If you are looking for a perfect safari experience, this is the place to go. Brilliant organization, friendly staff, fair pricing. We highly recommend it! We couldn't have asked for a better safari. Special thanks to Simon, who was a wonderful driver and guide.

Serene is the best company I believe for travelling to Kenya. Though I requested several tour companies for quotes, Lucy, a tour arranger, was by far the quickest to get back to us and she provided accurate answers to any questions we had. I wanted a homestay at Masai village as an addition to my safari tour. When I consulted Lucy about this, she immediately contacted the agent to see if it was possible and put it into our itinerary, which was a completely different response from other safari companies which simply refused. Thanks to this, we not only went on a normal safari, but also took a walk with Masai people and my children played with Masai children, which was a very irreplaceable time for us. Linus was a great safari guide and driver. We were able to travel with peace of mind because Linus was always with us from the airport to the safari. Linus has been a safari guide for over 20 years, and we often saw that he was admired by other safari guides during the tour. It seemed timing is important to see rare animals, we were impressed Linus was able to take us to exactly where the animals were based on his years of experience. My little son came down with a high fever during the trip, Linus was worried and bought us medicine, which was a big help. Also, we forgot my camera lens at the last sightseeing spot, but while we were on our way to the airport and didn't have much time, he worked with company staff and staff at the sightseeing spot to deliver the lens to the safari van. Really appreciated. There are various things if I write it down in detail, but the Kenya trip was very rich and deep to us. If anyone is travelling to Kenya, I definitely would recommend Serene.

We traveled with family to Kenya June 18 to June 26 2023. It was our first time in Kenya and we were anxious especially as we were traveling with 2 kids. At the time of booking, we tried 4 months ahead but it was impossible to find resorts during these dates. We contacted Serena Hotels (Mr.Aloyce) and they were very helpful in finding us a good itinerary with resort availability in all locations. We started our trip with one night and one day in Nairobi. The stay was at Serena Hotel Nairobi. The rooms were very spacious and clean and we could get a good night's rest after a long flight. On the second day, we had a sumptuous breakfast at the Magreb restaurant in Serena hotel Nairobi. Alyoce met with us to confirm our itinerary for the next 7 days and introduced us to our personal tour guide Titus. We were provided with a spacious and comfortable Land Cruiser in which we traveled for rest of the trip. We drove towards Serena Sweetwaters camp in Ol Pejeta conservancy. On the way we stopped at a town Nanyuki where the locals demonstrated the rotation of water on the line of equator. Serena Sweetwaters camp is beautifully located psuedo tent like rooms right beside the conservancy. This gives an opportunity to live in natural setting alongside the wild animals. The rooms were spacious and very clean. In addition to the nature viewing and game drives, we enjoyed the hospitality of the staff here who fed us very delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner. On day 3, we started towards Nakuru. Serena Lake Elementeita camp is located in the SoySamba conservancy and is about 30 minutes from Nakuru National Park. The rooms were exceptional in style and very spacious with a beautiful view of Lake Elementeita that is home to thousands of flamimgoes. The resort also boasts some amazing chefs and very hospitable staff who ensured our stay was very smooth. The highlight of this stay was a special Sundowner surprise event planned by the staff for us. This was held at a special location overlooking the lake and flamingoes with a view of the sunset. We were treated with unlimited drinks and snacks with live music during this time. It was truly a special and memorable time for our family. On day 5, we started towards Maasai Mara. This was a slightly long drive from Nakuru to Mara but we were welcomed at Serena Mara camp by a delicious lunch buffet. The camp is situated on a small hill overlooking the Mara national park. The rooms were small but well decorated and maintained and had an excellent view. On Saturday night the local Maasai tribe visit the camp for some dance performances that was very entertaining for us as we did not get to stop at the Maasai village on the way. There was also a special Hippo pool breakfast setup just for us. We were served hot breakfast coffee and champagne by the staff while viewing hippos and crocs! We returned to Nairobi from Mara on Day 7. We spent a night there at Serena hotels and departed from Kenya the next day. The overall stay was very memorable. Our guide was excellent. He drove very carefully, took us to the best sights and viewpoints, ensured we enjoyed all our game drives and taught us a lot of information about animals that we never knew before. We would strongly recommend the Serena camps to other families wanting to travel in Keya for safari. This specific package worked really great because we could see a lot of herbivores up really really close and stay int he wild for first 3-4 days and Mara was spent in sighting predators. We thank the staff of Serena hotels in all these locations for making our stay pleasant and memorable.

Almost everyone can organize a trip, even a great trip. Companies usually have an opportunity to shine, or not, when something goes wrong and that's exactly what happened to us. Our flights were delayed by a full day, and Serene East Africa Safaris didn't miss a beat to push the entire trip back by a day. It was fantastic service to ensure we still got the full experience. Lucy put together a fully customized itinerary for us, incorporating exactly the parks we wanted to see (Aberdare, Samburu, Buffalo Springs, Hell's Gate, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara). She expertly picked the perfect hotel in each destination, giving us an amazing mix of rustic, cozy and upscale/luxury, each lodge bringing us closer to nature and providing us with that true Kenya Safari feeling and ambience. Our driver Linus was equally impressive. It seemed that at every park, the animals were signaling him where they could be found. We not only saw all of the Big Five (multiple times, too) but pretty much every other wildlife that resides in these parks. That's what makes an experienced driver who knows the location of wildlife at different times of the day. It was absolutely amazing. We ended the trip with a few days in Diani Beach, which was the perfect ending to this wonderful experience. Thank you Lucy and Linus!

This was definitely the trip of a lifetime for us, and we have been fortunate to be able to travel around the globe for the past 20 years. This safari organized by Serene East Africa Safaris surpassed all of our expectations. We came to experience the people, culture, food and, of course, wildlife of Kenya and we got so much more. The trip was perfectly organized by Lucy (we adjusted the standard itinerary a bit to include Masai Mara in lieu of Amboseli) and flawlessly executed by our driver guide, Linus. He definitely knows where all the wildlife hangs out. We saw not only the Big Five but so much more, everywhere we went. The beach days in Diani Beach were super chilled and relaxing. Perfect ending to a perfect trip. Thank you Lucy and Linus!

We decided earlier this summer that we wanted to do a safari to Kenya and after looking at many safari outfitters and contacting several, I settled on Serene East Africa Safaris and am so very glad that I did. When I first contacted Lucy I explained to her that my wife has advanced Alzheimer's and is in a wheelchair with limited mobility and asked if she would be able to put a safari together for us. She said it would be absolutely no problem and she would make sure that any lodges she suggested would all have wheelchair accessible facilities and would make sure that everything else was also tailored to my wife's needs. Lucy was an absolute pleasure to do business with and right from the get go she took care of everything in a low key manner, suggesting an itinerary but at the same time being very open to any changes I preferred. For example, she initially put Lake Naivasha on the itinerary as well as Lake Nakuru but I preferred to pass on this and stay an extra day at Masai Mara. Staying at Fairmont lodge the extra day and omitting Naivasha meant one less travel day for my wife and we also wanted to make sure we spent enough time in the Mara. I received an email back within minutes saying that was no problem whatsoever and to consider it done. Everything from booking, to choosing lodge options and paying online went very smoothly as did the pick up at the airport. Lucy put together an amazing trip for us that was filled with awe and excitement. The photos and videos we took will hopefully help my wife to remember things about the trip long after the actual events have faded from her memory. After our flight from London the night before our two daughters, along with my wife and I, opted to fly from Nairobi to Masai Mara instead of driving. It worked well for us and I recommend it as an option to anyone considering it. We arrived at the lodge very fresh which may not have been the case if we had driven down with our guide Linus. Linus took us to the airport then drove to the lodge with our luggage and we met with him later that afternoon. Linus was the most helpful, knowledgeable and interesting guide anyone could hope for and we struck an instant rapport with him. For the four days that we spent at Fairmont Masa we were also accompanied by James, our Masai assistant guide and spotter. What a wonderful addition he was to our tour and his sense of humor and knowledge were a joy to be around. When we left the Masai Mara, saying goodbye to him was like saying goodbye to an old friend. We may never meet again but we will forever remember him and the knowledge of his country that he shared with us. I feel I should make special mention of the staff at the Fairmont. Absolutely splendid people who went out of their way to make sure everything was good and to offer help with my wife. A special shout out to Phillip who was assigned to help transport my wife in her wheelchair to and from our accommodation for the duration of our stay. Nothing was ever too much trouble for him and everything was always done with a smile and a friendly word. We spent a lot of time in conversation and I appreciate him teaching me a lot about Kenya, its people and its customs. After the Mara we visited Lake Nakuru with its pink flamingos and stayed at Sopa Lodge for just one night, another great recommendation by Lucy. From there we spent a night in Nairobi to allow my wife to relax before going to Amboseli. Ole Tukai Lodge truly enchanted us. It was probably the oldest of the three lodges we stayed at but the ambience along with elephants outside the grounds and magnificent views of Mount Kilimanjaro made it almost feel like a setting for an Ernest Hemmingway novel. When we got back to Nairobi we spent a night there and next day went to the giraffe center, did a bit of souvenir shopping and then had a delicious lunch with Linus, Lucy and her nephew. I couldn't complete this review without another comment about Linus. What a wonderful addition he is to Serene East Africa. He was so incredibly helpful and patient with my wife and helping her in and out of the Toyota landcruiser several times a day and loading/unloading her wheelchair. I realise it is a part of his job to do this but he always went the extra mile and couldn't do enough to help. As I told Lucy, if ever we are lucky enough to return to Kenya on another safari, we want Linus as our guide. He also got us up close to lions, cheetahs, rhinos, a leopard and many elephants so we felt incredibly lucky to see all the big five. He put us into position to get the dream photos of elephants in the foreground with Kiliminjaro behind and showed us such a number of animals that I thought were only seen on National Geographic. Thanks to Lucy. Ann, Linus and James for everything they did to create and put into practice such a memorable safari for us. I do not hesitate to recommend their company and services to friends and/or anyone who is enquiring about doing a Kenya safari. If I'm lucky enough to ever visit Kenya again I won't have to do any research as we will definitely be going with Serene East Africa Safaris Sandy Christie

My husband and I had planned our honeymoon through Lucy via a personal recommendation. We were not disappointed despite the two year delay on this trip due to covid. Lucy worked with us to meet our desires for the trip and was able to rebook everything without question following the postponement. In Rwanda/Uganda Asaph our guide was phenomenal. He was knowledge friendly and professional. In Kenya, we couldn't recommend Linus more. An experienced guide with all the knowledge in the world not to mention how personable he was. We felt that he really looked after us during our time together. In Tanzania Mecky was a great guide. He made sure we were happy and if something along the way hadn't gone to plan he was very quick to make suggestions. He felt like a friend by the end of our time with him. Joseph our meet and greet in Kenya went above and beyond. Finally, Lucy was super responsive throughout our trip. Any questions we had she answered very promptly. We had the pleasure of meeting with her in Masai Mara. We couldn't fault this trip and would not hesitate to recommend Serene to anyone who is looking for a travel agency in East Africa.

I would really reccomend this tour! Lucy, the tour organiser, was great - very responsive to my queries in advance of booking, and put me at ease. I joined a small group tour as I was travelling alone after a work trip, and had a great experience with just myself and two Kenyan ladies, with a great guide, Linus. Linus was a friendly and skilled guide, and flexible to our requests (we climbed a small hill one morning to look at the views!). Amboseli was full of elephants, and we had an amazing experience with a cheetah and 4 cubs. Tsavo West was much bigger, wilder, and with some interesting volcanic scenery - less full of wildlife but interesting in other ways. We stayed at a Serena lodge in Tsavo which was absolutely incredible - I’ve never stayed anywhere like that and it totally blew me away. On our last night I watched the sunset over Kilimanjaro with 15+ elephants at the watering hole and a cocktail in my hand- complete bliss! I really didn’t want to leave!

We actually worked with Lucy for a longer Safari experience. She is so willing to please.Our guide, Linus was a true gentleman and looked over these two American women, like a hawk. He was knowledgeable and did his best to make us happy. In Tanzania, Meshalu was also a great guide. He also was a gentleman and willing to please and very knowledgeable. There were a few snafus, but that is bound to happen when you travel so far from home. Everyone was so kind and helpful

This trip was a dream come true. It lived up to every expectation I had. The people were knowledgeable and totally organized. The trip ran like clockwork. It was worth twice what I paid for it! I can not recommend this company higher. They were professional in every way. If you are thinking of doing this...DO IT!

First of all the communication from the first email was second to none. Every query was answered within a few hours and they designed the itinerary exactly to our liking, even changing accommodation to suit our requests. The price was the most reasonable too. When we arrived we were met at the airport by the lovely Lucy who then introduced us to our driver Samuel. Samuel was an excellent driver who was with us for some very long drives during our safari and beach holiday. Some of the roads were treacherous and other cars were getting stuck but Samuel and his expert driving skills always got us safely to our destination. We also had a landcruiser jeep which was much better /comfortable than a lot of the transportation we saw other people in on the game drives. We spent the first night in Nairobi where we requested to visit the elephant orphanage, the hotel was good and had a lovely buffet breakfast the next morning. The second day we drove to Masai Mara where we enjoyed two nights at Osero Camp which was my favourite place that we stayed. We had a beautiful setting for lunch on arrival and they went out of their way to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Then we made our way to Lake Navisha where we stayed at Simba Lodge with its amazing scenery and we took a boat ride in the lake which was fab. After that we had the long drive to Amboseli where we had a lovely picnic lunch on route to Kibo Lodge-this was the most lively of the lodges and had great food drinks and Masai dancers by the fire after dinner. Breakfast was lovely too but just a few too many creepy crawlies for me here. Of course we enjoyed great game drives in both Masai Mara and Amboseli where we saw lots of elephants, lions, cheetahs and many more. Then we had a very very long drive in the rain to Diane beach where we enjoyed two nights all inclusive by the sea. What a wonderful trip, we can’t thank you enough.

So, I happened to contact many tour operators in Kenya to compare the overall costs of packages as compared to booking the car, accommodation, entrance fees, and food, on my own. Most of the ones I contacted were in the top 20 list of operators as per travellers ranking. But I chose Serene, which, surprisingly, was quite low on the list. Lucy made me feel that she is genuine and non-commercial. Of course, she does it for a profit (I obviously didnt expect her to do it for free or at a loss), but she gave me real good options including a Land Cruiser 4x4, and good property picks at Naivasha, Nakuru and Masai Mara. We had various options for our budget. Linus, our guide cum driver, is a Mara expert. He has his moments, but overall he means well for your safety and comfort. Lucy came to pick us up from the airport herself, which was a real nice gesture. After completing the formalities, we were on our way. The 4x4 was totally new and was clean everyday. More than enough water for us to keep us hydrated. The camps/lodges confirmed for us were awesome, and we did not feel the need to change or complain about them. Overall, this trip of ours was smooth sailing just because of Lucy!! Three cheers to her. I do plan to recommend her to all my friends and family, and hope that you will use her services too (for any budget, as I could understand), cause she is a thorough professional with the personal touch.

We are very satisfied and happy with our honeymoon. The agency “Serene East Africa Safaris”, in the person of Lucy especially, has turned out to be a serious, professional and above all careful agency and ready to satisfy our needs and expectations. Lucy organized an exclusive and detailed honeymoon, leaving nothing to chance. We spent 15 days in Kenya doing three safaris and staying in different lodges, where both the rooms and bathrooms were functional and clean; the service and staff are friendly and welcoming, the food is good and plentiful. Our guide/driver, Linus, who accompanied us during the safaris by a private minivan reserved just for us is a brilliant person, protective, attentive, safely adventurous. In addition to providing us with various information about animals and plants that populate the savannah, it really wanted us to have an experience in Africa to be unforgettable and succeeded! Bravo Linus! We spent the last few days at the Diani Sea Resort where the staff was attentive and willing to accommodate our requests and always kind; the room, the restaurants, the pool and the food really excellent and excellent enough to feel pampered and relaxed at all times. We highly recommend the agency “Serene East Africa Safaris” to organize your trip in kenya and not only and Thanks again to Lucy and Linus! An indescribable honeymoon!

My wife and I had a wonderful 6 nights private safari organised by Serene East Africa Safaris. We visited Amboseli (AA Lodge), Tsavo West (Kilaguni Lodge), Tsavo East (Ashnil Aruba Lodge) and Diani Beach (Diani Sea Resort, 3 nights). All the accommodation was superb with Kilaguni Lodge outstanding. The Diani Sea Resort all-inclusive package was also outstanding. While at Diani, we went on a day trip to Wasini Island where we saw dolphins and went snorkelling in the coral reef, and also visited the Shimoni slave caves. This was all included in the package, including our flight back from Diani to Nairobi! Lucy and her team were superb throughout, from the moment of initial contact to our departure. Everything was seamlessly organised with no surprises or disappointments. There was constant communication on WhatsApp or email and questions are answered quickly. We had a superb guide, Kennedy, who was patient and easy going. We were received and dropped at the airport. I liked the all-inclusive nature of the safari, you barely need to spend any more money again. On the parks themselves, Amboseli was beautiful especially with the imposing Mount Kilimanjaro in the background, with plenty of elephants, loads of different species of birds, some lions, etc. Tsavo East/West are really vast and consequently sparsely populated, although still boasting plenty of elephants, giraffes, zebras. Diani beach was beautiful with a warm sea! I would definitely recommend Serene East Africa and I would use them again.

This is my most difficult review to write! Because I had a fantastic 7 days tour of Kenya due to the excellent services provided from the start, to end thanks to Lucy who kept in touch for a whole year of planning. The package choosen was the 6-Day Amboseli, Tsavo & Diani Beach. ( Private tourLuxuryLodge & Resort You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Amboseli NP, Tsavo West NP, Tsavo East NP, Diani Beach, Wasini Island, Nairobi (End) attention to details were precise. Kenneth and Linus were very knowledgeable guides/Drivers able to answer all questions asked. Vehicles are clean and durable, water supplied, charger in vehicles, and air conditioning etc. We were met at the airport as per itinerary even though we changed the plan to start the safari the next day! We were welcomed taken to our hotel and left to sleep and prepare for the next day! Lucy met us back the next morning gave us individual plans for the next 6 days and our flight tickets for return journey back to Nairobi. We enjoyed the trip very much and the drivers were very accommodating with all requests. The 2nd day was my birthday on the safari and it was a special day for me. The choice of hotels were excellent, we had no complaints, (AA Lodge, Ashinil hotel or DIANI BEACH resort). Our visit to the Masai village was enlightening and fun, they welcomed us and sang a birthday song for me! However be aware that they are also expecting you to make some purchases of products/jewellery during the tour, not inclusive of tour fee (that isn't much).We encountered some dolphins on route to Wasini Island which was great because there were only 2 other Dhow in this space so it didn't feel like we were invading their space! Snorkelling was ok a little disorganised as they didn't have enough life jackets on the Dhow but borrowed from the neighbouring Dhow, this part of the service is only recommended by Serene east safari as a extra! (The Dhow are those available on shore by docking station so it isn't a negative directed at the tour organisers) The time spent on the island outside of having lunch is very short! I Would have liked more time on the island, having said that the lunch was great, fish, chicken, lobster, free bowl if crabs!! Between the 8 of us in my group we ate the lot including the chapati, salad, cassava etc. The 3 days spent at Diani beach resort all inclusive was great because we were getting a much needed lie in as opposed to getting up early for games, and moving from place to place. The hotel provided a good service and entertainment! Choice of food was very satisfying and this was the 1st hotel I have ever stayed in whereby the manager walked by and greeted guests asking if we were ok. Again great choice selected by Serene East safari, with lots to do in the local vicinity, from shopping to jet sking. We visited a bar/restaurant on the last night called Forty theives, they played a variety of music and had a nice ambience as it is situated off the beach. The safari was supposed to end with our flights back from Ukunda airstrip to Wilson airport, where we were met and transferred back to our hotels for a extra (Not part of the tour) two nights in Nairobi. However we just hadn't had enough and were not ready to say good bye to the team. So we arranged a further day out with the company to Nairobi national park and David Sherrick elephant sanctuary. The driver (Kenneth) also allowed a stop off for us to visit a tourist spot. The final highlight that day was our lunch to Carnivore with Lucy and Peter mangers of Serene East safari. Excellent choice and treat arranged by Lucy. So overall the company provided the exactly what they offered (some changes were made to routes to avoid traffic etc). Were professional, made the trip very personal and sincerely cared that we were happy and well looked after. Looking forward to returning.