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
US
Email Jeff | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable trip with many great surprises!
My wife and I found this safari company by searching TripAdvisor for safaris in Kenya. We compared prices and tour options for the top ten rated companies and found Natural World had the best-value offering for us. We took the 3-day (2 night) tour from Nairobi out to Masai Mara. We elected to stay at the Mara Engai camp.
Upon inquiring about tour options and pricing I was put in touch with Esther. Others on this site have noted but it bears repeating: Esther is top-notch. She is fast to reply, very detailed, and aims to please. After we agreed on an itinerary, I was naturally nervous to send money to a foreign country, but Natural World offers a credit card option for no extra charge. I fired off our deposit payment with the comfort of knowing that I could always contest the charge with my card issuer if any issues were to arise.
Fast forward to 6 AM at our hotel in Nairobi on the morning our safari begins. Our assigned guide, Dik Dik (Dickson Wamanji) is at the hotel on-time and ready to begin. We knew who to expect because his picture is on the company's website. He greets us with a smile, reviews the itinerary, gives us a bottle of water, and lastly ensures we're buckled up. This was a great first impression. Just as we're about to depart, he also gives us a gift from Natural World's headquarters: two Masai tribal garments that are traditional wear for the area that we're going to safari in. We then drove out to Masai Mara park, and went onward to our chosen camp Mara Engai. The camp was awesome: service was wonderful, food was delicious and safe, and the high elevation meant no mosquitoes. Especially important is the great value you get by booking the luxury camps through Natural World. Look the camps up on any travel site and see how much the nightly rate is, then compare that to the value you get from a Natural World tour that includes the lodging, driver, vehicle, insurance, security, etc.
On the first day of our safari, Esther called our safari vehicle and spoke with me directly to ensure the trip was going well. This company goes out of its way to ensure you are comfortable and that your expectations are exceeded. The jeep upgrade is the absolute way to go, by the way. 90% of vehicles on safari that you'll see are the full-size jeep vehicles. Touring in the default van looks a bit amateurish and does not give you nearly the same vantage point on the wildlife. The van windows slide open left-to-right for limited access, and the pop-top isn't very high off the ground. Pay for the jeep supplement to get a serious vehicle with spare tires, a second gas tank, a very high vantage point, and all-around roll-down windows (not sliding windows) that give you full access to the wildlife for viewing and photos.
I can't emphasize enough that this tour company has a no-nonsense reputation in Kenya. The company has arrangements with all the stops on the way to the camps. We stopped several times for bathroom breaks, meals, souvenir shops, etc. Most stops had security guards that were writing down license plate numbers and keeping an eye on everyone. Not once did anyone approach us or hassle us. This was an enormous relief. You don't have to worry about your bags or suitcases in the safari vehicle, the bathroom facilities are functional and clean, the food is safe, and vandalism/theft are non-issues.
As we were about to be dropped off at our hotel near Nairobi airport, Dik Dik dialed up the owner of Natural World named Mr. Humphrey. He wanted to be sure that our safari experience was excellent in every aspect and welcomed honest unfiltered feedback about every aspect of our journey.
Before our trip I searched Natural World reviews on TripAdvisor for our guide Dik Dik to see what we could expect. All the reviews said he was fabulous and I'm happy to report that he was a stellar safari guide for us. He has decades of experience as a professional guide and knows customs/languages from around the world which make all guests feel welcome. During our 3-day tour, he greeted numerous other safari-goers in a total of five languages and he had a great rapport with the other safari drivers. That rapport shouldn't be understated--it's actually quite critical that you have a guide who is on good terms with the other driver guides. If you have any issues (flat tire, get lost, searching for specific rare animals like leopards, etc.) then having a popular guide like Dik Dik will be enormously in your favor.
The first day of our safari tour was meant to be driving from Nairobi directly to our Mara Engai camp. You can take main roads (which are bumpy) or you can take the Natural World route which takes you through the Masai Mara game reserve. This turned out to be a huge benefit for us. Once we entered the reserve, Dik Dik turned on his long range 2-way radio and immediately caught wind of a leopard. Leopards are exceedingly rare in the wild but he was able to make a 6km detour and spot us a beautiful leopard sitting up in a tree eating something. It made for an incredible photo op that we didn't expect to have on our 'boring' drive out to the campsite. By the time we got to camp, we had already seen 4 of the Big 5. I was absolutely stunned by how much wildlife Dik Dik found us in our first few hours in the reserve.
It is 100% worth investing in an SLR/DSLR/mirrorless camera if you don't have one. A cell phone camera will not do justice to the gorgeous wildlife and you will feel extremely let down that you didn't bring a serious camera. Think about when you take a picture of the moon with your cell phone; the moon comes out tiny! The same thing happens when you take a selfie with a herd of elephants. Your big face obscures the beautiful wildlife in the background which is teeny and barely recognizable.
Over the 3-day tour we saw everything we could have hoped for. Dik Dik found us hundreds of hippos, giraffe, and elephants; 2 groups of female lions, a group of 4 male lions, a cheetah, a leopard, 2 black rhinos, ostriches, zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, topi, buffalo, crocodiles, mongooses, all of the Big 5, and countless fascinating species of colorful birds. Our lucky break came on May 30 as we were leaving the Masai Mara reserve: we spotted the front line of the Great Migration. As far as the eye could see there were thousands of zebras and wildebeest. This year the migration came a month early which gave us the views of a lifetime. Dik Dik did an amazing job of getting us up close with the wildlife. He really went out of his way to give us the experience of a lifetime and we can't thank him enough. Dik Dik: Thank you again for your great work and excellent game spotting; you gave us an unforgettable experience.
Safety: I was worried about personal security and food safety before embarking on this trip. As it turned out I had nothing to worry about (a huge relief). Natural World is top-rated for a reason. For personal safety they have all the pit-stops arranged (see above) with security. In the reserves we saw park rangers all the time and never felt any concern for our personal safety. At the camp there was essentially a small army on guard. Most critically, the jeeps all have long-range 2-way radios that can be used to reach rangers and other guides instantly in the event of any issue. As for food safety, we felt very well taken care of at the Mara Engai camp. The all-inclusive (food) at the camp was top-notch--for example our arrival lunch was sirloin steak and fondant potatoes with soup and salad. We ate everything the camp offered and had zero stomach problems. The free wifi was an incredible feat too.
To summarize, Natural World is a Kenya-owned and operated company that legitimately takes pride in its work. Dik Dik is a wonderful guide that you should request by name. We can't thank this company enough for its organization, scrutiny with respect to selecting guides and staff, and overall value for safari tours. Thank you Natural World. We look forward to the next adventure.
Reply from Natural World Kenya Safaris
Posted on Jun 12, 2019Jambo Jeff,
Thank you for joining Natural World Kenya Safaris on your 3 days (2 nights) Kenya tour to Maasai Mara.
Thank you for your positive feedback on our value-for-money tour packages, the luxury-level accommodation at Mara Engai Camp with wonderful service, delicious food & free Wi-Fi, your fast to reply, detailed & pleasing tour manager Esther, your punctual, experienced, professional & stellar tour guide/driver Dickson (Dik Dik) having great rapport with other tour guides/drivers, the 4x4 pop-up top Land Cruiser Jeep with a long-range radio, the clean & functional bathroom facilities on the various stops, as well as our Director Mr. Humphrey.
We are happy that you & your wife spotted the front line of the Great Migration!
Hopefully this shall not be your last visit to Africa, Kenya.
From us to you we say, in Swahili Kenya, "Asante & Karibu Tena!"
DE
Email Aayushi Shah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Wildlife Experience
We took a 2 days Tsavo-East tour through Natural World and it was the highlight of our trip to Kenya. From the beginning Martha was excellent in helping us out with the bookings, choosing the lodge and other details. It couldnt have been arranged any better, Martha was very proficient, understanding and friendly. Our driver Ezekiel was also amazing, he managed to show us most of the animals we could see in the park. Took out to the scenic places, and he had a good idea of where to find the animals. I would definitely choose Natural Tours again.
Reply from Natural World Kenya Safaris
Posted on Jun 13, 2019Jambo,
Thank you for selecting us to arrange & realise your tour to Africa, Kenya, visiting Tsavo East National Park for 2 days (1 night).
Thank you for complimenting your helpful, proficient, understanding & friendly tour manager Martha, as well as your amazing & knowledgeable tour guide/driver Ezekiel.
Natural World Kenya Safaris is delighted that you had a wonderful wildlife experience!
From us all we say, "Asante & Karibu Tena Aayushi Shah!"
CA
Email Abigail | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
George was great
Communication was so fast, we never had to wait for more than half a day to get an answer about something. The safari exceeded our expectations and everyone was so accommodating. One of our friends got really sick while we were away (she had been sick for a few days before and it just escalated while we were away, it was not because of anything on the tour) and George worked with the lodge to have a doctor waiting for us when we arrived and was able to make her extremely comfortable and feeling much better by the time we left. George spotted so many animals for us and brought us on roads that were less populated to find more shy animals. We loved our entire experience with Natural World Kenya Safaris
Reply from Natural World Kenya Safaris
Posted on Jun 14, 2019Jambo Abigail,
Thank you for joining Natural World Kenya Safaris on your tour to Africa, Kenya!
Thank you for your positive feedback on our fast communication, the accommodating team, as well as your very helpful tour guide/driver George.
We hope your friend got fully well!
From our team we gladly say, "Asante & Karibu Tena!"
NO
Email Kristin Waldum-Grevbo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experience for life!
Every thing was even better than expected. The guide and driver Peter was perfect, would recomend him to all! We were 4 friends who all think og these days as a top five experience in life. The animals, picnic at the savane, the stay. We loved it and we saw a lot in inly 2 days! Go for it! Ask for Peter!!
Reply from Natural World Kenya Safaris
Posted on Jun 17, 2019Jambo Kristin,
Thank you for making Natural World Kenya Safaris your choice of safari company in Kenya.
We are happy that all four of you you had an experience of a lifetime on your 2 days (1 night) tour.
We appreciate your kind words about your perfect tour guide/driver Peter, as well as the accommodation.
Thank you once again for your feedback.
Hopefully we will see you again in Africa, Kenya☺
From us to you we say, "Asante & Karibu Tena!"
AE
Email Rhyan D | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great, once in a lifetime experience
Our driver, Dominic arrived to pick us up early and took great care of us during our trip. He was thoughtful in his planning and made sure we were able to see as many animals as possible. The lunch that we had inside the park was excellent, probably the best we had in our whole stay in Kenya. I would highly recommend this tour.
Reply from Natural World Kenya Safaris
Posted on Jun 18, 2019Jambo Rhyan,
Thank you for your supportive feedback regarding Natural World Kenya Safaris, your safari company of choice during your Africa, Kenya tour.
We are pleased to note that you had a once-in-a-lifetime experience with your punctual, thoughtful tour guide/driver Dominic, alongside the excellent lunch.
From our team to you we say, "Asante & Karibu Tena!"
QA
Email Elsie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Hassle Free Safari Experience
Hassle free and well organized tour. The communication with this tour operator was very smooth from my very first inquiry until the day of our trip they reply to my email quickly and is flexible with the pick up time and pick up location.
Our tourguide/driver Dominic is very patient in answering our questions about the animals and wildlife. He is very nice to share lots of insights and his knowledge to us. We also had a good time bantering against each others joke during long drive. Very approachable guy.
Reply from Natural World Kenya Safaris
Posted on Jun 18, 2019Jambo Elsie,
We thank you for choosing our Africa, Kenya tour.
Glad to note your appreciation for the well organised tour, the smooth communication by your flexible tour manager, as well as your very patient, nice, funny, knowledgeable & approachable tour guide/driver Dominic.
We are glad that you had a hassle-free safari experience!
Welcome back again to Kenya, Africa.
From Natural World Kenya Safaris to you, in Kenya Swahili, we say, "Asante sana & Kwaheri pia!"
AE
Email Myriem Cherif | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best safari ever!!
Hello,
My husband and I went on a 5 day 4 night safari in Kenya with Natural Kenya World Safaris. It was the best safari ever (I’ve been to South Africa and Sri Lanka before). The logistics were great, good planning, execution and outcomes. Our driver George Gacheru... he was just amazing! Not only George Gacheru was super knowledgeable but also very kind and flexible. Moreover, he has binoculars for eyes! We managed to see lions, rhinos, buffalos, leopards, cheetahs etc. Honestly, if you’re looking for the best customized and private safari, look no more and go with Natural World Kenya Safaris, you won’t be disappointed!
Reply from Natural World Kenya Safaris
Posted on Jun 19, 2019Jambo Myriem,
Thank you for letting us be your travel partner on your 5 days (4 nights) Africa, Kenya tour.
We are delighted that you & your husband had the best safari ever!
Thank you for appreciating our great planning & execution, your amazing, knowledgeable, kind & flexible tour guide/driver George Gacheru, as well as our well customised & private safari package.
Natural World Kenya Safaris wishes you all the best as you plan to come for even more safaris!
IE
Email Sheena Harley-Peters | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most exceptionally wonderful experience! We did not want to leave and will be going back soon.
Weeks before we even left on our holiday, Caroline Mugo had been there every step of the way. Any information that we needed or unsure about, any questions or even just advice, Caroline emailed straight back to help in any way she could. We were so excited to begin our holiday. From the time we landed we were transferred to our accommodation even tho our flights had changed and it took more than 2 hours to get out of the airport due to security and customs delays, Hosea was still there waiting for us and take us to our accommodation for the night. Ken collected us early from there the next morning and I am finding it hard to express in words what an absolutely outstanding, exceptional experience the 3 days on Safari were for us. Ken could not have done any more for us to give us the best possible safari, and it was. Ken had a world of Knowledge about all forms of wildlife from the BIG FIVE, plants, flowers, birds, fish and he had a lovely sense of humor which was a pleasure. It was one of the best memories of our lives, we were so sad to leave and we cant wait to go again.
Even as we moved on to continue our holiday in Mombasa, Natural World Kenya Safaris were still there to assist us with obtaining train tickets, with our baggage, and transferring us between stations, hotels and airports. Harrison, Michael and James all lending a hand, sometimes on the spur of the moment, always so friendly and cheerful. The accommodations while on the actual Safari were phenomenal, we were given the most exciting welcomes, singing staff and huge friendly smiles. They could not have done any more to make us feel comfortable. Could not recommend this company, and their wonderful staff, highly enough .
Reply from Natural World Kenya Safaris
Posted on Jun 19, 2019Jambo Sheena Harley-Peters,
Thank you for taking your 3 days (2 nights) Africa, Kenya tour with Natural World Kenya Safaris.
Glad to note your commendations for your constantly dedicated tour manager Caroline Mugo, your patient transfer driver Hosea, your punctual, knowledgeable & humorous tour guide/driver Ken, our services, the friendly & cheerful Harrison, Michael & James, phenomenal accommodation, as well as the wonderful staff.
We are happy that you had an exceptionally wonderful holiday!
"Asante & Karibu tena!"
AE
Email Asim Zaman | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good, friendly staff and service. We did the day trip to Amboseli and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Very good. We were satisfied with service and staff. The driver/guide was good and knowledgeable.
Reply from Natural World Kenya Safaris
Posted on Jun 19, 2019Jambo Asim,
We thank you all for choosing our 1 day excursion to Amboseli National Park.
Glad to note your appreciation for our friendly service & staff, as well as your good & knowledgeable tour guide/driver.
Welcome back again!
From Natural World Kenya Safaris we say, "Asante sana!"
AE
Email Colin Browning | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari Adventure
This was our first safari so I did not know what to expect. The Holiday turned out to be more of an adventure and it was thoroughly enjoyable. We took the 7 day begin / end at Nairobi option.
2 nights at the Amboseli park, Great intro and lots of elephants
One night by Lake Naivasha (great boat trip and walking safari - animals very tame so you get close up),
one night at Lake Nakura (visiting Hells Gate for a bike safari - great, and a canyon scramble - also much fun)
2 nights in the Mara - excellent
Patricia from Natural World was very helpful and quickly responded to my questions. Our driver / guide Hussein was very knowledgeable, patient and helpful.
We elected to take the luxury accommodation options and they worked out well. See separate reviews of each camp / lodge.
The itinerary was quite challenging but we did manage to fit it all in. Driving (as a passenger) in Kenya is quite an experience and there are a lot of lorries on the road so it can take some time to get from A to B. If you have the cash think about some internal flights. Having said that the car journeys do give you more of an insight into the country as you can see all of the hustle and bustle of road side trading, shops, motorcycle taxis, the farming and geography of the place.
Once in the parks it’s a different story.
The land Cruiser vehicles are actually a modified Land Cruiser pick up with a modified back end of various lengths depending on how many seats are fitted. We were in a 9-seater version and there were only 2 of us so plenty of space. The roof lifts up giving you a 360 degree view once standing and some sun shade also.
I was surprised how close you can get to the animals and seeing them close up is really special.
We were lucky to get views of Kilimanjaro on both days we were at the Amboselli Park and saw a lot of elephants.
We both ate like horses and expected to pile on a lot of weight but were pleasantly surprised when stepping on the scales back home. You do spend quite a lot of time on your feet looking at the animals and all of the fresh air whizzing past drives a healthy appetite !
I had travelled a lot in the past so I was too relaxed about my jabs and found out a bit late that I needed a Yellow Fever jab so check that out early and get them done ahead of your visit.
We did encounter a few other groups with young children and It looked like hard work. I have 3 kids, all grown up now, but to watch the animals you need to be patient and watch quietly. So think carefully about a family trip and how to make the most of it.
As for cost i thought it was good value for money. All you pay on top is your flights, hotels at Nairobi, your bar bill and tips.
Overall a great holiday adventure - already thinking about another safari next year. I would definitely recommend Natural World Safaris.
Reply from Natural World Kenya Safaris
Posted on Jun 19, 2019Jambo Colin,
Thank you for letting us guide you on your first safari experience. We are honoured that you chose our company on your 7 days (6 nights) Africa, Kenya adventure to Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru & Maasai Mara.
We appreciate your accolades concerning your very helpful & quick to respond tour manager Patricia, your very knowledgeable, patient & helpful tour guide/driver Hussein, the luxury level accommodation, the modified 4x4 pop-up top Land Cruiser Jeep, besides the value-for-money tour package.
We are glad that you all thoroughly enjoyed!
As Natural World Kenya Safaris, we cheerfully say, "Asante & Karibu Tena!"