The team
Aanika Karibu Safaris In Kenya
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 1986)
- Member Of:
- KATO, Tourism Regulatory Authority & Eco Toursm Kenya
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Mid-range & luxury)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $1,385 to $4,848 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Lisa | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Robert was responsive and staff friendly but............. NOT an overall great experience - Sadly
Robert was very responsive. In fact, I contacted a few companies and thought that I was working with Robert for a couple of weeks to find out that it was another company. A couple of days before I thought I was going on Safari, I found out from the other company that it wasn't Karibu and didn't think I would have a chance to go on a safari last minute. I called Robert and he said he needed to call me back to see if it was still possible. I was then confirmed for a 7 day safari that was to start in Masai Mara and then go to Amboseli as the last park. He also said that I could pay in Shillings since I did not have USD. (I was on a working visa and had been in the country for 3 months, so only had Shillings)
I was greeted a few days later by a driver who was picking me and taking me to the office to start my safari. I didn't think any of it. Got to the office and signed my paperwork and paid. Was brought downstairs and put in the same low rider vehicle that the driver picked me up in. I just thought the driver was taking me to the place were the Open top Vans or jeeps were going to be. After the driver started to drive out of town, I questioned him on the vehicle and he said no that it was just me and him and in the car. He then said, instead of going to Masai Mara, we were going to go to Amboseli first and go backward because the car can't be driven in Masai Mara. I told him that I was not happy and didn't think this was going to work. He said that even with a car, It wouldn't be an issue getting great pictures in Amboseli. After trying to contact the office and not getting through, I felt I had no choice and agreed. SADLY, not true.
Don't get me wrong, the driver was a GREAT guy...... and due to CoronoVirus and the country shutting the borders and airports down, I had to leave after the first full day. Karibu did give me a partial refund (only for 4 days of park fees - about 200) but I was hoping for more due to the fact that I was in a car that was so low, the undercarriage of the car came off and we couldn't go that far into the park because it would flood out or scrap. Plus trying to take pictures so low in this car with tinted windows was a nightmare. I only got one day and it really didn't give me the happy experience I was looking for. When I got home aside from the photos on the hilltop from lunch, they were not great!!!! Not from my cell phone or borrowed camera.
I took pictures of the car but it doesn't allow me to add them onto this review sadly. You will see what a disaster of a car it was for a safari.
Like I said Robert was nice and replied back quickly and Raymond the driver in the car was nice and felt bad. The staff at the tented camp was great too.....
If it wasn't for the LOW RIDER CAR, and the fact that they didn't refund me in full the money for the other 5 days, I think this company might have been fine which is the reason why I gave them 2 stars. I feel bad for rating so low but it just wasn't practical putting someone so low in a car with dirty tinted windows for a safari after they confirm via email that the vehicle was an open-top Van. I honestly would have rather not even gone and saved myself a lot of money.
Reply from Aanika Karibu Safaris In Kenya
Posted on Apr 2, 2020Hi Lisa,
Yes you were in kenya for a volunteer work in Machakos County and after that you booked a 7Days safari with us and this was ust at the begining of the corona virus out break and we had plenty cancellations so we decided to back track your safari and start with Amboseli in a smaller car and when you head to lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha & Masai Mara you will meet up with other travelers and continue the safari with a popping up rooftop safari van as we did not want to cancel your safari beginning date.
When you were coming from Amboseli to meet the other travelers to head to lake nakuru you called the office and said you have changed your plans and your heading back to the USA the same day at 2pm and requested to be dropped at the airport and demanded for your refund, as per the hospitality policy thats last munite cancelation and No refund on that but we decided to refund you the park fees (USD80 x2 for masai mara), (USD26 x 1 for Hellsgate-lake naivasha) and (USD60 x 1 for lake nakuru) as we were going to bank it the same day you canceled and we refunded it to you.
Accommodation in all the facilities were paid in advance and we could not get a refund on that.
Park fees that we had not banked in the kenya government account for the entrance fees is what we refunded, lucky to you you canceled the safari early before the banked opened for us to do the banking.
The pandemic has caused of cancellation making group joining safari not possible at the moment.
We are sorry about your experience and we will take your feedback and work on it for other futures safaris.
Regards
LEON
CHAIRMAN
IL
Email Zeev | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
If you have another option, choose to use it
Safari is minimal in terms of conditions.
The vehicle was Oldest relative to other safari vehicles.
Unconventional tour coordination, planning was poor, not based on customer requirements, the driver wanted to finish as quickly as possible without taking additional sites. Edward and recommended his name to go with it.
Robert was not available to solve problems, and at the end of evaded answering the allegations.
There are other companies that drive safari, recommended to get them on trips in Kenya.
Reply from Aanika Karibu Safaris In Kenya
Posted on Mar 29, 2017
Thanks for the feed back,
I took sometime to make a follow up on your complain and questioned robert and edward and was told that all was well when you did the 4Days Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru(even the guest from Ukraine (Aleksandra) wrote a review immediately after getting dropped at the hotel from the safari, the whole problem started on the last day when you were taken to at the base of mount kenya to take photos and you demanded be taken for game drives which was not included in the package you were offered and when Edward asked you to confirm with your program and whats included you confirmed and saw it was not included, as for you to have game drives we had to pay park fees and car and driver park fees and Edward suggested that you pay the park fees and then you be taken for game drives which you declined and returned to Nairobi.
Robert on the given day was not around(Saturday) we usually send him out on the field over weekends for camp/accomodation inspections, but we sent Arony the driver guide that you went with the 4Days Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru and when he reached the hotel was told your out, he called you and you told him you were out and you will call him when you arrive which you did not.
About the safari vans we have the latest safari vans in kenya(wish could attached some of the photos) that's why many small safari operators trust us and give us there guests to join with ours to take on safari.
Sorry once again and i will do my investigation keenly and who ever will be held responsible has to be punished.
Regards
Msafiri
CHAIRMAN
Email Anna | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Not professionnal or serious enough
I booked two different safari tours with this company. I had to pay cash for the 2 tours and the tour operator applies a strange conversion rate (440$ -> 48400 KES). I did'nt complain at the time.
The first tour was a 3 days in Masai Mara tour - safari joining group : it went quite well, especially thanks to our guide James who really did his best to help us find the Big Five.
However, we didn't get water as planned on the website. When I asked the company, they put responsability on the guide.
The second tour was a One Day solo in Amboseli: the guide was supposed to pick me up at 5am at the hotel. He arrived at 5:40 because of a technical problem with the car. This car was so old that it was already amazing that it could still drive. The first guide drove at a gas station and I had to wait for another 15 minutes for a second driver to come and pick me up. A lunch box was supposed to be included so we could have lunch in the park but it was'nt. So we headed to the park and had nothing to eat before 5 pm, at a gas station, when we came back to Nairobi.
When I wrote to the tour operator to complain and ask for compensation, they didn't even bother to answer and at least apologize.
I know I booked cheap tours, but even when it's cheap you can expect the basic professionalism from a tour operator.