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:
- $100 to $200 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
FR
Email Bruno Puejean | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful team on the field during the hike but very bad experience regarding the service in Nairobi
I did the 5 day Mount Kenya trek (Chogoria down Sirimon). The team on the field (guide, cooker and porters) were very good and thanks to them it was a great experience, with wonderful landscapes, and amazing service from the team.
But the organisation and quality of service (equipment provided and logistic/transport from Nairobi to Mount Kenya) received from the company and their intermediate in Nairobi were very bad. Despite the high price paid, they wanted me to take a local public transport (a matatu from the matatu station a 15 minute walk from the office in the city center). When arrived in the matatu and when I understood it was not a vehicle provided by the company but just a local public transport, I just refused to stay in the matatu (unsafe transport and it was empty, had to wait for it to be filled with passengers, and how long would have last the travel with many stops, etc.). I asked for a refund or another solution. My tour was supposed to be a private one but I had been notified that I will use a shared vehicle with two other clients, and I was OK with that... But actually it was just a matatu without any other clients... Finally they provided me a car with a driver and the travel was OK even if a big waste of time before departure.
But the tent provided was very small, much smaller and cheaper that all the other tents I saw in Mount kenya, provided by other companies to their clients. And the mattress I was given was too small (1,60 m but I am 1,80 tall, so the feet touched the cold soil, not professional). I should have checked their mattress and taken my own mattress, not theirs. Other point, before arriving in the NP we stopped in Chogoria for lunch. It was a very cheap restaurant (no problem with that if food is OK) but it was not good.
At the beginning of the trek, after the intermediate let us in chogoria, the local team seemed not to be aware of the itinerary i had paid for (5 days whose 4 days climbing and the last day for the final climb and the going down, itinerary precisely described in the written offer). They wanted/described to me another itinerary (apparently 3 days up, 2 days down, staying in other campsites, not the same itinerary). Fortunately I had previously checked the map of Mount Kenya, the names and the locations of the different campsites and routes and so I understood it was note the good itinerary and I insisted to make the right itinerary. The local team accepted and it was finally a wonderful route and trek, with a great service from the team. But apparently the intermediate or the company didn't give the right information to the local team about the itinerary, which could have led to a less scenic trek (and more difficult for acclimatisation).
At the end of the trek, I was given a shared vehicle with other clients to come back to Nairobi so it was better than a matatu but I had to wait more than 1,30 hour the two other clients, and they were prioritised for the drop off in Nairobi. Apparently they were clients of the intermediate not of the company. So despite the high price paid, it was a several hours waste of time for me to get back to my hotel in Nairobi.
I clearly don't recommend this company (and this intermediate) for Mount Kenya treks. But I am very grateful to the local independent team for this wonderful trek.
Email Jason | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outsourced to another operator that provided poor service; bad client service after paying money.
The review is a bit lengthy but please read in full. I booked a 3-day shared tour in Masai Mara from 10-12Aug with 7 other travellers. Tour is operated by Bencia Africa Adventure & Safaris (I wasn't informed of this whatsoever until boarding the van).
Pre-tour: agreed on 2-person tent on SMS with Roselyne who had a friendly tone.
Day 1: Was picked up at 8:30am as scheduled and arrived at office at 9am to get into an uncleaned safari van. Other travellers were told to arrive at the office at 8am, meaning they had to wait for 1 hour pointlessly due to tour operator's poor arrangement.
Arrived at Miti Mingi Eco Camp, waited for 10 minutes, no reception at all and of course no room plans. Had the evening drive and returned to the camp at 630pm. Had a 30-minute wait for dinner, during which the tour guide did not give information on room and meal arrangements until we searched for him around the Camp. After dinner, waited for 1 hour to ask for information ourselves by searching for Camp manager / tour guide / etc. At 9pm, Camp manager said the camp is overbooked and asked me and another male traveller to stay in a 4-person tent (with 2 other people), and said "will talk about other things the next days". The other 6 travellers (1 man 5 women) were driven for >15min to another lower-quality campsite.
Day 2: Tour guide gave minimal explanation of animals (total talking time <15min). Definitely not the best guide as Roselyne described, despite his ability to follow other vans to spot the big 5. Visit to Keekorok Lodge was great.
At the Camp, we found the Camp manager for refund arrangements given the inconvenience and no 2-person tent as agreed due to overbooking. He argued he delivered his services because we spent a night at his tent. He refused to provide refunds because he claimed only the tour operator (Bencia), not the travellers, are their customers. His attitude was poor despite we the customers kept calm.
That night, my roommate and I stayed in the same 4-person tent (with no other people). Note that 4-person tents has worse facility and sanity levels compared to 2-person tents that other travellers stayed in.
Day 3: Had an early morning drive. We weren't informed by the driver of when and where the van will stop for lunch during the drive back to Nairobi.
Went to Bencia's office to complain the above issues and asked for some refunds. Bencia said they need to discuss internally for 2 days and will inform me of the decision. No follow-up since then.
Messaged Roselyne to complain politely. She said "There is no refund! You never slept outside. You ate and used water in the camp." "We don't refund clients after they have done a safari and feel like they need their money back. This is fraud!". No reply on messages sent over various days afterwards.
Fraud or not, my fellow travellers, it's your decision.
ttdr: didn't understand the overwhelmingly good reviews of Hyrax Safari and Roselyne.
