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
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Email John | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We would book again so long as we can get China again as our guide.
We didn't book with Sandland. Our booking agent was Seth Vincent with Trip Advisor Africa Safari. When we arrived in Arusha and paid we were kind of surprised to see that our receipt of payment was issued by Sandland Tours and Safaris. Our confusion turned to panic when we looked up the reviews for Sandland. I immediately got ahold of Seth Vincent who reassured me for like 2 minutes that everything was going to be okay and that we could count on the reputation of his form Trip Advisor African Safari. He'd personally selected or guide and we could count on a good experience.
In short, he was correct. Our China was incredible. He had 9 years experience, was knowledgeable, funny, and very hospitable. I couldn't imagine a better guide. There was someone on our trip that was challenging at times and China was always extraordinarily patient with her beyond what I would have been. I always felt taken care of and we saw 4 of the big 5 in 4 days. (Plus we got three different lion hunts.)
That said, conditions remain fairly primitive and things come up. Showers were cold, we had a flat tire, the temperature dropped to 40 degrees, and roads were really rough. But we booked an adventure not a resort and we definitely got our adventure.
I also want to commend our cook Simon. My wife and I are vegetarian as were 3 other people on our trip. The food was delicious, plentiful, and nobody on our group got sick.
So our experience with Sandland was amazing. We'd book with them again, but only if China was part of the deal given that the reviews for this firm are hit or miss.
NL
Email Ron | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Scammers!!!
I booked the '4 Days Ngorongoro and Serengeti Safari in Tanzania' at BookAllSafaris.com. The company is 'Back Of Africa Adventures' from Kenya. They outsourced is to Sandland Tour from Arusha, Tanzania.
Sandland Tour changed the totall program without telling me. Because of these changes, I had a lot less time in the parks. All the other people paid a lot less for this cheaper tour. I complained at 'Back Of Africa Adventures', but they told me they can not help me.
Day 1: Arusha - Tarangire (4 hours afternoon game drive) - Mto wa Mbu Campsite Sunbright
Instead of: Arusha - Ngorongoro Crater
Pick up from your hotel in Arusha.
Drive to Ngorongoro Crater (full day of tracking game with your guide).
Break for picnic lunch at the Ngoitoktok springs picnic site (a chance to see the Big Five).
Dinner and overnight will be at the campsite.
Day 2: Mto wa Mbu Campsite Sunbright - Serengeti (4 hours afternoon game drive)
Instead of: Ngorongoro Crater / Serengeti
Leave Ngorongoro after breakfast for Serengeti (arriving in time for lunch).
After lunch, proceed for afternoon game drive in this unique park to see the many animals.
Dinner and overnight will be at Serengeti Seronera campsite.
Day 3: Serengetie (7 hours morning game drive) - Ngorongoro campsite
Instead of: Serengeti
Morning and afternoon game drive in the Serengeti with a lunch and leisure break at the lodge or campsite in the mid afternoon.
Dinner and overnight will be at your campsite.
Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater (6 hours morning game drive) - Arusha
Instead of: Serengeti - Arusha
After breakfast, leave the campsite for game viewing on your way out of Serengeti.
Drive to Arusha via Mto wa Mbu village.
Tour ends in the afternoon to be dropped at the Kilimanjaro Airport Road (KIA).
I even had to pay for the airport transfer! While this was included...
NO
Email Linn | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Worst safari agent ever!
This is the most unprofessional and worst agent we've dealt with ever!
We booked our safari through a company in Kenya but for the Tanzanian part we were outsourced to Sandland Tour, Arusha.
We and also an other girl in our group (who had booked with different agent in Kenya) had to all the time argue and pin point what was included in our intiniary. If we haven't had the out print to show them they would have over ruled us on everything and cut things off. Ex: in our intinary we were supposed to drive to Serengeti via Olduvai Gorge. We drove right passed it. We were even supposed to have our lunch there, whitch did not happen.
First day 2 individually travelling guys joined us, both of them with different intinary. Second day they were sent to a different group. They were supposed to leave 30 min before us but they were there still waiting when we left.
First night at camp my husband and I got a tent together as we were a couple but the girl and the two guys , who all traveleld indvidually and didn't know each other, were placed in the same tent. The girl of course argued and after hard discussion the girl got a tent for her self. But the guys still had to share.
As they also changed the order of the itiniary we were short cut on things.
Also they took us to Tarangire park, whitch we did not have in our itiniary. This led to that we had far less time in Serengeti than what our plan said and we payed for.
They also skipped breakfast one day. When they wanted to do so second day we told the guide and the chef that we won't have it. So they ahd to give us breakfast anyway. But of course resulting in less time game driving as they didn't start the day earlier like we requested to not to miss out on time of game drives. We saw other groups start earlier with breakfasts so they could get sunrise in the parks.
Our guide, George, was not competent and showed very little interest in making a good safari for us. He knew less about animals/trees/plants/birds than we did. Many questions he didn't even answer. We did not enjoy the atmosphere on the safari and didn't feel comfortable at all. In the end we were just happy to be finished with the safari in Tanzania and hoped we would arrive safetly back to Kenya as we felt we could not trust them at all.
When the safari was over and we were supposed to get transport back to Arusha as the other girl had one more day with safari. George, the guide just left both us and the girl with no words. Him and 2 others drove off, and we never saw them again. The girl was supposed to have an afternoon game drive but at 5pm she was still at the camp.
We sat there with a stranger who spoke barely english as our driver and with no information and we were waiting for almost 2 hours before we left for Arusha. 2 hours we could have spent more on game drive or been in Arusha for sight seeing.
The day we were supposed to get bak to Nairobi we were supposed to have breakfast at 7am as our transport was to leave at 7.30 from the hotel. We were in the restaurant at 6.55am, they didn't give us the food before 7.25 even the chef and 2 waitress's were there fromt he moment we came. We tried to tell them several times that we have to leave at 7.30 but to no help.
The day we arrived in Arusha from Nairobi the boss, Abraham wouldn't give us dinner as they said it was not included. After showing them the intiniary and discussing and making us wait 3 hours they said we could have dinner.
It was very unprofessional and very unfriendly customer service. If we knew what we knew to day we would have skipped Tanzania all together as it actually led to no pleasant part of our holiday than what it did good. Unfortunately waste of money. Make sure when you book safari that it's the same agent handling your safari all the journey.
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Email Sandy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beware, avoid this company
We booked a safari through another company in Kenya for a safari in Kenya and Tanzania. This company outsourced Tanzania to sandland tours. Sandland tours did not keep the itinerary agreed upon, they changed our lodges and tented camps to cheaper ones. The owner is Abraham and his side kick is Simon. They are both liars and cheats and will do anything forore money. DO not book with this company and make sure you ask your safari company if they are outsourcing any part of your safari!!!
Avoid this company!!
Avoid Sandlands!
Do not book with Sandlands Tour Company in Tanzania. Mr Abraham Shaidi and his colleague Simon will take your money and not deliver what you actually booked. During our trip this happened to us, another lady we met and we were informed that it was not the first time Mr Shaidi had done this.
My friend and I paid $1680 for a 4 night/ 5 day safari and did not receive everything in our itinerary. We should have had 2 nights in the Serengeti, but we only got one. We should have had an evening and full day game drive in the Serengeti but we only got two half days - one of these 'half days' was only from 3:30-6pm. We should have had two game drives in Ngoronogoro but we only got one.
We were paired with three men who had booked a budget 3 night safari costing around $600 and our itinerary was changed to suit theirs. Meaning we essentially got the same experience as a budget safari (with the exception of accommodation) but paid over $1000 more.
Further to this, we spent almost 2 hours daily waiting around for the men to pack up their camping equipment despite the fact we deliberately didn't book camping to avoid this delay.
On two occasions, Mr Shaidi also instructed our driver to take us to different accommodation than what we had actually booked - accommodation that was significantly lesser than what we paid for. It was only because our driver was kind and honest that we realised this and were able to call Mr Shaidi to demand we were taken to where we paid for.
When we spoke with Mr Shaidi to resolve this, him and his colleague Simon refused to take blame for the fact that they falsely advertised the itinerary and didn't give us what we paid for. Mr Shaidi did compare the itinerary we booked, to what we actually received and agreed it was vastly different. However, he blamed Simon for this and Simon blamed him. Mr Shaidi was the one who instructed our driver of the itinerary to follow. Mr Shaidi assured us that he would ensure we each received $200 in compensation the next day. However, predictably this was also a lie and we received no money back.
Do not waste your time and money booking with this company. They are complete con-artists and will try to cut corners wherever they can. We are extremely angry and disappointed that we spent so much money and did not receive what we booked and hope that this review ensures nobody else is ripped off like we were.