Luxury African Safari tours in East Africa
Natural World Kenya Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 2002)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, ASTA, KATO, MCTA & Ecotourism Kenya
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $310 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Juliana | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They took our money and refused to refund after we paid x2
Beware
All phone numbers are disconnected and the leadership claim they do not work for the company when called. Both KATO and the TRA ( government) are investigating this tour company and KATO has already pulled their membership. They will not show up and they will not issue a refund. If they do eventually send a driver, they will claim that their Pesapal ( payment system) is down and they cannot transfer money to the national parks and the hotels and they ask for you to pay and get a refund later from their office in cash. They will say they are preparing the cash and claim their sales agent is incompetent and company policy doesn’t allow them to give cash. I have been waiting for refunds for weeks and have discovered documentation they provided from Pesapal is fake and Pesapal confirms they have no money in their account to issue a refund. Shem (finance controller) will insist you don’t know how Pesapal works and that Pesapal can just debit it from their account and overdraw then recoup the money from further transactions. I was driven 6 hours to the Mara Triangle gate and told I would have to pay for hotel and park fees for the rest of the trip! I had no choice but to do so. I’m following up with the government to ensure they get punishment and hopefully some day I can get a refund from Natural World Safari. File claims with your credit card right away.
IE
Email KM | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Natural World Kenya Safaris took our deposit for a safari never taken& unethically not returning it.
I paid 12,328 USD to Natural World Kenya Safaris, for family holiday in April 2024 as they wanted 40% deposit.
It was a booking deposit for an upcoming trip this July, 2025. I had very little email communication after paying the deposit, and no response to our phone calls to them.
When I emailed the individual accommodations in Kenya we requested during our safari stay, I received emails back from them confirming Natural World Kenya did not reserve any accommodation for us.
I asked that our deposit be returned, well over the 150 days prior to trip and with in T& Cs.
After numerous emails/phone calls to Natural World Kenya Safaris, I did receive an email, from D****, that they would process a refund.
But we have not received our 12,328 USD from them. Nor any contact back from them.
I reached out to the KATO Ethics and Standard Sub committee, regarding non-delivery of services. Natural World Kenya Safaris has been suspended from KATO membership on account of violating the Code of Conduct for Members. And we have been referred to the Tourism Regulation Authority (TRA) and will pursue this legally against the company.
A very unethical company, one could ask is this fraud. A scam? Gangster like activity? if you book with them you will find out.
( Please note the date of "when do you go'' is date of deposit , not date we went on safari, as we never did go-full disclosure)
Email Tracy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beware! Natural World Kenya Safaris was dishonest with us
I joined a 5-day safari tour in Kenya with Natural World Kenya Safaris, and it turned out to be a nightmare. Despite paying in full, the company failed to cover basic expenses like my safari tickets and hotel accommodations. Instead, they had the audacity to request that I pay for them myself, promising a refund.
That refund never came. I have followed up multiple times, only to be ignored. To make matters worse, the sales representative who initially handled my case left the company and revealed that many other customers have faced the same scam—damaging his own reputation in the process.
This company is completely untrustworthy, and I strongly warn everyone to stay away. Do not fall into their trap. They took our money and left us to deal with the consequences. I advise you avoid Natural World Kenya Safaris at all costs!
BE
Email Brijesh Yadav | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best safari in Kenya.
Natural World Kenya Safaris is highly rated for exceptional service, knowledgeable guides, and unforgettable wildlife experiences. Customers praise their well-organized tours, professionalism, and dedication to creating amazing safari adventures. Highly recommended!
Email Shashi Devi | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
EXCELLENT & BEST SAFARI.
Natural World Kenya Safaris delivered an amazing experience! The guides were professional and knowledgeable, ensuring incredible wildlife sightings. The trip was well-organized, with great accommodations and seamless logistics. Highly recommend for an unforgettable Kenyan safari adventure filled with breathtaking landscapes and rich wildlife encounters!
CA
Email Isra | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They failed to fulfill the agreement and did not deliver the services that were paid for.
We had booked with natural world in October 2024 before they started receiving these terrible reviews. After seeing them and it being too late to cancel, took extra precautions and reached out a few weeks in advance to confirm that all necessary payments for park fees, gas, and lodge reservations were made. Each time, I was assured that everything was taken care of and that I had nothing to worry about. That was a complete lie.
The ONLY good part of this trip was the guide we had, John. It's a shame such good talent and guides are wasted on this company. He tried his best each and every day to help us and kept calling whoever he could to get things paid for and confirmed. He went out of his way to make the safari experience special and always had a positive attitude that helped lift our spirits.
When I arrived in Nairobi, I discovered that none of the payments had been made and others were being made the day before or day of- which cause significant delays. I was forced to cover park permit fees out of pocket because the company had failed to pay them. Despite multiple attempts to contact them for assistance, they were unresponsive, and even our guide struggled to get a reply.
The issues didn’t stop there. I was promised driver details a few days before arrival, yet I only received them upon landing. My first night’s accommodation was also changed without my consent, even though I had been repeatedly assured that my original lodge was confirmed. On top of that, my final night’s stay, which was supposedly secured, had not been paid for, leaving me with yet another unexpected expense. Luckily my husband and I were able to work things out with the lodge, otherwise, we don't know where we would've gone.
The worst part? The driver ran out of gas on the way back to Nairobi, and because the company refused to respond to his calls, I had to cover the cost of refuelling myself.
This level of negligence is beyond unacceptable and they don't care at all. I have all the documentation proving that the services I fully paid for were not delivered. I have reached out multiple times, getting either a generic chatGPT response (yes, they accidentally copied and pasted the chapGPT login information then quickly deleted). or no response at all. I have contacted KATO and my credit card company as they are not giving me a refund.
If you're considering booking with this company, DON’T. They will take your money, lie to you, and leave you stranded. Look literally anywhere else —don’t make the same mistake I did by booking this terrible company.
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Email Sean | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I recommend being cautious when booking with this company. Paid for service that we did not get
Sadly, like a bunch of others you can see on TripAdvisor, we lost thousands of dollars due to the actions of this tour company. This company operates under African Kenya Safaris as well as Natural World Kenya Safaris, so beware of both those names. We paid for our entire trip, in full, weeks before flying out to Kenya. When we arrived at our second hotel, they said our booking had been completely cancelled by this tour company one full week before we arrived.
Our next two hotel stays were still booked, but the company never paid. We spent 1.5 hours, each time, back-and-forth calling and messaging on WhatsApp in the hotel lobby with all our luggage. Neither were ever paid. It was late, dark, and we were tired and hungry, so we paid (again, since everything had been prepaid before we left home) with our credit card for the hotel - AFTER the tour company rep, Mary, agreed the company would reimburse us. She acted like this was an outlier, but we later discovered there are plenty of other victims.The hotel staff were shocked and felt so bad for us, and offered to comp our drinks at the restaurant. One guide said he had never heard of anything like this in over 18 years of being a guide. It has been weeks since they said they would refund us the money they owe, but now they will not reply to any messages. Beware of this tour company.
LV
Email Maris | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Be ready for some unpleasant surprises
We chose Natural world Kenya Safari (NWKS) because of the good reviews, but it seems that the company is currently having some (financial?) problems, which also affects its customers. I booked a safari (5 DAYS, 4 NIGHTS: NAIROBI – MASAI MARA GAME RESERVE– AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK– KENYA BEACH) tour for my family (2 adults, 2 children) several months before the trip. Communication with the Nairobi office specialist Faith was very good - a detailed program was sent and all questions were answered.
As promised, we were met at Nairobi airport by our driver/guide David and we paid the remaining amount at the NWKS airport office. The first two days in Masai Mara were great - we were very kindly welcomed by Orng'atuny Mara King Camp, went on safari trips and also visited a Masai village. The problems started on the third day, when we arrived at Amboseli Park. At first, there was a strange hitch with the accommodation confirmation, but later it was received. The next day according to the program was scheduled for "Full Day Amboseli National park", description: "We’ll start the day off viewing the animals as they first awaken and come into the clearings, seeking their first meal of the day. Then, it’s our turn for breakfast. You can relax now or go on a mid-morning game drive. Or both. You set the pace for the day and we’ll adjust accordingly." Instead, we drove to the park gate around 8:30, waited there for more than an hour, and then returned to the campsite. The reason, as driver David explained to us, is that someone from the office did not send the any confirmation. All the other vehicles drove in without any problems, only we were left outside. We didn’t visit the safari that day at all. I wrote an email to Faith, but I didn’t get any response from her. She didn’t reply either later, when I asked for an explanation again after returning from the trip. Perhaps this is the communication style of Natural World Kenya Safaris - to respond only until all money is received, but not after that. David is a good driver and generally a nice person, but I was also disappointed in his inability to resolve the situation. He just repeated several times that it was not his fault. We spent the last day of the tour feeling a bit stressed, wondering if another unpleasant “surprise” awaited us or if we might be cheated again. Fortunately, this did not happen and we successfully reached Mombasa, but later Diani.
Although this tour also had a lot of positive emotions, I would not risk choosing this company's services again.
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Email Jeff | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They are broke…when you get cheated go KATO. They guarantee payment.
We loved the safari and driver on a Kenya safari that ended Jan 20. Natural World Safari’s is broke. We raised hell and got 7 days of our 11 paid…one day at a time. At the end we brought the Nairobi Tourist police and the operator was able to refund the last $4000 US by some shenanigans with a refund to our credit card. My guess is the best route for a refund of the safari cost (not your airfare and hassle) is through KATO, an organization that apparently guarantees operators nationally.
If you have the funds, my recommendation is you do the safari and pay yourself, as needed and then go to KATO.
If you haven’t booked with this company, I would advise don't.
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Email Moneeb | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They are a dishonest company based on our experience
I used this company for a Kenya family safari in 2017 and we had a great experience. Based on this, we booked a new 5 day luxury Safari with them. I had every expectation that - based on my prior experience from 2017 - we could expect another great experience. This was not the case. Something has clearly happened and this company has gone totally downhill.
In summary - we were assured that our private Safari trip was completely lined up and on track. However the moment we paid them the money ($12k for a family of 5) - the problems immediately began. Firstly we were lied to about the hotel we had chosen somehow not having availability and we were rebooked into a different hotel of a much lower caliber (and told that the price was the same). I later confirmed that there was NO lack of availability at our originally selected lodge - rather the company had never made the reservation and had just pocketed the money. Secondly the company never paid the Safari park fees (despite us having paid them IN FULL prior to our arrival). We were left stranded at the park entrance for over an hour and were constantly being pressured to just pay the park entry fees in "cash" and told we would get refunded later. I refused.
This company ruined our family vacation. They took our money upfront and assured us our trip is all paid for. Then left us stranded in a foreign country and told us to just pay in "cash" to cover ongoing costs. Our attempts to get a refund are met with a combination of them ignoring emails/phone calls and them sending us generic emails.
The people we dealt with are Fred and Humphrey. I would advise you don't use them and do not make the mistake we did.