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
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.