NZ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
WARNING!! DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!!
WARNING!!! DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!!
We were booked on a seven night safari with Enrico’s. We booked about 6 months in advance and paid in advance.
The day that our safari was supposed to commence, no one showed up. We could not get in contact with the company to find out what was going on (we tried their phone numbers, whatsapp, email, Facebook etc). When we finally got in contact (after hours and hours of trying), we were told someone would be there by 2:30pm at the latest. Again, no one showed up. Again, we could not get in contact with Enrico’s to find out what was going on. When we did get in contact, he suggested that we arrange and pay for our own transfer to what was supposed to be our first stop?? Eventually our then-current accommodation offered for us to stay another night and Enrico’s promised to pick us up at 9am the next morning. Enrico’s said they would pay for the accomodation, but they did not and we had to pay for it.
At 9am the next morning, surprise surprise, no one showed up!! And again we could not get in contact with Enrico’s to find out what was going on!! We were finally picked up at around 11:30am (1.5 days late for our six day tour...) in a minivan with worn out suspension that was supposed to drive us on sand/gravel roads in between destinations - even our driver said it was unsafe and that he didn’t think the car would be able to make the journey!
We found out our was a freelancer that was called by Enrico’s at 7am on the day that our safari was meant to commence to get to us in Kasane from Windhoek. It is 1,400kms and 14 hours away from our pick up point. There was no way they were going to be able to pick us up at the scheduled pick up time and no way they would even get to us by 2:30pm so I have no idea why this was promised by Enrico’s. It also meant that Enrico’s knew that this would not be possible before 7am the day of our safari and they never contacted us to tell us this. We could have done activities that day through our then-current accomodation, but instead spent an entire day in reception trying to get in contact with Enrico’s!!
When we finally arrived at our first accommodation, NOTHING had been booked or paid for! The accomodation had never heard from Enrico’s and did not know we were coming! Apparently this is a very common occurrence and our driver had heard of this happening regularly before. Luckily we could get in for one night (the last two rooms) but again had to pay for this ourselves!!! We were paying for our whole trip twice!!
We found out we had not been booked into our next accommodation and none of our activities had been booked. Again, we could not get hold of him to find out what the hell was going on! One time we called off our driver’s phone and when he heard our voice he hung up!! When we finally got in contact much later, he said he could get us into some other accommodation but we would have to pay for it and be refunded. Obviously we were not going to do that, and after such an incomprehensibly terrible experience.
We found out that he has been banned from the camps in National Parks in Namibia for non-payment. He doesn’t pay his drivers or guides on time. Our driver says he has a reputation for being a terrible tour operator - I have no idea how his business survives.
He lied to us continuously to try cover the mess up. He should not be allowed to offer these services. We are reporting him to tourist organisations so that our experience does not become someone else’s.
Luckily we booked through Tour Radar so we were able to get a full refund.
SA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very Bad Experience, DO NOT TRUST AT ALL
After the advance payment he changed the package & started bargaining.
Finally we cancelled the trip due to high rate and he did not returned the advance payment.
So Do not trust this team at all.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bad service
Service poor, tried to follow up told me they can only refund 60 dollars ,till yet no refund just apologises I been following up .never will I spent my money on them again .try at your own risk ,
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Urbema Safaris a Scam-Avoid
Urbema Safaris are a scam. When I arrived in Nairobi, I arranged a safari and made payment ($1100.00), only to be told by the shady owner Benard Orero that the lodge was full. It is over three weeks later, with multiple conversations with Benard Orero, and no refund. I’m having to file a criminal complaint with Kenyan National Police and charge it back through the bank. Avoid Urbema Safaris and Benard Orero at all costs.
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lost 50% of our game drive time at Serengeti. When called Planet Africa for help, they could do noth
Planet Africa Safari organized our trip. They proposed us to go in north Serengeti to the "Luxury" Mara
Mara Lodge of TANGANYKA WILDERNESS CAMPS.
Planet Africa Safari never informed us that the Lodge was 1 hour away from the river where all the action
and animals are, and even less informed us that the lodge chain is on a complete much much much
lower level than the others Asilia Lodges we were. Lower in everything: lodges, food, cars, drivers and
managers.
They completely ruined our holiday, see below the details.
When called Planet Africa for help at the lodge, they could do nothing.
We are claiming to Planet Africa a partial refund for all the mess the Lodge driver and managers did to
us.
DO NOT TRUST PLANET AFRICA SAFARI SUGGESTIONS OF LODGES AND DRIVERS!!! .If
something goes wrong, is entirely up to you to solve it.
---DETAILED NARRATION---:
We arrived at Kogatende Airstrip with our pack lunches from our previous Lodge, our Asilia driver
organized us to have them so we could profit the whole day upon our arrival in Serengeti. Alex, the driver
we got assigned, tricked us and suggested us to go back to lodge for lunch at 13:00, and stay there till
16:00 before going back to river again: he said because animals hide when is hot and we would not see
them. And we were so stupid to believe him.
We wasted half of our days there before realizing we were being tricked by an extremely lazy driver
whose only goal was to have hot lunch at 13:00 o'clock and a little “siesta” everyday.
We realized the trick when we were HUMILIATED, being the ONLY table having lunch at the Lodge the
second day of our stay, while at dinner there were like 30 persons. I have never felt so stupid in my life.
When we asked the driver to leave immediately after lunch, he started negotiating with me, that he
needed some allowance, that were many hours and so on.
We then decided to ask for a drive change to the managers of the lodge while at lunch. Managers let the
diver came to our table. The driver insisted with us like 20 minutes to give him a second change. I could
not had lunch. No manager was there, extremely violent situation.
We insisted on the change of driver and managers punished us making us stay 2 hours at the
Kogatende airstrip waiting for a new driver to come. They sent us without telling us that would be 2 hours
wait.
2 long hours at Kogatende airstrip, with full afternoon sun, on an open car without A/C, with kids,rounded
by tse-tse flys, while paying $$$ for a luxury Lodge with swimming pool. That's crazy!. We had to make a
denounce at the police at Kogatende airstrip, see attached photo of the text.
We lost half the time of our stage at north Serengeti because of this incredible problems, and we were
humiliated in an unbelievable way: first by the lazy driver tricking us, second by the managers backing up
the lazy driver and making us stay 2 hours at the airport waiting for the new driver, and third by the lodge
employees when at dinner they put us at a table right next to where Alex the driver we just changed
was.So that we could hear his loud comments and laughs.
Unbelievable.
SA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I am not join with them they after my advance he changed our package
Very very bad service please don’t sent advance money
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Disaster see Insolvency Act dated 10th August 2019
GAZETTE NaticE No. 7968
THE INSOLVENCY ACT
(No. 18 of 2015)
IN THE HIGH COURT AT NAIROBI
COMMERCIAL AND ADMIRALTY DIVISION
AND
IN THE MATTER OF KENYA WALKING SURVIVORS SAFARIS
LIMITED
INSOLVENCY PETITION No. E 158 OF 2019 '
NOTICE is given that a petition for the winding up of the abovenamed company by the High Court of Kenya, Commercial and
Admiralty Division, Milimani Commercial Courts, Nairobi was on the
10th day of August, 2019 presented to this court by Otieno Lysaniash
Onjwayo, of P.O.-Box 7184, Viwandani.
And the said petition is directed to be heard before the Court
sitting at 9.00 a.m. on the 28th November, 2Q19 and any creditor or
contributory of the said Company desirous to support or oppose the
making of an order on the said petition may appear at the time of the
hearing, in person, or by his advocate, for that purpose; and a copy of
the petition will be furnished by the undersigned to any creditor or
contributory of the said Company requiring such copy on payment of
the regulated charge for the same.
Dated the 2nd August, 2010.
MERITAD LAW AFRICA LLP ADVOCATES,
Pitman House, Ground F7oor, Wing "B"
Jakaya Kikwete Road,
P.O. Box 2368-00100, Nairobi.
NOTE
Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said
petition must serve on or send by post to the above-named address in
writing of his intention so to do. The notice must state the name and
address of the person, or, if a firm, the name and address of the firm,
and must be signed by the person or firm, or his or their advocate, if
any, and must be served, or if posted, must be sent by post in sufficient
time to reach the above named address not later than, four o'clock in
the afternoon of the 27th November, 2019.
MPJ6722312
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dishonest.
I emailed the company prior to arriving at nakuru to get a price for 2 people to hire a safari van and driver to visit nakuru national park. I was told 10,000KES as per the website was correct plus 2000kesfor the driver. When booking we were told the van would be for just the 2 of us and would be a 6:30am-6:30pm full day game drive. The driver collected us at 7:30 an hour later than agreed and there was already 2 other passengers in the van. We were told we could have 1000kes discount on our price per person but then this was retracted. The game driver was finished by lunch time and we were back at out villa for 2:30pm. Huge disappointment as we didnt get to see all the animals and how they behave during different times of the day. Avoid this company at all costs. Dishonest, unreliable, overpriced, under delivered! Poor customer service only interested in your money!!!!
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
This tour operator is fraud, the owner Mr. Otieno is a con man.
This tour operator is fraud, the owner Mr. Otieno is a con man. We lost 3300 US dollars. Our tour was booked with them from 9th Aug to 17th aug. On 7th they wrote they are cancelling our entire trip due to some technical issues, since then they are not replying our mails, neither their phone numbers are working.
We made a police complaint after reaching nairobi, but they didnt seem serious, their expressions were like "so what!, it happens here often.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nightmare
Please Jimmy, do not go on your trip. You will be stranded. I was supposed to start my safari on 9/5. You were horribly scammed and should not go. Please anyone reading this do not go expecting a trip. You will be very sorry and not in a safe situation. Report this immediately to your credit card company. I do not want to see anyone else go through what I have gone through.
PS. Never went on trip...just had to input something, so I put August.