Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (TSTSOPs) and Safety Protocols

Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris COVID-19 Rules and Procedures:

We have adopted tourism and hospitality protocols on health and safety to mitigate the effects of the disruptions caused by the coronavirus disease and taken the responsibility of ensuring that destination Kenya is safe for tourism business. Below are our standard operating procedure which will ensure the health safety of our clients while in Kenya against Covid19 (Magical Kenya Tourism and Travel Health and Safety Protocols under the four pillars approach of health and safety protocols, class C Enterprises Section 4.3. We will prepare the safari travel of our clients early in advance to avoid last-minute inconveniences. Our office surfaces and floor shall be cleaned, disinfectant, and Sanitized to prevent the spread of Covid19

Our COVID-19 guidelines and safety procedures:

We Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris have put all the measures, guidelines as per prescribed by our government authority especially within the tourism sector. All these effective measures our government has taken, have made Kenya remain a world tourism destination and safe for visiting. Underneath are some of the protocols and the guidelines taken by Twinkle Star on our staff and within our offices.

Procedures and guidelines for Twinkle Star offices & staff During Tour/Safari:

Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use hand sanitizer at the beginning, during, and at the end of the tour, after going to the bathroom, before and after eating, and after touching your face or hair.

Maintain 1.5 Meters Distance from other tour groups always.
Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.
Use the provided stickers to mark your water bottles.
Avoid sharing things such as goggles, caps, binoculars, or sanitize regularly.
Report immediately if you feel unwell before, during, or after the tour.
Any participant who is unwell with symptoms such as sore throat, runny or blocked nose should stay at home and not attend tours.
Disembarking will take place only at designated points.
Pick-up of guests for tours will be done from an approved accommodation provider, cruise port, licensed tour operator, or designated tour point only.

General protocols

The tour vehicle will be sanitized after every disembarking
Hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes available for use inside the vehicle.
Additional face masks available in the vehicle.
The vehicle is allowed to carry a maximum of seven (7) guests only in line with the Ministry of health guideline of 1.5 Meters distance.
All our staff is recognized and have valid Covid-19 certification not more than 14 days from a recognized government-approved facility.
All our office doors shall be opened to reduce surface touching or porters only we allow security personnel’s to open/close lift for the guests to limit their touching of the surface.
We have a documented list of emergency contacts, reporting systems, and evacuation procedures for any arising health-related incidents at our offices.
We have developed office staff work schedules and shifts and provided the option of working from home for some of our staff.
All our public facilities (kitchen, washrooms, lobby/lounge etc) shall adhere to social distancing, frequent cleaning, and disinfection and provided with an adequate supply of hand washing and sanitizing facilities. Staff have been trained on the same.
We have developed cleaning procedures with appropriate disinfectants/sanitizers focusing on guest’s body, luggage, travel documents, and high-frequency touchpoints/surfaces.
Office gadgets/equipment headsets, personal computers, desks, telephones are dedicated to one staff member.
Guest/visitors register shall be kept and updated daily and should include mobile contact & physical address for ease in tracing. Whenever possible, minimize walk-in clients and encourage online bookings.
We will maintain records of sanitized areas/surfaces, detergents used, and personnel involved in the cleaning and sanitization process.

Protocols for airport transfers, excursions & safari operations:

General protocols

The tour vehicle will be sanitized after every disembarking
Hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes available for use inside the vehicle.

Additional face masks available in the vehicle.

The vehicle is allowed to carry a maximum of seven (7) guests only in line with the Ministry of health guideline of 1. 5 Meters distance.
Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris will only choose partners that are confirmed to comply with existing Government directives for the safe handling of their guests. This includes but is not limited to hotels, airlines, boats e.t.c.
Any provided water bottles or items shall be labeled with each guest’s name to avoid sharing or use by another.
Binoculars and cameras shall not be shared and shall be sanitized regularly.
Families, tour groups, and couples shall be allocated to a specific vehicle and a guide for the duration of their stay to minimize exposure to other guests and guides.

Payments

Payments Methods. As Covid19 Survives on direct contact, we will encourage our clients to pay through online transactions to minimize the spread of the virus. Our clients can pay for their safari online either through PayPal, pesapal, or wire transfer.

Access Kenyan Visa Online and More information about traveling to Kenya.

Fredsasking

26 November 2023

Very pleased Toured with Twinkle Star during October 2023. 6 days, three hotels, one driver/guide. Each hotel was very different as were the sites. Accommodation ranged from very good to the nicest hotel ever. George knows the parks and the animals. He knows where they are and where they are going. I would use Twinkle Star/James again and would ask for George as my guide.

Malte W

20 November 2023

Nice tour! Booked a last minute tour for Nairobi. The guide was very friendly and the tour overall nice. Would recommend!

Tokkke

23 October 2023

Unforgettable 10-day safari in Kenya and Tanzania We booked our 10-day safari with Twinkle Star. We visited in Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara with our amazing guide Alfred. In Tanzania, our guide came from Twinkle Star’s local partner because the companies cannot operate on both sides of the border. Not only got we see the big five but also a lot of other species, beautiful sunrises, and great views. To be honest, looking into safari operators and their reviews can be a lot of work and overwhelming. However, the work really pays off, at least for us. We wanted to book with a local company which turned out to be beneficial thanks to their contacts (for example when choosing the accommodations) but also in terms of the price (a Scandinavian travel agency would have added a large margin). Our contact James was very kind from our first inquiry and was ready to go the extra mile to arrange our safari. We had never been in Africa before and James made sure that our arrival to Nairobi was convenient. We had the best accommodations for our budget even though we booked quite late, thanks to James. We really appreciated the care James took of us before, during and after the safari as well as all the time and effort he put into the arrangements. In particular, James responded always promptly and provided us with an itinerary really professionally – he made suggestions based on our wishes and made them come true. When planning our safari, the price was pretty much our main factor in choosing the operator. Twinkle Star was able to meet our expectations without leaving anything out of the itinerary. The pricing was clear and transparent (a tip: always ask if there are charges for bank transfers or other hidden costs along the way which are not outlined in your itinerary). However, during the safari and even more thereafter, we recommend looking into the guide even more than to the price. You’ll sit with your guide so many hours in the car that it’s essential that the guide is professional: knows the parks, animals and roads, listens to your wishes and is fun and trustworthy. Our guide Alfred was amazing. He had been in the industry for long and had a lot of knowledge of all the parks we visited. Also, he was always early to our meeting times and hold on to his promises. Alfred helped us if we had any requests and proposed activities to be included into our itinerary along the way such us nature walks, visits to villages etc. We appreciated that he respected our wishes not to surround the animals with many other cars and go too near them which is one of the problems of the safaris from sustainability perspective. In addition to nature and animals, it was interesting to learn about local culture and history. Alfred really exceeded our expectations for our guide. When choosing the operator, we also asked about their vehicles. It was important to us that they commit providing a 4x4 with a pop-up roof. In our opinion, this enhanced our experience. In summary, we really recommend booking with Twinkle Star. We had unforgettable time and would definitely book with them if (when) returning to Kenya. You can make an inquiry with a low threshold and they are happy to help you further!

Beth J

8 September 2023

Twinkle Star Safari James did a great job organizing our safari. We started our journey with a pick-up in Nairobi which was well organized and made our way to Amboselli, which did not disappoint with lots of animal sightings. Next we went to Tsavo West and East. Tsavo was a bit harder to scout out animals, but our accommodations in Tsavo West had amazing views right from the open air dining area of so many animals visiting the watering hole! Overall we had an amazing experience seeing lots of animals and maximizing our time on Safari. James was very communicative and did his best to make sure we were satisfied.

laure

21 August 2023

Amboseli Très beau safari a amboseli.Magnifique vue sur le Kilimandjaro .des zèbres des gnous des girafes des éléphants.... excellent guide très gentil et réactif pour trouver les animaux.je recommande ce safari.

Sunny Y

21 August 2023

Excellent Safari tour My son and me just came back from our 12-day Kenya and Tanzania Safari Tour that was well organized by Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris. Director James is very kind, friendly, and attentive. Our safari drivers/guides are very nice and knowledgeable. We have had a full view of different types of wildlife including the “big five”. The only thing we missed was the great migration crossing the Mara river because we had short time in that area. I will definitely go back again in the future for the migration safari. I strongly recommend Twinkle star tour and safaris to people who are interested in the East Africa wildlife safari.

FarAway120947

20 August 2023

Perfect Safari adventure! From start to finish, James and the Twinkle Start Team did everything to make things work for us --James was always responsive. We and our friends had a wonderful private exclusive 10-day Photographic safari experience at Lewa (Elewana Kilfuri House and Elewana Safari Camp) and at the Masai Maara (Amani Mara) based on his recommendations. Throughout the tour James stayed connected to be sure everything was as planned. We never had to worry about connections (Twinkle Start booked our Safarilink flights) or the quality of the Safari lodgings and game drives. This was truly an unforgettable adventure for all of us. We cared most about seeing the Kenyan animals, both large and small and their habitats, and we were not disappointed. All our guides were knowledgeable, entertaining and passionate-- Philip and Abdul at Lewa, Sully and James at Amana Mari. We also had superb accommodations throughout. We were treated like royalty at both Lewa (horseback riding with a giraffe and zebra joining in) and at the Amani Mara (which is wonderfully family run, at a beautiful location with gourmet food, private adventuresome safari drives, outdoor fire barbecue dinners complete with fun Masai entertainment, and lovely well-equipped camp rooms-- all simply amazing). In Nairobi we stayed at Severine Cottages in the Karen district --this was a perfect start to the trip-- the staff there even conspired to provide a surprise anniversary celebration. Each lodging was so special and authentic. We highly recommend organizing your safari with Twinkle Star-- James truly arranged everything to fulfill our desire for the African vacation of our dreams.

Niracha S

8 August 2023

Recommended James was very helpful and responsive. My friends and I had a great experience at Masai Maara. Recommended………………………..

Laila

26 July 2023

Amazing 10-Day Safari Tour in Kenia with Twinkle Star! My boyfriend and I had an incredible 10-day Safari tour with Twinkle Star. James and his team provided excellent service throughout the journey. The tour preparation was well-organized, leaving us with no worries and enabling us to fully enjoy the adventure. The route was outstanding, taking us, among others, through Samburu, Masai Mara, and Amboseli National Park. Each day brought new surprises and breathtaking sights, making the trip unforgettable. James was flexible and accommodating, handling last-minute changes with ease. Our guide, Robert, was knowledgeable and passionate, helping us spot the Big 5 animals within the first few days of the safari. The accommodations were great, but we recommend aiming for lodges within the national reserve parks. This would offer more flexibility for extended evening safaris since staying outside the park required leaving by 6 pm. Overall, our safari tour with Twinkle Star exceeded all expectations. The personalized service, attention to detail, and remarkable experiences made it unforgettable. Highly recommended for an authentic safari experience in Kenya.

Dan D

17 June 2023

This is the company to organise your safari it was AMAZING!! So from the very first contact James was superb very keen to make our dreams happen and he for exceeded them! If you are looking to book a safari do not hesitate contact James you will not be disappointed he is a genuinely lovely man and the Safari was epic!! We had a private safari and our guide Kaleb was amazing it was like he already knew us and treated us so well he really is a great man and a brilliant guide. Kaleb had amazing instinct and vision like superman we’d be driving along and he’d stop and say there’s a lion in that bush and on first sight we couldn’t see but then he positioned the vehicle and he was spot on every single time. His love and respect for the animals was admirable he knew how long was too long and never disturbed them but at the same time knew where to put the vehicle so we had great views. James/Kaleb Thank you both so much it really was the trip of the lifetime and like I say anyone looking for a brilliant Safari contact James immediately you will love Twinkle Star Safaris!! 🦒🦛🦓🐘🦬🐅🦁