Bushbaby Calls Team
Bush Baby Calls
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- HATAB, BOGA & Botswana Tourism Organisation
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $270 to $870 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
FR
Email Yazid | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Perfect!
Very good organization, professional and very experienced drivers, cook worthy of a great chef. I absolutely recommend.
IL
Email EF | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very well organized
Educated, knowledgeable, experienced, and highly motivated guide.
High quality camping facilities including full meals ( even gluten and lactose free as requested), restrooms and a shower.
Highly friendly staff.
NL
Email EW | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Worst customer service ever with too many lies.
Four years ago we did make a gamedrive on our own in Moremi N.P. Unfortunately we got stuck and so we decided in 2018 to go again, but now we did book a “professional” gamedrive. Not cheap, but we really wanted to see the park this time.
Unfortunately we did get disappointed again. In a very uncomfortable car and an incompetent guide we did not see what we wanted to see. The guide did not know his way around and lucky enough we had still the map of 2 years ago, otherwise we had to spend the night in the park for he could not find the exit. He was alo unable to find the Black Pool. So sad, because other guides did see some lions there. During the day we saw that nothing did work on the dashboard of the car and that the tires he no profile at all. Because the guide could not find the exit we left the park too late and therfore he drove too fast and if we had not seen a big whole in the road we would have ended up in hosptal. But the emergency stop he had to make because of this, was the end of the car as well. Gladly another car picked us up after a while and did bring us back to Maun.
Of course we did complain and the result was that we should get a refund and than the misery started. Because I am working in travelbusiness I did not go on the internet with this story, to give Bush Baby Call the opportunity to solve this issue in the proper way. He promised to refund us and that was ok with us inspite of our disappointment missing Moremi again. But now after 1,5 years we run out of patience and are really finished with all the lies he told us. A few examples of his OWN MAILS he did send to us:
04-01-2019 You have to check your account in about 7working days i have sent the money this morning
01-06-2019 As for us we will pay your whole amount within this month
16-12-2019 you dont have to make a bad review over $300,00. It will be unfair and you know it.I will send the funds to you.
30-12-2019 I will forward the money when i get back from holidays
02-01-2020 I am going to transfer the money on or before the 30 January 2020
31-01-2020 Can you kindly refresh me with the account details,i seem to have misplaced them,just came back from east africa,i want to forward the refund
04-02-2020 I will definitely send you the proof, i am doing a cheaper transfer method so i will send the proof once it is initiated, please let us finish this transfer,
13-02-2020 Hope this email finds you well, i will make a follow up when i get back to Maun from the safari, i had hoped u have already received it i will also forward the proof.
15-02-2020 I will be back on thursday, i will straight away go to the bank to find out and send proof.
20-02-2020 as far as i am concerned i am not refusing to send you your refund
And many more of these lies. We gave the owner enough time (1,5 years), but now we think the world should now what a lier this person is. Our advice: don’t book here. I think something can go wrong everywhere, but it is so important to solve the issue properly and he failed dramatically.
And many more of these lies. We gave the owner enough time (1,5 year), but now we think the world should know what a lier this person is.
FI
Email Alex and Sinikka | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very accommodating and always available to assist at all times so as to give you the best experience
Best value for money. Always thriving to leave you satisfied at all times. I Will recommend all my friends and colleagues to use this tour operator when visiting Maun.
Email Michael | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Terrible touroperator!!
We contacted this tour operator for a 3 day safari in Chobe and it was a real disaster. The 4x4 was in terrible condition and left us stranded several times; camping tents were awful and super old. An experience to forget.
ES
Email Jonay | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A Nightmare in Botswana
We spent last year 12 days with MG and his team and our experience was really bad. We had to pay the entrance to chobe and the manager MG never paid to us. Our driver didn´t found our camp in Khwai and we had to sleep in a local cottage. The guide was estressed all time and our camp in Kalahari desert was diferente that the camp for which we have paid. A total disaster of company!!
FR
Email PETIT | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very good experience thanks to the driver and guides, poor concerning the organisation and camp
Our experience with Bushbaby call has generally been good thanks to the wonderful guide driver Messe who knows perfectly the parks and tracks to follow near the animals, thanks to him who was for us a permanent ray of sunshine, always at the listen, kind and interesting, we will never forget the wonderful moments spent with him. The other two people who looked after us were also perfect and the cook was very knowledgeable.
On the other hand, there is much to complain about the organization of the trip. We took the BBC taxi, he drove us to the border, we were cared for by a charming young woman who had to make the connection with cars and staff, we waited in vain for the boat to the meal and the cruise that never came to get us, we had thanks to the young woman was able to embark on another boat that hosted us and gave us a very pleasant time and we shared the meal of tourists on board . On our return we waited a long time for the cars
The camp proposed was summary, one of the beds could not be used because dangerous (part had been forgotten) one could say "Wild camp" whereas we had reserved in comfortable lodges and that the person in charge of BBC had told us we provide the equivalent. Fortunately we kept one of them which allowed us to sleep well, restore and wash ... a real pleasure in Mogothlo that we had paid before and accomodations for our guide. On the other hand, we had no problem rectifying the bill which included an undue performance and we spent a wonderful day in mokoro with our friends ...
We had left a tip for the mokoro staff that was not paid to the recipients when the tour took place, so we poured it a second time ...
I think that BBC is an agency that has to make a lot of progress to offer the best services and that the staff that accompanies the tourists has been perfect for us.
CA
Email Mihaela B. | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Joke of a tour operator - Avoid at all cost!!! Complete lack of safety
Horrible experience - MG met us at the border between Zimbabwe and Botswana - took our money and luggage and then was supposed to pick us up at a certain time after we visited Victoria Falls. They were late in picking us up. Then we had a lovely time in Chobe National Park, which was the only positive experience with them. As soon as we started our camping safaris - one disaster after another. We rode in an open safari vehicle at high speed for 3-4h to get to the dirt road leading to Savuti. We then got to the game reserve gate 90 minutes after its closing time and then drove at night! (strictly forbidden) for another 5h to find our campsite - the guide could not find the camp - we were scared, tired, frustrated, cold and hungry. Second day, we were on a game drive and our driver went offroad and took us within 15m of a pride of lions. He stopped the engine and then the car would not start again. We were completely exposed and luckily another safari vehicle came and pulled our car out. The driver would never fill up the car’s gas tank so we were left without gas at one point in Kalahari, without water. Driver had to abandon the car and us to go in search of help - no cell phone signal. At no time we were told how long the drives would take to get from one place to the next and they notoriously underestimated the durations. We never made it in time to any of the game reserve gates. We were exposed to unsafe trip conditions on more than one occasion. Driver and his safari vehicle were subcontracted by MG and each one blamed the other for all the mishaps. Absolutely horrific.
Email Gabriel Nacho | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
good and very perfect experience!!!!!!
We came from Namibia to a wonderfull reception and excellent services by bush baby calls and the crew, we were welcomed and travelled to a camp in Moremi Game reserve of Xakanaka,we were met by roadblocks of big elephants and we were travelling through the sandy roads of the desert and mophane bushes,the quietness and songs of birds were amazing.At night since our campsite was near the river we were amazed by the roaring hippos which were fighting in the river,we had a wonderful seven nights in this area,we proceeded to savuti and we were met by large pride of lions with cubs on the road sleeping,many buffalos,impalas,the vegetation was totally different from one are to onather.the service of the game rangers we meet at the entrance wa cool,everyone smiles and greet you on the way.Nice Botswana and Nice Bush Baby Calls and staff.
See you and thank you
Gabriel
IT
Email Susan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Avoid at all costs - this is a schlock outfit!!
Utter shambles. Of 5 nights of mobile camping - reserved, confirmed, fully pre-paid - we were cheated out of 2 nights. On arrival we found out that the first night nothing whatsoever had been arranged, other than a back-handed suggestion to stay in some shabby motel in the middle of Maun - and even though our itinerary clearly stated that we would be bush camping in Khwai. We were also told that, on the last night, we would be unceremoniously dumped in Kasane and left to our own devices - and even though our itinerary clearly stated that we would be bush camping in Ihaha. The so-called "organisation" was an unmitigated disaster. The vehicles (yes, plural, there was a series of replacement ones as they were in such bad condition!) bordered on dangerous. All the equipment was old, worn, broken (tents), dirty (sheets), badly stained (mattresses), or incomplete (towels never materialised). When I confronted the owner, he did not seem surprised and indicted that other travellers had also had abysmal experiences with Bush Baby Calls. But this did not seem to bother him! At best, ineptitude. At worst, fraudulent. Only saving grace was the actual guides who were superb. For both, it was the first time working freelance for Bush Baby Calls and they were clearly horrified, though too professional (and embarrassed) to discuss the situation. Even the officer at Khwai Gate - when we finally got there! - rolled her eyes and said, "Not them again , they are always messing up!" Be warned: book with Bush Baby Calls only if you want to have your dream mobile tented experience completely ruined.