20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very bad communication
Would not recommend, this company has taken out money and didn’t book the tours.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
masai mara lake nakuru
Be careful of this company. They make you believe you’re booking a lodge like Sofa Lodge and Lake Nakuru, but then they come up with excuses and put you in tent camps at different places. They pull tricks like overbooking or sometimes don’t say anything at all. We tried writing to get our money back for the difference, but they go silent after 5 or 6 days, being vague. Don't book with them; they’ll ruin your safari.
(automatic translation from Italian)
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Disappointed
During my tour, okavanko river is dried up and no wild animals in this region.
I was really disappointed that situation even though tour company informed in advance.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beware: worst tour operator
Beware of Mamu Travels - they are truly the worst tour operator I have ever encountered in my decades of traveling! Mariam, the owner of the company, was very responsive in the beginning, sending through a full quote quickly after my initial outreach. She seemed very thorough in her communications and continued to be responsive after I pre-paid for our safari in full (nearly $3000 for two people). Then, the week of our safari, she went completely dark. She didn't send through a final itinerary so we had no idea who was picking us up, when they were picking us up, their name or contact information - NOTHING! We emailed and messaged her before our pick up date and she was completely unresponsive. We got ready for our pick up the morning of our first day and no driver came. The main phone number for the company listed on the website, which was Mariam's number, was completely offline - no one would pick up or see our messages on WhatsApp. The only way we were able to get in touch with someone at Mamu was through the Safari lodge reservation desk, which happened to have another phone number for the company. That new person, Patronilla, picked up but had no records of our safari or our itinerary because she did not have access to Mariam's files. She said she herself could not get in touch with Mariam. After much struggle, she was able to convince the transfer driver to come back and get us (he said he apparently came at 6:00am and waited 30 minutes for us but the hotel front desk said that was a lie). When he picked us up, he couldn't tell us much about where we were going, just that we were going to meet the safari driver. When we got to the original meeting up point, a run down gas station in a very run down part of Nairobi, the safari driver had already left! So now we had to chase the driver around the outskirts of Nairobi, culminating in us speeding down a cliffside road to finally catch up to him on the side of the road. When we finally got to him, he broke the news to us that Mariam had not sent him the nature reserve entrance fees ($800 for two days for two people, which we prepaid) so we would have to pay him cash and get reimbursed by Mamu. For her part, Patronilla sent us a note that the company would honor the refund, but unfortunately, no one from the company had access to the bank accounts except for Mariam, who was still missing, so the refund could only happen when she came back online. Well, we completed our 3 day safari, which was great, especially the lodge Emayian as well as our safari driver, Charles, but Mariam was still missing the entire time. We checked in again a couple of days after, but her team said she was still missing, so we just ended up doing a chargeback through our credit card company. Needless to say, this was the most AWFUL travel experience of my life and I caution everyone before working with this incredibly unprofessional company that will put you in stressful, dangerous situations!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Terrible Experience with Bestprice Tours
I am writing to express my deep disappointment with the service provided by Bestprice Tours during our recent safari trip. Unfortunately, our experience was far from what we had hoped for, and it was marred by numerous issues that made our adventure incredibly frustrating.
Firstly, the vehicle provided was old and in poor condition, which rendered our safari nearly impossible. We faced constant breakdowns that severely impacted our ability to enjoy the wildlife and scenery. Additionally, the hotel accommodations were not fully paid for, despite us having settled all costs prior to the trip. This added unnecessary stress to our experience.
Moreover, the entry tickets and procedures for the national park were not prepared in advance, leading to extensive waiting times that further detracted from our safari experience. We encountered many other issues that collectively turned what should have been an exciting adventure into a regrettable ordeal.
In our frustration, we reached the point of requesting to cancel the remaining services and receive a refund so we could find another provider for the last three days of our program. We are set to leave the country today, yet we have yet to receive the promised refund that was assured to us.
I would not recommend Bestprice Tours based on our experience. It is crucial for travelers to choose a reliable company that values customer satisfaction and delivers on its commitments.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Guides often lack adequate knowledge about wildlife and the environment
Tourist line safaris are known for providing subpar experiences that fall short of expectations. Guides often lack adequate knowledge of the wildlife and environment, leading to an uninformative experience. I noticed their guides were new. Vehicles are poorly maintained, making travel uncomfortable and sometimes unsafe. Customer service is also lacking, with complaints about rude or unresponsive staff common. Additionally, the housing provided is often below standard, with reports of unsanitary conditions and misleading descriptions. Overall, the company fails to deliver the quality and professionalism expected from a safari tour operator. Many customers feel that they are not getting good value for their money, making tourist line safaris a less than ideal choice for those looking for an unforgettable safari adventure.
Guides often lack adequate knowledge about wildlife and the environment
Tourist line safaris are known for providing subpar experiences that fall short of expectations. Guides often lack adequate knowledge of the wildlife and environment, leading to an uninformative experience. I noticed their guides were new. Vehicles are poorly maintained, making travel uncomfortable and sometimes unsafe. Customer service is also lacking, with complaints about rude or unresponsive staff common. Additionally, the housing provided is often below standard, with reports of unsanitary conditions and misleading descriptions. Overall, the company fails to deliver the quality and professionalism expected from a safari tour operator. Many customers feel that they are not getting good value for their money, making tourist line safaris a less than ideal choice for those looking for an unforgettable safari adventure.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Be careful, not reliable and fraudulent!
We recently tried to book a safari with them but after a deposit was paid they stopped all communication, since about 2 weeks now. If you want to avoid a lot of trouble which ruins your holidays, do not book with them!
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Scammers- BEWARE
Honcho took my 50% deposit over a year ago and now they are off the grid- emails and websites gone, the lodge had NEVER gotten the money OR the booking. So now 2 weeks prior to the trip I have no safari booked.
It is too late to get Visa to cover the fraud and they are not to be found anyway.
What horrible people to rip innocent travelers off like this.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Scam!!! Azas are con artists and scammer who did not deliver on anything we paid for.
Azas Safari Uganda SCAM
My husband and I are in Africa on our honeymoon. We booked a 3 day Azas Safari to see the Mountain Gorillas at $4180USD. Our trip included return flights from Entebbe to Kihihi, accomodation at Mahogany Spring Lodge, Gorilla Permits, guide, meals and park entrances. We arrived in Entebbe and stayed at the recommended hotel, we were in constant contact and communication with Azas the entire time however they began to get less and less responsive on sharing required details around flights, permits etc. We were told, by Azas, to go to the Aerolink office at Entebbe where we found out we were never booked on flights and had to pay for our own return flights $895USD. Azas, still in communication with us via WhatsApp, assured us the permits were sorted so we proceeded to purchase the flights and flew to Kihihi. We were met by a guide who took us to our accommodation where we found out that no permits had been secured. After speaking with anyone and everyone that we possibly could to rectify the situation we then had to purchase the permits ourselves $1600USD.
Azas are awful human beings who have scammed and completely ripped us off and continued to string us along.
We have reported them to the Ugandan police and tourism authority.