I booked this holiday with last minute.com and got the holiday at a bargin price. The flight delay was 22 hrs, Monarch need to get thier act sorted out, no one was available to give us updated information and the disjoint was very stressful. I travelled with my partner and young daughter and the poor communications between Monarch and ASC needs immediate attention. We eventually arrived at the Flamingo and were greeted with a lack lustre performance of the Jambo song, bit cheesy and unnecessary after the long delay. The brief from the Hotel Manager was inaudible and pretty poor. The room was ok but very basic. The sheets were only changed on request and the cleanliness was below standard. The food was awful and was not up to standard for a hotel claiming 5 stars. The menu was repititive and did not cater for children. My daughter survived on rice and potatoes for the duration of our stay. The management were from the outset alouf and disinterested in the clients and staff. They never came around and asked if everything was ok and never came around the dining room to ask about the food quality. The African staff were delightful and although they had not been paid in 4months always had time to chat and make sure that you were happy at your table. I did not book a Safari with ASC and took advise from another blogger and booked it through Jimmy on the beach. It was fantastic and well organised so much so that we booked two. The first was to the Masai Mara and the second to Tsavo West, both lodges were excellent and the highlight of our trip. DO NOT BOOK ANY SAFARI THROUGH ASC, They are too expensive and not what it says on the tin!. We went to the White Sands Hotel as non residents for the day and were treated to a 3 course gourmet lunch entertainment and the use of their pools,sunbeds and towels for £16 for the three of us. I recommend this to anyone who wants to see how the other half live. Some tips, book your taxis outside of the resort, they are cheaper and always agree the price before you go, take a kettle tea and coffee, two coffees in the hotel is 5 euros, change you money from euros or pounds into kenyan shilling outside the hotel. Jane little shop just at the gate will give you a good rate. Do not expect clean towels for the pool every day you are given one each on the deluxe package and you have to launder it yourself. Eat out at the SAFARI INN and take a torch with you at night as the power goes off quite often. It was cheap and cheerful but I would not recommend this holiday unless you get it for under £400pp, Good points I will have to get back to you when I can think of one!

May 13th arrived, after an abismal flight 9 hours in cattle truck (Monarch Airlines). Having paid extra for the express service to the hotel including pool towel and sunlounger, imagine our dissapointment when we found ourselves herded into a long passed it's sell by date bus with all the other guests, most of whom hadn't paid the extra. Gournet Pass, another extra we purchased only to find there were only two A'la Carte restaurants available. As for the menu it became embarrasing for the waiter who had to daily cross off the meals not available and just tell us what we could have.
In the main buffet restaurant when we ate there we were inundated with fly's and are sure this contributed to our two weeks of continual upset stomachs dispite medication. We chatted with guests from other hotels in the area who were not experiencing food shortages or severe stomach cramps and sickness as we were. When we approached the management we were met with total disinterest telling us "your in Africa now", Incidently we have lived in Africa for the passed 24 years and never ever been treated like this, we can only assume the management has friends in high places within the company., We can only confirm that the local people went out of their way to be friendly and helpful. Everything in the hotel is very expensive and we reccommend you go into the local village even for bottled water. We will go to Kenya again but never with an hotel owned by A.S.C.
Most of the African Safari Club hotels were closed leaving the hotel cats to fend for themselves never in all our travels have we seen such poor defensive creatures in such a poor state of health. So much so we arranged for a vet to collect a particularly sad specimen who could hardly walk and was very malnourished, we had a collection around the guests who were more than happy to contribute towards the vets bill.
Should you ask would we recommend the ASC to friends we have to say a resounding "NO"

I like to consider myself as quite well travelled for my age. I am 23 and went to Kenya with my friend of 24 and we absolutley loved it!

After reading some of the reviews on trip advisor before we left we were unsure of how we would find the hotels but all credit due to the positive people who have previously added their reviews. For those who were expecting a luxurey 5 star hotel and gave a negative review, I would recommend you go back to benidorm!

By all means we were tested to our limits in terms of losing our temper. We experienced a 21 hour flight delay with the airline however we made the most of this and got rather worse for wair in the Hilton where we had to stay over. We arrived in Mombassa and it was raining, and the worst thing to happen on the holiday was the one and only plug socket in our room broke so we had to go out with wet heads! LOL

I cannot rate the staff in the hotel highly enough. To have any of them working in an establishment in England would be a total credit to us. They all had a heart of gold and couldnt do enough for you.

If you are considering going to this hotel, then I would recommend that you give the welcome meeting a miss when you arrive at the hotel as they will advise you that it is not safe to leave the hotel. Please dont listen to this!! As I said me and my friend are both young girls and we went down the road every day to the shops and supermarket and every night to the Safari inn (great food for great prices). We were perfectly fine. Due to the previous political trouble in the country, people are scared to visit and due to the lack of toursits, the locals outside the hotel and on the beach are desperate for your custom. You will get hounded when you leave the hotel grounds as they ask if you will look in their shops, travel agents, massage centres etc. Be firm and polite. When they get to know who you are, they will not even approach you but if you have a hear, sit and have a conversation with them, they are all really lovely and just trying to make a living. At one point me and my friend were sat on the curb outside with all the locals just talking to them and getting to know them. For us, this is what holidays are about. You dont want to be stuck in the hotel grounds for 2 weeks. If you do then you are missing out.

We booked a safari with Chico on the beach. He works part time as a salesman for a travel agent and part time as a preacher. You cant get more honest than that!! We had a fantastic time.

We went to Tsavo East. A tip for anyone who goes, don't book through the hotel as it is more expensive and for a safari excluding a flight (masai marra and kilamanjaro will include a flight) you should not pay more than £130. To get a bit cheaper than this, you will need to spend alot of time negotiating.

We went to Voi lodge. It was built into the cliff side with a view of the masses and masses of plains and 2 watering holes where all animals will come into drink. There is also a tunnel down to the watering hole (obviously you are safely behind bars) but you can be a matter of meters away from elephants, hippo's, lions and whatever else is thirsty. It was amazing, they really take care of you and the rangers all radio in to each other on the game drives so you dont miss a thing!

If you get chance, take some pens, jotters, socks, sweets, unwanted toiletries, clothes, flip flops etc with you. You can use them in exchange for presents on the beach or in the shops or if you are kind hearted enough like us, go to a school (preferably not government funded) and give them the stationary and give your unwanted items away to the locals and the staff at the hotel at the end of the holiday.

Please take time to look at my photo's of the Flamingo beach hotel and Voi safari lodge. This holiday comes highly recommended to people who make the most of any situation, love travelling and meeting new people and appreciate that they will be visiting Africa not L.A.

There is a fantastic diving school at the hotel called Barracuda. Ask for Alex with the smooth feet (private joke). Should you be looking for lessons I would highly recommend him. The pool is absolutely massive, he is very well trained and professional and will offer you very fair prices.

In my experience, everyone (and by everyone, I mean English people) in the hotel were a lot more sociable than any other place I have been. We met some fantastic people, had the best holiday and would encourage anybody with an open mind to visit the place. They really need your support!

Beware of the monkey's at breakfast time!!! They will wait untill you have buttered your bread and they will pinch it from you!!!! LOL

ASC adn it's managers deserve to be shot - the local staff work very hard and for little or no pay. Our holiday was blighted by missing food on menues, stolen money, VERY bad stomach and an accident with NO First Air available from ASC!!!!!

Even with all this we made the most of our stay, the safari was fantastic, btu thi is due to the staff rather than the company.

I will go back to KEnya as it is a lovely country but NEVER with AFrican Safari CLub, they are badly run and poorly managed and care more about taking your money than giving you a good service.