Mt Kenya feedback
From: Tim Dryden
Subject: Re: How was the trek?
Hi Chris,
I just wanted to circle back on this to let you know that I did indeed complete a Mt Kenya trip with Impact Adventures in February this year (Feb 2023). Thanks very much again for the recommendation, it was absolutely amazing.
I met Daniel and he sorted all my logistics and the guide was Elijah and cook was Patrick. They all talked of you fondly. They truly were professional and created an excellent trip for me. They are running a good outfit there.
I am also thankful to you for your encouragement to walk Mt Kenya vs Kilimanjaro. Definitely a good call for my desires - a good tough walk in an interesting environment without the masses.
Thanks again Chris, I just wanted to let you know that Daniel and co are doing fine!
Tim
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From: Heinz Staffelbach
Subject: Re: How was your trek?
Dear Chris,
We have arrived at Queen Elizabeth National Park and we finally have some time for a feedback. As mentioned, the trek was one of the best in our lives. The best decision when it came to the itinerary was to do it in 7 days. That gives not only the time to acclimatize, but to have a couple of hours every day to hang around and enjoy the scenery. And this reduced speed probably also helps to reduce other signs of body stress like stomach ache etc.
Elijah was a very knowledgeable person when it comes to plants and animals and we had lots of interesting talks about other topics as well. He also made sure we did not walk too fast. Patrick created amazing meals with the simplest means and the "guys“ were very attentive. Writing here what I missed would simply mean ignoring what is possible to purchase and what is not.
This is for the moment. Thank you again, Chris, for your super quick assurance which made this trip possible.
Kind regards from Uganda,
Heinz and Barbara
Switzerland.
From: Rebecca Koladycz
Subject: Re: Mt Kenya
Hi Chris,
Apologies for not responding sooner - I’ve been in a bit of a jet lagged fog since returning home but have been meaning to respond.
The trek was fantastic and the team was absolutely stellar!! I felt like we were so well taken care of by people with real expertise. Elijah and Simon were amazing as guides - so knowledgeable and awesome; and Patrick and his team had us fed so well (how luxurious to have fresh fruits and vegetables on the mountain!).
They’re really a great team; I felt like they were invested in helping us to make it to the top, and we saw some guides who clearly weren’t as knowledgeable and not as concerned about their group’s acclimatization and safety, so we really appreciated our team that much more. Special mention goes to: Elijah, who not only knew the mammals but who was very knowledgeable about both birds and plants and when asked a plant that he didn’t know took a photo to look it up so at least the next client would know; Patrick, who produced amazing food from fresh ingredients; the Simons for the climbing leadership including helping me off the top of Lennana (I don’t like heights).
The only suggestions I have are to maybe emphasize a bit more the importance of some of the gear - we had surprising weather in that there was rain, hail and sleet and that combined with pretty low temperatures meant we were cold a fair amount. We all had pretty good gear but I didn’t have rain pants for example, and we wouldn’t have made it if we didn’t have thermals etc. So it wasn’t an issue for our group really but I didn’t fully comprehend the possible weather when I was packing so would be good to remind people or emphasize that a bit more (although I know these things were on your kit-list but I packed at the last minute as an add on to my work packing so wasn’t as focused on the prep as the others in our group).
All in all though, I can’t say enough good things about the route, the team, and the whole experience! The most memorable moments for me were:
1-the night hike on the morning of the summit - completely magical with a starlit night, the tranquility, and the sparkling ground from the frost making it like a fairyland where we hiked slowly and in a trancelike state to acclimatize and make it to the top.
2 - the hike to the last mountain lodge through the forest. Just beautiful and amazing natural beauty.
Morag in particular has a few awesome pictures of our summit in case you want any to post on your site.
Thanks again for a truly memorable experience - I have been highly recommending!!!
Warm regards,
Rebecca and Rachel
USA and UK
From: Georges Straus
Subject: Re: How was the trek?
Hello,
Yes we're back from Kenya after 3 weeks full of nice impressions and experiences.
Here is our feed-back concerning Mt. Kenya trip:
Booking & communication before the trip
Easy an efficient.
Concerning the equipment-list: We underestimated the importance of bringing our own waterbottles to refill (althougt they figuered in the list), assuming that we could use our plastic bottles for this purpose. In the end we had to hide the plastic bottles from the rangers, but it was not a big issue.
Organization
Excellent. Transfer to Mt. Kenya and communication with Daniel Odongo were easy and efficient.
Routes
The selected routes were great and we really enjoyed the variety of nature we got to see as well as the climb to the summit which was really worth the effort. The required physical effort as well as the daily walking distances were appropriate for us as we both have a good general fitness level. We didn't experience any health problems. The camps were fine too.
Guide, cook, porters
Our guide Simon was very careful concerning safety precautions (walking pace, hydratation, slippery routes, etc), friendly and helpful.
Our cook Patrick and the porters did a good job. We were positively surprised by the quality of the food served.
Sometimes we felt "pampered" a bit to much (e.g. being served on table in the camps, etc.) and in the context of a hike we would have preferred to have a more equal relationship with the crew, but this is only our subjective perception and we can imagine there are travellers who expect this kind of treatment.
All in all we both really appreciated the overall experience and are fully satisfied with your company! Thank you very much.
Best regards,
Georges Straus and Pierre Dielissen, Luxembourg
From: david bomford
Subject: Feedback
Dear Chris,
Firstly a huge thank you to yourself and the team for helping make both the trek and safari a huge success. Both of these were undoubted highlights of our trip to Africa and everyone we dealt with from IntoAfrica contributed to this. From the moment we contacted yourself to the finish of our safari (and actually beyond) I could not fault a single aspect of the service we received. This includes the extremely helpful staff at Rock House, the amazingly hardworking and unfailingly helpful porters on our trek (Joseph, Charles, Paul, John and the ridiculously talented cook, Samuel) and our two guides which I now count as friends! All accommodation whether it be a hotel, lodge or camping lived up to or exceeded my expectations. I was also highly impressed with the cultural aspect of both the trek and safari as we obtained some valued insights to the local tribes as we traveled and also a better understanding of East Africa and a little of its history.
The professionalism, knowledge and expert guidance from both our guides were top notch, can't sing their praises highly enough. Peter achieved the near impossible by getting both Andrea and myself cheerfully and enthusiastically to the summit of Mt Kenya while Dennis's skillful guidance of our entire tour group made the trip a joy. Both had seemingly limitless knowledge of all flora and fauna encountered as well as being willing and patient teachers of Swahili, tribal customs and more. A special thank you to them both.
Also from my point of view was the sense of family I got in relation to your company, in particular from the guides, Peter Mwangi Kinyua on the mountain and Dennis Lyamuya in Tanzania. Both Dennis and Peter freely mentioned the help and friendship yourself and Patrick have provided to them over the years and the work done in many local communities. A close knit team indeed!
If there was one thing to single out (and its hard as there was so much good service and advice along the way) it is the willingness of your staff to go above and beyond the call of duty, from all our drivers, your local contacts and every member of your team we came into contact with. There were so many little things helped out with along the way that meant so much to us and helped make our first time in Africa just that little bit easier.
If there is anything further I can do in relation to helping with references please feel free to let me know.
Cheers
David Bomford
Footscray, Victoria, Australia
From: Macleod, Mark
RE: feedback
Chris, will be delighted to provide some feedback, see below. References would also be fine.
We had a great trip, and our guide Francis was a class act - he made the experience for us. Your organisation works seamlessly, from airport pick up to airport drop off and everything in between. The team were very flexible, driving us all around Nairobi on the final day as we sought out restaurants and bars. The mountain was a wonderful experience, Francis incredibly knowledgeable about the plants and animals and geology, which made each day's walk a special experience. He clearly has client safely at the front of his mind, so we all felt in good hands. The cook was a hero (given the cooking facilities!) and the servers a very hard working bunch. Our special thanks go to the porters who laboured day after day with our (and their) packs on their backs. The whole of our team made it to the summit, an achievement that would never have been possible without the motivating words of the guides and the assistance provided by the wider team. Thank you for a fantastic trip.
Mark Macleod
London
From: Laurent Soletta
Subject: Re: final check
Dear Chris,
We had a very good trek and a beautiful journey up to the top. All went fine except Agnes who get hit on her leg by a rolling stone on the last day of ascension (on the way down); so we took a car on Wednesday morning to go straight to the airport. Anyway, will send you few pictures when I get a better internet connection; we are in the Masai Mara right now.
One question: how can we get our certificate for Mt Kenya climbing, our guide told us we would be able to get them in Nairobi? We will be at Wilson airport tomorrow.
Just to give you some feedback on the trek:
The team that brought us to the top was great, Solomon seems to be a very experienced guide; his assistant, George, was a very careful and likable person; I am sure he will be a good guide. The food was also very good considering the conditions.
If I had to make few comments to make your treks even better:
- Equip your land cruiser with some towing ropes: one car got stuck in the mud on the first day and it took one hour to get it free because the second car could not tow it (no towing rope).
- Give a more detailed description of the trek; for instance not only the altitude at starting and arrival points for each day, but a full trek profile, with the main up and down walk so we can better evaluate the trek..
- A small table for diner would be great (like we had on the Kili trek)
- We run out of chocolate and milk powder after 2 days, so would be good to add one can of each.
Anyway not a big deal and hope it will help you improving your treks. Thanks for organizing this one for us.
Thanks and best Regards,
Laurent & Agnes,
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone
From: Gibson, Nigel
Subject: RE: Trek 9th July
Hi Chris
Safely returned form Mt Kenya feeling fitter and healthier. Not sure if you want any but I have provided a bit of feedback below.
We were impressed with the whole IntoAfrica set up, from the collection from the airport, the 1st evening in the Rock House where the staff are every friendly and helpful through the whole of the trek, where the guides and porters are very attentive and knowledgeable, Solomon seemed to pick up our pace very well and guided us through the week comfortably. He also got us going early in the morning when the weather was fine and we arrived at the next destination before the weather closed in. Return to Rock House and greeting by Patrick very welcome too, as was the bottle of beer!
In fact the only real disappointment was the quality of the 2 huts, Old Moses and Shipman’s. The day we arrived it snowed in the afternoon, and was 0 degrees outside and 2 degrees inside. In fact the porters invited us into the kitchen to join them around their brazier for 30 mins at one point to warm up. I had at least 6 layers on and was still shivering. There was only one tap for the whole of the hut and only a few toilets. It meant that the enjoyment of chatting to fellow trekkers became harder work than it should have been.
I realise this is nothing to do with IntoAfrica and that there is no choice of cabin in that location. But it might be good for the operators to see whether they can ask for small improvement in the conditions, especially at Shipman’s where you are stationed for a day and a half and which at 2 degrees seems very grim. Something just to take the edge off the cold and a couple more taps more discretely placed. And it was not just me – I saw others retiring to bed/sleeping bags just to keep warm.
[ I have already contacted the owners of the huts and they have assured me improvements to to plumbing and toilets are underway. It is quite difficult to do very much about the cold apart from be prepared as we can't chop down trees for fires up there (and you did travel in July, the coldest month) - tucking up in one's bunk is often the cosiest place - Chris Morris]
This contrasted with the camping the day after ascent where we had a lovely camp fire which just lifted the whole environment.
Another few notes...
Suggest others to take some reading matter for Shipman’s and the last day/night, where the journey from the camp site was less than an hour. I had turfed all mine out in an effort to reduce the load but could have done with something to read on the Friday.
I think a head-torch is highly desirable for the ascent and just in general around the bedrooms where there is no lighting. A normal torch Is just inconvenient.
Your advice on use of Diamox was good. Of course we will never know what we would have been like without them but your advice of 2 * 125 per day worked well – no altitude affects at all (for which we were thankful seeing what it did to others and their failure to climb which would have been a huge disappointment for us). And again – 4 seasons bag plus thermals absolutely essential. No compromise should be made there.
Not sure if we will attempt Kili one day but this expedition will provide plenty of topics for discussions in the bar. As one of the other trekkers said on the top of the mountain – ‘I’m glad to see that the old ones can make it – will keep me motivated for years top come!’
Cheers
Nigel Gibson
From: Pietie Loubser
Subject: Mount Kenya trip (12-20 December, Rod Lichtman group)
Attention: Chris Morris
Dear Chris
I would like to thank you and your team for an excellent trip. We have all enjoyed it tremendously. I have to mention the names of Francis and Samuel, two of your staff. Francis was an excellent guide and displayed great leadership skills on the entire trek- he interacted well with all of us and even managed to get me to Point Lenana! That is an achievement for me as I was not nearly as fit as I should have been but Francis kept me going and motivated till the end!
The food and the porters were excellent as well and we certainly ate like kings! Samuel managed to provide 3 great meals every day and always had fresh stuff in his dishes! The entire trip was well organized and we all enjoyed it thoroughly!
Thank you very much again,
Pietie
Dr. Pietie Loubser
Chief Clinical Officer
EHL Management Services I In partnership with Medi-Clinic Corporation, Varkey Group and GE. Dubai, UAE
From: John Worroll
Subject: Feedback
Dear Chris
We finally made it! It was a fantastic experience (much more than just a "holiday") and we are happy for any comments to be put on your website and for you to put occasional potential customers in touch with us. One great advantage of going with IntoAfrica is that your fair trading and ethical stance are clearly implemented in practice. This meant that we always felt very comfortable with your people who were so helpful to us as it was quite clear that they were very happy to work for you and were being fairly dealt with. Apart from the obvious point that we were very much self propelled when walking up MK, the whole fortnight was like being on a magic carpet.
Mount Kenya was a tremendous experience which we’ll never forget. Solomon was the perfect guide and he put together a dream team who were just a pleasure to be with. The extra day acclimatising at Shipton is an excellent feature which helped us decide whether to go for Pt Lenana or not. The fact that we opted out of the 3:30 am start and went via the porters' route instead did not in the least detract from our enjoyment. Solomon was totally understanding and re-arranged the next night's camp to an idyllic spot at the roadhead instead - I think he and the porters also preferred this option, with its babbling brook, firewood for camp-fires etc etc.
Thanks again for everything,
With best wishes,
Pat and John Worroll,
New Barnet, UK
(see John's safari comments on our Kenya Explorer feedback page)
From: amanda karst
Subject: RE: feedback
Hi Chris,
Yes, Kenya does seem far away. We are actually in Namibia right now, and it’s a completely different world! We had a fabulous trip up Mount Kenya and we will be happy to provide you some feedback. Francis, our guide was extremely knowledgeable and we really appreciated all the time he took to tell us about the flora, fauna and history of the mountain. He was also very diligent with making sure that our health was good for the entire trip, ensuring we paced ourselves and drank water throughout our journey. Cesar, our cook, kept us VERY well fed; he cooked great meals and was very accommodating to our vegetarian diets. We were really impressed with our porters, carrying 2-3 times as much as us and walking twice as fast! The landscape and scenery was spectacular on Mount Kenya, and we liked that the trek gave us an opportunity to meet and hang out with some local Kenyans (our crew). We really enjoyed the camping night, where we sat around the fire and learned about Kenya politics!
Thanks!
Amanda
Winnepeg, Canada
From: Michael Dangermond
Subject: RE: feedback
Chris,
We had a fabulous time. All your guys were great, porters, drivers, cook.
Your guide Sammy was really incredible actually. He paced us just right and was very encouraging. My dad will be 70 years old in less than one month so Pt Lenana at 4985m was quite an achievement (see my dad’s comments below). He reminded us constantly to move at our own pace. Also he knew a lot about wildlife and plants, which we appreciated a great deal. We would tell others in Shipton’s that our guide spotted tracks then found animals 10 minutes after and from their feedback I could tell from that we had a different class of guide.
My dad and I regret not staying and getting to know Sammy awhile when we returned him to Naru Moru. I feel actually that we’ve made a friend. He has four children and I’m wondering if it’s appropriate to send a picture book of science that I have. I know probably most of them are going to be highly intelligent and if they want to know everything this book is for them. I’d also like to write him and the others when we get some pictures to send them.
I’d be happy to write more for your website, just give me a bit of time.
Thanks,
Michael
Dear Chris,
Just a quick not to let you know how much my son and I enjoyed our recent trip to Kenya and how appreciative we are regarding your entire staff’s support and service.
We strongly recommend the B&B stay at your manager Patrick’s “Rock House” outside Nairobi. He and his wife made us feel most welcome and helped us orient to Kenya and our coming adventure. The huge model of Mount Kenya in his yard helped us understand that the route we had laid out on paper perhaps be adjusted, and later we were most grateful.
I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the mountain and its unique ecosystem. Our guide, Sammy, knew every plant, animal and bird and was excellent in sensitivity providing this information as well as helping us meet the challenges of the trek. And Caesar, our cook, amazed us everyday with fresh fruits, vegetables, hearty meals and even popcorn and desserts.
Our three days at Samburu were a wonderful ending to the trip. Again your staff helped us see stalking Cheetahs, baby Lions and every animal the park had to offer. I know we can’t credit you, but we had a rainstorm one evening, adding a wonderful fragrance to the beautiful desert landscape.
Thank you for a wonderful trip. Feel free to use us as a reference.
Pete Dangermond
From: Cameron Fergus
Subject: Re: feedback request
Dear Chris,
Apologies for the delay in getting back to you and thanks for the
opportunity to submit feedback on our recent trek – here it is:
The Mt Kenya trek (Sirimon ascent, Chogoria descent) was extremely well
organised, well equipped and the rare hitch in proceedings (vehicle
breakdown) was handled quickly, professionally and without fuss.
Our guide Isaac was a highly experienced mountain guide who provided
reliable information on Mt Kenya, its environment and the daily trekking
conditions throughout the trip. The cook and porters were friendly,
sociable and approachable, providing great assistance throughout. The food
was plentiful and of a high standard. We very much enjoyed the
interactions with our trekking team, learning a great deal about Kenya,
the Swahili language and the political events which coincided with our
trip.
Whilst the ‘on the mountain’ side of the trip was faultless,
invaluable assistance and guidance was also provided by Chris Morris in
the UK during the booking and lead-up to our trek. As our arrival in Kenya
coincided with the December 2007 elections, Chris ensured that we were
well informed in advance of our arrival and our guide kept us appraised of
the situation in Nairobi throughout the trek. Of particular note was the
great service provided by Chris in keeping our families back in Australia
informed of the situation in Kenya and reassuring them of our safety on
the mountain.
The mountain trek on Mt Kenya is a spectacular experience, so different to
Mt Kilimanjaro, and in many ways superior to its more popular neighbour.
The mountain presents great challenges each day and trekkers are
constantly rewarded with spectacular vistas throughout. The low numbers of
people on the mountain means that trekkers are able to enjoy the
surroundings in virtual silence, at times providing the feeling that you
have the whole mountain to yourself. Our trekking team ensured that all of
the technical aspects of our daily treks were taken care of which allowed
us to simply enjoy the wonders of Mt Kenya every day. I strongly recommend
the Mt Kenya trek and thank Chris and all involved for the professional
and friendly manner in which they organized themselves and for a truly
wonderful experience on the mountain.
Best regards
Cameron
Fergus
Australia
From: Cormac Macdonnell
Cc: susie mitchell
Subject: RE: feedback
On our Mountain Trek- 30th Sept to 6th Oct
We really enjoyed this week and we most pay special tribute to our guide Sammy, our chef Wilson and porters. They were excellent - very professional and friendly and I think that when compared to other companies (and their guides) , we were very happy with out team. They made the trek up Mt.Kenya very enjoyable indeed, and I`d say there is good scope to offer other treks in Mt. Kenya National Park as its a spectacular area.
Perhaps its worth thinking about offering the Mt. Kenya treks over 5 days? ( still allowing for one day acclimatisation day at shipton's) Overall, I think the Shipton/ Chigoria route is a very pleasant trek!
Overall, Chris - thanks a million for your assistance. We think Into Africa offers some very good tours and is about more that just making a few ££ . We are glad we booked our tours with you and would be happy to serve as a contact point for others thinking about booking with into Africa.
Warm Regards
Cormac & Susie ( in Ireland)
From: MarcVigeant
Subject: After the trek
Dear Chris,
Now that our trek is over, a few words to tell you that it has been an extraordinary trek, thanks to our guide Francis and the whole staff. Everyone was friendly and efficient. Francis knew how to adapt the trek to our expectations and we are very grateful for that. We can only say : continue like this. And if some friends ask us which organization is liable for such a trip, we'll recommend Intoafrica.
Best regards
Marc
From: Geoffrey Wilkinson
Subject: RE: Mt Kenya feedback
Chris
On behalf of the group I have been asked to send on our appreciation for all you and your staff did for us. From our arrival to our departure your team were always efficient, courteous and unfailingly smiling! In particular I would like to thank Frank our guide up the mountain who had to arrange to bring Andrew down because of his bad reaction to altitude. It took nine hours to negotiate our way with Andrew down to Moses camp and Frank then (at 6pm) had to turn round walk back up and then proceed to guide the others on their final ascent! Not a word of complaint throughout! Also special thanks to Peter for being so uncomplaining about our constant change of arrangements at the end of the trip when he was driving us. I now several of our group have every intention of using your company again and we will be singing your praises locally. I have down quite a few treks with Explore and The Adventure Company but would have no hesitation in saying IntoAfrica was the equal if not better in the way it adapted to and met our needs.
Many thanks for all your help.
Geoff Wilkinson,
Scotland,
UK
From: gskoszednar
Subject: Re: feedback
Chris,
Sorry it has taken me so long to get back with you, Since I was in Africa for five weeks, I am finally getting back to my old routine at home. I totally enjoyed my trip on Mount Kenya. My guide, Isaac, and the cook and porters made for a very nice experience for me. They went out of the way for me by preparing great meals that catered to my special health needs, and added extra side trips to view the areas around the Gorgeous Gorge with its many lakes and waterfalls. My Christmas was a very different and a special one with a fire in the fireplace at the last cabin I stayed at. Also, thanks for the last minute ability to tour the elephant orphanage and snake museum in Nairobi with my spare time left before going on to Arusha. When I get things together, I plan to send you some of my pictures and possibly a video if you are interested.
Thanks again.
Jerry
From: Simon & Lucy
Subject: RE: Mt Kenya that glorious mountain!
Hi Chris
It is somewhat late in the day and the euphoria died down but as I am only just back I thought it would be worth dropping you a line regarding our trip with your organisation. We had many a high moment during our lovely 5 weeks in Kenya seeing friends, family and familiar places.
I had no real
expectations of the Mt Kenya aspect of the trip and did expect to be
pushed out of my comfort zone..... However I was really just pushed into a
completely different comfort zone ably assisted by ministrations of Denial
at the start and then Sammy, Denial the chef, Daredan, Steven, Bernard and
the rest of the team. The walk was amazing, the route stupendous, the
company great, the food fantastic and the accommodation great.
As an aside, I found your advice to travellers very useful and would like
to suggest the following additions based on my observations on the
mountain and discussions with Sammy (I also have an inherent interest in
waste management!)
All rubbish should be carried off the mountain - dispose of it at either the huts or gates this should include toilet tissue - carry a bag with you for the purpose, avoid using it unless absolutely necessary (women could consider sanitary protection if worried by the drips!!) Just a though as this was the one thing wrong on the mountain and it could have been a lot worse.
The other thought I had was if there were more "Responsible Travel
agents" like yourself that you could get teams of porters in the low
season to clean the mountain getting contributions from your satisfied
clients? Just a thought!
Thank you for organising it all so well
Best Wishes
Lucy and Simon Pierpoint, NZ
PS I am sorry we have no old gear to pass on but I would like to send
something to Sammy and a group photo - have you an address for him or can
you take him something if I were to post it to you?
From: Jon Lambert
Subject: Re: feedback
Dear Chris,
Thanks for the email. Got back yesterday - we spent a further week in Zanzibar with friends.
The Mt Kenya trip was extremely good. Very well organised - things ran exactly as planned, and Francis, our guide, adapted the schedule appropriately on the day when it tipped down. He was also generally well informed and patient. The pace over the six days was about right too.
Food was plentiful and consistently edible, always served with a smile. We weren't able to convince Patrick the cook that we didn't need a cooked three-course breakfast every day.
The information you sent us prior to the trip was also very helpful, esp relating to the diamox and the kit list. Perhaps there was not enough emphasis that the climb, particularly the final ascent (which was over ice, in darkness, fog and sleet), is actually quite demanding - we were surprised at times how hard it was.
On balance, we had a fantastic time, and still plan to come back to Kenya/Tanzania (when we've saved up enough!) to do a walking safari.
Many thanks, and Happy Christmas.
Jon Lambert and Gareth Beddoe.
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
An: Herbert Dollenmeier
Betreff: feedback
Dear Chris
Thank you for your e-mail. Sorry for the delay in responding! We are all back to work already here in Switzerland (unfortunately.....) and I was out of the office and wasn't able to respond earlier.
Our trip to Mt. Kenya with your organisation was just perfect. We cannot tell you, what should be or can be improved, because there is nothing that needs improvement. We had a wonderful time with your people on the mountain and would like to thank again all of them for the great hospitality during our trip. William was a very gentle guide (and good friend) for us, and our cook was so great, that we will give him at least four stars! It was just great, what wonderful meals he and his crew cooked for us on his "portable" kitchen. None of us ever had any problems on the stomach, and we appreciated always the nice "handwashing service" before each meal. You are doing great!!!!! I think, we even gained weight, although we were expecting to loose some grams....Perhaps you did order the good weather for us as well?? Perhaps you arranged all the animals for us during the game drives??? Everything was perfect!
We can always recommend your organisation to any interested person and we already (proudly) show around the T-shirts with your www.intoafrica.co.uk logo here. As soon as we get together the pictures (photos) we will e-mail you a couple.
Let us know, whenever we may be of assistance to you!
Best regards
Herbie Dollenmeier, Juerg (George) Noti, Gaston Vonlanthen, Martin
Huerlimann (the Dollenmeier couple)
From: Flanner
Subject: Re: feedback
Hello Chris,
Sorry for the delay in responding. I've just kind of been swept up with things since getting back.
We had a wonderful trip and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Both Patrick and Emmy were wonderful hosts and made us feel very welcome and well attended to. All of the staff we dealt with were very professional and helpful.
At the risk of meandering with my thoughts, I'll try to put together a few recollections.
Our first day - in Nairobi- was a little disconcerting. It seemed that everyone was warning us about walking in the city. I understand the issues but remember thinking that maybe we should just sit in the hotel room and stay safe. We did do some walking and it was an adventure. It would have been nice to have a suggestion on what to do with that day. I know that David Tepper arranged to be taken right to the Mount Kenya lodge. That was a very nice and relaxing spot - I don't know if that would have been an option for us or not.
As it turned out, we had some health concerns while on Mount Kenya. David was getting over a bout with the flu as we started and wasn't sure if he would be able to handle the altitude. He was pretty weak as we left from the Sirimon Gate but wasn't ready to cancel his trip. The first night while at Old Moses Hut, my son Mark and I seemed to have a stomach upset, and on the day up to Shiptons ended up quite weak by the time we got there. If we hadn't had the scheduled rest day, neither of us could have hiked to the summit early the following morning. Unfortunately all of this happened on our first few days and that probably heightened our uncertainty and concerns.
That aside, Sammy is a great guide and we really admired his professionalism. I liked him alot and I talk about him to everyone here. Mount Kenya was awesome and I would recommend it to anyone. A couple of other thoughts:
We wanted to purchase a good map of Mount Kenya as a souvenir but couldn't find one. I've obtained one on the internet since I returned. It would be a nice service for Patrick and Emmy to offer maps for sale to your clients. I bet you could also sell a nice T-shirt with your logo to most every client if you were to offer it.
John
Dear IntoAfrica
Thanks for your email and apologies for not replying more promptly, but I've been out of the office for a few days. I travelled in July this year on your Kenya trip which combined trekking in the Loita Hills with a visit to the Masai Mara and then a climb of Mt Kenya. There were eight of us in our group.
I was a very inexperienced trekker - this was my first trip of its kind. However, the guides inspired confidence and were clearly very competent. This was reassuring, particularly on Mt Kenya where their obvious experience and advice helped many of our group to adjust to the altitude and conditions where, otherwise, we may have had difficulties. Also on Mt Kenya there were Rangers posts with rescue services and radios. I do not, however, have any idea of how effecient these are as, fortunately, we did not need to test them! I do not really know about contingency plans for emergencies, but as we had two vehicles and a number of staff/crew I never felt unduly exposed or vulnerable in the event of any accident or problem. One or two the group had mild altitude problems on Mt Kenya but, again, our guides were competent in dealing with that and inspiring confidence - we all made it to the top as well.
I hope I have given you enough detail here. As I am sure you have gathered, I would have no hesitation in recommending IntoAfrica - I had a very memorable and special holiday and would certainly use you again on a return trip.
Kind regards
Rozanna Niazi
Burke Niazi Solicitors & Advocates
London
Subject: Re: Feedback
From: "philippe delesalle"
Hello Chris, just back from London, last night , after an absolutely
fabulously successful trip !
Naturally I wanted to touch base with you. Firstly to say thank you for
your very good service, in helping me plan that trip. the planning was
quite involved as we had to meet some friends along the way... We like
to thank Patrick and Charles for their very WARM HOSPITALITY. They gave
us good accomodation- excellent service- excellent food and above all,
they made us welcomed and comfortable. The treking crew was EXCELLENT-
very kind and courteous people. I like to recommend particularly SAMMY
KAMIRI, who brought Daniel ( very good cook ) and 2 porters of his choice.
Mireille, my wife and I, are specially impressed by the quality of leadership
of Sammy, quiet, thoughtfull and most respectuous of people and environment.
I highly recommend him for your demanding clients ...
On recommendation from Patrick, to visit Samburu, we accelerated our summit day by walking from Mackinder's Camp to Lenana Summit- down on icy snow (marginal conditions without axe ) to Shipton's Camp, to Old Moses Camp, to Sirimon Gate...where Sammy managed to get transportation... Not bad for Mireille just out of hospital ! Anyway it was a first for Sammy to lead a 71 y.o.on the summit ! and we enjoyed the beautiful day .
Question : If I send a parcel ( approx. 10 pounds ) to your address, could you deliver it to Sammy at MRH ? Apparently parcels sent by post to Nairobi do NOT get there .
After that we walked 2 weeks with the Masai... another great human experience... then we went to Tanzania to Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti... Fabulous. then few day in Shela and back to London! Quite a trip for our 40th, wedding anniversary...
Thank you again Chris,
Best regards, Philippe
N.B. : Please do pass this note to PATRICK and CHARLES with our thanks and our regards, we appreciated very much their attention to our needs.
From: "ian.rogerson"
Subject: Re: Africa trip feedback
Chris, the trip was most enjoyable. Everything ran smoothly when in Kenya and Tanzania, all Into Africa staff appeared organised and were very keen to help where ever possible.
The guides, Peter (Kenya) and Nicholas (Kilimanjaro) were first class, both were very easy to talk to and were keen share their vast knowledge of the mountains. The food was also very good.
I would like to finish by saying a big thank you to everyone who helped in any way to make the whole Africa experience so enjoyable, especially Pete and Nicholas for guiding us to the tops. I will be recommending Into Africa to anybody in the future who should ask and look forward to visiting Africa again myself before too long. Thank you again
Ian Rogerson
