ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Beware of Orongai Africa Safaris!!
...and beware particularly of the Sales Manager Martha and her tricky and confusing invoices. We enquired them in December for a 7-day safari in Ndutu/Serengeti Area for late February during the calving season. They answered immediately with a nice trip and a very appealing price so we finally hired them. The offer included a trip back to Arusha from Seronera by airplane. We were asked to pay a 30% in advanced and we did it. But when arrived to Arusha to start the trip we were asked to pay an extra cost of 650 USD per person (a 30% more!!!). This extra was not included in the total amount written in the invoice. Also, the flight back to Arusha had been changed to optional (the word “optional” never appeared in their offer) and had to be payed apart. They said that as this additional money was for hotel bookings it should not be included in the total cost, which is a ridiculous argument. Shocked we were by the surprise, we refused to pay that extra cost as we believed we had been cheated and then started the discussions. Arguing with Martha is like a toothache. Her head is hard as solid rock and it was impossible to make her understand that any money the client should pay to the operator MUST BE included in the Total amount of the invoice. Her explanation was that since the 650 USD PAX was for hotel bookings that money is not for Orongai!!! Fortunately, we called the Spanish Embassy and they put us in contact with a Spanish Arusha resident tour operator (Special thanks to Angel Pujol of Itaka Safaris) that helped us managing the situation. With his advice and after long and extenuating discussions we finally reached an agreement: we payed 200 USD PAX and they lowered the grade of the lodges. At the end, the Safari was performed under the new conditions although we had to visit some filthy accommodations and eat some uneatable picnic. So, my advice is to hire some other operator (there are many of them) to avoid troubles.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Terrible
Humura tours was very disappointing. The driver abandoned the team, we were taken for less days than we had paid for, we were forced to pay for some of our meals and yet the fee we paid was supposed to cover everything, our hotel bookings were cancelled and taken to cheaper hotels. Mr. Nathan Tindyebwa apologised for this terrible experience and we agreed that he would refund part of the fee for compensation but he just keeps giving excuse after excuse to avoid this. I would like someone out there to learn from my experience and not use the Humura services
CZ
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bad safari, not lunch, shouting rude owner,left on Maasai Mara roadside,
I was with my family in Kenya, East Africa, my husband and daughter going to Maasai Mara on 11th February until 14th February. For me and my family members, all the fees were paid. We had problems from first day, I was sick and I could not get free lunch, I’m not sure why not, I was sick and I didn’t even get some free lunch. I missed the safari anyway but it was my decision to miss it. On 14th February, our driver didn’t want going on the journey, our friends we travelling with told that driver not paid his money but we had paid in full. We asked if they can calling this owner of company, we had seen her in the first day, her name is Lilian. Our friends and the driver tried calling her but she was always shouting, and we not speak English good. We stopped many times because driver didn’t want continue with journey but we still must going to Nakuru park. Our friends told us that lady we met on first day, Lilian, from Lians Travel said we must “sort ourselves out” meaning that it was our problem and she said on phone, “I don’t care”. I have video of it and I will make it on all social media because it was very bad day, everyone frustrated, poor safari and we must pay for transport and entrance for Nakuru. Our friends after safari which we paid alone went to police station but no justice and no refund for our money. It was a terrible experience for my family and my first time in Africa. I not speak English and if I alone, I would in big big problems. Is many travel companies, please do not using Lians Travel because they make my family safari very horrible. I not recommend this company!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A few words of caution
I am reproducing below my note to the Kenya Association of Tour Operators. Please review it before making a decision as to whether you should use All Seasons for your travel planning.
Dear Sir/Madam,
I write to you regarding my recent experience with All Seasons Safaris & Tours, and it’s owner Alex Thuku. I am not sure if I am reaching the correct office to report what I think of as patently unethical behavior. If I should be contacting an entirely different office kindly direct me to the correct one.
In the interest of brevity I will summarize the charge. I contacted All Seasons for travel arrangements to Uganda, and Tanzania back in June of 2018. Of the total estimate of $ 23,940 I made a deposit of $8,692 soon after. The trip was to commence in February 2019. The quote included all lodges, air travel in east Africa, park fees and guide services. In September I was informed that all bookings had been made and were confirmed. The balance of payments were made by late November 2018.
We arrived in Entebbe on February 5, 2019 and realized immediately that very few of the arrangements that had been promised and confirmed had been made. It set the local agent in Uganda (James Kateeba of Travellust) scrambling to just get us to our first destination. For the next twelve days we had to pursue Mr. Thuku on a daily basis. I have copied below my note to him on February 13th to give you a flavor of the dilemma we faced almost every day during our journey.
“Alex, though all of this messaging back and forth, you seem to miss an essential fact. You betrayed a customer trust by misappropriating his funds, and using them for personal needs. The funds were to be used to confirm, and pay all of our travel and stay in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. Instead, you used the funds elsewhere, scrambling to make our arrangements day by day, after we landed. We in turn have had ten days of constant anxiety as you were trying to stay just one day ahead of us, and finally could not even do that. To sum it up, you have ruined a long anticipated, and carefully planned vacation which cost us a significant amount of money. Your partners in Uganda and Tanzania, and I dealt with you as a man of integrity. You have proven to be anything but.”
In addition to Mr. Kateeba in Uganda, Mr. Omar Mshana of Tanzania Insideout Discovery, Patricia of Kibo Palace Hotel and Junia O’kubasu of Serena Nairobi were all similarly inconvenienced by Mr. Thuku’s almost cavalier approach to his obligation. Our trip finally reached a point where he no longer could pay for the services for which he had already received payment, months ahead of time. I ended up making duplicate payments for a number of hotels and airlines so that we could conclude the trip. I have a complete list of emails with Mr. Thuku, What’s App messages and bank transfer documents for every aspect of the charge I level here. Please advise me if I should forward them to your attention.
I am deeply disappointed in my experience with All Seasons. In addition to the substantial additional cost I incurred, and the trying days just to gain clarity on what exactly was happening around us, I was left with a sour taste in my use of a local tour operator. About three years ago (when I was conducting a workshop for senior executives for government and industry leaders in Nairobi), a senior executive strongly urged me to support and use local operators for my travel plans in east Africa. This experience certainly gives me pause. I would be much more cautious, in using or recommending that any of my family or friends do so.
I am displeased enough with the entire affair that I mean to do all I can to ensure that Mr. Thuku and All Seasons are held accountable for their inappropriate conduct. I would hate to see someone to have to go through the same experience. An equally disturbing aspect of our experience is that it casts a long shadow on local operators in Kenya, in general. I am not aware of which the correct regulatory (or self regulatory) agency is within which to formally lodge a complaint, and to look to recover the additional money I had to spend to duplicate what was already sent to Mr. Thuku. I would be grateful for any direction you can provide me.
Please also advise me if I should also drop a note to the Ministry of Travel and Wildlife. I am happy to do so.
Thank you for your attention to my complaint.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Everything was substandard after reading other people's reviews. We were mistreated + put in danger
We trawled reviews and websites looking at hundreds of operators, and settled on Wildebeest in the end because of pretty good reviews and also a willingness to book us in the resort that we wanted to go to. We did not use the one with 1600+ 5 star reviews.
We agreed on the price and all the inclusions beforehand, to include driver, 3 days 2 nights, all costs included for 2 adults 1 child 1 infant, for air-conditioning, pickup and drop off in Nairobi at specified times, a private 4wd tour, accommodation at our preferred resort, and also air ambulance evacuation cover. Communication was excellent.
We were picked up on time.
We never received confirmation of air insurance till we were nearly home on the last day – ensure you receive your policy numbers before you leave on safari to ensure you are covered while you are far from medical facilities!
The vehicle was fitted with a fridge, 2way radio and power points. We were unable to attach our baby seat to the car properly as it did not have the required anchor points for a baby seat- so we had to improvise and use the headrest as our anchor.
It wasn’t till we hit the dirt roads a couple of hours later where we noticed things going wrong. We had a tyre puncture in the searing midday heat. I was left in the car with a screaming 6 week old baby. There was no air-conditioning as promised AND despite their website also stating that “ALL vehicles are fitted with air-conditioning.
Driving on, our car was filled with thick dust – there was a hole in the floor allowing dust in. We resorted to wetting some baby clothes with our drinking water and blocking up the hole so we didn’t choke to death. The baby carseat I covered with a wet towel to try to trap the dust. My son was beside himself screaming with dust inhalation and heat. Then the ride got violently bumpy… in fact so bumpy I had to take him out of his car seat and hold him mid-air for suspension. I was afraid he would get brain damage with the violence of the car. My daughter was telling the driver he was going too fast, she was also being thrown around like a sack of potatos. Other Wildebeest and safari cars were flying past us without issue. So here I am holding my baby in a wet wrap over his face mid air for hours in midday heat… I started to message the company owner saying this was dangerous and I wanted the car changed. He didn’t bother to reply to me.
Outside the Masai Mara we were asked to change into another Wildebeest vehicle at the entry, and our car was taken to the mechanic. It turns out the suspension was broken.
The new 4wd was coasting along no issues with dust or bumpiness, so we knew we had been given a lemon of a 4wd.
My review of the resort is on its own post.
At the resort our driver didn’t engage with us much, sit with us or explain what the plan was, we were just left hanging. In saying that, he was polite and never rude to us, but lacked communication skills with us. I was watching Dennis, another Wildebeest guide, who ate, laughed and talked to his clients… and enroute was actively chatting, informing and having a great time himself.
The next day, the driver had lost his keys, so we were put into a van instead, having to get into our 4wd through dodgy unlocked windows to get our things out of the 4wd. Then someone told him they found his keys so we drove back to the “fixed” 4wd. We noticed more flaws with the truck – the 2way radio was never on, it didn’t even have a mouthpiece to speak through – so I guess we missed out on all the game sighting calls and were in danger should we have needed help in an emergency while out on safari. The drivers door was jammed so he had to exit through the window! The fridge and electrics just turned on and off with the bumpy roads… flickered and rarely even worked. Some of the seatbelts did not work, windows were jammed, the car was generally in very poor repair.
We did see all the park animals - except Rhino, which are too rare. The following day, we were meant to do a morning game drive, stop at NON TOURISTY souvenir shops (not the safari preferred ones where they get kickbacks and charge customers ridiculous prices). Our game drive was a hot footed exit out of the park, the driver didn’t speak, nor slow down, nor look for any animals. By this stage I was so furious with the company, I just wanted to get home. The owner never replied to my SMS or emails alerting him to the danger to my family and requesting a replacement vehicle. We had no other way to get home other than the same vehicle back. We stopped at one pathetically expensive tourist stop – you know with the special “guide waiting room” where they can chat, have drinks and wait for their customers to be ripped off blind and collect a commission. He knew we wanted to stop at either street sellers or the other numerous shacks set up on the road selling masaii wares, but he didn’t stop at those. Into Nairobi by 3pm, our driver did help us unpack and then even apologised for the terrible vehicle – again an admission from the company.
In ADDITION and the worst of it all – there is a pop top on the roof of the 4wd. One support strut had rusted through and I had noticed it was cable-tied down to stop it rattling – rather than being fixed. While driving home the 2nd strut failed and the roof crashed down. Had my daughter been standing at the time she would undoubtedly been killed. For an adult we would have suffered severe injury to the head.
I followed up with Noah the owner – he told me that the vehicle had come down from the north of Kenya and he had noticed that it was in very poor repair. Rather than talk to us and reschedule/give us the option, he just allocated it to us knowing we had a newborn and a toddler with us and required safety and air conditioning. I had even mentioned a reviewer before me mentioned an old vehicle and in poor repair, and had asked for assurance that this was not going to happen to us! At the end I requested a rebate of $250usd which was roughly the cost of a proper vehicle, which we FINALLY got after harassing them for months. Despite having kids, the owner doesn’t seem to have any insight into the grave situation they placed us in, nor care about his company reputation. I have read all the reviews, and know someone who has used them multiple times and likes them. From what I saw of other vehicles and Dennis, the company does have the potential to stand up to what other reviewers say, but we just drew the short straw and were really mistreated and put in danger.
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bad organization and very old uncomfortable vehicles!
We booked our 5 day safari with "Hello Tanzania", and were very disappointed!
For starters, we actually only had 3 parks on the 5 days, since we only went for an hour in a boat on Lake Manyara which is not of great interest. There are certainly more interesting things to see and do in this park. The 3 parks "Serengetti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire" were superb ... alas, although our guide is very friendly, we were transported in a very old 4x4 (over 300 000 km on the counter), which was small, noisy and very uncomfortable, and whose air conditioning no longer worked, such as radio (necessary for the guide) ... which made safaris much less enjoyable as well. We met many other companies, and we had the most rotten vehicles of all the parks !!
"Hello Tanzania" does not have a vehicle, and in fact does not even know in which 4x4 you will be transported ... So look good before booking your safari, and choose a tour operator who owns his own vehicles; you will spend many hours !!
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It is a scam company, Eric took $400 deposit from us and disappeared!! Don’t book with them!!
Don’t book with them at all, it is a SCAM company!!! We lost $400 and two days time! The guy called Eric Muchai took our money and disappeared!!
Here is our story:
We contacted this guy Eric who is the owner of Tracks Berg Travel couples of weeks ago before our trip to Kenya on the 21st Feb 2019. He replied to all my emails with a price of $580 which including pick up service on the 21st Feb, girafe center visit, and 25-26th trip to Nakuru with game drive and one night hotel, as we need to leave Nairobi on the 26th noon time back to airport.
He came and picked us at the airport on the 21st with a driver in a silver old car, and we paid him $400 cash as I said I would pay him the remaining amount by 25th when we meet again to Nakuru.
He was still reachable by 24th evening through the phone and promised he would pick us in our hotel Nairobi and drive us to Nakuru on the 25th morning 7:30am. We waited for about 2 hours in the morning and nobody came...we called him and emailed him, his phone was off all the time and never reply to our emails...we have to take taxi to his office which claimed to be at Vision Plaza, Mombasa on his website and the attached receipt, which it turned out to be a fake company, there’s no such office at all there, we wasted another 3 hours to search around and have to report this to the police!
It is such a nightmare for us as we planed our two last days in Nakuru to enjoy our last moment here, but we have to stay in Nairobi from 25-26th calling and visiting police and searching for him. Eric Muchai is a cheater, liar and scammer! Everything he said is fake, there’s no office, no driver, no booking to hotel (as we called the hotel in Nakuru that he said he booked, the hotel told us there’s no booking under us or him...). We are very disappointed and surprised to see there’s such company / people would scam tourists in Kenya. Hope the police can find him very soon as what we saw, this is not the first time he is scamming tourists.
The trip ended up unpleasant wasting our time and money, and we want to make sure NOBODY ELSE WOULD EVER BOOK WITH HIM ANYMORE! It is a SCAM and avoid this company and Eric forever!!!
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Definitely not to recommend
Following all the good reviews, i choosed dusty road safari and asked for Jeff as a guide.
He has been careless, had offhand remarks that made me feel really unconfortable for 3 days.
He was eager to finish the tour, rushed me to leave the park for the airport , where we have been 2 hours before expected time.
Horrible experience.
GH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The sentences on web site are not true
I never recomend this tour company. Almost things that they said is not true.
As for the accomodation, the staff told me that we could see sunset and sunrise there when we asked before booking but actually we cannot tehre. We have to move another place to see and it takes one hour one way if we want. The driver said he doesn't want to. As a result, we could not.
As for payment, they said we can pay credit card but actually they asked me to tell all information about our credit card.
Of course, we could not for our finance security. And they needed money in advance and they told me to return bank transaction fee later if we pay by bank transfer in advance. So I believed and payed in advance by bank transfer but he never return.
This is a very shocked trip....
CZ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
abandoned with 6 Czech citizens, money stolen, police investigation, horrible safari
Booked a safari for 7 to Maasai Mara and Nakuru National park which was to start on 11th February to 14th February, Valentines day. We paid the full fee which was all inclusive, but the surprises began, we didn’t get lunch on the first day, 11th February, I contacted the owner Lilian who said clients buy their own lunch. Firstly, it had been paid for and secondly she went on to lie that we are suposed to have lunch in Maasai Mara. we were told to leave Nairobi at 9 a.m. and thanks to delays, we left at 10 a.m. and we were supposed to have lunch at 1 p.m. or even 2 p.m.?? I asked her if we were meant to have two lunches or what? She then said we would get packed lunch on our way to Nakuru?? So in fact we were getting lunch but on a different day? On the day we were going to Nakuru there was lunch at the hotel and have the packed lunch that we missed? The lies were so bad you just tell this woman was a bad liar. I asked that there be no problems from that point forward,no reply. One of the guests was ill but didn’t even have free lunch,how pathetic from Lians Travel! We got a very nice welcome at Mara Sidai and the guest went on to rest and was to miss the next day’s Safari.
12th February: we go on safari all day,packed lunch,everything was superb I must say. The sick guest was well rested and everything seemed fine with the world.
13th February: no game drive in the morning?? In the itinerary,depart from Mara for a 3 hour distance to Nakuru? That was problem number one, problem two,driver says he can’t leave because he has issues with the owner. He asks me to contact her and I do. I was furious at that point, we were standing by the roadside,having driven some distance from Maasai Mara, the driver says that he doesn’t have enough money to go to Nakuru. I called Lilian who claimed the driver was trying to sabotage her. I got confused because I and the others wondered if the driver was in fact the problem. Instead of enjoying our safari, we all became Sherlocks trying to find out who was lying to us, the driver,Lilian the owner of Lians Travel Africa? Who? After Lilian claims that the driver is trying to sabotage her, she tells me secretly to get off at Narok town. Now,are we ghosts to exit the vehicle at Narok without the driver noticing? What IQ does one need to realize that? I realized though where the problems were coming from. I tell the driver what I’ve been told,he is still visibly nervous and uncertain and I wasnt sure if we would continue with the safari, interrupt our safari and go to the police station or not. I tried to call this woman called Lilian and when she realized that the driver was listening in the call, she starts to accuse me of being in cahoots with the driver and trying to sabotage her. I am her client and I paid for the safari and she was accusing me of sabotaging her and my own safari?? What person of sound mind would come to such a conclusion? She texted me the same thing and said that since I started it,I should sort myself out. I called her,her words,” I don’t care, you started it, sort yourselves out” There were 6 foreigners in the car,some of whom cannot speak English and she was ready to ditch them in Narok, later on, that’s what she did.
Poor them, I had to explain what was going on. We were stuck between her and the unpaid driver. The driver didn’t want to leave Mara and he just couldn’t leave us stranded with our luggage. Lilian left us at the driver’s mercy, so we and the unpaid driver had to find a way to get out of this crazy mess. The person we paid the money to,Lilian, adamant and it was clear she wouldn’t help. I told her to call the driver and that I was not her go between,I was her client but she even ridiculed me and said that since I became the spokesman of the trip,i her own client,had become the object of ridicule, simply incredible how rude, how selfish and heartless a person can be! She even claimed that since I was a Kikuyu,one Kenyan tribe, I was stealing from the other foreigners too, she assumed that since I was the only black person on the safari, I was either too poor to be there or I was stealing from the other foreigners in the van,little did she know that I was with my wife and in laws and friends and not some clients I had lied too. On top of the problems, she goes on to ridicule me because of the colour of my skin and my name, JUST BECAUSE I'M BLACK, DOES IT MEAN I CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY MYSELF A SAFARI??Anyway, we pleaded with the driver to go to Narok and figure it out because it was clear she wouldn’t pay him and expected us to pay more money to finish our own trip. The driver hesitantly agreed to go since he was now operating at a loss. At this point,we may have been stuck in Maasai Mara, Narok, the side of the road, a ditch but Lilian from Lians Travel Africa had abandoned all parties and even suggested we go to the police. I told her these were my family members so I would certainly go to report her. She texted that she had left the park fees at the hotel reception and was done with us. I have the text message to prove this. We told the driver if the park fees are there, we can just fuel the car ourselves and go to Nakuru. It was either that or go to Nairobi and ruin the whole holiday without even having been to Nakuru.
We fueled in Narok, with our own money by the way, all the other travelers, all foreigners were now fully drawn into this situation, poor them, and what if they were alone left at the mercy of this heartless woman called Lilian, what would have happened then?She would have left them in Narok or in Maasai Mara with no way out of it.
We went to Nakuru and as far as we were concerned, Lians Travel Africa had no idea where we were. We went to Chester Hotel and I must say that at Chester we had such a warm welcome but they noticed something was off. We had lunch and we were curious if the park fees had indeed been sent or not and when the receptionist was calling and calling Lilian awaiting for confirmation, we just told her, “We are dealing with a conwoman here, she will not send the money,kindly avoid speaking with her”. Since we are here, and despite not having the park fees paid, we decided to pay it ourselves. The driver wanted to leave and go to Nairobi so actually we almost didn’t go because he was still operating at a loss, we had only fueled him until Nakuru so if he wanted to leave he could have. I can say it’s really not the kind of mood you want on your holiday or safari. Some didn’t go to Lake Nakuru National Park, they were already pissed off by everything, a big thanks to Lians Travel for that by the way. We went to the park, paid our own park fees, and I have the receipts to prove it. We had like one hour only in the park, from what was supposed to be like 4 hours or more, but the driver was fantastic and he was still a proper guide in spite of what was going on. Lilian has the audacity to “enquire whether we had checked in and decided to pay our own park fees” and I told her to fuck off, because seriously, after ditching us in Narok, she was waiting by her phone and calling the reception to find out if we had made it to Nakuru, how horrible, how despicable! I can’t fathom of the kind of person who would do such a thing. She even ends her messages with "Have a blessed day". i mean who does that? How terrible and cruel must you be to make fun, insult someone at the comfort of one's office without a care in the world, all while screeching at us on the phone. We went back, had dinner and reflected on the past events of the day unaware of whether our driver would return or not.
14th February: Valentines day in the worst circumstances, we wake up to the question of whether our driver is still there and luckily he was. We all just wanted to go back to Nairobi, and since Lilian had urged us to go to the police, we went to The Tourist police and spent hours telling and retelling the story and by no means did I wanna spend my time at a police station on my holiday. After a long time the OCS came and it was already apparent who the cause of the problems was, he called her up and just like she did to us, she kept on yelling and yelling, with a police officer, no respect even for the law, so as I write this, I urge, I beseech and ask that you not do business with Lians Travel Africa. That wasn’t the end, the OCS asked her to come to the police station but of course she was busy, she asked him to go to the police station, the next day and so the story continues.
15th February: 10 a.m. Did the lady show up? She didn’t. As I write this, we still have no word from her, she didn’t intend to show up at the police station, and she is playing a waiting game until we leave. Our experience with Lians Travel Africa has been nothing but disappointing, I guess no refunds are coming but the word had to come out, I write this on your behalf, the traveler that may lay eyes on Lians Travel Africa and think of doing a trip with them, I again urge, beseech and ask you to avoid this company called Lians Travel Africa headed by one Lilian Maina, she put me and my guests, all foreigners through hell after paying full fees. No refunds as of now, no word from the woman and she has refused to show to the authorities, what would she do to you and your fellow travelers, you have seen my experience, do avoid this company. You will be left on the roadside, abandoned in a foreign country if you are a foreign traveler, money stolen, trip ruined, use Lians Travel Africa at your own risk. The police investigation is still going on, as to whether it's a real company or not, she has not presented herself to the authorities and has stolen our money with no intention of returning it, she shall do the same to you, the future traveller who reads this, I am writing this review on your behalf, to save you from the agony of a ruined holiday, STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!