Madukha Tours and Safaris ltd Staff
Madukha Tours and Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 1993)
- Member Of:
- ASTA & KATO
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $300 to $1,500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CN
Email Ray | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
the worst travel experience of my life.
Please be cautious of this company that scammed us; this has been the worst travel experience of my life.
1. We paid the full amount, but the 6 nights of hotel accommodations and park entry fees included in the trip were never paid. We only discovered this upon arriving at the hotels. The travel agency asked us to cover the costs upfront, promising to refund us later, but they have since completely disappeared.
2. The agency unilaterally changed the hotels specified in the contract without prior notice. They replaced the hotel in Nakuru with a substitute that costs more than double, and they did not refund the price difference.
3. The agency has repeatedly deceived us through various means and delayed our plans, which has severely impacted our itinerary. We have lost an entire day in Maasai Mara.
This experience has been a total scam and a nightmare, so I urge everyone to be very careful with this company.
CN
Email CHEN | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Never choose this travel agency. They took our money and disappeared！！！
Issues with the travel agency:
1. For a total of 6 nights of hotel stays and entrance tickets, there was no prepaid reservation. We only found out when we arrived at the hotel. The travel agency said that we should pay the expenses first and they would refund us later, but now we have lost contact with them.
2. The travel agency unilaterally changed the agreed hotel in the travel contract without prior notice. They changed the hotel in Nakuru to an alternative hotel that is more than half cheaper in price but did not refund the price difference.
3. The travel agency has deceived us in multiple ways and delayed for a long time, causing a great waste of our itinerary. We have already lost one day of the Masai Mara itinerary.
CN
Email GU | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They are thief!!! We have been victims of a scam during our trip to Kenya. Do not book with them!
We have been victims of a scam during our trip to Kenya, and we need urgent assistance.
Our group of seven people from China arrived in Kenya on October 1st. Prior to our arrival, we booked a local tour with a company called Madukha through Safari.com. Upon our arrival, we paid the tour operator in full, a total of $12,090, as agreed.
However, during our stay in Amboseli and Nakuru, we discovered that the tour operator had not paid for our accommodation or park fees. They claimed it was due to a bank transfer issue that prevented them from making the payments. To continue our trip, we were forced to pay all the expenses ourselves.
Currently, we are in Maasai Mara and facing a similar issue. Although we have paid for the hotel, the park entry fees have not been covered by the tour operator, leaving us unable to enter the park and access our accommodation. We are now stranded with no place to go. We request immediate assistance to resolve this matter and hold the responsible party accountable.
(images removed for privacy reasons)
Email PJ | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great rates & friendly service
You will be in safe hands with Madukha Tours. From the moment we contacted them, they were responsive to requests via email & offered us the same safari as other groups for a significantly cheaper price. Upgrading to private & a land cruiser was a no brainer & made our experience extra special. As people who are used to life in the UK, we did find the lack of "official" confirmation of e.g. payment a little strange, but once we arrived in Kenya we understood that this is the way things work there!
Our driver was incredibly friendly (Paul) and knew how to find all the animals, including catering to our perhaps unusually high interest in birds and antelopes. We saw leopards, cheetahs, lions, serval, giraffe, elephants, rhino, buffalo, hippo, 15 species of antelope (including the delightful dik-dik) and 100+ species of bird. Paul was there for us the whole time & we always felt safe with him. We did have a copy of "The Safari Companion", which together with my partner having a PhD in biology provided me/us with a particularly detailed account of the animals we were seeing & why they were behaving in certain ways. I suspect if you want that experience, you may want to request a specially trained guide who has a bronze or above certification from KSPGA.
The lodges booked for us by Madukha were all great & above our expectations.
We were very pleased we went with Madukha and not others!
Email Priya | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional
Madukha Tours was exceptional. From the point I got in touch to the conclusion of the safari, they were perfection itself. They were organised, efficient and jovial. All the hotels were excellent, service at the hotels was brilliant and the food was terrific. Small details like USB ports in the Land Cruiser, and arm rests being adjusted were brilliant. Every need was catered for and we didn’t have to ask. Our flight was cancelled due to NBO being ok strike and Madukha were willing to start the safari a day later, so we could do the entire trip. Each lodge we stayed at was different to the one prior. The people of Kenya are wonderful. Not enough can be said for our safari guide, John. He was knowledgable, polite and great fun. He kept us entertained throughout and was arguably the best animal spotter - the fact that we saw the big 5 on multiple occasions and host of other animals was a bonus. The hot air balloon ride with Hot Air Balloons is a must. It gives a view that is not possible if driving. A special shout out to the loos en route to each park! I have not seen cleaner loos. All in all, an incredible trip. Thank you Madukha, William, John and Kenya.
IT
Email Ilaria | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
masai mara lake nakuru
Be careful of this company. They make you believe you’re booking a lodge like Sofa Lodge and Lake Nakuru, but then they come up with excuses and put you in tent camps at different places. They pull tricks like overbooking or sometimes don’t say anything at all. We tried writing to get our money back for the difference, but they go silent after 5 or 6 days, being vague. Don't book with them; they’ll ruin your safari.
(automatic translation from Italian)
DE
Email Annika | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well planned tour, nice lodges, excellent game drives
We booked our 8 day safari with William, wo always responded within a couple hours to all our emails. The booking process was really smooth.
During the booking process we asked for a ride on the hot air balloon, which was organized perfectly and one of the best experiences we ever had. We think this is a must!
Our driver Joshua was always on time and drove safely. At the game drives, where we saw all big 5, he managed to find the perfect picture taking spots, even if there were many other vehicles around. He always answered all our questions about the animals and Kenya. The car seemed a bit old compared to other companies cars, but it was reliable and therefore we did not mind.
We would like to suggest that the driver packs a picnic blanked to enjoy the lunches during the full day game drives even more.
The mid-range lodges (mostly sopa lodges) exceeded our expectations.
We would totally recommend the tour with Joshua to our friends.
Really enjoyable Kenyan experience although not all smooth sailing
We had a wonderful time in Kenya and we had a truly fantastic guide in Andrew that took us to the Mara and to Naivasha- we would genuinely have enjoyed to have been with him for longer. We enjoyed the tour that had been arranged for us and our friends by William although sadly at the very last minute our accomodation was changed and having been very excited about where we were going to, suddenly this all changed. The new lodge was ok but we would have preferred the original option.
The coast hotel that he booked us was excellent.
DE
Email Sebastian Daviter | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Steve gave us a lot of information about the country, the people and the animals, drove carefully
The tour was very well organized and we had a really great guide in Steve. We visited four national parks and stayed in camps and lodges. Madukha Tours made our individual requests possible. We can only recommend Madukha and would book with them again.
US
Email Ryan Ziemann | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Tour, Great Accommodations, Great Guide
Madukha Tours provided great communication in advance of the trip, and was very responsive to emails. I believe all were answered within 24 hours. Itinerary was provided, ahead of time, and Stephen our driver/guide was always prompt, courteous, and flexible. We had a great time spending the week with him getting to know him as well as learning about everything we saw. Everything went very smoothly. Stephen networked very effectively with the other guides to stay on top of animal movements/activities in the parks.
I have no complaints whatsoever, as the trip was almost perfect, however I thought I'd provide a few "be awares":
-Our vehicle was an older van and did break down twice. Once was a simple loose battery cable, fixed within minutes by Stephen, the second was a wire that got severed. This was fixed in town within an hour (and they had a contingency vehicle lined up if it hadn't gotten fixed quick). These vehicles do take a beating, so this is certainly understandable.
-There is not a lot of room for excess luggage. While this was a "group" tour, it was the off season, and we ended up the only two. We don't travel light to start with, and were doing other travels besides the safari. If there were 5 or 6 of us and everyone had 2 bags per person I don't think we'd all have fit.
-Water was provided only on the 2 days with a very long drive between sites, and no snacks were provided. (There were plenty of opportunities to pick some up at rest stops however, just know to plan to bring/buy what you need)
-Be prepared for anything that needs to be paid directly, as in the remote areas, credit card isn't always doable, and ATMs are not always easily accessible (ie the Maasai area).
-Generally: You are going on "safari" to be a spectator of nature and nature often has its own plans. Each day may have its own unexpected twists and turns. Relax, go with the flow, enjoy the journey, and you will have a great time!
