The review below is the personal opinion of Ivor and not that of SafariBookings.
Stressful experience for our 6 th Safari to Tanzania as Peter Malinda had clearly got serious financ
We. Travelled with two friends for their 1st and our 6th Safari in Tanzania. Peter Malinda had been an excellent guide with our previous Safari Company and we decided to support his company. All was well on arrival but we discussed a visit to Arusha National Park whist staying for our first day in Dilutu Lodge Arusha, this did not occur.Travel to Ngorongoro plus a Crater tour the following day was fine.
When we reached the gate to the Serengeti we discovered Peter had not payed the Park fees. After two hours of his failure to transfer payments to the Park Authories we paid over 500 USD by Visa. The next two days were only half day Safari trips asPeter wished to visit a tented lodge he. Had set up near te Seroners river, which was having problems.On our return trip to Manyara he stopped at Serengeti Airport as we found our payment had only covered one day Park fees and a further 1000 USD was required to cover the remaining two days. 6 hours of stress at the airport, including the attendance of the Police finally found Peter arranging money transfer to the Parh Authorities. He then drove like a man possessed to the Serengeti gate where we were told we could not cross the Ngorongoro Conservation Area until a further 350USD was found. After one hour Peter was unable to raise this money so we paid again by Visa. We arrived at Manyara in the dark at 8.30pm instead of the planned 1.00 pm. We had eaten nothing from breakfast. That mornings d missed the afternoon Manyara game drive.
The following day we returned to Diluti Lodge.
Peter then failed to pick us up at the agreed time and we had to pay a further 100 USD fora taxi to the airport.
Peter Malinda had received full payment for all hotels and Park Fees etc. In early March.He told us he would pay back the money we spent to the Parks but this has not occurred.
This trip became a disaster, anxiety inducing experience from what seemed to us a fraudulent company having clearly used a part of our payment for other than the arrangements for our Safari.
