NAIROBI KENYA
Balu Travel
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2022)
- Member Of:
- KWS & TRA
- Tour Types:
- Budget & mid-range tours with set start dates and a fixed itinerary
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $175 to $400 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
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Email Nicolas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great value of money
Reliable, flexible, and great value for money
We had a great experience with our guide Kish. He was always on time, very knowledgeable, and flexible with our itinerary when needed.
Beyond being professional, he was fun to be around and made us feel comfortable throughout the whole trip. The service was excellent for the price. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a solid safari guide
ES
Email Mikel | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent option for our private safari, 100% recommended
Our driver Junior did a great job, we managed to see the big 6 and had a great time.
DE
Email Ti | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Balu Travel Focussed on shopping rather than Safari
Balu Travel safari agency cared more about shopping than animal viewing. We had a long (more than 30min) shopping stop everyday, even inside the natural park and this one was at 9am!! just during the best time for animal viewing. Meeting times with the driver James were always late. On the ongoing trip from Nairobi we had to wait for 1h for some supplies which were not picked up in Nairobi. The safari started at 8am when other agencies start 6-7am for better chances of game viewing. The driver James spent most of the time at the phone, didn't explain anything, no comments and explanations about animals, only the passenger next to him could hear him, he only talked when asked and mostly responded with shortest answers possible. The driver James wasn't friendly. One visitor was curious and liked to ask questions, driver wasn't friendly with him, seemed he didn't want to respond or talk, it was very uncomfortable. Everything seemed rushed, the most important thing was stopping at selling points even inside the park. Afternoon game drive was very rushed, he just wanted to show the river and the Tanzanian border, try to finish as early as possible and no interest at all for animals. Visitors had to ask to stop and to get closer to animals because the driver wanted to finish the safari as soon as possible.
Reply from Balu Travel
Posted on Jul 21, 2026We wish to appreciate you taking time to write your feed about your recent shared tour for Masai Mara, thank you for bringing to our attention about the contact of the driver guide James we will internally address the concerns raised during the tour to better improve our visitor experiences.
We apologies for this experience and we are committed to have the best safari guides for all our visitors.
Reliable , good value too
This was the third time I have used this company for a two day trip to the Meru National park staying in Ikweta lodge . The Guides were very friendly and reliable and adapted to our schedule. We had the park to ourselves on both game drives the lodge is also very good value for money and absolutely gorgeous.
The only thing to note was that the seatbelt didn’t work in one of the seats, so I would just make sure that they check it next time before setting off
Email Guilherme C | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
Balu travel provided an amazing experience since the booking process where they were very attentive and responsive, to the pickup and the safari itself. The camp was simple but had everything we needed and both the food and our room were good. Our driver/guide Kish is an awesome person, very knowledgeable and easygoing. There was no question he couldn’t answer (he knows the parks, culture, animals very well) and gave us a great time at the savanna. Unforgettable memories!
IT
Email Cinzia | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reliable
Our guide Isaac was punctual, a reliable driver, and an expert at spotting wildlife.
Email Amir | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime!
We had a fantastic 1.5-day safari in the Masai Mara. Our guide, Johnson, was incredibly knowledgeable, accommodating, and went above and beyond to make our experience memorable. Thanks to his skill and determination, we were lucky enough to see all of the Big Five. He was friendly, helpful, and always made sure we were comfortable throughout the tour. I would highly recommend both the tour and Johnson as a guide.
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Email Erik | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect
We traveled with Balu to Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli. The driver Johnson was very skilled and had a lot of information about the animals. He was very good at finding animals quickly. We were amazed at how quickly he found the first lion. We also got to see lions hunt (and kill). We chose the parks ourselves in cooperation with Balu Travel and were prepared for a lot of driving. We think it was worth the drive, but others may want to limit their driving a bit. It is a long way to Amboseli. The other parks are close to each other.
CA
Email Dan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing adventure
Kish, our driver went above and beyond to ensure we had a great safari. The drive was very enjoyable with water and wifi available. Kish would stop whenever you needed a break.
On the safari Kish was able to provide incredible details about each animal. He also knew when are where to find them
The trip was very enjoyable with the spotting of a lion and having the clouds clear to provide a nice view of Kilimanjaro.
If you have the chance to go on a safari feel confident you will be taken care of by Kish and Balu Travel
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Email Emilie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service
Our experience with balu was fantastic. Our guide Johnson was especially good. He was always on time, the car was clean and he was very friendly. The lodges we stayed at was also very nice. I would recommend the trip to others.