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
SE
Email Mikaela | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very good value for money!
We did a 6 day budget safari with Karibu safaris. We Went to Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli. Amazing safaris! Prepare for long days in the car though, Kenya is a vast country and traffic is slow.
We chose Karibu safaris due to the reviews on safaribooking.com and everything went according to plan. Our guide was very keen on showing us everything important and we saw so many amazing things! A trip of a lifetime!
As we were travelling on a budget the accomodation was budget and the bathrooms of low standard, not always warm water, toilet that might not flush etc etc. But it was fine for five nights.
The food was plenty but not always super tasty according to our nordic palate. Bring a few bags of crisps and you'll do fine.
I would reccomend that you get a written contract that specifies what's included in your trip and bring it on your tour. We didn't have a problem but other guests (maybe other tour operators, not sure) had discussions about transfers to the airport etc.
Over all I would highly reccomend this safari if you're on a tight budget but want to see as much as possible and don't mind low standard accomodation.
Email Nibret | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Experience
The price was reasonable and good driver, the camp was nice, food was great! Massai Mara is amazing we sow 4 out of 5 big 5s!! I had good time!!!
IT
Email Lorenzo & Marco | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very good experience
Our safari week in Kenya's reserves was very good, we have been lucky and well taken into national parks with our guide Jackson. Price/accomodation rate was really fair and the van and meals as well.
Very quick Robert's answering our emails and he even planned a last minute safari afternoon inside Nairobi Nat Park exactly as requested
TH
Email Amarat | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful safari experience at a reasonable price
Compared to other tour operators, Karibu offers a good safari tour at a reasonable price. I got to see the main animals that I expected to see. The driver, James, made sure we saw everything and stopped for us to take loads of pictures. He also helped me deal with the accommodation manager when I wanted to move to a different room. He drove very skillfully too as our van never got stuck in any mud like a few other vans. He got good relationships with other drivers and communicated with them all the time when they saw animals anywhere so we could go there and see the animals. In addition to this, James gave useful travel advice when I asked him. The accommodation at Rhino Tourist Camp was ok, even though electricity was quite limited but well you are in the nature. The bathroom was okay though there was a bit of dirt. I slept in their tent on the first night and one of the rooms on the second night. The room was a bit more comfortable than the tent. When I was in the tent, I got bothered by bugs and mosquitoes a bit at night, though the tent was well covered. The only socket in the tent was too small for my big plug adapter to fit in. However I didn't have these problems in the room. Overall, I am happy with my safari tour.
PL
Email K. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great value for money
We went on a 3-day safari in Masai Mara. The tour was really good value for money and it lived up to our expectations. Our driver/guide, Isaac, was excellent and we saw many animals, including numerous lions and even cheetah and leopard. The accommodation was good and there were enough food and water throughout the tour. All in all, we were really satisfied and can recommend the company.
NL
Email Eva | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The safari was well organised and it was an amazing experience.
Communication was excellent. Very quick answers on emails. They really lived up to our expectations. Very good service. I'm very satisfied with Karibu Safaris.
A Great Experience!
The tour was great value! all the accomadation on the tour was reasonable and the staff would go out of there way to please the entire group. James was a fantastic tour guide! Thank you! I would highly recomend this tour!
RS
Email Milan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good agency at a good price
Part of safari in Mara completely fulfilled my expectations, but the part at Nakuru didn't since there were no flamingos and actually went there cause the lake was advertised as 'pink lake'.
Communication with agency was great, patient trip advisors with lot of information.
Driver patient and informative.
US
Email Anonymous | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent budget safari, knowing before going is important
Overview:
Karibu Safari is well reviewed by many people. Competitive price for 5-day budget safari. Had a great overall experience. 5-day safari was good but could be condensed into 4-day safari (see below under "Cons"). Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, and Hell's Gate were all worth going to. If we could have done only one, we'd do Hell's Gate since you can rent a bike and bicycle next to the animals and then hike in slot canyons (see below in "Details"). Unique and very nice after so much driving. Lake Nakuru is similar to Maasai Mara in that you game driver looking for animals. Lake Naivasha you see hippos and water birds. Robert (trip coordinator) was prompt in his responses. Peter (driver) was great at finding and pointing out animals. He really cared about providing the best and most well-rounded safari experience. Note: It appeared the budget safaris were more aggressive at finding animals then the more luxury safaris.
Pros:
- We got what we paid for. We had to have our driver call our trip advisor to send him more money to buy more water since we ran out by day 5.
- Accommodations were fine with running water and electricity. The "tents" are large canvas tents with a ceiling over them and not like backpacking tents.
- Meals were fine for budget safari.
- Peter (driver) was excellent at finding and viewing animals. He provided enough time to view and take pictures, not rushing us. He really emphasized the safari experience. He was a safe driver amidst the more crazy drivers and matatu's.
- The season was excellent which was mid- to late-November. Not crowded. Although this was claimed as the rainy season, it did not rain on safari, but only when driving and near Lake Naivasha and Nairobi. Also, all the animals just had babies so we got to see baby animals of almost all animals seen!
Cons:
- The itinerary should include estimated drive times.
- The itinerary should include more details. For example, on our 4th day, we were dropped off at a hotel after our game drive at Lake Nakuru en route to Lake Naivasha. We spent the whole afternoon there (from ~12noon and on). We were disappointed because we didn't fly half way across the world to sit in a garden. It would be nice to have known this. This is where the trip could be condensed to 4-days instead of 5-days.
- Peter could have provided more information to us. When we began we didn't know exactly where we were headed, how long it would take, etc. It would have been nice to review the day's events with us each morning.
- Peter could have offered us more information on the animals, landscape, plants, etc. He did if you asked, but it would be nice for him to just tell us.
Good to know:
- All 5-day safaris are pretty much identical in what they offer and pay for. So email to find best price when you go.
- There is a lot of (bumpy) driving. Not all in our van was prepared for this.
- You may get shuffled around since they mix people with different safari lengths. We started with a van that included people who booked 5-day, 4-day, and 3-day safaris.
- You may not get a window seat (right next to window). This was not a big issue though. They pop the van top and you can stand during the safari. But if this is a concern, have the van agree to rotate seats throughout the safari.
- The meals are pretty much the same for lunch and dinner, local food (rice, lentils, veggies, usually meat, etc.). So if you don't like the food, you will need to bring your own or purchase.
- The driver is contracted by the safari company. This is important should issues arise based on itinerary or pricing of certain things.
- There can be lots of traffic leaving and coming back from Nairobi, so plan for this when booking other trips or flights.
- Sunday has less traffic so leaving on this day was great.
- We tipped the driver ~$20 USD per day for the whole vehicle. So with 7-8 people in the van, this was ~$2-3 USD per day per person. Other than that we did not tip anyone else. (Our native Kenyan hosts said that tipping is not expected most places and even if it is, it is not as much as the USA.)
Details:
- Maasai Mara Village Tour: This may or may not have been worth the $10 USD. This is quite touristy. You can get some good pictures and see them dance and sing. But you need to ask them to show you everything. For example, we asked to taste the Maasai beer as our driver said we would. If we didn't ask, they wouldn't have done this. We also asked to see the school. If we hadn't asked, they would not have done this. When they take you into the traditional home, they will try and sell you stuff then and afterward. The Maasai markets in Nairobi have more selection and you can bargain more.
- Boat Ride at Lake Naivasha: This is expensive at $20 USD per person but we thought this was more worth it than the Maasai village tour. You see hippos and many birds and it was fun to be in a boat. You can get great pictures of the African fish eagle diving for fish that the boat driver throws in to the water.
- Hell's Gate bike and hike: The bike rental was $5 USD. You don''t need a guide for this. You stay on the main road to get to the gorge. Go in the early morning to see more animals. When we rode back, there were hardly any animals. At the gorge, more people will offer to guide you. We did not take a guide, but a Maasai man ended up going with us anyway. It ended up being a necessity as the trail is not well marked. Our group of 4 tipped him 700 Kenyan shillings and shared some nuts and instant coffee.
AE
Email Olivier and Olivia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good experience!
My wife and I went on a safari to Lake Nakuru (1 day) and Masai Mara (2 nights) in September 2016 during the Eid break in Dubai and it was simply amazing.
We were welcomed in Nairobi by Aruni, our guide/driver, who stayed with us the whole time. Aruni was very helpful in all situations, and we got to know the region, its people and its fauna quite well thanks to his explanations, stories and jokes. Ask for him if you were to book with Karibu.
Few points we were actually a bit disappointed about Karibu:
- Robert told us before the trip that we would be able to do a late game drive on the 1st evening we went to Masai Mara as well as 2 full days game drive the next days and finally a last early morning game drive on our last day before returning to Nairobi. However, this was not achievable and we only did the two full days game drive. Not that we wanted to do more, but I feel like the guys based in Nairobi overestimate their capacities and what they can deliver.
- Robert also gave us the names of the hotels where we were supposed to sleep but once in Kenya, we slept in different ones.
- Finally, Robert had confirmed to us before our trip that we would be provided with binoculars but it was not the case, which you can imagine is very disappointing especially when you can see rhinos about 500m from your car (and you can't get closer because the road stops) and you don't have binoculars to observe them.
Apart from those three points above, the trip went very well and Aruni was an amazing guide/driver.