65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Do not deal with this company - it is a scam operator in my experience!
Booked a 9 day safari; sent $1500 by bank transfer; Sylvester Muthui said money had arrived and then 2 days later said the payment had been "reversed". No such thing. He apparently had transferred the money to another account. Still trying bro get money back but not hopeful.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kilisa Tours and Safaris should be avoided!
I had a horrible experience with Kilisa Tours and Safaris. Originally I had booked with them because they had received such positive reviews from Trip Advisor. They also offered cheap prices and I decided to go on a safari with them, but I am glad that I didn't book with them to do Kilimanjaro otherwise they would have definitely botched it up.
Twelve days before my trip, they informed me via email that my hotel was changed from Moshi to Arusha and that the tour group decided to start a day earlier. I had been doing Mt. Meru and Kilimanjaro so I had no email access, and went to the hotel that they booked me in Moshi. I was told that I was booked for Moshi by Kilisa tours, but there was not room for me and I had to go to another hotel.
After Naick was told, he tried to tell me I should have gotten the email and I explained that I had no Internet access since I came to Africa. I was tired after my 8 day Kilimanjaro trip, and he claimed that the Lemosho route that I had done should have finished at 5AM. That isn't true as I didn't finish until 2PM that day with another group as we went back to the gate, and then had lunch before I was dropped off to my hotel.
So instead of staying at the Key's Hotel, in Moshi (which I was originally told) and had a high standard, I was booked to stay in Arusha Centre Inn in Arusha which is a much lower caliber hotel. However, I was not told this, and the price that I paid for the safari did not change.
I was also asked if I brought $875 in cash to pay for the trip. I had not been informed via email to do this, and asked if I could pay by credit card. Instead, I was told that to avoid a surcharge, I would pay for the park admission which would total $875. I was not told that I would be paying for the park admission of the other people on the tour and my tour guide.
I was not told that the safari was going to be with other people and it was thru another company that wasn't associated with Kilisa. I thought all of these other tourists were from Kilisa tours. I was driven to Lake Manyara to catch the tour group on their second day of the safari since I had missed the first day.
They were staying at the Sunbright campsite which offered a cabin. I was given a cabin initially, but when two people in my group complained that they had a cabin before, but were then designated to stay in a tent, the manager asked me to move to the tent and to give the two people the cabin. I was sick and had a cough (after finishing my Kilimanjaro trip) and despite that these two people paid less than me, I had to move.
For the next 2 days I ended up sharing a tent with 2 other people on the trip that I didn't know.
When I went to pay at one of the park gates, I was told to pay $10 more than Kilisa had informed me. Although that shouldn't be a big deal, I did not like how the driver had forced me to just pay, and not question it. I was angry and said that at the next park gate, I would pay $10 less so that I would not be overcharged. The driver did not like that and insisted that I pay what I was told to pay.
On the last day, at 9:40AM at Ngorongoro Crater, our safari car had broken down. Our driver called his friend to pick us up and take us back for brunch at 11AM. The friend just drove us back to our campsite and we didn't do anymore sight-seeing. Then when the driver got back with the safari car repaired, we had to be driven back to Arusha and end the trip.
I asked for a refund as I paid for 4 days for the safari, and on the last day, since the safari car broke down, we could not explore Ngrongoro Crater much at all. I brought this up to Naick who tried to claim that the second safari car had taken us around Ngorongoro but I insisted that it only drove us back to the camp site. Then Naick said that the blame was actually for this man from another company who actually run the trip, and that man refused to refund me saying no one had ever complained about the trip.
At the end of the day, I wish that I hadn't booked with Kilisa as there were these screw ups with the hotel and also having a cheap safari car that broke down. Also, since the safari car was overloaded with 5-6 passengers (sometimes with the cook too) and luggage, I did not get to see the animals properly nor take as good pictures as I expected to.
Stay away from this company!
Dishonest operator.
This operator booked 4 clients with us from 4 July. They confirmed the booking last minute with no time to get payment to us. We honoured the booking and accepted the clients on the promise from Collins and Paul of full-payment within 2 days, they have completely ignored every subsequent request for payment. Another operator in the Kafue National Park is also owed money for the same clients. We will never tough with operator again.
MQ
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
did not take us on safari and did not refund our money!
Through www.safaribookings.com , my daughter and I have booked a 5 days Safari (from December, 31st, 2016) that should include Serengeti, Tarangire and Ngorongoro (Tanzania) with Africa Remote Safaris: http://africaremotesafaris.com/ . For this we paid an advance of 1200$. We received mails from a so called Naphtally from Africa Remote Safaris confirming our booking.
On December 30th, 2016, we had arrived in Arusha and had still not received any instructions concerning the safari. With the help of the Manager of the hotel where we were staying, we managed to call the Arusha number mentioned on the website and got in touch with a driver who informed us that he had only worked for Africa Remote once. On December 30th, my daughter and I went to bed not knowing whether we would go on safari or not the following day.
In the morning (Dec 31st), we at last received a WhatsApp message from the so called Naphtally indicating that we would be picked up by a driver from another safari operator.
Since ARS had not wired any money to them. We had to pay the full cost of a budget Safari 1800$.
While we were on Safari, ARS wired 440$ to the other Safari operator. This amount was given back to us upon our return by this operator with whom we went on Safari.
Thus, Africa Remote Safari still owed us 760 $. We wrote to them numerous times and once a certain Steve Biko even apologized for the delay and promised that he would soon refund us the money. Almost 2 months later, we still have not heard from him despite our reminders.
It appears that though Africa Remote Safaris claims to have offices in Arusha and Zanzibar, they do not have offices in those places and are only represented in Kenya. The phone numbers mentioned on their sites are only the numbers of drivers who have worked for them occasionally. They also do not have a license to operate in Tanzania and are only represented in Kenya. So if you book with them for a safari in Tanzania all or part of your money may be lost!
We wanted to tell about our experiences with Africa Remote Safaris so that you should avoid a bad and stressful experience on your holiday. They are found directly on (http://africaremotesafaris.com) or through www.safaribookings.com
Thieves. Conmen. And other words not suitable for a public review
I can sadly see that we are not the only ones who have been conned by Victor Godwin. Here is the trick. Consider yourself warned if you book with him.
You will agree safari itinerary and you will pay in advance, all inclusive. When you go on the safari, Victor will call you and ask if you could please pay for park entry fees or for upgrade of accommodation. He will promise to reimburse you once you get back to Arusha. Now the problem is that the drivers do not have funds for the park entry fees so you have no other option that to pay or not enter the park. Clever right. And yes, of course he does not refund your additional expenses.
On our trip, we were six people whilst another car had thre people. On the first night, we stayed in a different hotel than agreed. We went along with that. On the second night, Victor called the other party and ask them to cover additional expenditure for upgrade of accommodation, not upgrade for them though but for my family. So he played the parties against each other. He did the very same thing the next day where he called me asking me to cover an upgrade for the other party. He asked for $600. The following day, he called me again asking us to cover the entry fees to Ngorongoro, again $600. I refused. He called the other party of course with the same request. We briefly discused between our two parties and agreed that one from the other party would cover the entry fees. This was to ensure that none of us would end up having thousands of dollars to be refunded, again it was $600.
It is now five months since our safari. As I live in Tanzania, Victor has not been able to simply disregard my calls, SMS, Whatsapps. He has again and again promised to pay. Each week, he will make that promise and then find an excuse. He is nothing but a frail little liar who should never ever be trusted.
Also note that Victor is not a member of Tanzania Tour Operators Association. This essentially means that they are not able to help any customers who might have problems with Victor. Another reason for staying completely clear of this guy.
Victor Godwin. Thief. Liar. Conman. Avoid at all cost.
I can sadly see that we are not the only ones who have been conned by Victor Godwin. Here is the trick. Consider yourself warned if you book with him.
You will agree safari itinerary and you will pay in advance, all inclusive. When you go on the safari, Victor will call you and ask if you could please pay for park entry fees or for upgrade of accommodation. He will promise to reimburse you once you get back to Arusha. Now the problem is that the drivers do not have funds for the park entry fees so you have no other option that to pay or not enter the park. Clever right. And yes, of course he does not refund your additional expenses.
On our trip, we were six people whilst another car had thre people. On the first night, we stayed in a different hotel than agreed. We went along with that. On the second night, Victor called the other party and ask them to cover additional expenditure for upgrade of accommodation, not upgrade for them though but for my family. So he played the parties against each other. He did the very same thing the next day where he called me asking me to cover an upgrade for the other party. He asked for $600. The following day, he called me again asking us to cover the entry fees to Ngorongoro, again $600. I refused. He called the other party of course with the same request. We briefly discused between our two parties and agreed that one from the other party would cover the entry fees. This was to ensure that none of us would end up having thousands of dollars to be refunded, again it was $600.
It is now five months since our safari. As I live in Tanzania, Victor has not been able to simply disregard my calls, SMS, Whatsapps. He has again and again promised to pay. Each week, he will make that promise and then find an excuse. He is nothing but a frail little liar who should never ever be trusted.
Also note that Victor is not a member of Tanzania Tour Operators Association. This essentially means that they are not able to help any customers who might have problems with Victor. Another reason for staying completely clear of this guy.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Avoid this guy!!!
Attention, be very careful with Faustin!!! I can't recommend this tour operator at all!!! We have never experienced such a disaster before. The tour was a nightmare!!! The organisation was terrible.
The driver left us in Mikumi at the Hotel, on the last day returning back and disappeared into thin air!!! Faustin and driver would not pick up the phone since then! We were left alone and had to go back by ourselves to dar!!!!!!!! Luckily it was not our day of the departure, else we would have missed the flight back home!
We reported this incident to the Police and the Tanzania Tour Association as well as the National Park Administration!
But let me tell you the whole story...
...My girlfriend and I, booked a 5-day Mikumi and Selous private tour. Faustin was recommended by friends, who made a 9day luxury safari. Faustin and his driver John picked us up with the car ready to start the tour. Once we paid him the full amount cash (by the way we never received a bill) he left the car telling us that he is not going to join the tour with us. If we knew before, we would have canceled.
Alone with the driver we soon realized, that John wasn't speaking English at all. Luckily my girlfriend is from Kenia and speaks Swahili. Even though John was not talking to us, he was just driving like a robot. No conversation, no stories, no jokes, no social interaction. In fact, he was texting all the time and even stopped to handle some private business while we were waiting for him in the car. Being scared of getting a fine he drove 40km/h although the speed limit is 50km/h. Can you imagine how long a 5-day-trip can get with someone like that!
John was just the driver, he had no clue about the daily planned program. He asked us, what to do next, instead vice versa. We had to coordinate the trip with the local guides ourselves, who were also shocked with Johns behavior. He littered in the national park. In the national park, during safari he jumped many times out of the car while talking on the phone, although advice differently by the guides as it is forbitten by the rangers. He scared away animals and spoiled pictures. He had no patience and was bored quickly. At some point, after a long wait, trying to get a good pic, he decided to drive off. At this point I lost my calm and had an argument with him. Because he didn’t understand English, he thought we insulted him.
A regular (taxi) driver with no safari experience would have done the job with more passion and care.
We booked a regular tour, but Faustin delivered less than promised. He cut our program short. He is profit oriented but delivers a really bad service and showed a very unprofessional behavior!!!!!!
During the whole tour, he never got in direct contact with us, although we expressed some concerns. Maybe he will do that now, through this platform. I'm curious to see his response.
After the driver dumped us in Mikumi, locals told us, that Faustin is known for this tricky behavior. He owes local guides/drivers money. He doesn't pay them their full salary.
If you are thinking of doing a safari-tour check the safaribookings.com for the best rated company. I strictly advise you not to ignore my review.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Avoid Faustin tours
We (my boyfriend and I) booked a full 5-day Mikumi /Selous safari package tour with Faustin. We agreed on the price and paid Faustin the whole amount in advance. We never received a bill, although we asked several times for it! After paying, he told us, that he wasn't accompanying us for the trip, leaving us with an odd driver, who couldn’t speak English. Even though we had many negative incidents with the driver, the peak reached on the last day of the trip, when the driver never turned up at the hotel to bring us back to Dar!!! Even the people from the hotel and the local guides were shocked with this behavior.
Faustin’s organization was not well planned at all. For more information please read my boyfriend’s (Kosta) review below!!! We never heard from Faustin during the whole tour and are a bit shocked with his response. He uses fake facts/information to respond to honest feedback from customers. Faustin response doesn’t add up. We booked a full package tour from the beginning (pickup Dar + tour + dropoff Dar), not only a driver and a car!
Our trip was never about the money, we had the money, it was about the service. We flew to Tanzania for safari, of course we had the money!!! We are not his friends to ask for favors.
Looking at his negative reviews, his response is always the same. Faustin blames the customer by responding that the customer had no money and he -Faustin- tries to help making a tour possible. Which in our case was not true. He never offered help in any way.
We do not want such an incident to happen to anyone else, that’s why we really not recommend Faustin. If it would be possible, we would give him zero stars.
I bet he is going to respond to my review also negative.
Be very careful booking your safari by him.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Dreadful experience in Victoria Falls and dreadful customer service
In honesty, I would not touch this company with a barge pole. All they had to do was book three nights for us in Victoria Falls and they could not do that. We booked 6 months in advance, paid in advance, had the booking confirmed in advance and when I checked just before we left, the booking was confirmed... once we had left and were away from phones and home internet, we were contacted to say they apparently could not find a record of payment. In order to keep the booking for a bank holiday weekend, we had to pay again. After three months of trying to get our money back via formal routes, we are getting no response from Falcon Safaris. We had such a lovely time in Zimbabawe with other people and companies, until the final phase which should have been well managed by Falcon Safaris but it was not. Would never use them again and strongly say the same to any friends or family. Dreadful
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolute Rip Off
Do Not Book With This Group!!!!
I booked the 3 day Massai Mara safari with this group, paid in advance, and they left me stranded at the hotel. I tried emailing, texting, calling, and Facebooking them with no success. The hotel I was staying at tried to contact them, as did the lodge I was booked into for the safari. I have tried to contact them in a variety of different ways over the last 10 days with NO response from them.
Don't book with this group.