Sandland Tours and Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $170 to $350 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
BE
Email Agnieszka | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The agency is FRAUD!
Me and my friend, we ended up with the Abraham Shaidi’s company (Sandland) as a third part booking. We booked a 5 days safari trip with the Three Peaks Safari agency which sub-contracted our trip to Abraham’s company without asking us.
Our experience was terrible. We have never seen the migration in the North part of the Serengeti neither the Ngorongoro crater as it was in our plan.
Our guide, Albert Lema drove like crazy, broke the safari rules several times by disturbing animals’ peace and put us in danger. We did not feel safe in the car and in the campsites (e.g. driving 90km/h, texting us in the middle of night when we slept, putting us between lion cubs and making noises etc).
On the 3rd/ 4th day, Albert and his boss became very rude to us, blaming us that we cost a lot. Albert also yelled at me in the front of clients, he left the camp at 8pm with our suitcases and without debriefing us. Next day at 08:30am, he came back to the camp without saying any word. He gave us his phone and asked us to speak with his “director”. Albert and Abraham asked us for EXTRA MONEY in order to go to the Ngorongoro crater or we would come back to Arusha. I called the Three Peaks Safari agency and explained the situation. The agency called the police….at the end, we have never seen the crater...
Moreover, the chef, Hilda pretended to be a 26 years old single Maasai mother from Arusha (while she was from the village Mto Wa Mbu as well as Albert) was also a very rude, aggressive and laud person.
The owner is crook and the safari guide with a chef – liars! PLEASE AVOID IT
AR
Email Ines | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Horrible experience
Me and a friend ended up with Abraham Shaidi's company (Sandland) as a third party booking. We didn't knew about them at the beginning.
The first day it took us 12 hours to arrive from Arusha to Serengeti, because we made like 6 stops waiting for everything that was supposed to be arranged before (the chef, the food, the vegetables, going to the office, etc).. so we only got to see the animals that day for only one hour.
In the meanwhile, in the same car there was a lady that had a totally different itinerary than ours. We were supposed to be 2 days in Serengeti and 1 in Nogorongo, in campsites. Hers was 3 days in Serengeti and 1 in Nogorongo, in lodges. Nobody (even the guide) knew what will happen with this differences..
Finally it happened that our third day we were supposed to go very early to nogorongo and spent the day there, but we had to wait for almost 4 hours for Shaidi to pay the Lodge of the lady so they would let her and the guide go. For that reason, we couldn't do the crater that day so we had to stay one more day. The chef didn't have food enough because he calculated for 3 days, not 4. And we didn't have any mattress for the third night!
The guide was payed only for three days so he had to return to Arusha an leave us in nogorongo de third night. We didn't know what was going to happen the next day. Finally when we woke up the 4day the other lady was again waiting for Shaidi to pay the Lodge. Another driver went to pick her up and pay for it. Then they came to pick us up, but the crater permit wasn't payed.. so we have to wait again almost 3 hours, and finally we had been in the crater only for 2.
The new driver was just a driver, he didn't know anything about animals.
To sum up, this company and Abraham Shaidi are a shame. Please don't book with them. Nobody knows what he does with the money. Is nonsense.
US
Email Chris | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Abraham and his crew cheated me out pf $360
I was on a 10 day safari intending to go to Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Amboseli and Massai Mara. Abraham's driver picked me up promptly on day one and drove me to a supermarket where I was informed that I must pay "as much as I could" towards the trip. Very strange as I had already made arrangements to pay the balance when I got to Amboseli. I paid him $360 USD to help pay for his crew. He did not even count it ... just stuffed it into his pocket. When we approached Ngorongoro Crater, I was told to pay another $800 "entry fee" and I refused. Other problems included that I was promised "mid-range lodges", but only received budget tents and the fact that even the tents were not available at Ngorongoro. On a brighter note, the driver did an excellent job and the cook did as well. STEER CLEAR OF SANDLAND TOURS.
US
Email Confidential | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It was an awful experience. They lie and steal your money.
Awful!!!The owner is a crook and the tour guide a liar.
CA
Email Gail | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Changed itinerary, skipped one sight completely, dishonest tour operator
Unscrupulous tour operator, should be shut down. He cannot deliver what is on the itinerary. Vehicle breakdowns, delays at park gates, demands from staff for tips they do not deserve, inconveniences abound. Worst is the skipped sights, drivers going 60 to 70 kilometres per hr on game drives where sped limit is 25.....list goes on ...
CN
Email jollic | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
was changed destination of manyara to tarangire
We are chinese tour company，our first group client call Huafeng CAI was booked their joining tour package on feb 2nd， we have clearly signed an agreement of 4 day joining tour for manyara lake to serengeti to ngorongoro, during my client safaris ,we was told they was going to change manyara lake to tarangire, our client very disappointed，when I ask them，we was told they have been manyara， actually not ，I try to connect with them directly , was told my client agree to change, that is impossible , they tell a lie.
the second group of called Yan jie , we has paid arusha crown hotel, but sandland tours change to arusha inn without any reasonable revert, they charged different rate, there almost 80 usd different for full board, we call them for assistant, they said if we paid usd100 again then change back to arusha crown, my god, so badlly and cunning tourist operater, they always tell a lie and easy change client booking even we have signed agreement and paid them. so terrible cooperation. we hope safaribooking manager can give us assistance.
CH
Email Christian | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Do not book this company
We have booked Kenya/Tansania holidays with Absolute Holidays Safaris - a Kenya company. For the Tansania part SandLand Tours was responsible - the partner company of Absolute Holidays Safaris. Here a list of all issue we had with this company or to be more precise with Abraham, the head of this company:
1. We paid 2 day safari in the Ngorongoro creater. Abraham told us only one day is paid and we have to pay again 300$ if we want to go a second time. After we were back in Kenya, Absolute Holiday Safari confirmed that we have paid for two days and gave us back the 300$. Abraham lied as he told us he has checked with Absolute Holidays Safari and the second day was not paid.
2. we asked for a birthday cake as one of the group had his birthday. he wanted to have 40$ dollars for a small cake. we did not paid anything at the end as this was clearly a scam.
3. we paid for a nice lodge to have one day rest, on the day heading to the lodge we were informed that we will stay in another lodge, which was cheaper than the one we have chosen and paid for.
4. Camp sites were changed in last minute to save money as well.
5. the car we had in Tansania was not in service for years.
6. the tents were leaking
7. we had upgrade to bed and beddings, but just got tents and matrasses
I really recommend to not do any holidays with them. if you have booked via Kenya company, do not accepted any deviations from the plan in Tansania you have arranged with the Kenya company. Abraham (SandLand Tours) will try to save money whereever possible and even assert that not everything was paid in advance and the client has to pay again.
CH
Email Tobias | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Worst Safari we ever had!
We can confirm all this reviews above! We booked our individual tour with "Go 2 Africa Luxury Safaris". They confirmed the itinerary and all accomodations. They did not tell us anything about a different company making the safari.
These were our experiences:
The tour:
Day 1:
- Due to the bad logistics (people for the tour where missing/coming from a different place, cars where not fueled!) of that company we started at around 11:00 in Arusha although we should have started at 8:00!!! That was our Safari- and holiday-time we missed!
- Accomodation at Jambo Lodge (due to easy logistics for the company) which was not part of our itinerary and of much lower standard than the ones we payed for!
- We asked for local food (as part of the contract). The dinner was planned to be separately from the others. As we said we would like to be together with the rest of the group, after some discussions we got our dinner first with the European food and the local food afterwards?!
Day 2:
- There was no breakfast for us, but prepared for the others. We received our breakfast after longer discussions. There was no coffee for everyone left.
- There was no toilet paper in the lodge. So we had to use our own one.
- We where told that we would get local dinner at Kati Kati tented Camp, but only got bad, cold food.
Day 3:
- We should get breakfast at 6:00 before being picked up at 6:30. Breakfast was ready after the group arrived at around 6:40. After telling the „guide“ about that problem we got some breakfast and the rest of the group had to wait. - Lost Safari-time again for the whole group.
- At around 11:00 we had brunch for the tented-group and lunch-box for us: There was no place at the table for us, no chairs, no plates. We had to sit outside on the ground in the sun with the lunch box! - That time we told the „guide“ that we do not except that kind of treatment, that we pay a luxury tour-price and want at least a part of our money back. He was supposed to call and inform his boss - we did not get any feedback or excuse.
- Due to the bad logistics of that company we had to wait unnecessary long time after lunch until we could leave. (our Safari-time again)
- At the border to Ngorongoro NP we had to wait around 2.5 hours although we were first told it should take around 1 hour. During that time we did not get any information. (again: our Safari-time!). We asked a different guide from that company and found out that they made a mess with the wrong permits in advance. The guides had to clear that problem. Abraham told us something completely different, so someone was clearly not telling the truth…
Day 4:
- We left the Ngorongoro NP very early (no lunch in the crater, …) and arrived early at the Jambo Lodge again (cheaper lodge, easier logistics for Abraham) and did not have any program in the afternoon, which was our holiday time we payed for!
- In the afternoon we were told that we get a local dinner at 19:00, but when we arrived for dinner the chef wanted to seat us with a completely unknown group and serve something completely different. We found out that SandLand Tours just booked the room at the lodge and not the meals that we were told we would get. After long discussions our „guide“ came and took us to a local restaurant for dinner. We said that he would bring us to his boss after the tour that we could discuss everything with him.
Day 5:
- We had the first breakfast without any trouble (except at Rhino Lodge) but still without coffee, although there was a shop just around the corner.
- Again we had to wait very long to leave.
- After a short trip to Lake Manyara NP we were brought to our hotel directly, but not to the office. When I shortly talked to Abraham at the phone he said he would let us pick up the next day at 8:30 to talk to him and to let us bring to the airport afterwards.
- We were pretty much enraged but talking to the owner of the hotel were we stayed (Sinzia Villas) got us down a bit. He invited us to an excellent local food dinner as he was ashamed for that kind of treatment we experienced (although it was not his fault anyway).
Day 6:
- After some WhatsApp-messages we were picked up at around 9:15.
- The conversation consisted just of excuses, lies (like it was not possible to stay at a camp at Lake Manyara due to mosquitos) and contradictions.
- He said he would give us 150,-$ p.p. and everything would be fine with that…, but he charged us another 30,-$ for the transfer to the airport. He wanted to send us the money to our hotel in Zanzibar and also offer us a free transfer to the airport on our last day.
Safety of the car:
- The wheels did not all have enough profile and seemed decayed.
- The brakes were not strong enough, so you always had to put stones under the wheels that the car did not roll away…
- The ignition did not work properly why you had to push-start the car or park on a hill…
- Many parts of the car were broken (e.g. cooler-box) or temporarily fixed (fold-up-roof)…
- One car of that company was broken why we had to wait while it had to be repaired in Serengeti NP.
- In general the cars do not look well-maintained.
The tourguide:
- Was rarely with the group and did solve arising problems.
- Did not look for the group to find together as a group.
- Did not inform about the tour or times. Only if you asked (when he was there).
- Did not inform when there were problems leading to longer waiting-times (e.g. at the border to Ngorongoro NP).
- Did not maintain the car (at least clean the windows), or refuel during off-times.
One week later:
- After several messages we had not received any money yet, but he arranged the transfer to the airport. We had to drive through Stonetown to meet a friend of Abraham who gave us 230,-$ - He charged the free transfer with overpriced 40,-$ (usually we would have payed 25,-$)!
Two weeks later:
- Now it's two weeks later. We have contacted and informed Go 2 Africa Luxury Safaris. They blame us that we have not informed them before or did not give them all information about this case (although we can prove that we have sent all information in the first mail!). After a meeting between Abraham and Milambo from Go 2 Africa Luxury Safaris we are just accused beeing deceitful, because we want our money (the missing 40$ + a compensation for the resentment and the time consuming mailing back).
ES
Email Daniel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
No information, no organization.
This agency is run by a person with a lack of education and will attempt to defraud you at any time. The guides / drivers are not professionals and they do not have the necessary education. The exception is in the team of cooks, who do a great job.
As a reference, I must say that we did another safari in Kenya and it was completely opposite, we were with great people and professional people.
You should avoid contracting with this agency, and if it is part of a Kenya-Tanzania combined, you should specify to the Kenyan agency that you do not hire Sandlans Safari for the part you will make in Tanzania.
Email Thomas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Avoid avoid avoid
This tour was equally upsetting and angering. Unfortunately I booked with another agent, and was pooled with other bookings, all from different agents. We should have been suspicious that ours was the only vehicle without any branding...it took 4 days to establish which tour company was actually running our trip.
From the outset, it was a shambles. We wasted the entire first morning waiting for various other bookings, essentially until the vehicle was full. I then also had my paid for itinerary changed immediately. To cap it off, the driver / guide was extremely rude, and offered no insight into either the schedule or the wildlife.
During my 5 day trip, the irritation continued. Our vehicle was clearly the slowest on the road, costing us hours of game driving every day. In addition, every time we reached camp, we were the last to leave, and last to eat. And even more, the game driving was not at all in line with the promised schedule. We spent a mere 3 hours in Ngorongoro crater...
Overall the entire trip was awful. It was hard to enjoy the wildlife beauty, as we were all so constantly harassed by the awful experience.
Please do not use this company, and help others to avoid such disappointment too.