IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good in planning and organizing - but the guide was terrible and too many lodges were changed
I joined a 17 days taylor-made safari planned for another lady (2 people being the minimum needed to have the tour going), so it was the two of us + guide (a free -lance, first time working for Blue crane Safaris, named Ronnie).
The booking part was really easy and Traudy very helpful and fast in giving information and answers.
1) The other lady (who over the past 2 years had been organizing this Safari with BCS had been confirmed that we would have a Bluecrane guide, and only the day when she arrived she was informed that we would have a free lance instead; I was told by Traudy that this guy was working for them for the first time, but came highly recommended; I told her it was not a problem for me, as long as he was a good guide.
Sadly, he wasn't; not to bother you with a long list of smaller events, I will just mention 2: Sussusvlei Dunes, he started climbing Big Daddy running like crazy (I am very sportive, a marathon runner and fit; the other lady was none of this) for 10 minutes, without even turning his head to check if we were ok (knowing the other lady would surely have problems); then, when he saw she couldn't breath (she had to call him and ask him to wait) he said "well, maybe it's better we don't climb the dune and go down to take pictures to the deadvlei; I WANTED to climb the dune up to the top, and asked him how much time I would have to do it. He gave me one hour to climb it, come down, and go and see the deadvlei, and finally go back to the parking site. I asked him: are you sure that is at all feasible? and he said "it depends on how fit you are". Well, I thought then I could make it and I did arrive half way without stopping, and saw already 30 minutes had gone - so I said to myself there is no way I can make it up there and back in 30 minutes. Not even Usain Bolt could do that! I had to give up, quickly run down to see the deadvlei, take some pictures veeery fast, and run to the parking. I was more than 10 minutes late, and breathless for the run, and mad for not being able to enjoy the most iconic site of Namibia.
All of this rush to do what? to be at the Lodge at 4 PM doing NOTHING!
Second episode: at Swakopmund he tried to book an activity for us, asking 2000N$ for an activity which cost 1200 N$ (and telling us he had got "a very special price...SURE it was SPECIAL); I checked prices on the internet - telling him - and when I found the prices without adding any comment I just told him "Thank you, I have found it at 1200N$ so we'll book ourselves, no worries".
And there would be many more episodes; the most annoying thing is that, even when you caught him doing something really wrong, HE would get mad and say we were wrong, and he never did those things. It's all "misunderstandings" (and I have to say it was pretty annoying, after sending me feedback to BCS, to be told that "they were all misunderstandings". Well I am old enough and an extremely experienced traveler, for work and leisure... I think I can tell a misunderstanding from something else)
The only good thing I have to say - to be fair - is that he was a very good driver and organized in terms of documents/diesel filling/ practical things like those. As a guide, the only days when I saw him really passionate (and willing to use the whole day instead of cutting it short) it was in Etosha, doing game drives. However his English (I think it was a language problem, although I am not sure) was not very good, so many times if you would ask you questions you would not be able to get answers.
And he was complaining all the time this tour was very hard on him, lots of km, the program was wrong, etc etc etc..
A good Guide is the most important thing on a Safari, he/she can make it awesome or poor... I understand it was just 2 people on the Safari, but it was 17 days and we had paid a good amount of money, so...
Then, it was also very annoying that MANY Lodges were changed from the plan, and we had no information until the day we started the Tour (Sussusvlei one not even at that point - we found out during the tour)
- Camelthorn lodge has become Anib Kalahari Desert
- Sossusvlei Lodge has become Namib Desert (Sossusvlei being INSIDE the park gates, Namib Desert being ONE HOUR AWAY - so, no sunrise or sunset on the dunes since only who is INSIDE the gates can enjoy those, due the closing times of the gates)
- Palmwag lodge has become Khowari (2 nights): Palmwag being right AT the gates, Khowari one hour away (so, 2 hours drive added in the day JUST to go back and forth)
- Epupa Falls lodge has become Opwo Country Lodge (again ... hours wasted in the car and all the activities mentioned in the initial program -rafting, birdwatching, sundowner) DISAPPEARED
- Epacha lodge became Eagle (these two might be similar)
This is not my first Safari, and I know that it MAY happen that ONE/TWO Lodges may have a last minute problem and need to be changed (but should be changed to an EQUAL Lodge); however, since we had booked in February and were asked a 25% advance payment (needed to block reservations at Lodges), and we only paid the balance in July - I think there was plenty of time to inform us about the changes (if the Lodges were full) and have prices RE-ADJUSTED accordingly before we paid the balance.
So, I am sorry but I cannot say I am fully satisfied, because I really think that there were several things that were not fair and quite annoying. I saw many excellent reviews (which is also the reason why I chose BCS) and I am sorry having to say that my experience was different.
All the above being said, Namibia is so wonderful, that I loved it anyhow; I always try to see the glass half full and do not let external events take away my smile, so I focused on how lucky I was to be there and was happy for that. Nonetheless, concerning how high the cost of these kinds of Safari are, I think it is fair that I share my experience so that visitors are informed, and BCS (whom I had already sent me my feedback) can improve (if they want) their service.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The driver/guide was knowledgeable but did not provide all of the agreed services.
The driver/guide was knowledgeable and did a great job of pointing out animals, birds and vegetation. However, we were to get lunch on the second day and he dropped us off at the hotel without it. When I asked, he said that we'd forget it as he needed to repair the vehicle. The vehicle did need repair. Someone had to push it in order for it to start. In addition, it needed cleaning as I ended up with oil on my suitcase.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Average safari at Selous Reserve
We booked a 2 day, 3 night safari to Selous Reserve. Communication with Mack was good, our driver was punctual, and there were no surprises with payment. We were told that we had been upgraded to a better lodge at no extra cost, as Kiliholidays had received complaints about the lodge they typically book. This was appreciated and a good business decision. The lodge (African Safari Lodge) was beautiful and the rooms were great, but the food was average (we have had much better in Tanzania thus far).
Our driver and guide was friendly, but he did not seem to have much experience with the reserve itself. We were disappointed with the game drives, though to be fair, I know any safari is a gamble and our lack of sightings may not have had anything to do with our guide at all. Coming to Selous is a trade-off-you won't face traffic jams like you would in the Serengeti, but it is also harder to spot the big animals.
Finally, I was disappointed that the we didn't follow the schedule/description we had agreed upon prior to booking. I was told that we would have a chance to swim in a hot spring at sunset on day two, and was really looking forward to it. When we asked our driver/guide about this, he seemed surprised, and said there is a hot spring, very far away, and that the only time we could swim is in the late morning/early afternoon. We declined, as this would cut into our game drive time, and a hot spring at 14:00 in the heat isn't appealing. Very misleading.
I should add that we had come from Maasaii Mara in Kenya and had an AMAZING safari experience for a much LOWER cost! Our guides in Maasaii Mara were incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgable and we were on game drives from 06:00 until 18:30. We saw so much wildlife, mainly in the morning and evening. With this safari, we left one day at 07:30 and returned at 16:30, and the second day left at 09:00 and returned at 15:45.
To summarize, our experience was very average and not the best value.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Competitive prices, great communication but below average guide
We have mixed feelings about African Savannah Trekkers. Before booking our safari trip with them, we read all the previous reviews about the company and were very excited about the trip. The reviews were positive and we were sure that we had made the right choice. Maureen was super professional and the communication was professional and prompt. She answered the thousands of queries we had. No complaints there.Kudos to her.
Any safari trip in Africa is going to be memorable but what makes it extra special is the guide/driver who takes you on the adventure. This is what did not work for us. Horaz, our guide was punctual and drove well but that is where it ended. There was lack of energy and commitment from his end. We felt that he did not have adequate knowledge about the parks and animals or maybe he just did not show it. He did his job but the bare minimum. It felt a little rushed at times. We expect the guide to be more interactive and share stories/past experiences or anything that shows he has passion for his work. The whole experience felt very mechanical.
The worse part is that on our second day, Horaz directly told us that he wanted an 80 USD tip. This was very odd for us because tips are given when one is satisfied with the service. We were definitely going to leave a tip but it has to come from the heart. This way we felt that we were bullied into giving a hefty tip which our guide did not deserve. We were quite angry after this incident and it had left a very bad taste in the mouth. I definitely think that the management should address the issue and refund that amount. The entire safari experience does not come cheap. We are paying a lot of money and for most of us this is a once in a lifetime adventure.
A lot of the past reviews only mentioned Eli who also happens to be the owner of the company. Eli has got excellent reviews and I was quite disappointed when we found out that our guide was not Eli.
Again, the company is fantastic and has very competitive prices. But please make sure that you get a good guide.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Overall good but Tomodachi can do better
The driver/guide is good, the accommodation is wonderful;I had an unforgettable experience at Domel Wilderness Camps. But the company can do better. First of all it took Tomodchi moe than a month to confirm receiving our deposit. And then we were told the agreed accommodation was no longer available although we had double confirmed they were available before booking the trip. The car constantly broke up on safari. Finally, I asked about going to Mara river in the email with the company but we were never taken there and was told it was too far to drive there. The company could have arranged an accommodation closer to the river.
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Too many changes in places and campsites.
I booked a 14 days safari and the day of the payment I was told that I may have to change to a different group but still I would do my plan. Changing groups became very inconvinient because when you change group on a daily basis tobody counts on you the day before to make decisions regarding wake up time or optional visits but I couldn´t complain about it. My complains during the trip came when they wanted to change my plan. At the office while I finished paying the 1950 dollars they told me that I would do that plan even if there was no group. That was a untruth, everytime they didn´t have a full van (9 people of which three wouldn´t have a window to see animals) they tried to put me in groups that didn´t go where I was supposed to be going. I complained strongly twice and stopped them from changing my plan but in three ocasions not even complaining I could stop it. They removed a game drive from my plan in Masai Mara, they didn´t give me chance to go to Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania and there was a night in which they changed my campsite (coincidentally the camp changes were always towards ones of worse quality). All in all I enjoyed the trip because nature is impresive, I saw the big five and many beautiful nature scenes and the people that I met were amazing. If you are thinking about booking make sure they can fullfill their commitments, sometimes if they bring you to a different place, even if they promise you´ll do all the parks contracted it may be not worth it because they drove you too far away to go back.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The trip was very good, Omar is very nice!
Walter is a nice man, but he is very intrusive. If I don't respond yet, he has sent me another message a couple of times. The same goes for booking a safari: we had not yet arrived at our hotel for 5 minutes or he was already on the pavement.
Walter, you can regulate the trips well but a little less intrusive please
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Not Great!
This is the review of the service received from Raja Tours ( https://www.rajatours.org/) for the private 5-day Safari (Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro) for two, July 2018.
Summary: Overall experience: 3/5 (could have been a lot better only if we had a better guide)
A) Itinerary: 5/5 (Rajab worked with us to customize the plan and select the parks and accommodation we wanted).
B) Driver/Guide: Driving skills 4/5 (Hashim/Hashimu was a very safe driver), Guiding skills: 1/5 (Sadly Hashim wasn't familiar with the parks, hot spots, and routs, however we were lucky enough to follow other drivers/guides to find and see some of the animals. Also, other factors contributed to this rating such as lack of communication, being unfriendly, strong focus on getting out of the park by certain time (we typically ended up at the gate 1 hr ahead of the schedule).
C) Vehicle: 2/5 (old beat-up vehicle (Toyota) with no A/C (cooling/heating), non-reclining seats, and barley functioning windows/doors (some windows wouldn't open/close, some doors wouldn't open, etc)
Again, Rajab was very responsive throughout the booking process and provided us with a great itinerary. However, considering this's a once-in-a-life-time trip, it was disappointing to have an inexperienced unfriendly guide.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Safari was good; Roho Ya Chui was Disappointing
This was my second safari trip and third tour in Sub-Saharan Africa and my first journey with Roho Ya Chui. We traveled to Tanzania (Ruaha, Selous and Zanzibar)
The good: Ute was very responsive throughout the booking process. I selected the parks we visited and Ute recommended the lodges. The Zanzibar hotel she selected for us at the end of the trip was a particularly good choice.
The bad: I asked for a modification of the itinerary 10 days after booking and deposits because I had done some further reading and had gotten some negative signals about one the lodges she booked us in. Her response was an immediate no as it turns out she had bought an end to end package from a local operator in Tanzania who owned both the lodges and the air carrier responsible for our transfers. She was dismissive of my concerns about the lodge, but I asked if she could humor me and at least inquire about a modification before giving me an automatic no so I could make my own decision. She investigated and informed me the change would have meant the forfiture of my deposits so I stuck with her plan.
The really bad: Before our journey I reconfirmed our arrival information and asked specifically who would be meeting us, how they would be identified and with whom would they be affiliated as I hadn't been provided that information. She furnished me with the number of the local duty manager and received no additional details other than that they would have a sign with my name. She also said I could also contact her with any issues if they arose. We arrived as scheduled at 4 am to Dar Es Salaam and no one was there to meet us. I called the local duty manager - no answer. I called, texted and emailed Ute - no response. It was left to me how to figure out ground transportation in an unfamiliar African city. I managed, but it was not the best experience after 30 hours of travel. A couple hours later Ute responded and asked me why I hadn't called her. I said I had and she said she insisted she didn't get a call from me. I sent her a screen cap of my call - and she then admitted she had missed the call. I found it a bit strange that she would intimate that I had somehow mishandled the situation considering I was the client who was needing assistance - but as I said to her - I took care of it and no harm done. The local operator did refund me the money I paid to get to our hotel.
Our first camp/lodge was great. Our third and final stop was great. Our second (the one I had been concerned about) was less so. The property was under renovation and some services that were advertised were not available (pool out of commission; bar/main lodge being re-roofed, no hot water, and no view from our accommodation). These were minor issues as for me it is really all about the animals. More concerning was that the promised animal drives (the whole point of the exercise) were not available to us on two (out of four) occasions. When this happened the second time - I had to put my foot down. The manager admitted (what I already knew from observation) that they were fully booked and didn't have enough capacity to accommodate the drives for all guests. I found this very disappointing - doubly so as this was at the location I had told Ute I was concerned about. Ute was informed but, once again, it was up to me to get the issue resolved in real time. She said she was contacting the camp manager, but I never did hear from Ute if she spoke with the manager, what the excuse was or any particular apology. Ute did offer that no one had ever complained about that particular lodge in the past which was sort of besides the point. I don't know if she was suggesting that I am particularly difficult or if other people's good experiences were supposed to make up for my bad experience. In the end, a simple apology would have sufficed.
In sum, the booking process through payment was very smooth, but I cannot say she was helpful when problems arose and rather than being helpful or at least soothing when things went wrong was strangely defensive. Based on my experience, she gets the basic job done but if you run into any problems, you are on your own.
PH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our guide was great
No complaint about our guide, he was absolutely great. He tried his best to make us comfortable and satisfied with the tour. He also shared a lot of wonderful insights about safaris and the animals in the savannah. 5 stars for Lion!
However, the road going to Masaii Mara from Nairobi was terrible and we were not informed beforehand. The driver also made a lot of detours before we got to our destination. On our way back to the airport, the traffic was terrible and we almost missed our flight, not to mention, the hotel we booked for us to get a shower before the flight.