Safari contacted by a 4X4 Toyata land cruiser jeep
Tall Masai Safari
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2021)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $750 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Tom | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good Safari But Issues!
My wife and I are seniors and booked the “6-day Sopa Lodges 4x4 Jeep Shared Tour By Tall Masai” almost a year in advance. There were definitely positives: the game drives were excellent, and our guide Joseph — a Maasai who grew up near the parks — knew the area and wildlife extremely well and made sure we had good viewing time each day. We also met many friendly travelers who joined us. Most were low budget campers staying in tents or small huts, and they seemed satisfied with the safari they purchased.
However, the organization didn’t match what we expected. After paying the deposit, many of my emails went unanswered, and communication was vague. Approximately 60 days before the safari, I suddenly received several WhatsApp messages within an hour insisting that the remaining balance be paid immediately. Even though I had asked a couple of times prior for a balance due date, it was never provided. The timing was inconvenient — I was watching the World Cup with friends and had to leave to handle the payment.
I interpreted the term “shared safari” to mean a single group traveling together and staying in the same accommodations with a guide. This was not the case. Travelers joined and left constantly and stayed at different locations. This resulted in a lot of time spent picking up and dropping off people. On the first day we were picked up at 6:30am but didn’t leave Nairobi until around 9am. The group changed almost daily, and each day involved long hours in the vehicle. My wife and I didn’t join the group on Day 2 because we still had jet lag and Day 1 was 13 hours of travel, which was exhausting.
The biggest issue was a change in accommodation at Lake Nakuru. The 3 hotels listed were a big selling point for us to purchase this safari. We looked them up on-line and they were amazing. Our invoice listed Lake Nakuru Lodge inside the reserve, but we were moved to a hotel in town about 20 miles away. The hotel room itself was adequate, but it was nothing like what we expected and paid for. This reduced the quality of the experience and required extra driving. We were not told about the change until we arrived at the hotel, and we were not happy.
Overall, the wildlife experience and Joseph’s guiding were excellent, but the logistics, communication, and accommodation changes did not match what was advertised. Travelers booking a shared safari should be aware that the group may change daily and that everyone may be staying at different locations. We did not finish the trip with any of the people we started with.
DE
Email Steffen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Okay
Our Guide didn't talk with us, only to the other part of the group. He didn't take care about our preferences. One time we saw a cheetah and he didn't stop for five seconds. And he was really unfair to the other cars. There was a leopard in the bush and he skipped the line. He really wanted to go back to the hotel, really fast.
ES
Email Ari | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
All good
He has complied with everything contracted. We would have liked the guide to explain information to us during the safari. The meals are repeated every day, but the accommodations were great. To repeat.
Email Johns | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
the scenery was beautiful, but the overall experience was average
We joined a sharing tour of mid-range accommodation for 6 days safari to Masai Mara, Naruku, and Amboseli. The safari was fun, but it was below expectation.
Highlights:
1. Before the day of safari, they picked us up at Nairobi airport on time, and helped us to buy the SIM card outside the airport.
2. During the days in game drive, the guide tried his best to find more animals. We saw the big five in different parks.
3. Jambo Mara lodge for the first and second nights was pretty good and satisfying.
Lowlights:
1. At the first day of safari, they asked us to wait for the pick up form hotel at 6:30am, but we waited until 7:30am. During the waiting time, no one told us where the driver was.
2. Before we booked the tour, the agent said 5 to 6 people sharing a car each and person getting a window seat, but we were 8 people in a minivan and some of us should be seated at the middle seat.
3. During the days, we got 1L of drinking water a day for each person, but sometimes only 500ml of water. (There’s no drinking water in the camp, so we didn’t have enough water for some days)
4. About the food. At the third night in Naruku, the dinner in the hotel gave each person only 3-4 pieces of meet and little vegetables. At the fourth night in the camp, the food of the restaurant had run out in 10 minutes after they served it. In addition, we had the same lunch boxes for 4 days. (At the third day of lunch, we had the same lunch box, but who booked for budget tour had a buffet inside the rest area.)
5. The most disappointing thing is the accommodation.
*(1) At the third night in Naruku, the light bulb burned in the first room we stayed, and there were no water in the sink in the second room.
*(2) At the forth and fifth nights in Amboseli, it was a nightmare. There was more than 50 mosquitoes in the room, and even like 10 mosquitoes in the tent. We asked for the help to the staff and the travel agent, but no one was trying to solve the issue for two days. The camp shut down the electricity after 22:30pm, but no one informed us about it. There was no hot water or even warm water in the room for showers. There was almost no signal in the area, and the wifi of the camp was not working at all. We saw someone was complaining about the camp on Google Maps, but everything is still the same.
6. At the last day, the driver dropped us off at the Namanga border around 10am, but we wait until 13:00pm for the bus to Arusha. During the time we were in the border, the agent who helped us to pass the checkpoint asked us to give him more money to buy the SIM card for us, and even took our lunch box with him to ask for additional tips.