US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I got scammed out of my deposit by this company.
DO NOT BOOK. "Silas" scammed me. I communicated via the email initiated on safaribookings.com . He told me his credit card machine was down and to wire the money (not uncommon for African safaris to wire money). I double checked other people were satisfied with his safaris, everything seemed extremely legit (they also wired money)
When I wired it he said he never received it then said I should have sent it via credit card on his website. When I showed him the email thread, he confirmed that was indeed his email, but said the invoice never came from him. Yet he denied his email has been hacked.
I'm not sure what's going on with this company and I'm hoping my bank can stop the wire. I'm happy to share the screenshots of my conversation back and forth so you can protect yourself.
When I asked what had happened he immediately shut me down and told me he doesn't want my business. It seems odd to me that a legitimate business isn't concerned that their email has been hacked.
I will update this review once I have reached conclusion on this event. But I wanted this warning published ASAP so other people don't get scammed.
RS
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Zero star
I hope you guys who are interested in traveling in Uganda find this review useful and won't make the same mistake as me and my friend did. In this review i will share the part of my experience with Karumuna Safaris and it's owner Richard who we believe is a fraud and a thief.
From the first moment i contacted Richard he was very fast in answering my mails and whatsapp messages,which i liked because that is how an agency should behave with clients. I applied for the journey inDecember and was supposed to arrive in Uganda in March!! It was like that until the moment I paid him the 50% down payment which he requested because he wanted to make sure the gorilla tracking permits are secured. The same story was with my friend who applied for the trip one month after me. The moment I paid him the money, no answers no mails, nothing! Every info I needed I had to wait 3 or 4 days for a response i called him and told him this is not professional. I asked him to make me another trip plan because i had less days in Uganda because of my ticket.
He sent me the plan 2 days before my trip and also found a guide for me and my friend day before our arrival. When we arrived and gave him the rest of the money the problems started. In the Lodge in Queen Elizabeth our guide approached us and told us thar Richard had an accident and hit the boda boda (motorcycle taxi) with his car and the motorcycle driver didn't survived so Richard was detained in prison. My friend and me were concerned but as the gorilla tracking was approaching i was starting to be suspicious about everything because Richard couldn't be reached on any phone and they apparently didn't know which prison he was detained and he was the only one who knew where the gorilla permits are. Our guides brother was searching for permits in his office and he was able to find only one permit. This one permit was paid on March 8th the day we arrived! And he told me in December to pay so he can secure the permit. At this point we knew that we were scammed! With the help of our guide Herbert we managed to pay for another permit 700usd because we came in Uganda specifically for the gorilla tracking. Richard was not answering any calls from our guide and the warden in the gorilla tracking office told us that he know Richard and that the chief of tourist operations in Uganda are awared that he scammed people before.
There was a lot more happening which I could write and if anyone is interested in hearing this can contact me.
This is not a fake profile, which he claims on other reviews of people that were also scammed and according to him want to damage KARUMUNA SAFARIS reputation. If you look the negative reviews it was never his fault!! . The ranger in Kibale national park told us that his driver by the name Dona went to Chimpanzee tracking with fake permits left the clients there and ran away with the car keys. If you don't want things like this to happen to you avoid Karumuna Safaris and Richard.
God sees everything, if Richard is really in prison he should stay there. But if he lied about hitting someone with his car in order to get 700usd speaks volumes about him as a person.
I tried to attach valuable photos (the payment of the permit,screenshots of our chats and more) but the site won't publish them, so if anyone needs to see them I can send them.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Never choose this travel agency. They took our money and disappeared！！！
Issues with the travel agency:
1. For a total of 6 nights of hotel stays and entrance tickets, there was no prepaid reservation. We only found out when we arrived at the hotel. The travel agency said that we should pay the expenses first and they would refund us later, but now we have lost contact with them.
2. The travel agency unilaterally changed the agreed hotel in the travel contract without prior notice. They changed the hotel in Nakuru to an alternative hotel that is more than half cheaper in price but did not refund the price difference.
3. The travel agency has deceived us in multiple ways and delayed for a long time, causing a great waste of our itinerary. We have already lost one day of the Masai Mara itinerary.
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They’re just a three-person operation and can’t even pay the driver’s fees. It's infuriating!
The travel agency demanded full payment two weeks before our departure, despite the fact that we had already paid a deposit months earlier. Out of caution and naïve trust, we communicated and retained a small portion of the final payment. However, after arriving in Kenya, the owner, William, came to collect the remaining balance and then disappeared. We later discovered that the subsequent six nights of hotels and park entrance fees had not been paid. They repeatedly deceived us, exploiting our trust and isolating us in a foreign country, forcing us to continuously cover expensive costs. As a result, we have not only lost time but are also facing potential losses exceeding $20,000.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This company is a big U.S. company operates as Neo Destinations which is terrible.
We have booked 11 day safari with this company. Our contact person was Steve Boko. When we reached Nirobi there is no Steve anymore it was Naftale from Neo Destinations. Our biggest mistake was we paid the money before. This company do not have their own vehicles and they sub contract with others who has no relation with us. The driver/guide was Robinson who is a jackass. In the entire 11 days he used to scold kids and always says he will throw out of his van. The trouble started when we reached Tanzania, we were taken to a tented camp at night instead of a lodge which was booked for us before and next day we are told that they will drop us at
Tanzania border and need to talk to our operator(Naftale) who was absconding. We were forced to go to police station for help to keep the driver in check at Lake Navisha. Over all a terrible experience with this guy. Kenya is a beautiful country but cheats like Naftale/Robinson(Neo Destinations/ African safaris) spoiling the country name.
Note:- if you book with this company do not pay all the money till Safari is completed.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
August 2015 Safari with Eastco – Issues and Warnings
My wife, Robin, and I recently returned from a 22 day (Aug. 6 – Aug. 27) northern circuit safari arranged through Eastco. Being our first time in Africa I would like to thank all of the contributors here for the information they provided while I trolled around the forums researching and planning our trip. I’ve been waiting to post this review while negotiating a refund with Simon King, owner of Eastco.
First let me say that the Tanzanian people are wonderful to be around and the parks and animals are truly amazing. We never once felt unsafe or threatened in our travels. I believe our guide James was outstanding, not only did he find a ton of animals for us but he also imparted a tremendous amount of knowledge to us. He is also just a great person to be around.
While we did have a “Trip of a Lifetime” we both feel that it was in spite of Eastco and not because of them. The only good thing we can say about them is James. He was put in some tough situations by Simon and worked hard to get us the best experience possible. We booked with Eastco because Simon said he could provide everything we wanted in our itinerary and get us into the accommodations we requested while the other providers we talked to were hesitant on some things. Back in 2014 when we started the booking process there weren’t as many negative reviews of Eastco as there seem to be now. After going with them for our safari my advice would be to find another company to book your trip through. The people, parks and animals of Tanzania are a given while the tour operator should enhance your experiences; however the failures by Eastco added stress into our trip. I only wish I could recommend James as a guide separate from Eastco.
Here was our final itinerary as negotiated and agreed upon with Simon.
day 1 - Evening arrival Arusha (jro) w/ overnight African Tulip Hotel
day 2 - Explore Arusha with EastCo Guide w/ overnight African Tulip Hotel
day 3 - Morning drive to Tarangire, afternoon game drive w/ overnight Tarangire Safari Lodge
day 4 - Morning, afternoon game drive, Tarangire w/ overnight Boundary Hill Lodge
day 5 - Morning Maasai visit Tarangire Conservation Area, afternoon game drive Tarangire
Night game drive Tarangire Conservation Area w/ overnight Boundary Hill Lodge
day 6 - Morning walking safari, Tarangire Conservation Area
Afternoon drive to Babati for canoe ride on Lake w/ overnight White Rose Guest House
day 7 - Day Trip to Kolo rock art w/ overnight White Rose Guest House
day 8 - Morning, afternoon cultural visits Babati (TBD) w/ overnight White Rose Guest House
day 9 - Morning drive to Mto Wa Mbu, cultural walk around town w/ lunch
Afternoon drive to Lake Eyasi w/ overnight Tindiga Camp
day 10 - Morning Hadzabe visit, afternoon Datoga visit w/ overnight Gibbs Farm
day 11 - Late morning drive to Ngorongoro, hike in Conservation area w/overnight Sopa Lodge
day 12 - Early morning Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive
Afternoon drive to Serengeti Seronera valley w/ overnight Kati Kati Camp
day 13 - Morning, afternoon game drive Serengeti Central w/ overnight Kati Kati Camp
day 14 - Morning, afternoon game drive Serengeti Central w/ overnight Kati Kati Camp
day 15 - Drive to Serengeti Mara w/ overnight Serengeti North Wilderness Camp
day 16 - Morning, afternoon game drive Serengeti Mara w/ overnight Serengeti North Wilderness Camp
day 17 - Morning, afternoon game drive Serengeti Mara w/ overnight Serengeti North Wilderness Camp
day 18 - Morning, afternoon game drive Serengeti Mara w/ overnight Serengeti North Wilderness Camp
day 19 - Drive to Lake Natron through Klein's Gate w/ overnight Lake Natron Camp
day 20 - Morning Fossil footprints, flamingos on Lake Natron
Afternoon drive to Tarangire Conservation Area w/ overnight Naitolia Camp
day 21 - Morning walking safari along Sand River, w/ overnight Boundary Hill Lodge
day 22 - Morning transfer to Arusha, dayroom at Arusha Hotel, afternoon transfer to jro
Here is a short list of what failed to meet our expectations or didn’t happen according to our itinerary.
day2 - Simon showed up late at the hotel for final payment, after which he called to let James know to
stop by and pick us up. We didn’t get started exploring Arusha until almost noon.
day4 - Charged for additional (Un-purchased) Tarangire entrance permit.
day6 - Accommodations changed without notice from the White Rose Guest House to The Winners Hotel.
day7 - Accommodations changed without notice from the White Rose Guest House to The Winners Hotel.
day7 - Accommodations changed without notice from the White Rose Guest House to The Winners Hotel.
Cultural visit in Babati consisted of a walk around town.
day9 - Eastco made no reservation for us to stay at Tindiga Camp.
day10 - We had to pay Tindiga Camp fee ourselves even though we had already paid Eastco in advance.
Range Rover broke down and we were delayed for a few hours.
day11 - Accommodations changed without notice from Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge to Wildlife Lodge.
We had requested the Sopa Lodge specifically to allow an early morning start into the Crater.
Eastco booked us into the worst room at Wildlife Lodge, directly under the dining area so we
could hear all the chairs, tables and people moving about right over our heads.
day12 - No early morning start into the Crater as Eastco didn’t pay for the permit until after 10:00.
We didn’t enter the Crater until 11:30 and were leaving by 1:30 including a lunch break. We
only had 1 ½ hours in the crater an then because of the late start it was a mad dash to get out
of Ngorongoro Conservation Area on the one 24 hour permit.
Charged for additional (Un-purchased) Ngorongoro Conservation Area entrance permit.
Acquired Serengeti permit good for only one 24 hour period instead of all seven planed days.
We specifically requested at the tented camps to be at the far end of the row away from the
main gathering areas. We were put in tent number one right next to the dinning tent.
day13 - Returned to airport twice to extend Serengeti permit for one extra 24 hour period
because the first time there was not enough money on card.
day14 - At lunch we were told that we would have to go back to camp, pack up and change camps
because KatiKati was full and Eastco had only booked us for two nights not the three that we
paid for. Only the efforts of the camp manager allowed us to stay, Eastco would have made us
move. We both felt that the camp manager was working harder for us than Eastco.
Returned to airport to extend Serengeti permit for one extra 24 hour period.
day15 - On the drive to the Mara area we were told that we didn’t have a place to stay yet but they
were working on booking two nights each at two different camp, not the four nights at
Serengeti North Wilderness Camp like we had paid for. This meant an extra move in between
camps. We stayed at Savanna Mara Camp.
Stopped at the airport to extend Serengeti permit for one extra 24 hour period.
day16 – Accommodations changed from Serengeti North Wilderness Camp to Savanna Mara Camp.
Returned to airport to extend Serengeti permit for one extra 24 hour period.
day17 - Had to pack up in the morning because of the change in camps.
Accommodations changed from Serengeti North Wilderness Camp to Kenzan Mara Camp.
Put into tent that smelled like it had a sewer leak.
Returned to airport to extend Serengeti permit for one extra 24 hour period.
day18 - Accommodations changed from Serengeti North Wilderness Camp to Kenzan Mara Camp.
day20 - Range Rover broke down and was not fixable. We were stranded beside the road for several
hours until a friend of James showed up to drive us onto our next destination while he
stayed with the vehicle in order to get it repaired.
day22 – When James arrived to take us into Arusha the Range Rover had a broken motor mount so
we had to drive very carefully back to town.
Eastco did not book a dayroom for us at the Arusha Hotel that we paid them for in advance.
Simon was “out of town” and unavailable for a review of how our trip went or to reimburse us .
We feel one of the biggest failures was not being booked into the accommodations we requested and paid for in advance. This was one of the very reasons we chose Eastco because Simon said he would put us into the places we wanted to stay. By the end of the trip I got the feeling that they were waiting until the last minute to book our camps and trying to get the cheapest place they could find. It would explain why we almost got kicked out of KatiKati Camp, didn’t get into Wilderness Camp, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, the White Rose and in general got such bad rooms and tent locations. We paid deposits more than a year in advance to reserve these locations and specific dates with payment in full being made before leaving Arusha so there is no excuse for our accommodations being changed without warning. Of course, worst of all was having to pay twice at Tindiga Camp. We paid Eastco in advance and then we had to pay again at the camp because of Eastco’s nonpayment. Not only that, but we paid Eastco a markup for the privilege of paying twice. The uncertainty of where we would be staying each night definitely added stress into our trip.
Another big failure, there was never enough money to pay for entrance permits. Again it seemed to be a day to day thing even though we paid the total amount to Simon in cash. This meant that we only got to spend 1 ½ hours in Ngorongoro Crater and while in the Serengeti our days were arranged around daily trips back to the airports to renew our permit. The constant permit renewal situation, never knowing if we were going to get into or be able to stay in a particular park just added a little more stress. Eventually we began questioning what experiences we were missing because of the frequent airport stops.
Now a few words about the general condition of the Range Rover we were in. But first let me say that I grew up in rural Oregon in a small logging town so I know what beat up trucks are like and what rough roads can do to them. I have ridden in and driven them my whole life. That being said, this vehicle was in terrible shape and ill equipped to send paying clients out in the bush for an extended trip. It only had one spare tire, no radio, no air conditioner and no shovel or any other recovery equipment. While the tires did have decent tread on them they were street tires not traction tires. Two of the four doors didn’t open properly and neither did the tail gate. The weather seals around the doors, windows and tail gate were all in bad shape. This allowed dust to flow into the interior and coat everything inside including us, not to mention the constant rattling. The motor was so worn out that it had no power when pulling up even the smallest hill and the shocks were so weak that they could not control the wheel bounce on the wash boarded roads making for some long and rough travel days. I know this might sound like a lot of nit picking, but you spend the majority of your time in the vehicle so its condition is important.
We first started noticing that every time there was a small hill the Range Rover would lose power, slow way down and a huge amount of black diesel smoke would pour out of the tail pipe. This became acute climbing up Ngorongoro from Karatu and then out of the crater the next day and it only seemed to get worse as the trip went along. I really didn’t think it would last the entire trip.
We had two break downs, the first occurred on the way back from Lake Eyasi to Karatu on Day10, one of the water hoses sprung a leak and the motor began to overheat. After some time James was able to make a bush repair and we were able to limp into Karatu where he fixed it properly the next day.
The second was on Day20 when we drove from Lake Natron back to Boundary Hill Lodge. Just after passing through Mto Wa Mbu the front pinion gear ate itself and locked up the differential. We were stranded along the road side until one of James’s friends came to take Robin and myself on to Boundary Hill. We didn’t see James again until the morning of Day22 when he showed up to take us to the airport. However as we loaded up James informed us that the Range Rover now had a broken motor mount so we would have to take it nice and slow on the way back to Arusha. We feel very lucky the breakdowns didn’t happen far out in the bush because that would have left us stranded for much longer periods of time than we were.
Our biggest disappointment was that Simon didn’t feel it was necessary to contact us once while we were on the trip to explain what was going on, nor did he feel compelled to meet with us afterwards. The uncertainty of Eastco’s multiple failures added so much stress to our trip that it made it difficult at times to enjoy the incredible places we were traveling through.
Upon returning home I’ve been in email contact with Simon and negotiated a refund payment of $800 for all the things we were charged for but Eastco didn’t deliver. It’s been over a month now and all I get from him is one excuse after another. At this point in time I feel that I will not receive compensation for the over charges and forced double payments. Simon will tell you want you want to hear when you are planning a trip but he doesn’t feel obligated in any way to deliver what he charges for. After considering everything that happened to us on our trip we feel that he is dishonest and someone we would never do business with again. If you have booked a trip through him good luck, if you are considering using him, don’t.
Avoid this company!!
Avoid Sandlands!
Do not book with Sandlands Tour Company in Tanzania. Mr Abraham Shaidi and his colleague Simon will take your money and not deliver what you actually booked. During our trip this happened to us, another lady we met and we were informed that it was not the first time Mr Shaidi had done this.
My friend and I paid $1680 for a 4 night/ 5 day safari and did not receive everything in our itinerary. We should have had 2 nights in the Serengeti, but we only got one. We should have had an evening and full day game drive in the Serengeti but we only got two half days - one of these 'half days' was only from 3:30-6pm. We should have had two game drives in Ngoronogoro but we only got one.
We were paired with three men who had booked a budget 3 night safari costing around $600 and our itinerary was changed to suit theirs. Meaning we essentially got the same experience as a budget safari (with the exception of accommodation) but paid over $1000 more.
Further to this, we spent almost 2 hours daily waiting around for the men to pack up their camping equipment despite the fact we deliberately didn't book camping to avoid this delay.
On two occasions, Mr Shaidi also instructed our driver to take us to different accommodation than what we had actually booked - accommodation that was significantly lesser than what we paid for. It was only because our driver was kind and honest that we realised this and were able to call Mr Shaidi to demand we were taken to where we paid for.
When we spoke with Mr Shaidi to resolve this, him and his colleague Simon refused to take blame for the fact that they falsely advertised the itinerary and didn't give us what we paid for. Mr Shaidi did compare the itinerary we booked, to what we actually received and agreed it was vastly different. However, he blamed Simon for this and Simon blamed him. Mr Shaidi was the one who instructed our driver of the itinerary to follow. Mr Shaidi assured us that he would ensure we each received $200 in compensation the next day. However, predictably this was also a lie and we received no money back.
Do not waste your time and money booking with this company. They are complete con-artists and will try to cut corners wherever they can. We are extremely angry and disappointed that we spent so much money and did not receive what we booked and hope that this review ensures nobody else is ripped off like we were.
UA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They are Liars!
A plus:
It was a beautiful safari and we saw many animals. I want to say many thanks to the chef, his food was very tasty.
Minuses:
We went in the low season, so if you are hoping for what they told in the correspondence, do not believe it! They'll take you as they like. They will not follow the description that is said here. And you will have a safari only in the morning or only in the evening, do not expect that you will spend all the time looking at animals. Our car broke down and we drove 6 hours to the campsite at a speed of 10 km and no one came to our rescue.
We arrived when it was dark, nothing is visible and I hurt my leg, it was swollen and there was a hematoma, and they even do not have a usual first aid kit and they refused even to bring a bottle of cold water that I would put on my leg. On the last day of the safari, the people who were with us, ended their safaris, because they started earlier and we just joined them. At 11 o'clock in the afternoon we were taken to a camping place and we did not go anywhere else!
With all this, the director of this company blatantly lied and denied that everything was fine!
When I gave the guide a tip of $ 85 (4 days of safari for two), he also started to say that we should give tip the chef! Dear authorities, warn people that they themselves should distribute tips between employees, because I thought that they themselves share everything equally. That's why we paid even more!
I do not recommend this company to anyone. The most terrible and deceitful attitude!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our deposit $4000US missing
We have planned a Safari for December2017 and received the same email as everyone else about someone running off with the money
We were told our trip is safe and is with another company.
When we contacted that company it is not so
So rang all hotels on our itinary some booked some not, none have received any payment
This is very disaapointing...Do not go with this company
We have tried to contact all Tanzanian tourist boards and even the Tourism Minister and are waiting replies
NO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Read all 1 star reviews. They are TRUE!! Do not book with ISIA!!! WARNiNG!
We paid extra for a pick up from the airport.
They didn'¨t show up. We had to find another a taxi driver in the middle of the night.
The next day we had to hunt ISIA down by phone with the help of the hotel manager.
The trip started 5 hours too late because of this.
We had paid USD70 for an extra event. We didn't get to do this event and still after 4 months we haven't been refunded. I waited this long before writing a review to give them a chance to make it good.
They answer emails sometimes and sometimes not. Lies and stalling. In the beginning they said that they had made the payment but that it will take a couple of weeks before we would see it on the account.
The guide wasn't too interested in talking about animals. He just wanted to drive to get to the next camp and start driving a bit late every day.
He had good contact with other drivers to find animals but that was about it.
In the end he and his boss tried to pressure us to pay USD20 per day in tips and said that this wasn't optional.
You don't need to pay for an expensive company like ISIA!
All companies drive around and talk to each other. Just be sure to get a driver who have been driving for at least 5 years or so. This because a rookie might wreck the car and you will lose time.
There is a million companies out there.
Check what areas you want to go to and what camps you want to live in. Then contact any company but NOT It Started in Africa!
You have been Warned!