IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
ATTENTION IT IS A SCAM! terrible experience
We booked 11 days of safaris with John William of open africa safaris for September 2018. We have been in touch with him for two months (email and whatsapp) and we never thought we'd find out what happened to us. We found good reviews about this tour operator, we trusted on him and we payed him in advance for the total amount of the safaris for our honeymoon (4600 usd). Once we arrived in Kenya he asked to anticipate 2000usd because of transfer problems with the promise of an immediate refunding. He send us a request of refunding by square, however the day after he cancelled the operations without telling us anything. In the following days he asked us other 300usd to continue our tour. Moreover he booked some hotels but he never payed, so we had to anticipate other money. Lie upon lie he destroyed our honeymoon. Once in Arusha we tried to find his office but IT DOES NOT EXIST! Fortunately the tour operators East African exotic safaris (Manager Raphael) and big5 Vojage (Manager Dilunga) helped us to not spoil out trip. They organized safaris for us despite they never get money by him to take care of our trip. They were angels for us. Excellent people in contraposition to the fraudulent open africa safaris. I will be always grateful to them.
I know that my review will sound unique compared to the old reviews but unfortunately this is the reality. Another young traveler can testify because she faced the same problem as us. We are now reclaiming our money and do our possible to avoid that other guests will fall in the same scam. For any further informations please contact me privately.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Poor logistics, vehicle falling apart.
The vehicle was leaking fuel when full. Some had to be drained before we could continue for the day. The driver's door would not open from the outside. The front passenger door would not open at all. The passenger climbed in & out through the window. The 3rd window on the driver's side was jammed shut. Lastly, the vehicle had no starter -- so we had to park on a hill or get some locals to push start us.
Logistics: 45 minute delay (in a hot, dusty, crowded parking lot) while driver and chef waited for a money transfer before they could buy groceries. Tents were not arranged at the camp site, so we eventually begged some tents from other tour operators. The Ngorongoro permit had not been purchased on the morning we were to enter, so one of customers volunteered to pay our way to we could actually enter the crater.
That being said, the cook had tasty meals for us, and the driver was nice.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Avoid !
Did a Masai Mara Safari with Bencia end of July. It was supposed to be 3 days and we only spent 24 hours in the park, our guide pretending that the car broke down to force us to go to the Masai Village to force us to go to the Masai Village and to avoid paying the entry fee for another 24 hours.
We've had to complain and got 80$ back, so that we wouldn't put a bad review online. They pretended it was the guide's fault, and told us they gave him all the cash to pay the park fees. Although the park fees can't be payed by cash.
I met later a couple who told me the same thing happened to them, so it must be a regular thing.
Later on I met two Italian guys stuck in Serengeti campsite for two days without getting on any safari because they booked with Bencia and their driver never showed up!
Avoid!
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Avoid at all costs - this is a schlock outfit!!
Utter shambles. Of 5 nights of mobile camping - reserved, confirmed, fully pre-paid - we were cheated out of 2 nights. On arrival we found out that the first night nothing whatsoever had been arranged, other than a back-handed suggestion to stay in some shabby motel in the middle of Maun - and even though our itinerary clearly stated that we would be bush camping in Khwai. We were also told that, on the last night, we would be unceremoniously dumped in Kasane and left to our own devices - and even though our itinerary clearly stated that we would be bush camping in Ihaha. The so-called "organisation" was an unmitigated disaster. The vehicles (yes, plural, there was a series of replacement ones as they were in such bad condition!) bordered on dangerous. All the equipment was old, worn, broken (tents), dirty (sheets), badly stained (mattresses), or incomplete (towels never materialised). When I confronted the owner, he did not seem surprised and indicted that other travellers had also had abysmal experiences with Bush Baby Calls. But this did not seem to bother him! At best, ineptitude. At worst, fraudulent. Only saving grace was the actual guides who were superb. For both, it was the first time working freelance for Bush Baby Calls and they were clearly horrified, though too professional (and embarrassed) to discuss the situation. Even the officer at Khwai Gate - when we finally got there! - rolled her eyes and said, "Not them again , they are always messing up!" Be warned: book with Bush Baby Calls only if you want to have your dream mobile tented experience completely ruined.
GR
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Nomad company has destroyed for me a lifetimes dream of traveling to S. African countries .
I'm an older woman and I had a dream to travel to S. Africa ,Namimbia, Botswana etc , so I flew from Athens to Istanbul and from there 11 hours direct flight to Cape Town . I chose nomad tours to make my dream come true.
After ALL was set and DONE we started our journey with one of their trucks . 2 hours later and while on the road, Nomad called the coach of the tour to say that I had to go back because Namimbia required a visa and there was nothing they could do about it. Can anyone imagine the disappointment??? We were way out of Cape Town and I had to take a taxi to go back. I'm a very experienced traveler and had asked all kinds if questions while we were on the process of booking the tour. On the issue of visas, they had informed me that there was NO need.
Being in business they should have known. Then, I had to struggle to get my money back. They didn't even want to
pay for the taxis fare, plus a very rude attitude. They didn't even offer a solution on their behalf, something to "sweeten" the situation.So,for me there was no choice left. I didn't have another opportunity to take another tour because that would have mean for me to search and stay for another 10 days or so at Cape Town and I couldn't afford to do that as already I had spent so much money waiting for their tour.I had to leave the country very dissapointed. To do all this again , it's not easy at all, " thanks " to NOMAD TOURS.
OM
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
No booking, harassed for 2 days, and ended up paying 3,500 US$ for camps we belive not as good!
We booked our family safari in April for 9-16 July a 6 night safari and it was confirmed by Martha and a deposit sent. We chose Atua Enkop Africa Luxury Camps which Martha confirmed.
Two days before we left we thought we would check that the bookings in the camps were all OK as I read an article that said there were some operators in Tanzania that were not reliable. We contacted Atua Enkop Africa Luxury Camps owner of our 3 camps and were advised there was no booking. We immediately contacted Martha at Orongai and then started a catastrophe where she blamed Atua Enkop Africa Luxury Camps and that the booking was there. Martha said she would sort it so we flew to Kenya.
On arrival we went to the hotel we booked initially on our own and met Martha and found indeed we had no camp bookings and it ended after two stressful days of Orongai telling us nonsense and upping the price all the time and time running out and no option that we had to stay in totally different camps and had to pay Orongai another 3,500 dollars. At this late stage booking on our own was not possible and we were there so we had no choice.
On our return home I contacted Atua Enkop Africa Luxury Camps and they reconfirmed no booking was ever made and they had never heard of Orongai Africa Safari. At the best Orongai Africa Safari are incompetent and at worst and what we believe they are absolute crooks and a disgrace to the Kenya Tourism industry.
SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Stay AWAY! Negative reviews Deleted!
ISIA contacted me after Safaribookings.com gave them my email address. This is not OK!
How can you trust the reviews on Safaribookings.com when you work like this?
A review website like this is to keep the customers safe. This is exactly the opposite.
Please know that when you read these reviews there probably is many who deleted their negative reviews hoping to get a refund from ISIA. In 6months... Sounds like a scam to be honest.
"Our request is if you and other clients accepts on our request to suspend the safaribookings reviews we can clear in installments your total refund in six months as we are getting many safari requests from the thousands of clients friends who are being recommended to us but the issue of the negative reviews is keeping them from booking with us, meaning if you can suspend your review and others as we are requesting from all those affected we can get business and pay all your refunds in the shortest time possible and we clear our name from the perspective the affected clients have on us."
"We are not only communicating with you alone but we have approached safaribookings for them to assist us in sorting out this issue once and for all as they know we were some of their best customers for the years we have used their services and they are the one who even sent us your email address and other clients and the review number you had posted and we are hoping for the best."
The rest of the emails is about how It Started In Africa is a victim and what ever...
This is YOUR fault! YOU have stolen money from a lot of people! People trusted YOU and YOUR company with their hard earned money or even life savings. It is your job to make sure they are safe!
Your customers are the Victims.
Not you!
I hope I can save someone.
IL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Kenya, and the SOLARIS the FRAUDSTERS
This is a genuine review about our trip (me & my husband) to Kenya during last month (5 days, End of January 2018).
Hope this will help you, if Kenya is in your bucket list also.
Kenya is an amazing place, with its scenic places, very friendly people, tasty food and the best tea.
There are many tour operators available online, please start doing the research a bit early and go for a reputed one.
I contacted many tour operators but got impressed with Solaris quotes and their flexibility which made us to choose them. The only and the biggest mistake I did in planning this trip. Now after the trip I understand, being flexible to any extend is the trick to make you fall for them.
The coordinator and the spokesperson from Solaris was Josphat.
Here is the list of disappointments by the Great Solaris!!
• Starting of our trip - Josphat cancelled the Amboseli NP plan without informing us. When we got ready with lot of excitement in the morning the driver took a turn towards Nairobi and said that you flight was delayed so the Amboseli NP is cancelled. We were shocked to hear this as we landed on time and got out of the airport as well on time, it was a lie told by Josphat to the driver.
We travelled all the way from Nairobi to Amboseli just to sleep in the Lodge...!!!!!!!! I must say the Kilimanjaro view we had from our lodge was spectacular, which kind of calmed us down.
And on second day travelling all the way from Amboseli to Lake Nakuru...
We reached late to Nakuru also...!!!!!!! 2 days wasted in our 5 days trip...!!!!!!!
Refund Number 1: Mr. Josphat then agreed to give us back the National park entrée ticket fee.
• We were provided with a safari van, which had a non-working radio. Only after reaching Masai Mara we got to know the importance of radio. The guides communicate to others over wireless when they spot something.
Our driver knew this radio issue from day one and he did not open his mouth until we were stuck inside Mara with no radio. If driver and Josphat had communicated properly, they could have fixed/replaced the radio when we had crossed Nairobi on the second day from Amboseli. But they did nothing...!!!!
We got to see the big 5, only because we were lucky...!!!!!!!
• The driver hardly opened his mouth and he is supposed to be the experienced safari guide too for us. He was more like just a driver who had already reached his retirement age. Every day we started on time, but never reached any destination on time...!!!!
He was very careless and sometimes rude too and never cared about our time.
Example,
After balloon safari (on the 4th day) he was supposed to pick us inside Mara at the agreed upon spot. When we returned he was already waiting there for us, but as soon as we got in, he said “I don’t see your lunch box inside and this hotel guys have forgotten to put it”, We had to go all the way to the camp from the national park to take the lunch box and after reaching there it turned out that it was in the vehicle all the time and he did not check it properly and just started blaming camp guys. This event made both of us very upset on for first wedding anniversary morning. First of all it is his job to make sure the lunch boxes are in before he leaves the camp and he did not care to check that while waiting on the spot for us too. Then at last he can’t search his own van.
Because of his carelessness we lost almost 2 hours in the morning, the time when we get to see more games.
Refund Number 2: For all the disappointments, Mr. Josphat wanted to correct his mistake by refunding some amount on the next day of our trip end.
Even after a month, follow up with lot of patients, we got zero Refunds!!!!
After one month, we did not receive any money, which explains us that was not a flaw which happened accidently, but all the plans and promises were just lies to get our booking.
When we are spending so much, his refund is not a big money. But still we wanted to give him a chance to admit and correct his mistakes.
So, guys after spending so much money, so much researching, expectations and planning, if you don’t want to end up with a feeling of being cheated, DON'T GO WITH SOLARIS.
Only 35 reviews in all these years tell what SOLARIS really is...
In spite of all these, it will still be a special trip with the magical view of Mt.Kilimanjaro in Amboseli, Flamingoes in the Lake Nakuru, Masai village visit, balloon safari and the big 5 safari in Masai Mara .
It would have been a lifetime trip if we would have chosen another tour. If we get a chance we definitely want to go back to Kenya, but definitely not with SOLARIS.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Cheated out of $3300
They took our money but never returned our phone calls or emails, and never picked us up or tried to contact us while we were in Tanzania.
We heard rumors of financial insolvency and bankruptcy, but were never able to verify that. Nonetheless, we know we never got to go on our tour...
That said, we ended up finding a great company and having a great time, so at least that worked out.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Do not book this company
We have booked Kenya/Tansania holidays with Absolute Holidays Safaris - a Kenya company. For the Tansania part SandLand Tours was responsible - the partner company of Absolute Holidays Safaris. Here a list of all issue we had with this company or to be more precise with Abraham, the head of this company:
1. We paid 2 day safari in the Ngorongoro creater. Abraham told us only one day is paid and we have to pay again 300$ if we want to go a second time. After we were back in Kenya, Absolute Holiday Safari confirmed that we have paid for two days and gave us back the 300$. Abraham lied as he told us he has checked with Absolute Holidays Safari and the second day was not paid.
2. we asked for a birthday cake as one of the group had his birthday. he wanted to have 40$ dollars for a small cake. we did not paid anything at the end as this was clearly a scam.
3. we paid for a nice lodge to have one day rest, on the day heading to the lodge we were informed that we will stay in another lodge, which was cheaper than the one we have chosen and paid for.
4. Camp sites were changed in last minute to save money as well.
5. the car we had in Tansania was not in service for years.
6. the tents were leaking
7. we had upgrade to bed and beddings, but just got tents and matrasses
I really recommend to not do any holidays with them. if you have booked via Kenya company, do not accepted any deviations from the plan in Tansania you have arranged with the Kenya company. Abraham (SandLand Tours) will try to save money whereever possible and even assert that not everything was paid in advance and the client has to pay again.