Our Consultants in the office
Meektrails Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2020)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $130 to $2,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
RU
Email Elena | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
We spent an amazing week with Meektrails Safaris and our guide Daniel in Amboseli, Naiwasha, Nakuru and Maasai Mara parks. Everything was well planed and organised. Our guide is a true professional, he showed us a lot of animals, including the Big Five, and told many interesting facts. We have always been among the first game-drivers to see interesting animals and scenes, such as cheetah’s hunting, and had the best views. We are very grateful and recommend the service.
US
Email Jeff | under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The tour operator was kind gave us option and places to visit. They also helped us understand what
Meektrails safari is a wonderful company with great people working for the company, a lot of interesting people, people who are ready to help you understand what you see. From the animals and plants you see in Masai Mara to interesting facts about land and different mountains. Overall I would record this company for anyone who is interested to go on a safari.
US
Email Anthony | under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A thrilling and exciting adventure.
the day started with a bang. As we had already arranged the time to start the wildest week of my trip to kenya. The safari was arranged by non other than daniel, the ceo of meektrails. With good price range any one loking for a budget safari can enjoy. The guide who was sent to pick us up, explained all the details with clarity,...(countinue). The guide was on time and we quickly made haste to start our journey. Masai mara was extrodinary. The first time we step into our lodge we knew that daniel made the right choice. Some lodges come with one bed while others too. Very affordable and very quiet. You are one with nature. No wifi just quietness. Even if you cant go one day with out your phone i doubt you will even need to pick up your phone while at the lodge. Its breath taking. For those who dont know animals, the days i spent in masai mara, the guide explained everything to us with so much detail. They also had experience since they knew where the animals hid and roamed. If you are lucky you will be able to see a lion. As an inexperience travel i didnt know what i was getting myself into. But with meektrails safari, i got to experence kenya like never before. 3 days is masai mara. Riding around the park waiting with excitement for the next animal you see. A budget lodge with incredible hospitality and freindly people. Not only do you see the animals daniel helped me get to know the locals by introducing them to us. we spoke to the masai, learned they custom and was enchanted by their splendiferous dance. At meek safari they go above and beyond. After masai mara we spent one day in amboseli. Just a stop over to mombasa. We were hoping for good weather to be able to be able to see mount kilimanjaro but the following day it was cloudy. There was nothing we could do about it other than drive to our final destination. During the drives, daniel is a very enthusiatic person, he is always ready to engange in a conversation and willing to get to know you better. On the drives between places he often gives us facts about the place we are in or the people, culture or animal that we see. After all the safari we chose yo relax in mombasa. The the white and blue city in kenya. The hotel we stayed in was also recommended by daniel and to our suprise he was not wrong. Daniel is an astounding tour guide. With good charisma and character. He seems to know all the hidden jems in kenya and anywhere he picks to take you know that there is going to be an adventure.
For 3 days we stayed in mombasa. It was humid and hot but had a sense of tranquility in the air that made you feel calm. Without daniel i would have never seen the hidden jems of mombasa. He took us to mamba village where you see crocodiles but also you get to taste one. A local delicacy in mombasa that you have to try. Very juicy and strechy makes me recall eating chicken. Our days in the hotel were splendid. The hotel had pool tables, pingpong, a bar an upstairs restaurant, spa and an enormous pool. anything you could think of was there. It was a trip to remember. Entering the city is easy but leaving is whats hard. With out daniel and meektrails safari, i woukd have never experienced this country's beauty, diversity and culture. For a mid-budget safari meektrails safari might be the answer you were searching for.
US
Email Eve e | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent services
Value for money, flexible , reliable and easy to work with and get along with Daniel.
US
Email Joe Susi | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The top value for dollar safari company that you can use!
I am pleased to file this report on my 4th safari with Daniel Waruri of Meektrails Safaris. Obviously, having booked multiple safaris with Daniel I have been very pleased with his services.
The first safari I was with Mr. Waruri he was sub-contracting with a different safari company but since has started his own company which specializes in safaris of a personalized nature.
The last three safaris I have taken with Daniel were ones specializing in bird watching. Daniel is an active birder and photographer in his own right and we have been to many parks and reserves on these excursions that he researched himself. During these trips his emphasis on the lodging is "value for dollar". It would be easy to schedule visits to all 5-star [and therefore more expensive] resorts and have clients be happy with the facilities. Mr. Waruri scouts places that are 'diamonds in the rough' resulting in substantial savings on the safaris without sacrificing quality.
As I write this I am planning my 5th and 6th safaris with Meektrails so I think that you can infer that I give this company and Mr. Waruri my wholehearted support.
IN
Email Anna | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Highly recommend!
I have used Meektrails 4 times to 3 different parks in kenya. I Highly recommend them. Dan was great!
He's an honest man with clear communication and sets realostic expectations. He's taken us to some of the most exclusive lodges in Kenya. Very knowledgeable when it comes to birds and the wild animals
BE
Email George | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good 7 days tour with Meektrails with some room for improvement
We are experienced travellers in Africa, and this is our fourth safari destination. We had a good time in Kenya with Meektrails as we visited Amboseli NP, Lake Nakuru and Maasai Mara. Overall, Meektrails did well, we had good communication before our trip, our contact Eliud was very quick to reply, we had an experienced guide (Joseph) and they were punctual and professional. However, there were some small issues, many of which apply to most safari tour operators in Kenya. None of these issues, however, got in the way of the overall good experience.
Firstly - the car. We decided to save a bit of money and we went for a 4x4 minivan instead of the classic safari vehicle - Toyota Land Cruiser. We had done that before in Uganda without any issues and we were assured by Meektrails that their vans are new and in good condition. Well, our van broke on the first day, just 5 km after we departed. While this of course can always happen and there is never a guarantee that issues would not arise with any car, it was quite obvious that the van was not in the best condition and our guide was quite careful in driving it for the rest of the trip. Its important to say that they reacted quickly and another car picked us up (with other tourists) and we shared the car for our first day. Even though we had booked a private tour, sharing for a day was not an issue.
An important piece of advice we can give to any traveller is to make sure you have a clear understanding of how many National Park passes you have and for which days. Park fees in Kenya are especially expensive and safari operators usually play around with passes to make budget trips possible and of course have a better margin. We had some small misunderstandings with Meektrails on this point (on one of the days our programme included a game drive, but in practice, it wasn't because of a pass that Meektrails did not pay for). Overall I think it was a matter of misunderstanding and did not take a way of our experience, since on this day we had a long trip in any case.
What was a disappointment, however, is that we specifically requested that on the last day we do a game drive in Maasai Mara and our flight was very late in the evening - 01.30 after midnight. So we specifically paid for the park passes - a total of 200 USD for two people. Yet, both our guide and Meektrails themselves, on multiple occasions, told us that there was not much time for a game drive since we needed to have enough time to get to Nairobi. We insisted that there was more than enough time to get to the airport, and even if it takes 6-7 hours (which usually takes 5, especially on a Sunday), we could have a half-day drive. They didn't agree and it felt like they just wanted the trip to finish earlier, so we did not feel like arguing and our drive was only until 9:30. This felt like wasting 200 USD on park fees for a short game drive. In the end, we arrived in Nairobi at 17:00 (with several very long stops - we just felt that there is a lot of time to spare), or more than 8 hours before our flight.
DE
Email Elizabeth | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not customer-oriented, only interested in own profits
Starting with the positives:
* Our driver exhibited exceptional friendliness and punctuality throughout the journey.
* We were consistently provided with excellent vantage points for capturing wildlife photographs.
* Despite encountering dangerous traffic conditions, our driver drove safely, though it's worth noting the necessity for functional safety belts within the vehicle.
However, handling of unforeseen circumstances by Meektrails Safari, particularly regarding our delayed arrival:
On the downside:
* Meektrails initially suggested omitting a day from our Masai Mara itinerary, a significant disappointment given its prominence in our plans and its associated cost, with no reimbursement offered.
* Contrary to their stated cancellation policy guaranteeing full refunds in such situations, we were informed that refunds were not feasible due to upfront payments for accommodations and entrance fees.
* During the safari we saw that these fees were typically paid upon arrival, contradicting Meektrails' explanation.
* Following considerable negotiation, Meektrails agreed to adjust our itinerary to two full days in Masai Mara, yet failed to compensate for the activities and accommodations we skipped.
* Additionally, the promised sightseeing activity in Nairobi on our final day was abruptly canceled without prior notice, leaving us feeling fooled
In conclusion, we recommend you to recognize the potential for abrupt changes in plans during such excursions. However, Meektrails' failure to stick to their refund policy and their apparent attempts to prioritize their interests leave a negative impression. Regrettably, we cannot recommend this agency.
Reply from Meektrails Safaris
Posted on Mar 26, 2024Many thanks for posting your safari experiences with all the people here looking for a good safari in our beautiful country Kenya. This is an eye opener.
I will point out what you did not mention, that your flight was delayed for over a day and it is busy season here.
Despite your flight being delayed for over a day we managed to rework your itinerary making sure you did not miss out on anything without charging you extra for changing some of the dates despite the hotels considering your booking as a last minute cancellation. We actually paid more for the change, some places 100% for the room.
The 100% refund is for us protecting our clients, in most cases we cover the losses as you well know the hotels have different policies, we look at it in a positive way that no one will book a holiday in Africa with the intensions to cancel last minute. We only do it to protect the clients, rarely do the cancellations occur.
This is the same thing that we did for you, just did not find it necessary to tell you we are paying some of the hotels afresh for the changes since yours was considered a last minute no show and we had to push every place a day ahead. Rarely do such cases occur.
I think honesty is very important everywhere as the only place that would not fit inn was a night in Lake Naivasha because of your Flight back home.
Many thanks for choosing our beautiful country Kenya for your holiday.
CH
Email Marco | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They may change plans unexpectedly and without informing the clients.
We booked a ten day safari. The original program was changed without informing us and without our consent. The vehicle was downgraded without informing us. They also decreased the number of safari day to 9, leaving us one day without activities. This is especially bad since they erased from the program one day in the Masai Mara. We found out about all of this during the trip, not before. Communication was virtually non-existent.
Reply from Meektrails Safaris
Posted on Jan 8, 2024Many thanks for sharing this with other travelers, we take every review in a positive approach to help us get better, some negative will assist us in knowing how we can do to make it better for clients travelling with us now and in the future.
In Kenya we have 2 vehicles for safaris, 4 X 4 safari minivan and 4 X 4 safari land cruiser, it is important to know which you are booked even by asking for photos for the safari vehicle. The price between the two vehicles is considerably different.
I do not understand what you mean by your tour being cut short yet we dropped you guys at the airport on the same day you were booked for your flight home, you almost did not meet me because of time since you were rushing to board the flight. The flight itinerary was not changed, how could you have missed a day?
I agree about missing a game 1st night in Maasai Mara, I personally asked you what we could do about this since our parks had changed from 24 hour packages to 12 hour packages. I have many clients who have had this issue but we advised them to do something different on this evening to avoid paying a full days ticket that is only used for an hour or so and most picked my advise, you also picked this as there was no need to pay an extra ticket. Had I known you had an issue believe me we would have paid that extra ticket for you to make sure you spoke positive of us and our our beautiful country.
ALL IN ALL THIS WILL HELP US IMPROVE AND THANKS FOR SHARING.