Run Wild African Safaris
- Located In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2006)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $250 to $1,600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email cheryl wang | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had a terrible experience with this African safari company and felt misled. We do not recommend their service.
Unprofessional and misleading experience – we cannot recommend this company.
We won a bid for a safari trip through a school gala event organized by "Charity Booster," with Run Wild African Safaris serving as the vendor. Unfortunately, this has turned out to be the worst travel experience of our lives.
From the start, it was clear that this is not a legitimate operation. Communication has been horrendous, with phone calls going unanswered and emails often receiving responses weeks or even months later. The level of dishonesty is staggering—they lie, they lie, they lie!
Before our trip, we were asked to pay unexpected fees $9000 upfront, but we never received a proper itinerary or any detailed information. As a family of four with two children, we were left completely in the dark about what to expect. No pictures, names of hotels, or camping details were shared before our departure. What upset me the most was the unauthorized changes made to our trip.
1. Changed Itinerary: The itinerary provided was vastly different from what was promised. We were misled with the offer of a “free upgrade” and ended up spending four nights in a remote area described as a semi-desert. Despite explicitly requesting to stay in a Botswana safari camp, we were relocated to an obscure location in Zimbabwe that is not even an authentic African safari destination—it’s a mining zone.
2. Misrepresentation of Accommodations: We were told via phone that we would be staying in the “most luxurious” camp available, which could accommodate up to 13 people. They even encouraged us to bring more family members to increase their profits. Shockingly, no photos or information regarding the camp name, food, or accommodations were ever sent to us. It was only through a friend who participated in the bidding process that I learned there would be no electricity, Wi-Fi, or air conditioning at the camp. In reality, we were placed in a tiny, rough tent, far from the luxurious experience that had been promised.
3. Delayed Itinerary Release: To further complicate matters, they withheld our itinerary until just three days before the trip, despite our persistent requests for ten months. They appeared to have intentionally kept us in the dark, knowing that we would be forced to accept their terms with no ability to cancel.
4. Excessive Additional Charges: We were informed of an added fee of $3,500 for “private cross-country vehicle transfers, mandatory taxes/levies, tribal community conservation fees, and wildlife conservation fees.” However, since we will only be staying in Zimbabwe for four nights due to the last-minute changes, the private cross-country transfers are nonsensical and feel like a blatant rip-off.
In summary, our experience with Run Wild African Safaris has been incredibly disappointing and frustrating. We were misled every step of the way, and I strongly advise others to think twice before engaging with this company.
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Email Joe | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Poor communication, contractual issues
As a board member of a non-profit organization and a recent donor who secured a Wild African Safaris package through a charitable auction, I feel compelled to document the challenges we have encountered with Run Wild African Safaris.
We purchased a Run Wild African Safari package through the auction, looking forward to this trip as my third journey to Africa, albeit with a new tour company.
Approximately nine months before our trip (January 2024), we reached out to Run Wild African Safaris to finalize our booking. After paying several thousand dollars in unexpected additional fees, we signed the contract and secured our reservation.
Since then, we have faced considerable difficulties with communication from Run Wild. They have been unresponsive, failing to provide itinerary details promptly, not returning phone calls, and taking between one to two weeks to respond to emails.
Two months before our scheduled departure (Summer 2024), my partner was diagnosed with a medical condition that complicated our travel plans. I contacted Run Wild to explore options for transferring the reservation or adjusting the travel dates. I was informed that transferring the reservation would incur a fee of $1,750, and changing the dates would cost $4,800. Run Wild did not ask for any information about the medical condition.
Before committing to these additional expenses, I requested the itinerary to make an informed decision. It was only then that I discovered Run Wild had canceled our booking, citing a "failure to report a pre-existing medical condition" clause in the contract. This condition was newly diagnosed and did not exist at the time of our initial contract.
This cancellation was not communicated to us until we specifically requested the itinerary. When we inquired about the itinerary and other details, Run Wild requested confirmation of our need for a change. After informing them that we could not confirm, they notified us that the booking had already been canceled. If we had not followed up, we might have been left without a reservation or explanation while in Southern Africa.
Run Wild subsequently indicated that reinstating our booking would require disclosing the medical condition in the contract. However, they did not provide a new contract or facilitate the exchange of information, nor did they supply any itinerary details.
Given these experiences, it will be difficult for us to trust this company with future travel arrangements to Africa. Such issues can adversely affect donor perceptions and impact the reputation and effectiveness of non-profit organizations. We will continue to seek resolution through appropriate channels and share any relevant findings to assist others who may encounter similar difficulties.
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Email Angela | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thoroughly investigate prior to booking
Purchased a Safari Via a charity. They were very difficult to communicate with, did not have black out dates, once we started nailing down trip, my dates became unavailable, then they became unresponsive, then when I reached out Charity, they all of a sudden had our dates available but then tried to charge us fees to get to the location of more then $8,000. for a few hours drive. They are suppose to be a non profit however in further research, it is difficult to find information about that part. They had not kept up their paperwork and it had just gotten filed a year prior. We have decided not to trust them on such an important vacation. if they can't communicate now, what would we do in a foreign company. Do your research.
Reply from Run Wild African Safaris
Posted on Aug 30, 2019Dear Angela,
Thank you for your review. We sincerely apologize for any misunderstanding or lack of communication. We understand there is always room for improvement and will consider your feedback. We are truly regretful for the difficulty in coordinating our strict available safari charity donation dates with a separate donation that you purchased for 3- nights near Cape Town, South Africa.
We take great pride in providing our clients with an authentic and memorable African adventure, and while doing so, we are able to help others who are less fortunate through our non-profit foundation. Kindly reach out to us if you have any further concerns or questions or if you would like to hear more about our foundation and the work that we carry out we would love to speak to you. We can be reached at 480-331-4619.
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Email James | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a lifetime experience.
Everything about this experience was amazing. The people were genuine, the animals were awesome, everything about it was authentic. Clear and easy communication to put your concerns at ease. I highly recommend this experience, you won’t be disappointed.
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Email Chris Ames | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
it was the trip of a lifetime
Run Wild African Safaris booked me on a three week trip through Zimbabwe, Zambia, and South Africa. I went on Safari in Southern Zimbabwe. Slept in a tent that was unbelievable with a chef, houseboys and a wonderful guide. Travelled to Zambia where I swam at the top of Victoria Falls in a pool at the edge. I visited a tribe and walked in the bush with two lions. Went to Cape Town and the Cape of good hope. Every where I went I was provided first class accommodations and never once did I feel that I was in any kind of danger. The people who met me at the airports, my drivers and guides were both very nice and knowledgeable about the area. I cannot do anything but highly recommend Run Wild African Safaris if you plan to take a trip to Africa
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Email Chase | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great experience
Run Wild Safaris has provided us with several fantastic photographic safari experiences! Everything one would need to plan for beforehand as well as while you are on the trip itself, can be catered to your liking. Run Wild Safaris has first hand knowledge, from people who are actually from Southern Africa, and can provide you with extensive knowledge on preferred locations to travel to, how to best coordinate which regions to see and what activities to do while there - all of which were at competitive prices. Its worth noting that Run Wild Safaris will not just simply book your trip for you, but rather, they can guide you from the very beginning stages of planning your trip (visa questions, air travel advice, airport charters, etc.) all the way through to ensuring you have a enjoyable experience while on your trip.
Some of the locations we have visited with Run Wild Safaris include Matabeleland, Kavongo Zambezi, Victoria Falls, Shangani and Chizarira. The accommodations we stayed in at these locations were fully staffed, with chefs cooking our meals daily, camp staff who were readily available, and excursion guides who provided us with insight into the local culture and surroundings in a way that only locals can.
My friends and family have many more places within southern Africa that we would like to visit and we will definitely be utilizing the services of Run Wild Safaris in the future. Run Wild Safaris provides valuable expertise for planning our trips to Africa – and I’d recommend their service to anybody!
Reply from Run Wild African Safaris
Posted on Aug 30, 2019Thank you, Chase. It was a pleasure working with you.