Guide Ken with one of our 4x4 Land Cruisers
Spirit of Kenya
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $300 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 Olivia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Spirit of Kenya is reliable and accommodating for a perfect adventure.
Vanessa helped plan our entire safari vacation. She responded to every email within 24 hours. We had many questions, requests, and customizations for this trip and Spirit of Kenya delivered. All activities and accommodations we wanted for our safari were included making for a full itinerary of all experiences we sought after. Communication and organization is top notch. I would highly recommend Spirit of Kenya because all of the thinking and planning was taken care of so we could focus in the upcoming trip.
CR
Email Daniel Chaves | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing and memorable experience
Let me start by saying that the Spirit of Kenya wasn’t our first option for our safary in Kenya.
We started requesting quotes from multiple companies online and after some time we ran into Spirit of Kenya. After having our initial email exchange with Andre - our Spirit of Kenya representative - there was no question on which company we were going to go with.
He was incredibly responsive, we were coming from Central America so there was a huge time difference, Andre was always responsive, helpful, respectful and proper. He would provide options and recommendations around which tour to take and how to save some money since we were traveling during Christmas season, we ended up changing our mind over which route to take several times and he was very accommodative. His professionalism did not change a bit after we did our payment and he continued to be extremely supportive as we prepared for our adventure.
Andre was definitely the reason we picked the Spirit of Kenya for such an important event (going on a Safari).
Upon meeting Franco (our driver for the tour) it was clear to us that we had made a great choice. We went for the mini van which is absolutely comfortable. The route was fantastic, we were able to see the big 5 and the beautiful nature in which these beautiful animals live. Franco is a very well educated individual which is great if you want to have a conversation about cultural differences, economics, nature, or whatever topic you want to touch during the long drives. At the same time he has a great personality always very respectful and fun to be around, he has a ton of experience with these sort of tours so it was great to have that in our advantage, he seemed like he was a reference for other less experienced or younger drivers which is why we ended up calling him Franco "The Legend".
Franco is definitely the reason why we would pick the Spririt of Kenya again.
Based on experience, I know that booking a safary in Kenya can be overwhelming, it is also a rather expensive experience and if you are first timers in Africa – like we were – it can be scary. I would definitely recommend this company they made our experience in Kenya an absolutely beautiful and memorable experience.
FI
Email Jato | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
5 star tour with a 5 star operator
My wife and I had visited National Parks in Tanzania and Botswana. This time we wanted to experience Kenya. After a rather lengthy online scanning for possible tour organizers I ended up contacting Spirit of Kenya. What a good choice that proved to be. I was impressed immediately by the very prompt reply to my enquiry. Once we got started Tiago the tour organizer helped me through the booking and planning process step by step. As a casual traveller there are a few things you definitely appreciate. That is a sense of trust and professionalism with your partner. Among other things you are about to transfer quite a large amount of funds overseas. With Tiago I never had any doubts about his and his company’s honesty and integrity.
The tour we chose was a 4 days Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara safari. Here and there the roads in Kenya may be quite bumpy. Not least inside the parks. In that respect our choice of minivan as a vehicle was probably not the best. However the extra cost for Land Cruiser in relation to benefits felt too high in our opinion. As it turned out minivan was really alright. But that is a decision everyone has to make themselves.
Our guide was Steven. He is a very skilful driver. His capability to navigate in Nakuru and Masai Mara is impressive. Despite having a van instead of a jeep we never got stuck in the mud, had no flat tires or any other problems with the car. Because of some heavy raining at nights the dirt roads in Masai Mara were partly heavily soaked. We did witness some cars being stuck in the mud. However it was nice to see the comradeship among the guides. Help is always available. Steven seems to know everyone out there. Communicating and information sharing between drivers seems to be essential in these safaris. Steven was a fitting guide for us. Some characteristics stuck out. He has an appearance of a very friendly, polite and quite modest man. Still you get the feeling that this guy knows what he is doing. Experience and professionalism sticks out. With him you are in safe and knowledgeable hands. As a guest there is just one thing for you to do. That is to relax and enjoy. He takes care of the rest. Safari guides have an exceptional ability to spot animals even with their plain eyes. Steven spotted a leopard in a tree. I simply could not see it until I took the binoculars. Amazing! Steven’s overall expertise further strengthened my opinion of Spirit of Kenya as an outstanding tour operator.
You can’t choose the weather or what you want see in the park. Lady Luck plays a major role. As I had some previous experiences of safaris I had some hopes to witness something extra spectacular. That did not fully happen. But it was not a problem. Fully realising that live safaris are not like TV documentaries. To witness for instance a ‘kill’ requires some extra luck. We saw the big five and all the major famous savannah animals. For me it was personally rewarding to see cheetahs. I had missed them in my earlier safaris. We saw two with their fresh kill. And even the next morning we saw another one eating his impala breakfast. In Lake Nakuru we saw several white rhinos and in Masai Mara among dozens of other fascinating sightings a mating couple of lions. In Masai Mara we stayed in Julia’s River Camp right on the banks of river Talek. At night we could sense and hear hippos moving, eating grass and grunting just next to our tent. What a captivating experience! Hey, we really are in the middle of wilderness!
We had a splendid time on our safari tour and I can sincerely give Spirit of Kenya full marks for the manner the whole trip was conducted in every aspect. If I choose to have yet another African safari I don’t need to look far for the organizer. Without hesitation I also dare to recommend Spirit of Kenya for all those who are pondering which one to choose from several tour companies.
Email James | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Outstanding from start to finish
I had never heard of Spirit of Kenya before I started to research the holiday, and selected them purely due to the positive Tripadvisor reviews. I am so glad that I did.
Vanessa was so helpful in the booking process, always quick to respond to emails and available on the phone when needed.
The itinerary that Vanessa guided us towards selecting was perfect. Martin our guide was outstanding. Everything that you want from a guide - friendly, knowledgeable, and probably most important of all - he was a very calm and safe driver.
There is one particular piece of advice that I would like to pass on. Vanessa recommended Eagle View camp for our stay in the Masai Mara. It is in a private conservancy, just outside the main Masai Mara area. It was such a good recommendation, and I would strongly advise anybody to stay in a private conservancy rather than the main Mara. We saw all the big 5, so many lions, and there were never more than two or three other vehicles looking at the animals at the same time. We took an afternoon trip to the main Mara, and then realised just how pleased we were not to be staying there. There were at least 30 vehicles surrounding one group of cheetahs. A private conservancy gives you a much more personal experience.
ES
Email Fabian | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Day Tour to Lake Nakuru from Nairobi
Everything from the booking experience to the tour itself went smoothly. The communication with Tiago was spot on. They arrived on time and we were able to pay the remaining balance on the spot in cash and even with credit card. The drive from Nairobi to the Lake Nakuru National Park is quite long, but we anticipated that. We had the bus to ourselves, which made the ride somewhat comfortable. The park itself is just stunning. We saw three black(!!) and a couple of white rhinos, hippos, giraffes, warthogs, primates, and countless zebras, antelopes, and buffalos. Since the lake is quite flooded, you cannot use the usual road as our driver explained. Therefore, you circle the entire lake and even go to a higher lookout on the western side of the lake (amazing views). We spent about 4-5 hours in the park and had lunch at the Flamingo Hill Tented Camp, which was delicious and the staff was super friendly (we may want to spend a night or two there when we come back to Kenya). Overall it was a great experience and we would highly recommend Spirit of Kenya to anyone traveling around this beautiful country.
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Email Susan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect safari from planning through end of trip
This was a major vacation to plan and Tiago from Spirit of Kenya made it easy. He was so patient with our requests and planned the perfect safari trip down to each minute detail. Everything from the time we landed in Nairobi went off without a hitch. We were picked up at the airport and taken to our Nairobi hotel and then picked up the next morning by our Safari Guide George. He was wonderful and taught us so much. A great driver as we experienced unusually heavy nighttime rains which caused muddy and very hard to navigate roads. George always got us through them and kept us safe. He was so intuitive finding the animals and we saw everything. Also very informative and gave and taught us such valuable information!! All of our accomodations were lovely and we enjoyed them all for various reasons. Tiago was good at giving us a variety of places to stay! Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations were great. We had a great birthday party at our first camp to celebrate my friend's birthday that will probably be her most memorable birthday ever. Everything about this trip was perfection!
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Email Darrel V | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding Experience
I had the opportunity to use Spirit of Kenya for my recent safari to Kenya. The booking experience with Vanessa was excellent. She was patient with my questions and very diligent and clear in the booking process. Once I arrived into Nairobi I was greeted by my guide, Charles. My feeling were that he was the absolute best. We literally saw every animal and way more than what I expected to see. I thought it was awesome when Charles my guide, who does this for a living was also taking pictures of some of the most amazing experiences imaginable. Thank you Spirit of Kenya for this incredible experience!
AE
Email Nakul Jain | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond expectations - Franco our guide, the accommodations, food, abundance of wildlife we saw
An African Safari is one of the most memorable and lifetime adventures - and I am so glad we did this with Spirit of Kenya (having asked for quotes and comparisons from about a dozen travel companies).
Of course, when you book with travel companies, there is a lot of gloss and fancy language on brochures and websites, and you are very happy if they deliver 8 out of 10. But here I would say - it was 10 out of 10, as every promise they made was kept, and even exceeded.
The booking process with Vanessa was a most pleasant and thorough experience. Right from guiding us on choice of National Parks (because there are so many to choose from and the permutations confuse you) to designing an itinerary which lets us have the most packed adventure covering the maximum length and breadth of numerous National Parks, to suggesting the places of staying at each Park, and my smallest of queries - like where to buy SIM or where to get Macadamia nuts, Vanessa was of utmost politeness and patience in answering everything. She was extremely gracious and polite, and whatever time of day I wrote - I got a reply promptly or the next early morning. Sales Managers stop acting pleasant once the money is in, but not the case with Vanessa - she really is your personal curator for the trip. I can say she treated us like 'friends and family' in giving us everything for the trip and helping us plan it.
The places chosen to stay were terrific - the Camps / Lodges are right in there in the most pristine and central regions of the National Parks, and very-well maintained and full of the most delicious (we are vegetarians and got ample options) food and terrific hospitality. Great choices made by Spirit of Kenya.
We covered Masai Mara (stay at Ilkeliani Camp) - Lake Nakuru (Flamingo Hill Tented Camp) - Amboseli (Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge).
Franco Sego - our guide for the whole trip was extremely affable and a pleasure to be with. Very diligent and committed to his job. The best guide and friend we could have had. Very knowledgeable and skilled in knowing the movements of animals. I can give some examples - While we started Masai Mara at 7 am, and he said he will bring us back around 4 pm .. he brought us back around 6.30 pm in the day .. taking all those extra hours out of his own rest time .. just because he realizes that while he sees wild animals everyday on the job, but for us probably it is the only chance in our lifetime we will get to see them - and he puts his heart and soul in getting us a good and close view of every animal he can find hidden somewhere. Two hours in finding a hidden leopard, where other Jeeps gave up and went away. Letting us catch a Cheetah in the hunt while nobody else bothered to go that far and wait that long, because other Jeeps saw the chances as slim of finding that, while Franco thought it would be heart-throbbing for us if we could get to witness that rare spectacle. Another example - While we had seen over 20 lions and lionesses over 6 times in the day at Mara, late in the evening at 6 pm, he traveled 5 kms extra to one side of the park near our camp, and showed us another pride of lions. He said he had heard a roar of lions the previous night somewhere near the camp and wanted us to find them. That's the kind of stupendous commitment he has to the job. From all the guides I saw across in other jeeps, and other Safari vans of different operators - I can say Spirit of Kenya does hire the best and motivates them well - the guide was classy, well educated, extremely neat and polished in his appearance (more as a sophisticated naturalist I would say), communicates very well with his English and mannerisms. I think it's fair to say Franco is the reason we will do another trip with Spirit of Kenya to Tanzania or Uganda or Namibia in the next 2-3 years. The safari vehicle throughout the trip (Nissan 4x4) was a thoroughly competitive SUV for any kind of terrain and supremely comfortable with an excellent viewtop. Everyday Franco would clean the car thoroughly from inside to make it look new. This was our home for most of the waking hours of the day, and completely satisfied with it.
Although the cost seemed quite high at the beginning (as is for all African safaris), and we begin to think the costing is exorbitantly exploitative and travel company is making a ridiculous amount of profit - after having done the trip, we would say it is well worth it. We didn't spend a single penny from when we were picked up from Airport, covered the entire trip and were dropped back at Airport. Everything included - which covers some 800 plus kms of distance between the 3 National Parks, the distance covered in the park itself - which would be almost 70-100 kms in a day, the entry cost of National Parks, the cost of guide staying at same places as we do, the full board - every kind of breakfast lunch dinner tea coffee evening snacks you can gorge on is covered, the back office operations, vehicle maintenance cost - you realize at the end of it, that whatever you paid had been ploughed back into the various nitty gritties of managing your experience and comfort and well-being for those 5-6 days, and you feel satisfied that you have paid a very reasonable price. It's an honest pricing by Sprit of Kenya and the trip well worth it.
It is a great operator, kind and always was on line for every question. Our guide, Steven was great
The tours and the communucations was better than my expecrations. The service was supreme, our guide Steven and Vanessa our contact by email and WhatsApp, both are very kind and a very good professionals. Thanks!! The parks and nature are amaizing.
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Email Andy M | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Two Week Luxury Safari by Spirit of Kenya EXCELLENT!
Trip of a lifetime thanks to Spirit of Kenya. I contacted Spirit of Kenya (SOK) in March 2019 to plan a two week Safari for me and my wife. After getting some initial information, and after many comparisons with other recommended Safari Tour agencies, I chose SOK. The communication was quick and efficient with many options for places to visit and accommodations. Vanessa (Happiness Assist. Manager) worked with me via email and telephone and was also my point of contact while in Kenya and Tanzania. She was wonderful. In Essence, SOK helped me build my personalized Safari. We traveled in October and everything ng was perfect. Friendly and Knowledgeable English speaking local guides; Courteous service; Absolutely stunning accommodations; Overall spectacular experience that makes me want to return to Africa to do this again. We travelled to Amboseli near Mt. Kilimanjaro and our guide "George" was a virtual African anthropological and biological expert. He could name plants and animals and then describe, in detail, what they were commonly used for or how they existed. George spoke English fluently and clearly and accompanies us everywhere. We felt safe, secure, and well-informed with George. George made it so we saw and photographed the Big-5 and countless more wildlife. We visited Masai Mara where Spirit of Kenya and George arranged for us to visit a Masai village where I jumped with the Masai warriors while my wife sang and danced with the Masai women. We will never forget that experience. We visited the Great Rift Valley, Hells Gate where the "Lion King" movie was set, and Lake Naivasha where "Out of Africa" was filmed and where we enjoyed a boat ride to view an abundance of wildlife including hippos. Then we had SOK plan our three days in Zanzibar for some relaxing beach time. It was similarly and meticulously planned. Our resort was all-inclusive and we had nothing to worry about. The weather was fabulous and we had a chance (as coordinated by SOK) to explore Stone Town. We returned to Kenya but had an extra 2 days. Not to worry Spirit of Kenya, with no prior coordination, helped me plan an extra day in and around Nairobi to visit the national park, a giraffe feeding park, baby elephant orphanage, and a very famous restaurant. Moses was our guide and he did a fantastic job of keeping us busy and informed. My wife and I wanted to stay but finally we knew we had to come home. THANK YOU Spirit of Kenya. You are a fabulous company; well-run, and you clearly care about your customers and their satisfaction. We will return to Africa and will ONLY consider working with you. Thank you again for a trip of a lifetime.