KILIHOLIDAYS TEAM LEADER
Tours by Locals (aka Kiliholidays)
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2004)
- Member Of:
- TATO, TTB, KINAPA, MNRT & TPO
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
JP
Email Miyauchi | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Business manner please
I requested several tour companies a quote for 5days safari through this Safari Bookings.
I chose Kiliholidays Tours and Safaris, because I thought it was reasonable.
I contacted with them and went safari and visited Masai village, and I received their behaviors shown as below.
Kiliholidays told me that this tour included entrance fee of Masai village in the itinerary , but I had to pay it 40 dollars (including my family). I and our tour driver requested them to refund it, finally they agreed to refund. But actually they don’t refund any and nowadays they don’t respond me.
Kiliholidays didn’t show up to pick us up in the morning on 1st day at our hotel. I and our hotel receptionist became anxious and called them by phone at about 9:30. So, this tour started around 11am.
I ordered 2 optional tours before contacting with Kiliholidays. But after stating this tour, I had to negotiate with members in a same car to take option or not. I could not go to one optional tour, because some members didn’t agree it.
We were jointed with Rupia Adventures from 3rd day without any information from Kiliholidays before starting this tour.
We had to sleep in a tent without sleeping bag during the 3rd day chilly night at Serengeti camp site. Because Kiliholidays forgot to tell Rupia Adventures to use sleeping bag.
They kept me demanding to pay this tour by cash in dollars. We visited another country before this tour in Tanzania. So, I had to withdraw cash in the previous country and carry cash with me all the ways before starting this tour.
We enjoyed safari, but recently I can’t remember happy memories of these African tour. Perhaps, their behavior after this tour like no response has turned my pleasant memories into bad ones, psychologically.
Please consider the above behaviors when choosing your tour company.
Reply from Tours by Locals (aka Kiliholidays)
Posted on Mar 31, 2025Dear Miyauchi,
Thank you for sharing your feedback and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and frustration you've experienced during your safari with us. We take your comments very seriously, and we're truly sorry that your experience was not up to the standard that we aim to provide.
Regarding the Masai village entrance fee, we deeply regret that the communication around this matter was unclear, and we appreciate your patience. It is concerning to hear that you have not received the refund as promised, we have attached here with the payment attachment showing that we have made the refund direct to your card as we agreed.
We also apologize for the delay in picking you up on the first day. This should not have happened, and we understand how it caused unnecessary stress. We will be reviewing our logistics and communication to avoid such issues in the future.
Regarding the optional tours, we regret that there was confusion, and the lack of prior communication made it difficult for you to fully enjoy your planned activities. We strive to make sure all options and arrangements are clear before the tour begins, and we will address this internally.
As for the sleeping bag issue during your night in Serengeti, this is unacceptable, and we will be taking immediate steps to ensure this does not happen again with our partners.
We also acknowledge the inconvenience of having to pay in cash and the challenge this posed for you. We strive to provide more flexible payment options, and this feedback will help us improve that process.
We are sorry that your overall experience was affected by these issues, and we truly value your feedback. We are taking your comments seriously and will work on improving our communication and services for future clients.
If you would like to discuss any of these points further or if there’s anything else we can do to make this right, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are committed to learning from this experience and providing better service moving forward.
Thank you once again for sharing your thoughts.
Best regards,
Mack Msechu
Kiliholidays Team Leader
NL
Email Frank | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding!
Our jeep safari at Kiliholidays was an amazing experience! Our guide, Thomas, was very knowledgeable and shared fascinating stories about the nature and culture of the area. He made sure we got the most out of the safari. The cook, Daniel, surprised us with delicious meals in the middle of nature. Everything was well-organized, and the atmosphere was relaxed and enjoyable. Highly recommended for anyone looking for adventure and nature!
Reply from Tours by Locals (aka Kiliholidays)
Posted on Feb 26, 2025Dear Frank,
Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing your amazing experience with us! We’re delighted to hear that you had a fantastic safari with Thomas and that Daniel’s meals added a special touch to your adventure. Kiliholidays team works hard to create memorable experiences, and it’s wonderful to know that you enjoyed every moment.
We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you on another adventure in the near future!
Best regards,
Mack Msechu
Kiliholidays Team Leader
NL
Email Jessica | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing!
We booked a 9 day safari camping trip at Kiliholidays. The trip was amazing. The accomodations and campings were great. We slept in the middle of the Serengetti and Ngorongoro. You could hear the lions and hyena’s at night. Our guide Thomas was great, he knew a lot about the animals, surroundings and culture. Our chef Daniel was our so called stomach engineer, he served great meals. I really reccomend to book your safari at Kiliholidays.
Reply from Tours by Locals (aka Kiliholidays)
Posted on Feb 26, 2025We’re so happy to hear that you had an amazing 9-day safari experience with Kiliholidays Team! Sleeping in the heart of Serengeti and Ngorongoro, surrounded by nature’s sounds, is truly unforgettable. It’s great to know that Thomas and Daniel made your trip even more special with their knowledge and delicious meals during your trip in Tanzania.
We truly appreciate it! We’d love to welcome you back for another adventure in the near future.
Best regards,
Mack Msechu
Kiliholidays Team Leader
CA
Email Jeremi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good but problem with payment and price
We booked in 2019 with them for a safari in Tanzania and everything was perfect. This time, it was for a safari in Kenya. The safari was perfect too, but we deal the price severals months before the departure and 2 weeks before the safari, they said that we will need to pay more money. They said it was because of troubles with the municipal council and the payment of taxes. They were supposed to return the extra money we paid, but since now we lost 1400$. I don't recommend Kiliholidays since you will not be sure the price you will pay at the end.
Reply from Tours by Locals (aka Kiliholidays)
Posted on Feb 26, 2025Thank you for sharing your feedback. I'm genuinely sorry to hear about your experience, especially since you had a positive one with us in 2019. We strive to deliver excellent service, and it's clear we fell short this time.
Regarding the additional $1400 payment, I understand how frustrating and unexpected this must have been. Rest assured WE HAVE DEPOSITED THE MONEY DIRECT TO YOUR CARD as per the itinial agreement, please check with your bank as we talked early this week, we take these issues seriously, and I'll look into what happened on our end to resolve the situation.
Please allow me to personally follow up with Accounts and our finance team to ensure this matter is resolved promptly. Your trust is important to us, and we value your continued support.
I'll keep you updated and make sure this situation is corrected.
Best regards, Mack
HK
Email WONG | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good service with cost effective price
Review of Tours by Locals (Kiliholidays)
I recently had the pleasure of booking a tour through Tours by Locals (also known as Kiliholidays), and I must say, it was a fantastic experience from start to finish.
From the outset, the communication with our local guide was excellent. They reached out promptly after booking to discuss our preferences and tailor the tour to our interests. They were responsive to all our questions, which made us feel valued and excited about the upcoming experience.
The level of service we received during the tour was top-notch. Our guide was not only knowledgeable but also incredibly personable. They went out of their way to ensure we were comfortable and enjoying ourselves, providing insights and stories that enriched our understanding of the locations we visited. It felt more like exploring with a friend than a typical guided tour.
In terms of value for money, I found the pricing to be quite reasonable given the personalized nature of the tour. The small group size allowed for a more intimate experience. Additionally, the insights and local tips shared by our guide made the cost worthwhile.
The tour was well-organized and reliable. Our guide arrived on time and had all the necessary arrangements in place, which allowed us to focus on enjoying the day without worrying about logistics. This reliability is crucial, especially when traveling to new places.
Overall, I highly recommend Tours by Locals (Kiliholidays) for anyone looking to enhance their travel experience with personalized tours. The combination of excellent communication, outstanding service, great value, and reliability made for a memorable adventure. I can’t wait to book my next tour with them!
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CN
Email mumu | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
great
thank all guys who guide and service for us，it is very nice and unforgettable，although it's very hard for me to climb.
CN
Email Bai mei | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional
The guide and the other team members are very helpful and they are experienced with this whole routine , I’d say this meru mountain task it’s a pretty dangerous task but our guide team helped a lot they are encouraging and professional and very helping . Our chef also made a soup . Only one point is the rent equipment sleep bag have wadudu made 3 of us get allergic at skin . I’m highly recommend this to ur journey of meru .
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CA
Email Eve | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Breach of trust and stole our money
We had excellent service from the guide and the supervisor on site but sadly we add a really bad experience with Mack. We add to pay 1400$ US more on site because if we did not our safari could not happen and we already paid a deposit and the plane ticket. It was suppose to be refund by the end of the trip. We did trust Mack because we already did a safari in 2019 and we as a great Experience but this time we happen to be stoled 1400$ us so we really dont recommend this company
Reply from Tours by Locals (aka Kiliholidays)
Posted on Oct 9, 2024
Thank you for sharing your feedback. I'm genuinely sorry to hear about your experience, especially since you had a positive one with us in 2019. We strive to deliver excellent service, and it's clear we fell short this time.
Regarding the additional $1400 payment, I understand how frustrating and unexpected this must have been. Rest assured WE HAVE DEPOSITED THE MONEY DIRECT TO YOUR CARD as per the itinial agreement, please check with your bank as we talked early this week, we take these issues seriously, and I'll look into what happened on our end to resolve the situation.
Please allow me to personally follow up with Accounts and our finance team to ensure this matter is resolved promptly. Your trust is important to us, and we value your continued support.
I'll keep you updated and make sure this situation is corrected.
Best regards, Mack
FR
Email SIMON | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good we were able to appreciate the beauty of the landscapes
In terms of quality/price, very good, we spent four superb days where we were able to appreciate the landscapes and the different species
We had the pleasure of seeing a scene of the lion 🦁engusting its prey a few meters from us, we were alone. We thank Thomas for having had this privilege
(automatic translation from French)
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Reply from Tours by Locals (aka Kiliholidays)
Posted on Feb 26, 2025Dear Simon,
We’re so happy to hear that you had an incredible four-day safari with Kiliholidays! Witnessing a lion feeding up close is truly a special experience of your vacation, and we’re glad Thomas was able to make that moment happen for you.
Thank you for your kind words about our quality and service—we appreciate it! We hope to welcome you on another adventure soon.
Best regards,
Mack Msechu
Kiliholidays Team Leader
IT
Email Alexandra | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great local tour operator for safari & mountains
Thank you for a great experience in Tanzania, both at safari and in Kilimanjaro.
Everything was perfect:
- communication was precise
- guides Thomas and Aesrael were professional, polite, punctual and friendly
- suggested accommodations in tents were an excited experience
- food was delicious thanks to our chef Daniel
Thanks for making our holiday so incredible!
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