Pamoja Tours and Travel (Entebbe, UG)

Reply from Pamoja Tours and Travel (Entebbe, UG)

Dear Mrs. Maas,

Thank you so much for taking time to review our services. Your review is very important to us and we have taken time to reviewed the whole safari booking experience.

Firstly, Mr. Kurt Molin (husband) booked a 15 days Kenya safari for 8 people. To confirm the safari, it was agreed that a down deposit of 50% was to be made but unfortunately, Mr. kurt Molin (primary contact and trip leader) exclaimed in his reply “ I can’t pay 50% to some Unknow bank in Africa. What if the a company runs bankrupt?”
Mr. Kurt made a deposit of $3360 (20% of overall trip cost) via Visa online payment where a surcharge of 4% was not included. The charge was $134.4. Normaly, we discount the 4% on first payment. After charges, company received $3225.5 as 1st. deposit on 15 days kenya safari for 8 people. This safari also had domestic flights from Nairobi to Mombasa and all was to be booked. Morestill, was the train from Mombasa Amali town next to Amboseli National park.


At Pamoja we believe that sometimes, building CUSTOMER TRUST calls for integration of all our core values I.e Communication, Integrity, professionalism, time delivery, Reliability, accountability and above all GOD.

During the whole booking process, we had scored 3 of our Values i.e communication, timely delivery and proffesionalism. On signing the safari contract Between Pamoja and Mr. kurt Molin, there was/is a close that spells out espect of Forced Majuere. (circumstances above company control i.e war, epidermics, riots, etc). These among others might stop a safari from starting or attract extra costs which the company may not have control over.

On the other side, Pamoja works in conjuction with hotels, boat companies, flight companies, national parks and game reserves personels whom we call SUPPLIERS.
On booking a safari, we always rely on our suppliers prices.
Some of these suppliers can have discounts like hotels but others like Narok county government which governs the Masai Mara Game reserve passes policies like the June. 2023 newest Park Entry policy. This policy changed the Masai Mara game reserve 24 hours park Entry to 12 hours. This policy came in June. 2023 and was effective in July.2023. With the new policy, automatically had to change our short evening game drive in Masai mara on first day and short morning game drive on last day since we had 3 nights in Masai Mara.

Since this was a policy beyond our control and was passed after Mr. Kurt had booked his safari with 20%. We appealed to him to either pay about the extra new costs of the short game drives which in total was attracting extra $1280 for the whole group or stick to 2 full day games following the new policy of 12 hours from 12hrs.

In the new policies, international students pay 50% if they are undertaking research, have identity cards of their institution and their institutions must write to Narok county (manages Masai Mara Game Reserve) for approval one month in Advance.

We shared the new policy publication with Mr. Kurt and even included all possible links to different articles about it. The policy left many tour operators, clients, hotels in a challenging position.

Indeed, Mr. Kurt took time to read extensively about the new policy. When he read that international students pay 50%. He concluded by saying “ I have 6 international students on safari. I will carry their school Identity cards). We explained to him that special pass does not work for his team members but all was in vain.

In late May. 2023, riots intensified in Kenya. These riots were dubbed Azimio demostrations/ riots. The riots caused an increase in tourist cancellations of safaris. This affected many hotels , flights, boat suppliers etc to revise their policies. Most hotels required 100% full payment a month before arrival including even our popular lodges. Because the safari was in the time of Wildebeest migration, most hotels had done renovations all tentative bookings with full payment were deleted from their system and rebooking meant 100% full payment and new rates.

As Mrs. Maas as mentioned above we held many conversations to appeal for a second deposit but in vain as Mr. insisted on bringing cash on arrival. At this moment, the 20% deposit had secured domestic flights, and 1/4 deposits on 2 hotels.

Luckily enough, Mr. kurt agreed to pay extra deposits but sadly, we had lost the discounts we secured in time. We had to book new hotels and paid 100% full pament on booking.

Mrs. Maas, talked about money issues days before departure. Mr. Kurt insisted that he has 6 students on the safari and was convinced they pay 50% according to new policy by Narok county which governs Masai mara. We offered 2 safari jeeps for the group of 8 people for all 15 days and did 2 full game drives in Masai mara including 50meter cheetah kill of Thompson gazelle plus wildebeest crossing however, on the last day, we had cancelled the short morning game drive but Mr. Kurt student pass didn’t work and according to new policy of 12 hrs, the short morning game drive was only possible at paying extra $640.

To our surprise, it’s on this day that Mr. Kurt and Mrs.Maas had been gifted with a Hot air ballon experience from their travel members. This is an arrangement we learnt about in the afternoon of a day before. After, our guides finding the whole plan around the hot air ballon. The Company paid extra park entry.

Worse still, in the middle of safari the Azimio demonstrations in Kenya claimed 12 lives dead and this made us change our last hotel in Nairobi which was on streets full of riots.

On 5th.07.2023, we made 10 years of excellent service and we have never experienced such riots . We are positive that we shall offer the best experience to you and your family and friends in the near future.