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
AE
Email Minerva | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Value for money and the tour guides were very informative and we felt safe throughout the tour.
It was an amazing experience. No wasted time. The staff was amazing. Value for money
IN
Email Sri Sai | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good experience at low-cost
5 days, 4 nights Safari- Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru National Park, Maasai Mara
9 Friends
Our journey began when Musa and Evans, our guides, picked us up at the airport. They were punctual, and we were promptly escorted to the office from the airport. We settled the remaining payment, albeit with a delay caused by a credit card transfer issue. Eventually, we had to withdraw cash from ATMs in Nairobi, and it was nearly 11 a.m. by the time the payment was completed.
Initially, our itinerary included a visit to Ol Pejeta Conservancy and a late arrival at Lake Nakuru. However, due to the late start and the considerable travel time to Ol Pejeta, we opted to modify the plan. Instead, we visited Lake Naivasha on Day 1 and arrived at Lake Nakuru by late evening, a change we agreed to.
Couple of things to note here, in the itinerary, the hotels mentioned were changed citing upgradation, complaints etc the moment after the payment was done. We were in the office from 7 am to 10pm and we were told about these changes only after the whole payment has been done. We were disappointed about this as we expected these changes to be informed before hand.
Then the drivers were called and the MD had told the whole itinerary in front of them so that everyone is on same page (continue reading)
Day 1 was amazing, Lake Naivasha boat ride is worth the visit. Simply put, it's a curtain raiser to what is coming ahead. Got a chance to see Giraffes, Zebras, Water bucks, Hippos very closely. We were taken to hotel close to Lake Nakuru. The hotel was amazing. 3 Triple rooms. Great food, good accommodation and everything went well.
Day 2 Lake Nakuru early in the morning. Flamingoes, Rhinos from far, few Giraffes, bunch of Baboons, few Zebras, African buffaloes. Overall 3/5 given the great experience the previous day at Lake Naivasha. Started from Nakuru late in the afternoon and had a brief stop at Narok to shop snacks. Reached Hotel Mara Ndovu by late evening. 3 triple rooms, 2 rooms close to each other and one far off. In one room, there was no power supply and no hot water in 2 rooms. After complaining repeatedly, they were given another room the next day.
Day 3: Since there was running hot water in only one room, everyone had to take bath in only washroom
"The Washrooms are bad, bad, bad"- No latches, no hot water, only few power sockets working. The food was bad, very bad.
On one day, we made to wait for more than 2 hours for dinner.
Coming to Safari, the best day in the whole safari, Maasai Mara is amazing, one should visit Masai Mara to appreciate it's beauty. No photo can translate its beauty. 5 minutes into the Safari, spotted a Cheetah. A pride of 15 lions was spotted by afternoon. Giraffes, Zebras have become very a common sightings by evening. Went to the Great Migration spot, sadly, the migration was not happening. Clicked photos at Tanzania border
Day 4: Again the struggles with taking bath continued and we are used to it by now. Game drive in Maasai Mara, this day was bit disappointing as it didn't match the previous day's experience. Didn't spot animals until afternoon. Spotted a few lions and a cheetah by evening. We asked the guides to return after 2pm to Nairobi the next day to which they disagreed. We tried contacting the office and they have become irresponsive by this time, no proper response was given. The guides wanted to start before 11am the next day( as opposed to what was discussed on the first day)
Day 5: The closing day: Started early in the morning to Masai Mara. Spotted a few lions and other animals in few hours and returned from Masai Mara to Nairobi.
Made necessary arrangements for packed food.
Special mention to Guides- Musa and Evans, very knowledgeable and have done everything possible to help us and make our experience memorable
Overall, our safari experience was good, although there were understandable hiccups along the way
FR
Email Charles | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good for programing the trip, disorganized during the stay
We did the 9 days from SAMBURU to AMBOSELI via Masai Mara etc. Good value for money.
During the planning, the manager was very available, very responsive, very attentive. The pre-COVID deposit could be reused two years later...remarkable.
Then, it's more complicated... When we arrived around 11:00 p.m., we already had to pay the balance (normally expected at the office the next day). We paid cash in $, but the series were not homogeneous and they applied a discount... ($20, not huge, but for the principle...)
The accommodations are very heterogeneous. Some hotels were clearly not up to standard. NOT RELIABLE. Especially for the 2 nights on NAIVASHA where we even asked to change hotels (rejected...) We had paid fortunately for an upgrade to the MASAI MARA...
The game drives were fabulous, the guide remarkable! always looking for the best places for photos, etc. Always trying to fix the situations (error in booking hotels, excursions, etc.) He is for a lot in this trip. He constantly had to juggle between the program that BLUERANGE gave him and the one that BLUERANGE gave us... not easy... Until the last day, which ruined our feeling... lunch had to be included (written in our program) and in the end, we were left at Nairobi airport with 5$/p for lunch... very limited as we never discussed the prices.
We still have all the good memories given by Kenya: we were able to see all the animals; each park is different; we did the magic balloon ride in masai mara etc.
Therefore an advice: check the accommodation carefully, and give your program to the guide from the start, making him check each step.
TW
Email Irina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Overall, it was a good safari experience!
We had a 7-day journey in Kenya, including 6 days on a safari tour.
First, let me share why we'd chosen Bluerange Connect Limited as our safari tour operator. After we had been victims of Mr. Otieno's fraud (Kenya Walking Survivors Safari company), we were looking for a reliable tour operator. It was our priority. At that time, Bluerange Connect Limited had a private tour we could afford since we decided to have a private tour vs a group tour. Plus, they could make adjustments to our itinerary and the price negotiations went smoothly and fairly. Secondly, Willis (the founder, I guess) responses were clear and in a professional way. Thirdly, it's easy to check the company's background. They combine safari tours with logistics which gives you the idea that the company has another source of revenue. If reliability and safety is your priority, IMO I think they're a very good choice.
Our first 3 days had lots of fulfillment in terms of sightseeing and game drives and it was full-day itinerary (until the dinner time: 5-6 pm). The rest of safari days were just ‘half days’; everything was over around 2 pm. Most of the times, we just stayed in our hotel. I suggest everyone who’s traveling to Kenya to confirm the details about every single day of their itinerary including the time when their drivers are off. That way at least you’ll know that you’d have to spend your whole afternoon in a camp, hotel or somewhere in a nearby town (which is better to do accompanied by a hotel employee.)
On the very first days, I’d noticed some contradictions between what the itinerary price included and for what we actually had to pay. For example, on the first day, we had a city tour and the itinerary price included all three meals; breakfast, lunch, and dinner but we paid for those ourselves. Also, according to our itinerary, on the second day, the visit to Masai Mara village was included in the overall price of the tour and I took a screenshot of that fact in order to inform the office about that. We got a phone call with apologies about the confusion but we had to pay for the visit ourselves. I suggest anyone who’s going to have a safari tour confirm this kind of payments with tour operators beforehand. And for tour operators, they should put more effort to avoid this kind of contradictions as it doesn't give an impression of professionalism.
On our fourth day, we’d suddenly learned from our driver-guide that they were changing him and the vehicle. He said that the company scheduled the vehicle inspection for tomorrow so he had to go back to Nairobi. We found that weird because that meant that the company didn’t know he was on the safari with us? And so we asked this question and he couldn’t explain anything as he was a freelance driver-guide. We were quite upset because
not only the guide was changed but also the hatch top van was gone which meant we could not do proper drive games. The office neither informed us in person; nor they brought any apologies. So I’d suggest safari travelers to avoid this kind of situation by making sure that the company you’re traveling with.
As our new driver-guide arrived we asked him if he had water for us. He said he didn’t have any water for us as the office didn’t wire money yet but they were going to do so. When we asked when (because we were thirsty and the water in the hotel was sold like 4 times more expensive) we were told to go to our room and wait for it. As we thought the water would arrive in several hours or so we decided not to walk to the town to buy some in a supermarket. We were waiting and waiting until dinner when we saw our driver-guide who told us that he didn’t buy water because the office didn’t wire him money yet. So we had to buy our water from the hotel as it was already late to walk to the town. This is one more perfect example of bad organizing and service.
On a positive note, overall, it was an unforgettable experience as a safari traveler. I hope my review is useful somehow. Thanks for reading it. Cheers!
Reply from Bluerange Connect
Posted on Sep 16, 2019Halo Irina,
We are sorry for the mix-up concerning all the arrangements especially your Daily Mineral Water.
We promise to improve on that next time. Thanks for the positive criticism and your endless support!
US
Email Julie and Mallory | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Falsified itinerary and absolutely unprofessional. Highly not recommended.
Their listed Itinerary is falsified. This is the actual itinerary. I made a recap on daily events with full details. Future tourists must be informed accordingly.
Pre-Tour (13/1/2020)
As per itinerary and payment deposit ($930) confirmation we will be picked up from either our hotel or airport on Day 1 of the safari to pay the remaining balance before starting the tour. We made our own plans to be in the country 2 days before our safari tour to explore the city area. We booked our own hotels and driver with plans for both days. On Monday, 13/1/2020, 2 days before the tour, we received a sudden text message asking if we were in the country yet and stating the company (Bluerange Connect) wants to send a driver to pick us up immediately. Bluerange stated that they need to bring us to their office and require us to pay the remainder of the balance $2202.55 + commission in CASH immediately in order to go ahead to our safari tour. They insisted that if we don’t pay in CASH, any credit card charges will take 2 days to post to their account and they don’t have adequate funding to pay for our entire tour without us paying up front. We informed our hotel manager and other honest local people of this sudden issue and everyone said not to fall for a scam, nothing gets done in CASH at last minute. After an hour of stressful debate, Bluerange reluctantly agree to allow us to pay the remaining balance upon our pickup on Day 1 of our tour.
Day 1 (15/1/2020) Nairobi to Samburu
We were picked up from our hotel at 7:30am to go to the office to pay the remaining balance and “briefing”. We were escorted into a small office of a few rooms and two friendly ladies staff took multiple pictures with us and asked to post on Facebook and social media. We then went into Willis Orowe’s office (managing director we were dealing with the entire time). He took a call from other non related business and casually chatted as we sat waiting to pay and be on our way. There was no rush and no courtesy on his end to help us get out of the office any sooner. After we made the payment, they gave us another copy of the same itinerary. We asked if they can quickly point out on the map as to each day’s destination point. Willis had another female staff come in who looked at the map completely confused. We said it’s ok, we can map it out ourselves. She proceeded to reading us the entire itinerary, literally word for word. Finally, we proceeded down to the safari van to leave, not before a few more ladies staff took more pictures of us in front of the van to be posted to social media. After over an hour at this office, we began our drive to Samburu around 10am with our tour guide Ken. We had found Ken through a recommendation on tripadvisor which we need to update them on the actual experience. The direct drive took almost 6 hours. We passed a view of Mt Kenya and asked how tall it is. Ken did not know and said he’ll get back to us (he never did). We were brought to KFC at 12:30pm for lunch which was very shocking as we expected local foods. We didn’t expect anything luxurious but at least good local food which would have been cheaper. After 30 minutes of lunch stop, we continued the drive and arrived at Samburu past 4pm. The game drive was basically driving from the entrance gate to the lodge check-in which was done slowly. We were excited to be in the beautiful park finally and saw an elephant, antelopes and giraffes. We arrived at the lodge at 5:45pm. Unpacked and waited for dinner at 7pm.
Day 2 (16/1/2020) Samburu
We started our morning game drive at 7am. Back at camp by 9am for breakfast. After breakfast, we walked around the little lodge to take a few pictures but we had nothing to do at all and were not allowed outside the gate. The tiny swimming pool was green colored and I would not advise going in. We sat around until lunch time at 1pm. After lunch, we tried to take a nap to kill time as we were still bored senseless. Finally 4pm we went on our afternoon game drive and returned at 7pm for dinner. Ken offered to take us to meet the Samburu people, that it would be nice to see the locals and insist that it was only 2000 shillings per person. We explained that this additional cost was never mentioned to us. We specifically asked Bluerange (Willis) about optional additional cost and received email confirmation with prices (Masai Village $10 pp, Lake Naivasha boat ride $20 pp, Hell’s Gate bicycle $5 pp). Ken insisted that everything is incorrect. He gave us specific additional costs of Samburu village $20 pp, Masai Village $20 pp, Thompson Falls $5 pp, Lake Naivasha boat ride $30 pp and Hell’s Gate bicycle $10 pp. He was unprofessional and firmly insisting that this is just a little extra cost and even questioned if we actually thought things were all inclusive. I explained that I had confirmed with Willis on what is inclusive and certainly doesn’t match what he arbitrarily gave us. We decided to skip both Samburu and Masai Village all together which Ken was certainly not happy about.
Day 3 (17/1/2020) Samburu to Lake Nakuru (6 hours drive with nothing for the day)
After breakfast, around 8am we had our game drive on the way to the gate. We were told that getting to Lake Nakuru will take 6 hours and there will be no game drive that day. Ken advised us that Lake Nakuru is very small and we will get there by evening so there is nothing to see until the next day. The drive was mostly in silence aside from the fact that Ken is on his personal cell phone multiple times per hour. We arrived at the equator around 1pm. The local gentleman did a water demonstration, afterwards offering us a paper certificate for $5 each and or tipping him. After, we had our boxed lunch from the hotel at the bench. It consisted of a very dry piece of chicken leg that caused painfully swollen gums and teeth. Also, a tiny square sandwich of two pieces of bread with mayo and a slice of cucumber, an apple, bag of chips and tiny juice box. After 30 minutes, we continued our trip. We stopped at Thompson Falls for pictures for 200 shillings ($2) per person. (Ken questioned if we wanted to skip Thompson Falls too, implying that we were being cheap since we skipped his arbitrary cost for Samburu village) Locals insisted on dragging us to their souvenir stands to buy things. After 30 minutes, we were on our way. Ken said he needed to find a bank to make a money transfer in order to access the national park tomorrow. We finally found the bank. We arrived at Wagon Wheel hotel around 5pm to check in. Ken said he’ll meet us at 7am to start the drive and left us for the night. We had dinner at 7:30pm at the local restaurant downstairs the hotel, local food was delicious.
Day 4 (18/1/2020) Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara
After breakfast at Wagon Wheel Hotel, we finally got to see Lake Nakaru. Our game drive was from 7am to 11am. We saw a rhino, buffalos, zebras among other antelopes. Then it was more than a 5 hours straight drive to Masai Mara. (Plenty of time for Ken to be on his personal cell phone and us to stare blankly out the window bored) We stopped for 30 minutes to eat our packed lunch from Wagon Wheel Hotel. It was good local food (chicken, pork or beef with rice) however, the portion was just about 10 tablespoons. After lunch, we continued our drive and reached Masai Mara Manyatta Camp close to 6pm. After checking in, we had dinner in the tented camp at 7pm.
Day 5 (19/1/2020) Masai Mara
After breakfast at the tented camp (sausage, beans, eggs, toast), we left to begin our full day Masai Mara game drive at 8am. We were the last ones to leave for the game drive. As stated on the itinerary, during the early hours, it’s best to view game. However, we certainly did not start at 6:30am as others did. We did see four of the big five today including a family of 10 lions which was exciting. This was the one part of the trip where Ken was actually not preoccupied on his personal cell phone and did an amazing job driving to the lions for a close-up view. We did thank him dearly for this. We were taken to the Kenya-Tanzania border stone. Ken stopped the van, pointed and told us to go take pictures. We saw other safari vans where the tour guides walked their tourists around the stone, explaining the history and facts while taking individual pictures for them. Certainly not the kind of guide we got. We asked Ken if he can help us take a picture which he did. He then drove us to an area by the river which we had to wait for an armed guard to escort us around to see hippos and alligators across the river. The walk took about 30 minutes. Ken left us by the river and said a guard will come take us. Other tourists had their guide with them and their guide tracked down a guard to ask to take their tourist group for the walk. Since nobody spoke for us and we were left standing there, we just quietly went along with the other tourists. When we got back however, Ken made sure to remind us to tip the guard. (This was yet another event and expense that was not mentioned prior) We then had a picnic lunch under a tree. The camp had packed us a lunch bag of a tough dry meatless chicken leg, tiny sandwich or mayo and cucumber, banana and boxed juice. After lunch, we continued our game drive, searching for a leopard and seeing more giraffes and amazing animals. Our game drive ended at 5:30pm. We had dinner back at the tented camp at 7:30pm.
Day 6 (20/1/2020) Masai Mara to Lake Naivasha
After breakfast at the tented camp (sausage, beans, eggs, toast), we left around 7am and had a game drive going towards the gate to leave Masai Mara. On the way to the gate, we managed to see a leopard, the big five is complete thanks to Ken. If we think of questions to ask him about animals, he answers them well. Other than that, it was clear he had no interests in any conversation with us. It was a long straight drive of over 5 hours to Lake Naivasha. We arrived at around 1pm to eat our lunch that was packed from the camp. It was yet another painfully dry chicken leg, tiny sandwich of a slice of cucumber, a banana, a hard boiled egg and a box juice. After lunch, we went for the boat ride on Lake Naivasha. Ken now tells us that the boat ride is 1 hour for $20 pp and then there is a guide to take us on a private island to walk around for another hour for $30 pp. He said it will Only be $100 for us both. We decided to go for just the 1 hour boat ride as we had planned before the trip. We were taken to an office with a lady telling us it will be $20 pp. There were no signs or written notice of costs or even such thing as a boat ride. It was all word of mouth. After the boat ride, it was 3pm. I asked Ken if there is anywhere at all that he would like to show us or take us to since he said we were not allowed to walk around by ourselves. He angrily said he wanted us to do the full boat ride and guided walk and since we refused to spend $100, there is nothing to do for us and he is taking us straight to the hotel. He dropped us off at the hotel before 4pm and said he will pick us up at 7am the next day for Hell’s Gate. That was the end of that day, we were left stranded at the hotel with no plans and no considerations.
Day 7 (21/1/2020) : Hell’s Gate National Reserve – 4 hours with rest of the day stranded
After breakfast, we left Taphe hotel at 7am to head to Hell’s Gate National Reserve which was about 30 minutes drive away. When we got there, Ken said the bicycle rentals will be $15 pp. We were outraged in the constant change of prices according to how much he feels like ripping off the tourist. We said he mentioned it will be $10 pp (which is already double the amount that Willis gave). Ken sounded like he was caught giving random numbers and quietly said Oh I told you $10 pp, let me talk to them. (Acting as though he was negotiating with the locals for a price for us). We rented bicycles for $10 pp and hired a guide for $20 to bike with us through the park. The safari van was certainly nowhere near us unlike the itinerary kindly stating that the van will be behind us in case we’re tired. Ken parked the van and went to rest at a restaurant while we biked about 8 kilometers. It was a very direct bike to the gorge which was closed. (there was an accident where tourists were killed during a flash flood and the gorge closed in September 2019 as a result. We had been planning this trip with Bluerange for over two months and Willis did not mention any such closure) We took a few pictures and was on the way back. We were back by the van at 11am. Ken said since the gorge is closed, Hell’s Gate is a very small park and he is not sure why our itinerary claimed we will have a full day there and that there is nothing to do. He drove us back to the hotel by 11:30am and we were again left stranded with nothing to do for the rest of the day. After lunch, we decided to walk outside and not be bored to death. We were told by the hotel staff that we can walk towards town but advised to not go too far for security reasons. We only walked about 30 minutes and turned back before we were too deep in town. We took a nap before dinner as there was absolutely nothing to do.
Day 8 (22/1/2020) Lake Naivasha to Amboseli (6 hours drive)
After breakfast, we left to start our drive to Amboseli. It was another long 6 hours drive in silence since our tour guide was constantly on his personal cell phone or else just not saying a word. We got to Amboseli around 1pm and ate our packed lunch in the car as we drove towards a view point. Unfortunately, it was very cloudy and we couldn’t see the top of Kilimanjaro. Ken drove around to let us take pictures but there were not too many animals out. He was again on his personal cell phone and asked how long we want to stay. He drove us to see the flamingos which we stayed about 20 minutes for pictures. He drove us to our tented camp (AA lodge) by 5:30pm. We had dinner at the tented camp at 7:30pm. This was actually the best dinner we had the whole trip. It was a buffet style dinner but various kinds of delicious local dishes. Even the fresh baked bread with butter was good.
Day 9 (23/1/2020) (Amboseli to Nairobi)
After a delicious breakfast, we left the lodge at 6:45am. We had a game drive on the way to exit Amboseli National Park. Our game drive ended exactly 9am sharp as Ken had mentioned. We drove about 3 hours back to Nairobi and had some traffic when we were in the city. Ken dropped us off at our hotel that we booked in advance. The suggested tips for tour guides are $10 pp / day given that the tour guide does an average acceptable job. Ken does a great job at finding you the big five but nothing more. As a tour guide he is absolutely unexperienced and unprofessional. We were appalled at how he randomly gave us prices and very obviously showed us he was not happy with us declining some suggested tourist traps and left us at hotels stranded with nothing to do. I was unhappily agreeing to giving him the average tips of $20 per day for both of us. My boyfriend however, felt inclined to give him $25 per day even though he was just as unhappy and complaining about Ken ripping us off on additional items. Ken was lucky on this tip. I would not recommend him for any future tours for anyone. If you want to see the big five and be treated like an ignorant tourist getting ripped off, driving 6 hours daily in silence then you can go to him for sure.
Reply from Bluerange Connect
Posted on Feb 3, 2020Dear Julie,
Thank you very much for your review. We have taken note of the issues you have highlighted and wish to respond as below:
1. Falsified Itinerary and Pre-tour: We are dismayed that you are writing all these comments after writing to us immediately after the end of your trip informing us how wonderful your trip was. How I wish you could have raised these issues with us immediately! Concerning your statement that we made a sudden call asking you to come to the office and pay the balance in cash; I wish you were honest enough to state exactly what our discussion centered on. We asked you if you could be available so our driver could pick you up from your hotel to bring you to our offices for pre-tour briefing and to finally clear the balance. This we explained was because Nairobi to Samburu is quite a distance and since you were already within the country, it was advisable that we save on time by rescheduling pre-tour briefing to a day earlier so that the next day you could leave as early as 7.00am directly to Samburu without again having to pass through our office. At no time did we insist that you have to clear the balance in cash. If anything, you paid the balance via credit card on the same day your safari began and we even took care of your trip even before your payment reached our account. We don't really understand how this has become an issue now. Concerning the commission you are talking about, you must be aware that online payment platforms attract a certain percentage of fee for transactions paid through them and this was not our commission but money deducted directly from your payment for using the platform.
2. Actual Trip Days: You again allege that you were kept waiting in our offices longer than usual. This again in our opinion is not true. You were picked up from your hotel at 7.30am but only managed to arrive at office at around 8.20am because of the traffic jam. Our actual briefing took less than 30 minutes and we did the best we could to ensure that you leave for Samburu as soon as possible.
3. The Guide: Let me remind you that you are the one who chose Ken over other available guides to be your guide and even insisted on having his number before your set arrival date. We did brief you even before your arrival of the optional activities available and went as far as letting you know how much they cost. How you went ahead and spent outside the recommended price that we gave you without letting us know has caught us with surprise. We shall however take up this issue with the guide concerned and if indeed it is established that he unprofessionally made you pay for any service over and above the recommended price, then an appropriate disciplinary measures shall be taken against him.
Finally, we wish to conclude by letting know that we are a professional Tour Company that
has upheld a high degree of integrity for several years in operation. Our operations are above board and are always guided by strict code of conduct. We always try as much as possible to offer our customers the best we can. We have positively taken note of your concerns and will endeavor to improve where necessary. We equally advise you that for your future trips, always be paying close attention to advise offered by your tour operator. They are only meant to make your safari convenient, more enjoyable and successful. Third parties will only divert your attention and confuse you further.
Best regards.
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.
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!
ID
Email Bruno | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Avoid this agent, a real shame !
We booked a trip for 4 people for August 2023 – Kenya Tanzania with this agency Bleu Ranger Safari Kenya for 11 days in the largest parks (7 in total), a still substantial budget. But it seems that this agency does not provide quality at all - the guides are drivers who barely speak English, have no knowledge, and do not even have the program in hand to follow it at least the vehicles are in poor condition, and the assistance when things start to go wrong, completely non-existent… We had to complain constantly to finally get a response from their office…….
The accommodations were 80% modified each evening and without any information even before arrival... it's pure amateurism for a trip that was supposed to be superb...
The impression we have is that they cut back on all the services from the start, driver as cheap as possible (he was not aware of the program, did not speak English at all, a real disaster) – the poorly maintained, dirty and uncomfortable vehicles – meals on the side of the road in dens where the menu must cost 1USD/person no more – hotels not at all up to standard and constantly dislodged from start to finish. We got so fed up that we cut it short and asked to send us back to Nairobi earlier at our expense at a last hotel (Radisson Blue) for the exceptional cost which saved us the end of the trip... With the last driver who almost came to blows with us because of the lack of tip..
This agency has completely put us off Africa... we are disappointed by this experience - don't trust it, because they are not professionals at all, just offering the worst services to improve their margins, to the detriment of the client! !!! Scandal !
US
Email Sojwal | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Pathetic, Liars and very unprofessional
I did a safari with Bluerange connect in August 2022. We communicated through WhatsApp and paid 30% cost in advance. Once we reached Nairobi, we paid remaining amount a day before. We specifically booked 4x4 Land cruiser option and paid for the same. But on a day of safari they gave us van. The driver had no idea so we called tour manager, Lilian. She refused to change the vehicle. She insisted on meeting and she came two hours late to meet us on the day of the safari. Later she admitted it is her mistake but she won't change vehicle without additional payment. We argued but she said she quoted wrong price. It seemed she deliberately came late so that we give in and pay additional cost as we did not want to waste time. It was already late to start the safari. We kept calling her, texting her and beg her to come earlier. We had to pay $350 additional cost as we did not want to compromise on our experience and then she changed our vehicle. Again the Land cruiser given to us was in very bad condition. It was old, seats were broken and no cooler for water.
This did not stop there. They changed our accomodation without informing or discussing with us. We were promised a different lodge in Lake Naivasha but was given a downgrade. When we tried to talk to them about it, they just kept telling it is not downgrade where we can clearly use google and see it is a downgrade. They would directly inform the driver where to take us for the stay without dropping a single messege to us about the change.
This company is run by very unprofessional group of people who are liars and scammer. Do not book with them. They will ruin your once in a life experience of safari with their mismanagement.
Reply from Bluerange Connect
Posted on Oct 14, 2022Hello,
We would kindly like to address the above review. Firstly, we are a competent company equipped with professional tour consultants. In regards to this case, the client booked a safari with us of which it is true they had booked for a land cruiser. Unfortunately, during costing, Lilian (our tour consultant) subjected it to a van by mistake. This has never happened before and we take responsibility. The reason as to why we requested them to do a top up when we realized they had booked for a 4X4 is because the price offered was evidently too low for that upgrade as it was priced and scheduled for a van. We explained, they understood and made the payment. The vehicle provided was in good condition, no seats broken and they actually liked it at the departure point.
Their safari was on a Saturday and Lilian was not in the office. They insisted on meeting Lilian specifically, so she had to beat the traffic and get to the departure point to meet up and talk to them. They also wanted to buy hoodies and liquor in town, so Lilian helped them with that by walking them around the city. Nothing was deliberately done to waste their time as we all coordinated and agreed since this was a private safari.
In regards to the change of accommodation facility, we had received some negative feedback from a client about the lodge in Naivasha, so we opted to substitute with a similar facility of the same class with good service. Again, they did enjoy the facility and service of the lodge. The rating of the lodges on google may vary sometimes, depending on individual experiences but having worked with several lodges, we recognize the services and classes of each.
We would also like to state that the client did not complain during departure and also during the safari. They always understood and acknowledged that they were enjoying their safari experience till the last day when we dropped them back at their hotel. To our surprise, after they had traveled back, they initiated a credit card charge back claiming that they had not had any safari services from us. We however explained the situation to our bank just as explained above and the matter was sorted after we presented evidential proof of booking vouchers and photos of them being on safari.
We did not intend to ruin the client's safari experience but we were instead focused on making sure that they enjoyed their safari with no undue interference as we have always done for all our clients.
Thank you.