Following plenty of great reviews on this website of JT Tours we decided to visit him whilst on holiday at the Neptune Paradise Village in June this year. Six of us went to see JT in his office opposite the resort (orange hut but anyone can direct you) and it was the best decision of our holiday. He created a three day safari for us across Tsavo East and West and it was the best three days of our holiday. We can't say enough good things about Julius and his team, they went so far out of their way to make our experience special and the best it could be. Being of a good business mind, Julius knows that reviews like this could make or break him and for that reason (and because he's a lovely man) he makes the trip as good as he possibly can. Please go and see Julius it really is worth it. Fran & Chris, UK

We booked with Julius before we went and was a little nervous about sending the deposit before we had even met him! How stupid were we. Julius was brilliant throughout. He visited us twice at the hotel before we went out and told us all about what to expect on the Safari and got us a fantastic 3 day 2 night deal at Kichwa Tembo luxury tented camp which I would also recommend wholeheartedly.

My advice would be don't bother with the expensive tour operators or running the gauntlet with the beach boys (we stayed at Mombasa) just make contact with Julius, tell him what you want and let him organise the rest!

Like others before us we read the amazing reviews about Julius on TripAdvisor and wondered if there was a catch. There isnt one! We booked 4 days at the Kichwa Tembo luxury tented camp in the Masai Mara online for June 28th and negotiated a competitive price by email direct with Julius who was very responsive and frank about where the best safaris are at this time of the year. Julius picked us up from the villa on Diani Beach we rented (through holiday-rentals.co.uk - big 3/4 double beds house + big private pool + 4 staff (!) all for approx £900 for 2 weeks!)

Safari: Julius was great. The morning before the safari just as we started to think about getting in touch with him he just turned up with a big smile - because he was concerned we hadnt contacted him - sat and had a drink and talked us through the whole thing. Next morning, he took all 6 of us from the villa to the Ukunda airstrip, about 10-15 mins drive. 12 seater Cessna took us to the Kichwa Tembo airstrip in the Mara. Approx 2.5 hours. Flew right past Mt Kilimanjaro. Too early for the wildebeest migration (which is now moving slowly up through the Serengetti and will probably get to the Mara Reserve by August /Sept). No need to wait for the migration as loads of Wildebeest already there, along with Lions, Cheetahs, hyena, jackal, lots of giraffes, elephants, zebras, buffalos, hippos, huge crocodiles, hundreds of gazelles/antelope species and the elusive black rhino including mother and baby. Kichwa Tembo is amazing. Step out of your colonial style 'tent ' with proper beds and ensuite bathroom to a view over the Mara with Giraffes and buffalo just wandering around. At lunchtime in between early morning and afternoon game drives we sat and looked over the infinity pool across to the Mara. Quite magical. Exceptional food in the restaurant. Watch out for the cheeky monkeys which leap around in the trees and try to steal your lunch! Kichwa operates the best open sided Land Rovers which seat 9 but we had our own for 6. Jackson, the driver, trained under Jonathan Scott (Big Cat Diaries - who often stays at the camp), so his knowledge of the animals and the Mara is amazing. All the Mara drivers in the area stay in touch by walkie talkie so that all can share sightings of leopard, cheetah, rhino and lion kills etc.

Back at Diani Beach: Julius looks after you even after your safari and provided a complimentary taxi service around Diani which would normally be about 300KSH each way to most places. Top tip: bring Sterling and exchange there at a much better rate. Julius was geting 126KSH/£ compared to 118KSH at M&S when we left. Julius also brought generous gifts for everyone and even lent a mobile charger.

Very few tourists at the moment. Forty Thieves bar (best bar on beach - there arent many) almost deserted. Bar gave us free lift back to villa and offered free service for next visits!

Few other tips: lots of beach boys looking to sell animal carvings, boat trips etc. Difficult to avoid when so few tourists. Best to buy something (they are quite desperate and need to feed their families) but final price was often less than half first price offered). Bottle of Tusker Beer is about 120KSH. Pizza at Aniello's (better than fancy looking Leonardos) about 500KSH. Drinks prices higher at Safari camp though! For mobile calls: good idea to buy a local safari.com sim card plus credit of 250/500/1000KSH (avail in supermarkets and other shops) for calling home, local taxi calls and of course keeping in touch with Julius.

No sign of any trouble. Kenya desperately needs more people to go there. Get in touch with Julius direct at info@julius-safaris.com - he wont let you down.

We have just returned from Kenya, it was one of our most interesting holidays. In the south of Mombassa, an hour drive from the airport we stayed at Neptune Paradise Hotel, a perfect hotel with good service and food.
During our stay, we have booked an excellent safari for the best price in the opposite of our hotel at the office of JT Travel. Mr. Julius, owner of JT Travel, arranged a three day fly safari to the Masai Mara, the National Park in the centre of Kenya, two hours fly from Mombassa. We stayed at the Figtree Camp, a fabulous tented camp complete with excellent beds and bathroom, facing a river.
Everything was arranged to the last detail, from the Neptune Hotel Julius took us personally to the air strip some 15 minutes away, nothing was too much.

A fantastic safari, one we will remember for the rest of our lives, all thanks to Julius!

Saskia and Remon from the Netherlands