Dear Vivien, 

All of us arrived home safely and well. I hope this letter find you well. 

First of all I want to say:  Thank you very much for such an amazing safari.

I know all the work you had to do to fit this nice safari in our reduced budget. It wasn't easy but you did it. All group agree that you organized it very well. The lodge in Nakuru was excellent and the Nyumbu Tented Camp in Masai Mara was the kind of nice place we expected to find.

Kamara and Dedan were the best drivers you can have in a safari. They are excellent drivers-guide and very helpful. They also are sensitive and polite people, and they have wide experience and knowledges about animals and their habitat. So is not possible to be better assisted while a safari.

Vivien, Kamara, Dedan, thank you very much, without you we wouldn't enjoy so much the safari. I'm sending you some photographs by WeTransfer. I hope you like them.

Best regards,

Juan Antonio (Spain)
Email Juan

Dear Vivien:

I just want you to know, again, how grateful I am to you for all your hard work over the past year and your efforts right up through the last day to make this trip an amazing and wonderful adventure. For me, it was more than that. There aren't even any words to say what an incredible experience I had. I have cried every day I've been home because nothing seems as good here...and I am terribly sad to have left the beautiful animals, people, and vistas of Kenya.

All I can think about is how soon I can get back there... And I wonder, "How can I just work for Vivien and help her build her house overlooking the lake?" I can dream, right? :)

It was your leadership and sometimes tough love that kept us functioning as a unit - not an easy task. You are an amazing woman and I am so in awe of all your accomplishments and how much you give back to the people and animals - it was those things (Hope Streams Academy, DSWT, Samburu village, Mt. Kenya Animal Orphanage) that made the whole trip worthwhile. Honestly, now I wonder why you even bother to live in the US at all.... :)

I love how fiercely protective you are of your drivers and staff - to tears even - that just tells me what a great person you are and I see why you are that way because they all truly deserve it. I always felt that my mother and I were taken care of and safe. I learned more on this trip than I could have ever learned from any textbook...and for someone who has always loved school, I was more than grateful to be under Dedan's tutelage every single day, it made the trip truly inspiring and beautiful.

Between you and the experiences on the trip, I see and feel things very differently now - I felt tremendous highs and very low lows and shed tears during the course of the adventure; I would love to return to help in any way possible...and in the meantime I will help from here as much as I possibly can. Thank you again, Vivien, for being you and keeping a tight ship; thank you for sharing your world with us. I appreciate it all and I am counting down the days until I can return to your most beautiful country...and maybe not just for a visit, but to stay.

All my love and best wishes for continued success and blessings,

Christine

First of all we would like to say all of you that if you are looking for a tour operator who plans your safari in Kenya, AS YOU LIKE IT is not one option…IS THE BEST ONE!!! Be sure. We were looking for so hard and from distance; but if someone asks us on who choose for a great safari in Kenya, no doubt, AS YOU LIKE IT is your option. Your dreams will come true with them. You won’t be their clients…you’ll be and feel their friends.

We have always thought to do a safari. We have been postponing it for different reasons. Last year we decided to make it happen. We had been saving money for it and we started a travel planning hoping to find what we had been dreaming so long. We send some mails to different websites in alphabetical order that we didn’t know,… and curiously AS YOU LIKE IT was in our first mails with Vivien’s answer.  At that moment we knew that they were our option without any doubt.

Vivien thanks for your hospitality. Thanks for your time, your wonderful meal, your cricket lessons!!, thanks for all your attentions; you have been worried that all our wishes were satisfied. We have also had the opportunity to know one of the best things of our trip in your company, the fantastic  job that do the school HOPE STREAMS ACADEMY, in which collaborating you. We would like to have the opportunity to continue with being in contact with you, knowing more things about your Kenya and your projects,  and maybe in the future come back there again.

Our thanks to the Nyumbu Camp chief, Faiwo, for his attentions to us and good management of any inconvenience during our stay there. People should stay there for some days. Nyumbu Camp was another of our best experiences in this trip!!! The place is gorgeous!the silence is incredible! The landscape insuperable!the walk around the Camp was incredible…despite the unexpected rain!!! We had also the opportunity of celebrating our son’s birthday there. He turned on 16 when we were there and we never forget his birthday party organized by people in the Camp. We were 2 nights in Nyumbu Camp and we can say and recommend with any doubt to visit your fantastic home in Mara.

Kamara, your turn. Our driver, guide and forever our friend. We would like to speak more fluently our English to have the opportunity of more conversations with you. We promise you to improve it in our next visit!!Discreet and quiet, friendly and efficient. You never said NO to anything. You never were tired to take us wherever you decide that maybe we could see something more, or go after an animal , or stay for a long time in a place expecting that something happens. Lots of hours driving through Kenya from one park to another, going from one window to another solving any problem even that may arise, and NEVER looking tired. We always felt safe on the road as in the parks.  No exaggeration if we tell you that we have seen you Savannah reading. You took your binoculars,wrinkled your nose, and looked for in the distance for some animal who were there.  And the animals were there. You stopped the car in front of them as if they were waiting for you. Sometimes we didn’t know which animals we were seeing and you always had the name of them, and if we also had any question you had the answer or you looked for it. A good guide makes good a safari, you made us unbeatable. ASANTE SANA KAMARA, we have a new reason to come back to Kenya.

Our thanks to Kenya and all its people for their beautiful country and their good and friendly relationship, always with a smile drawn in their faces.

dennisjuanpe@hotmail.com

Testimonial from Riyazi Muzammil & Michelle Mendis, (April 2010 Safari)

Even though we have always wanted to do a wildlife trip to Africa, we had been postponing it for years due to cost or time commitments. However, in February 2010 we decided that we should delay it no further. Even though we had only 2 months for our planned departure in April, we did a lot of research in planning the trip. 

One of our "golden" finds was As You Like It Safaris (AYLIS) - a unique safari operator headed by the charming Vivien Prince. There are quite a lot of tour operators in Kenya and we were quite concerned about the quality of service that we could expect and at the worst, of being conned of our hard earned money. These worries were eased considerably when we talked to a few of AYLIS's previous clients who praised them considerably. After a bit of correspondence, Vivien came up with a customised itinerary, tailor made for us. We were in contact with a few other safari operators as well but it was AYLIS that came up with the best service and a very competitive price. Some of the things that put AYLIS on top of our list was 
a) Efficient and quick replies to emails/queries
b) Vivien was easy to talk to, understood our needs and was very honest about what they can and cannot do
c) 4 x 4 Land Cruiser especially customised for photography
d) Highly recommended by previous clients
e) Competitive price

When we arrived in Kenya, we realised that the claims of AYLIS's service were indeed true and we were treated to a fantastic trip right throughout. Kamara, our driver/guide was excellent and very knowledgeable. He was very polite, mindful of our requirements, careful with his driving and always kept the jeep clean every morning. We had a fantastic time visiting Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara and Amboseli and seeing/photographing the wonderful animals and birds of Kenya. What impressed us most was the attention to detail and guest comfort that AYLIS does eg: beanbags for photographers, biscuits/sweets for snacks, etc. Vivien has extensive knowledge of every lodge in Kenya and her first hand experience helped her make the right choice for us. We were glad that we took up Vivien's suggestion of staying at Nyumbu camp which turned out to be a fabulous experience.

You can read about our experiences on our blog and view our pictures at the following links

Lake Naivasha - Blog - Pictures 
Lake Nakuru - Blog - Pictures 
Masai Mara - Day 1 & 2 - Blog - Pictures

We are also extremely grateful to Vivien for taking care of us when we were stranded in Kenya after our return flight was cancelled due to the Icelandic Volcano eruption. Her genuine concern and care for our well being, safety and comfort went way beyond the call of duty and made that distressing time a bit bearable. We will always fondly remember the mad last-minute dash we had to make to  the airport to catch a special flight and how Vivien packed our bags much better than we could ever have. 

Thank you very much Vivien and Kamara for making our first trip to Africa such a memorable one. We can't wait to come back.

Seeing wildlife in Africa was my dream although I have never been to it. Therefore, when I planned it for the first time, it was very important for me to select the correct tour operator. I spent a considerable amount of time to select one. I finally ended up with As You Like it (Safaris) Ltd. I made the right choice in many aspects.

Safarying in Kenya is not just getting in to a jeep and seeing some animals. People who spend money to have an unforgettable experience expects much more. Good photographic opportunity, comfortable accommodation, healthy food, competent guides, security, customer-oriented itinerary, road-safe vehicles and (last but not least) trust on financial transactions.

AYLIS is a very customer oriented company which designed this Safari to my taste. They operate true 4x4 Toyota Land Cruisers. The guide I had – Dedan – was competent, punctual, knowledgeable and a remarkable spotter of animals. Their admin staff and Vivien have taken all measures to make me happy from the time I landed in Nairobi.

I covered Amboseli, Mt Kenya, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara in 10 days. They have taken special care to provide me the best accommodation including the world famous Nyumbu camp in Mara. I have seen the big five (and much more) including a Leopard mating! Although it was my first visit to Africa, I have traveled a lot in Sri Lanka with various guides. But I was really impressed with the guide they provided me who had a deep knowledge of the animals and habitats.

I was very concerned about sending my money to an unknown company in Kenya before I started my Safari. But I was very fortunate to find a trusted company who gave me much worth than I spent!

Last but not least, I must thank Vivien who planned and executed my Safari. I couldn’t recall a single moment of distress or disagreement.

I fully recommend this company to anybody who is serious in an African Safari.

Susantha Sampath (A Sri Lankan living in KSA)
sus123mail@yahoo.com

The first thing I commented to all my friends who were eager to hear about my last safari was that this one was probably the most interesting...full of action safari I have yet done! I will start with...Gabriel.

What impressed me the most about this man is his incredible knowledge of animal behaviour. He knows how to "read" the signs of the animal body and this is a crucial thing for a guest who does wildlife photography. There were occasions where he could see from a whole herd of zebra which individuals are ready to produce action scenes and this fact helped me a lot cause I was always ready to press the shutter button the right moment. No need to mention that his general knowledge about photography made my task easier cause I didn't need to explain him all the time where to stop the car in order for me to be in the best position to shoot my images. So in summary Gabriel is an ideal guide-driver....experienced, good spotter, with knowledge of what a wildlife photographer needs. He was also very punctual we were never late, everything worked perfectly and in time.

Your suggestion for Nyumbu camp proved to be very successful, because I noticed that those 3 days in this area were by far the most interesting. The migration was present...so every day was wonderful. Thousands of herbivores and of course a lot of predators too! I would definitely recommend this camp to anyone who might think visiting Masai Mara due to it's excellent position. It lies in a strategic place. The other lodges in Nakuru, Samburu and the Mara Serena are all excellent choices for your future clients. Nice facilities, tasty meals, friendly staff too.

My final comment is that you proved to be a reputable tour operator who executed with accuracy and care my whole itinerary. My little experience in safari trips in Africa and India has taught me that if you return back home and can't recall any serious problem which might distress you during the safari then this operator is worthy to use the next time. This is the case with you. I'm very pleased with the quality of your service.

Thank you very much

Teo Mattas

Dear Vivien,

As convinced, I would like to give you some comments and feedback about the Mt Kenya climb I made with your organisation As you like it Safaris in April 2009.

I found your services on your web site, simply by writing Mt Kenya on Google !

I was searching an all inclusive package with personalization according to my specific needs (date, pick up location, only 4 days, only one person... ) Your answer to my request was quick and complete. The program was well describe and attractive, totally correct with what I expected and asked for.

The entire organisation was perfect, always on time for transport, respect of the organisation and so on.

I would like to specifically recommend Symon Mutuah as an excellent guide for climbing Mt Kenya.

We climbed from Chogoria gate and finished at Naro Moru gate. This east to west journey was strongly recommended by you and I have to say that it was a very good option, because I saw very different scenery on both sides of the mountain. Symon knows the mountain as the bottom of his pocket. He has climbed it more than a hundred times, witch is for me very secure, regarding the risk of fog near the summit and the easiness to get lost !

Apart from that, Symon has a very good sense of “customer experience”. He was for me more than a mountain guide, always at disposal to provide friendship and help. It was a real pleasure to be with him during 4 days. And I think I can say now that he his one of my friend.

For the mountain organization part, he is very efficient. He had selected and manages a porter and a cook/porter with all what I could have expected from them. Very good food, very well prepared. Everything was delivered on time; with no hurry, no stress and always in a very good mood and attitude.

I perhaps had to take a little risk to trust you when I paid all the fees one week before the trek, but I have to say now that you can be fully trustable. No problem, I had all what I paid for; and let says a little more (friendship ... ). If you want, you can give my email (jadenoyes@orange.fr) to any of your future client if they want to contact me directly. You can also publish this email and the attached pictures on your website.

To end this recommendation, I can say that anyone who has the project to climb Mt Kenya can fully trust As you like it (safaris) Ltd and Symon as very professional and trustable.

Al the best to Vivien and the rest of the team.

Regards,

Jean Alexis Denoyé

We often (very, very often) think of you and about our wonderfully, amazing Kenyan holiday with AYLIS! If you can believe, Mitch is still going through our 6000 + photos. He’s almost at the end, and when he’s done, we absolutely promise to send you the very best ones. It is difficult to put into words our experience in Kenya. It was, in a word - amazing - and that still doesn't say enough. So, thank you, everyone at AYLIS, for giving us our best trip ever. We will never forget you!

The visit to the school was the highlight of our trip. We will never forget how touched we were by the experience and those beautiful children. They are always in thoughts…We miss our friends Kamara and Vivien. We wish the very best for you and your business, Vivien. You’ve helped to create some of our very best memories. And we thank you profoundly for that.

Our formal recommendation is to follow.