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
Worst work ethic
My review might be the odd one among all the positive reviews. But I need to share my experience so others can avoid a similar experience with this tour operator. I booked a safari tour with Natural World Safari for Sept 2014 , paid all the advance, but had to cancel the tour in Aug 2014 for personal reasons. The experience and communications were fine until my cancellation but after that everything changed and was a nightmare. As per their terms and conditions, I was eligible for 80% refund. But every time I contacted them I was only getting false assurances that the refund shall be done shortly. This continued for the next 1 year 8months. After reporting this to KATO and other efforts from my side, I was finally able to get my refund in April 2016. I believe a good business should abide by their terms and conditions and also show professional ethics. Unfortunately this is not the case with this business once you cancel their service. I hope everyone booking safari with this tour operator understand these risks if you ever have to cancel.
DK
Email Mette Erichsen | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Terrible guide and vehicle!
At first it was quit rapid, swift reply and ordering the tour was easy.
It did a no time leave up to our expectations.
Not because there wasn't any wildlife, but becuase our driver who was NOT near being a guid was just unprofessional, and had not knowledge
of wildlife and the undead. His only method of finding something was to feel after all the others or via the radio to inquire about where something was. Even though we were interested in birds and told him that, he always drove past and it was more about rushing back and forth than seeing anything.
He shortened our trip in Tsavo West because he thought it was too hot. This despite the fact that at the time of day the lions can be seen.
Our trip got worse entering Tsvao in a car which should have been slanted. The dust came in all the way from and it was not possible to sit in the car and breathe.
We were actually happy when we got off at Voi train station and had to take the train to Mombasa, where we will be met by a driver from the company and driven to our next destination Chale Island.
However, it did not get any better unfortunately. We were met by an driver who was also a guide. When he found out we were going to Chale Island it was like a problem, he calles several time naming Chale Island and were upset. We would like to skip lunch and thus arrive earlier. We made this clear to him. But he thought the trip was too long train we needed lunch. Despite the fact that we insisted on skipping lunch several times, he did not. After a one hour drive we ended up at a restaurant. From the time we ordered to the food arrived, an hour and a half went by where we just waited as we arrived late for the buffet. He calls He is very rude and repeatedly scolds the staff in front of us. We feel we are at fault and are guilty of it all. He eats cake while talking while we wait for almost 2 hours for some pom fries and some chicken!
We stopped by a supermarket to buy some water and suddenly he came in to the supermarket too. He wanted a Cola he said, and by the counter he just put it into our basket. I thought he would pick it up, when we had to pay for our stuff. But NO he did not. We ende paying for it, and that made me angry. I did not say anything, and a fex dollars are no problem for me, men it's the principles of doing it in that manner! When we finally reached to place form where we has to take the boat to Chale Island, we both agreed that he should not have any tip at all, both for delaying us for several hours and for the Cola trick.
Then he just out of te blue says " come on, something for the driver"? I find this manner so rood and unprofessional.
All in all a terrible safari with the Natural world and a terrible trip that we didn't enjoyed at any time. Miserable guide, miserable car, then it can not be good. Waste of money and precious time.
We where on a budget safari in Uganda for 10 day before this, and has a great guid and a proper car for less amount of money pr day.
Would never recommend it at alle.
Reply from Natural World Kenya Safaris
Posted on Sep 30, 2019Jambo Mette from Denmark,
Thank you for joining Natural World Kenya Safaris on the 4 days (3 nights) safari visiting Amboseli National Park, Taita Hills game sanctuary & the Tsavo East National Park.
Thank you too for taking your time to review us and to express your dissatisfaction with the provided services.
We too are disappointed that your expectations were not met during the entire safari period as you have put it.
Our greatest regret is that for the 4 days you did not contact the company to raise any issues regarding the safari driver/guide or the safari vehicle itself, even with telephone and internet access throughout. We could have corrected/rectified the issue immediately if you had communicated the same to us.
During the safari booking process and even on our safari booking conditions, we have always indicated that you should contact the office immediately if anything is not right or there is a problem. This is so that we can correct the situation immediately, unfortunately you never contacted us in this regard.
It is very disturbing that you could spend 3 nights/4 days with a driver guide and safari vehicle that you do not like and not see the need to report the same for immediate action.
We would have been very glad if you had raised the concerns with a sequence in this review:
Like for instance, it would have been helpful if you explained the issues on Day 1 at Amboseli, issues on Day 2 at Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and issues on Day 3 at Tsavo East National Park.
You would have further explained if the driver/guide was rushing during the morning game viewing drive, the mid-morning one or the afternoon game viewing drive sessions.
This way, other prospective visitors would understand how safari is done and also the expectations.
Driving speed is limited to 30km per hour in the national parks and speeding may not be realistic due to the nature of tracks and the terrain.
The summary on game viewing drives in the national parks does not show the sequence and neither does it indicate the accommodation, meals etc. It does not also say whether there was a mechanical problem with safari vehicle or otherwise.
An objective review could certainly have focused on the entirety and fundamental aspects of the safari tour. On the second paragraph, you could have focused only negatively on your transfer driver who might have been too eager to have you take lunch after a long day.
Nowhere has the actual drive between Mombasa railway station to Chale Island been mentioned.
There is a negativity in the description of driver guide as obscure at time of first meeting, which may be a reflection of an unfriendly attitude.
Safari is interactive, and drivers/guides being human react or perform to their utmost best in a friendly atmosphere.
We sincerely regret that your expectations were not adequately met, and shall continue to do our best to keep on making memorable East Africa safari tours to visitors.
US
Email Casey | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Horrible Business Practices
The Safari was great and the guide was amazing! I received a charge 2 months after the Safari was over and it was not recognized as Natural World. After not responding to the dispute, Robert with Natural World Safari has now reported me to the authorities in Kenya as a criminal for not paying!! Even though they were the one's which didn't respond to the multiple requests from AMEX for 8 weeks!!! I have now reversed my dispute and allowed the payment, but I am still a criminal there!!
I would NOT recommend Natural World Kenya Safaris due to their business practices, not their guides!
US
Email Laura | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I would caution you not to book with this company
CAUTION - DO NOT BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY!
Natural World Kenya Safaris, operated by Humphrey N. Ndara, could not be more of a scam and disappointment. This is a safari company that prioritizes taking your money upfront and providing disappointment on the back end. The customer service and pretend caring stop once they have your money. We learned the hard way that the company’s business practices are at best dishonest and possibly fraudulent. If your intent is to experience all that Kenyan’s National Parks can offer, to receive the services for which you paid; to follow the itinerary to which was agreed and paid for; to be treated with honesty, common courtesy and respect; and/or to enjoy equipment that works, then we strongly suggest that you ignore any positive reviews this company may have and research other safari companies. Their positive reviews might have been deserved once upon a time, but clearly that time is in the past. DO NOT fall into the same trap we did. Kenya and the Kenyan people are too special to mar your visit by using this company. For more details, read below.
None of the equipment, including the “Off-road 4x4 Land Cruiser Jeep”, was as advertised. The vehicle did NOT have working electricity meaning that none of our phones or cameras could be recharged. The vehicle’s advertised WiFi was nonexistent. The portable fridge was broken so there was no cold water providing needed refreshment while in the heat of the Kenyan sun. The advertised sandbags for stability while picture taking were also nonexistent. The vehicle itself was old, busted in various places, and had abnormally inferior shocks (even for a safari vehicle). The poor condition of the vehicle ultimately resulted in an injury to one of us.
Although extremely disappointing, the poor (or lack of) functioning equipment could have been overlooked had the company not continued to ruin its questionable reputation through its misleading and underhanded business dealings. Despite having paid for all of our lodgings prior arriving in Kenya, we learned that it is Mr. Ndara’s business practice not to pay the lodging owners until the very last possible moment, and in some cases, not at all. Upon arriving early in the day at one of our lodging sites, we were unable to check in as the hotel/camp staff informed us that our lodging had not yet been paid by Natural World (Mr. Ndara). The hotel/camp staff suggested that we go ahead and spend our day in the park on safari under the assumption that all would be resolved before coming back at the end of our day. Unfortunately, when we arrived back at our lodging at the end of the day nothing had been resolved. In fact, the hotel/camp staff had been unable to contact anyone at Natural World all day. After an additional several hours waiting at the check-in desk, we were advised that we should (re)pay out-of-pocket and attempt reimbursement later. Our driver confirmed that this predicament is not an uncommon happening where Mr. Ndara is concerned. He often uses customer prepayments for other purposes.
Adding insult to injury, our driver (Jeff) was rude and condescending throughout our 9-day safari. He ignored asked questions, rushed us every time we stopped to take pictures, and repeatedly dropped us off at our camp earlier than scheduled (and much earlier than other safari groups that were staying at the same camp) causing us to miss the dusk hours when animals are most active. He did this without any explanation and got angry when we questioned him why he was returning to camp so early. Multiple times he skipped destinations listed on the itinerary that was agreed to when we submitted our safari down payment. One of the better examples of our driver’s rudeness is when he told us, “Why bother telling you what these animals are called since you can’t seem to remember them?”
On our last day of the safari, Mr. Humphrey Ndara verbally promised his commitment to addressing our negative safari experience and poor treatment. Unfortunately, true to form and never responding to our emails, this was just one more false and broken promise and another item to be added to the long list of extreme disappointments we suffered at the hands of Natural World, Mr. Humphrey and our driver Jeff.
US
Email Moneeb | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They are a dishonest company based on our experience
I used this company for a Kenya family safari in 2017 and we had a great experience. Based on this, we booked a new 5 day luxury Safari with them. I had every expectation that - based on my prior experience from 2017 - we could expect another great experience. This was not the case. Something has clearly happened and this company has gone totally downhill.
In summary - we were assured that our private Safari trip was completely lined up and on track. However the moment we paid them the money ($12k for a family of 5) - the problems immediately began. Firstly we were lied to about the hotel we had chosen somehow not having availability and we were rebooked into a different hotel of a much lower caliber (and told that the price was the same). I later confirmed that there was NO lack of availability at our originally selected lodge - rather the company had never made the reservation and had just pocketed the money. Secondly the company never paid the Safari park fees (despite us having paid them IN FULL prior to our arrival). We were left stranded at the park entrance for over an hour and were constantly being pressured to just pay the park entry fees in "cash" and told we would get refunded later. I refused.
This company ruined our family vacation. They took our money upfront and assured us our trip is all paid for. Then left us stranded in a foreign country and told us to just pay in "cash" to cover ongoing costs. Our attempts to get a refund are met with a combination of them ignoring emails/phone calls and them sending us generic emails.
The people we dealt with are Fred and Humphrey. I would advise you don't use them and do not make the mistake we did.
US
Email Jeff | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They are broke…when you get cheated go KATO. They guarantee payment.
We loved the safari and driver on a Kenya safari that ended Jan 20. Natural World Safari’s is broke. We raised hell and got 7 days of our 11 paid…one day at a time. At the end we brought the Nairobi Tourist police and the operator was able to refund the last $4000 US by some shenanigans with a refund to our credit card. My guess is the best route for a refund of the safari cost (not your airfare and hassle) is through KATO, an organization that apparently guarantees operators nationally.
If you have the funds, my recommendation is you do the safari and pay yourself, as needed and then go to KATO.
If you haven’t booked with this company, I would advise don't.
US
Email Sean | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I recommend being cautious when booking with this company. Paid for service that we did not get
Sadly, like a bunch of others you can see on TripAdvisor, we lost thousands of dollars due to the actions of this tour company. This company operates under African Kenya Safaris as well as Natural World Kenya Safaris, so beware of both those names. We paid for our entire trip, in full, weeks before flying out to Kenya. When we arrived at our second hotel, they said our booking had been completely cancelled by this tour company one full week before we arrived.
Our next two hotel stays were still booked, but the company never paid. We spent 1.5 hours, each time, back-and-forth calling and messaging on WhatsApp in the hotel lobby with all our luggage. Neither were ever paid. It was late, dark, and we were tired and hungry, so we paid (again, since everything had been prepaid before we left home) with our credit card for the hotel - AFTER the tour company rep, Mary, agreed the company would reimburse us. She acted like this was an outlier, but we later discovered there are plenty of other victims.The hotel staff were shocked and felt so bad for us, and offered to comp our drinks at the restaurant. One guide said he had never heard of anything like this in over 18 years of being a guide. It has been weeks since they said they would refund us the money they owe, but now they will not reply to any messages. Beware of this tour company.
Email Tracy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beware! Natural World Kenya Safaris was dishonest with us
I joined a 5-day safari tour in Kenya with Natural World Kenya Safaris, and it turned out to be a nightmare. Despite paying in full, the company failed to cover basic expenses like my safari tickets and hotel accommodations. Instead, they had the audacity to request that I pay for them myself, promising a refund.
That refund never came. I have followed up multiple times, only to be ignored. To make matters worse, the sales representative who initially handled my case left the company and revealed that many other customers have faced the same scam—damaging his own reputation in the process.
This company is completely untrustworthy, and I strongly warn everyone to stay away. Do not fall into their trap. They took our money and left us to deal with the consequences. I advise you avoid Natural World Kenya Safaris at all costs!
IE
Email KM | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Natural World Kenya Safaris took our deposit for a safari never taken& unethically not returning it.
I paid 12,328 USD to Natural World Kenya Safaris, for family holiday in April 2024 as they wanted 40% deposit.
It was a booking deposit for an upcoming trip this July, 2025. I had very little email communication after paying the deposit, and no response to our phone calls to them.
When I emailed the individual accommodations in Kenya we requested during our safari stay, I received emails back from them confirming Natural World Kenya did not reserve any accommodation for us.
I asked that our deposit be returned, well over the 150 days prior to trip and with in T& Cs.
After numerous emails/phone calls to Natural World Kenya Safaris, I did receive an email, from D****, that they would process a refund.
But we have not received our 12,328 USD from them. Nor any contact back from them.
I reached out to the KATO Ethics and Standard Sub committee, regarding non-delivery of services. Natural World Kenya Safaris has been suspended from KATO membership on account of violating the Code of Conduct for Members. And we have been referred to the Tourism Regulation Authority (TRA) and will pursue this legally against the company.
A very unethical company, one could ask is this fraud. A scam? Gangster like activity? if you book with them you will find out.
( Please note the date of "when do you go'' is date of deposit , not date we went on safari, as we never did go-full disclosure)
US
Email Juliana | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They took our money and refused to refund after we paid x2
Beware
All phone numbers are disconnected and the leadership claim they do not work for the company when called. Both KATO and the TRA ( government) are investigating this tour company and KATO has already pulled their membership. They will not show up and they will not issue a refund. If they do eventually send a driver, they will claim that their Pesapal ( payment system) is down and they cannot transfer money to the national parks and the hotels and they ask for you to pay and get a refund later from their office in cash. They will say they are preparing the cash and claim their sales agent is incompetent and company policy doesn’t allow them to give cash. I have been waiting for refunds for weeks and have discovered documentation they provided from Pesapal is fake and Pesapal confirms they have no money in their account to issue a refund. Shem (finance controller) will insist you don’t know how Pesapal works and that Pesapal can just debit it from their account and overdraw then recoup the money from further transactions. I was driven 6 hours to the Mara Triangle gate and told I would have to pay for hotel and park fees for the rest of the trip! I had no choice but to do so. I’m following up with the government to ensure they get punishment and hopefully some day I can get a refund from Natural World Safari. File claims with your credit card right away.
