Stanley Gichuki, founder of Majestic Kenya Safaris

From guide to founder

Stanley Gichuki founded Majestic Kenya Safaris in 2015 and still runs it from the company office in Nairobi. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce, a Diploma in Hospitality Management and a certificate in tour guiding. Those three cover the parts of the business he deals with every day: the numbers, the guest experience and the bush.

Before starting the company he worked for safari and travel operators including Ardan Safaris, and in camp administration with Atlas Development and Support Services on a US Government contract in Basrah, Iraq. He also worked as a tour guide. He has driven the game drives, handled bookings that fell through two days before arrival, and told guests why the camp they read about online was the wrong one for them.

Why he started Majestic Kenya

The idea was simple: travellers should deal directly with the people who run their safari, not with a booking platform abroad or a middleman adding margin to someone else's itinerary. The company is licensed by the Tourism Regulatory Authority of Kenya (licence TRA1/47/C01/78639), which you can check before you book.

Stanley is open about what things cost and what a price does not cover. In his experience, most complaints in this business come from the gap between what was sold and what was delivered.

What he does today

• Plans trips himself. Many guests planning a honeymoon, a family holiday or a first safari end up on a call with Stanley, going through parks, seasons, camps and budget until the route makes sense.
• Works with the guides. Head guides Boniface Kamau and John Mithamo lead most of the trips he plans.
• Writes for the blog. He covers the questions that come up in the office: park fee changes, seasonal pricing, booking timelines and how to tell a good camp from a well-marketed one. His recent guides are listed below.