"Benson Safaris: Thrilling Adventures Await!"
Benson Safaris Tanzania
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2006)
- Member Of:
- TATO, TTB & IGS
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $300 to $1,200 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
GR
Email NIKI | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
it was the worst trip we have ever had in our lives
It was the worst experience I have ever had in my life. I booked the safari at last minute but we had already done a program 1 month ago. 2 days before the safari the called me and they told me that they didn't count the concession fees and the price had to be more. I told them that this is not my problem and suddently they didn't answer my emails and phone. The evening before we arrived in Arusha they sent me a message that they will be waiting for me at the airport. Then we went to Mr Benson's office I showed the emails and the offer and after 2-3 hours they told me that we are ok. So I lost 3-4 hours from the evening safari they supposed they gave us. On the way to our hotel they sent me a program with minus 1 day and they told me this is a program. I sent them back the program I have showed them previous at the office and told me that this is not ok. After 30-40 what's up messages and email they told me again ok. The safari in Serengeti for 2 days was good. After we have planned to move to Maasai Mara region and another driver took us from there. The drive supposed to be there from the morning and I paid 250$ more to be there and he came after 3 hours. They asked me for yellow card visa to pay 200$ as the other offices told me that the cost was 80$ for all of us and the driver told us that the officers wanted and tips. The transfer to Maasai Mara supposed to be 35' and took us 3 hours so the park was closed. The driver asked us to give tomorrow 200$ more to bring us to Maasai Mara park and when I told that I have paid for 4 days safari and I have only done 2 he told me that this is not his problem and he couldn't take us to the park in the morning. Yvlyn the girl from the office told him to bring us to the park and he did it but again with a lot of messages and calls and I terrible headache for me from this bad situation. The following day after 1.5h safari to Maasai Mara they had to transfer as at Nairobi and Giraffe manor. The driver stopped every 50km and talked with people on the road and he told us that it's like that in his country. He knew that we wanted to be early to our hotel and suddenly he told us that his car has a problem and he had to transfer us to another car. I asked him if the car is ready and he told us yes. We went to a place 150km away from Nairobi and the car was not there. The driver got down of the car and we were trying to find him. after 20' he answered the phone and he told us that the car that was ready changed the tires. He took us in one place that was inappropriate for my family as I have 2 kids and we waited for the another driver to change the tires for more that 1.30. Finally we started the way to Giraffe manor and because he did some mistakes as he didn't know how to get there we went to our hotel at 16.00 in the evening. We started from Maasai Mara at 09.30 and the distance is only 4 hours. So I totally didn't recommend Benson's Safari as it was the worst trip we have ever had in our lives and thanks god that we are all back safe after all this terrible situation.
Reply from Benson Safaris Tanzania
Posted on Jan 14, 2024Dear Niki,
I trust this message finds you well and thank you for the feedback..
I'd like to provide some clarification regarding the Tanzania and Kenya safari package you initially inquired about, and the subsequent changes in your travel plans.
When you first started inquiring about the safari package, the estimated cost was around 12,000 euros. After several email exchanges, you decided to cancel the trip, informing us that you chose not to travel. This decision was communicated towards the beginning of December.
However, in a last-minute turn of events on the 26th Dec, you expressed interest in proceeding with the same safari package around the same time. You mentioned that you only wanted to hire our car and guide, as you had already booked accommodations and claimed to have paid for everything, indicating that you were ready to go. However, after many calls to your hotels, we found out that only the arrival hotel was paid, and none of your hotels in Serengeti and Kenya were settled. Please note: you were traveling on the 31st Dec, 2023. Also, you made delays in your payment and received your payment on the 31st Dec evening with lots of discussion, as you also didn't want to pay the whole amount. The same situation occurred on the Kenya side, making it hard for us to know your location as you didn’t book and pay for this accommodation on time, causing discomfort and miscommunication.
To facilitate your booking, we requested the confirmation booking forms for your hotels. Unfortunately, these forms were not provided until your arrival. Upon inquiry with the hotels, it was revealed that none of the accommodations had been paid for. This presented challenges for us in processing your park fees, as the confirmation of accommodation is essential for allocating payment for concession fees.
Additionally, when you arrived to travel with us, you had only booked transport, a guide, and park fees with Benson Safaris. The total payment for the car hire, guide, and park fees amounted to 5100 USD. The accommodation arrangements were made independently. This decision, while within your rights, introduced complexities that contributed to the delays in processing park fees and entering the parks.
The delay in paying for accommodations caused a ripple effect, resulting in a delayed start to your safari. Instead of commencing your days with exhilarating game drives, we had to initiate paperwork processes to enter the parks due to the outstanding payments for accommodations.
We had previously discussed the importance of timely payments and coordination for a seamless safari experience. Unfortunately, the delays in payment and paperwork impacted the smooth flow of the planned itinerary.
I wanted to provide this context to ensure transparency and understanding of the challenges faced during the booking and operational processes. Your feedback is invaluable, and we are committed to addressing these issues to enhance our services in the future.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out. We appreciate your understanding and hope to continue improving our services for the benefit of all our clients
Best regards, Benson
Managing Director