Shanjoy Tours Team
Shanjoy Tours and Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2013)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $1,200 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Dave | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Efficient, courteous, responsive and very helpful
We enjoyed our 10 day trip arranged by Shanjoy, the guides were great and the choice of lodging was well suited for our budget. The staff was great to work with, accommodating of all requests and a pleasure to work with. I would recommend the company to anyone looking to book a safari tour.
Email Murali Angirekula | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 8D/7N Safari in Kenya and Tanzania
Shanjoy Tours organized an amazing 8D/7N safari with 3 days in Masai Mara, 1 day in North Serengeti, 2 days in Central Serengeti, 1 day in Ngorongoro Crater and 1 day Tarangere NP.
Ms. Rodah was our tour coordinator who was absolutely brilliant through the planning stages and checked in with us every day of our safari to make sure everything was going smoothly. She picked fantastic accommodations for us which were both luxurious and immersive. She was quick to respond to every question we had and giving us useful tips. She is excellent at what she does and provided 5 star service.
Our guide in Kenya, Mr. Jamlek is passionate about his work and knows Masai Mara like the back of his hand. He gave us some incredible sightings of the Big Five by day 2 and even a cheetah sighting as a bonus. We had an amazing sighting of a Leopard that walked past our safari jeep. We had a total of 15 sightings of lion prides including a lion with a buffalo kill surrounded by hyenas and vultures and a pride of 6 lions strolling in the Savannah early morning. He even went above and beyond to help us pick up our lost luggage from the Olkiombe Airstrip. He has an incredible intuition of sighting game. He is also a fantastic and safe driver with superb knowledge of Masai Mara. He dropped us off at the Isebania border crossing into Tanzania and helped us with a smooth transfer.
Mama Savanna handled the Tanzanian portion of our tour. Mr. Marley our guide in Tanzania is exceptional at his work. He has an incredible knowledge of the bird and animal wildlife in Tanzania. He was brilliant at spotting wildlife and we had the opportunity to see two leopard sightings including Leopard cubs, multiple sightings of lions including a pride of lions resting 10 feet from our safari jeep as well as a cheetah sighting. In Ngorongoro he showed us a herd of 4 White Rhinos which we were able to watch from close quarters for a half hour. He took great care of us for the five days we spent in Tanzania. He is a very safe driver and a professional safari guide.
Thanks to our amazing guides Mr. Jamlek and Mr. Marley, we had amazing sightings of the Big Five in both the Masai Mara and Tanzania.
All in all we are glad we picked Shanjoy Tours and Safaris who were very transparent from the beginning and provided a five star experience from start to finish.
Email Neal T. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing tour and organisation!
We had an incredible trip to Kenya with Shanjoy! From the pre-trip organisation to when we landed and throughout our trip, we had an amazing time. A huge thank you to Diana who has been in touch with us for pre-trip organisation, Beth for hotel bookings, Patrick (the director!) who joined us on the tour; and the amazing safari drivers - Jim, Ben, David and Emilio. Everyone was lovely, hospitable and knowledgeable. Our safari drivers and Patrick made the game drives incredible, from their ability to spot animals (even when they are lying in the bush or hiding away in the shades), their knowledge of the animal behaviours and habitat, to their amazing driving skills and determination to get us to a great viewing spot - we had the best time! The accommodation and food were also great throughout the trip, we couldn't recommend them enough! Thank you for an incredible trip, Shanjoy team :)
CO
Email Paula Rodriguez | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very organises, proactive and kind
The staff was very kind and always available to any question. I did not have any issue, the organization of the flight tickets, ground transportation and accomodation in the mara park was perfect. I really enjoyed my time there and will strongly recommend this company
Email Natalie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful
We went with Shanjoy after a couple friends of ours had used them. We can’t say enough good things about Patrick Macharia (aka Patrick II). His depth of knowledge of the animals was impressive. He was friendly and worked hard to find us all of the animals we wanted to see. It was a pleasure to spend 10 days with Patrick.
Rodah was also a blessing. She was very responsive, her answers complete and she made the entire process much easier.
The best place to book a tour to Kenya and Tanzania
I want to say a huge thank you to our manager, Beth! Not only did she book all the hotels quickly and efficiently at a great price, but she was also in touch throughout the entire 11-day trip. We were especially impressed by how she helped us even with questions unrelated to her tour—even after we'd left on our own, she was still there to support us and offer advice. The itinerary was perfectly planned, and her response was immediate.
And a special treat for our driver-guide, Dereck!
He was the best we've met in so many countries. Always incredibly positive and caring, he accommodated our every wish, and allowed us to stay longer where we wanted. He also has an incredible eye for great locations and animals!
We were incredibly pleased with our tour of Kenya and Tanzania: we visited Naivasha, Nakuru, Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Amboseli. It was unforgettable!
HK
Email Chan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari experience
Aiming for Big five and river crossing, we joined a 8D7N safari to Kenya and Tanzania in late July 2026, visiting Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Amboseli. With the help of Jimmy, a friendly and experienced guide we met in first few days in Kenya, we already saw Big five in the first two days! He had excellent driving skills and always took us to best observing sites. By a full-day game drive in Masai Mara, we saw the migration of a huge group of wildebeests and almost saw river-crossing! (The wildebeests attempted multiple times and suddenly left the riverside…) In Tanzania, we was guided by Abuu, who is a knowledgeable cat-lover, to meet a dozen of lions and several cheetahs/ leopard. He could even lead us to exclusive spot for lion, that the lions were within reach and we were away from the crowds! In our last two days in Kenya, Stephen guided us to Amboseli and showed us a huge family of elephants. He was so smart that he could predict the route of elephants. Dozens of elephants crossed the road just in front of us, leading to the end of our journey. Finally, thanks to Rodah for planning this perfect itinerary. The balloon experience in Masai Mara is amazing, with wildebeests and zebras everywhere. We had a really enjoyable time in Africa!
CA
Email Kathy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip
We just completed a 10-day safari with Shanjoy, and the experience exceeded all of our expectations.
Patrick 2 was our main guide in Kenya. He was incredibly experienced, knowledgeable, kind, and patient. During the high season, Masai Mara can get very busy, and it’s not unusual to end up in a “traffic jam” of safari vehicles around a rare sighting. Thanks to Patrick’s experience and excellent tracking skills, we were often the first vehicle to arrive, giving us an unobstructed view of the animals before the crowds gathered. We especially appreciated the respect he showed for the wildlife. He always made every effort to avoid disturbing the animals while still positioning us perfectly for incredible photos.
Izack was our guide for the Tanzania portion of the trip, and he was equally outstanding. He is incredibly hardworking and genuinely passionate about what he does. Every day, he went above and beyond to give us the best possible experience. We were honestly worried that the long game drives would leave him exhausted, but his enthusiasm never faded. Thanks to his dedication, we witnessed so many unforgettable moments, including the spectacular river crossing.
After returning to Nairobi, Derrick was our guide for a full-day city tour. He was funny, engaging, and immediately made us feel comfortable. What stood out most was how genuine and honest he was. Beyond showing us the city’s landmarks, he shared fascinating insights into Kenya’s culture, history, and everyday life, making the tour feel much more meaningful than simple sightseeing.
A safari is only as memorable as the people who guide you, and Patrick, Izack, and Derrick each played a huge part in making this trip so special. We are incredibly grateful for everything they did and would highly recommend Shanjoy to anyone looking for an unforgettable East African safari.
DK
Email Mikael M | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Unforgettable Safari — Expertly Planned, Beautifully Executed
**TLDR**
Shanjoy delivered one of the best travel experiences of our lives. From the first email to the final train ride to Mombasa, every detail was handled with professionalism, honesty and genuine care. If you're planning a Kenya safari, stop looking — book Shanjoy, request Rio as your guide, and trust Rodah in the office to build the perfect itinerary.
**Planning — Honest, Flexible and Genuinely Collaborative**
We came to Shanjoy with a rough idea of what we wanted and a wedding on the coast to reach at the end. What followed was a genuinely collaborative back-and-forth with Rodah in the office. She was honest about what would and wouldn't work — steering us away from itineraries that didn't make sense for our dates, rather than just selling us the most expensive package. We went through multiple iterations before landing on something that felt exactly right: Maasai Mara → Lake Nakuru → Lake Naivasha → Amboseli, finishing with a first-class train from Emali to Mombasa — a creative touch Shanjoy arranged seamlessly as part of the package. The whole process felt like working with someone who genuinely wanted us to have the best possible trip.
**Rio — The Guide Who Made the Difference**
Our driver-guide Rio was exceptional. As a private tour — just the two of us in our own Land Cruiser — we had the flexibility to stay as long as we wanted with any sighting, and Rio made full use of that. We spent a full hour parked with a mama lion and her three cubs. No pressure, no agenda.
What set Rio apart was his combination of deep knowledge and sharp instincts. He understood animal behaviour well enough to position the vehicle in exactly the right spot before things happened — not chasing sightings after the fact, but anticipating them. His network with other guides meant we rarely missed anything significant. Beyond the headline animals, Rio opened our eyes to birdlife in a way we didn't expect — especially in Amboseli, where we spent wonderful time on species like the Hamerkop and Squacco Heron. His driving was consistently safe and confident, and we always felt completely at ease.
A lovely touch: Shanjoy gave us each a branded safari hat on arrival. Small, but it set a warm tone from day one.
**Staying Inside the Parks — Absolutely Worth It**
One of the best decisions we made, on Shanjoy's advice, was choosing lodges inside the national parks. In the Maasai Mara we stayed at Ashnil Mara Camp — a luxurious tented camp right on a bend of the Mara River, with hippos visible and audible from the lodge at all hours. We didn't know it was fully all-inclusive going in, which was a wonderful surprise. Staying inside the park meant every minute of our game drives was spent actually looking for animals, rather than commuting to and from the gate. Over several days that adds up significantly.
**Wildlife Highlights**
We completed the Big Five — with both black and white rhino spotted at Lake Nakuru in the same afternoon. Cheetahs were a recurring joy: six sightings in total, including a mama with two cubs on our final morning as we headed for the train — Rio stopped for fifteen unhurried minutes. Leopards were equally spectacular: one walking through tall grass, and sitting less than three metres from our car pausing to scratch itself, another sleeping by a river. These intimate encounters are what a private safari makes possible — no other vehicles competing for position, no pressure to move on. Some of the most moving moments were the quietest: being the only car surrounded by a large elephant herd in complete silence.
**The Hell's Gate Bike Safari**
Riding through Hell's Gate among zebras, giraffes and warthogs is unlike anything else. Note that you can at the moment not enter the gorge, but the ride is still very much worth doing — go early for cooler temperatures and better wildlife activity. We were lucky enough to spot a Secretary Bird. Rio lefts us here with a local guide, that also was very friendly and knowledgeable.
**Practical Tips for Future Travellers**
These are not critiques of Shanjoy — just things worth knowing:
The drives between parks are long — Nairobi to the Mara is 5-6 hours. We knew this going in, but still underestimated how much we'd appreciate having snacks. Pack more than you think you need.
Bring warm layers — more than you'd expect this close to the equator. Nairobi, the Mara and Amboseli are all at altitude and the early mornings are genuinely cold. A fleece or light down jacket is not optional.
On your departure morning from the Maasai Mara, game driving is not permitted — you drive straight out. This is a park rule, not a Shanjoy issue, but worth knowing in advance.
The train from Emali to Mombasa was a highlight in itself. We were a bit nervous, but it was spotlessly clean, comfortable and served lunch on board. A wonderful way to transition from the bush to the coast.
**In Summary**
Kenya exceeded every expectation, and Shanjoy was central to that. Rodah's planning was a genuine partnership, Rio was the guide we could only have hoped for, and the itinerary was perfectly constructed from start to finish. And for a competitive price. Just book it.
Email Matt Brockwell | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible guides who bring the wildlife to life.
Very good company who assigned fantastic guides, who were friendly and very knowledgeable about wildlife. They were easy to talk to and really did bring the experience to life. Their knowledge of the parks was outstanding too, the tracks are complicated but they always knew exactly where to go when they got a radio call for animals like leopards and cheetahs.
Accomodation was superb too.
