Luxury African Safari tours in East Africa
Natural World Kenya Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 2002)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, ASTA, KATO, MCTA & Ecotourism Kenya
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $310 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Mohith | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My advise: Do not book!
Perplexed by all the recent reviews of Natural World Kenya, we were worried about being stranded mid-day despite paying in full so did some digging the day before our scheduled tour date. Thanks to all the recent reviews here, we saved ourselves a lot of pain.
We found that accomodations for the second half of the trip had been cancelled due to non-payment (e.g., Mara Serena Safari lodge told us that they had held the reservation and then released it when Natural World failed to pay them). This checks out with all recent reviews which highlight how Natural World leaves tourists stranded so that they're forced to pay again after paying in full.
Additionally, we received no flight or hotel confirmation until an hour AFTER our tour was scheduled to start! And that was only after they realized that we had cancelled our trip with them and filed for a refund with our credit card company. Amusingly, the confirmations only had one of our names (I guess the second person is flying with the luggage???) and that name was spelled incorrectly.
We ended up successfully re-booking with another marvelous tour operator. When we spoke with multiple operators to explain why we were already in Nairobi without a confirmed safari, they all understood and highlighted the same: Natural World is in financial trouble and so doing very shady things to keep the company afloat. Unsure why they're still allowed to operate. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
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Email MARIAROSA CERRI | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Dishonest company
My husband and I purchased a 10-day, personalized package including accommodations, safari car, park entrances and driver guide. Paid everything in advance. Already upon our arrival in Nairobi, Mr. Humphrey, the owner, communicated to us difficulties in finding the promised car. He then sent us a car to the airport which took us to the first park and which would be replaced the following day. However, we had difficulty both entering Samburu park and having a room at the lodge, as we were not booked. After a few phone calls, everything was resolved for the entrance and the lodge. Instead, for the car, an odyssey began: in short, for the rest of the journey we had to repay the car to continue and complete the itinerary, as the agency, with a thousand excuses, refused to pay the drivers. It was very challenging for us, as the drivers wanted to be paid exclusively in cash...For hotels, they were only paid for the first week. we had to pay for the last 4 nights again, as did the entrances to the parks. Once we arrived in Nairobi we went to the agency offices and the owner, as soon as he saw us, tried to escape through the back door... however, despite the threats to report him to the police and his umpteenth promises to reimburse us for the expenses incurred on the credit card, we got nothing. He proved to be an unscrupulous serial scammer. BE CAREFUL, AVOID IT
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Email Kevin | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Do not with them - as others have said - they will take your money and not book anything
They will have you pay via Pesapal and then claim it isn't "working" for them and they cannot get the money. They will ask you to pay cash the day of. As others have said, nothing is booked or paid for, Stay far, far away.
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Email Gabriel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari canceled 7 days prior to start by Natural World and after paying in full.
In December of 2024, I filled out the contact form on this company's website inquiring about a Safari. After much research I placed my trust in this company and put down a deposit of around $2,400 for a 7 day private Safari for 2 adults for 08/14/25-/08/21/25. All lodging, meals, game drives, and park entrance fee were allegedly included. We were to visit Amboseli, Lake Manayara, Ngorongoro, and Serengeti parks in both Kenya and Tanzania. All my communication was with an Ester via email. At the end of June 2025 Ester requested I make the final payment for my Safari. Since we had been emailing back and forth for several months I didn't think anything of it so I paid the remaining balance. The total was $8,124. This safari was part of a larger trip for me to Africa, so on 08/07/25 seven days prior to the beginning of my Safari and while I was already in Africa I received an email from the "Finance Department" stating that Natural World had been the victims of a cyberattack, since I had paid with a credit card (thank god) they requested I initiate a dispute with my credit card for "services not rendered". They apologized and that was basically it. I immediately replied and requested a call back from someone. I don't think that was too much to ask. No one at this company had the decency to get in contact with me and be transparent about the situation. After a lot of insisting via WhatsApp messages, Instagram direct messages, and replying to the emails I finally was able to speak to a Moke in the Finance Department. The conversation just reiterated everything in the email, Moke told me I could reschedule the Safari or they would cooperate with communication with my credit card company. Moke also mentioned the cyberattack was by someone within the company who had access to the pool of funds. Moke stated all payments from customers go into one account and from that account they pay for lodges, drivers, etc. I filed the dispute with my Bank of America credit card and the dispute seems to be in the final stages of the investigation. It's looking like I'll get my money back, but let's be clear if I get my money back that will be thanks to BofA not by Natural World attempting to make right by this awful situation. I was left without the safari I had been planning for half a year 7 days before it was to begin and I was already in Africa.
If this is a legitimate company...
When did this cyberattack happen?
Why was money requested from me given I had up to 7 days prior to beginning of the safari to pay in full?
Why were they not transparent from the beginning?
Why was my safari canceled only 7 days prior?
How did they know I can very easily dispute credit card transactions?
Why was it so difficult for someone (anyone) to speak to me?
If anyone would like further information on what occurred please feel free to reach out.
