Our Director on a safari with an agent
Kibale Tours
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Member Of:
- AUTO, UTB & UCF
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $1,350 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Anonymous | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
One star is too much
The three of us selected a ten day trip around Uganda. We paid two thirds of the total, told to cover the remaining third upon arrival. Once we arrived, we were taken to ATM's several times almost every morning, to take out the third half and pay in cash. We explained multiple times that we would not be able to take out that much and can wire money instead but our guide refused and kept asking us to take out cash, even asking us to overpay at a lodge so they could reimburse that amount back to the guide.
We told our guide several times we did not want a boat tour. It was not part of our itinerary. On the day we had scheduled game drives all day, they took us to lunch then told us to hurry through lunch to make the boat tour.
After we paid our initial deposit, our guide changed several lodging options. They explained 'it was the equivalent.' One lodge was $125USD a night but they changed it to a $16USD a night lodge. When we arrived at our $16USD night lodge, the guide told us to check in then LEFT. We couldn't check in because it was too early and our guide had left with our bags. They came back two hours later- no explanation or apologies.
Prior to arrival, we were told several times to bring items to donate to an orphanage. On the day we were set to meet the kids, our guide brought us back to our lodging then told us since it was a holiday, the kids had gone home to their families. ..but it's an orphanage? We were forced to give all our items ($300USD) to the lodging manager and are not entirely sure where the items went.
Over the entire trip, our guide was consistently late and left us alone in our vehicle in large cities (without telling us where they'd be). We brought this up but there was no change.
When we went for game drives, they would stop and take photos themselves, then continue on. They never checked in to see if we had a good view or got all our photos.
In addition, our guide made three stops during our drive to visit friends. They would stop the car, hop out and chat with the person for several minutes, then hop back in. No explanation or apologies for the delay in time. At one point, both guides asked us if we wanted to stop and shop. We said no, but they still left us in the car and went shopping themselves.
On the last day, our guide had initially promised a lunch before a ride to the airport however, the night before they decided they'd only take us to the airport.
Overall, we realized we overpaid for the trip we wanted and especially for the trip we got. We feel like we were fully taken advantage of and are unsure of the integrity/legitimacy of this company.
Reply from Kibale Tours
Posted on Jan 17, 2019Hello guests,
Thanks for your time to review the recent trip and for choosing to do a safari with us.
Just surprised about this review and I hope you can read through it again. Well,
Trip arrival was in Kigali and you had flight delays postponed to next day. Your colleague checked in a day before and we did the airport pick, you arrived the next day around 6pm and we drove you direct to bwindi forest arriving 11pm.
About payments; You were supposed to pay the remaining trip balance in cash on arrival but you had no cash and money was on your card (in a 3rd world country, how do you expect someone to get money of $3000 off your card? Only option was to get money through ATMs for smooth running of your trip)
Second day was gorilla trek and third day game drive and boat cruise (which was on the itinerary) and you never complained or refused the boat cruise. So there was no place to get cash since we were in the game parks. You accepted to use the card to make payment at a hotel on the 3rd day. There was no single day the guide was late and for the lodge in Kidepo we sat after breakfast at boma hotel and agreed to waive off the money for the budget hotel from the outstanding balance.
We went ahead to include rhino tracking activity which wasn't on the itinerary and you spent good time with rhinos.
It's only one time when a guide stepped out of the car to talk to another guide enroute to the rhino sanctuary and it didn’t even take 2 minutes.
Upon reaching hotel in Entebbe, you sent a WhatsApp message to the guide not to return to the hotel for airport drop as you saw it inconveniencing and you said you would send the outstanding balance once you reach home. This was ok with us and indeed you did send the money plus the tip.
The lady guest spent a couple of hours calling the airline to switch flights that were cancelled. All this was done on the guide's airtime and friendliness.
Lies:
• The only town that you stayed in Uganda was Gulu for 2 nights and at all times we arrived after 9pm so no large city you where you were left alone in the car. Kampala is Uganda’s only city and we just drove through it to Entebbe
• Boat cruise was on itinerary and no one forced you onto it
• Guide never came late at all times
• No lodges were changed check the itinerary well
• At UWA camp in Kidepo, guide never left you actually we arrived early after morning game drive and they were still cleaning the rooms. You were at the canteen relaxing and chatting with other tourists till you had lunch with the guide. Car was in the parking lot
• For the orphanage, you came from chimp trek late around 6pm and no kids were available since it was 24th Dec Christmas eve.
• You had 9 game drives and still you didn’t take good photos? Remember the last game drive in kidepo was all about taking photos in all the tracks
• You didn’t want to shop so you also didn’t want the guide to shop too?
• Trip was overpriced but upon reaching home, you sent the tip and trip balance via bank transfer
So if the trip was overpriced, how do you reach home and you send the outstanding balance plus a tip? Which company will allow you to end trip with outstanding balance. You were good guests through out the trip and i believe you will rethink about your review.
All in all, glad trip ended well.
I know you had an awesome trip and we shall continue to give amazing trips to our future guests.