Pure Diamond Tours and Safari
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2022)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $193 to $1,134 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
horror experience of Safari tour from Johannesburg to Kruger round trip
I’m glad the world gets to see the exact treatment and type of service you provide with the name calling. Now I’m presenting my email copy of communication.
1. Pickup time was between 8:30-9:00 AM communicated. I took responsibility for coming down late at 9:10 AM, before exchanging pleasantries I sincerely apologized to AL for coming down late.
My Airbnb host was late and that delayed us. It was only after my apologies that AL got down from the car to assist with our bags. Mind you readers we were physically challenged healing from leg injuries. The 2 of us on this trip. So we were really looking forward to a smooth trip. You will see a picture of the luggage in front seat.
2. Read the previous comment and then continue here, by 5 minutes into the ride we smelt the smoke and my companion turned and confirmed it was indeed coming from the car (exhaust and boot). AL said he just got the car from a mechanic shop and it was an oil change and the old oil was burning off to let the new oil kick in. I honestly don’t think if this was possible to conjure that in my wildest dreams I would have. At this point you reading this would have lost your cool and say why didn’t we get out, that’s our 1 regret and we learnt.
3. If able I will share a video of us in the car cloudy atmosphere because of the smoke. Winding up without a/c or winding down the window did not help neither did masks.
4. If able i will share a brief video of us trying to eat the breakfast we bought at the stop spot and you can hear how nasal my friend sounded and distraught.
5. Even after wasting time, I’m talking hours which pales in comparison of 15-30 minutes I tipped AL R100 or R200 can’t recall the note I picked because I genuinely thought he was dealt a bad hand from the mechanic and we all could use a pick me up. Plus he said he called the hotel to give us ground rooms because of our legs.
6. The $100 = R1,775 already paid as 20% wasn’t refunded to us. We chucked it as a loss. Let’s do a breakdown. At the hotel we discovered they had a banner for R895 per night, Kruger entry is R450 or R495 as on the sign while leaving. For the record we had no problem paying as the link for payment came in at the stranded location point, at that point I was very suspicious but still kept an open mind.
7. I will share a picture of our box when I got to Cape Town and discovered that the Deets spray I used to keep the bugs away, I sprayed a square parameter around our boxes to prevent the roaches or bugs from getting into our bags. I sprayed the bed, under bed, sink where the line of ants were coming from.
8. The receptionist when we got in before going to the room & gave a brief experience decided to gift us a breakfast pack, told her we didn’t need it, we came prepared with meals ourselves and we ended up giving this to the tour guide at the rest stop. For every turn we were sharing this incident as it was happening. We came out to front desk and there was no one there to report the room’s condition after settling in. We were so numb and traumatized from the day we went to bed hoping for a better day next day.
9. We had pre-booked hotel reservations cancelled and paid flight for next day cancelled. It was business class flight I only get a partial refund from saa.
10. We paid business class/ flexible highest rate flight to be able to get out of Johannesburg. This was unplanned cost of R12,000+. My friend lost her initial joburg to Cape Town flight refund completely.
11. We paid the Good Samaritan that got us out of that forest and the transfer driver that took us to the airport a total of R3,500 (tip included). The transfer driver mid drive changed the price on us while in the car from R833 to R1800 (R900 per person because the car owner said that’s what he should collect since we were heading to the airport instead of paying to drive back to Johannesburg. This is not affiliated to the diamond agency but I wanted to mention we would not have been in any of these situations if you provided a good service.
12. At the point of GS finding us a transfer, we encountered the Ali driver who drove us from stop to hotel & heard he was not paid and your excuse was you had a bank error and would send his transfer fees later. AL had already left after giving us our bags if not the driver would have met up with him for his money.
13. When it was obvious that we were missing our sunset, we communicated our expectations. Original plan Sunset and Sunrise drive. New plan, We gave 2 options as compensation and AL said he talked to mgt. That included Mozambique and Bylde Canyon. We told AL at the stop and trusted he was communicating this to the mgt. When Ali came to pick us up and we asked can we head to Mozambique and he said no, we did not push further but started understanding they were indeed playing us.
14. The tour video you will hear the man seated close to me telling the tour guide to stop the car so we could take pictures or enjoy the game drive. As far as we understood sharing the tour car with others wasn’t the problem. For the record the other passengers in the open car were from different tours, and were not staying at the hotel we stayed. The problem was putting us in a cramped car, I only could put the phone behind my shoulder to try and capture anything, the dishonesty in putting us in a car for an all day tour without our consent. Lying on picking us up from Break location. Lying the pickup was going to happen in the 2nd break location only to discover that location had no signal or internet service. The tour guide had to bring us back to the 1st point of rest where the lies continued.
15. The snip below show the mgt was updated in whatever story by MIC of our decisions. They ignored it because they already pre-planned to keep us stranded and have to journey back to Johannesburg late at night.
16. We reserve the right to change our mind, not only for risk to our health but also our safety when a service promised is not delivered. That’s where the shock factor came because for everything that happened we were cordial even when if felt like we could just loss composure we didn’t and when we managed by the grace of GOD to not be at your mercy that shocked you most.
It is clear there was ill intention, bad transportation, to make us miss the sunset drive and hope we weren’t going to speak up? Or demand a better service?
DE
Email Thea | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Just perfect!
Booking and coordination with Diamant Tours was without any problems. I was picked up on time on the day of the excursion itself. The tour was great! The guide gave a lot of information about the individual stops. I felt very comfortable and came back with a lot of knowledge. I will definitely book more tours with Diamond Tours!
Very well organized! Very friendly and competent guide!
I visited several iconic places in Jonnanesburg and Soweto with Pure Diamond Tour.
The guide spoke English and French and had a great knowledge of the country's history. He was punctual, friendly and educational. I was able to learn a lot.
I highly recommend
I visited several iconic places in Jonnanesburg and Soweto with Pure Diamond Tour.
The guide spoke English and French and had a great knowledge of the country's history. He was punctual, friendly and educational. I was able to learn a lot.
I highly recommend.
I had compared several tour operators and I think this is the most interesting and relevant from a price and quality point of view.
US
Email Frank E. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Albert, the owner of Pure Diamond Tours, provided a professional, punctual, and enriching experience
I recently had the pleasure of experiencing a tour with Pure Diamond Tours, guided by Albert himself. From start to finish, Albert exemplified professionalism and a deep commitment to customer satisfaction. He was incredibly responsive to my inquiries prior to the tour, promptly addressing all my questions and concerns.
On the day of the tour to Kruger National Park, Albert was punctual and arrived exactly on time for pick-up. Throughout the drive, he not only navigated skillfully but also enriched the journey with his extensive knowledge of South African culture and broader African heritage. His insights were both enlightening and engaging, providing a deeper understanding of the wildlife and natural beauty of Kruger.
Albert was instrumental to the overall experience, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable trip while prioritizing our safety and comfort. I highly recommend Pure Diamond Tours, especially with Albert at the helm, for anyone seeking a memorable and enriching travel experience in South Africa, particularly to Kruger National Park. His dedication to his craft, genuine passion for sharing knowledge, and professionalism make him an exceptional guide.
