whilst rare elsewhere are commonly seen in Tsavo East.
Thursday morning was another game drive through Tsavo East and then the long downhill run back to Mombasa.
We were absolutely knackered but very happy, awestruck would probably be a more accurate description.
I cant thank Alwis and Abdullah enough for their eyesight, knowledge, good humour and generosity - they really offered a superb package.
Use them - theyre amazing guys
Email Alwis : kikambalasafari@googlemail.com
About Me
- Kikambala Safari
- Offer the same safaris and tours as your resort - only a hell of a lot cheaper. Mike from Manchester who wrote this blog as a thankyou to Alwis & Abdullah saved over $250 per person by booking with Alwis rather than the hotel! leaving more money to spend on beer and fags :)
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