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
IE
Email CD | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect from start to finish
From the moment we emailed our interest to Vanessa to the moment we landed back home, our entire experience was wonderful! Vanessa was quick and so helpful in organising everything for us and answering any questions we had. Once we landed in Kenya, she had every transfer/collection, hotel, guide etc organised to perfection, we had no issues and could just relax our entire trip, knowing we were being taken care of.
The Safari was incredible, once in a life time views, our guide taught us so much and was friendly and helpful.
Everywhere we stayed, we were greeted warmly, the places were all comfortable and spotlessly clean, the food was incredible.
We loved Kenya and everyone we met along the way, 10/10 recommend to anyone considering it.
EG
Email María Dolores Rodríguez | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fun safari!!!
Our entire experience was wonderful, thanks to Filipa who was so helpful organizing everything for us, answering any questions we had, and flexible to adapt to several changes that happened throughout the planning process. Once we landed in Kenya, Anthony, great guide, had everything planned, transfer/collection, hotel, to perfection. We had no issues and could just relax our entire trip.
The Safari was incredible, once in a life time views, Anthony taught us so much and was friendly, helpful and fun. He has such a good humor and he was always finding the best spots to watch the animals. He would not left any stone unturned until we found the animals he wanted us to see.
Everywhere we stayed, we were greeted warmly, the places were all comfortable and spotlessly clean, the food was incredible.
We loved Kenya and everyone we met along the way, 10/10 recommend to anyone considering it.
AE
Email Alfonso | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Super Safari, Great Team Supporting you
This past October we went on our first safari and what a great choice was Spirit of Kenya. From the planning with the great support of Vanessa, the ground team when we landed was courteous and quick to get us on our journey and the guide Derick was the best making us feel secure and entertain.
Choice of hotels and stops was on point, we did a 5d/4n and was good enough for us.
If you want a safe choice, go with spirit of Kenya… more info on the trip you can find it at boricuaslivingabroad blog
US
Email Marla | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic Safari - Great Company - Highly Recommended!
Bottom line: Excellent overall experience – would highly recommend Spirit of Kenya to my friends and family – in fact, I already have done so for friends thinking to visiting!
Have recently returned from our week-long safari, I have nothing but the highest praises for the entire Spirit of Kenya experience. Working with Vanessa to plan our trip was a comfortable and confidence inducing effort. I had been to Kenya 31 years earlier and was excited to take family members back to experience the grandeur of Kenya for themselves. Based on my prior experience, I had specific things I wanted to accomplish. Vanessa helped structure the trip so it was efficient and covered the areas I was most interested in visiting, and book accommodations that were in line with our budget, style and expectations. She was knowledgeable and responded to all my inquiries and changes very promptly and with great customer service.
Based on my prior visit, many (31) years ago, I knew the importance of working with a reputable tour company, especially one that had “in field” support from the head office and other vehicles in the parks. After doing my research, Spirit of Kenya seemed to fit criteria. It is easy to write a 5-star review for a trip where everything goes like clockwork, but earning a 5-star review when there is a hiccup is the highest of complements. DISCLAIMER: Please note that safari roads are dirt, rock and gravel and vehicles (and people) take a beating, so the following is not intended to be a reflection negatively on vehicle maintenance – hey, this is safari and things can go wrong! During our first game drive, our vehicle wouldn’t start after stopping for pictures of some of our early animal sightings. Our driver, Peter, (and other safari drivers) worked diligently to get it running, but it became clear that a mechanic would be needed. Two other Spirit of Kenya drivers had stopped to help and they quickly shuffled passengers to allow my family to continue our game drive with another driver, Dennis, until our vehicle could be fixed. By lunchtime, a mechanic had fixed the problem, Peter was there to pick us up and we continued on with him without missing a beat. We can only imagine that our experience might have been a disaster – if we were the only vehicle from a tour company in the park that day. But due to the prevalence of Spirit of Kenya and their code “We leave no one behind” there was a team on hand to make it all right. Bonus, we got to know TWO great safari guides and enjoyed meeting up joint for de-briefs other evenings at subsequent resorts.
Peter was a very knowledgeable guide and found us EVERYTHING we wanted to see on our game list. He was flexible to fit in special requests we had and was resourceful to help accommodate some off the beaten path requests, like a custom fishing trip, stop at a Maasai school, a second trip to the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi to let us feed the giraffes (again), and a special dinner in Nairobi on our return.
Many, many thanks to Vanessa, Peter and Dennis!
Email Michael R | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Personalised safari with excellent team
My partner and I went on the "7-Day Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli Safari from Nairobi" and it was absolutely excellent. It was our first time to Kenya and we did not know what it would be like but we were fully prepared by our personal journey designer, Filipa. They gave us a wide choice of accommodation we could choose from at each game reserve and helped organise our collection to and from the airport which was very needed! The journey estimates between each reserve were all correct and they were quick to reply to our messages when we had queries.
On the tour, we had our own van to ourselves with our guide Thomas who was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and Kenya as a whole so when we were travelling between reserves, we got a full overview of what we were seeing and the history of Kenya.
Our highlights were Lake Nakuru to see the wild rhinos up close and Amboseli was incredible to see Mount Kilimanjaro as the backdrop to over a thousand elephants in the swamp. The Maasai Mara was incredible to see so many big cats as well as loads of other exciting wildlife. The whole trip we were very well looked after by those at the accommodation we stayed at and the food was delicious everywhere we went (curry is the most common dish)!
AE
Email Marine merchez | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The best safari company ever
Amazing safari we’ve had thanks to spirit of Kenya. Mike was the best guide we could ask for. Perfect organization from A to Z, we had one of the most memorable trip ever. Thank you Spirit of Kenya, Vanessa, and Mike!
US
Email Maren | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Alumni Safari was a Hit!
Spirit of Kenya helped me organize an Alumni Group of 20 people for our trip to the Maasai Mara. From the on-line team to the drivers in Nairobi and the Mara we were well taken care of and the team was extremely responsive. Thank you for a great experience and I can't wait to return with friends in July 2024!
MX
Email Marco | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
unforgettable trip!
My wife planned a safari trip to celebrate my birthday and she chose Spirit of Kenia, terrific choice!!, I would do it with them again without doubt. Filipa was great during the planning stage offering different car options and hotels according to the experience we wanted. They passed for us to the airport at 3am and since the beginning you could feel the kindness of the service. Moses was our driver in Nairobi. For the safari Rafael was our guide and driver, he knew perfect the right spots to see animals in Amboseli and Masai Mara, he spotted all the big 5 and more than that, he was great to explain additional thinks about Kenya and their culture. We felt safe all the time with these guys. Thank you Rafael and Moses to make our trip safe, comfortable and unforgettable.
My only suggestion for the vehicle we used, pls repair the car window crank in the right side!
RU
Email yulia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience
Hot on the heels, I decided to write a review about the company "Spirit of Kenya"
From the very beginning, the attentive Filipa worked with us, who answered all our questions, helped us decide on hotels and gave basic advice on what vaccinations we should get, how to get a visa and what we need to take with us on the trip. Upon arrival in Nairobi, we were met by representatives of the company and taken to the hotel, the next day we agreed with the driver about a trip to the Giraffe Center, along the way he took us to various iconic tourist places, talking about life and life in Kenya. This was our first time in Africa, we didn’t know what to expect and were pleased with the attention and care from the company, the driver did not leave us for a minute.
The next day at 7 am our driver Rafael came to pick us up, we upgraded the car in advance from a basic minivan to a Land cruiser safari, the car was completely at our disposal. The road to Amboseli took almost 5 hours, Rafael, our driver, drove very skillfully on the highway, one section was completely clogged with trucks and trucks. In Amboseli we stayed in the basic version of Kibo Safari Camp, a very pleasant, family-run hotel, with a large protected area, a large restaurant and bar. We were extremely lucky with the view from our room; every morning we watched the sunrise on Kilimanjaro and the rise of hot air balloons. The hotel had a very cool, kind, family atmosphere, many children and adults who did not interfere with each other at all. On the same day we went on a safari, where immediately from the entrance to the reservation we saw zebras, giraffes and huge families of elephants. Rafael masterfully chose the best positions, tried to get as close to the animals as possible and talk about the life and characteristics of each animal. Amazing experience. Next was a long drive to Lake Naivasha, where we stayed at the Naivasha Sopa Lodge. A beautiful, colonial hotel, I personally liked the zebras walking on the grass like cows. At night, hippos come to spend the night on the hotel grounds. Animals living on site are perhaps the main advantage of this hotel. The next day was a long drive to Masai Mara, where we stayed at the stunning Basecamp Mara. This hotel completely won my heart, comfortable tents in the very center of the savannah, where you are separated from wild life by a river on both sides and nothing else. This place is the best illustration of a safari, where you are a small part of nature, you can see baboons and giraffes in the morning, watch the sunrise and sunset and observe the wild world. At this hotel we were amazed by the representatives of Masai Mara; here the guys work at night, protecting the territory from wild animals. Amazing strong, fearless and noble people. The safari on the Masai reservation was the best thing that happened to us in all 6 days; we have not seen so many wild animals in more than one day. An amazing experience that I wish to live at least once in my life. We saw the "Big 5" lion, buffalo, rhino, leopard and elephants all in one place! I thank our guide Rafael, he is confident, knowledgeable and very calm as an elephant)) a comfortable person. The organization of the safari from start to finish was at the highest level, representatives were always in touch, an experienced driver, a comfortable car. We were absolutely satisfied with our experience, happy that we chose this company
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Email Jim Cottee | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Went on a 7 day Safari to 4 national parks with Spirit of Kenya. It was absolutely fabulous.
Spirit of Kenya Safaris made us feel like treasured company. With just 2 of us in one vehicle, our Kenyan guide & driver felt more like a friend than a tour operator. The drive down the highway towards Mombasa was an adventure in itself, getting familiar to how everyone uses all parts of the road. When we arrived in Amboseli National Park, the first thing I saw was an elephant under a shady umbrella acacia tree. Classic stuff. Further along, a big male elephant gave chase, with us amazed at how close he came. We saw such a wide range of animals with our guide detailing each animals traits & reproductive cycles. The drought broke the evening we arrived & the savanna turned green in a day. The Lodge accommodation was really good, as was all the food & staff service. Everyone was so nice & well mannered & smiling. The Maasai are a happy & proud people.
The conversion from US dollars to the Kenyan Shilling was crazy low, so food & drinks were very inexpensive, so I was happy to tip well.
Leaving the view of Mt. Kilimanjaro with its snow cap, we travelled up the highway again and into the Rift Valley, heading to a Lodge at Lake Naivasha, then onto Lake Nakuru National Park. Again, all the staff at these places were wonderful, as was the food & drinks. It mostly rained at night, giving us fresh & clear days to explore for animals, of which there was in abundance. Giraffes, gazelles & antelopes, zebras & gnus, elephants & hippos, Lions & hyenas, warthogs & rhinos .. and some amazing bird life as well, so yeah - ostriches & flamingos, etc.
Our wonderful guide & driver looked after us very well. There were no problems at all considering the miles we travelled and we also got to see the communities or villages along the highways, with their cattle or goats grazing right alongside the roadways, always with a young or old Maasai on guard. Our last few days were spent down in the Maasai Mara, close to the Tanzanian Serengeti Plains. The recent rains had turned the plains green, so there were animals in abundance, many with new born calves or cubs, etc. We saw a cheetah with 4 healthy young ones.! We had some amazing close encounters with lions while we were there as well. This 7 day Safari tour was something to remember forever .. and I have the photos & videos to prove it.
