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
IT
Email remo maria | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
terrible experience
These are the serious problems, defaults, and contractual misrepresentations I had to endure that ruined my vacation.
1) I had booked the trip in 2020 before the covid. I paid an advance of $1000 in February 2020. As you know, due to covid the borders were closed, making it impossible to make the trip. Mr. Mack of Killiholidays told me that I could reschedule it later.d He never Mentioned any costs to reschedule the trip, even in his mail of 2022 in which he has has given me the possibility to schedule it for 2023.
When I rescheduled the trip for this year, when there were finally no more problems tied to COVID, Mr. Mack told me that he was only recognizing $500 of the $1000 ALREADY PAID. Never before had Mr. Mack told me that I would lose that money if I rescheduled the trip.
I repeatedly asked for explanations but the information I received was very vague. Just not to lose another $500, I still decided to book the trip with him, but subject to recourse.
By reason of the fact that Mr. Mack has never documented to me any expenses incurred by him for changes in travel dates and has since proved himself to be non-compliant in various other respects, which I will explain below, and which suggest how he decided to withhold $500 for no reason whatsoever) I consider it incumbent upon him to return this $500 to me. On closer inspection, in fact, $500 (i.e., 50 percent of the advance) is a penalty for cancelling a trip and certainly cannot be withheld where the trip is actually made instead.
It should also be considered that the cost of the trip compared to the original cost has increased a great deal from what was agreed upon in 2020. In 2020 we had agreed on a total of 3800 euros, while the request for 2023 was a whopping 4600 euros!
2) Mr. Mack sold me the lodge in Nierere Park as a lodge with a swimming pool. It is the Mloki Lodge, as shown in the brochure. In fact, the lodge does not have a swimming pool and never has. To prove my point I attach the brochure of the trip where there are photos of the nonexistent pool and the link of the mloka lodge https://www.mlokasafarilodge.com/ where it can be verified that there was never any pool.
Moreover, I immediately wrote to Mr. Mack astonished at the incident, but he did not reply, shutting himself in an embarrassed silence. This too is a serious breach of duty by Mr. Mack and shows his bad faith and his attempt to deceive me. I should add that almost all the photos in the brochure sent by Mr. Mack do not correspond to the Mloki lodge booked, which is much less luxurious.
3) The program Mr. Mack sent me states that the transfer from Nierere to Mikumi was 4-5 hours. This is a route that took as many as 8, and this is the time normally needed, as can be seen from Google Map. Knowing this, I would never have agreed to do such a demanding program, or to do it under the conditions indicated to me by Mr. Mack.
4) Mr. Mack charged me, due to his mistake, for an extra night at the Ruaha River Lodge. Realizing the mistake, acknowledged by Mr. Mack himself. I then repeatedly asked for a refund (this was the not insignificant amount of $650) but the cash money never arrived, despite Mr. Mack's continuous reassurances that I would receive a refund as early as August 15. Upon not receiving the refund, I immediately assumed that I would never see that money again. This was also due to the fact that I had asked Mr. Mack to transfer it to me via Paypal, while he said he did not have Paypal, while in the emails Mr. Mack claims to have a Paypal accounT.
5) also in the brochure sent to me, it mentions a transfer from Ruaha to Dar es Salaam on August 28 with a leisurely departure at 10 a.m. (note that the next day we had a plane at 5 a.m. to return to Turkey, where we then continued to Italy), for 6 hours maximum travel time. I later found out from the driver (a very serious person) that the trip from Ruaha to Dar is an 11-12 hour drive, which is also confirmed by Google Maps, which estimates the trip at 10.47 hours (without the stops needed to get gas, go to the toilet, etc.). 12 hours of travel time by car was never on my radar, and I also find it risky to subject the driver to such grueling hours. If I had known, of course, I would never have agreed to such a schedule, which, as can be seen, is clearly false in some places and neglects crucial information;
6) The 12 hours of never-announced travel could easily have been avoided, since Mr. Mack could have had me leave for the safari a day earlier, and break the return from Ruaha into two days: in fact, I had expressed all willingness to anticipate our arrival. Not only that. He himself had said that he would study this possibility.
Finding myself in this situation, I asked Mr. Mack to book me a plane from Ruaha to Dar es Salaam, asking him at least to use the $500 advance unduly withheld. He refused, of course, and demanded instead to use the $650 he owed me. To that $650 I then had to add another $135 because the plane ticket cost much more.
I agreed to pay this amount for the following reasons:
1) because I was sure that the $650, otherwise, I would never see it again for the reasons already explained,
2) because without the plane flight, the last day of the vacation would have been a massacre (imagine a 12-hour drive and then having to catch the plane at 5 a.m. the next day)
3) I would also have run the risk of missing the return flight from Dar to Istanbul, should there be any problems.
However, this is a cost that I could easily have avoided if Mr. Mack, without overlooking the very relevant circumstance that the trip from Ruaha to Dar took 11-12 hours (and not 6), had anticipated the safari by one day, as I had repeatedly requested.
Again, then, Mr. Mack attempted to con me into more money. Think about the fact that after the same man forced me to pay the $135 for the airfare, he called me and told me that the flight from Ruaha to Dar was no longer available, and that I would have to leave from Iringa. This is a much cheaper and much less comfortable flight. Clearly, Mr. Mack wanted me to take that flight so he could keep the $135 already paid, and also profit from the difference between the lower cost of the flight to Iringa and the $650 used to buy the flight from Ruaha. I objected strongly, and after I threatened him, suddenly the flight from Ruaha came up.
I have submitted all these facts to the Arusha Police.
Reply from Tours by Locals (aka Kiliholidays)
Posted on Feb 26, 2025
Dear Remo Maria,
Response to Your Concerns Regarding Your Safari Experience:-
We are deeply sorry to hear about the challenges and frustrations you experienced during your trip. We take all feedback seriously and appreciate you bringing these concerns to our attention.
We understand that you had multiple issues related to the pricing, itinerary changes, lodge accommodations, and logistical planning. While some unexpected circumstances may arise in travel, we recognize that transparency and clear communication are essential, and we regret that you felt misled at any point during your vacation here.
Regarding the advance payment and rescheduling fees, we acknowledge that COVID-19 disrupted many travel plans, and we strive to accommodate rescheduling fairly and we have agreed on this point. If there was any miscommunication about the funds retained, we would like to review this matter further. Similarly, for the refund for the extra night at Ruaha River Lodge, we would be happy to assist in following up on its status.
Concerning the lodge descriptions and travel durations, we sincerely regret any discrepancies between the provided details and the actual experience. Accuracy in our itineraries is important, and we will ensure that our materials are clearer in the future to prevent similar misunderstandings.
We understand that you have taken steps to report your concerns, and we respect your right to do so. If there is any way we can work towards a resolution, please let us know. Your feedback helps us improve, and we regret that this trip did not meet your expectations.
Best regards,
Mack Msechu
Kiliholidays Team Leader
US
Email Leena | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip
Had an amazing trip! Kiliholidays is professional and everything was clear ahead of time. We did 4 days 3 nights camping. It was my first time camping, it still felt easy and comfortable because they prepare everything for you. Godson was an excellent guide. Couldn’t recommend him enough. Very experienced and knowledgeable. Our cook Daniel was also excellent, we had delicious home cooked meals throughout the trip. All in all, highly recommend!
ES
Email Pablo Mosquera | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome
It’s a great trip! Our guide, Eduard was incredible, very kind and atentive!
We saw many animals in our trip, find leopard twice, find male lions group, cheeta, rino.... it’s impressive!
The campings were cool, we enjoy a lot sleeping with Zebra in Ngorongoro, great accommodation. We had a cook, a profesional cook call Dan, the breakfasts and diner were super! He also shows you Tanzania songs jaja
I would recommend it to my friends.
Thanks guys.
PT
Email Patricia Pinto | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing and safe tour with a great driver.
Our safari was 5 days, we went to tarangire, Serengueti and we finalized, our tour, in lake manyara.
We recommend to stay one more day in Serengueti instead of to visit lake manyara.
Our tour guide/driver (Abraham) was very nice
BR
Email Alessandra Fonseca | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Instructive and remarkable safari.
I chose this company because it was the one that offered me the best cost-effective safari and adapted it to the way I wanted. The attentiveness in responding quickly to my questions via email also made all the difference. It was memorable! Tanzania's parks are wonderful! Our guide was very instructive and also very attentive, especially when my daughter felt sick at the beginning of the safari (nausea due to the car rocking). We had an issue with the car, which was a little old, but it was quickly solved by our guide Abraham. We loved the safari and would choose the same company if we ever go back!
FR
Email Frank | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
6-days Exceptional private Camp Safari, competitive price
With Kiliholidays, with visited the following national parks : Taranguire, Mayanara Lake, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater for 6 days private Safari (just the 2 of us).
The quality of service was really high level and the price was very competitive. We had no bad surprises, no extra fees, everything was included and compliant regarding initial offer. The manager, Mack, proposed us a solution that fitted in our initial budget.
The tent was almost new, the sleeping bags where comfortable and clean.
The driver, Abrahan, was a very wise, punctual and careful during transfer. He also demonstrated an extensive knowledge of wildlife and always got the best spot before everybody else.
The cook, Mody, was very attentive to serve you the best and provided a very good food: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We highly recommend this agency !
NZ
Email Kelsey | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible
We had Abraham as our guide, his knowledge was amazing. He learnt our favourite animals and did his best to find them for us.
The accommodation we stayed in was luxury and the food provided was tasty.
We followed the itinerary as planned and everything went smoothly. Would recommend!
CN
Email Zhipeng Song | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful trip！
Great trip to Africa! I would recommend my friends to come to kiliholiday to arrange their safaris. mack helped us very much with the pre-departure checklist and helped us to book great and hard to book hotels. We had a day of trekking on Kilimanjaro and our guide David took very good care of us. On the safari, our guide Edward was very attentive, not only did he take care of our itinerary, but he also carefully introduced us to the history and differences of each national park. He has a very good eye and helped us find many wonderful animals such as lions and leopards. Overall, it was a very memorable trip!
CN
Email Fan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
very very nice
It was a very fulfilling and perfect journey, the hotel and the guide were arranged very well, the price was right and the price was very high. Our guide Edward is very humorous and experienced. He has been doing his best to lead us to chase animals during the five-day grassland tour. Fortunately, we saw wildebeest migration, leopards and lions on the first day. Really appreciate his hard work. This is a very memorable and happy journey for me. I will recommend it to my friends when I return to China. Choosing this place is the most correct and lucky decision I have made! ! ! will come again next time! !
(automatic translation from Chinese)
CN
Email Yuxing | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very nice trip!
Many thanks to Mack, David and Edward for their dedication and giving us a really great trip. We were very lucky to see the Great Migration, the lions and leopards in the Serengeti, and flocks of zebras and birds. Mack was very responsible and helped us to confirm many details of the trip and the hotel arrangements , especially in high season when we were able to book a room at the Ngorongoro Serena Hotel. Our Kilimanjaro guide David was also very interesting, he was so tall, and was always taking care of us during the climb.Also, the lunch box was very delicious. We also thanked Edward, our safari guide, who took us very seriously to look for animals, and he was very sweet ,the car was cleaned every day, so we could enjoy a clean and tidy environment even in the grassland. Welcome friends to enjoy the beauty of Tanzania with Kiliholidays, highly recommended!