DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very good guide but lack of organisation and support by operator
First of all: Our guide was friendly and competent, so we spend a pleasant time.
Now the reason for the two star review:
- First of all, we did two gamedrives less compared to the itinerary. This was strongly recommended by the guide since the location of the lodges would not allow to complete the program as it was foreseen by the operator.
- Second, the transport to our hotel after completion of the tour was organized poorly and took several hours more than necessary. After suggesting an alternative transport I was offered transfer by car for 230 US Dollars, more than three times the price charged by our hotel.
- In the morning of the last day the operator approved our request to be dropped at Sala Gate, instead of Voi Gate. Thereafter I ordered a transfer to the hotel. Two hours later, shortly before departure and after I ordered the driver, we were told that a transfer to Sala Gate would not be approved, since the operator did not want to pay the fuel for an extra 150km (of course, the two gamedrives less were not refunded).
- Instead we should rush to Voi, where we were supposed to take a car from Voi to Malindi. So we left the lodge early and skipped the gamedrive scheduled for this day
- Arriving in Voi it turned out that there was no space for us in the car - so we had to wait two hours two hours to take the train to Mombasa.
All in all there was a total lack of organisation and support once the money was paid. The refusal of driving us 75km to Sala Gate was rediculous, considering the price of the safari and the fact, that the operator delivered two gamedrives less than promised.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
10 day Safari Trip
Having read the previous great reviews for Shengena Adventure my boyfriend and I were confident in our selection of this company for our safari in Tanzania. However for the 10 day safari package we chose with this company things did not go to plan. Firstly there seemed to be a miscommunication between the tour operator and our guide from the get go as the very first morning we were left waiting for an hour to be picked up as the tour guide went to the wrong hotel. We left it go as we were excited for our trip. The guide was very knowledgeable and patient when we went on game drives. Then the switch changer for the fuel tanks wouldn’t work just as we began our journey to Serengeti. Having received help from 2 locals we got going. Again we let it go because these things happen. One night before what we were told was our hot air balloon ride the hotel said the hot air balloon company (Serengeti balloon safari- would highly recommend!) had our reservation for Thursday not Wednesday. We got onto our tour operator who said it was on Thursday even though our guide had told us Wednesday. We asked our tour operator to tell the guide as he was staying in the local village and not the hotel that we would be at the hotel in the morning not the hot air balloon field. Unfortunately due to lack of service in the area no one could contact him so they left us waiting for 3 hours the next morning to be collected when someone could finally contact him. Again we tried to stay positive even though the only ones missing out was us. That day we also got a flat tire (again it happens) and then the original issue of the fuel changer acted up again because the guide did not put fuel back in the first tank so that meant he had to manually switch the fuel tanks again. Little did I know my boyfriend had planned a surprise proposal in the middle of the Savannah for that afternoon with champagne. He had asked the tour company what could be organized and was offered to purchase a champagne lunch. He had paid a heavy enough fee for permits to go off road and get out of the jeep and the bottle of champagne. My boyfriend told me later that he had been informed by the guide during the day that he can’t go off road as he’ll get in trouble and my bf explained that’s why he paid for the permits. He was told the permits didn’t exist but agreed to help anyway which was nice of him. My boyfriend later showed me the stunning picture of the white table clothed table with an ice bucket and bottle of champagne that he paid for vs what we got- 2 camping chairs with a metal table and a warm bottle of sparkling 0.0% alcohol grape juice. Now the moment was perfect based on the setting and of course the actual proposal but I felt terrible for my bf having paid the extra money for no reason. He had tried to organize the hot air balloon in the am and then followed by that so we wouldn’t be covered in safari dust for the proposal. But based on how the trip had been going we just had to laugh. It was an actual argument for the tour company to give back the money to my bf for the “champagne lunch” even though we didn’t get champagne and the permits he paid for didn’t exist. The jeep then proceeded to break down so many times I lost count. At one stage bf pushed the jeep with 3 other men as it jeep wouldn’t start without a push. The middle console of the jeep was falling out onto the gear stick. We laughed initially at the “African massage” you got because the jeep was so bumpy but when we got collected by the hot air balloon jeep and rode the same roads we just realised how bad the condition of our jeep was. It was still bumpy but nothing like our jeep. The shocks of our jeep must have been completely gone. We completely understand sometimes things go wrong. But the amount of things that went wrong at no stage did the tour operator offer any financial compensation (besides giving back the money for the failed champagne lunch that they basically paid nothing for) as we were the ones that missed out on basically half a day of game drives. We paid a lot for this trip and we work hard for our money. Now we saw all the animals we wanted to see and all the hotels and staff were great so would definitely recommend for anyone to do a safari. However we saw so many different companies so I personally wouldn’t take the risk and go with this one just in case you have a similiar experience to us. Our guide said he was free lance so I would say given a decent jeep and correct information to go by he would be great. He was so informative about the animals and thankfully was able to get the jeep going each time. Not to mention he did go out of his way to drive out on the Savannah for the proposal.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A DISAPPOINTING Safari Experience with a DISRESPECTFUL guide!
My friend and I chose Imani for a 7-day trip in July, hoping for a memorable experience. Unfortunately, we encountered a series of disorganized and disappointing events that left us questioning the agency’s professionalism.
The issues included accommodation and itinerary errors, lack of communication, a rush itinerary, and the disrespectful guide, Fred.
1. Accommodation and Itinerary Discrepancies:
(1) Downgrade of accommodation: On July 24, our driver informed us that our originally booked hotel, Mara Kati Kati Camp, was destroyed by a wildfire. We were left with no choice but to accept an alternative hotel they had arranged. However, upon checking in at the Untamed Migration Camps, we discovered that this hotel was significantly inferior, holding merely 3 reviews on Tripadvisor, compared to the initial booking's 1724 reviews. We reached out to the manager, Mike, hoping for clarification and a refund of the price difference, but his response lacked any apology. He simply stated that it wasn't his fault and that Untamed Migration Camps is better than Mara Kati Kati Camp, and then ceased further communication. Later, we met another group from the same travel agency who were upgraded to a better hotel (Baobab Lodge & Camp) due to the Mara Kati Kati being fully booked, not destroyed by fire as we were told. This discrepancy in stories left us doubting the veracity of the wildfire claim and feeling deceived.
(2) Mistaking us for the wrong accommodation: On July 26, we were mistakenly taken to the wrong hotel, Manyara Secret, and endured a half-hour wait and more unapologetic responses from management. Our eventual accommodation at Escarpment Luxury Lodge proved inadequate with issues like malodorous rooms and a leaking air conditioner, which necessitated a midnight room change. The staff then moved us to a standard room type—larger, cleaner, and more organized. Only then did we realize that, even after the hotel mix-up, the agency had initially booked us into the most remote and least desirable room in the hotel. We ended up having to pack and move rooms in the early hours of the morning.
(3) Meals not covered during the first-day trip: Contrary to our itinerary, meals were not provided on the first day. We had to cover these costs out-of-pocket, with the agency only reimbursing us for lunch after a discussion with the manager.
1. Unreasonable Itinerary Planning:
We booked a 7-day safari trip through Imani but were not informed in advance about the overly rushed schedule. In practice, we only had 5 days of actual safari, with a significant portion of our time spent in transit. Our time in the Serengeti was rushed, limiting our encounters with wildlife. On the last day, with almost no activities scheduled by Imani, we had to independently arrange a village tour and a visit to a Maasai village. The agency failed to provide a clear and flexible itinerary that would have allowed us to adjust or reduce activities to enhance our experience.
2. Communication Shortfalls:
Although Imani uses communication apps such as WeChat, they did not provide these contact details in our email exchanges, hindering effective communication. Besides, during our initial email correspondence when we expressed enthusiasm about booking their tour, they did not supply a final itinerary, leading to numerous misunderstandings and errors during our trip.
3. The driver Fred is a very unprofessional and disrespectful guide. We did not feel that he prioritized the passengers' experience, and we even sensed his disdain. His unsatisfied behaviors include but are not limited to:
(1) UNAUTHORIZED USE OF PERSONAL BELONGINGS: The driver Fred, realized his camera was malfunctioning, and I told him that if he wanted to take photos, he could borrow the camera from mine when needed. However, on July 25, he took my camera without my consent, inserted his memory card, and used it to take photos. He even posted Instagram stories of him holding my camera. This was done without any apology and is the most incomprehensible and infuriating issue I encountered.
(2) POOR COMMUNICATION and Lack of Consideration During Safari: Throughout the safari, the driver dictated all movements without any discussion—driving when he decided and only stopping when he chose to. When I requested a brief stop to capture better photos of the lion family, he declined, claiming that we were not allowed to linger in that area (why? and why cannot we get the permission?). This made every wildlife sighting incredibly tense, as I was always worried about missing the opportunity to take photos. Such an experience was profoundly unsatisfactory.
(3) Neglect in Customer Experience: After exchanging Instagram accounts, I noticed that the photos he took after spotting a group of elephants closely were from a much better angle than ours, which was taken from a rear perspective. The prioritization of viewing angles seemed skewed to benefit Fred’s own photographic interests rather than providing guests with optimal wildlife viewing experiences, as evidenced by the superior angles of his photos compared to ours.
(4) Uncommunicated Personal Errands: The driver often had his own errands, such as delivering supplies to his friends or buying personal items. We understand that these tasks might be necessary, but he never informed us in advance nor did he communicate his plans to us.
After expressing our frustrations, the agency offered a paltry $250 refund and a complimentary airport transfer. It hardly compensated for the multitude of issues we experienced. The trip culminated in an apology from the manager, but it was too late. This trip has left such a negative impact that I am disinclined to visit Tanzania again. I have traveled to more than 30 countries and have lived in several countries, but had never had such a poor travel experience.
It is crucial to share our story to help others avoid similar negative experiences. The level of service provided by Imani was not only disappointing but unacceptable, and I caution potential travelers to carefully consider their options when booking a safari in Tanzania.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I Would Not Use This Company Again
I reached out to Apodiformes Adventures to book a private three day tour that included two nights in Amboseli National Park including 4 game drives over three days, transportation from Diani Beach to Mombasa train station, train tickets to Emali station (near Ambolseli), and finally transportation to Nairobi. Peter quickly responded and I started communicating with him to work out the details. After a few days of emails and what's app texts back and forth we agreed upon the details. One of the conditions was that we could pay with a credit card which we did for the initial deposit. Later however, he said he wanted to balance to be paid in cash in USD on arrival. I told him that wasn't possible because we were going to be in Africa for several weeks prior to this tour and didn't want to carry that much cash with us. Eventually he agreed to let us pay in credit card but insisted on an additional fee that wasn't previously agreed upon. This wasn't a deal breaker but in was the first in several instances where things weren't quite as initially stated.
Getting to the Mombasa train station and onto the train was an absolute fiasco. Our driver was supposed to pick us up at our hotel in Diani beach at 5am on Saturday in order to catch the 8am train. At 5am the driver was not there. This is where it gets tricky because at 5am (in the pitch black of night) there was a driver waiting at the hotel apparently arranged by the hotel. We got into his car and started driving. About :30min into the trip I asked him about the train tickets. He was confused because he thought he was taking us to the airport. At this point, I wasn't able to get a strong enough cell signal to call or text Peter, but the driver was able to finally get him on the phone. There was a lot of back and forth (and yelling) in Swahili over several calls that I didn't understand.
Once we did get to the train station, the plan was to wait for the other driver who we were told was an hour late getting to the hotel in Diani and he would come and give us the train tickets. This was not a good solution. First off security at the train station did not want us hanging around the parking lot. They said we had to either go thru the initial security check or leave. The train station was extremely chaotic. There were hundreds of people pushing and yelling and trying to get thru and we couldn't find any workers who spoke English to help us and I still wasn't able to use my phone. Peter and the other driver were trying to call me but none of the calls or texts were coming thru.
Eventually we did find a security guard who spoke enough English and was willing to help us. He took us thru security despite us not having tickets or a confirmation, and got Peter on the phone using his own phone. Peter then sent him copies of the ticket confirmation. He then whisked us into the lobby and told us to wait while he went and printed the tickets. Great! He came back gave us the tickets and pointed us to get in line. We waited in the line but when we got up front we were denied because Peter sent the guard the wrong ticket confirmation! The guard was gone and we were back to square one without tickets.
Keep in mind that the station is complete mayhem. At this point we tried to buy new tickets but the train was sold out. I was able to convince a ticket agent however to look up our names and reprint the tickets. This was much harder then it sounds but eventually they were able to do this but we had to pay an additional re-printing fee.
The original agreement included the transportation to the station and the train tickets, but we ended up having to pay the driver and the ticket re-print fee which was 30% of the price. When I asked Peter to reimburse us for these expenses he refused to do so basically blaming me saying it was my fault even though his drive wasn't on time.
We were met in Emali by David who would be our guide in Amboseli. David was wonderful. We thoroughly enjoyed ever minute with him especially the game drives.
We spent 2 nights at the Kibo Safari Camp and were supposed to do 4 game drives. One on the Saturday of arrival, two on Sunday, and one on Monday morning before heading to Nairobi by auto. However on Monday morning we were picked up in a vehicle (with a different driver) not suited for safari, so we headed to Nairobi without doing that fourth game drive. This wasn't a huge deal, but it was part of the agreement and payment. I never heard anything from Peter about this. In fact I never heard from Peter again after we arrived in Emali on the train. No follow up. I even waited three weeks to write this review to see if he or anyone from Apodiformes would contact me. Nothing.
This was not my first trip to Africa so I understand that stuff happens and things can go sideways. You have to be flexible. I get that, but the reason for this negative review is the lack of communication and follow up. The bottom line for me is that they over promised and under delivered which ended up costing us extra money out of pocket. I would not recommend Apodiformes Adventures.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not customer-oriented, only interested in own profits
Starting with the positives:
* Our driver exhibited exceptional friendliness and punctuality throughout the journey.
* We were consistently provided with excellent vantage points for capturing wildlife photographs.
* Despite encountering dangerous traffic conditions, our driver drove safely, though it's worth noting the necessity for functional safety belts within the vehicle.
However, handling of unforeseen circumstances by Meektrails Safari, particularly regarding our delayed arrival:
On the downside:
* Meektrails initially suggested omitting a day from our Masai Mara itinerary, a significant disappointment given its prominence in our plans and its associated cost, with no reimbursement offered.
* Contrary to their stated cancellation policy guaranteeing full refunds in such situations, we were informed that refunds were not feasible due to upfront payments for accommodations and entrance fees.
* During the safari we saw that these fees were typically paid upon arrival, contradicting Meektrails' explanation.
* Following considerable negotiation, Meektrails agreed to adjust our itinerary to two full days in Masai Mara, yet failed to compensate for the activities and accommodations we skipped.
* Additionally, the promised sightseeing activity in Nairobi on our final day was abruptly canceled without prior notice, leaving us feeling fooled
In conclusion, we recommend you to recognize the potential for abrupt changes in plans during such excursions. However, Meektrails' failure to stick to their refund policy and their apparent attempts to prioritize their interests leave a negative impression. Regrettably, we cannot recommend this agency.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Lazy, looking for money and poor in service.
I'm very sorry for the people who work for this company, but I can't recommend the company that was responsible for my climbing at all, but I can't recommend the people who work closely with you or accompany you. But you can also find them everywhere else and you can also hire Angelo privately, for example. I can only warmly recommend him and his team, but you've already read that. So if you are interested, I would be happy to put you in touch.😊 But Nelson, who I have corresponded with and who owns this company, was a horror. Zero information and quite long response times. Some answers didn't even arrive after several reminders. The information that followed was also inadequate. For example, I asked him what utensils I needed, since I'm a complete layman. He wrote to me that I didn't have to worry about anything or any utensils. Everything would be there. I don't have to worry. But he didn't say that I had to pay for the missing utensils. I ended up paying an additional $90 and in the end I feel let down. What about people who are on a tighter budget? He also didn't write down what the preparation should look like. The person who does this for the first time, like me, is left alone. Sure, you can read up on the internet, but every company does it differently. There is no sensible information on his website either. I'm very sorry, but I had to get this out of the way, also for the people who might be interested in climbing Mount Kili or doing something similar. I also booked the safari through Nelson and it was also designed to spend as little money as possible. Several groups who had booked different things were put in one car, which is fine in itself. You got to know more people and the stories behind them, but the implementation was horror and the performance didn't live up to the promise or the program. For example, we each had much shorter safari times. You left at just the wrong times. And meals were designed differently and even skipped. And since I have already completed two safaris, I can easily compare. And the comparison is very negative. He also failed to mention that bed and breakfast worth $20 each was included before the respective venture. So I didn't use this service, which is almost fine for me, but I just think paying $40 for the transfers is unfair and not right. I'm very sorry, but in the end it's more important to me that, should you ever do this, you are as informed as possible.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The tour guy was nice but demanded extra pay.
I booked the tour through TripAdvisor, securing it for the listed price of $85 for the 6:30 tour. However, the organizer contacted me via WhatsApp on the evening of the tour, stating he would pick me up at 6:15. Upon arrival, he proceeded to pick up other participants from a different hotel before reaching the park gate. To my surprise, he then requested an additional $45, catching me off guard. Reluctantly, I agreed to pay in cash upon our return to my hotel, complying with the unexpected demand.
To further add to the frustration, we were left waiting for approximately 40 minutes at the park gate, with no communication about the delay. Eventually, the tour commenced. My concern lies in the discrepancy between the advertised price paid online and the unanticipated extra charge in person. This unexpected financial request and lack of transparency about delays were disappointing aspects of an otherwise anticipated experience.
US
Our experience with Ruben was disorganized
Ruben is young and well intentioned but promises more than he can deliver. We missed our lunch and the Masai village and had limited time in the Game Reserve due to delays. A couple of jeeps in our group got back after our ship was supposed to have sailed but luckily the ship was delayed and they made it.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Communication and a Tour with Hours of Delay
Reuban the company rep or owner, has great and fast communication. He promises an awesome tour endlessly but on two days of tours we did, there was hours of delays and most promised sites could not be seen. Port of Zanzibar, Tanzania: hours of delays, no turtles, no snorkeling, no monkeys as promised; the only site was the rock restaurant and 2+ hours were spent there needlessly. Port of Mombasa, Kenya to Tsavo Park: spent over 2.5 hours at the gate, not allowed inside the park, watching many other vans of private tours and MSC Cruises tours go in. Due to the delay, no lunch and no Masai Village. We were over 80 people in 14 vans - all bitterly disappointed! I cannot recommend this company.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Possibly poor computer security
We contacted Jocky Tours for a quote. They responded and we started communicating with them through the email address on their website [email protected]. All communication was to / from this email. We sent payment as requested. When we got to Nairobi, they had no record of the emails or the payment. We suspect their email was hacked and our communications were being directed to a fraudulent third party. We have opened a fraud investigation on our side but caution anyone to be careful doing business with them.