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 Karyn A. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
No Need to Look Further!
From the moment I contacted Spirit of Kenya in March 2020 to start planning, they have supported us with professionalism and hospitality considering all the delays and changes that have happened over these past crazy 2 years! I can't say enough about their efficiency, patience and kindness in the planning of this trip given all the obstacles we kept facing. As a DIY planner, I literally choose this company after reading all the rave reviews on the internet. But what really sold me was the personal attention I received from Vanessa, (immediate response to emails, questions answered professionally, the outlining of the different packages). During my initial research process, I found so many really expensive tours, and so many really cheap tours. The mid-level ones were very elusive. SOK offered various levels of safari from economy through luxury, and we were able to build our own experience based on our budget. For $10,000, (plus airfare & tips), the 4 of us enjoyed an extremely luxurious 7-day safari, where we all felt our expectations were exceeded. SOK makes sure that the camps/lodges they include on their listings are all beautifully kept properties, with exceptional service. But, if truth be told, the thing that put this whole trip over the top for us was our safari guide/driver, Simon. There is no money in the world that buys personality and professionalism like we we encountered with Simon. He also made wonderful recommendations for a couple of side trips to our safari drives, plus he had to deal with all of our Covid testing procedures along the way, and he couldn't have been more helpful and cordial. As tourism slowly starts to open again, here is wishing all of you at SOK the best of luck, because those flood gates will open again!
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Email Larry S | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
outstanding planning and execution
Great planning support and the vehicles and accommodations were excellent. Our guides were very knowledgeable friendly and professional. Overall, the best vacation ever.
CN
Email Jamo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most unforgettable safari with Sino Africa Safari
We spent a amazing week with a perfect organization of Sino Africa Safari, from the pick up at the Nairobi airport, the chosen hotels, the unique and natural parks and the wise advicefrom Kennedy (driver guide).
It was also very important for us to have quickly answers by Jong to all our questions, in order to know which would be the details of our trip.
We would like to visit you again after the pandemic ends.
HK
Email Vincent | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding service!
I decided to visit Kenya for a safari just about three weeks before starting our holidays. Despite the short time I had to prepare the safari, Sino Africa Safari made it possible with a kind, quick and outstanding service. Our hotels were all perfect and the whole trip was fantastic, pleasant and easy. We enjoyed 100% our holidays and will choose them again in the future. Recommend Solomon as your driver guide and speical thanks to Jong - our safari planner.
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Email Sara | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!
Spirit of Kenya went above and beyond for our trip. We were met at the airport by Moses, who took us to our hotel, then met us the next morning for a full day tour of Nairobi. He was very knowledgeable and so nice. Next we were handed off to Steven, who took us on safaris through Tsavo and Amboseli. Steven was so knowledgeable and wonderful, he made us feel so at home and comfortable. We also visited a Maasai village, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We were transferred back to the airport in plenty of time to catch our flight. Spirit of Kenya was amazing!
GR
Email Nikolaos | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable, well informed
We had the best time ever! It was a great trip!! Everything went according to plan and we couldn't be more satisfied about the Spirit of Kenya.
The free upgrade from a van to a Land Rover was super important and made the difference during the safari days.
Both our drivers, Karacha and Charles, were really kind, polite, ready to help, well informed and tireless.
Especially Charles, whom we spent 6 days in the safari, is probably one of the main reasons that we had such a great time and i will have such great memories from Kenya.
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Email Frances | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime!
Start to finish our trip process and trip was just absolutely perfect! Vanessa was so great coordinating all the travel for us and answering every question we had regarding covid restrictions, outlet adapters, laundry service, you name it! She made sure everything was clear for us and made sure we were prepared for our trip! We got picked up at the airport by Moses and he made us feel welcomed and safe to our transfer to our hotel. He also took us on a tour of Nairobi at the end of trip before we flew out. He took us to a great local lunch spot that ended up being our favorite meal. The morning we were picked up for our safari our guide, Kimani, picked us up. He was just the best guide ever! He was so knowledgeable about all the animals and was so good about spotting them! He told us all about Kenya and the culture and history on our transfer rides which made them go by quickly! We invited him to dine with us where he just taught us more and we just enjoyed him company! He is a great person! We really had the best time. I am fortunate to have traveled to many countries and I think this was one of my favorite trips if not the favorite. We saw the big five and so many pretty birds and other animals. The weather was perfect. All the places we stayed were great. I was traveling with 3 other friends for a girls trip. We always felt safe too. The price was very reasonable. I could go on and on about how great it was so just book it and see for yourself! :)
Email Margaret | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!
This was truly the holiday of a lifetime! Vanessa removed all the stress of planning and designed an amazing holiday for me and my family! We visited Amboseli, Naivasha, Nakuru, the Massai Mara and Diani Beach, and saw something new at each destination.
Our guide and driver, George, was a real expert in the art of finding wildlife, I had not expected to see so many birds and animals and George was also able to tell us all about each of them, which really enhanced the experience. I had been a bit concerned about some of the long drives involved in seeing so many different places but in fact the time flew by and George was an excellent driver, expertly negotiating some pretty rough roads!!
The accommodation was excellent and the people so friendly and welcoming, it was lovely to be greeted with a cool drink and a hot flannel after each safari.
The trips Vanessa had organised for us were great, a boat trip on Naivasha lake where we saw hippos and many different birds, again our guide for the trip knew everything there was to know about the wildlife we saw. This was followed by a guided walk among the giraffes, zebra, waterbuck, gazelles and more, and our guide's passion for the wildlife was very apparent. The balloon ride was awesome, and the picnics were wonderful.
I cannot recommend Spirit of Kenya highly enough. Thank you Vanessa for making our holiday an amazing experience.
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Email shenzi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
5-star experience & service
This was our first-time safari in Kenya planned in the middle of the pandemic and we did not know what to expect. Like some other reviewers, I have also exchanged 100+ emails with Tiago, our journey designer, and he always had a prompt, detailed and kind reply to every question or concern. This was in stark contrast to other operators I contacted who either took several days to reply or provided incomplete or ambiguous answers. Moreover, during our trip it also turned out that each of Tiago's answers was truthful and accurate. Tiago is really fantastic at his job and we are so grateful for his help with the planning.
We have selected a modified 6-day Into the Wild safari in Kenya. We have visited Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara. This was a well-planned but intensive itinerary with fantastic sights and experiences. Our guide, Karasha, was fabulous. He was very experienced, knowledgeable and kind. Even though we did not have high expectations regarding the animal sightings, he showed us all animals we could have dreamed of seeing. Often, we were the only one or one of the few vehicles during a sighting.
Karasha has also told us a lot about the Kenyan history, tribal relations, politics, education system, environmental issues and so on. He showed a very high level of education and awareness of various issues. Even when speaking about controversial or problematic issues he spoke in a neutral and empathetic way. He was kind to everyone we met on the way, waving to children in villages, laughing with guards and other guides and was also very patient and friendly with us. Karasha is such a talented guide with a wonderful character and I cannot recommend him strongly enough!
Last but not least, Karasha is a very skilled and safe driver! We travelled many hours on the country roads with young children and we felt very safe.
We felt very fortunate to have found Spirit of Kenya. They allowed us to build a custom private safari at prices similar to big package companies. They have recommended only 2-3 accommodation options for each park and they were truly fantastic. Ilkeliani camp in Masai Mara was the most incredible and intimate place with the most amazing 5-star service I have ever experienced. I would not have found it without Spirit.
Spirit of Kenya truly provides a high quality service across all areas and does not save money at the expense of travelers. You will get great planning advice, a very good vehicle, an amazing guide, high-end binoculars, great accommodation options, great food and so on. They know everything and know how to offer the best experience to their clients. I cannot recommend them highly enough!
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Email Yara | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent and smooth trip
The experience was great and super smooth. Everything was very well organized! The team was super accommodating and responsive before and throughout the trip (Thank you Andre!). Our drivers (John and Alex) were very friendly and welcoming and had a lot of interesting information to share. The trip felt very safe and well designed and the chosen accommodations were amazing (Ziwa bush lodge in Lake Nakuru, Mara Sopa lodge in Masai Mara and Leopard resort in Diani beach). Only thing I would change is taking a flight from Nairobi to Masai mara because the roads are very bumpy.