Rafiki Tours and Travel

INCOMPETENCE / DIRT / LIE / ILLEGALITY

We just come back from a 19-day safari organized by Rafiki Safari Tours.
The organization was done by Elie, and our guide was the boss of this Cie : Joseph.
We had opted for a private safari mainly in Namibia, but that also took us to some border parks in South Africa, Bostwana and we ended up in Zimbabwe to admire the Victoria Falls. It must have been a mixed safari lodges and campsites.
Our guide had to organize breakfasts, lunches and dinners. It was the contract established.
I will now develop the topics :
LIES :
About the lodges. In fact, we only had 4 nights out of 19 in lodges ! they had the nerve to describe a campsite as a lodge while there was not even a bathroom, just a bucket to shower with cold water ! So, slight scam at this level.
The lunches for their part were often limited to a salad of rice / tomatoes taken along the road or on makeshift parking. Dinners were often Polenta.
During our stays in campsites, our guide took us away from amenities and inputs, because he suffers from a serious relationship problem. In fact, we still wonder why he does this job (well, just for the money ?) because he can’t stand people.
The organization was disastrous because everything was done at the last minute. Excursions with taxis to get us across the border, a considerable time lost waiting, apparently our guide didn’t have permits to transport tourists, no insurance either, fortunately we didn’t have accident !
DIRT :
Total Lack of hygiene (thankfully, we got vaccins for everything), because the first night, we were surprised to note that our guide had not even provided a sleeping bag or even a sheet (once again, as we are used to travel, we had sleeping bags). About blankets !!! They have certainly never been cleaned, indescribable stains were still there. The mattresses were torn and the tent was leaking ! Our guide forgot the hat that allowed him to be waterproof.
To keep the food, just a little cooler of 20 liters max, often without ice, enthroned in the car. The utensils themselves were rusty and of another age. Folding chairs also torn, rusted and really dirty. We even finished the last 4 days without a table because our guide had "forgotten" it.
INCOMPETENCE:
At the beginning of our stay our guide made a huge mistake : We were in Kgalagadi Park and he described the jackal as a feline. A detail, certainly, but that was repeated dozens of times daily, throughout the stay and on many points, so dint of hearing wrong things, we left it spoken, referring us to the internet to have the real information. When we pointed out his mistake, he spent the whole evening searching on the internet to prove the opposite. But in front of his ineptness, he left and shunned the whole evening ! We laughed of him because it was so ridiculous, as a little child. We felt that our presence weighed him down and that he was doing his job just for the photos he could take and post on social networks ! Totally childish behavior, more often on the internet, even while driving, a real danger.
ILLEGALITY :
As I said at the beginning of this message, a contract had been established. But as soon as we started to report the first problems, our guide bawled us squarely, even in public, several times in lodges. Imagine shame for us. And then, he blamed the organizer, asking us to contact him. What I did as soon as the connections allowed us. The latter asking us to solve our problems with the guide. In fact, you will understand, they blame themselves, but when you know they are like partners, it was ridiculous.
But the worst was when our guide abandoned us, we can say that, at the 1st border post between Botswana and Zimbabwe. As I said, everything was tricky, and he was always looking for taxis at the last minute. But this day, impossible for him to find someone, he had no desire to finish the journey with us, but I must say that it was a little reciprocal. Then he saw a professional guide coming home to Namibia, whom he asked to pick us up because he had just left his own clients in Victoria Falls. This guy accepted very nicely and we finished our journey with him. But what a mistake for Rafiki Safari Tours, because our new guide of fortune explained us what we would never have to know: all the norms and especially all the necessary authorizations to work on these different countries (Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, etc. ). And of course, our guide Joseph, was apparently in total illegality. What would it be like if we had an accident with him ? How is it possible to work by making fun of and being so uncomfortable with one's own customers ?
Finally we had to finish our tour at Katima Mulilo, where we had to take a sleeper bus to get back to Windhoek. But of course, nothing was booked and it's normal, because we learned that this bus line has not existed for at least a year ! Of course, we have not been refund for this, as the last free meals, yet at the expense of Rafiki Safari tours according to the contract. When I made a complaint, Elie, the organizer insulted me by calling me arrogant !
CONCLUSION :
This company, its leader and its organizer, are a total rip-off, pure amateurs incompetent, without real knowledges. But as you will understand, we traveled in dirty conditions with a person who has big psychological problems. Elie, the organizer told us ! he came to see us the last night to try to calm our anger, but did nothing more than show us the new company (illegal surely) he had just updated, to separate soon from the owner. Even between them, they lack frankness and honesty, so how could they work properly?
I am actually spreading my discontent, because i DO NOT want that anyone to be abused as we were. We have already contacted all relevant authorities, including the Namibian Tourism Board on which Rafiki Safari Tours is not registered of course.
So, have a wonderful stay in these beautiful lands, but avoid this company, and the people mentioned. Others are professional, not them !