The team
Aanika 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
Email Claudio | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Enjoyable budget safari
The communication was punctual and booking was easy, safari was good for a budget one, the driver was kind, the tent accomodation was fine, be aware that the visit to the Masai Mara camp will result with them asking you for money. Overall happy for a budget 3 day safari.
Email Jared | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Budget doesn't mean bad quality! We had an amazing time, but be prepared to sit in a car for a long
I will separate the reviews in two since Karibu is just a booking service and doesn't actually operate the tours themselves. For Karibu, Robert was always responsive to my emails, however seemed to answer my questions with minimal effort and detail so that was a bit disappointing but went with them anyways since they have good reviews. The airport pickup they provided went smoothly and the payment in the office as well.
For the tour itself, we did the 6 day Masai Mara, Nakuru and Amboseli safari and had an amazing time thanks to our driver Gibson and the other 6 people in our van. The tour itself beat my expectations due to our driver and that the overall quality was better than I expected. We were worried 6 days might be a bit too long at first, but each park was so different that it was perfect. My only warning to people is that you should be prepared to spend A TON of time in the car (10-12 hours per day i'd say). If you don't like long car rides, or uncomfortable bumpy roads for hours on end, then this tour is not for you. But your only alternative is flying between places and that gets expensive, so no budget tour is for you in that case.
Driving - Our driver Gibson was very knowledgable, funny and an excellent driver. Usually on the game drives we were one of the first vans to discover an animal before the rest flocked over. We saw the big 5 and more, Gibson made sure to give us the best experience and he clearly knew his way around each park. The van was comfortable enough and we all had a proper viewing spot with the pop up top. As reiterated before, we were surprised at how much time is spent in the car and also how terrible the roads are...so just something to keep in mind, but nothing the company did wrong here.
Accommodations - This was originally what I was most worried about doing a budget tour, but actually ended up being totally fine. The first camp in Masai Mara there was no hot water and the electricity was quite hit and miss. The hotel in Nakuru was a nice step up from the camps, and the final camp in Amboseli was actually quite nice even if basic.
Food - Also a major worry of mine before, but was a big surprise that it was actually quite decent. We are vegetarians and had a good selection of things to eat and they fed us plenty every day. Also everyone is given 1 liter of water per day which was nice, with the option to buy more.
Optional tours - We did the morning nature walk with the Masai guides in Amboseli and the boat ride in Lake Nakuru which I would definitely recommend both! I can't comment much on the Masai village tour since we didn't do it, but as far as I heard they just try to sell you all their arts and crafts aggressively which we hate those type of tourist trap things.
Overall, i'd totally recommend this tour to anyone who is looking to do an affordable safari trip...we feel like we got our money's worth and more. This tour is not for anyone expecting comfort and luxury, but if your goal is just to see some amazing animals at an affordable price then don't hesitate and do the tour!
Email Heath Holden | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great and easy going trip, relaxed and flexible to meet needs.
Th Amboseli 3 day safari was good, I think it suits those who don't want a super controlled schedule and are flexible to other options within the time frame. Food etc was reasonable, good company and I would use the guides again no problem. For photography purposes, I would recommend some small changes, mostly going out a bit earlier for sunrise game drive and Kilimanjaro views.
NL
Email Lise | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
We had a great time, and it was well organized!
Communication upfront and during the trip was smooth, and Castro was very helpful throughout. The trip and activities were great. Would highly recommend Karibu safaris!
Email Jay | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good experience
Good comms throughout. Slightly chaotic at times with us being moved from one van to another but don't let that faze you.
Our driver, Aruny took care of us and we were super lucky to have been able to spot a leopard and a cheetah. He was pretty quick at driving us to where the animals were last seen.
Overall, a good experience and will recommend the tour to my friends.
AE
Email Travelilng_Tenderoni | under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Enjoyable!
When we were picked up from our hotel there was someone to collect the remaining fees pick us up. He gave us a small run down of what to expect, then 5 mins to the bus station he got out and left. We were slightly confused what was happening, but the driver took care of us overall. He answered any questions/ request we had. Overall I would refer others to this company.
Email Amlan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Masai Mara trip with Arony
The Masai Mara safari trip with our driver-cum-guide, Arony, was an excellent experience. We strongly feel Arony went above and beyond what was required, to make this a very enjoyable and memorable trip. It was obvious that he was not doing something just for a living, or a paycheck, but Arony was passionate about his responsibilities/role of taking us around, and providing us an outstanding safari experience. He was always alert, and constantly on the wireless communication system, regarding the sightings of the animals, and would immediately make adjustments to go to the relevant locations, and in time, for us to catch a glimpse of lions, cheetahs, elephants, the only leopard we could see, and other animals. Arony was also very knowledgeable about various aspects of the safari experience, and was always eager, and clear in his communications. The tented accommodation was modest, and so were the meals, but we were OK with the adequate nature of that, given the remote location of the safari park and the environment. (The accommodation is the only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 stars.)
Email Soma | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Arony was excellent I rate him 100%!
Arony did an excellent job, he went above and beyond our expectations! Communication was excellent in English! Awesome guy!
Email Jin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The animals are incomparably great. The tour experience was definitely budget.
The animals were fantastic. Which is good because that's really why we go, right? The tour was a bit rough around the edges. The car seats were at an awkward height so looking out the window was difficult. Our group was a mix-match of people from multiple operators, which meant that the vehicle was contracted and not owned/maintained by the operator. Our rear bumper guard fell off during the trip, which put our radio out of commission for an hour or so. All these are small things, but these little things add up. Luckily for us, the Masai Mara operation as a whole functions well enough to deliver a fairly consistent viewing experience, but it has little to do with the operator itself. Definitely will save up for a higher tier service next time. Like many things, you get what you pay for. I'm satisfied with what I got.
JP
Email Ai | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Operator is really friendly and have good driving skills.
This company is reliable.
They are very friendly and try to find wild animals hardly.
I had good experience.
Laymond is good guide.