5-Day Masai Mara Lake Nakuru and Naivasha Small-group Safari Tour

Posted By : wdp5bits
Communication is fast, precise and reliable.
This was our 2nd time already with Lenchada Safaris as we trust them and knows that they will look well after us, even in the smallest requests.
Our guide was Robi, the most sensitive guide towards his guests I have ever met!
Many thanks Lenchada for a wonderful 6day unforgettable Safari
Wilma&Andries
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Posted On : 2024-06-19 12:59:01

Posted By : karolinakN3282PP
We had awesome fun with Evans as a guide and driver. His driving skills on flooded roads are legendary. It was so much fun looking for animals in the bush together.
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Posted On : 2024-05-08 08:43:45

Posted By : sandrajulietaz
The experience was great! Extremely happy with the places and activities. Moses the guide was amazing! Excellent driver, who took us through mud and rain to see the best scenes and take the best pictures. Patient, flexible, shared a lot of information, got us everywhere and with John they made a great team, made our experience amazing, friendly, fun and overall perfect. Accommodation was good, food as well, vegetarian options everywhere. Price was a bit higher than other agencies for the same package so I was bit discouraged when I found out that, but other than that it was perfect, comfortable and no surprises with prices: what was not included was known from the start. I'm extremely happy and would recommend.
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Posted On : 2024-04-26 05:24:55

Posted By : cjperrone
Post

Overall, my safari experience was a mix of highs and lows, sprinkled with valuable lessons for future travelers. Here's my detailed review:
Before delving into the adventure, a vital tip: When booking through TripAdvisor, be aware that there are both luxury and budget options available. I mistakenly chose the budget option without realizing there was another tier. For those seeking a more lavish experience, it's advisable to book directly through Lenchada.
Here's what I wish I knew beforehand:
* During the safari, you'll rarely leave the vehicle, so there's no need for specialized "safari" clothing or hiking shoes.
Day 1:
Positives:
* Promptly picked up from our hotel at 7:00 AM, we arrived at the Lenchada tented camp around 2:45 PM, making a single stop for sightseeing, souvenirs, and restroom use along the way.
* The evening game drive in Maasai Mara was a highlight, lasting about 2.5-3 hours and offering sightings of three of the "Big 5" animals.
* Despite the long drive, the abundance of wildlife and stunning photos made it worthwhile.
Negatives:
* The camp's electricity was only available from 5:30 - 7:00 AM & 6:30 - 10:00 PM in the dining hall via a generator, making charging inconvenient. No outlets in room and lights only work during generator operating hours.
* Hot water in the tent's bathroom was inconsistent, despite assurances of continuous availability.
Day 2:
Positives:
* Full-day safari in Maasai Mara, lasting about 10 hours.
* Unique a sighting of a pride of lions (17!)
Negatives:
* Woke up at 5:30 to charge camera/phones but generator had issues and didn’t work until 6:00 am when we had to leave for the day.
* Lunch consisted of unrefrigerated items (6+ hrs - lunch meat, yogurt & chicken), leading to concerns about food safety as a non local. Limited restroom availability also influenced the decision to not partake.
* Some periods of the safari felt slow, with minimal wildlife sightings as we hunted for specific game or travel from location to location; no one’s fault - nature provides and can’t be rushed.
Day 3:
Positives:
* We had the option to visit a Maasai Village before departing for a travel day ($20 per person), providing unique cultural insights and experiences.
* Interaction with the locals and participation in traditional activities added depth to the safari experience.
Negatives:
* The visit to the Maasai Village included high pressure sales tactics to purchase goods from villagers. Instead of enhancing the experience, I felt swindled and disheartened detracting from the positive aspects of the trip.
* Discomfort from flies and cow manure was unavoidable at the village site.
Day 4:
Positives:
* An early start at 6:30 AM took us to Lake Nakuru, where we completed the "Big 5" sightings with memorable encounters with rhinos, flamingos, and a RARE leopard sighting!
* Brief hippo boat ride allowed for unique photos not available in the previous parks visited.
Negatives:
* The shortage of meat during lunch due to multiple groups converging at the same time was disappointing, impacting the overall dining experience.
* The presence of mosquitoes at Chambai Safari Hotel posed a problem, affecting the comfort of our stay - leave windows closed if at all possible (no a/c in room).
* Staff advised dinner at 7pm at arrival but then woke us in our rooms at 5pm to get our order and advise that dinner would be at 8 pm - dinner did not arrive until roughly 8:30 while we sat and waited as the only diners.
Day 5:
Positives:
* We enjoyed a scenic walk in Hell’s Gate with sightings of zebras and giraffes along the way.
* Visited geothermal generation station which I found very interesting!
* A quick but satisfying lunch capped off our safari adventure before being dropped off at the hotel around 2:30 PM.
In conclusion, while the safari experience was fantastic and filled with unforgettable moments, there were notable drawbacks. Positives: Staff throughout all of our stays were kind and helpful. The vehicle was in fantastic condition, immaculate, and had one window for every person which was great (especially for those of us who get car sick). During the safari, there were no constraints to getting the perfect photo, I always felt like I was right in the action either by looking out the window or over the pop up top! Our guide did everything to get us into the position to see the best animals and was in constant communication with other guides via radio and cellphone to ensure the best experience for every group. The relationships between guides was impressive and enhanced the experience, we would have missed the pride of lions and leopard otherwise! As far as drawbacks, the food was repetitive and very limited in selection, accommodations (specifically the hotels) lacked basic amenities such as functional TVs. Additionally, better communication regarding restroom breaks, lunch times, drive times, arrival times, etc. would have made for a better experience but truly, I couldn’t have asked for a better guide to get us right into the action of it all!

Guide: 4.5/5
Animal Sightings: 10/5
Accommodations: 3/5
Food: 2/5
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Posted On : 2024-02-16 11:57:22

Posted By : samisalls
We saw everything we came to see and more. Lenchada camp was a slight disappointment because of the limited supply of electricity and warm water. Otherwise the accommodations were ok. The drives between different locations were rather long but they were turned into cheerful road trips by the amazing drivers who also took care of the brilliant game drives. Thank you Ali, Isaac and Francis!!!
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Posted On : 2024-02-08 12:12:29

Posted By : Q8841LBingridw
What an awesome experience!!! I was travelling on a budget and this tour was everything i could have hoped for. They made it so easy for me - everything was included (besides the things they tell you about, and SOME activities if they are not on your itinerary but you can always do them on the day if you pay in cash - bring some cash with as it is also nice to tip your guides and staff). They fetched me from my hotel in Nairobi and dropped me off there too so there was no need to worry about getting to anywhere to meet them. Albert, our guide, was AWESOME. he drove us from place to place and was friendly, on time, and knowledgeable. And the BEST OFF ROAD DRIVER EVER! The parks roads are bad - so expect a bumpy ride - but Albert was an expert in the 4 x 4 vehicle. we saw all the game you can imagine. There are choices for 3 star, 4 or 5 star accommodation - I chose the budget and camping option and it was great! I highly recommend this to anyone - its a bucket list trip. I only wish I could have done longer.
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Posted On : 2024-02-06 07:49:19

Posted By : armandoe28
We had the best time!

Richard, our safari guide and driver is a very knowledgable professional who knows how to approach sites and animals to get the best pictures in a respectful, caring way with nature, which is very important to me.

He does "his magic" (to see many animals and sites) because he is a supportive friend connected to many other guides who continuously approach him. He has a deep sense of the parks and will always make his best to make a memorable journey.

The hotels, food and travels were always safe and according to planned, we had no last minute surprises or changes.

Richard is an easygoing, respectful and hardworking professional who always made the group feel safe and well taken cared of, he made sure continuously that we all were having a good time. This I think, that was especially important because in our group there were women traveling alone and they all felt really safe.

I got many inspiring notes to my journal based on Richard's perspective to life and nature. We even put together a very cool spotify playlist to remember the journey. I would definitely suggest approaching Lenchada Safaris and Richard for your plans to safari in Africa.
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Posted On : 2024-02-02 04:26:34

Posted By : I822GAbrendag
I booked this trip as part of my 65 th birthday. I wanted to do this on my 60th but I had 2 strokes and was left with residual weakness to my right side!! Alex was a God send from the very beginning when he saw I would have trouble getting in and out of the truck he always made sure to find a crate to help me in and out of the truck. He was very knowledgeable about the animals, birds, different vegetation,history of Kenya. He as always pleasant and friendly!! He made my dream trip better than I thought it would!! I was truly blessed!!!!!
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Posted On : 2024-01-28 10:15:27

Posted By : 25meritxellc
5 days with a funny and nice driver. We saw a lot of animals, we took a lot of photos, we slept in tends surroinded by monkeys, we just missed one of the top 5 animals… we couldn’t see any leopard, but our trip ended really good as we biked through “the lion king” kingdom. Thanks a lot for the whole experience!
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Posted On : 2024-01-19 04:27:22

Posted By : Relax28227611077
The views and animals were amazing. Watched lions eating a zebra, unforgettable experience in my life. Everything was excellent including schedule, accommodations, team members and operator John especially. Highly recommended, Lenchada Safaris! Thanks a lot, Alex.
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Posted On : 2024-01-16 00:12:20