Tanzania Destination Safaris

Worst service ever and you will know why through the ordeal mentioned below

This is a mail sent to the tour operator and Tanzania Tourism, Tato and safaribookings.com about this agent.

Dear Mr. Emmanuel,

This complaint letter is to bring to your notice and others that, your service during the 5-Days safari package we had undertaken through your company Tanzania Destination Safaris was pathetic and the worst we have encountered ever in our 20 years of travel life across the world.

Below I am presenting the account of horror we faced through your utter lack of service, causal and unprofessional approach.

• Through Safaribookings.com, we shortlisted your company Tanzania Destination Safaris, as our agent for safaris between 21 to 25 August 2016.
• We opted for your ready package for 5 Days/4 Nights, which included 1 night in Ngorongoro Crater, 2 nights in Serengeti and 1 night in Lake Manyara.
• Another 4 people joined in for the day package to Ngorongoro Crater.
• We even paid you USD 30/head extra for the newly introduced VAT, which you claimed was not included in the rate of USD 1305/head as advertised on the website and requested us to pay.
• The day before the safari, you visited our hotel in Arusha, collected the full amount for all 7 people in advance and introduced us to our guide/driver Khalid, who came to pick us up promptly the next day.

And now our nightmare begins.

• On the very first day, the safari vehicle engine heated up, and carburetor started leaking in Ngorongoro, right at the edge of Hippo Pond inside the crater. The driver/guide managed to get it rectified. This was promptly brought to your notice.
• Second day, there was a flat tyre on our way to Serengeti. Out of the two spare tyres at the back, one was already deflated, which is being careless and assuming it is against the law of the land. That’s not all, the jack was bolted badly inside the car and couldn’t be removed, and even the functional spare tyre couldn’t be removed, the tool kit was barely there. A passing vehicle helped us remove the jack. The tyre was removed with great difficulty with the help of few other people from another truck. We even borrowed a spare tyre from a third vehicle, just in case. We wasted almost two hours.

We complained about both these issues to you and you promised to send two spare tyres to Serengeti. The driver/guide says he never received any spare tyres, while you claimed you have sent them. Apparently they were not sent.

• On third day, we spent more time on getting the tyres checked at the workshops inside Serengeti during the safari.

And on these three days after the safari the driver/guide spent the evenings getting the repairs done, skipping his dinner with us. This we sorely missed, since we were waiting to hear his stories of other safaris.

• On the fourth day, we were stuck at Serengeti, unable to move to Lake Manyara, because the vehicle had three flat tyres now and no spare tyres. To top it all, the battery had completely died. A service vehicle was called to repair the battery. After a wait of four hours from 7:30 am to 11;30 am, we finally moved towards Ngorongoro/Lake Manyara.

• At the registration area of Serengeti, the engine was kept alive, while the driver/guide went to finish the paper work. But after half an hour of engine idling, it just stopped. Apparently the battery was dead. Push-starting with the help of others didn’t work. We wasted three more hours there, till another vehicle was organised to drop us to Ngorongoro Crater main office. By the time we reached our lodge at Karatu, it was 5:30 pm. A total of 10 hours through this painfully long troubled day and we could not visit Lake Manyara that evening.

We thought our ordeal was over and next day we can at least cover Lake Manyara for couple of hours before getting to Kilimanjaro Airport for our 3 pm flight.

• But the last day, at the gate of Lake Manyara registration counter, we discovered that the Lake Manyara entry card was not given to the new driver/guide, who came to fetch us at Ngorongoro gate. We called the old driver/guide, Khalid who was still at Serengeti. He mentioned that he had very clearly informed you to issue new card for Lake Manyara the previous day so that we are not inconvenienced. But you ignored this completely. At the gate, you suggested we pay and you will reimburse us at Arusha.

• We were certainly unwilling because by then we stopped trusting you completely. You have lied and deceived us throughout our safari and were least helpful in times of crisis. You avoided our calls at Serengeti when we were trying to reach you.

• We could not visit Lake Manyara for safari, thanks to your deficient service. And as compensation, you gave us USD 100/head. This did not even cover the Lake safari rest alone the trouble we went through because of a defective vehicle and your total lack of professional and ethical approach. In the end, you even refused to meet us at Arusha, instead sending your office staff with USD 300 to pay us.

You and your company will definitely NOT be recommended for anything to do with Tanzania tourism. You spoil the name and efforts of your wonderful country, its tourism department, the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) and websites like safaribookings.com.

I request the respective authorities to take action against Emmanuel and his company Tanzania Destination Safaris.