BCL taking clients on a safari
Bluerange Connect
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $115 to $350 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Wilson | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent safari package
This was one of the best safaris in afrika,the communication was smooth, we had a very good guide who was well conversant with the parks we visited .
Asante we shall be back
US
Email Travel Maniacs | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not what we expected- close to Terrible
We had an absolutely terrible experience with this tour company. The issues we encountered were numerous and deeply impacted the quality of our trip:
Booking Issues and Payment Pressure
We booked our trip last year with several promises made about the quality and nature of the tour. The agreed payment terms were 10% down to secure the booking, with the remaining payment due when the tour began. However, we were constantly pressured to pay the full amount upfront, despite this agreement. We were also assured that all hotel bookings had been secured, which turned out to be false. This led to several complications and last-minute changes during our trip.
Last-Minute Price Increase
Just 1.5 weeks before our scheduled travel, the company unexpectedly increased the tour price by $400 per person, including for a child, citing a rise in park fees. After confirming with fellow travelers, our driver, and park authorities in Masai Mara, we found that the actual increase was only $120 per adult, with no increase for children. This resulted in an unjustifiable overcharge, which we found to be deceptive and unethical.
Accommodation Issues
We paid an additional $400-$500 per person for accommodation upgrades from budget to a higher category. Despite this, we were placed in budget or even lower budget hotels, with no upgrades provided due to late bookings made just 1.5 weeks before the tour started. This downgrade severely impacted our trip.
Balloon Ride Booking
We paid $430 per person for a balloon ride with Balloon Safari, a premium company. However, we were booked with a lower-tier company instead, which led to a landing accident and injuries. This discrepancy in service was completely unacceptable.
Delayed Hotel Bookings
Even though we paid for the trip 9 months in advance, hotel bookings were delayed, resulting in subpar accommodations. This was far below the quality we expected and paid for.
Missed Great Migration
The trip was planned specifically to witness the great migration in Masai Mara and Serengeti. Upon arrival, we were informed that this was not possible, despite the company's promises. This was a significant disappointment and a waste of our time and money.
Unreliable Itinerary
The itinerary provided at booking listed specific activities, accommodations, and schedules. However, upon starting the safari, changes were made on the fly, leading to skipped game drives and missed excursions. The initial morning game drive was never arranged, which seriously affected our overall experience.
Baggage Issues
We were told we could bring one bag per passenger, but upon arrival, we had to leave two bags behind, which were never returned as promised. This caused significant inconvenience and stress, including missed game drives and a disrupted itinerary.
Serengeti Safari Issues
We faced numerous issues during our Serengeti safari, including delays at the entry due to incomplete paperwork, an accommodation downgrade without prior notification, being grouped with campers, wasted time during game drives, and substandard hotel accommodations. The safari vehicle was in terrible condition, the driver was rude, and we missed planned excursions and the wildebeest migration.
Specific Issues with the Serengeti Safari Vehicle:
The safari vehicle was in deplorable condition, repeatedly breaking down and requiring assistance from other vehicles.
At one point, the gas tank was hanging down and was dangerously secured using seat belts cut from the passenger side. The driver continued to drive on bumpy roads, putting everyone’s lives at risk.
Despite the hazardous situation, the driver did not call for a backup vehicle, further endangering our safety.
The passenger door of the jeep was broken, creating a serious safety hazard.
The jeep's radio was broken, preventing the driver from communicating with others to locate animals, rendering the safari pointless.
The fuel tank in the Jeep was broken, which was very dangerous. Despite this, the driver continued to drive the same Jeep for three hours. It was late evening and dark, and we were in the deep jungle where wild animals roam. Anything could have happened to us, and the rescue Jeep arrived very late.
Additional Warnings:
This company declines any refund requests despite the numerous issues encountered. Their lack of accountability is alarming.
They are mere agents who sell your booking to cheap, poorly reviewed safari companies. This practice led to our terrible experience and is something potential customers should be aware of.
In conclusion, our experience with this company was a disaster on multiple fronts. The level of unprofessionalism, dishonesty, and disregard for customer safety was shocking. I strongly advise others to avoid this company and choose a more reliable and ethical operator for your safari experience.
Reply from Bluerange Connect
Posted on Sep 3, 2024Dear Suraj
Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback. I genuinely appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns. While I understand your frustrations, I’d like to provide some context and clarification regarding the issues you encountered during your trip.
Booking Issues and Payment Pressure:
We take our agreements seriously and strive to adhere to the terms discussed at the time of booking. However, occasional misunderstandings can occur. The request for early payment is often due to changes in currency exchange rates and rising operational costs, which can impact our ability to secure bookings at previously agreed prices. Rest assured, we are reviewing our payment procedures to avoid any confusion and ensure transparency.
Last-Minute Price Increase:
The price increase you experienced was due to an unexpected rise in park fees, which were beyond our control. We strive to provide accurate cost information, but fluctuations in fees can sometimes lead to adjustments. Our team works diligently to keep these changes to a minimum and to communicate them clearly.
*As you may recall you booked your tour last year when park fees in Kenya were lower. However, starting from 2024 there have been significant increases in park fees mandated by the Kenya wildlife service. Refer to the below park fees files for 2023 (usd 80) and 2024.(usd 200)
Accommodation Issues:
We understand the importance of meeting accommodation expectations. When changes occur, they are often due to unforeseen availability issues or booking constraints. Our goal is to offer the best possible experience and that is why we gave you mid range accommodations that matched with the previous ones that we had reserved for you.
Concerning the accommodation changes in Tanzania, The bookings were released by the hotels because they demanded full payments since it is on a peak season.
Balloon Ride Booking:
In regards to the balloon issue its unfortunate to hear about your experience with the landing injuries and we really apologize for the injuries that incurred. The landing of balloon ride heavily depends on weather conditions.
Delayed Hotel Bookings:
Regarding the hotel booking, it’s true you made your booking 9 months ago but you paid a deposit of usd 570 which was not enough for hotel reservations. That’s why we had some changes.While delays in hotel bookings are rare, they can sometimes happen due to external factors.
Missed Great Migration:
Witnessing the great migration is a highlight of many safaris, but it is subject to natural patterns that can be unpredictable. it is a remarkable natural event that is deeply intertwined with the cycles of nature. It's a spectacle driven by instinct and environmental factors beyond human control.
Unreliable Itinerary:
Our itineraries are designed to provide a comprehensive experience, but adjustments can sometimes be necessary due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather conditions or logistical challenges. Your tour was a group joining, to avoid time wastage you should have agreed with your colleagues to keep time. In shared safaris we accommodate members in different accommodations to streamline our operations and avoid delays during pick-up times.
Baggage Issues:
The handling of baggage is critical to our service, and any issues in this regard are taken seriously.
Serengeti Safari Issues:
About the Serengeti entry delay, we regret to inform you that the delays were caused by issues with Tanzanian national parks and the government as Bernard had informed you.
The condition of the safari vehicle you described is not acceptable, and I deeply regret that this affected your experience. We have stringent standards for vehicle maintenance and driver conduct, and we are addressing this issue with our safari partners to prevent future occurrences.
Moving Forward:
We are committed to addressing these concerns and improving our services based on your feedback. We hope to have the opportunity to restore your confidence in our company.
Again, we deeply apologize for your bad experience. However, we are not in a position to get you the refund. Please know that we value you as our esteemed client, and that we respect your request for a refund. It’s just unfortunate that we can’t help with this. We had already paid the hotels and park fees.
We will definitely take this up with our hotel partners, and probably never use the facility for any future business. We will make sure that this never happens again in future
Thank you for your understanding and for allowing us to address these concerns.
AE
Email Everline | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Pick up and Drop off service was very efficient,managed time well,Friendly and courteous drivers .
The tour firm gave clear information with regards to itinerary schedule
Value for money
Our Hotel outdid themselves,when it came to service delivery,Attentiveness to detail
The reception from the pick up point ,to end of our stay was amazing.
The Agency kept checking on our stay from time to time.
I Highly recommend.
Email Gregory imuu | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent,honest and brilliant.
Greatest experience ever, the tour guide very informative friendly.
Email Solange | under20 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reliable and efficient
Trip well planed. We were able to visit all places as planned in our itinerary. Our tour guide was well knowledgable. We had an awesome safari.
TR
Email Flora | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent team building
We were a group of 60 pax for a team building in diani,we got the best of the services
The communication from the team was really pleasing ,the transport
The hotel were as agreed
Our tour leader isiah was very good and alot of activities he delivered
Looking forward to our next year team building
Email joel | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
worst service & gave us the worst experience of Safari
Once we arrived in Nairobi, the tour agent picked us up and took us to their office to pay the remaining balance. We expected everything to go smoothly, but it didn't.
1) We had the two worst drivers who were rude and inconsiderate. During the safari tour, they did not show us the best sights. They lacked the patience to wait for important moments, like when a lion was about to hunt a wildebeest. The drivers were only focused on their own benefit and, sadly, not on us, their customers.
2) We paid for 7 rooms for our entire trip, but they only booked us 5 rooms and downgraded our accommodations to different hotels than what we agreed on. This is really unacceptable for your customers. Additionally, we tried to contact them multiple times, but they did not answer the phone calls. This happened to us 3 times during our 7-day trip with this dishonest agency.
3) The services were very poor and far from standard quality in both Kenya and Tanzania. We experienced unpredictable service every day. Honestly, I believe it feels like a scam or a robbery.
If you want to have a terrible safari experience in Kenya and Tanzania, choose this dishonest and unreliable agency. We are very disappointed and do not recommend this agency at all. We just want to share our experience with everyone.
TH
Email Bangkok group of 9 | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Cheating, bad organized and poor services
We paid the deposit of 7 nights tour for 9 persons to them more than 6 months in advance to confirm our accommodations. In order to make sure , we asked for hotel confirmation and received vouchers from them. But the papers were fake or something, one of our accommodations were changed in last minutes a day before traveling day and they promised that is all , the rest are fine . But it was a lie. They kept changing our accommodations again 2 more times. 1 night seemed like cheating; the rooms were lost 1 room so our 2 single rooms got to be combined to 1 room. We asked for refund but no single dime were returned with so many reasons those not make sense. Our days in the masai Mara park were cheated from 3 to 2 and finally 1 day in order to save their expenses on park fee. Don’t trust this operator if you don’t want to feel like being robbed as us!
Email Marie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing safari
Our safari was out of this world we had the best,everyrhing was seamless and all that we had discussed was delivered we were a group of six we did masai mara ,Nakuru and Amboseli ,we saw the big five our guide was really knowledgeable felt like a silver guide.
We had a memorable safari, Thank you bluerange…
CH
Email Carl | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
good price-performance ratio
I did A 6 day (Masai Mara - Lake Nakuru - Amboseli) Safari with this company.
I would like to focus on four points: the communication and planning beforehand, the safari, the guide and the accommodation and food.
1. communication and planning:
Communication with the company is only via email. This makes the exchange somewhat cumbersome. For example, I had to wait 1 hour for my pick-up on the first day and could not reach the company. The payment processes are also a bit cumbersome. This part of the Safari was not ideal.
2. the safari
The safari route can be done with different companies. Bluerange is a low-cost company. That's why you don't have a jeep, for example, but a van. This is a little less comfortable. On the whole, however, the experience is the same. We saw a lot of animals in the Masai Mara Park and at Lake Nakuru. It was great. Amboseli Park was a bit disappointing for me as we unfortunately couldn't see Kilimanjaro. But a lot of things happen by chance and you can be lucky or unlucky. Our group was a mixture of different safari providers. This means that Bluerange is merely an intermediary company. As the three national parks are relatively far apart, you do a lot of driving in the Car. After 6 days it was more than enough for me. (4 days would have been enough for me). There were two small changes to the initial safari intinerary we were given: 1. We didn't go back to Nakuru National Park on day 4, but went on a boat safari on Lake Naivasha. This was very worthwhile but cost an additional 20 USD. 2. on the 5th day we did not go to Amboseli Park in the morning, but did a morning walk. This also costs 10 USD. But it is optional.
My personal recommendation is also not to visit the Masai village on day 3. I found it quite unpleasant and everyone there wants to sell something.
3. the guide
Our guide/driver knew his way around everywhere and was able to steer the car well even in tricky places. He also had a good eye and saw lots of animals. The information about the animals was somewhat marginal, if you wanted to know more you had to ask. However, I didn't mind this.
4. accommodation and food
As already mentioned, Bluerange is a reasonably priced safari company. This is also reflected in the accommodation and meals. So if you are expecting luxury, you are in the wrong place with this company. We spent 4 nights in fixed tents and 1 night in a hotel. The rooms always had proper beds, electricity and bathrooms. So you didn't have to do without any basic necessities. However, as you are usually only in the camps to spend the night, this is completely sufficient. Wifi was rather scarce. I recommend taking out a data package with Safaricom in advance.
Food is usually served at a buffet. It's usually the same things: Rice, vegetables, chicken and beefstew. The quality varies depending on the hotel or rest stop, but it is always edible. On the all-day game drives, the guide takes a picnic with him. This is also edible but nothing special.
On the whole, a great experience. You can be more or less lucky when it comes to seeing animals. If you can do without luxury and prefer to travel a little more cheaply, this is the right company for you. If you want to go on a luxury safari, you will probably have to pay more. However, the national park is the same for everyone, no matter how much you pay.