Watu Safaris staff and guests in Mikumi
Watu Safaris (T)
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $90 to $450 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
DE
Email Chrissi | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A dreamlike safari with a great guide
The decision to book the safari through Watu was not easy. There are simply unbelievably many providers and typically German you are afraid of falling on your nose and getting cheated. After some mail contact we (4 persons) decided to trust the provider and book a 10 day safari. This was the absolute best decision. The safari was simply terrific, we saw a lot of animals and got a great insight into the culture of Tanzania. Our guide had years of experience and could estimate exactly how far you can get to the animals without any problems and when it gets dangerous. During the whole safari we always felt absolutely safe. During the safari we decided to go on a night safari. The booking was no problem and went without any problems via Whatsapp with Majenda. I can only recommend the night safari to everyone, it is a completely different feeling to get so close to the animals in the dark. For me the safari was a highlight, I often look at the pictures and get incredible wanderlust. Another tip, 10 days safari is not enough, the parks are too far away from each other. Due to a car breakdown we even lost a whole day. Take more time. My next safari will be about 16-17 days.
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NL
Email Joan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unprofessional
Dissapointed
Unprofessionalism and disappointment guaranteed.
My family and I experienced a nightmare with Watu Safaris managed by this man called Mr. Majenda. What was supposed to be a relaxing and memorable getaway with my two year old son and husband turned into a horrible cascade of unpredictable and disappointing events.
Before the trip:
Mr. Majenda and I were in good communication and he seemed quite courteous and civil. We arranged the trip for July 19th and 20th. We were to be picked up from Dar-es-salaam at 5:30 am and be driven to Mikumi to spend the day, sleep in the premises and continue our safari the next morning. Two days before the safari, I emailed Mr. Majenda to make sure if all plans were in order and he assured me like the professional I thought he was that all is well. He told me that my driver would contact me to make arrangements. I didn't hear from the driver so I contacted him the night before the trip. The driver had no idea about the trip. He told that he thought it was for the 29th and not the 19th. Mind you, Mr. Majenda had prepared my invoice with the correct dates and all emails had the dates of the safari as subject. So the driver then asked me to wait so he can clarify with his boss Mr. Majenda. They somehow managed to hire another driver from a different company right around midnight. I was notified by text about this new driver situation.
Day of the trip:
We woke up early to prepare and were ready by 5am. Time of pick up arrives and no show. So I call the new driver. He picks up the phone, surprise! I had just woken him up. He told me he was not briefed about the pick up time and that he was on his way. I honestly think this guy was innocent in all this.
So we get around 6:15am and head out. We arrive at Morogoro and meet Mr. Majenda at Watu Safaris offices to complete our payment. He says sorry without any explanation and proceeds to deduct the payment. We head to Mikumi. At this point, I am already very dissatisfied and honestly feeling let down. What else could go wrong?
At Mikumi park:
We arrive at the gate, present our IDs and ask for our booking for lodging that night. Guess what? None of that exists! After almost an hour of calls, no success as to where we were going to spend the night. Our entrance fees were supposed to be covered in our safari package but we ended up paying out of pocket to get into the park. At this point, I was expecting at least a call from Mr. Majenda but nothing. Two hours later, I decide to call him. I was very furious. He gave me a half type of apology and blamed it on his driver for mixing up the dates. I told him to own up for God's sake! He said that they had booked us at a hotel nearby to spend the night and that "it was more expensive than the lodges" that we were originally supposed to stay in. I was so disgusted. If I wasn't pregnant and also with a 2 year old, we would have driven back home the same day. We ended up staying at that hotel and completed the trip next morning.
We did not get a personal apology from Mr. Majenda, nor did he call us to make sure we were okay. He didn't care about us after getting his money. The only thing he did was pay for the hotel bill including all meals and offered to reimburse us our entrance fee. I understand that some things can go wrong when planning a trip but in our case, all things went wrong and for this reason and the way he handled things, I do not consider Mr. Majenda a professional.
Reply from Watu Safaris (T)
Posted on Aug 25, 2019Hello Joan,
Thank yo for the review and concerns about our services
Note that no one plans to fail or disappoint a customer. Very sorry that your trip had to be like this after all the planning and arrangements we had already made for it.
- The first driver already prepared and after the date mix up (which was a typing error during our communications 6 in preparations for the trip) we managed to get another vehicle for the safari, you do not just get a car and not brief the driver about pick up time or the trip, all pick up start from 05:30 hours to around 06:30 hours so in average you were picked on time.
- On the day of the trip there was problem with our payment cards at the gate, we had other guests too in the park who their fees were not yet paid too and to make your entry quick we asked you to make payment for your fees to save time rather than waiting and these were refunded to you. So it was not a delay to you only but to everyone we were to pay using our cards.
- I personally did make hotel reservations at the Mikumi Park cottages about 6 days before the trip and i was surprised too that there were not room for you, that's why we had to call the park and see what happened. They had park authority guests and that all bookings were taken including your room too and somehow they replied we had a room while making the booking. In that case i had to find a room outside the park where you stayed for the night.
- We already had a long talk on the phone about the situations and i tried my best to explain what happened. I would still apologize again for having this experience but to assure you that we don't plan for bad experiences to happen and sometimes hap shittens in a way that we can not control.
- The money you paid it was never "my money" this was your money to pay for all the services you were to use and whatever left is for our service charges to organize the trip. You paid 900,000 tsh out of which i paid 790,000 for the car for 2 days (395,000 per day), paid for your entry fees 2 days 22,000, paid for your accommodation and dinner 102,000. This makes total costs paid for your trip is 914,000, which is 14,000 plus more than what you paid. This is just to show you that it was not for money, it is just that sometimes things happens in a way that you never expect.
Again i'm sorry for whatever happened to make your trip a bad experience, we strive to provide great experience and yours was not the one we expected
SI
Email Katja & Robert | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our first Safari trip to Mikumi National Park was an amazing experiance.
The comunication with Watu Safari was wery fast and fluid. Their answears were exact and we got exactly, what we have expected. The price was also very good. So we can highly recommend the Safari trip with Watu Safaris. :)
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Email BC | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic safari operator
We did a 3-day Selous safari and had an amazing time. Our driver-guide, Hamad, was very knowledgeable and engaging. In addition to a day of game drives in a beautiful reserve that isn't overrun by tourists in which we were incredibly lucky to see a pack of endangered African wild dogs up close, there was a boat safari on the Rufiji River and a bush walk just outside Selous. Both were fun and interesting, as was the 5-6 hour drive to Selous, which offers the ability to pass many villages and get a glimpse of "real Tanzania".
The lodge where we stayed was very nice and the staff friendly.
Communication with Majenda of Watu Safaris was fantastic. He is incredibly responsive and professional and delivered a safari that I felt was a great value. Visitors to Tanzania should absolutely not overlook the hidden gem that is the Southern Circuit and when you go, I highly recommend choosing Watu Safaris.
GR
Email Anta P. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Full experience safari!
Majenda always replied on time and kindly to all of our questions. The jeep was really cool and the loadges was ok. We saw lions, baby lions, leopards and python among all the other wild animals!!our tour guide, Hamadi, was exceptional. Thank you very much
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DK
Email Burchardt Family | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent and customer oriented tour operators
I wrote to Majenda and he replied to every query I had! He booked hotels and the car and the driver was always on time! No hassles! They went beyond their work hours to help my family and made sure we were safe at all times and most important we enjoying ourselves!
The prices are affordable and he cares about the services his company offered than earning extra bucks for ripping off customers!
Both drivers we had to Mikumi and Udzungwa were professional and helpsome!
Highly recommend this tour operator, and would definitely use them again in future !
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Email Ana | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing service
Amazing service provided by the most professional, kind and nicest people. The manager is very approchable and will help you with all the questions you may have. Very organised. Excellent communication skills. Our guide, Hamad, was very knowledgeable and friendly. Made sure we had the most amazing experiences with the animals. Shared very impressive stories he lived. Trully amazed by the service provided.
HU
Email Klaudia Androsovits | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari, great experience
I booked a 2-day safari with Watu Safaris to Mikumi National Park. I am happy I chose them and my guide Rajabu was very helpful and made this short safari a great and unforgettable experience. Saw lots of animals giraffes, zebras, elephants, bulls, etc. No lions came our way but that was fine. Amazing mountain landscapes on the way, very nice national park Thank you Rajabu and Majenda!
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Email Jade | under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best experience of our lives
For university we fly to Tanzania to volunteer at a school. Due to school not returning until the 8th we contacted Wutu safari who assisted us to plan our trip until we got to the school. We had a 2 day safari, hotel for 2 nights and food as well as travel. As our first time in the country we were apprehensive but Majenda and Amani made sure we were well looked after. It is a definite trip to make, we learnt so much and started Tanzania on a high!
NL
Email Tea | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mikumi has a lot to offer
Watu Safaris is a professional organization. They listen to your needs and make the reservation easy.
The guide / driver drives safely and has a lot of knowledge about the wild animals, which of you will see a bunch at Mikumi National Park. The broken English of the guide can at times be hard to follow.
You really can see the animals Watu Safaris list on their website. Mikumi National Park is great for getting an overview of animals living in the savanna.