The team
Karibu Safaris In Kenya
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 1986)
- Member Of:
- KATO, Tourism Regulatory Authority & Eco Toursm Kenya
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Mid-range & luxury)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $80 to $280 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
IN
Email Valentine Mendanha | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Could be Better if.....
We booked our Safari through Karibu Safari here is my frank opinion of the overall tour...
1) Vehicle.... I am 6ft 2 in tall, and the only place I could fit in was the center seat in the last row. We were told we would be a total of 6 people, and we were happy. Anything more, the vehicle is very cramped with no place to keep our backpacks/napsacks. But then, on the first day, we were only 2 of us to Naivasha, the next day, we had to wait for 2 hours 30 minutes for 4 more to Join in, the 3rd and 4th day we were 8, and on the last day 8 till someplace midway for Lunch, and from there to Nairobi 1 hour we were 3.... so for the most important part that is the massai, and on very bad roads, we were cramped with 8 of us + driver + an assistant.... it was absolutely uncomfortable
2)The Driver - Raymond... doesnt talk much, but an Excellent Driver, even though he was driving at great speed and sometimes on very bad roads, there was literally NO roads for almost 100kms and inside the masai reserve too, we felt very safe with him. Good Guy !
3) The Airport Pick up was on time, friendly driver, waited with a placard, easy to Indentify, and I hope the driver for our drop would be on time too.
4) Our Tour - We did a walking tour on the 5th Feb, good guide, and absolutely worth it for USD 10 per person.
5) Our Hotels on the Karibu tour....
Taphe Guest House - Naivasha - Wish, hope and Pray Karibu safaris would choose another property. In the middle of no where, no tv, no sockets working, tiny rooms, changed rooms twice, the second room was big, but nothing in there worked, no tv, no socket, the bathroom was large ( room 204), but if you sit on the potty, the thing shook, the bathtub hand shover leaked, the main shower only pelted out boiling hot water. The sink - if the geyser was on gave only hot water, no cold water came out, asked for a bucket and mug but got a bucket and a large plastic Jar, funny they never used mugs... Food was set and very average, you had no options to choose, no mugs in room, only one chair, and No free water, you have to pay for everything including water. Please, find another property, this one badly sucks !
The Lenchada Resort - Masai Mara - We were told we would be given the Mara Springs Elephant Camp, but instead got the Lenchada. It was Ok. The best part was the Toilet - spacious, good shower and hot water from 6.30pm - 10pm and from 5.30 am- 7 am. Food too was limited but good. The bed however was very very low, and the matress curved in. Uncomfortable but we were so tired, we managed. The room could do with a small side table and two glasses, but there was nothing. Everything had to be on the floor. Only thing in the room was the bed and mosquito net. Not even a chair and table to sit outside. Went to the restaurant and got a couple of chairs which we placed outside our tent to sit. We cant be sleeping on the bed all the time. The Lenchada would do if it had a wooden table to place our luggage, a small side table with a pair of glasses to drink our water or have a drink in, and outside a couple of chairs. Otherwise, its OK for a budget property.
The City Max Hotel - Lake Nakuru..... Well, we were given the 3rd floor rooms... dont know why. Someone took our luggage up, but we had to bring it down ourselves... 3 floors down ! Room had a twin bed and a single bed.... It was stuffy, no fan. We had to open the windows to get in some air but along with it came the mosquitos and spoiled our sleep. If we put down the mosquito nets the place would be suffocating. The TV worked, the internet worked, The Bathroom had a hand shower with NO force at all and the water just trickled. The tap however worked fine but with no bucket and mug to collect water, we had to wait a long time for the water to do its job.... Overall, a fan in the room, a bucket and mug in the bathroom and some more pressure in the handshower would have made the place worthwhile... Food was set, but tasty, just your plate of food, no water, no dessert, no fruits. Breakfast was much better..... But Put a fan in the rooms please....
About My hotel in Nairobi - I booked the Best Western Meridian Plus hotel and cannot be happier. Lovely room, great rain shower, fabulous breakfast, in the heart of the center surrounded by shopping, supermarkets and even a wine shop behind the hotel which is truly a blessing. The food in the Hotel is very very expensive but lots of cheap shopping and eating options around. You will never regret stay here !
and finally.....
About Robert..... I have never heard of Karibu Safaris..... it was Roberts prompt replies that made Karibu earn its trust. Well done Robert. If it wasnt for Robert's prompt replies to over 2 dozen or more mails of mine, I would NEVER have chosen Karibu Safaris. Thank you Robert and keep up the good work !
Will I recommend Karibu Safaris? Ofcourse I would, but Please change the Hotel in Lake Naivasha !
DK
Email Nathalie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience
We enjoyed this safari trip very much. Our tour guide Joseph was very experienced and kept himself continuously updated on the radio on where to find animals. He also took his time to spot animals himself in the mornings so that we would be the first in place.
We would have expected a bit more drinking water on the tour, but since water and soda was easily available at each camp this wasn't an issue as such.
Email Nikki G | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Arony was a wonderful driver. He alone made the trip worth while
Was very happy with communications with tour operator
US
Email Moysh | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Adventurous
Karibu safari’s were outstanding. Robert was my point man, and he genuinely did a great job. I had a memorable and exciting time in Kenya, and the team really executed with finesse.
My instructor was Aruni. He is an all star—I don’t say this lightly, he was my MVP. He knows the lands and the animals like a natural, and he has eyes like an eagle out there even driving like a champion—he is also a team player, and a pleasure of an individual. Personally, I feel it was Aruni that made my trip as exciting and incredible as it was.
At one of the places we stayed at I ingested food poisoning—now, how it happened I am not sure—I think what happened was I came late to my third dinner and they made me a plate that was no good—perhaps leftovers that was out for a while, but that is just my guess. It hit me pretty hard, and my trip mates handled it very well, as did Aruni—once he realized there I had an issue he took me to the right places that I needed to get to for proper healthcare, and made sure I was attended to immediately once I got there—he really made a challenging experience a memorable and even a joyous one—and I’ll tell you right now, I was in trouble.
We saw all the animals at Masai Mara. We saw an attempted lion takeover, and even a successful lion hunt of wild boar. It’s real out there, and Karibu safari made a trip possible for me that I’ll remember like my own National Geographic trip.
There is an option to a tour a Masai Mara village (for a cost). Unless you are genuinely interested in their culture, pass on it. You will be followed and eyed throughout the tour for ways to extract money like hyenas do for food—it felt borderline dangerous. And, going into one of their huts seems fun and culturish—it’s a stomach ache waiting to happen. I got out of there and felt like it was my redemption from Shawshank.
Other than that they were respectful.
It’s a lot of driving and a lot of mobilizing—this trip is for one who wants to experience the wildlife and have an adventure of a lifetime.
US
Email Nina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I had so much fun on my safari in Kenya with Karibu, great guides, excellent service.
I feel very satisfied with my experience and would highly recommend Karibu Safaris. I met other great people from around the world while traveling on my own and jointing their group Safari option. My two guides, Isaac and Richard were helpful and very informed on the wildlife and Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru National Parks. In the office, Robert and Dan were helpful with coordinating my trip and figuring out all of the details from beginning to end. Every step of the way my experience going on safari in Kenya was made easier because of Karibu Safaris. It was great!
Email Jim | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very Good Budget Tour
Karibu Safaris was very prompt in responding by email to any questions that we had beforehand.
Our driver/guide, Arony, was excellent. He was friendly, experienced, and very knowledgeable about the game and where to find them. When one of the tourists on our trip became ill on the last night, he took the initiative to find a good doctor and see that he received proper treatment.
In most ways, the safari was as advertised. There were four minor ways that differed: 1) At Masai Mara, we did not stay at the Mara Springs Tent Camp, but instead stayed at Miti Mingi Eco Camp, which is probably equivalent. The camp was close to the park entrance, and we had warm water for showers, and a private bathroom with flush toilet, shower, and sink. It was not luxurious, but fits a budget tour. 2) We did not go for a game drive on our last morning at Masai Mara, but instead visited a nearby Masai village. This was interesting, but does involve some extra costs ($15 pp entrance, money for souvenirs). 3) On our way from Masai Mara to Lake Nakuru, we stopped at Lake Naivasha and went for a boat ride ($20 pp). There we saw a number of birds and got very close to some hippos. We could also see some game on an island, but were not close. 4) One small complaint - we were provided with some water at Masai Mara, but needed to buy our own for the trips to Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru.
Even though it was not high season, we saw a large variety of animals. At Masai Mara, we saw many wildebeast, impalas, gazelles, buffalo, elephants, zebras, warthogs, baboons, and hippos. We also saw giraffes, waterbucks, lions, hyenas, cheetahs, a few crocodiles, and a rare leopard. We also got to see a pride of 7 lions hunt a family of warthogs and bring down a young warthog. I was surprised at how close we could come to many of the animals. At Lake Nakuru, we saw many impalas, buffalo, baboons, gazelle, and some elands. We also 7 white rhinos, including one with a baby. We saw one giraffe (which was different than those at Masai Mara), a python, and a large number of flamingos and pelicans. There are apparently not as many flamingos as there used to be, since the lake flooded about 3 years ago with heavy rainfall, and the saltiness of the lake was decreased.
I recommend bringing a camera with a telephoto lens, or good zoom capabilities. I had a video camera with 80x zoom, and was able to get much better pictures than others in the group who only had their cell phones. Though for many of the animals (including lions and cheetahs) we were able to get right next to them.
BE
Email Pieter | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great people and great service
We took a 4 day safari tour visiting Masai Mara and lake Nakuru. It was a perfect tour, with an excellent guide (Edward). The booking and the communication went very smoothly.
NO
Email Isabelle | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great guide, food and accommodation!
We loved this safari! Everything was really nice, the food, accommodation and of course our guide, Arony! He really did go the extra mile to please everyone in the car. He was funny, patient and makes a great guide!
US
Email Angelia Caro | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Decision - Best Driver - Best Game!
I didn't know what to expect about the Safari Game in the Masai Mara but Arony made it worth it! From the driving, to the food, to the lodging, to seeing the big 5, everything was amazing! Karibu Safaris were so accommodating when we had to change our bookings last minute due to flight delays and there was no problem at all! We were informed throughout the trip of what to expect, where we're going and what we will be doing. Arony, our driver from start to finish was nothing short of excellent! He made it fun and memorable and knows how to make us laugh!! There was not one dull moment in our van! Arony went above and beyond whenever we had questions or encountered tiny problems and made us feel safe! I will definitely book with this company again!
Email Nikki | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our driver Arony was what made this safari amazing. Nothing was a problem for him.
Our budget safari was wonderful. Van was a little old, but did everything the expensive tours could do. Food and accommodation was adequate. What made this safari wonderful was Arony our driver. If you can, ask for him personally . He will make the safari a memorable one !!!