US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nightmare experience, never delivered on promises
Update: I previously removed this review because Mataro threatened to withhold the refund of our deposit per his policy if I didn't remove it. We came to an initial agreement about a payment plan for the >$3,000 he owed us over the course of two months. We provided all necessary details to him for payment, but were ultimately not paid when the due date arrived. Instead we were met with additional excuses and a lack of any urgency in resolving the payment owed to us. All I can say is I'm disappointed, disappointed in Mataro and myself for falling for this. We will be working with Trip advisor and other companies to attempt to have his business de-listed as it's evident we are not the first to have had this experience. I'm completely confused as to how he's ever gotten any positive reviews. See my previous review below.
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I wish I could give negative stars. My wife and I, along with our four friends, had the misfortune of dealing with Friends Of Africa Family Safaris Ltd. We originally chose to book with Mataro because he came highly recommended by two of our friends who had previously traveled with him. While they generally had an okay experience and spoke highly of the safari guides, they did share some concerns once our own issues began to surface. For instance, they mentioned that when they arrived, they were put into an enclosed van—not a proper safari vehicle—which then got stuck and had to be pushed. No other reputable tour operators would put guests in such unsuitable conditions.
Despite these warning signs, we moved forward, only to find ourselves entangled in an even worse situation. What started as a promising interaction quickly turned into a nightmare after we paid over $6K in December as a 20% deposit. Mataro, who had been very responsive before payment, suddenly became evasive, offering only vague assurances that everything was ‘under control.’ But as we later discovered, nothing could have been further from the truth.
The Lies and Deception:
Fake Confirmations: Despite numerous requests, Mataro failed to provide actual booking confirmations. When I directly contacted one of the lodges, they had no record of our reservation—even though Mataro insisted everything was booked. He even tried to convince me to stop contacting the hotels, saying I was 'confusing people' and not 'trusting him.'
Manipulative Excuses: When I questioned why we hadn’t received confirmations or why he claimed certain accommodations were booked when they weren’t, he responded with manipulative tactics. He accused me of trying to do his job and insisted I was the problem for not trusting his process. This, despite repeatedly catching him in lies.
Unprofessional Behavior: In one instance, Mataro claimed he had booked three rooms instead of the four we required, blaming my wife for allegedly changing the request—an outright lie that he later backtracked on. He never took responsibility, and instead of fixing his mistakes, he became increasingly difficult to reach, often ignoring my messages or delaying his responses with more excuses.
Failure to Refund: When it became clear that Mataro had no intention of delivering on his promises, we canceled our trip in early May. Despite his own policy stating a refund within 90 days, those 90 days have come and gone with nothing but more excuses. He even tried to claim he needed more time, despite having made no payments to the hotels on our behalf. It’s evident he never planned to return our money and has continued to string us along with empty promises.
Final Warning:
After dealing with months of stress, deception, and outright lies, I can confidently say we believe this company is a complete scam. In our experience, Mataro is a manipulative fraudster who has no qualms about taking your money and offering nothing in return. The level of unprofessionalism and dishonesty is staggering. If you value your money and your peace of mind, stay far away from Friends Of Africa Family Safaris Ltd. This man will take your deposit and leave you with nothing but frustration and broken promises
SG
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Take caution
We took the one day tour to Chobe National Park from Zimbabwe. They came to a restaurant at Victoria Falls to collect the payment while we are having lunch. Basically they sent us to the border and handover us to other tour operator in Botswana. But after the tour they called and said one piece of US$100 we gave them is broken and the driver will go back to office and bring to us to exchange. When the driver came back with 3 x US$100 notes, we told them all the notes we carried are new and crisp. And the other 2 people in our group who are sitting across the couch took video while I handover the money. Then they said it could from someone else. However, the tour is OK.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Stunningly beautiful, diverse landscape and amazing animals
Our trip to South Africa was one of our all time favorites! We visited Johannesburg, Cape Town, Cape Point, the Garden Route and Kapama Private game reserve for safari. The entire 2 weeks were wonderful, diverse and so fun. Johannesburg was so interesting. Cape Town was filled with natural beauty. Seeing penguins on the beach, whales breaching right off the shore, ostrich farms, and walking among elephants at the elephant sanctuary were daily thrills. We paraglided near Knsyna, went hiking and kayaking. There is so much to see and do in South Africa! The Safari was the cherry on top of a perfect vacation sundae!
TW
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Responsive and well organized
We had such a wonderful trip with Camptrek, especially our guide Vincent and Antony. Our boy loved both of them very much. We spent 10 days in safari at Amboseli, Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire, following up with 3 days in Zanzibar island. The whole trip was smooth and our guides were very responsible and taking care of all our needs.
Vincent is the best guide you could ever find. He’s patient, genuine and thoughtful. Our family was inspired by his passion for wildlife. He is already knowledgeable about the nature and animals. However, he was as curious as we were during the trip. He is more than a guide but like a friend of ours. On the second day of our trip, Vincent invited our 11-year-old boy sitting next to him so they can exchange their knowledge of animal facts. We sincerely appreciate his accompany along the trip. We would definitely love to have Vincent as our guide again next time we visit Tanzania!
What an incredible experience. Highly recommended!!
HK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent tour agents with very reasonable price
The tour guide is like one of your best friends in Tanzania, very friendly and trying his very best to make you feel comfortable in Tanzania. At the same time, very professional in safari with sufficient knowledge about the animals and the wild life. He is also very helpful and caring, understanding our needs and trying to enrich our tour.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Wildlife Safari in Chobe National Park
N'Tee was exceptionally friendly and accommodating. He picked us up promptly in Victoria Falls and made nice arrangements for our stay in Kasane. Our tour guide, Max, was very knowledgeable and worked hard to make sure we saw the animals we most wanted to see, including driving quite a bit further the second day to find a zebra herd. Max is an expert spotter and was in close contact with the other guides, who were clearly sharing information about where certain animals could be found. Phillip, the boat guide, was also very thorough and shared lots of information with us. I would rate N'Tee Safaris as an excellent values for the money.
NZ
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We found our tour operator to be friendly, helpful and supportive.
My family and I had been planning a trip to Africa for many years. We spent a lot of time researching the best time of year and location in Africa. Dusty Roads was one of the most competitively priced tour companies around and they did not disappoint with service.
The communication with the trip organiser was very good. Abel provided us with all information and answered all questions regarding visas and vaccinations.
Our tour guide Andrew met us at the airport and from there we started an amazing safari. As we moved around, the game parks got bigger and more impressive showing us a different array of wildlife. In one area within 500m we were able to see lions, buffalo, zebra, hippos and crocodiles. Unbelievable!
The accommodation was wonderful and more than what we expected for our midrange budget. The food was tasty and plentiful. A highlight would have been our camping experience in the Serengeti where we stayed at Osero Serengeti Tented Camp. It was truly outstanding with huge tents housing double beds, showers and toilets inside each tent. On both nights we heard lions roaring and hyena's laughing.
I have already recommended this trip to family, friends and colleagues at work. This small company provided us with a safe, truly memorable experience with a very competitive price.
Thank you so much for the trip of a lifetime.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Precise, Punctual and Accomodating.
This was the best decision We ever made. The Operator made an extra effort to facilitate our pick up from the city centre to Maasai Mara.
She had all the information of what was happening at her finger tips.
Enabled us to know more of the wild.
Would go for another wild adventure with them.
Truly recommend them.
EG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Adventure of a lifetime
We had the adventure of our lifetime it was the best honeymoon adventure. Everyone at Lucas Adventure were so nice and welcoming. They gave us gifts for our honeymoon and we saw so much animals like Lions, Elephants, Giraffes, Zebras, Hippos. Highly recommended
AE
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very client oriented. Great service
Namibia has been on our bucket list for some time. People Tours fitted our requirements perfectly.
Our coordinator Emilia came up with an excellent itinerary which covered our areas of interest hiking nature wildlife. We had to change our dates several times and at the last minute my passport had to go for renewal. Emilia took it all in her stride and ensured us that all would be well considering it was peak season.
Our guide Leonar met us promptly at the airport where the airline had delayed one of our bags. Again we were assured our it being returned wherever in our itinerary we would be.
The car was spacious and comfortable we had cold drinks in a cool box and an attentive friendly guide.
From climbing big Daddy dune, to hiking Sesriem canyon, sampling great Namibian game cuisine, driving tirelessly to spot wildlife in Etosha, we found Leonard to be a delightful companion.
I heartily recommende People Tours in Namibia.
