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
IT
Email Gabriele | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The first and best Safari ever done. Castro the best driver
This experience has been fantastic. We did the 7 days safari with Hell's Gate, Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli. Every day has been full of emotions. We've seen a lot of animals, and with the driver Castro we did things i never expected. He's done all was possible to give us the opportunity to see the big five. And we've seen a lot of them. Excellent drive and excellent experience over all. We will never forget this.
the price is lower than other agencies and despite this we have been in excellent places, with a great van and valid restaurants.
Is it all well comunicated?? Thanks a lot Castro and Karibu
Questa esperienza è stata fantastica. Abbiamo fatto il safari di 7 giorni con Hell's Gate, Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru e Amboseli. Ogni giorno è stato ricco di emozioni. Abbiamo visto molti animali e con il pilota Castro abbiamo fatto cose che non mi sarei mai aspettato. Ha fatto tutto il possibile per darci l'opportunità di vedere i big five. E ne abbiamo visti molti. e anche molti altri animali. Guida eccellente ed esperienza eccellente su tutto. Non lo dimenticheremo mai. il prezzo è più basso di altre agenzie e nonostante questo siamo stati in ottimi posti.
è stato detto tutto? Grazie mille Castro e Karibu
US
Email Michael Halberstam | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Safari!
Guides: Kevin and Raymond were terrific. They both have a wonderful and frequently uncanny knack for locating and finding significant animal sightings. They were diligent, friendly, professional, responsive to questions and concerns and they looked after us beautifully. Furthermore, they both went out of their way to make sure that we had an A+++ experience. Raymond was our driver for most of the Safari and he clearly has a gift for sensing when the major animals are going to be out in the park and where to find them. For instance, we got a spectacularly close up and rare view of two black Rhino's in Lake Nakuru because of his virtuosic tracking and driving skills. Kevin was so agreeable, particularly on our last morning in Amboseli, to take one final game drive and try and catch a sight of Mount Kilimanjaro which had decided to come out from behind the clouds that morning. Morris was splendidly supportive too!
Transportation: We visited four parks, Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli. The first van we were in had clearly been run into the ground by its driver. The seats were uncomfortable and the suspension was shot. I was worried that this was going to be our transport for the whole Safari. However, when we reached Masai Mara, we traded that van for a better vehicle and the difference was night and day. We spent the rest of the Safari in much more comfort. It's important to have a vehicle with good suspension when traversing some of the bumpier roads and some of the driving distances are quite far - comfortable seats are very important.
Hotels: The first hotel JAMBO MARA SAFARI LODGE was quite beautiful, the grounds were gorgeously landscaped and the room was comfortable, clean, fresh and modern looking. The staff were all lovely - particularly the dining room staff who were superb. I wish I could say the same about the food. It was, alas, no where near as good as the rest of the hotel. I think it would be worth their investing in an upgrade. I didn't go on a Safari for the food but this was truly poor. This is a shame given how attractive and well looked after everything else was in the hotel. Even the lunch was terrible. The WATERBUCK HOTEL was one of the better places to stay in Lake Nakuru but I did have to pay a little bit more to upgrade to a more comfortable room with a window and a little more space. It is definitely a venue that has seen better days but overall it was fine for the one night. The unexpected and wonderful surprise was the food which was just superb. I had some of the best food I have eaten in Kenya at the WATERBUCK, both at dinner and breakfast. It was beautifully prepared and nicely presented and very authentic. As with my entire stay in Kenya, the people working at the hotel were amazing. My last hotel, AA AMBOSELI LODGE, was somewhere between the two hotels. My rooms was basically a spacious, clean and comfortable tent with a more permanent attachment on one end for the bathroom. Food was good and the grounds were lovely although bizarrely, the most important sight in the camp, Mount Kilimanjaro, is largely obscured from almost every location. Eventually I found a little seating area by the main meeting room with an uncluttered view. (The grumpy and inexplicably annoyed receptionist was very unhelpful in this area - literally the only unpleasant employee I met on my entire two week trip to Kenya.)
I have rated the Safari highly because I think I got truly incrediblea value for my money. I paid for a midrange Safari and joined a group tour which kept the price affordable. This covered 6 days and five nights, all drives, all transportation, all accommodation and all meals. I saw all of the big five along with many other wonderful animal sightings. I experienced the trip of a lifetime, enjoyed the company of the people I met on the Safari who were lovely, had a 100% good experience with the staff. I am filled now with memories that will last a lifetime and am completely in love with Kenya as a country. It was the perfect balance the week I spent in Nairobi working before the Safari. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
A couple of notes if you are planning a safari: Amboseli is worth visiting for the elephants and the possible sightings of Mount Kilimanjaro. The mountain however does not always come out to play, and as with most volcanoes of this scale, is not always visible. We were very lucky however and Kevin was very accommodating in ensuring that I was able to get some good sightings early in the morning and in the evening. It is worth nothing however that the park has recently been ravaged by drought. Although there are still many elephants there, a quarter of them have died and most of the wildebeest have also died. This is due to climate change. I would go to the park again in a heartbeat but you should be prepared. Lake Nakuru was a long drive and one of the great pleasures of the park is seeing the millions of flamingos. Unfortunately, most of them had migrated by the time we got there and although Raymond salvaged the trip with a rare black rhino sighting, the rest of the park didn't have much to offer and it was a long drive to get there. Lake Nakuru was lovely and we took an excellent boat ride and had a close encounter with a family of hippos which was wonderful but I'm not sure it was with the time it took to get there. (It should also be noted that both lakes are heavily polluted and experiencing significant environmental damage as a result.) Unless you are able to see the flamingos - which are amazing, I would skip it.
SK
Email Marek | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional tour operator with friendly staff and people on the right place.
We already finished our 6-days safari with an amazing feelings. Thank’s to Robert (the manager), Harun, Lillien and especially to Aruni - our driver, guide and fixer in one person, for making this experience unforgettable. We saw 4/5 of BIG FIVE animals and many more from the breathtaking Kenyan wildlife. Each national park offered to us something different and it was really worth it to choose the itinerary, which include Maasai Mara, Lake Naivasha (Hell’s gate), Amboseli and Taita Hills. I can highly recommend the accomodation in Mantjaro camp, where we felt like at home (thank’s to Henry) with a spectacular view to Kilimanjaro, even we had a great time at Taita Hills, where they served delicous food and drinks. To be honest, where I see a room for improvement, is in Enchoro Camp (Maasai Mara) and Newstead Hotel (Lake Naivasha), where staff was very friendly and helpful, but the rooms should be renowated. I hope this feedback will helps Karibu Safaris in Kenya to grow their business, because they are customer first agency.
BG
Email Stefan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Big 5 encounters with Collins
It was a great experience and had a great guide Collins! Saw the Big 5 and many others. Great value for money as well :) Best game drive
BG
Email Mihaela | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A great experience in Masai Mara and Nakuru
The game drive was amazing! Our tour guide Collins was very knowledgeable with a great attitude:)
We saw all the big 5 from very close and learned a lot about the wild life.
NL
Email Leonie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A wonderful and amazing experience
Kevin showed us the beauty of Amboseli. We saw the amazing elephants, Lions, hippos and the cheetah. It was a dream and we loved every second of it. Thanks you Kevin!
JP
Email Yui | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Hospitable
It was such a great time! We charged the plan that we went to masai village on the first day and full day hame drive on second day.
Thanks to out best driver Edward we were able to see BIG5 in a day! He always check the radio and spot for the animals even for a rhino! He has so many knowledge not only for aminals but also masai culture, kenya culture too. After the game drive we went back to our hotel earlier because Edward thought it would rain soon. And he was right. Right after we went back, UT started raining. If we continue safari we would totally get soaked. I heard some of the other tours stuck in the mud and couldn't get out so they ended up staying in a car for a night. Thanks to our guide we didn't have to do that.
Anyway I really enjoyed a lot and it's worth going!
US
Email Rebekah and John | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very friendly and accommodating, went out of their way to give us an unforgettable experience.
Fantastic and cozy tented camp with amazing views of Kilimanjaro. Henry, Sophia, Joshua and crew were so attentive and made us feel at home. The food was really tasty and dinner always ended with a campfire.
Kevin, our guide through Amboseli, was fun, informative and very attuned to spotting the wildlife.
We would love to come back.
NO
Email Rune | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A dedicated driver means a lot!
I picked Karibu Safaris based on reviews found on Internet. I had some questions concerning the 6-day safari Masaai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli, and would like to have some answers before deciding whether to choose the 6-day safari or the 3-day safari to Masaai Mara. The email communication was not very professional and I was stuck without having the answers to all of my questions, just some of them.
I picked the 6-day safari. I was picked where I was staying in Nairobi. I was also brought back after the safari. That is a good and valuable service.
The actual safari tours were nice for someone who loves safari. The driver in Masaai Mara did not seem very interested in animals. Therefore, the experience could have been better. The safari in Lake Nakuru had a limited value except spotting the rhino which was not spottet in Maasai Mara. The driver in Amboseli was definitely the most dedicated one and did a good job. It was not his fault that Mount Kilimanjaro could not be seen due to thick clouds....
The 6-day safari is not recommendable unless you enjoy hours and hours of driving along the Kenyan roads. Driving from Nakuru in the morning, arriving in Nairobi in the afternoon and in Amboseli late in the evening was very tiresome. Instead of combining Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli, I would suggest to combine Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru as one tour. Amboseli should rather be combined with Tsavo. That would reduce the driving along the road between the national parks.
US
Email Anonymous | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent budget safari, knowing before going is important
Overview:
Karibu Safari is well reviewed by many people. Competitive price for 5-day budget safari. Had a great overall experience. 5-day safari was good but could be condensed into 4-day safari (see below under "Cons"). Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, and Hell's Gate were all worth going to. If we could have done only one, we'd do Hell's Gate since you can rent a bike and bicycle next to the animals and then hike in slot canyons (see below in "Details"). Unique and very nice after so much driving. Lake Nakuru is similar to Maasai Mara in that you game driver looking for animals. Lake Naivasha you see hippos and water birds. Robert (trip coordinator) was prompt in his responses. Peter (driver) was great at finding and pointing out animals. He really cared about providing the best and most well-rounded safari experience. Note: It appeared the budget safaris were more aggressive at finding animals then the more luxury safaris.
Pros:
- We got what we paid for. We had to have our driver call our trip advisor to send him more money to buy more water since we ran out by day 5.
- Accommodations were fine with running water and electricity. The "tents" are large canvas tents with a ceiling over them and not like backpacking tents.
- Meals were fine for budget safari.
- Peter (driver) was excellent at finding and viewing animals. He provided enough time to view and take pictures, not rushing us. He really emphasized the safari experience. He was a safe driver amidst the more crazy drivers and matatu's.
- The season was excellent which was mid- to late-November. Not crowded. Although this was claimed as the rainy season, it did not rain on safari, but only when driving and near Lake Naivasha and Nairobi. Also, all the animals just had babies so we got to see baby animals of almost all animals seen!
Cons:
- The itinerary should include estimated drive times.
- The itinerary should include more details. For example, on our 4th day, we were dropped off at a hotel after our game drive at Lake Nakuru en route to Lake Naivasha. We spent the whole afternoon there (from ~12noon and on). We were disappointed because we didn't fly half way across the world to sit in a garden. It would be nice to have known this. This is where the trip could be condensed to 4-days instead of 5-days.
- Peter could have provided more information to us. When we began we didn't know exactly where we were headed, how long it would take, etc. It would have been nice to review the day's events with us each morning.
- Peter could have offered us more information on the animals, landscape, plants, etc. He did if you asked, but it would be nice for him to just tell us.
Good to know:
- All 5-day safaris are pretty much identical in what they offer and pay for. So email to find best price when you go.
- There is a lot of (bumpy) driving. Not all in our van was prepared for this.
- You may get shuffled around since they mix people with different safari lengths. We started with a van that included people who booked 5-day, 4-day, and 3-day safaris.
- You may not get a window seat (right next to window). This was not a big issue though. They pop the van top and you can stand during the safari. But if this is a concern, have the van agree to rotate seats throughout the safari.
- The meals are pretty much the same for lunch and dinner, local food (rice, lentils, veggies, usually meat, etc.). So if you don't like the food, you will need to bring your own or purchase.
- The driver is contracted by the safari company. This is important should issues arise based on itinerary or pricing of certain things.
- There can be lots of traffic leaving and coming back from Nairobi, so plan for this when booking other trips or flights.
- Sunday has less traffic so leaving on this day was great.
- We tipped the driver ~$20 USD per day for the whole vehicle. So with 7-8 people in the van, this was ~$2-3 USD per day per person. Other than that we did not tip anyone else. (Our native Kenyan hosts said that tipping is not expected most places and even if it is, it is not as much as the USA.)
Details:
- Maasai Mara Village Tour: This may or may not have been worth the $10 USD. This is quite touristy. You can get some good pictures and see them dance and sing. But you need to ask them to show you everything. For example, we asked to taste the Maasai beer as our driver said we would. If we didn't ask, they wouldn't have done this. We also asked to see the school. If we hadn't asked, they would not have done this. When they take you into the traditional home, they will try and sell you stuff then and afterward. The Maasai markets in Nairobi have more selection and you can bargain more.
- Boat Ride at Lake Naivasha: This is expensive at $20 USD per person but we thought this was more worth it than the Maasai village tour. You see hippos and many birds and it was fun to be in a boat. You can get great pictures of the African fish eagle diving for fish that the boat driver throws in to the water.
- Hell's Gate bike and hike: The bike rental was $5 USD. You don''t need a guide for this. You stay on the main road to get to the gorge. Go in the early morning to see more animals. When we rode back, there were hardly any animals. At the gorge, more people will offer to guide you. We did not take a guide, but a Maasai man ended up going with us anyway. It ended up being a necessity as the trail is not well marked. Our group of 4 tipped him 700 Kenyan shillings and shared some nuts and instant coffee.