Team Hyrax Safaris
Hyrax Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2018)
- Member Of:
- KATO & TOSK
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $250 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
_3310_5f23f25aeb49b.gif "Hyrax Safaris")
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 Alex | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Look Elsewhere
My husband and I just completed a 6 day safari through Kenya from Nairobi to Mombasa with drives through Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli and a sanctuary bordering Tsavo West. We advise you stay away. When we booked the tour, our itinerary listed two game drives through Tsavo West, Tsavo was a bucket list park for both of us, so we were really excited to explore this historical place. Unfortunately on the days of Tsavo, our guide gave us the plan and we were only going to be doing game drives through a resort sanctuary, not through the national park. We felt the company completely misled us about the itinerary and what we thought paid for. Once we expressed our frustration, they told us we were now too far from the actual national park entrance to have any game drives there. This was all after being deceived a couple of days prior about the entrance fee and cost of visiting Lake Naivasha and Crescent Island. Hyrax tried to charge my husband and I $150 USD for this short, optional excursion. We told Hyrax they were overcharging and the entrance to the island wasn’t that much - we checked Crescent Island’s official website which openly lists the price, but we were told by Hyrax that they were being honest with the prices. Once we got to the lake, we took matters into our own hands with what the boat ride and entrance fee actually costs and of course - Hyrax was grossly overcharging us along with the boat company. When we brought this to their attention, they feigned ignorance to the prices or knowledge about the island’s website and listed prices. On our way out of Voi to Mombasa, we discovered they overcharged again for the train ride. They told us they charged us $5 per ticket but the tickets only costs 290KSh (About $2). We were ultimately quite disappointed and frustrated but tried our best to enjoy the animals anyways. Tourists anticipate being overcharged but not disrespected so thoroughly with an apparent professional safari. Look elsewhere.
Reply from Hyrax Safaris
Posted on Jul 31, 2023Dear Alex,
Thank you for booking your safari with us.
1. Normally we don’t offer train booking services. We only assist clients upon request and include a service charge which is communicated prior to booking the tickets. We no longer offer this service for free. There is absolutely no way you would be overcharged for a train ticket since the prices are clearly indicated on the ticket and online.
We encourage our clients to book their own flights, train tickets and visas.
Remember that you were refunded $10 for the train booking.
2. Lake Naivasha boat ride and Crescent Island tour are optional activities. Charges vary from company to company. We are not in control of the market prices. We only recommend trustworthy companies. Sometimes, our recommendations may be more expensive than others, but this does not mean you have to book through us. Since a boat ride is a risky activity, we only recommend service providers that are keen on safety. We do not coerce clients to purchase any service; It is voluntary. If you find a cheaper deal elsewhere, we encourage you to take it.
We are glad you have stated that you paid for yourselves to avoid being 'ripped off'.
3. As per our conversation, you chose going to Salt Lick instead of Tsavo West. Had you changed the itinerary last minute, you would have missed your train to Mombasa. Our guide advised you based on the timings and itinerary provided by the office.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
We are committed to ensuring our clients get value for money.
We promise to continue offering practical, sound and professional advice for the safety, wellbeing and satisfaction of all our clients.
Best regards,
Roselyne
SG
Email Raj | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good overall but 2 bad experiences! Do your research before booking
We booked a 4D3N midrange safari to Maasai Mara and lake Nakuru with hyrax. We had a great time with Hyrax Safaris and both my parents were extremely satisfied. We saw the Big 5 and our guide Solomon went the extra mile to show us the animals. He did all he could to show us a leopard and we ended up being the first ones to see it. He was also very knowledgeable on all the animals and shared interesting facts about each animal. He was also quick to rectify any problems that came up along the way. On the first day we had a flat tyre and Solomon took care of it quickly with the help of his other Safari guide friends. He also placed my bag in the wrong camp but quickly realised and had it brought back to me without 15 minutes. With the above being said, we had 2 BAD EXPERIENCE which you should read before booking Hyrax
Roselyn agreed to provide us Jambo Mara lodge and Saravo woodlands in her original quote. After we made the down payment, she told us that saravo woodlands is no longer available and instead proposed another accommodation. However, the other accommodation is much cheaper and there was no mention of discounting the price difference until I brought it up. She also did not apologise for her lack of oversight in accepting down payment before checking availability of hotel. After I brought up the price discount, she quoted us a discount which definitely did not seem enough. True enough, when I checked the hotel price online, the discount was supposed to be greater. When I brought this up to Roselyn, she did some calculations to show us that she was right. However, in her calculations she calculated the hotel price per person instead of per room, so the total cost was higher than what it should be. I pointed this out to her but she didn’t agree. In the end, I made it a point to call the hotel and recorded our call with them showing that we were right. Afterwards Roselyn told us that the hotel told them the higher price at first and that she will check with them and in the end she gave us the correct discounted price. While I do appreciate that she finally gave us the right price, it should not have been after such measures from our part. Also, it’s extremely hard to believe that a tour company which has been booking hotels for their business does not know that hotel prices are usually quoted per room and not per person. I do suspect that it was an attempt by Hyrax to take a larger profit but I will give them the benefit of the doubt.
Secondly, before our safari Roselyn provided us with an itinerary. However, during our Safari, our guide changed the itinerary without asking us first. To be specific the change was as follows. We were originally supposed to have a pre-breakfast game drive on Day 3. However our guide changed it to Day 2 and on Day 3 we did not have the pre-breakfast game drive. Yes, in the end we got the same amount of game drive. However, I want to point out that entrance fee to Maasai Mara is on a 80 USD/24 hour basis if you are staying outside the reserve. By doing this shift, Hyrax is able to pay only 80 USD for entrance instead of 160 USD. However, they were not transparent with this information. I believe this is done so that when unsuspecting customers such as ourselves ask for the safari price breakdown, they can quote the entrance fee as being 160 USD but get away by only paying 80USD and hence have an extra 80 USD profit. We would have been okay with this had they been transparent. It is not professional to change an itinerary after we paid for it.
The above experiences might not be unique to Hyrax and might occur with any tour companies possibly. So for anyone reading this review, please do your research beforehand and do not let them get away with your money! If the review is confusing but you want to understand more, feel free to contact me.
Reply from Hyrax Safaris
Posted on Jun 22, 2023Thank you for booking your safari with us. We are glad to learn that you enjoyed the safari.
We value your feedback.
We would like to address the complaints raised as follows:
1. Group joining tours are dynamic and complex. Sometimes, groups tweak the program to accommodate their collective needs and inform the guide. For instance, the group opted to visit the Masai village instead of doing the morning game drive on day 3.
It's unfortunate that our tour consultants at the office were not notified of this matter. We have learnt about it here. Had we known about this that morning, we would have liaised with the guide to ensure you go for the morning game drive as per the itinerary provided.
We encourage our clients to inform us about any changes in itineraries that were not communicated prior to the safari so that we address the issues immediately.
We have a 24/7 customer support that resolves matters as and when they arise.
We regret that this happened and take full responsibility.
2. It's unfortunate that the hotel you chose was fully booked hence our decision to provide an alternative since this was a last-minute booking. It is important to note that some hotels have offers on their websites that are cheaper than the rate provided to tour operators. This is beyond us because we can't dictate how much a hotel should charge; it's a free market.
We refunded the difference between the 2 hotels before the commencement of the safari and communicated the same.
We are transparent and endeavor to give our clients value for money.
We apologize for the inconvenience caused.
Best regards,
Roselyne
NL
Email Roger | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
THE best tourguide to Masai Mara!
We only had a week in Nairobi and it was difficult to squeeze Masai Mara and Amboseli in one week. After a lot of browsing on Safaribookings.com I came across the company Hyrax Safaris. After reading positive reviews, I send them a request for quotation, Roselyne was real quick with a reply and after sending her a lot of questions we decided to book the 3 day tour to Masai Mara.
Roselyne even helped us with booking other activities, not related to the tour! Really kind and helpfull because we were not able to make the reservations from the EU.
Early in the morning Pirrah picked us up at the hotel in a really cool Safari jeep, and after an amazing trip he brought us back to the hotel. Zero stress and no difficulties to get to a meeting point.
If you're looking for the best driver and guide in the Masai Mara (and Amboseli!) you need to have Pirrah, he's so good in finding wild life and explaining everything about the area! He even knows all the other guides in the area, and they help each other in finding wild life. He even tried to make a bet, if we were able to find a lion before he did.. we would get a $1.000,00 -impossible..!
We had an amazing time and I highly recomment that you contact Hyrax, you will experience their expertise and warmth from from their company.
Enjoy your trip and I hope you will have the same wonderfull experience with Hyrax!
SE
Email Peter | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A very good safari to Masai Mara
We had a very good driver, we saw a lotta of animal including leopard and cheeta. The accomodarion in tents were very good.
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Email Megan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kind, funny, easygoing and hard working
We had no idea where to start with planning a safari. Roselyne made everything so easy and was super kind, attentive and responded extremely quickly. She was always in contact if you needed. We even had issues with our CC not working for the Evisa and she took care of it no problem. She offers tons of different activities you can do as well. We did a 4 day safari at the most beautiful camp in the Mara. Sarova was just amazing and the stuff were attentive, remembered our names and even our drinks and I could not have felt more at home. It was our honeymoon and they even brought out a cake for us. The lodge itself is gorgeous and the tents are so cool! The grounds are beautiful and they have everything you need. The food was top notch-we are picky! We could not have had a better game driver. Ben is absolutely amazing. He is funny, friendly, kind and most importantly he does his best to get everything on your list completed that you could dream of-mine was seeing everyone from the lion king and lots of babies haha. He was always right up close to the animals making sure we got a good look and helped take the best pictures we could ask for. Ben made our African safari come to life and truly we will never forget him. We will tell all our loved ones about hyrax and you should not hesitate to book with them! Don’t forget to get Kenya dollars for your trip, it’s easier
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Email Max | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Hyrax Safari functions as a middle man in Tanzania
Hyrax is not a real tour operator for Tanzania.
Roselyne, who runs Hyrax, was recommended to me by a safari guide my friend used. I booked a 4 day safari and a Kilimanjaro trek with her.
She quoted me $1000 for a safari. I paid her a deposit of $300 and, upon arrival to Arusha, I paid another $700 in person to a tour operator of a different name (strange right?).
During my safari of the past 4 days, I learned that everyone else on the trip paid $650 to a different company (instead of the $1000 I paid to Hyrax). I pointed this out to Hyrax and explained that I wished to be paid the $350 I was up charged. Roselyne said that we should no longer conduct business if I feel I was cheated and cancelled my Kilimanjaro trek that was supposed to start tomorrow.
The Kilimanjaro trek was quoted at $1700 ($200 as a deposit and $1500 once I arrived here in Tanzania). She kept my $200 Kilimanjaro deposit and would have kept the $1500 I had en route (had I not deactivated my visa).
Moral of the story:
-Hyrax is not a real tour operator in Tanzania (they are in Nairobi I believe). They place you on trips with existing operators out of Arusha and then charge you hundreds of dollars more than local companies you could have just booked directly with.
-If you notify Hyrax of the upcharge and complain about them secretly acting as a middle man, then you could get the rest of your trip cancelled and your security deposit stolen like I did.
-Tanzania is a wonderful place to visit and my safari over the past 4 days was incredible; just book with a real company in the area for a cheaper rate.
Disclaimer: Roselyne did un-cancel my trip hours after doing so (and likely after realizing I cancelled that $1500 bank transfer she could have stolen). By that time I had already found another company to go with.
Reply from Hyrax Safaris
Posted on Aug 17, 2022Hi Max,
Thank you for your feedback.
It is important to note that prices vary from company to company.
We are glad that you mentioned you had a wonderful safari. Asking for a refund after doing a safari successfully as outlined in the itinerary is contrary to our terms and conditions; it is also malicious.
With regards to the Kilimanjaro trek, you canceled the tour 24 hours prior to the day of the departure hence attracting 100% cancellation fees. This is stipulated in our terms and conditions which align with universal cancellation policies in the hospitality industry.
We would wish to state that we are a reputable company that has no intentions of stealing from clients.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Regards,
Roselyne.
SI
Email Janez | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Guide Ben provided with virtually everything. Nice accomodations, great service for a super price!
We were able to see all the featured animals of Maasai Mara… Great and amusing guidance by Ben, cozy accomodation at the camp and the masai ladies cooked very well.
PL
Email Dominik | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Memorable experience, 4 day safari Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru
Fully recommended safari tour operator. Roselyn provided all information and support before booking that trip on short notice. She was very responsive and patient. No problems with fitting safari plan to our needs and budget. We had private trip with experience guide Peter.
FR
Email Carine | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very serious safari compagny
I booked a 2 day private safari to ambolesi before leaving kenya because i didn t want to spend my 2 last days in Nairobi...and i don t regret it...my 2 days was amazing...the lodge was very good, i saw many animals and peter my driver stopped when i wanted to take pictures...he was very patient, very friendly...very good driver and he does his best to satisfied me...Roselyne was also very helpful to organize my 2 last days...it was difficult because i had to do a pcr test and she helped me, she called for me the hospital, i appreciated it, she always answered very fast to my emails ...also what i liked was the programm didn t change , it was the plan no changing at the last time...and peter was always on time...it is important to notice this because sometimes it is not the case in Kenya...i recommend this safari compagny
IR
Email Siamak | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely Amazing 7 days Safari
We had a six-night, seven-day trip that included Masai Mara, Naivasha, Amboseli and Tsavo.
We chose the lodges from some of the suggestions that Rosalyn gave us, and we are very grateful for Rosalyn's suggestions.
We were given good cars with great drivers Peter and Martin who showed us everywhere quite patiently.
Unfortunately, our luggage remained at the previous airport and we received it two days later, Rosalyn worked very hard and followed up on sending our luggage.
Definitely, if any of my friends decide to travel to Kenya, I will introduce this company
