Southern Dynasty Safaris Team after a Fam trip
Southern Dynasty Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Member Of:
- Zambia Tourism Agency & Zambia Association of Indigenous Tour Operators (ZATO)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Mid-range & luxury)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $1,500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
DE
Email Stefan | Experience level: over 5 safaris
We think we got scammed by this Southern Dynastie Safaries, so be careful if you book with them
We booked with Southern Dynastie Safaris (SDS) 6 months in advance a 4 day fly-in safari to Okawango Delta to a lodge in the heart of Moremi Game Park for a lot of money. However, Southern Dynastie Safari did not book us on the booked lodge butalready 5 month ago into a cheaper lodge with less quality outside of Moremi Game Park. If you have ever been to Okawango Delta, this is quite a difference in landscape, experience and quality.
SDS (especially Collins) did not tell us for six month that they booked us knowingly on a different lodge. They suggested all the past five month, everything is as plannend. On the Airstrip in Maun we were informed by the pilot of the plane that we are not going to the booked lodge but to a different lodge outside of Moremi.
No communication at all by SDS, no explanation, no apology, no refund of price difference. So we would just warn everybody booking with SDS that you might not get what you booked and paid for.
Reply from Southern Dynasty Safaris
Posted on Oct 14, 2024Dear Jen,
I hope you are doing well today.
Thank you for your email and the messages you've shared.
Firstly, we would have appreciated your patience as we worked on addressing the situation. While we acknowledge that we didn’t communicate as promptly as we should have, it’s important to note that the change in lodging was a last-minute adjustment aimed at ensuring your holiday was not disrupted. Unfortunately, you were quick to issue statements accusing us of being scammers despite our ongoing efforts to resolve the matter and request your patience.
Additionally, you would wish to note that since we started operating as a tour agency, we have never swindled anyone, nor has anyone ever tagged us as scammers. We have consistently upheld our promise of offering the best travel experiences, which is reflected in the positive reviews we have received across various platforms, as well as from many other travelers who, though satisfied, didn't find the opportunity to share their stories about us.
Furthermore, you went on to post negative reviews about us on Safari Bookings and TripAdvisor. Have you considered the damage these reviews have caused to our company, Southern Dynasty Safaris, and to Collins Kalonga personally? Please take a moment to reflect on the impact of your actions.
Regarding your booking, we initially reserved your stay at Camp Xakanaxa as promised. However, due to availability issues beyond our control, we were placed on a waiting list. When the earlier guests confirmed their stay, only the 13th and 15th of September were available, and the 14th, your birthday, was fully booked. In response, we secured a booking for you at Khwai Expeditions Camp, which offers access to both the Khwai Concession and the Moremi Game Reserve. Although this camp is slightly lower in price, our plan was to ensure your holiday continued smoothly, then refund you the price difference, as we communicated.
Additionally, your calculation regarding Khwai Expeditions Camp does not take into account the charter flights to and from the camp, which is why your claim of being scammed is unfounded. We refrained from responding to your WhatsApp messages in the hope that our eventual statement would satisfy your concerns. Unfortunately, instead, you chose to escalate the issue with damaging reviews.
We take these accusations seriously, and the damage to our reputation is something we cannot ignore. We are currently consulting with legal representatives regarding our next steps.
In the meantime, we will provide the full breakdown of costs for your stay at Khwai Expeditions Camp and will determine the appropriate course of action regarding the balance.
Kind regards,
JP
Email Grant F | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant organisation, fantastic tour
Rather than booking individual tours, we contacted Southern Dynasty with a planned itinerary and they sorted everything out for us. We flew into Victoria Falls and were but by a Zimbabwean guide, escorted to the border, helped with immigration formalities and handed over to the Zambian team whom we had booked through and taken to our hotel in Livingstone. The first night we did a sunset cruise on the Zambezi which was a wonderful way to spend out first night in Zambia. The cruise had some food and an open bar so it was a relaxing start to our trip. The next morning, our fantatsic guide and driver Mwangelwa took us to Mosi-oa-Tunya (Victoria Falls) and gave us the tour of the Zambian side, before driving us to the border and handing us over to Kuta, our guide in Zimbabwe. Mwangelwa was waiting for us at the border to bring us back over the bridge to our hotel. The next day, we arranged a tour to Chobe National Park in Botswana which was incredible. Mwangelwa picked us up bright and early and drove us over the bridge to the Botswanan side where we were met by the park guides for Botswana. The safari tour was world class, and having both the park drive and the boat tour on the Chobe river allowed us to see different sides of the national park. The buffet lunch was also excellent. This was my first safari experience so I don't have anything to compare it to, but it was incredible and experienced safari-goers were also very happy throughout. On pur last day in Livingstone, we were picked up at the hotel and transferred to the airport for our onward flight to Lusaka. The entire organisation was perfect and the Zambian team work so well with their colleagues in Zimbabwe and Botswana to offer these cross-border experiences. Huge shout out to Mwangelwa, our driver and giude in Zambia - lovely guy and great company for our days in Livingstone. 100% would recommend Southern Dynasty.
DE
Email Jennifer | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very poor service – money (USD 3,500) is wrongly withheld
Attention – I would advise you be careful with booking with Southern Dynasty Safaris! In March 2024, we booked and paid for a safari worth over USD 8,500. Without any further communication, we were rebooked to their significantly cheaper camp and only found out about it from the pilot himself at the airport. Collins Kollonga, our ‘point of contact’, had completely stopped communicating, even though we repeatedly tried to get in touch and even looked for the office in Zambia (which doesn't even exist). Due to the rebooking to the significantly cheaper camp ‘Khwai Expeditions’, we incurred a financial loss of USD 3,500, which we paid for the luxurious camp ‘Xakanaxa’. Southern Dynasty Safaris simply cashed the money, neither communicated nor discussed alternatives (travel period or destinations) nor offered any other service to us - the trip was more than 6 weeks ago. We advise every guest to be very careful when booking with Southern Dynasty Safaris. We are deeply disappointed.
Reply from Southern Dynasty Safaris
Posted on Oct 29, 2024Good day, Jennifer and all potential guests.
Thank you for your feedback. We would like to clarify that we have not refused to refund the exact amount that is due.
Our communications via email and WhatsApp demonstrate our willingness to make the necessary refund.
However, the challenge we are facing is that Jennifer is requesting an amount that exceeds the actual refund due.
Below is the breakdown we previously shared:
Hi Jen and Stefan,
Please find the cost details for your trip:
$854 per person, per night at Khwai Expeditions Camp
$854 x 3 nights = $2,562 per person
$2,562 x 2 people = $5,124 for 3 nights for two guests
Flights between Maun and Khwai Airstrip:
Maun Airport to Khwai: $350 per person
Khwai to Maun Airport: $320 per person
Total for flights = $1,340 (discounted rate paid to the charter company, with no markup).
Total: $5,124 (accommodation) + $1,340 (flights) = $6,464
Amount paid: $8,496 - $6,464 = $2,032 (due refund).
Based on this calculation, we will be refunding $2,032. We kindly request your patience as we work out a payment plan for this amount.
We apologize sincerely for any confusion.
Your response, Jennifer, through WhatsApp, was as follows:
"Collins, you knew since 11.04.2024 that Xakanaxa would not work but you did not tell us. This is the worst service possible regarding your clients. Thanks to the screenshots we can tell this story to every customer via ratings. So, we think everyone of us is good with 3000 USD as SDS made a mistake not to talk to us in April. To inform us via the pilot on the Airstrip a day before my birthday was a very bad idea!! And to think you could get away with 2000 USD extra cash by just stop talking to us was your worst idea.
So, it is up to you how we proceed. Tell us latest by tomorrow 2 p.m. if we can settle this with a refund of USD 3000 to my bank account or if we have to continue to warn your clients regarding the service you provide."
Best regards,
Jennifer
At this time, additional reviews are now suggesting an amount of over USD 3,500, which we feel places undue pressure on us to pay beyond what is necessary. This situation is challenging for us, as we have acknowledged our lapse in communication regarding the lodge change and have committed to refunding the calculated difference.
We are now uncertain about how best to proceed.