Local
Patient
Sharp-eyed
Safe
Good company
Explore Smarter, Go Further.
The guide they ask for by name.
Founder and lead guide at VPAAL. I plan the trip, then I drive it.
About Chacha (&) The Long Road
Nine years ago I got into a vehicle as somebody’s assistant. What happened after that is easier to show than explain.
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Trained for it first
Graduated in Travel & Tourism Management — itineraries, park regulations, guest care and the business behind a trip. The classroom part came before the road.
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How it started
Somebody needed a spare pair of hands and I was the spare pair of hands. That first season was mostly carrying things and listening to guides who had been doing it for twenty years.
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First guests of my own
Four people, six days, and a route I had rehearsed in my head for a month. I have never been that nervous about anything since.
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Learning the Mara properly
One long season of crossings taught me what no map does: where the herds hesitate, and how long to wait before you give up on a morning.
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The one they still write about
A leopard came down a tree three metres from the vehicle and sat in the road. Nobody in that car has stopped telling the story.
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Guests started asking for me
No pitch, no advertising. Somebody got home, told a friend, and the friend wrote asking for the same guide by name.
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Starting VPAAL
Founding Vision Pro Africa Adventures Limited, because too many safaris are sold by people who have never set foot on the itinerary. A registered operator, run by someone who is actually in the vehicle.
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The road keeps going
Still driving, still up before the guests, still learning a country I was born in. The best mornings are always the next ones.
Nine Places I Know By Heart
Not a menu. These are the places I actually drive, in the months they are worth driving. Tell me which one you are dreaming about and I will tell you honestly whether your dates match it.
01Maasai Mara
The one everyone comes for, and the one I still cannot get enough of. River crossings from July, big cats all year, and the light that made every photograph you have seen of Kenya.
02Amboseli
Elephants the size of buildings walking under Kilimanjaro. On a clear morning you get about ninety minutes of that mountain before the cloud takes it. I plan the day around those ninety minutes.
03Lake Nakuru
Pink water, yellow-fever forest, and the best odds in Kenya of seeing both rhino species in one afternoon.
04Samburu
Drier, redder, emptier. Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk — species you will not see in the Mara. Fewer vehicles, too.
05Tsavo
Bigger than some countries. Red dust turns the elephants red. This is where you go when you want the scale of the thing to land.
06Ol Pejeta
The best rhino odds in the country and the quietest tracks. A conservancy, not a park, so the rules are kinder and the vehicles are fewer.
07Nairobi
A national park with a skyline behind it, plus the Giraffe Centre and the elephant orphanage. The best use of a layover day I know.
08Serengeti & Ngorongoro
When the herds cross, I cross with them. Tanzania adds a crater and a plain that does not end.
09Diani & the Coast
After a week of early mornings, the Indian Ocean. I usually recommend three nights. Bodies need it and so do photographs.
A day with me starts before dawn and it is planned around the animals, not the clock.
Drag to explore
Every trip I run is built the same way — five steps, in this order, starting from what you actually want rather than from a package that already exists.
- Listen
- Locate
- Lay Out
- Lock In
- Lead
Before anything else I want to know who is travelling, what you have already seen, and the one thing that would make the trip. Most people have an answer they have never been asked for.
Then I choose parks and dates around that answer — where the animals will actually be in your month, not where the brochure says to go. Timing decides more than budget does.
The route gets built with real driving times, sensible nights per camp, and space to stay longer when something is happening. I would rather see three parks well than five badly.
VPAAL takes it from here — vehicles, camps, permits, payments, the paperwork. You get one document and one number to call. That part is the company’s job, not mine.
And then I drive. Early mornings, long lenses, the radio on, and someone in the vehicle who has been reading this country for years. This is the part I actually do it for.
From People I’ve Guided
He went above and beyond
to make our trip special.
We had an amazing experience with our driver, Chacha, during our week in Kenya. He took us to several national parks, beautiful lakes, and many incredible sightseeing spots. He was extremely friendly, kind and knowledgeable — he knew so much about Kenya, the wildlife and the local culture. We felt very safe with Chacha and really appreciated his professionalism and warm personality.
Awesome.
Chacha was really great. Friendly, caring and a great listener.
Thanks for the
professionalism.
I had the most amazing experience at the Mara, thanks to our tour guide Mr. Chacha. Thanks for the professionalism. I would highly recommend booking with this company.
Our guide Chacha
was the best.
Amazing experience — our guide Chacha was the best.
Wonderful
The holiday was wonderful and amazing, and we had an absolutely brilliant time! Thank you for arranging it all so perfectly for us.The jeep was awesome and well driven by our driver Joseph, i highly recommend him. Everything ran very smoothly and we didn't experience any problems at all with our itinerary, which was great and gave us real peace of mind. That very much contributed to a relaxing and wonderful holiday.
Travelled with me? A few honest lines help the next traveller decide.
The Questions I Get Every Week
Straight answers, the same ones I would give you on the phone.
When is the best time to come?
It depends entirely on what you want to see. July to October is the river-crossing season in the Mara and the busiest. January to March is green, quiet and excellent for cats and newborns. If your dates are fixed, tell me and I will build the trip around what is actually happening then rather than sell you a month that does not suit it.
How far ahead should I book?
For the migration months, six to nine months is sensible — the good camps go early. Outside that, two to three months is usually comfortable. I have also put trips together in a fortnight when someone had leave to use. Ask, and I will tell you honestly what is still available.
What does a safari with you cost?
There is no price list, because there is no fixed product. Cost moves with the season, the camps you choose and how many of you are travelling. Tell me your rough budget and I will tell you what it buys and what it does not — before you commit to anything.
Is it safe, and is it suitable for children?
Yes to both, with planning. I drive the routes myself, the vehicles are maintained and I do not take chances for a photograph. Families are welcome — I keep drives shorter, pick camps that are used to children, and build in the kind of days that do not end in tears.
Who actually handles the booking?
VPAAL — Vision Pro Africa Adventures Limited, my company and a registered Kenyan tour operator. You get one document, one invoice and one number to call. I stay the person in the vehicle.
Can you combine Kenya with Tanzania or the coast?
Often, and it is usually worth it. Bush and beach works well if you have ten days or more. Crossing into Tanzania is straightforward but eats a day each way — I will say so if I think your dates are too tight to make it enjoyable.
What if I have never been on safari before?
Then you are exactly who this is for. You do not need kit, experience or a long lens. Come with a sense of humour and a warm layer for the mornings; I will handle the rest and explain as we go.
Still wondering about something? Ask me directly — I answer these myself, usually inside a day.
Tell me what you actually want.
No forms that go nowhere. This one comes straight to me, and I answer it myself — usually inside a day.
Royal Offices, Mogotio Road
Westlands, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00
Sat 09:00–13:00
Handled by VPAAL, Vision Pro Africa Adventures Limited — a registered Kenyan tour operator. For day-to-day trip notes and route advice, see Safari Advice.