50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Failed to provide the tour promised - beware
I used Matembezi to arrange a trip of the East and West Usambara mountains, they were expensive but I picked them as they agreed to supply a specialist birding guide (Njano Mbilinyi who I had heard was good) I was very clear that I need an expert as the birds in the mountains are difficult to find.
However when I arrived they told me Njano was not available (he had had a better offer) and instead provided a driver/guide who they said was just as good! The reality was the guide provided was just a driver and did not know the birds and was unsure where to find them (and was totally reliant on a bird guide just to guess). The result was a very disappointing trip which I could have done for less than half the price.
As they knew Njano would not be available they could have
a) told me and I could have found a different tour guide
b) told me and arranged local guides
instead they seemed to just hope we would not notice! When we complained they just suggested we pay for local bird guides!
On the plus side the driver was friendly and tried his best and we did get to the general locations of the birds safely.
However all in all it was very disappointing, frustrating and annoying - I would suggest you avoid this company
AT
Jeep got stuck several times - no compensation
We did a 3 day Safari in Masai Mara with Ancient Safaris at the beginning of September.
Our jeep already got stuck on the first day because of some mechanical problems, so we couldn't get into the park this day. Furthermore they didn't replace the jeep. Our driver promised that they repaired the jeep and that everything is ready for the next day, unfortunately we got stuck again for several times on the next day .
We spent a lot of time waiting till the car cooled down again. It was really annoying, also because nobody told us what was going on.
And we didn't get any refund or compensation.
All in all we are really disappointed. Our Safari with Ancient Safaris was definitely not worth the price and we can't recommend it!
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
No information, no organization.
This agency is run by a person with a lack of education and will attempt to defraud you at any time. The guides / drivers are not professionals and they do not have the necessary education. The exception is in the team of cooks, who do a great job.
As a reference, I must say that we did another safari in Kenya and it was completely opposite, we were with great people and professional people.
You should avoid contracting with this agency, and if it is part of a Kenya-Tanzania combined, you should specify to the Kenyan agency that you do not hire Sandlans Safari for the part you will make in Tanzania.
Experience level: first safari
Bad experience
In short, we got white-collar pickpocketed. We booked a 7-day safari with Jipe Trekking and Safari. On the morning of departure, we were kept waiting at the hotel for hours such that the first day's activities had to be postponed. On day 3, it emerged that there were problems with the dedicated credit card the driver was provided with to pay the entry fee for Serengeti National Park (it seems the company doesn't trust their staff enough to provide them with a general credit card). We were driven around from bank to bank for hours until the driver was forced to give up and try again tomorrow. As a result, we were now a full day behind schedule. The consequence was that we had to subsequently reduce our time in some of the nicest areas on the trip in order to return on time. When we complained about the fact that we were effectively charged one seventh of the total trip fees to wait around during these delays - none of which were our fault - the owner refused to reimburse us, and was even quite emotionally abusive over email. I suspected his responses could have been cut and pasted from previous dissatisfied clients. We've now lodged a complaint to the Tanzanian consumer affairs department. Fingers crossed.
On the plus side, the rest of our time in Tanzania was great, from the very first moment we no longer had to deal with Jipe!
BE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
an absolutely disappointing and frustrating experience with Tazama Holidays in the Masai Mara, Kenya
I just returned from a 6-nights private Migration Safari with Tazama Holidays in Kenya, quite expensive for a single traveller in a land cruiser. And it was absolutely disappointing!
The aim of my trip was very clear from the beginning on - wildlife photography of the wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara.
But their driver-guide, Eric, first only did classic game drives and only after unpleasant vivid discussions finally took me to the Talek River instead to the requested more important Mara River crossing points, with the result that we only got to see one crossing on the very last day (even though I showed him the exact points on a map!)
This driver of a 'photographic' safari (Tazama's own words) did not know anything about the simplest rules how to position the vehicle. He was very stubborn and did not take lightly to criticism. At any sightings he would spend most of the time on his phone (talking or checking messages). He definitely lacks even the most basic communicative skills (except with fellow drivers) as it proved to be extremely difficult to get any info or feedback. The only positive thing: he is a good driver and game spotter. It might well be that you fare better when going with the owner, Antony, himself. But although this was initially the plan also for my trip, this was changed shortly before leaving. You never know what you get!
Shortly before leaving for the trip Tazama proposed to change accommodation, an intimate eco-bush camp inside the Mara Reserve instead a much bigger one outside the reserve. This proved to be an excellent suggestion. However, also here Tazama disappointed as they stated this new camp would be more expensive, but they would not charge it to me. During my stay, however, I got the info that the bush camp was in fact about 20 percent cheaper - quite a sum for 6 nights which Tazama of course happily kept for themselves.
In short, if you don't ask for anything more than very general 'touristy' game drives and don't mind being ripped off for accomodation rates, if you are fine with a driver who does what he wants and does not communicate, go with Tazama.
US
The group dynamics in the ATC tour is difficult esp. without strong leadership.
Many European tour members and tour guide leader was not very responsive to the needs of people who are Asians or of Asian-descend. They assume all do not speak English well therefore dismiss what we have to say or do not know what we are talking about. But if you a drinker and loud, then your needs will be heard and catered to.
The tour guide leader was not responsive to a safety issue, which made me want to leave the tour early.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Dissapointing
We chose big time safari for our Safari on the class called budget mode so of course we did not expect great luxuries but unfortunately we had so many problems we wanted to share the experience.
The total days of safari were 11 days.
The worst episode was the second day in Serengeti where the car just broke down, old jeeps are used and you will have many chances that this will happens to you. The whole day was lost and nothing was seen that day.
After the Safari was over once in Nairobi we did complain at Big time safari offices to get some compensation as the service offered was not given to us.
The manager, John, was careless and unprofessional as he was more interested in what was happening on the TV than on our complain. He made us waste a lot of time in the office for nothing. The discussion ended up telling us that under his point of view we were not humans as we did not understand his problems and than worst would have been to die in the safari. Once he has your money in his pocket his behavior changes he won't call you back or he will tell you he is busy in some meeting.
Other problems we had was the guide in Tanzania was bad no interest on us. The camp in Amboseli was dirty and no mosquito net was given in one of the beds.
The picnic meals very poor some of the days.
In summary the safari was ok because the landscape and the animals are great but sure thing we would chose different company for a safari.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Disappointing - Would not recomend them to any of my friends.
Communication- Fair
Service- was pretty bad. they dont stick to the timings . On the day we were to leave from Nairobi to Masai Maara, we were quite appalled with the quality and cleanliness of the mini bus that we were driving to Masai Maara. When we were told that this would be the vehicle that we would go on the game drive , we politely refuse to take that vehicle considering the rough terrain that we would be covering as the Van was in really bad condition without propoer upholstery and bad seats.
when we insisted they had the vehicle changed to a slightly better one.
Day 1- Evening -on reaching MM ,our Tour guide (Fred) was not able to locate our lodge amidst the Savannahs and we aimlessly wandered for about an hour searching and then he decided that we would go on the game drive after which we will find the lodge.
Day-2 was the best day of the 3 day tour as we were on the game drive from morning to evening. Packed lunch was provided.
Day-3 : our schedule was to leave for another game drive from 630 to 830 am after which we were to drive back to Nairobi. However when the tour guide came to pick us up he said that there was some technical snag and the car battery was having problems. We hardly took off and the van stopped twice in the grasslands. We then suggested that he go to the mechanics available in the town to which he agreed and after a 40 mt drive we reached the place but none of them were available. it was already 820 by then and he quitely filled petrol and said that he suggests that we skip the drive as we would reach Niarobi only between 7pm-9m if we went for the drive. We agreed to that as we were a bit concerned about the Vehicle giving way in the middle of the Savannahs with animals around us.
Little did we know that this was a ploy by the tour operators as half way through on our way back to Nairobi , the guide stopped for lunch and after lunch he told us that there would be a change in plan and that we had to move into another car which was parked beside ours and that the passengers in that car would travel in the vehicle we came from MM and we would go to nairobi in their car.
at that point of time we actually wondered how could they take them on a game drive if the van had technical snags (stoppped at least 3 times in Masai Maara when we started the game drive)??
It was just a pretext used by these guys as they needed the car by noon to make the swap.
Overall - Althoguh i would want to visit MM again , i would not take another package with them as their service was quite disappointing and would not recomend them to any of my friends.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Not great
No hot water in the Chalet and nobody answers the " after hours" numbers to fix the problem. Not a lot of game sighted at all. Actually nothing sighted but the impala at the Chalet.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
My experience with Naga Safaris was not good.
The vehicles were in not good conditions and they stopped two or three times (we had to push in the park were itsn't allowed to get off!!!!!), the driver was not able to drive in such difficult road and the car sanded up three or four times. Only one or two games drive during nine days were good and the team was not very profesionall. Definitively I hope to have the possibility in the future to visit Botswana with a better agency.