jimmy and the team after a successful trekking
Azas Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- UTB, UWA & YUTO
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Ben | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Disappointing
Short story, animals were good everything else was not, I would NOT recommend Azas Safari.
Long story.
I had high (honestly too high) expectations, and this trip left me lacking in all areas.
I did a lot of research and narrowed it down to a few options. Prisca was very friendly and quick to respond via WhatsApp, she sent us a very professional quote and was willing to customize (better hotels, different activates, charge more money) our 10-day Ugandan safari. However, communication decrease as we got closer to our trip and we only stayed in 1 of 6 of the original agreed upon hotels, the other 5 hotels changed 2 or 3 times each from our agreement till on our trip. The hotel pictures in the agreement looked very nice and I googled every hotel we were supposed to stay at and was excited, but most of what we got was disappointing. The hotels are important because in general the nicer the hotel more options and better food. Almost all of your meals will be at your hotels.
Our guide Christopher had a good eye for spotting wildlife and had substantial animal knowledge, he lacked customer service skills and communication skills. He set the bar for the trip by arriving 1.5 hours late to pick us up on day one, with no fuel or drinking water in the vehicle. The vehicle was an older Toyota land cruiser. Nicer than a lot of the other vehicles we saw but not great and not the one in picture from Prisca. We got to experience 3 minor break downs and 2 very minor fender benders. We had problem with one of the front hubs, going up a hill overheated? and problems with the ignition, so we got to push start the vehicle twice. My shoulder seatbelt on the back passenger side did not work correctly, none of the gauges worked and the vehicle had no air-conditioning.
Half the time it felt like Christopher was on a trip and we were just riding in the back seat. Should have been him taking us on our dream trip. He never asked us what we wanted to do. We had to pry the daily plan out of him. He would stop and get a snack for himself but not offer us or information is that lunch is still 2 plus hours away and we might want to buy our own snack. Our agreement said meal plan “Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner drinking water, non-alcoholic drinks”. We ended up buying one of our lunches and only water in the safari vehicle was included, we had to always pay for water and soda at meals. (Honestly drinks were cheap but not what was agreed to).
My wife and I agree we would NOT go on another trip is Azas. I don’t know if the other companies are better or if this is the standard of service in Uganda???
Reply from Azas Safaris
Posted on Mar 9, 2023hello Mr. Ben , we are very sorry for whatever went wrong , first of all we would like to send our apologies to you and your wife , we will be more careful next time . Also we understand your wife got sick amidst the trip and she could not finish the trip, which was a frustration to us and to you as well , hope he recovered so well , we wish her a quick recovery .
Trips booked on a short notice are not always easy to execute especially like yours of 9 days because of few hours at our hand to book all hotels and permits , but we are glad all the permits were successfully purchased , for accommodation, in the contract we signed with you we indicated that we can look for alternative hotel in the same capacity like what you had chosen before because of the short time we had we could not rely on one option but still we send our apologies to you. For hotels we always pay full board ( beak fast , lunch , dinner plus non alcoholic drinks , we are very sorry if it was not communicated to you , we are very sorry)
For the vehicle , we will always ensure that its in good mechanical condition for our other clients , even though we cant avoid minor cases due to some terrain roads in our destination areas.
For the guide , Chris will improve for our next clients , he is as well very sorry , he extends his apologies to you and your wife , as you can read previous reviews Chris has always been a good guide and he will work hard to improve more .
Thank you so much , hope our apologies are accepted.
regards.
Email Victoria | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Scam!!! Azas are con artists and scammer who did not deliver on anything we paid for.
Azas Safari Uganda SCAM
My husband and I are in Africa on our honeymoon. We booked a 3 day Azas Safari to see the Mountain Gorillas at $4180USD. Our trip included return flights from Entebbe to Kihihi, accomodation at Mahogany Spring Lodge, Gorilla Permits, guide, meals and park entrances. We arrived in Entebbe and stayed at the recommended hotel, we were in constant contact and communication with Azas the entire time however they began to get less and less responsive on sharing required details around flights, permits etc. We were told, by Azas, to go to the Aerolink office at Entebbe where we found out we were never booked on flights and had to pay for our own return flights $895USD. Azas, still in communication with us via WhatsApp, assured us the permits were sorted so we proceeded to purchase the flights and flew to Kihihi. We were met by a guide who took us to our accommodation where we found out that no permits had been secured. After speaking with anyone and everyone that we possibly could to rectify the situation we then had to purchase the permits ourselves $1600USD.
Azas are awful human beings who have scammed and completely ripped us off and continued to string us along.
We have reported them to the Ugandan police and tourism authority.
DE
Email Ralf Werner | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Avoid the company, they are fraudsters and liars
We were cheated by that company by around 2.400 USD.
We have fixed a ten days safari with them and paid all money that was agreed onin advance by international bank transfer.
We arrived at the 29.07. 2024 very early in the morning
It was agreed upon that we should be picked up at the airport but nobody was around. All the other tourists were warmly welcomed by their safari companies. We then called the K hotels where we were supposed to spend the rest of the night and the next night before the safari.
The problems already started there because KHotel wanted us to pay extra money for the early check in although it was fixed in the contract that the accommodation before and after our trip should be paid by
AZAS, which they did not do, even the night before our departure and the trip to the airport we had to pay by ourselves.
During the trip there were a lot of irregularities that should be communicated.
From the 31.08.- 03.08. 2024 it was fixed in the programme that we should spend 3 nights at Mweya safari lodge based on full board.
When we arrived at the Mweya safari lodge the manager,
Mr Brian Maher, told us that the lodge was booked by AZAS but unfortunately not paid yet.
Staying at this lodge was a compromise Azas agreed upon before we started the trip.
The former set up contract says that we should have been accommodated at the Karambuya Gorge lodge which the did not book fast enough, so the prices went skyhigh and they could not deliver that lodge.
After that frustration and some whatsapp traffic Simon, the head of Azas, told us that the payment unfortunately bounced back to their account and he did not know what the issue was, he then requested us to pay the lodge by credit card and by arrival from the trip he assured me to give back the money, 1.856 USD at the KHotel in USD cash, before we would check in.
So finally we did the payment and when arriving at the KHotel nobody was there to give us back the promised money.
When checking in the last two nights at KHotels we heard that he did not pay for the last night either which cost us another 310 USD. + airport transfer.
He also did not pay for the trip of the top of the Murchisson falls which was agreed upon in the programme.
To make it short Azas is absolutely unreliable.
They are big pretenders that do not deliver what is fixed in the set up contract.
To make it short AZAS is absolutely unreliable. They are perfect cheaters who want to make a fool of their clients.
Avoid them!
I can prove everything that I have written, the facts are overwhelming!
Reply from Azas Safaris
Posted on Aug 18, 2024Hello Ralf, thank you for your review , we understand your frustration, we are sorry it happened but thats not how we are, we always want to sit on the round table and solve issues with our clients for better trips although we are humans , sometimes its hard to please everyone but we try our best.
First of all kindly observe the following points .
1. You paid 10500usd for the trip as its shown on the receipt of payment( 3 people)
2. You paid 528usd for KHOTELS to us as shown on the receipt of payment.
3. Pesapal charged us 4% of that money , pesapal charged us 275.7usd which you also did not pay to us.
Let me breakdown the services we provided to you.
a) we bought for you 3 gorilla permits at 2400usd
b) we bought for you 3 chimpanzee permits at 750usd
c) we paid mahogany springs lodge in bwindi at 1710usd for 2 nights .
d) we paid turacco treetops lodge in kibale at 890usd for 2 nights
e) we paid twiga lodge in murchison at 1000usd for 2 nights
f) we paid KHOTELS 650usd for 2 nights , remember you paid 528usd to us. K HOTELS wanted 960usd in total.
g)we paid kasenyi safari camp in queen elizabeth NP which you refused to go to , yet its a good semi-luxury lodge
h) we paid your inland flight to kihihi at 803usd for 3 people on 30th july 2024.
i) we gave money to a guide 1105usd , for his allowance and fuel for 10days .
h) we paid 3 park entries in queen elizabeth at 360usd , each day was 120usd for 3 people .
i) we paid the boat at kazinga channel at 50usd
j) we paid boat trip in murchison at 96usd
k) we paid bigodi community walk in kibale national park at 53usd
l) we paid rhino tracking in nakasongola at 150usd for 3 people .
m) we paid abatwa caltural walk and community walk in bwindi at 105usd.
n) we also paid hiking at the top of the falls at 30usd for 3 people .
0) we paid 2 park entries in murchison falls national park at 240usd.
TOTAL EXPENDITURE : 12072USD remember you paid 11,028usd minus pesal pal charges of 275usd
when you add all those expenses above , you get 12072usd , that means we went extra 1044usd loss for your trip.
your argument , you wanted us to pay K hotel more 310usd and pay mweya 1856usd. So if we paid mweya safari lodge , that means we would have made loss of about 2354usd , which is a big loss for our company. We tried to explain to you via a whatsapp phone call this incident which rarely happens to us but you never understood and instead you were abusive and threatening, we respected you and your argument. if we were fraudsters , you would not have found us in uganda and all those services above would not have been paid.
For not picking you up from the airport, we are sorry , You reached the airport at 3:00am in the night of 29th july 2024 , and we paid the hotel 30usd for your pick up. Since it was a fly in trip that is you were supposed to fly from entebbe to bwindi on 30th july 2024, that means your guide had to drive from kampala to bwindi on 29th july 2024 day time so that you find him at kihihi airport on arrival. Thats why we contacted a hotel for a pick up in the late night.
About mweya safari lodge, previous you wanted kyambura gorge lodge , kyambura gorge lodge each day we were supposed to pay 3150usd for 3 people ( double occupancy is 1715usd , single occupancy is 1453), then for 3 days , we were supposed to pay 9450usd , remember you paid 10500usd for the whole trip, and you were insisting we pay it,how was that possible?. Then you opted for mweya safari lodge , since already we were out of money, we opted for kasenyi safari camp( a lodge better than mweya) which you refused to occupy and went for mweya where you paid for your self.
we are very sorry , and sorry for all that went wrong , we thought we would sit on the round table and make this trip awesome of which it was not possible. We wanted you to have a great trip but also to protect our company from a loss,at the e nd of the dayhumanity + empathy solves everything.
We shall always do better for our next clients.
US
Email Jenny | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unethical
I booked a 12 day safari in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania in September 2023 for a trip scheduled the end of June 2024 (fully paid for April 2024). At the time of booking I was promised all confirmations of lodges, flights. The beginning of June, I reached out to their office to request the promised confirmations 3 times. When I did finally receive the confirmations, they were only for the Uganda portion. I repeatedly requested the confirmations for Kenya and Tanzania and was repeatedly told “everything is reserved.” This turned out to be the first of many lies made by the head of the company, Simon. The day before my flight to Kenya, with no evidence of a flight from Entebbe to Nairobi, I contacted the lodge in Kenya to confirm my reservation. I discovered the reservation had been made but was not paid for, so they had not released the confirmation. Additionally, I was informed the Kenya agent they outsourced (they contacted her the DAY I ARRIVED to organize that portion!!) had not been paid for the additional 7 nights (lodging, flights, activities) in Kenya and Tanzania. My flight from Uganda to Kenya, which I was also told conflicting lies and excuses about, was purchased by an office worker 6 hours before scheduled departure. As of this time, the payment (which is significant) to the agent in Kenya (who is beyond superb) is unpaid by Azas. Avoid this company at all costs.
Reply from Azas Safaris
Posted on Jun 28, 2024hello jennifer , thank you so much for your review and we take your concern so serious , From the start, Jennifer you booked with azas safaris Uganda , its true . you came to Uganda and did all you ware supposed to do( for 5 days) , on the day you were supposed to go to Kenya there was an issue with your flight we had booked before which needed immediate amendment, we are sorry if we amended it the way you never liked . you were coming from Bwindi on 22nd June 2024 in the mid morning with Aerlolink airline(a domestic flight). it was arriving Entebbe at 11:00AM , then your flight to kenya that you wanted was at 8:00am the same day with Uganda airlines which we had paid earlier but it was interrupted by change in program by aerlolink from Bwindi to Kampala this was an error by an airline but we own it .
What we did was , we paid for another flight on the same date with the Ugandan airline arriving in Kenya at 9pm.
To help jennifer our client pass a day without boredom, we paid K hotels in Entebbe for her to rest and also we paid for her tour to Mabamba swamp for birding so she can be busy and later go to Kenya . Of which she accepted.
Where did the problem come from?
When she(Jennifer) was in Bwindi at mahogany hotel we sent to her a contact of Teresa , a kenyan operator , of which they started talking and revising the program , Teresa convinced her and gave her another plan , on reaching Entebbe (on 22nd June 2024) , she met with azas safaris personnel , they convinced her to follow the program so that her trip in kenya and Tanzania is a success, she refused , she blocked us on whatsapp ,she refused to go to Khotels and chose to board to kenya and meet Teresa, it hurt us because we wanted to make her trip a success , on 23rd June 2024 , she never talked to us , we never blamed her because we understood her argument , on 24th morning Through Teresa number on whatsapp she texted us back and told us to pay Teresa both Kenya trip and Tanzania Trip. We told her(our client) that Teresa was only to do a Kenya trip and Tanzania trip was supposed to be done by Daniel of a company called moving sand Africa of which he was already paid, Jennifer turned this down, we have the invoice and proof of payment to Daniel. She(Jennifer) said that she wants Teresa to do both, we kindly understand it was a business opportunity for Teresa , so we never wanted to spoil both side, we let Teresa go on with a client.
Why did we pay Daniel and never pay Teresa earlier ?
We have worked with Daniel for many trips in Tanzania , and it was our first time to work in Kenya with Teresa, so we wanted to pay for a trip when Teresa has received a client because Kenya is near, we can pay instantly . Teresa used that advantage to take over our client because a client talked to her more than she talked to us. But we are glad a client continued and completed a trip with Teresa.
SOLUTION
When all that came about , I told Jennifer we can refund your money , and she promised to send bank details to us, we are willing to refund her all her money and we shall improve next time.
We are very sorry where we went wrong , next time we shall do better.