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 P. Onungah. | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect trip to the coast - Diani.
A trip to remember,very proffesional driver guide,always on time for pick ups,jovial n ready to help when need a rises, can't wait to do another safari with you guys,Thanks so much Raymond. Anyone planning a safari, karibu safaris in kenya won't disappoint.
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.
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 Michael | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A total wreck
Before booking this tour I had some communication with Robert. I clearly asked if Karibu had a tour on my dates and he said it did. On my arrival date I went to the office, paid my balance and was subsequently sent to a car that would shortly transfer me to join another group with another company. Karibu never contacted me again.
At a transfer point myself and two other passengers joined a group of 6 other passengers for a total of 10 people (9 tourists plus the driver) The vehicle was so full we all had to sit with our own luggage and supplies between our legs and on our laps as the small space in the rear of the vehicle was woefully inadequate. Despite the fact that the tour was supposed to be maximum 7 people with everyone being offered a window seat and rooftop space, for the long drive to Masai Mara, the first evening game drive and the second day morning game drive we were 9 cramped passengers with three people having to use flimsy extension seats in the middle of the bus (ie. no window seats) and not receiving good views. After 2 passengers left after the morning drive it was still not possible for all 7 passengers to have a window seat and rooftop space as promised as there was only window space for 6 in the back. If you sat in the front of the bus with the driver, there was no rooftop space and you were situated lower.
At the camp, no towels were supplied to us. I only mention this because a few days before I left home I wasn't sure if I needed to bring my own towel so I e-mailed Karibu to see if towels were provided at the camp sites. They told me they were so I didn't pack one. I don't know if this was a lie or because the company they dumped me with used a different camp site with different standard.
On the third day I was supposed to visit Lake Nakura. The night before I reminded the driver since all the other passengers were going to Amboselli. He said he was aware and that I would be dropped off at a transfer point. After we left Masai Mara on the third day, I again reminded the driver about my transfer to Lake Nakuru. His reply was "You are not going, you will be going to Amboselli with us because there is no tour group going to Lake Nakuru today" There was no discussion with me at any point prior to this and had I not said anything to the driver, I don't know when they were planning to tell me. I asked him to call my tour operator (Karibu), but he refused saying this is what his boss had told him and that he was driving now and couldn't call (this despite the fact that he later picked up his phone while driving multiple times). I called Karibu's office on my personal cell phone which was very expensive as I did not have a local SIM card. Robert picked up and was very well aware of the situation. He suggested that they could refund some money which really wasn't a good option for me. He then said I could still go to Lake Nakuru on my last day instead. This would have meant backtracking a very considerable distance and spending about 12 hours in a car to go from Amboseli to the Tanzanian border to Nairobi to Lake Nakuru. It was never a real option as an evening tour at Lake Nakuru would have been impossible. I ended up taking an extra day in Amboseli, which is not something I really wanted to do as I felt one full day there was sufficient. What makes this even more frustrating is that the group that I joined for my second day in Amboseli had been in Masai Mara the previous day. If Karibu had communicated with me that going to Lake Nakuru was not be possible BEFORE I left Masai Mara, I would have much rather preffered to spend the extra day in Masai Mara.
Karibu failed miserably both in terms of communication and in terms of delivering what was promised. When my trip ended I wrote them an e-mail describing my experience and asking for a manager to respond. No one ever did, but after what I experienced, I really wasn't expecting anybody to. A complete disappointment.
ES
Email Daniel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
THE WORST EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE
After much comparison on Internet, I decided to book my trip to the Masai Mara for 3 days with this company. Big mistake.
Despite they took their time to answer my emails (great 'pole pole'), the reservation was made without major problem, for a single room in the Mara Springs, which I took charge of checking in person at his office in Nairobi, two days before the start of the trip (where they tried to trick me).
The problem came on the day of the activity, where they tell me that I will have to share a room with a stranger because there is a lot of traffic in the park this season, that they feel it, that I must have empathy, that I must be proactive, that they fuck me and that I can stand it . Well, no. Because one thing is that there is a last minute setback and quite another is that there is no seriousness here. But of course, one takes the trip programmed to the fingertips and I could not afford the pleasure of looking for another company that left in less than 10 minutes to the park, so I agreed to go with them, they made me a ridiculous price reduction that I would gladly have paid for 20, so as not to share a night with the boy who played for me, who had also paid for a single room and to whom I scarcely frightened entering his 'tent' to usurp the next bed.
Regarding the planning within the Masai Mara say that it was not fulfilled at all. The first day we spent 1 hour and a half at the door checking our passports (we were 9 people, so you calculate the slowness), and we spent half an hour in the park, which gave us a dreamy reddish sunset that I asked the driver to photograph and he did not leave me, answering me in an edge way and driving to the opposite side.
The second day was quite well and the guide seemed to change his character. However, same result trying to photograph the sunset of the previous day. Like they give bad luck to man, I do not want to prejudge, first of all empathy.
The last day, which was presented as to take advantage of to see the sunrise in the park, forced us to visit the Masai community, with no option to reply, and return to Nairobi, where they left me in a place that was not the agreed . I complained and they said I cause a lot of problems.
Regarding the VAN where we traveled all the time, although basic, it was comfortable a priori, it did not turn out that way since we were in it the top of possible people, bothering one another in many moments, inevitably.
On the other hand, the accommodation was finally carried out in the ENCORO WILDLIFE CAMP, which I will break down into another opinion, but which I can summarize in precariousness, dirt and loose snakes.
SULTRY.
SK
Email Kristina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The worst tour company I ever experienced
We went on a 3-Days safari - The Masai Mara.
The driver arrived late, the vehicle was uncomfortable and we did not feel safe throughout the journey. Our « guide » was more a driver than interested in being helpful or showing us around. The food was very cheap and disgusting and no drinking water in the camp. No hot water on the first day of the stay.
The guide decided not to do the safari on last day morning and he appeared on at 9 am.
I do not recommend to do the safari with them. Robert and his staff are not helpful, friendly and informative
Reply from Aanika Karibu Safaris In Kenya
Posted on Nov 9, 2018
Hi Kristina,
We are sorry about your experience, i will look in to the matter and have a seat down with the driver guide and robert and see where all went wrong and why he dint have a last day game drives while he had valid park re-entry tickets.
Sorry once again.
Regards
Victor
Chairman
Email bell caspi | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
BEST SAFARI FOR SOLO TRAVELER!!!!
first of, it was the best worth for the money, one of the cheapest price from the safari agencies. the safari was far beyond my expectations.
I got picked up from the airport straight after my flight, and the driver Dan was really nice and welcomed me although I was terrified because it was my first time in Africa.
and then I met with Robert (sultannnnn) , the director of the agency, he was extremely helpful and funny to talk with. (if u really want to laugh, ask him to do a little rap for u)
so lets talk about the safari itself, it was FRICKIN INCREDIBLE!!
adward (this cobra Mann) was soooo helpful, supportive and was helping me with everything I needed including planing the rest of the trip in kenya, and actually I booked another safari with them right after I finished the 3days tour.
so adward did us very long game drives was fun! he was very sharp on spotting the animals , so we got to see the BIG 5, and even the most rare animals on maasai mara like rhinos and leopard which quite hard to spot. we saw even cheetahs trying to hunt and even the river crossing!!!!
then I took 2 days private safari to Amboseli and tsavo west with bonnie (coolboy), which is so cool, funny and very easygoing. he was professional and was ready to set the safari according to my needs. In Amboseli we even saw a lot of flamingos which never ever happens.
so definitely highly recommend !!
TH
Email Miyo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond my expectation
First of all, I'd like to say thank you Robert and his team that my dreamed vacation made fantastic.
He responses all of my questions promptly, and arrangement was perfect.
All of my guide/drivers, Ambrose, Gene and Stanley are very professional; they won't miss anything with their eagle eyes and excellent communication skill together with driving skill yet very safe driving technique.
I could see Big 5 together with migration at Masai Mara!
Lake Nakuru and Amboseli shouldn't be missed; I'm so glad to be included on my itinerary.
AE
Email Rosh and Liz Thomas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experience the real Kenya thru Karibu Safaris
We loved every bit of it! All our wishes and requests were full filed by the team from start to finish. Martin our driving partner was fantastic and he enhanced our trip with his amazing stories. Thank you!
IN
Email Mahesh Shah | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
excellent and value for money, he is Best
We have started 1st day from Nairobi with a driver cum Guide James, he has picked up from our hotel at right time and took us to Masai Mara Safari for game ride, he was most aware about all routes in a so big field and showed us all most all animals available in Masai Mara and arranged a trip to Mara village, his aim was our satisfaction, and we found he has achieved their aim, we have enjoyed a good vegetarian food and shafe of camp is specifically taking care of us as being vegetarian, we have ultimate experience with karibu safari and I will surly recommend my upcoming friends to use their services fear lessly, Robert has booked my tour with proper communication and response of my mail and queries.. Thanks to team Karibu safari for their excellent coordination and cooperation.
