US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good operator, extremely rude drivers
Masai Mara & Nakuru: 30 July 2019; for short version, look below.
I am so conflicted giving this a 2 star rating because we (group of 9, with 7 visiting from the US) had a terrible experience largely due to one person (Julius - experienced but grumpy & rude tour guide who seems to hate his job/life), but the rest of everything else was great. However, Julius largely defined the experience for the group that he was driving, so I unfortunately cannot justify more than 2 stars. All 9 of us are avid travelers and visit 3-4 countries every year (4 of us are above the age of 60), with 2 who live and work in Kenya, and there was consensus that these were among the most disrespectful people we’ve met.
We are a large group and worked with George for a few months, during which we made multiple changes and George was absolutely fantastic, accommodating, and patient throughout, designing a customized trip for us - I had decided I would give this operator a 5 star rating even before the trip, but then, enter Julius. Right from day 1, he seemed a bit rude and on edge with his responses to any question. Since we were in a mindset of trying to have fun, and had planned this for months, we ignored it and tried to brush it off. We had 2 vehicles, and the other tour guide, Milton, seemed much friendlier until Julius turned him by day 3, so we had him acting snippy towards the end too. After a few incidents it became hard to ignore Julius’ rudeness (example - at one point when we said it was uncomfortable to have a large empty ice box in the car, as the water he brought had run out anyway, he responded with ’then you have to be uncomfortable’; not even a hint of empathy, or trying to find a solution). Oh and he also whipped out a large machete that was under the seat on at least a few occasions (pretending to clean it) possibly with the aim of intimidating everyone, and I guess it worked. Imagine being in a jungle at the mercy of someone like that (he even looks scary). Both drivers started acting very dictatorial, telling us what the new plan was (different from the itinerary), and not offering any options, or entertaining any suggestions. We finally got a different driver on day 3 (James) who was absolutely fabulous - and told us more about Mara and wildlife in one hour on the freeway, than Julius did in 2 days, but unfortunately he was there only to drive us back home, so we didn’t really get to do any Game drives with him.
TLDR: George - amazing guy, very easy to work with; tour guide Julius ruined the experience with his blunt rudeness; The other guide Milton was okay first couple of days, but also became rather rude after seeing Julius talk to the group with no respect and get away with it. James (who stood in for Julius on day 3 was absolutely fantastic, and well spoken, and the guide we all wished we had through the safari), so be super careful who you select as a tour guide/driver as it is critical in how your experience turns out.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An experience of a lifetime that got ruined…
Pros:
They can customize packages for your needs.
Affordable to an extent (Don’t forget to bargain though)
They also do safaris in Uganda and Tanzania
Cons:
They do not deliver what they promise.
There is a vast disconnect between the Guide/Driver and Mr.Otieno. The guide controls what you do on your trip. We missed 3 (2 evening (1 Amboseli, 1 Mara) and 1 morning at Nakuru) game drives and one was shortened (The last morning at Mara) as the guide was in a hurry to get out of the park. We did phone and also email Mr.Otieno to get things sorted however, nothing worked. He kept on promising that all will be right and as per the promised itinerary however, the guide kept doing what he wanted. The guide/driver (Anthony) who took us around for 7 days was experienced doing the same thing for 17 years however for them, it’s business. The guide started throwing tantrums as we spoke to Mr.Otieno regarding the game drives that he refused to take.
They fail to understand the needs of customers. In my case, we were 4 wildlife enthusiasts in a single vehicle; all disappointed with the way we were treated. Kenyan wildlife was my dream come true with this trip however, the guide ruined it (He and his tantrums).
I would still have rated them a “5” if they could just stick to what was promised as per the itinerary.
Dear Mr.Otieno, You must start understanding what people look for and deliver what you promise. This is a business for you; however, for us travelers, it’s a dream to plan and execute something like this.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A HUGE disappointment. Don't waste your money on this tour!
While looking in to this tour I was excited about the advertised "We shall be on the lookout for the endangered Sable Antelope, Elephants, Giraffe, maybe Leopard, civet cat, monkeys, shrews."Unfortunately this was far from reality of the situation. After further talk with locals we realized that there have not really been animals in the park for over 5 years or more. I felt like I was taken advantage of with this "tour" for $300 USD for two people.
The planned itinerary: "At the Shimba Hills National Reserve proceed for a morning game viewing drive. We shall be on the lookout for the endangered Sable Antelope, Elephants, Giraffe, maybe Leopard, civet cat, monkeys, shrews. For the bird watchers, more that 100 bird species have been recorded including Ostrich, Eagle, African Hawk and Honey Guide. We shall further explore the Shimba hills on foot where accompanied by our guide, we shall walk on the Shedrick Falls on a 1/2 hour hike as we marvel at the water cascade. We shall later stop for lunch at the Shimba lodge where we may have an option to take a nature walk around the tree lodge or simply enjoy the surrounding views from the balconies of the lodge."
What actually happened:
We were picked up on time by our kind guide Ali. He was very nice and did a wonderful job all day. He was basically the highlight of this poor tour. The morning game drive was very telling of the lack of animals present in Shimba Hills. Once entering the park we drove for about an hour to the walking destination and literally saw only warthogs. No monkeys, antelope, or even birds really. Our driver pulled over because he thought he saw a chameleon, thats how desperate he was to find animals for us to see. This was the first sign that the day was not going to go as planned.
Once we arrived to the walking destination, we were talked to by the Park Rangers and informed that this was was very strenuous walk and be prepared to be walking for about 2 hours (not 1/2 hour as advertised). The walk was beautiful and scenic of trees and water, but of no animals. Also, as a tour company, you should be more upfront with your customers of the type of walk that is going to happen. There were so many stairs and even walking on small slippery stones up a hill at one point. While this was fine for my husband and I, we had no idea that this was the type of activity that we should have expected, not to mention the vast difference in walking time.
Then on to the lunch destination. Another huge red flag in the state of Shimba Hills. Once arriving to Shimba Lodge we were met with no electricity in the ENTIRE lodge. While this was not a huge deal, when it came time to pay it was. My husband had to walk out of the lodge and hope to get service to pay the pill. The only person working at the Lodge was our waiter and he had informed us that there were no other guests at the Lodge at all. There were no other people in the restaurant either. It was literally silent. It was honestly creepy, and not the place I'd like to have lunch on a tour. The food was deceit, but not great.
We decided to cut our "tour" short after lunch. It made more sense to us to go enjoy the beach that drive around in an EMPTY park for another few hours. I was honestly so incredibly disappointed in this "safari." I feel as though I was scammed. We were promised a lot in the description of the tour and the experience fell very short. There were no animals. Literally we saw more monkeys and birds outside the park than in. I feel you as a company should EXTREMELY revise the description of this tour as well as the price. I was lead to believe by your website and Lilian that this tour would be something very different that what it actually is.
As someone that has been to many safaris/tours in Kenya, this was by far the WORSE experience. Sadly because of this experience I will not be using this tour company again as well as warning my friends. What a waste of $300 USD as well as a full day of my vacation.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Safari but Problematic Management
The safari, in and of itself, was great. Our accommodations were good, our driver/guide George was fantastic, and the parks were unbelievable. The only negative about the safari itself was there was too much driving -- no matter what company you use you should confirm driving times before signing up.
My gripe is with how our safari was managed:
1 -- The order of parks that we visited was switched last minute and without my approval. I found this out after I sat down in the jeep on the first day. This is totally unacceptable. James and I even discussed this option months before and decided against it. This is bordering on breach of contract.
2 -- James's communication left something to be desired. At first, James was super prompt, always responding within a day. As we closed in on the trip, he took multiple days to reply to different questions, and when I asked the name of our driver he didn't bother replying. This all left me sketched out and worried that we were being scammed.
There's too many safari operators out there to bother with a company like this one...
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Just dubious, corrupt u. unorganized.
A good safari with a very good guide ..... But I can not understand why twice the accommodation is changed, I have to pay more and then get a lodge whose standard is lower than the other. Very bad organization and not even an apology. I will not recommend this organizer.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Stressful experience
In the beginning the communication was very good. But on asking for confirmation of hotel packages as agreed, there were mistakes. Then again mistakes in the invoicing. I had to correct them. Then wrong dates & information on vouchers sent. Which I had to request correct on. Had to chase them to confirm bookings with other suppliers of our trip that they were handling. All payments were supposed to be in USD. But it changed & half the payments were then requested in ZAR. Paid our deposits & then after our final payments, the company stopped communications. Even after many phone calls & emails, requesting information & corrections, still nothing! Two weeks before the trip we had not received any confirmations or information from them for our South African part of the trip. A week before leaving, I had to contact ALL the suppliers directly for confirmations, addresses & departure information . Extremely stressful not knowing if everthing had been pre paid or even booked, when we boarded our flights from London to South Africa. A total shambles!!
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Stressful experience for our 6 th Safari to Tanzania as Peter Malinda had clearly got serious financ
We. Travelled with two friends for their 1st and our 6th Safari in Tanzania. Peter Malinda had been an excellent guide with our previous Safari Company and we decided to support his company. All was well on arrival but we discussed a visit to Arusha National Park whist staying for our first day in Dilutu Lodge Arusha, this did not occur.Travel to Ngorongoro plus a Crater tour the following day was fine.
When we reached the gate to the Serengeti we discovered Peter had not payed the Park fees. After two hours of his failure to transfer payments to the Park Authories we paid over 500 USD by Visa. The next two days were only half day Safari trips asPeter wished to visit a tented lodge he. Had set up near te Seroners river, which was having problems.On our return trip to Manyara he stopped at Serengeti Airport as we found our payment had only covered one day Park fees and a further 1000 USD was required to cover the remaining two days. 6 hours of stress at the airport, including the attendance of the Police finally found Peter arranging money transfer to the Parh Authorities. He then drove like a man possessed to the Serengeti gate where we were told we could not cross the Ngorongoro Conservation Area until a further 350USD was found. After one hour Peter was unable to raise this money so we paid again by Visa. We arrived at Manyara in the dark at 8.30pm instead of the planned 1.00 pm. We had eaten nothing from breakfast. That mornings d missed the afternoon Manyara game drive.
The following day we returned to Diluti Lodge.
Peter then failed to pick us up at the agreed time and we had to pay a further 100 USD fora taxi to the airport.
Peter Malinda had received full payment for all hotels and Park Fees etc. In early March.He told us he would pay back the money we spent to the Parks but this has not occurred.
This trip became a disaster, anxiety inducing experience from what seemed to us a fraudulent company having clearly used a part of our payment for other than the arrangements for our Safari.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Extremely Rude Guide for Gorilla Trek
I cannot begin to express how disappointed and frustrated I am by the way our guide, treated me. I was very polite to him until I could not take it anymore. He made constant misogynistic jokes that were clearly a poor cover for his personal insults about my appearance and when confronted with his behaviour then made frequent jibes about 'mzungus' (whilst complaining about previous 'racist' clients). He only seemed interested in whatever meal he was going to get next. There was almost no communication except on the night before the trek and insinuated I would not be able to do it (after carrying on about requiring expensive equipment that was not needed anyway and not bothering to let me know when I could have bought it on the way). He then continued to repeatedly laugh and humiliate me after I achieved the trek. This man is a disgrace but he appears to be highly valued by his employers because he was training another guide. We were also taken back to our accommodation extremely late because my companion was talked into going on a very expensive walk around a resort in a national park. Avoid this organisation at all costs in case you are stuck with your dream of encountering gorillas being potentially ruined. This organisation gets 2 stars because of the accommodation chosen which was lovely.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It was ok, but overpriced and kind of sketchy
The van was comfortable enough but very old and without AC, so be prepared for that. Our driver was nice, the places we stopped for food were not clean. (Bring toiler paper and hand sanitizer with you) All the restaurants are buffet style and left in serving wear that was sitting out for much longer then I feel is safe.
We were meant to go into the Masai Mara for 2 days, but the driver talked us into only going for one "extra long" day, which was only an hour longer then the day was originally meant to be. He also told us we could go into the Serengeti and instead took us to the border and told us that was it. In the end we paid for two days when we only had about 12 hours, allowing them to pocket the extra cash that would have been spent on the next days entry fee.
The place we camped was ok, not like it was pictured but it was acceptable and the people who worked there were nice. There was an overwhelming pressure from Axis to pay up front and in cash. One day included a picnic lunch, which was precooked chicken that wasn't kept in a cooler, but in cardboard box and ended up giving me food poisoning. I would recommend brining your own snacks.
After the trip we were informed that they are being looked into for questionable practices.
I wouldn't book with them again, especially since there are rumors surrounding the legitimacy of their practices.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
tour was nice but costed more, and was shorter then agreed, promised shirts were not deleivered
We arived from the airport in our hotel at 8.00 a.m. We asked at the hotel reception if we could do a safari Nairobe NP. They advised us not to do because it was too hot and to late when we would arive. They called Tour Kenya Safari Heights and they offered a citty tour vissiting 1) Elephant Orphanage 2) Giraffe Centre 3) Nairobe Animal
Orphanage 4)Kenyatta International Congress Centre 5) Nairobe National Museum and a lunch somewhere during the day. The man at the reception called in my presence, saying that it would be $60 each. I agreed on the $120 for the both of us and that we would be picked up at 9.30 a.m. We unpacked our stuff and I stick $120 and a few thousend Ksh in my pocked and went down to the reception to wait. Meshack and Diana arived at 10.40 A.m. because of traffic jam. We got in the car and got on our way. Then she said that it was 120 dollar each. The elephant orphanage is opened only between 11.00-12.00 and we got there at 11.10. After that we went to the Giraffe Centre which was nice and we got a lunch in a beautiful garden. Then we went unasked to a souvenir shop. The animal orphanage was next which we had to pay with our credit card because they didn't have money on their M-Pesa system. Then going to the KICC was a beautiful vieuw on top. it was 4 p.m and no use to go to the national museum any more because it closed at 5 p.m. They brought us back to the hotel and they promised us T-shirt with the big 5 on it when we would get back to Nairobi. They would deliver it to our hotel 14 days later. I fetched the extra $ 120 and Meshack gave me his card for contact. Back in our room we had a double feeling. We had a fun day but payed far to much for what we got. 14 days later we traveled back to Nairobe. I called him at 8.a.m.to ask if he would deliver the shirts to the Hotel. He confirmed that he would. When we arived at the hotel at 6 p.m. there were no T-shirts. The hotel made the phone call another 3 times but it was not answered.
if they would have brought the T shirts then we would still have felt overcharged. But now they didn't keep their promise we really feel screwed and overcharged. We had a beautiful 2 weeks aranged with sombody else in Nakuru with Masai Mara; Lake Nakuru; Hell's Gate; boat on Lake Naivasha and more. we did not get overcharged anymore. We would not go with Tour Kenya Safari Heights again.
