Rose the consultant.
Safari Line Defender
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2013)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Naheed | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Disappointing....waste of money... major let down!!!
Having come close to the end of my tour in East africa, and having had an amazing time, i couldn't leave without visiting the masai mara. So I enquired about the 1 night 2 day tour with safari line defenders, Rose was helpful at that time and gave me lots of details about the tour regarding timings and what I should expect. Pleased with the information I had received I booked the tour...only to find out everything she had told me was a lie. She had basically falsified the details just to make a sale. She claimed the game drive would be 12hours over the 2 days, which I thought was a bit of a stretch for 2 days but it's her job she knows best, right?. No, We drove for a maximum of 3 over the 2 days, so much time was wasted waiting around. We arrived at the campsite on the 1st day at 3pm ( although Rose said we'd be there for 1pm) and we waited around wasting time for the driver to take us on the drive at 4.30pm. Inside the masai mara, the driver didn't make an effort to point out any animals or provide information about any of them. After 2hours of driving we returned to the camp...disappointed is an understatement of what I was feeling at this point, but I had the following day to look forward to. Come the second day we were ready to leave as requested at 6.30am. We made our way to the mara, drove around the same area again with not much of interest. The driver had told me the night before I would have to change groups, as the group I was with was not return today so I had to join a different group to return back. So he rang another driver to find out if I could get into their vehicle... in the middle of the masai mara I had to get out of my vehicle an into another. So the tour/ nightmare continued so we drove around spotting some lions n cheeters on the way. At 8am the driver said we will now drive back. I was shocked I had paid a grate deal of money for this?? So we returned. The driver was to drop each of the group members back to our hotels, I said I wanted to go to the office as I wasn't happy with the tour. He decided to make a phone call to let the office know. Personally I think it was to forewarn Rose about how i felt. On arrival at the office, surprise surprise Rose was nowhere to been seen. The guy at the office said it was Rose's sale so he couldn't do anything and said Rose would call me that evening ( I was flying out of Kenya 5am the following morning). The evening came and went and I received no form of communication from Rose. I wasn't going to miss my flight so I packed my bags and returned to the UK. Rose did message and her resolution was to offer me a free tour the next time I came, I wouldn't be returning to Kenya any time soon to a couldn't take the offer, I told her. I requested a refund, but she refused and said I had to email the director of the company about my complaint, which I did. Did I get a response? No, no surprise there.
All in all a very disappointing experience and waste of money. I wouldn't recommend this tour company to anyone. If you want to experience a real game drive don't use this company.
Reply from Safari Line Defender
Posted on Feb 28, 2020We are sorry for the misunderstanding. you booked 2Days 1night joined safari.. As usual, The safari starts at 8:30AM. and get to the Masai mara at from 3pm. depending on the the road and weather. If you arrive late in the Masai Mara then there will be no time to drive to the Mara river which is quite a distance and that is schedule for the following day and evening game drive is done. According to the national park rules, The check out time is 9am otherwise you will have to pay the park fee for another day.
When joining a group,not everybody is doing the same days. so interchanging car is normal. and this is made clear before the safari starts.
The driver explained to you that going to The Mara river would not be possible due to the time limit. An overnight safaris is quiet limiting. Sometimes understanding is the key to happiness....
ES
Email Miguel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I have felt cheated with this service
I do not recommend SAFARILINE DEFENDER to anyone. We did a safari with them and they cheated us with the contract terms. My recommendation is that if you do not pay attention to this comment CLEARLY LEAVE EVERYTHING IN WRITING WITH THESE PEOPLE, or they will deceive you as they did us.
When we decided to call her to clarify what had happened, she pestered us all the time saying that she was very busy and couldn't. She only called us back when we said we would speak to the police, and it was to yell at us and speak to us in a very rude and obscene tone.
In addition, our driver throughout the SAFARI, did not stop doing a reckless driving with the phone in his hand all the time and in the other driving talking on whatsapp, calling on the phone and playing mobile apps or games while he had to drive and be attentive To the road.
(automatic translation from Spanish)
Reply from Safari Line Defender
Posted on Sep 6, 2022We do apologize for the misunderstanding. The issue here was the hours you were supposed to spend in the park. We explained to you before you started the Safari that 1ticket is valid for 24hrs. The 1st day you entered the park at 4:40pm. The second day you were supposed to leave the park exactly at 4:40pm but you insisted to stay until 6pm. We tried to explain to you about the National park rules but you could not listen until we told you to engage the national park police.
IN
Email Arvind | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The worst customer service and tour planers !!!
I have traveled more than 70 countries and I can confirm that this is one of the worst tour companies. We were in touch with someone named Rose and I believe she’s the MD of the company, she just doesn’t know how to plan the itinerary neither has the basic manners and work ethics.
I would still say our whole trip was good because of the drivers(guides), friendly people in Kenya and we felt safe in this country.
I traveled with my wife and 2 kids(5yrs and 3yrs old) and I had chosen 5-6days private safari in Kenya.
Everyday we had to ask for our lunch(except the two days when we had whole day game drive- the lunch was packed and taken from the camp) and was served after 3.30pm, due to the poor plan of the itinerary.
The first day they were supposed to pick us up by 9am and we had to wait an hour and finally they arrived by 10am to pick us up. Of course I didn’t say anything as these things happen. There were 3 ladies with the driver cum guide and they sounded really nice however the safari jeep was an old one and not so clean. I still didn’t say anything as I believe the condition of the jeep is what matters and I was also in a mindset that the safari jeeps in Kenya are like this! I paid them 4310USD for two adults and they had already told us that the kids won’t be charged in the private safari. The trip started off really well however we had to wait for more than an hour to enter Amboseli National Park. There was some serious confusion going on with the entrance ticket(first the driver asked me to pay as his card doesn’t work and then he said the ticket is with another driver etc). And the worst part is there’s no air conditioner in the jeep and we can’t leave the windows open due to the local vendors surrounding the jeep. Finally around an hour later we entered the park. By now we realised the jeep windows are mostly jammed with no clear vision(due to them being old), the roof top which is kept open for the game drive kept collapsing every now and then(I was fixing the collapsing bar so that it doesn’t fall on anyone’s head) and I could see on the road that the other safari jeeps were all new except ours. We came to know that Safariline defender is a small company with just 3-4 vehicles and they mostly hire 3rd party drivers who come with the rental vehicles. Well this has nothing to do with us as long as we get a good service. On the third day when this rooftop collapsed on my hand(no injuries or swelling as me and my wife quickly supported it) I decided to message Rose to do something about the vehicle. She agreed to send another jeep on the 4th day evening, before entering Masaimara, by then most of our long drives were finished. By the way in this 4 days the jeep had been to the workshop twice, once with us on board near a town in Amboseli and second time luckily after we were dropped in the hotel in Nakuru. The driver himself told us that after us he has another 2days trip and then this jeep has to go for a complete revamp.
We were still happy that we got a new jeep on the 4th day evening and another great driver cum guide.
On the way from Amboseli to Nakuru we were stuck in traffic for more than 30 minutes and the driver said he’s not allowed to use the expressway. It was just over 30 minutes so I didn’t say anything moreover I was tired of complaining!
Now with the new jeep and driver our trip was going well. On the last day on the way from Masaimara to Nairobi we were stuck in city traffic for more than an hour and this driver said the same thing that he’s not allowed to use the express way. When I saw other safari jeeps going through the express way I messaged Rose again and her reply was “yes I’ve not authorised the driver to use the express way“. The fact is they can’t take the monthly/yearly express entry pass as most of their vehicles are from 3rd party however even the one way pass is just a few dollars and they don’t even want to spend it. There was never any apology from her which was fine but now she was being rude in her messages. She even mentioned that she gave free for our 5yr old child and the fact is none of the private safari charges for kids of this age. By the way I have never asked her to give anything for free. These things were clear from the beginning. When my wife called her and was trying to explain she just hung up the phone!
I think they are afraid if we ask for monetary compensation so they are not open to feedback. But that was never my intention, there are many European tour companies however I specifically booked with a local company so the whole money goes to Kenya.
Extremely unprofessional behaviour, no respect for customer’s time and money.
I have all the proof such as photos and invoices of the facts I have mentioned above including the rude messages on WhatsApp. I’ll definitely raise a complaint in Kenya tourism website. Probably when they get a few complaints they will cancel the licence or at least a warning will be given.
Reply from Safari Line Defender
Posted on Aug 18, 2024Its now clear that you are upto no good and your review is malicious. Originally your itinerary was 13days Kenya and Tanzania Safari which you later changed to 6days because 13days was too much for the kids and this is understable.
As per your itinerary, your 1st day was from Nairobi - Amboseli and an evening gamedrive we honoured this.
2nd Day: Full day game drive in Amboseli ( this was honoured)
3rd Day: Left Amboseli for Nakuru ( We gave you a morning game drive before departing for Amboseli)
4th Day: Morning gamedrive in Nakuru before leaving for Mara ( we honoured this)
5th Day: Full day Game drive in Mara ( this was honoured)
6th Day: You had a morning gamedrive before leaving Mara for Nairobi. End of Safari
The flow of the program is per what is on our website. And we did not go againist our program.
On the 4th day, you complained about the vehicle and we sent another vehicle from Nairobi to Masai Mara. All our vehicles are well mentained and in good condition. There was no breakdown in all of your safari but we decided to change the vehicle for your sake.
When on safari, having lunch on time is not always possible, This might be caused by the unforeseen problems like traffic on the road.
On the last day, you sent as a picture of the traffic on the road asking why you were stuck and at which point it as not possible to join the express way. We cannot control whats happening on the road and always give priorities to those travellers who are going to the airport to use the express way.
Despite doing everything we could to make your safari exprience better, its was unrealistic to please you. We regret accepting you booking.
JP
Email Dobby | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Terrible, horrible company ，I received personal threats
We needed to end our 13-day trip early due to health reasons, but because of their mistake, they didn't tell us what we paid. After we asked the price and paid, they told us that we forgot to pay. Now when it comes to refunding, they have a very bad attitude and told us that it is our fault. They didn't tell us when we went to pay. After repeated inquiries, they gave the wrong price. When refunding, they didn't admit that they forgot the correct fee. When I refunded, they forced me to write a letter of commitment saying that I agreed to refund only 300 US dollars. It's terrible. I don't agree and I'm not satisfied, but the staff told me that I must write it, otherwise I can't leave the office. I'm scared because their office is small and dark. I'm really scared of what they will do to me if I don't write that I agree to refund. And they lie. It's bad. Very bad. After canceling the rest of the trip, the total price was $5,000, and they refunded me $300 in 13 days. They also threatened and intimidated me. I will tell everyone. This is terrible.
Reply from Safari Line Defender
Posted on Aug 11, 2024Hi,
We have read through your remarks on your East Africa Safari itinerary with our Company Safariline Defender Tours Ltd. We sincerely regret the fact that due to health issues, you were not able to proceed into Tanzania and complete your very anticipated safari. It is our hope that you can find time in future to come back and enjoy spectacular nature and worldlife here.
Coming back to your assertions; we wish to point out the following as we clarify things from our end:
a) We gave you a receipt for the amount paid totalling $4,680 and not $5,000 as you indicate. We would have attached a copy of receipt as issued to you but are allowed here.
b) You state that our team did not elaborate this to you. Our cancellation policy was clearly explained to you and for your purpose and that of the reader, the policy states a NO REFUND for late and post-departure cancellations. We however, based on the circumstances and having implored on us, considered supporting you with $300 (not actually a refund by hand-out) out of our goodwill and friendship. We, in ordinary circumstances would not process a refund as this is against our cancellation policy and the fact that your accomodation and other facilitation is already booked and paid for which is therefore a shortfall on our end.
We would have expected you to appreciate this.
c) You paited our office badly as dark and congested. We handle tens of visitors every single day and we are happy to note that every visitor is happy and comfortable while being served by our team in our well furnished office. We just take this as normal mud splashing by a person not so well intending which is unfortunate. We are sure of our services quality. Again we would have attached some pictorial of our office customer lounge.
d) Lastly, we maintain high levels of integrity and hospitality to all our visitors and thank this channel for allowing any feedback from our customers which are also closely scrutinised for facts and are happy to issue this clarification. We wish to express our gratitude to you for taking time to write and urge you to bring out facts more clearly in the future for record.
Best.
QA
Email Mumtaz | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
One of the worst.
One of the worst safari companies in the world! I was shocked to see how unprofessional they are as I have never faced this in any other country.
As soon as they have your money they will start showing their true color.
No food on time, all cheap/damaged products and services, entire safari trip was planned wrongly- nobody can do a morning game drive in Nakuru, do 6hrs drive and then an evening game in Masaimara- it’s practically impossible!
The driver was not informed about the itinerary and sounded so lost, long wait to enter the parks as the tickets were not purchased prior, long wait in traffic as they don’t spend a few dollars to purchase express entry passes, literally for every single thing I had to message the so called MD, rose who would send a nasty reply.
Reply from Safari Line Defender
Posted on Aug 18, 2024Its now clear that you are upto no good and your review is malicious. Originally your itinerary was 13days Kenya and Tanzania Safari which you later changed to 6days because 13days was too much for the kids and this is understable.
As per your itinerary, your 1st day was from Nairobi - Amboseli and an evening gamedrive we honoured this.
2nd Day: Full day game drive in Amboseli ( this was honoured)
3rd Day: Left Amboseli for Nakuru ( We gave you a morning game drive before departing for Amboseli)
4th Day: Morning gamedrive in Nakuru before leaving for Mara ( we honoured this)
5th Day: Full day Game drive in Mara ( this was honoured)
6th Day: You had a morning gamedrive before leaving Mara for Nairobi. End of Safari
The flow of the program is per what is on our website. And we did not go againist our program.
On the 4th day, you complained about the vehicle and we sent another vehicle from Nairobi to Masai Mara. All our vehicles are well mentained and in good condition. There was no breakdown in all of your safari but we decided to change the vehicle for your sake.
When on safari, having lunch on time is not always possible, This might be caused by the unforeseen problems like traffic on the road.
On the last day, you sent as a picture of the traffic on the road asking why you were stuck and at which point it as not possible to join the express way. We cannot control whats happening on the road and always give priorities to those travellers who are going to the airport to use the express way.
Despite doing everything we could to make your safari exprience better, its was unrealistic to please you. We regret accepting you booking.
US
Email Jennifer | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tour Operator lack basic safety precautions
We booked a 12 day tour through Kenya and tanzania. Our driver was Moses in Kenya. Moses was a very unsafe driver, in his phone 90% of the time including while we needed to be quiet on the game drive. He repeatedly harassed animals including driving too close (within 3 feet of a sleeping make lion) and then to get the lion to look up he opened and slammed the car door. He repeatedly chased down animals getting disregarding park ranger rules and disturbing the animals.
Worst of all I was lost in a city and he never came to look for me. My husband went to go look for me and was missing too and when I told him of this emergency where were lost, he refused to help by driving around to look for him.
I called the company to inform them of this issues and Moses lied to the company and made up a whole new story to protect himself. My safety was never his concern. The tour operator didn't care in the slightest and were completely unhelpful in remedying this major violation of our safety.
If you value your safety and you care for the wellbeing of the wildlife, do not book with Safariline Defender.
Reply from Safari Line Defender
Posted on Nov 11, 2024We would like to take a moment to address some concerns that arose during the safari tour in which you participated. We understand that there were certain challenging moments, including a misunderstanding between you and your husband, that may have impacted the overall experience for the group. We recognize the importance of fostering a harmonious atmosphere for all participants, and it appears that there were instances of tension that disrupted this peace.
Our guide reported several incidents that raised safety concerns, such as leaving the vehicle and altering the intended itinerary. We kindly encourage you to adhere to the planned stops for the convenience and safety of everyone during such tours. Furthermore, we wish to suggest exploring support options should you feel overwhelmed, as maintaining a positive environment is beneficial for all guests.
We are deeply committed to ensuring that each guest has a memorable and enjoyable experience, and we appreciate your husband's support in this regard. We acknowledge that the duration of the trip was indeed six days.
Lastly, we promote the importance of honest reviews and kindly request respect and truthfulness in any feedback concerning our services. Thank you for considering these points as we continue to strive for excellence in the experiences we provide to all our guests.