Gemfinders Tours & Travel Staff
Gemfinders Tours and Travel
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2018)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $120 to $380 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Scott | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Sold an incorrect itinerary
My recent experience with Gemfinders, specifically with Brian, left me pretty disappointed and frustrated. I had been eagerly looking forward to my safari trip to the Serengeti, which I had carefully planned with Gemfinders. They had advertised a budget lodge accommodation in the itinerary, but as soon as I started the journey, it was clear that something was off. Instead of budget lodges, I found myself camping, which was definitely not what I had signed up for. It not only messed up my expectations but also made the logistics a bit of a headache.
What really irked me was that I had double-checked with Brian before the trip about the accommodation, and he had confidently reassured me that it would indeed be budget lodges. To have that promise fall flat was disappointing and left me feeling like I had been misled.
To add to the confusion, I later found out that Gemfinders had outsourced the safari to another company in Tanzania. This explained the disconnect between the original itinerary and what actually happened during the trip. It also raised some questions about how much Gemfinders was actually involved in planning and executing the trip.
Another bone of contention was Gemfinders' payment policy. Unlike many other safari operators who allow you to pay a deposit and settle the rest on-site when the safari begins, Gemfinders required full payment upfront. This put extra pressure on travelers, especially when the services didn't match what was promised.
What frustrated me the most, though, was Gemfinders' response when I raised these issues. Even though it was crystal clear that they had misrepresented the itinerary I paid for, Brian refused to offer sufficient compensation. He simply said I had already completed the safari, as if that somehow justified the misleading information.
I tried going back and forth with Brian, hoping for some sort of resolution, but it felt like hitting a brick wall. And when I asked for more information about Gemfinders' business (i.e. the business license number), Brian was quite uncooperative and didn't provide the details I requested.
Overall, my experience with Gemfinders and Brian left me unsatisfied and disappointed. Their misrepresentation, inflexible payment policy, and lack of accountability for their mistakes make me hesitant to recommend them to other travelers. The lack of transparency and professionalism in dealing with these issues, along with the outsourcing to another company without proper oversight, raises concerns about Gemfinders' commitment to customer satisfaction and ethical business practices. If you're thinking of booking a trip with them, be cautious and consider these shortcomings carefully.
Reply from Gemfinders Tours and Travel
Posted on Sep 26, 2023Hello Scott,
We acknowledge your review and sincerely apologize for not meeting your expectations. We have discussed the events surrounding your safari with Brian and clearly this was a case of misunderstanding of the itinerary. Your initial request was for a private safari which turned out to be way beyond your budget. You were offered a cheaper version of it, with accommodation in budget lodges, which was also outside your budget. Finally, you requested that we find a group for you to join. We found one operated by our partners in Tanzania, Kilibeyond, which you accepted. We did not say we operate this shared safari and we clearly stated that accommodation was to be in tented camps, and yes, that is camping.
We are committed to ensuring our clients enjoy their safaris and we draw very important lessons from your disappointing experience which we deeply regret. Most importantly, in light of this, we have issued new strict guidelines to Brian and our other staff, especially regarding how they present various tour options to travelers, to ensure they set realistic expectations around the tours.
Once again we are very sorry for the bad experience and we will take all steps necessary to ensure no other traveler goes through such disappointment.
DE
Email Nico Goetz | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A mediocre experience at best
So the tour started about 1hour and 30 minutes late because the initial driver could not pick us up because the safari car broke down on the way to our hotel. So we got assigned a new driver and this driver was supposed to arrive at our hotel 20 minutes later than the actual pickup time. But he arrived over 1 hour later and the boss of the travel agency promised us to extend the game drive for the amount of the time the driver was delayed. So when the driver arrived he was in not so good of a mood because he had been woken up in his sleep to do the tour instead of the other driver. So his bad mood was understandable to us at first. We continued with the tour and tried to make the best out of the situation. The Safari tour felt rushed and the actual Safari was very underwhelming because we just rushed through the main paths of the national park for about 2 hours and did not get any explanation of the driver whatsoever without us actually asking him specific questions. We did not see many animals and our requests during the drive were not regarded. The Safari was expensive (500$ and more for 2 people) and it was not worth the money at all. We spent 25$ per person for a meal which was just rice and vegetables and the driver even was rude to us when we asked him why he was making us rush through everything when actually we were promised a longer Safari tour because of the delay. We can’t recommend this agency although not everything was bad.
Reply from Gemfinders Tours and Travel
Posted on Apr 10, 2024Hello Nico,
Thank you for your honest feedback, we value it for it helps us to continue improving our service levels. We are only perplexed that you did not raise these issues during the safari or immediately afterwards and that this is the first time we are hearing about them. The driver actually told us you thoroughly enjoyed every bit of your safari! We are sorry about that and we wish to assure you and all our current and prospective customers of our commitment to ensuring that we deliver our itineraries as detailed, that is our promise.
As stated in your review our vehicle developed a mechanical problem when we were just about to pick you up from your hotel. We then had to make last minute arrangements to ensure the safari went ahead as planned. We turned to one of our partners to handle the transport and tour guiding part of the safari. This is someone we have worked with before so we are really surprised he behaved this way towards you. The delay happened because of the usual Nairobi traffic at that hour and hence our promise to extend the game drive to cover for the lost time. We kept tabs during the safari and had you told us you had only 2 hours of game drive we would have ordered him to go back and do it to your satisfaction.
We have also noted your concern about the food. Lunch outside booked accommodation is usually not in our inclusions; we only recommend places our customers can get their meals at their cost. However, if a customer leaves it to us, as you did, we have our partner restaurants whose service levels and menu options are satisfactory. Still, we do not impose restaurants nor any meal items on our customers. The usual practice should be you being given your right to choose your food. We therefore do not understand how you ended up having a meal you did not want, and again we wish you had rejected it right away – we would have found you alternatives.
We have taken actions to ensure that this does not happen again in future. Although when we reached out to the driver, he denied it all, hence making it a ‘your word against his’ situation, we have given you the benefit of the doubt and dropped him from our list of partners. Please accept our apologies. We thank you for having chosen our services and we look forward to serving you better in future.
We wish to reiterate that we take customer service very seriously. We go to great lengths to ensure our travelers get the most out of their safaris to this wonderful destination, Kenya. We are professional and we keep our word. You can trust Gemfinders Safaris.
DE
Email Paula | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
sastified, Habil is polite and puntual
it was the best Experience, i recommend, The driver/ Tour guide he was very nice!
Reply from Gemfinders Tours and Travel
Posted on Sep 5, 2024Hello Paula.
Thank you for your honest and positive review on the safari you did with us
We are glad you enjoyed your safari and the recommending our driver guide Habil.
Looking forward to doing a safari with you in future
CH
Email J.Mueller | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good
Habil was very kind, helpful and fun.
We had some good chats on our way to and from the park!
Reply from Gemfinders Tours and Travel
Posted on Feb 24, 2024Dear Mueller,
Thank you for choosing us to plan for your safari. We are looking forward to planning another safari for you in the future.
MD
Email Ullrich Kinne | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very individualized and caring Service
They are new in the business and ready to go the extra mile. Beyond the three attractions we booked (Giraffe and elephant nursery and Kazumi Beads Factory) they also took us to the Karen Blix Museum nearby at no extra cost. Their van seems to be pretty new and well-equipped. Pick-up and drop off at our friends place on the other side of town went smoothly despite heavy rush-hour traffic.
Reply from Gemfinders Tours and Travel
Posted on Jul 4, 2023Hello Ulrich,
That's was definitely heavy traffic, that's the fun of every safari, actually that's was due to the heavy rains experienced.
However we thank you for booking with us on a short notice, we are glad you acknowledged us taking you on the safari, we hope you guys learnt alot on your safari,from start to end, including the coffee farm, the machinery and the artefacts left behind by Karen & her husband, that is always preserved to honor them.
We are looking forward to seeing you in future. Much love
Kind regards,
Gemdfinders Safaris Team
NG
Email Griffin | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great experience that I definitely recommend. Everything on point
The guide and the driver know exactly where to take you for the best view of the park and animals. They are very experienced and bring you all the necessary information to educate you and guide you through the whole safari. Can’t wait to come back!
Reply from Gemfinders Tours and Travel
Posted on May 24, 2023Thank you for the feedback on your safari Griffin. We appreciate that and look forward to seeing you again
AT
Email Sabrina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organized and reliable tour operator
We enjoyed our trip to Samburu NR, Lake Nakuru NP and Masai Mara. The tour was well organized. The communication with the tour operator was easy. They reply very quick. Gemfinders really trys to provide you a wonderful safari trip.
Their rates are reasonable.
If you‘re looking for amazing safari experiences, I would definately recommend Gemfinders Tours and Travel.
Email Harpreet | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing people that gave us such an incredible experience and itinerary
I would just like to say a big thank you to Brian and his team and Gemfrinders for giving us an incredible experience on our safari in Kenya it really exceeds expectations.
Also a very big thank you to our safari leader Samson who made the whole journey so spectacular! We enjoyed his company and his professionalism which allowed us to explore and get such an amazing experience with perfect photos of wildlife in Kenya!
We started off at Samburu with such an amazing landscape and watched the elephants go about their day by our lodge as well as the perfectly organised game drives. Gemfinders also booked us in with a lake safar experience at Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha where we got to see the hippos and travel to crescent island to walk with the animals.
We were also taken to Masai Mara with a hot air balloon experience overseeing wildlife early in the morning and then a beautiful breakfast in the savannah as the animals walked around. We then finished off with another excellent game drive in amboseli to finish our trip.
We had an amazing journey on the way and met beautiful people in the village and those that were part of the community. Brian and Samson made this a trip to remember for the rest of our lives and we have made friends along the way.
We will definitely be booking with Gemfinders for our next safari to Tanzania, Serengeti and with many more to come with our good friends!
Thank you all once again!
US
Email Giovanni | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My guide was very friendly and knowledgable.
I had a great time seeing Masai Mara. I met the local Masai tribe and spent a day on a game drive. My guide was excellent and knowledgeable about the local wildlife and the region's history. We found two prides of lions, giraffes, cheetahs, grazing species, elephants, and many more. Seeing these animals in their habitat was terrific, and the landscape was astonishingly beautiful. We drove in from Nairobi, which was pretty interesting because I could see how the locals live and some of the sights along the way. If you like camping and exploring the wilderness, this adventure will be unlike anything you've done before. This was my first safari, and I plan to return one day with my family. The value of this trip is incredible.
I came to Kenya with very short notice due to business travel conflicts, and the safari organizers were incredibly accommodating of my last-minute plans. I was able to schedule this safari with only a week of notice, and the experience has been outstanding.
I encourage everyone to experience this at least once. Its unlike anything I've done before. Amazing.
NP
Email Ashish | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Responsive, helpful and reliable tour operator
We enjoyed our trip to Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Park, which were arranged by Gemfinders. Although the trip was short, it was memorable for us. The team members coordinating our trip were very responsive and helpful. Their rates were reasonable. If we happen to come back to Kenya next time, we will visit Masai and Amboseli through Gemfinders. We recommend arranging your trip with this tour agency.
