Beacon Safaris Team in Masai Mara
Beacon Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $120 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
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Email AD from NJ, USA | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
DID NOT RETURN MY DEPOSIT
Beacon Safaris (Robert) failed to refund my deposit. I had written agreement with him that he would return within 2 weeks of request.
I have been following up for 11 months now. He has been evading with different types of excuses. Now stopped responding to emails as well.
Pl. do not send him any advance.
Email James | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An incredible experience - the best company in Kenya
From first communicating with Robert at Beacon Safaris, until the end of our six-day safari with Antony, the whole experience was excellent. Robert was always timely and clear in his emails, offering an incredibly good-value package and providing so much useful advice, including by making it so easy to navigate current requirements around COVID testing for travel, and with being really flexible and understanding about the need to change the dates of the trip due to travel restrictions, which Robert did for us with no difficulties at all. Antony was the guide for our six day safari across Amboseli, Nakuru and Maasai Mara, and was a better guide than anyone could hope for. As well as being kind and good-humoured, and taking us for amazing game drives across all of the parks, Anthony is phenomenally knowledgeable about the flora and fauna in all the parks, being able to name the most obscure birds, and somehow finding incredible wildlife to track, such as a pack of cheetahs hunting a hartebeest in Maasai Mara, a huge pride of lions, and so many roving herds of elephant. I cannot recommend Beacon highly enough. I hope to return for another safari with them, and will be strongly recommending them to friends and family. Thanks to Antony and Robert!
RU
Email Vadim | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
professionals in their field
The Beacon Safaris team is very responsive, they answered all questions instantly. Helped to book train tickets to Mombasa. We were able to rebook accommodation when a friend could not go with us. Our guide, Ken, was incredible, he is the best)). We said goodbye as old friends. The lodging during the safari was great. The weather added its charm. Night rains made our trip even more extreme. Many thanks to everyone. We recommend it to everyone.
AE
Email Clare McGiven | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Paddy took us for a ride
Great experience, really enjoyed ourselves. We booked it a bit last minute but that was no hassle to Robert and Patrick, they were very accommodating. Even helping with PCR in these corona times.
Got the van and was honestly surprised at how much that thing can shift off road, was class.
Great service and food at the lodges and the Kenyan people are a credit to themselves, lovely!
We stayed in Nairobi afterwards and have to say place was unreal, which I wasn't expecting, wish we would have gave it a wee bit more time.
Had a cracker time
EG
Email Mohamed | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well rounded amazing experience
The Beacon Safaris team were very responsive and flexible when planning for the trip, they helped us plan the perfect honeymoon. Our tour guide, Dan was incredible, he knows Kenya inside out. He is very knowledgeable about the wildlife and was able to answer all of our questions making our safari unforgettable.
ES
Email Octavian Nedea | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience. Extremely efficient. Always went that extra mile and beyond all my requests
After comparing dozens of safaris operators, I have chosen Beacon and had a wonderfully amazing experience with them. Robert was very efficient in organizing my solo, private 11 days safaris, very attentive and extremely responsive to my requests, questions and demands. Eric the guide and my travel fellow during the safari was extremely helpful and efficient, never tired, always willing to go further. Ask for an animal and he'll find it...We saw leopards 4 times in 6 days of our stay in Maasai Mara. Lions ...every single day, with our best record of 25 lions in one single day: two prides of 13 and 8 and two hunting pairs of lions. Witnessed twice the, never to be missed, Mara River zebra and wildebeest crossing, including 3 crocs preying on wildebeest. Saw even 4 white rhinos at the same time grazing together...Just to name few of the many sightings experienced with Beacon safaris. While sighting wildlife can never be guaranteed, if there are chances to spot it in an area, Eric will find them. Perhaps I'll hardly be able to improve these records and the amazing pictures took there, soon to be available on IG, but I know which is my favourite safari company in Kenya for the years to come. Left Kenya leaving many friends for life there in all the lodges and campsites I stayed and places we visited. Asante sana to all of you !
Email Ravi Bussa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Safari!
Right from the moment we reached out to Robert for booking, he was very responsive and the turnaround time was very quick. He was always available to answer any of our questions. On our arrival at Nairobi Airport, we were given a warm welcome by our guide Ken, who has 12 years of experience in Safari. Very soft spoken and accommodating. He is very knowledgeable about animals and birds. He went out of his way to make sure that we can see all the exciting things anyone would expect on a safari. He was constantly coordinating with other guides to ensure we do not miss any action in the wilds. His experience meant he knew a lot of guides/ rangers which meant he got information for all spotting on real time and we got to see the Big 5 multiple times during our trip. People say that it is very rare to see a Leopard, but with Ken's experience and dedication, we got to see it THRICE!! Thank you Ken, Robert and Beacon Safari for making this a lifetime experience!
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Email Steven Hollingshead | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Could not have asked for for more. Simply Amazing Service.
We had 3 tour companies provide their quotes. We went with Beacon Safaris. Professional, Accommodating, Amazing. We did 3 days Masa Mara, 3 Days Amboselli and Taita Hills and finished in Diani Beach for Valentine's Day retreat on the beautiful & warm Indian Ocean. The safari went flawless. My wife and our grown daughter were not only amazed at the wildlife we saw UP CLOSE and PERSONAL, but the people of Kenya were amazing to meet. From our visit to a Masai village, where we met with the 92 year old village Chief & his 9 wives, to our staff members at each of the 3 lodges we stayed at, the Food, Accommodations, Friendships were simply memorable. What Kenyans may lack in financial wealth, is completely over shadowed with the tremendous amounts of Love they have for the animals, Compassion for their fellow man, and Warmth they readily share with their smile. Special notice to Robert at Beacon Safaris, who answered each and every email I sent to him. Even though the time difference was 8-10 hours difference, he always responded quickly, courteously, and with complete information. Everything, and I mean everything, Robert promised was provided. NO SURPRISES..No Extra Bills, No Disappointments. Eustes, our guide, became a member of our family in one short week.This happens when you spend 10-12 hours or more a day with your guide. His 16 years of guiding provided us with AMAZING, UP CLOSE, in the MIDDLE of Action at all 3 area we visited. I can not say enough good words for Beacon Safari, Robert of Beacon Safaris and Eustes, guide at Beacon Safari. You made one of my dreams come true. Thank you so very kindy from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you SafariBookings.com for conducting business with such top notch tour companies.
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Email Josh | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Adventure Of A Lifetime
On the drive down to the Masai Mara, my guide, Johnny told me Leopard were some of the hardest animals to track and hardest to spot. Even when you find them, they can disappear in an instant into the bush.
With this in mind, our sturdy little van rumbled down the dirt road that cut through the Masai Mara National Reserve.
Forget what you’ve seen in pictures, read in books, and saw on TV. The Mara is impossibly big. You can’t quite comprehend the size of it until you’re there watching it all stretch out before you.
We got into the Mara ten minutes before one, driving through the reserve to get to camp when a radio call came in that I didn’t understand until Johnny brought our vehicle a halt. He looked at me and smiled before asking if I wanted to go see a leopard. I nodded and we flipped around, racing to reach the sighting with another pair vehicles. I experienced my first leopard sighting around 1:30 and would see two more leopards before we left the Mara.
That was just a piece of my first day with Beacon and trust me it only got better from there! Johnny was an amazing guide and driver that any solo traveler would be lucky to have for six days.
Before departure, I looked around a lot and talked with a lot of different companies before finally deciding to go with Beacon. Robert played a huge part in that decision. He was always quick to answer my questions no matter how big or small they were and when I used Whatsapp to contact him and inform him of an urgent last-minute change to my itinerary, he took it in stride.
On the morning of our departure from Nairobi, he had the staff at the Wildebeest Eco Camp to tell me to take my time and have breakfast. I had originally planning to skip breakfast to make sure we got on the road in time, so being able to push back our departure so I could take time to eat was hugely appreciated.
Once we were on the road, Johnny was very friendly and was always ready to answer my questions about the places we were going to and the animals we would see. Rest stops were frequent and I never felt like I was trapped in the car, praying we would find a bathroom and there was never a time I felt unsafe during our 4 to 5-hour drives when traveling between parks.
Although going by air can save you time, especially if you're on a tight schedule, Seeing the country and its varying climates and terrain, paired with the cities and towns that you pass through on your route is an adventure all on its own. 80% of the roads we traveled were paved. The stories of the road to the Masai Mara, specifically it's final third, being an unpaved and teeth-rattling mess are very outdated. A large section of that road has now been paved and is a smooth ride. When you do find those few dirt roads, you know that its official, you're really on safari! So don’t let the possibility of having to travel by land intimidate you! You'll wind up learning a lot about the country you've traveled so far to visit.
Johnny and I traveled almost 700 miles during our time. From the Masai Mara to Lake Nakuru and finally to Amboseli. Despite the long days, his enthusiasm never faded. He always kept me informed on what our plans were and explained why we needed to make changes when changes needed to be made. Like when he recommended we do our evening game drive in Amboseli earlier in the afternoon when we arrived rather than enter the park and go through it only to leave and drive to the lodge (which took 20-30 minutes) for a short time only to turn right back around and go back into the park.
Johnny and I saw so much during our time together, from a surprise elephant crossing in the Mara that left me speechless to a three hyena standoff over a dead hippo in Amboseli that left me scratching my head for days after. The one thing I wasn’t expecting was how Johnny influenced me as we traveled together. I'm a pretty quiet person, and as a solo traveler that can make connecting with your destination and the people who live there, as well as the other travelers you come across pretty difficult. As the trip went on, seeing Johnny interact with the people we came across from Kenya Wildlife Service Rangers to other guides we drove past on the open road made me appreciate the massive community of people who make going on safari possible. In response I found myself belting out a hearty 'Jambo!' more and more and struggle through bouts of small talk as our journey progressed.
On my final day in Kenya, I was pretty sad to say goodbye to Johnny, take my sunhat off my head and strap it to my bag before moving my winter clothes from the bottom of my suitcase to my overnight bag in preparation for the transition back to a much colder climate. I have made memories that will last a lifetime, and I have some new friends that I cannot wait to see again the next time I am in the country.
When we left Nairobi Johnny told me that Kenya was a place with unlimited possibility, I can now say that he's absolutely right. I have traveled so far and it amazes me that there's still more to see and do. So if you take anything away from this review, it should be that a Kenyan safari will leave you with a mountain of good memories, hours of stories to share with your friends and family, and a sense of adventure that will only be satisfied by once again striking out into the wilderness in a pop top van, following a dirt road that runs past the horizon.
Robert and Johnny, asante sana.
I hope to travel with you again soon!
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Email Brian | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
You can trust this company!
Working with Robert was great! He was excellent in helping us prepare our trip and Beacon Safari's offered a fair and reasonable rate. The driver, Ken, was very professional and did his best to take us around the game park to see everything we could see.
As residents, we learned later that we could enter the game park at a discounted rate. Robert was happy to refund our initial overpayment since we received the reduced gate entrance rate. His willingness to work with us and provide the refund even though we had agreed to the initial non-resident rate is another reason you know you can trust this company. I would highly recommend using this company for any safari or other booking they offer.
--Brian & family (American with children 8-14)