Our Team with guests
Lenchada Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $400 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
AT
Email Giovanni & Petra | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
5/5 Big Five! - Geeman is the man! - Unforgettable experience!
My girlfriend and I decided to spend 6 days of safari between Masai Mara, Nakuru and Amboseli; this HIGHLY RECOMMENDED combo allows you to see 3 different landscapes and higher chances to see the big 5. You will definitely see lions, lots of buffalos (both water and land), lots of elephants (esp. in Amboseli) but rhinos and cheetah are of course difficult to find.
Lodges were we stayed were of different styles but all TOP level with great rooms, service and food!
Our Lenchada guide, Geeman, made sure everything was perfect for us, went the extra mile to get me a nice sharpened Masai machete, always tried his best to sneak us between jeeps to get us the best spot and never spared a good laugh and smile! We fully recommend him!
For sake of full transparency, only minor thing we found a bit disturbing were the amount of calls our guide needed to do (I guess some were necessary for our tour).
Asante sana Lenchada! Asante sana Geeman!
NL
Email Lorenzo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Saw the big 5! Dickson a super experienced guide.
I did the 6 day safari visiting Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, and Amboseli.
One of the most remarkable aspects of this safari was the chance to witness the “Big 5” in their natural habitat. From majestic elephants to leopards, we were fortunate enough to see these magnificent creatures up close. Our guide, Dickson, played a pivotal role in making this possible. His extensive knowledge of the parks and their intricate road networks ensured that we were always in the right place at the right time. Dickson’s ability to sneak into prime animal observation spots was nothing short of impressive.
The diversity of wildlife we encountered was astounding. Each day brought new and exciting sightings, from the vibrant flamingos at Lake Nakuru to the herds of elephants and giraffes against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro in Amboseli.
While the safari experience was nearly flawless, one regret was not being able to try a night game drive. Unfortunately, traffic conditions didn’t allow for this unique adventure. However, this minor setback did little to diminish the overall excellence of our safari.
For this safari the value for money is great, the accommodations were all okay! I think though the tented camp close to masaai mara needs a bit renovationn
NL
Email Amberly | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very excited, funny and knew a lot of information.
Very great experience with this company and with our tour guide Dixon. He plannend everything correctly, communicated effectively and was very friendly. We saw everything we wanted to see! Would definitely recommend!(:
NL
Email Iman | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Super experience hosted by a very friendly driver who took very good care of our group!
We spent the three-day safari with Albert and I would do it again for sure! He drove us to the best spots and informed us perfectly about the different animals, landscapes & even the trees. He knew literally everything! Besides that, he was very generous and we knew for sure that he wanted to give us the best experience. Really would recommend everyone!
ES
Email Sabina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
100% recommendable. The best option for your safari in Kenya.
Absolute confidence and an exhausted organization from minute 1.
Alex was always very aware of us and taking care of every detail: from the first contact to ask for a quote, until our arrival to Nairobi and from beginning to end of our safari. At first, we were a little put off by the price, since it seemed too cheap to us and therefore, we thought that the quality of their services would be just as "cheap." But nothing could be further from the truth, I am glad that we decided and trusted Lenchada. Because the treatment, the services and the comfort, taking into account that we traveled with a 10-year-old child, at all times, were more than excellent, a 12 points out of 10!
CN
Email Anthony | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best in the game
7- stars!!!
I embarked on an incredible 5-day budget Tour, and it exceeded all expectations. The expert guides, who shared in-depth knowledge of local wildlife and ecosystems, made the experience truly enriching.The wildlife sightings, including the Big Five, were plentiful, and the safari vehicles provided excellent views and photo opportunities. Lenchada pays remarkable attention to detail and ensures an unforgettable adventure. Alex was very accommodating and helpful in organizing the itinerary, and Issac, an exceptionally experienced driver, skillfully located wildlife faster than any other driver. I can't think of a better experience within this price range. They really goes above and beyond to make it a once-in-a-lifetime journey.
The did all the told me I was going to do. All good
Our guide Solomon was incredible in everything stuff and so experienced guide, we saw unbelievable scenes and I have to give all the credits. For sure I recommend him to others travelers and I will do it again with this guide. One of the b best safaris ever.
CA
Email Marie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent! Highly recommend!
Had a fantastic time on this tour and would highly recommend. My partner and I had never been to Kenya or Africa, and so we looked at a lot of reviews before booking this. Breaking down my long review below in hopes it helps fellow first-time safari tourists!
Accommodations: We stayed at the Lenchada camp with tents. Tents were very big and had a functioning washroom (toilet, sink and shower). They remain rudimentary, but for a tent we were impressed. There is a mosquito net around the bed so no need to bring your own. Bed is very comfortable. It gets cold at night, but the bed is warm and has enough blankets. The electricity on the camp is on for a few hours in the morning and few hours in the evening. Outside those hours, there are no lights. There is no wifi on site. I would recommend to bring a charger pack and a flashlight or headlight. We had no issues with safety during our stay and the staff was pleasant and welcoming.
On our last night near Lake Nakuru, we thought we were staying in tents but we stayed at a nearby hotel. The hot showers, clean room and wifi were much appreciated! Food was good there. Buffet style with a little more variety + alcohol at your own expense.
Not everyone in our car was staying at the same accommodations, it’s normal and it worked out well for our car.
Food: The food I would say is really personal preference. Some may be okay with it and others might find it less to their liking. For breakfast we had buffet style eggs, crepes, sausages, beans, rice. For lunch we had a sandwich, chicken, juice, snacks and the other times it was buffet style beans, rice, vegetables, meat. For dinner we had buffet style beans, rice, meat, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea. There is alcohol at your own expense. A girl in our group was vegetarian and it was a struggle as Kenyans like to eat meat and do not really do vegetarian. At all times there is plenty of bottled water so no need to bring your own water.
Guide/driver: ask for FRANCIS, he was our driver and guide and was AMAZING. He answers all your questions, is welcoming, friendly and accommodating. Our whole car loved him and I truly believe our experience would not have been the same without him. When speaking to fellow tourists, it was clear that we had one of the better guides (talkative and very knowledgeable of the parks). He also always made sure that the car was angled properly for good pictures and does everything possible for us to see all the animals. Warning: He likes to drive fast. I liked it, but if you are not keen on this it may be an issue.
Jeep: We had the a Land Rover jeep (not the safari white van). Would recommend to swing the extra $$ to get the jeep. Much roomier, faster and has better air flow. Sits 8 people + driver comfortably. Seats are comfortable and the top pops open to be able to stand. Some were standing almost the entire time in the park and were comfortable doing so. All the seats have a window that opens - very important! Make sure to get a car that has this feature otherwise it will not be very good for pictures. FYI our car had a power bar for charging.
Animal sightings: We saw A LOT of animals. I dont know if we were lucky or if it a good time of year (Sept), but we were able to see the big 5 and much more. We were able to see a lot of the animals up close, to the point where I had to zoom out in some pictures/videos. Almost within arms length. Again, maybe we were lucky? But a few other people in other cars at our camp had similar experiences. When booking we hesitated to do a second park - we were very happy we did as we saw animals we were not able to see at Masai Mara (flamingos, black rhino and white rhinos). Would recommend Lake Nakuru.
Activities: Other than the animal viewing/safari (the main part), the company (and other companies) offer other activities. I did not do the hot air balloon activity, but those who did loved it, but were immediately disappointed when they learned that they missed three cheetahs and a lion couple (the rest of us were on the safari while they did the balloon). They said they were able to see animals like zebras from far away, but none up close. Some chose to go to the Masai village. For ethical reasons, my partner and I did not join. We met up afterwards with those from our car who went and they did not seem impressed. While they said everyone was friendly, they felt they had exploited more than helped the locals and they felt pressured to buy handcrafted jewelry afterwards. We felt validated in our choice to skip.
Note: Even if you do not choose this activity upfront with your package, you can decide while on the safari to join for ~$20 USD.
Camera: Depending on what you are trying to achieve camera-wise, recommendations would vary. Some safaris had people with multiple lenses. I brought a Canon G7X Mark III with me as well as an iPhone 11 Pro. Surprisingly, the iPhone took good pictures! The camera took better ones of course, but I was sure that my phone would not be able to capture anything, but it was good. If you dont want to spend more on a camera, depending on the phone you have it might be fine for photos and videos. Someone in our car had a Samsung Galaxy S22 and his pictures and videos were amazing. Bottom line is I wouldnt buy a camera just for the safari as my phone turned out just fine (again surprisingly), but if you plan on using it for other events/trips, you already have one or know someone who does, bring it.
We also had binoculars (bought on Amazon for about $60) and it was useful for seeing the animals that were far away. Less useful when they are right in front of you of course. Overall would recommend to bring some.
Attire: I wore a t-shirt, shorts and comfortable sandals (Birkenstocks) during my time there and it was fine. You are mostly in the jeep the whole time so make sure you are comfortable. No need for hiking boots or anything as you only walk on your campground. Bring sunscreen for your face. A hat would be useless as it will blow away if you stand in the moving jeep. We also had binoculars as mentioned above which I would recommend. I was there in Sept and the weather varies from cool to hot during the day. Bring a sweater, but be prepared to remove it half way through the day until evening.
Safari company: Lenchada was well reviewed when we booked so we were hopeful. We we NOT disappointed! They are very organized, made it seamless in terms of pickup, drop off, meals, transfers. Once booked, they took care of everything. Someone came to get us at our hotel and brought us to the jeep and our driver/guide. We waited for everyone to get there - dont be surprised if it doesnt leave on time. It’s not the company, not everything starts on time in Kenya and when speaking with other tourists, everyone left late regardless of the company. We got to Masai Mara in reasonable time and we got to have a nice stop on a mountain with a view. The driver is in contact with the company at all times so if there are any issues bring it up to your driver. Not everyone stays at the same accommodations and some had booked a hot air balloon activity or Masai village activity. They were able to coordinate it all without any issues. All the lodges/camps are in the same area so it’s not a problem to have multiple pick up/drop offs. Everyone we interacted with from Lenchada was friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend.
Keep in mind, I do think a lot of it comes down to the weather, your guide/driver your car and luck.
CA
Email Nick | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible safari I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
After buying flights to Kenya with my partner on a whim, I was left trying to figure out how to spend our time. Neither my partner nor I had ever been to Africa. We decided to try a safari and I spent weeks pouring over reviews and blogs. I narrowed it down to a 4 day safari with either Lenchada Safaris or Jocky Tours (which ended up being sister companies, so you can’t go wrong either way). I ended up booking Masai Mara + lake Nakuru with Lenchada and I could not be happier. We went with the budget option, but sprung for the 4x4 jeep upgrade instead of the safari van. I’m very happy about that decision (more on that later ).
The whole thing, from getting an initial quote to the final drop off was smooth and professional. The tour started off with someone arriving 10 minutes early at our hotel reception, asking for me by name. This was notable since our hotel was on the 13th floor of a Nairobi high rise. We walked over to the office, paid the remainder of what we owed and jumped in the jeep ready to start the safari!
Our driver was Francis and he was truly amazing! He is friendly, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about Kenya’s parks and animals. He not only answered all our questions, but kept the mood light and happy, and was always willing to go above and beyond. He is also one hell of a driver! We entered Masai Mara park, and within minutes he was on the radio, on his cell phone and driving down barely recognizable (to me) roads to get us the best views of the most animals possible. It was truly impressive to watch.
At one point Francis got word on the radio of a leopard sighting, the most elusive animal in Masai Mara. He told us to buckle up and get ready, because the sighting was far away and we had to be quick if we had any chance at seeing the leopard. The ride that followed was an adrenaline pumping thrill that culminated in spotting the leopard on the prowl. Breathtaking!
Over all, Francis’s passion and excitement for what he does really shines through. He made our safari something l’ll remember for the rest of my life.
I’m also really glad i booked with Lenchada. We basically showed up and they took care of everything else. I didn’t have to stress about a thing. They were also accommodating and i trusted Francis to smooth out any hiccups that came our way (of which there were some, but i literally don’t remember what cause it was taken care of).
On a more pragmatic note: we did two days in Masai Mara park and from the first minutes we entered the park, it was incredible. Maybe we were just lucky, maybe Francis is just that good, but within the first 2 hours in the park we saw 7 lions, countless zebras, wildebeests, buffalo, giraffes and more. Between the 4 days I think we saw every notable animal in the country.
A few notes on safari options: the 4x4 jeep was really nice, it allowed us to go places and see things that I’m not sure we’d have been able to with a van. The jeep is just able to get over rough terrain way faster and more comfortably. The inside was also roomy and comfortable.
We stayed at the Lenchada camp for 2 nights. The tents were really impressive: massive, with in-built toilets and showers. Food was nice, although I can see why some people would be unimpressed. Keep in mind that you’re in a camp in the middle of the bush. Electricity is scheduled and hot water is available, but the temperature depends on how close you are to the hot water tanks. We took a flashlight and it came in handy, although not strictly necessary.
The third night was at a nice hotel and the very hot shower was really nice.
We opted not to visit the Masai village and I’m pretty happy with that decision. If you want to learn about the cultures and tribes of Kenya/Africa there are a lot of great resources available online.
Adding lake Nakuru was something we debated a lot, but in the end it allowed us to see things Mara just doesn’t have, like rhinos and countless birds. It was super nice.
Other than the 4x4 jeep upgrade, we booked the most budget option and we were very happy. Other people in our jeep has booked more expensive options but the main difference was accommodation. Honestly, we were so tired each evening we just feel asleep as soon as we turned in.
Heads up: there is a lot of driving involved in these tours (regardless of company or options). The parks are just very far from each other and the roads take time to traverse.
Also, Mara entrance is now ( sept 2023) limited to 12 hours chunks, down from 24 hours. This means that additional game drives may not be possible. Make sure to ask your company for details and itinerary.
Camera wise, my partner and I had an iPhone 11 pro and a cannon g7x mark III (point and shoot with reasonable lens). I think that was more than enough. Honestly, 80% of the time we were so close to the animals that i didn’t even need the zoom, 2-3x was good for 98% of the time.
I was also worried about battery charge but it wasn’t an issue. The jeep has plugs for your phone and there is enough access to power that it shouldn’t be an issue. We put our phones on airplane mode while taking pictures and had a second battery for the cannon. That was more than enough for ~3000 photos over 4 days.
Overall, the whole experience was amazing and awe inspiring. Seeing those animals close up and that landscape for myself was just incredible.
FR
Email LJ | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My first safari (and solo)!
I booked the 6 Day Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli Budget Landcruiser safari and the booking team (Alex) was super helpful and maintained clear communication up to the time I was picked up on D-Day.
The first 2.5 days with Ibrahim as my tour guide was excellent! He really knew the Maasai Mara reserve like the back of his hand and made significant effort to ensure we saw as much as possible! However, I completely believe that the budget lodge needs significant renovation. The conditions of the tent were passable at best but they have a great team there. Secondly, I regret going to the MM village; not a privileged moment with the local people to discover their culture but a money grab at every moment. Eg. we were shown a welcome dance and encouraged to participate but weren't educated about the moments that these were actually performed in their daily lives. The main Maasai guide constantly encouraged you to take photos of everything which just felt so intrusive. These are real people and not characters putting on a show and should be given that respect. Overall this part of the program was my favourite.
Things took a turn when it was time to move on to the last 2 parts of the program. Turns out, they randomly throw people together on these group tours, which in theory is fine and efficient but this time they lacked good coordination which had an impact on my experience. I booked (and fully paid) solo with Lenchada but turns out I kept getting placed with guides from "Jocky Tours" (imagine my surprise and confusion). (1) On my program, I was expecting an evening game drive upon arriving at Nakuru but instead was forced to go with the rest of the group in the vehicle to an almost 2 hour stop at Lake Naivasha before heading to Lake Nakuru; resulting in being unable to the evening drive. (2) We had to drop people into Nairobi instead of taking the planned direct route to Amboseli from Nakuru, resulting in no evening game drive but also having to endure very dangerous driving getting to the Lodge in Amboseli in the night (there aren't much street lamps but an abundance of wildlife in this area as you can imagine). Furthermore, because we arrived so late, the driver proposed not to do an early morning game drive which is when Mount Kilimanjaro is clearest. I almost missed it, thank God I had one more day. Everything with this driver felt rushed and unorganised during this last period and had a significant impact on my safari experience. The driver also displayed serious favouritism with all the other travellers in the group and made me feel even more unwelcomed being by myself. I even overheard him sending safari review links to everyone except me (let's not get into the fact that I was the only Black person in the group). Anyway, the lodges during this part were nice and seeing Mount Kilimanjaro in all its splendor was the only highlight.
I will definitely be back to Kenya! The wildlife and national parks are an absolute dream.