Owners Ines & Christopher
Indigo Safaris
- Offices In:
-
United Kingdom
United States
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2009)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, APTA, FGASA & DEMA
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $70 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Daniela | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A travel agent who does not listen
Super disappointed about the experience: a travel agent who does not listen, empty promises, long wait after 5 hours of drive, another 2 hours for a room ( triple for a person)
Definitely not an agency which I recommend, try and get someone who is really professional and tries to do something for you
No value for money, despite promises of a good experience, just excuses
Reply from Indigo Safaris
Posted on Oct 22, 2024This is one of the most surprising and untruthful reviews we have ever received. As the Managing Director of a company I have built over the last 16 years by providing tailor-made experiences to travellers of all budgets and backgrounds, I take any complaint very seriously and look into them with commitment. Thanks to our detailed communication systems, I have been able to look into all the communication that took place between the client, Cristina (not Daniela), and my safari specialist Michele, who looked after this inquiry.
Initially Cristina enquired about a budget accommodated two-night short Etosha safari at short notice, which we found availability for, then changed her mind on the dates, then came back asking for a one-night Etosha trip from Windhoek, which we do not offer as we consider it to be too short a time on site for what are two long transfers either end. Our advice was unheeded, and Cristina insisted one night would be fine. Michele found availability at Etosha Safari Camp, booked it, invoiced it, and sent a detailed digital itinerary with images of the camp and details of the routing. The accommodation was reconfirmed as being at Etosha Safari Camp and not Etosha Safari Lodge via WhatsApp. All Michele's replies were punctual and very timely, and did as the client requested.
Upon arrival at Etosha Safari Camp, Cristina messaged Michele that the drive had been five hours. This is as per the usual driving time, and as per the information provided in the digital itinerary. I find it very surprising that someone who works in Windhoek and who has a senior position at the University of Namibia doesn't know that Etosha is five hours away. Nevertheless, there is nothing we can do about making the point of departure and the national park closer together. Moving either of Windhoek or Etosha NP is beyond our powers :-)
The client then complained about having to wait to check in to her room, even though she had arrived prior to check in time. Again, as a frequent traveller, I am at a loss to understand why she thought there would be an early check in as none was ever discussed or offered.
Christina then requested an upgrade to Etosha Safari Lodge. Immediately Michele enquired an found a room was available, at normal check in time, for an upgrade fee, and informed Cristina, who refused to pay it. Cristina then contacted the lodge by phone, and tried to make them believe we had sold her Safari Lodge and that is what she had paid for. Having worked with us for many years, the lodge found this hard to believe, and asked her to pay the upgrade fee if she wanted the upgrade.
During this time, Michele tried t ascertain why the client wanted to change, having been provided what she had been offered and paid for, to whit a private room with en suite bathroom, to no avail. Why it a room designed and sized for three occupants is a problem for single occupancy remains a mystery, as after the trip I reached out to Cristina to have a chat to try and ascertain where she felt Michele had made promises we didn't deliver on, but was told that she didn't want to talk about it.
Regarding value for money, this is obviously a matter of personal perception. This trip, as a two-night, three-day Etosha lodge safari with transfers is, in my professional experience of nearly 30 years of Namibia travel, very good value and the cheapest option out there at 9425 NAD for single occupancy for two nights half-board with a half-day and full-day game drive into Etosha (or 8500 NAD pp based on two sharing a room). As a one-night trip, it does lose some of its value for money as the transfers make a large portion of the trip, and this was communicated from the outset. But when the offer was sent, with images of the accommodation and camp, Cristina considered it to be what she wanted and one would assume value for money. I have tried to find out why that was not the case once on site, and why she felt the need to lie about our contract with her to a tested and trusted service provider, but no answers have been forthcoming.
The conclusion to my investigation is that Michele did nothing wrong, other than allow herself to be persuaded to provide a trip that I consider to be too short in duration in relation to the transfer times, in order to please a demanding client. Michele has been involved in African travel in many capacities over four decades; scuba dive business owner, lodge manager, and safari specialist to name some of them, and has excellent reviews from our clients, some of which can be found in reviews as recent as September and August below.
As we are as committed as ever to providing quality experiences for our clients, for whom we handle around 800 trips a year, I have reminded my team of experts that one night trips are not to be provided, however good the intention is.
Christopher Bartlett, Managing Director.