The team
Karibu Safaris In Kenya
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 1986)
- Member Of:
- KATO, Tourism Regulatory Authority & Eco Toursm Kenya
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Mid-range & luxury)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $80 to $280 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Allen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
JAMES WAS THE BEST!!!
We did a 6 day budget safari, James was our tour guide. He was patient and went above and beyond to accommodate and help us find animals. The entire experience was memorable. Only thing I would add is...give the drivers better vehicles. James was able to get us out of the mud and help others but a better vehicle would make the tour more efficient. Besides that...perfect.
AT
Email Elsa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
FIVE DAYS SAFARI IN KENYA REVIEW
We had a very nice Safari experience courtesy of Karibu Safaris. It was our wedding anniversary and we decided to celebrate it in Kenya. Everything was well planned and the tour guide gave us a good safari experience in both Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru national parks.
I would definitely recommend Karibu Safaris.
Thankyou for the unforgettable experience.
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Email Stephen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari at a Great Price!
We only had a short week in Kenya, so we wanted to make the most of our time! Thankfully I found Karibu recommended on another website, so I looked into their safaris. We ended up choosing their 6 day Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, and Amboseli private safari instead of the shared/group safari since we would have our own van and accommodations. And let me tell you - this was the BEST decision! We could stretch out in our van, put our bags on the seats, ask for washroom breaks whenever, ask to stop for photos, etc.
Our driver was Edward/Cobra and he was great! When we were in Masai Mara, he used his radio and seemed to know everyone. This helped a lot because they told him where to go to find which animal and/or if there was something interesting going on in a certain area. We got some truly memorable and rare photos because of this! We also felt safe with him at all times which is great when you're in a foreign country and don't feel 100% safe on your own. If you travel a lot, you know what I'm talking about! Edward was also great with communication and planning. He always told us the schedule for the next day, and he even helped us maximize our time in Masai Mara when we got stuck in traffic the first day. If there's one suggestion that I have, it's this: We really enjoyed the facts/information about the city, parks, animals, etc, but please tell us more! You're a smart guy and a true Kenyan, so share your knowledge!
Regarding the accommodations: They're not glamorous or luxurious, but you're paying for a BUDGET SAFARI! You're getting a great deal at a great price! It's more like upgraded camping, so here are the must haves: bug spray, flashlight, book to read, game to play (deck of cards maybe), and snacks. The power also went out at all 3 of our hotels/camps at some point, so remember this - if the power is on, charge your phone, charge your camera, and take a hot shower NOW. Don't wait until later, because the power could be off for any amount of time. Could be 5 minutes or 5 hours.
The food: rice, lentils, beef, chicken, lamb, fish, potatoes, fruit, spinach, and chapati (tortilla/bread). That's what's for lunch and dinner everyday. Not great, not horrible, but it does get a little boring after a few days. Breakfast is typically eggs, toast, pancakes/crepes, and sausage. Usually pretty good!
Remember that since this is a budget safari, you won't be flying at all. Only driving and for hours at a time. Our drive from Nairobi Airport to Masai Mara was about 10 hours, so we were very thankful that we had the whole van to ourselves! The van isn't brand new and it isn't a Land Cruiser, but during our trip we saw several vans AND Land Cruisers stuck in the mud/water. I think your driver is more important than your vehicle! Thanks Edward!
We would definitely use Karibu next time we're in Kenya! Very professional and affordable!
FR
Email HH | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Karibu
My driver edwin is a best very good driver and very nice man thanks for all
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Email Malin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wish I would have spent a little more money for a better company
I read a lot of reviews before choosing this company (Karibu). I knew there were a lot of mixed reviews and some really bad reviews, I decided to take the gamble. I wish I would have paid a little bit more on a better company. But I guess you get what you pay for. I did the 4 day/3 nights Masai Mara + Lake Nakuru.
I was picked up from the hotel 7:30am and taken to their office (literally a few blocks away from my hotel). There we waited for a long time (1-1,5 hrs or so), I guess some other people in the group were late too. I had to pay the remaining balance at the office but when we left at 9 am and passed right by my hotel I was bummed I had been up since 6 am haha
We got an old van (sure, budget tour, didn’t think more about it..) but after getting closer to Masai Mara park and the last 1,5 hours consisted of a bumpy dirt road, I really wanted to slap myself for not choosing a company with a Jeep or better vehicle. It was miserable the last 1,5 hours, my seat was slightly loose and I was shaking back and forth... it was awful.
Once at the lodge, I guess it was okay. I mean, you get what you pay for.. I shared “tent room” with another solo guy (I’m a solo female traveler). It was fine, but the toilet and shower only has a drape... so you can hear everything.. just so you know ;)
We were unfortunate to get a bad driver/“tour guide” - James , his English was ok but he was terrible at communicating. He didn’t explain or say anything the whole trip.. we had to ask if we wanted to know anything. The afternoon when we arrived to the Masai Mara and the lodge we were staying at and we were doing a evening Safari game drive.. however, it was never communicated that we had bring our passports for the game drive to get in to the park (we left them at the lodge). So when we arrived to the entrance with no passport he was almost shocked why we didn’t bring them!? The tour was constantly like this, no communication AT ALL!!
During our full day Safari, he pretty much said nothing about any animals or facts or anything! Sometimes we had to tell him to stop so we could take pictures of the animals. I wasn’t expecting a A+ tour guide, but common.. at least maybe tell me something?
The food at the lodge was very boring, carb and very little veggies and no fruit (2 out of 3 days). The last lodge was good, had veggies and fruit and we were all so happy to eat there! Haha (still nothing fancy!)
3rd day we were told we had to switch van and join another group to continue our trip.. sure no problem. So we jumped into another companies van (not the same company I booked with). That van was a lot nicer, thank god! That driver (Richard) was also little but more informative at every stop and told us a little about the animals.
Overall, be prepared to be disappointed...at least hopefully you get a better driver/tour guide than us. I wished I spent a little bit more money and got more out of my trip. Better food, better vehicle, more information about the animals, the park etc.. or any information at all would have been nice! I would not recommend this company to other travel friends.
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Email Julia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Really budget infrastructure for a budget tour
The safari was good in overall. We saw a lot of animals missing just a male lion, leopard and crocodiles. However, we saw them because my husband was good in finding them and not our guide. He didn’t talk to us and didn’t explain us anything about animals and country, lost answered our questions sometimes. But he (the guide - Kobra) was friendly and helped us to get in the bus (the company got us very very bad bus that we had on the way back, instead of getting us the fast train). Our car was not suitable for safari (minibus) and we always got stuck in roads for hours sometimes and we had to push the car from mud, I guess it happens with everyone but much less when you have a suitable Jeep for safaris. The campings were okay but really wild - in our “cottage” there were holes in walls and holes in mosquito net so all the insects could come in. However, seeing a lot of animals was very pleasant that we forgot about many disappointments on the way.
Email Justin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Outstanding, definitely book with Karibu! Can even cater to vegans!
My girlfriend and myself went on two tours organised by Karibu Safaris.
The first was a 3-day 2-night tour to Maasai Mara for safari. Our guide Gibson was exceptional, knowledgeable about the national park and very organised. We were picked up and dropped off on time and our experience exceeded expectations not to mention the great wildlife we got to see.
Next we did a 4-day/3-night hike up Mount Kenya. My girlfriend and myself were the only ones in the group and we were accompanied by a team of four including two porters, a chef and a guide. We had two guides as they changed due to another traveller on a different day having some issues which they appeared to handle professionally and efficiently. Both our guides Jimmy and Sam were tremendous and really were vital in us getting to the summit safely. Neither of us are experienced hikers, and my girlfriend was experiencing high altitude for the first time but both guides were patient, calm and really helped us out.
Also worth noting that we are both vegan and when we asked them at the start of each trip (both Maasai Mara and Mount Kenya) to not serve us meat/fish/dairy/eggs/honey etc they had no issues at all and the food we received was amazing. Stevie was the chef on the hike and did a great job making a variety of vegan food for us.
We are so grateful to have gone with Karibu Safaris and would recommend any others to do the same.
Professional, kind and knowledgeable about the animals. Super
Thank you very much for the outstanding service and safari experience. A wonderful time was had and has prompted me to place another trip to Kenya and experience another Safari. The professional service which Eric provided was super. His ability to navigate the roadways and provide opportunity to see the wild animals. And with a pleasant smile on his face. A true professional and a fine man. Will be returning for another safari adventure!
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Email Ted T. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience for the price
Karibou Safaris provided a great experience overall, especially considering the price - $630 US for a six day trip including Masai Mara (excellent), Lake Nakuru (much better than expected), and Amboseli (very good). Emails were very responsive and answered all questions. Service was overall very good. Our driver Peter did an excellent job explaining the plan for the day and ensuring we got the most out of our safari. We were fortunate to see so many animals, including the “big 5”. Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru I consider “must see” parks. Amboseli is also interesting primarily to see lots of elephants with Kilimanjaro in the back ground, though there are other animals to see there too. Our vehicle was a 2WD Toyota van with pop up roof. Adequate but needed towing twice in the worst muddy spots. 4WD would be better. Lots of driving but there are good things to see even on pure travel days like the optional Masai village and Lake Naivasha. Lunches on the road were good from roadside restaurants. Food and accommodations were slightly better in Masai Mara (Manyatta camp) than Amboseli (Kimana cottages). City max hotel is fine in Nakuru. Sack lunches on safari were fine. We did not always get bottled water provided as indicated, but we did purchase some. Overall the trip exceeded our expectations and I would recommend this trip for those on a budget.
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Email Lincoln | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An incredible adventure
I came to Kenya to celebrate my birthday and for this tour company via the internet. It was nothing short of amazing. Our guide, Castro, ensured that everything went better than I could have imagined. I don't think I could've asked for anything better.