US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Masai Mara - amazing Blue Mountain - shady at best. Book with someone else
Very disappointed in my 3day/2night safari with Blue Mountain. Was placed with them by another tour operator as a single traveler. Our car broke down on the way to the Mara Masai and the driver was completely inept. We ended up waiting three hours for a new car and driver to take us to our lodge. We arrived at night and missed our game drive.
Because we were only now doing game drives on Saturday and Sunday. We only needed one pass, despite the two we were charged. When confronting the driver about this. He said that wasn't true because we would enter the park 7am Saturday and leave 8:30-9am Sunday which is an half or two longer than the 24 hour permit. On Sunday he drove us until 8am when he left early. suspicious I grabbed our park receipts when the driver stopped to get breakfast. (He told us it was a bathroom break then disappeared for twenty minutes many instances of terrible communication). sure enough he only bought one day passes and was pocketing the $500 in fees our group paid.
When confronting the company about it they said they'd talk to the driver. They refuse to reimburse the park fee I paid for but was never purchased. Overall the quality was well below par, go to a different budget safari. The positive reviews here are because Masai Mara will always be a positive experience. Go with a company that is honest or at the very least doesn't text and drive on the Kenyan highways.
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Warning complete fraud and nightmare safari
Complete fraud and nightmare safari:
I am a researcher who has been living in Tanzania since 2014. I have booked several safaris with different agents since 2007. I warn you never to book a safari with Bramwel Safaris, owned by William Amon in Arusha Tanzania, because he is a sincere fraudster and criminal. We booked the safari with Bramwel as he got recommended to us by a friend (expat living in Tanzania, working for a foreign embassy) who thought to know William Amon well, also he was shocked after hearing what happened to us and tried to pressure William to give us our money back. We wanted to support a local Tanzanian small safari agent, but after this experience sadly have to admit that next time we will book again with a big one like Leopard Tours as we never had problems with them. So William Amon’s business practices also will have a negative impact on all the other small local Safari agents in Tanzania as he spoils the reputation of them all.
So here is what happened to us when we booked a safari with him last October 2016. After getting in contact with William via email, we arranged our safari program and then paid 1450USD per person, so 4350USD in total, in advance for a 5 days safari (Ngorongoro and Serengeti) for 3 people in a 3-beds room. After we arrived early in the morning at Kilimanjaro International airport we first had to wait about an hour until the driver arrived at the airport. He said he had a flat tyre on the way to the airport. The car was a very small (not a safari vehicle) car in a very bad condition, with barely any space for the luggage, and about to break down every moment. We arrived after a 3 hours drive at our hotel Meru hotel Lekisilai a bit outside of Arusha as the car was only able to drive very slowly and the driver had to call William and the hotel several times as he did not know the way to the hotel. Usually it takes only 1 hour from the airport to Arusha town. The next day we expected the driver to pick us from the hotel at 9a.m., as whe had arranged via phone with William on the day of arrival. But the driver turned up only at around 10a.m. He also did not come inside the hotel to greet us and tell us that he is here. He also did not make a very friendly and reputable impression, rather looking as having a night of weed smoking behind. No we had to go outside and tell him that we are ready.
So then we drove to Ngorongoro where it was planned to stay for 2 nights at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. It was planned that we would stay the afternoon at the lodge to relax and then have a full day game drive the next day in the crater. To our surprise when we arrived on the crater rim the driver did not drive to the lodge but drove into the crater as he told us that he thought we had an afternoon game drive as well. Well at that point we accepted as we were sure we’ll get our full day game drive the next day as well. So we drove around in the crater for about 2 hours. But to our suprise we were getting late, I knew gates close at 6p.m. and by that time you are not allowed to be in the crater anymore, however our driver was asserting that it was 6.30, saying they won’t say anything and that they say it’s 6p.m. just to be sure people are out on time. So when we arrived at the gate it was closed, no ranger there anymore. The driver was honking but noone there. So he had to call the park rangers to send someone to open the gate. About 45 minutes later a ranger turned up and opened. He was very angry and we felt very insecure. The driver had to pay a fine of 50USD that was clear. Then we drove to the lodge. To our surprise when we arrived at the lodge they said there is no reservation of a hotel room for us and that there was no payment received for 2 nights at the lodge. And that they only have a free room for 1 night but we would need to pay for it directly at the hotel. But we already had paid for all the costs (car, driver, hotels, park fees etc. in advance to William). So I called William to ask what is happening and then he asked me if I can help him and pay the hotel as apparently his cashier went on holiday and he realized now that he did not make any hotel reservations and did not pay any hotels but ran away with the money. I refused, and William assured that he’ll find a solution to transfer the money until the next day. However the next day we were kept hostages the whole day at the hotel because they did not let us go anywehere until they received the money from William. After a full day of waiting and making phone calls, instead of our paid full day game drive in the crater that we lost, we were released at around 4:30p.m. as the money was transferred. As there was no space at Sopa lodge we had to find another hotel. William arranged a room for a night outside Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Karatu at the Karatu country lodge, which was actually not the standard we booked and payed for, this is rather a 2 stars hotel and not 4 stars like Sopa lodge. Also it is outside the park, and we had to hurry again to be outside the gate on time again. Well the next day same story, the hotel was not paid and our driver said his credit card that was supposed to be filled with money by William was not filled and was left with around 20’000Tsh (around 10USD). Well then William said he’ll send someone with a cheque. Meanwhile he ensured he’ll go to the bank and fill the card with money while we were waiting. But then we had to wait again for about 4 hours until around 12 o’clock until that cheque arrived, it came from Arusha. Keep in mind we were supposed to be at Serengeti the same day, which is about a 4 to 5 hours drive from Ngorongoro Gate. But next shock, the name of the hotel on the cheque was wrong, it said Karatu lodge instead of Karatu country lodge and the hotel manager refused to accept the cheque of 200USD because of that as he said there is another lodge in Karatu with that name. So trying to safe our safari I said I will pay these 200USD so that we could go, as one of my friends came to Tanzania for the first time and maybe never will have the chance to see Serengeti again. I called William, complained, told him that I don’t accept all this, etc. and said that I don’t want to arrive at Serengeti gate without having the entrance fee etc. paid, so he needs to assure me there will be money on the card. Also I said I guess Serengeti Sopa lodge is also not booked. William said yes, not booked but he said the hotel is no problem. He has another hotel than Sopa and gave a name, and said this hotel he knows well, he often brings customers there, he can just call and we’ll have a room (respectively a tent,it is a tented camp), so they also give him credit, he can book on credit, he asked if we are ok with that hotel, we said yes. So William ensured that this problem will not happen again, and that he is not going to loose his face again and that I can be sure that there will be money on the card when we arrive there (at Serengeti park you only can pay with credit card, tour agents usually have that card called tembo card, it’s a kind of credit card). So I thought ok, he can’t be that brash, and hoped he will not cheat again, having in mind my friend who came from Switzerland for seeing the Serengeti. But keep in mind William let us depart from Arusha, knowing there is no money on the card. So he was completely aware of that there is no money to pay, and speculated that once we were at the gates and hotels we anyway are going to pay as we didn’t want to return or could not cause it was too late.
So we departed, had to pay a transfer fee again at Ngorongoro gate, even though the driver told us he had paid the day before for 2 days but once you go outside this ticket becomes invalid. We waited there another half an hour as we had to wait for a number from William we had to give to the Ngorongoro administration. Finally we arrived at Serengeti gate at around 4:30p.m., remember you have to be at the hotel by 6p.m., not allowed to drive around in the park after 6p.m. But when we arrived at the gate, no money on the credit card, the driver started to be angry, told us he can’t understand that, he called William telling him he cannot treat his customers like that. I tried to call William and he did not pick up several times. I refused to pay. Waited. Did not trust about the hotel anymore as well. Finally the driver gave me the number of a friend of William of whom the driver said he is helping William sometimes with the business. So I called him,complained, said I am not going to pay, but we had in the end no other possibility than to pay and enter, as there is nowhere else you can go, no hotels outside the gate respectively between Ngorongoro and Serengeti, 5 hours back to Ngorongoro and it was 4.30p.m., you have to be outside the gates at 6p.m. So no chance. The friend of William apologized and said he’ll do his best. I asked about the hotel. Meanwhile the hotel had changed as well. He said we are going to Ang’ata Camps now instead, which was another hotel than the one he told me we are going when we were in Karatu. So I said now I am going to call the hotel to ask if that hotel was paid before I am going to pay the entrance fee. The hotel then confirmed the payment. But I had to pay the park fees for all us people plus for the car, plus Ang’ata Camps is a special campsite with extra fees. I just paid for 1 night which was around 400USD, hoping that there will be money on the card the other day. But the other day still no money arrived. So the next day had to go to the gate again and pay another around 400USD. So total around more than 800USD we had to pay again, even though we had paid for it already in Switzerland (2 nights were planned at Sopa lodge) to William, so we paid double now. But we had to, no chance to go back. So what he did, he let us drive from Karatu to Serengeti ensuring me that there will be money on the card, but there was no money, so he let us drive there completely aware of that we will need to pay ourselves on arrival as no chance to go anywhere. How bash is this. We thought it cannot become worse when we were in Karatu but it came worse. Can you imagine, what kind of person you must be if you do this to other persons, completely without moral, conscience and just criminal. He just let us drive there, he set a snare for us. Then after the 2 days in Serengeti we drove back to Arusha. At Ngorongoro Conservation Area Gate the driver asked me to give him another 30USD as he told me there is another fine/fee to pay.
We told William we will meet him in Arusha at around 5p.m.. He is so bash he said 5p.m. is ok, but from 6p.m. to 10p.m. he has a church meeting and no time. He is a pentecoastal and pretends to be a very religious person. Imagine he is owing people money, has fucked up the Safari of people coming from far away, paying a lot of money and then you have the gall to say I have a church meeting then and only time at 5p.m. So because the drive from Serengeti back to Arusha is long and Tanzanian roads are unpredictable, we were not on time, and William sent me the message that he has left Arusha hotel already for the church meeting. So I decided to go directly to his church. The driver knew where it was. So we went there. William came out, appologized and asked us what we want. We told him the sum we thought would be appropriate, which was 1200USD which was very very very kind, we could have asked much much more,not only the money back that we paid double, the 1 day we lost at Ngorongoro, but also for the stress and trouble. We said he can also pay the rest in a voucher that I maybe can use when I go to Zanzibar, as I live in Tanzania. He agreed, but said at the moment he has only 600USD available. He gave us the 600USD and said the rest he’ll pay in November 2016 as he’ll waiting to receive a credit from the bank then. He said otherwise he would need to tale themoney fromhis own bank account. We said well we also had to take the money from our own bank account and you are the business owner, so it’s anyway your account. I mean how can you come to the idea to argue like this. He also said he’ll write a written contract/agreement about the sum he owes as well as a voucher. Until now we have wheter received the money nor a written agreement/contract nor a voucher. In November I called, wrote email etc.- nothing. I said ok I give you a last chance until December, end of the year, if I don’t receive anything, I’ll going to make it public and will write to the Tanzania Tourism Board, Tanzania Investment Centre, etc. as well as on diverse travel forums. Then he said in December he is going to receive a credit from a friend in the US and he’ll pay then, saying that we are an absolute priority. Then on 31.12 I got this email: „Business have been very, very difficult, and I real feel bad. I am kindly asking you to give me extension and propose a way to pay by installments?“. I agreed for a last time and got this answer: „We start getting bookings for this year, and I am checking my markups, I think I can be able to pay twice, 16th Feb 1st instalment and end of Feb second instalment, Let me know you are okay with this, I am so so sorry for all the ups and down I have caused!“. Until now nothing. The last email I got when I asked about the money mid of february was: „Thanks,This is real a priority, wish me lucky.“ So time is over, I don’t let him fool us any further. We will also take legal measures. We were more than kind, understandable and had hope until today, but this guy really thinks we are idiots, and speculates that at some point we will give up or forget. I could somehow see it in his eyes when we met that he thought „now I got away very easily“, I also think he thought he could treat us like this because we are women. Thought wrong! Now I think I should have asked all the money directly when we met and don’t make concessions and compromise. He never had the intention to pay back, it was a fraud from the beginning. So never book with him.
Complete fraud and nightmare safari:
I am a researcher who has been living in Tanzania since 2014. I have booked several safaris with different agents since 2007. I warn you never to book a safari with Bramwel Safaris, owned by William Amon in Arusha Tanzania, because he is a sincere fraudster and criminal. We booked the safari with Bramwel as he got recommended to us by a friend (expat living in Tanzania, working for a foreign embassy) who thought to know William Amon well, also he was shocked after hearing what happened to us and tried to pressure William to give us our money back. We wanted to support a local Tanzanian small safari agent, but after this experience sadly have to admit that next time we will book again with a big one like Leopard Tours as we never had problems with them. So William Amon’s business practices also will have a negative impact on all the other small local Safari agents in Tanzania as he spoils the reputation of them all.
So here is what happened to us when we booked a safari with him last October 2016. After getting in contact with William via email, we arranged our safari program and then paid 1450USD per person, so 4350USD in total, in advance for a 5 days safari (Ngorongoro and Serengeti) for 3 people in a 3-beds room. After we arrived early in the morning at Kilimanjaro International airport we first had to wait about an hour until the driver arrived at the airport. He said he had a flat tyre on the way to the airport. The car was a very small (not a safari vehicle) car in a very bad condition, with barely any space for the luggage, and about to break down every moment. We arrived after a 3 hours drive at our hotel Meru hotel Lekisilai a bit outside of Arusha as the car was only able to drive very slowly and the driver had to call William and the hotel several times as he did not know the way to the hotel. Usually it takes only 1 hour from the airport to Arusha town. The next day we expected the driver to pick us from the hotel at 9a.m., as whe had arranged via phone with William on the day of arrival. But the driver turned up only at around 10a.m. He also did not come inside the hotel to greet us and tell us that he is here. He also did not make a very friendly and reputable impression, rather looking as having a night of weed smoking behind. No we had to go outside and tell him that we are ready. So then we drove to Ngorongoro where it was planned to stay for 2 nights at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. It was planned that we would stay the afternoon at the lodge to relax and then have a full day game drive the next day in the crater. To our surprise when we arrived on the crater rim the driver did not drive to the lodge but drove into the crater as he told us that he thought we had an afternoon game drive as well. Well at that point we accepted as we were sure we’ll get our full day game drive the next day as well. So we drove around in the crater for about 2 hours. But to our suprise we were getting late, I knew gates close at 6p.m. and by that time you are not allowed to be in the crater anymore, however our driver was asserting that it was 6.30, saying they won’t say anything and that they say it’s 6p.m. just to be sure people are out on time. So when we arrived at the gate it was closed, no ranger there anymore. The driver was honking but noone there. So he had to call the park rangers to send someone to open the gate. About 45 minutes later a ranger turned up and opened. He was very angry and we felt very insecure. The driver had to pay a fine of 50USD that was clear. Then we drove to the lodge. To our surprise when we arrived at the lodge they said there is no reservation of a hotel room for us and that there was no payment received for 2 nights at the lodge. And that they only have a free room for 1 night but we would need to pay for it directly at the hotel. But we already had paid for all the costs (car, driver, hotels, park fees etc. in advance to William). So I called William to ask what is happening and then he asked me if I can help him and pay the hotel as apparently his cashier went on holiday and he realized now that he did not make any hotel reservations and did not pay any hotels but ran away with the money. I refused, and William assured that he’ll find a solution to transfer the money until the next day. However the next day we were kept hostages the whole day at the hotel because they did not let us go anywehere until they received the money from William. After a full day of waiting and making phone calls, instead of our paid full day game drive in the crater that we lost, we were released at around 4:30p.m. as the money was transferred. As there was no space at Sopa lodge we had to find another hotel. William arranged a room for a night outside Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Karatu at the Karatu country lodge, which was actually not the standard we booked and payed for, this is rather a 2 stars hotel and not 4 stars like Sopa lodge. Also it is outside the park, and we had to hurry again to be outside the gate on time again. Well the next day same story, the hotel was not paid and our driver said his credit card that was supposed to be filled with money by William was not filled and was left with around 20’000Tsh (around 10USD). Well then William said he’ll send someone with a cheque. Meanwhile he ensured he’ll go to the bank and fill the card with money while we were waiting. But then we had to wait again for about 4 hours until around 12 o’clock until that cheque arrived, it came from Arusha. Keep in mind we were supposed to be at Serengeti the same day, which is about a 4 to 5 hours drive from Ngorongoro Gate. But next shock, the name of the hotel on the cheque was wrong, it said Karatu lodge instead of Karatu country lodge and the hotel manager refused to accept the cheque of 200USD because of that as he said there is another lodge in Karatu with that name. So trying to safe our safari I said I will pay these 200USD so that we could go, as one of my friends came to Tanzania for the first time and maybe never will have the chance to see Serengeti again. I called William, complained, told him that I don’t accept all this, etc. and said that I don’t want to arrive at Serengeti gate without having the entrance fee etc. paid, so he needs to assure me there will be money on the card. Also I said I guess Serengeti Sopa lodge is also not booked. William said yes, not booked but he said the hotel is no problem. He has another hotel than Sopa and gave a name, and said this hotel he knows well, he often brings customers there, he can just call and we’ll have a room (respectively a tent,it is a tented camp), so they also give him credit, he can book on credit, he asked if we are ok with that hotel, we said yes. So William ensured that this problem will not happen again, and that he is not going to loose his face again and that I can be sure that there will be money on the card when we arrive there (at Serengeti park you only can pay with credit card, tour agents usually have that card called tembo card, it’s a kind of credit card). So I thought ok, he can’t be that brash, and hoped he will not cheat again, having in mind my friend who came from Switzerland for seeing the Serengeti. But keep in mind William let us depart from Arusha, knowing there is no money on the card. So he was completely aware of that there is no money to pay, and speculated that once we were at the gates and hotels we anyway are going to pay as we didn’t want to return or could not cause it was too late. So we departed, had to pay a transfer fee again at Ngorongoro gate, even though the driver told us he had paid the day before for 2 days but once you go outside this ticket becomes invalid. We waited there another half an hour as we had to wait for a number from William we had to give to the Ngorongoro administration. Finally we arrived at Serengeti gate at around 4:30p.m., remember you have to be at the hotel by 6p.m., not allowed to drive around in the park after 6p.m. But when we arrived at the gate, no money on the credit card, the driver started to be angry, told us he can’t understand that, he called William telling him he cannot treat his customers like that. I tried to call William and he did not pick up several times. I refused to pay. Waited. Did not trust about the hotel anymore as well. Finally the driver gave me the number of a friend of William of whom the driver said he is helping William sometimes with the business. So I called him,complained, said I am not going to pay, but we had in the end no other possibility than to pay and enter, as there is nowhere else you can go, no hotels outside the gate respectively between Ngorongoro and Serengeti, 5 hours back to Ngorongoro and it was 4.30p.m., you have to be outside the gates at 6p.m. So no chance. The friend of William apologized and said he’ll do his best. I asked about the hotel. Meanwhile the hotel had changed as well. He said we are going to Ang’ata Camps now instead, which was another hotel than the one he told me we are going when we were in Karatu. So I said now I am going to call the hotel to ask if that hotel was paid before I am going to pay the entrance fee. The hotel then confirmed the payment. But I had to pay the park fees for all us people plus for the car, plus Ang’ata Camps is a special campsite with extra fees. I just paid for 1 night which was around 400USD, hoping that there will be money on the card the other day. But the other day still no money arrived. So the next day had to go to the gate again and pay another around 400USD. So total around more than 800USD we had to pay again, even though we had paid for it already in Switzerland (2 nights were planned at Sopa lodge) to William, so we paid double now. But we had to, no chance to go back. So what he did, he let us drive from Karatu to Serengeti ensuring me that there will be money on the card, but there was no money, so he let us drive there completely aware of that we will need to pay ourselves on arrival as no chance to go anywhere. How bash is this. We thought it cannot become worse when we were in Karatu but it came worse. Can you imagine, what kind of person you must be if you do this to other persons, completely without moral, conscience and just criminal. He just let us drive there, he set a snare for us. Then after the 2 days in Serengeti we drove back to Arusha. At Ngorongoro Conservation Area Gate the driver asked me to give him another 30USD as he told me there is another fine/fee to pay. We told William we will meet him in Arusha at around 5p.m.. He is so bash he said 5p.m. is ok, but from 6p.m. to 10p.m. he has a church meeting and no time. He is a pentecoastal and pretends to be a very religious person. Imagine he is owing people money, has fucked up the Safari of people coming from far away, paying a lot of money and then you have the gall to say I have a church meeting then and only time at 5p.m., drive from Serengeti back to Arusha and Tanzanian roads are unpredictable, we were not on time, and William sent me the message that he has left Arusha hotel already for the church meeting. So I decided to go directly to his church. The driver knew where it was. So we went there. William came out, appologized and asked us what we want. We told him the sum we thought would be appropriate, which was 1200USD which was very very very kind, we could have asked much much more,not only the money back that we paid double, the 1 day we lost at Ngorongoro, but also for the stress and trouble. We said he can also pay the rest in a voucher that I maybe can use when I go to Zanzibar, as I live in Tanzania. He agreed, but said at the moment he has only 600USD available. He gave us the 600USD and said the rest he’ll pay in November 2016 as he’ll waiting to receive a credit from the bank then. He said otherwise he would need to tale themoney fromhis own bank account. We said well we also had to take the money from our own bank account and you are the business owner, so it’s anyway your account. I mean how can you come to the idea to argue like this. He also said he’ll write a written contract/agreement about the sum he owes as well as a voucher. Until now we have wheter received the money nor a written agreement/contract nor a voucher. In November I called, wrote email etc.- nothing. I said ok I give you a last chance until December, end of the year, if I don’t receive anything, I’ll going to make it public and will write to the Tanzania Tourism Board, Tanzania Investment Centre, etc. as well as on diverse travel forums. Then he said in December he is going to receive a credit from a friend in the US and he’ll pay then, saying that we are an absolute priority. Then on 31.12 I got this email: „Business have been very, very difficult, and I real feel bad. I am kindly asking you to give me extension and propose a way to pay by installments?“. I agreed for a last time and got this answer: „We start getting bookings for this year, and I am checking my markups, I think I can be able to pay twice, 16th Feb 1st instalment and end of Feb second instalment, Let me know you are okay with this, I am so so sorry for all the ups and down I have caused!“. Until now nothing. The last email I got when I asked about the money mid of february was: „Thanks,This is real a priority, wish me lucky.“ So time is over, I don’t let him fool us any further. We will also take legal measures. We were more than kind, understandable and had hope until today, but this guy really thinks we are idiots, and speculates that at some point we will give up or forget. I could somehow see it in his eyes when we met that he thought „now I got away very easily“, I also think he thought he could treat us like this because we are women. Thought wrong! Now I think I should have asked all the money directly when we met and don’t make concessions and compromise. He never had the intention to pay back, it was a fraud from the beginning. So never book with him.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our driver/guide, Joshua, should not be allowed to work in this position.
Our driver/guide, Joshua, had no interest in our party of four and was only willing to tell us about Tanzania when we asked specific questions. He sat with us at dinner and when we asked him a question, he would give a short answer. It was very uncomfortable for the four of us. He was mainly interested in the radio chatter (I know that is how the guides pass on information when they spot an animal, but he never turned the radio off). When we asked him to turn the radio off so we could hear the animals in the Serengeti, he did not speak to us again. I believe he should be moved to a different position with the company. We would not recommend Leopard Tours because we felt cheated out of what should have been a great experience by having a driver/guide who was unwilling communicate.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
they send to me every days lies and false permit for uganda trekking. I want my money
past year i booked a safari with safaribooking..all perfect...but tembea are dishonest.believe me.
I paid in november 2016 and now I have the surprise..and I must to book with another tour operator...i booked all the internationals flights.
terrible.I hope to have my money.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Caution! Unsafe, unprofessional
Our (already beat up) safari vehicle broke down on the way which caused a 2.5 hour delay and a rush through the main site of Murchison Falls. The company didn't bother to send a new one so we had a 4.5 hour mechanics trip on the way home. We didn't feel safe (and the driver never turned the car off when we stopped because the mechanic told him not to). There were starter and wiring issues. This van had 365000 km on it - and the roads are rough.
The guide was lovely but the owner was untrustworthy and the way this was resolved was not satisfactory. Unprofessional, questionable safety. You'll get the same itinerary with better service elsewhere.
You can do better with another company - keep looking.
IN
Global Adventure Safari is a fraud company
Please do not go with these guys. These guys are thugs and liars. They promised me 8 days Serengati trip and charged 1500 USD. First they put me in a cheapest of hotels in Arusha , organised one of the stupidest of tours and worst they wanted me to do 2 x 4 days trips which meant I was to do all the road journey twice. All of the other travellers who travelled with me from other tour operators paid 450 USD for the same trip.
Thanks
AE
Bramwel are cheats and cannot be trusted one bit
We had a similar experience with Bramwel Safari. We took the safari in Sept 16. We landed in Kilimanjaro and had someone pick us up in a jeep that was smelling of fish (we are vegetarians). We were taken to Planet Lodge, thankfully this was booked. The next morning we were greeted by another driver and guide Dennis (he was good) in a clean jeep. We drove to Serengeti and our woes began. We were there by 11 am and when the driver went to the counter to get our permits, he was told that there was no money in the card issued in Arusha. He called William Amon who heads Bramwel Safaris, and was arguing with him. William told him that he was going to the bank to deposit the money in the card. We waited at the gated until 2.30pm. Still no sign of the money. We decided having come this far let's just pay by credit card and get over with this. The dirver took us to the lodge that was supposed to be booked for us and as suspected the booking was not done. We have been driving around and it was getting quite dark. Luckily the driver knew another lodge and knew a person there and we managed to get a tent for two nights. We were so disappointed with all this that we decided not to go for the Hot Air Balloon for which we had paid 1000 $ advance. I am sure if we had to do this we would have had to pay again.
From Serengeti we headed to Ngorongoro and were told that the luxury hotel that we had paid for was not booked so we would be staying at another hotel. Luckily the hotel was booked and we did not have to pay for this.
On the whole William keeps on promising and from what I have read on their website and here, he seems to have made this his way of making quick money out of people who have worked hard and saved up for a trip like this. Because a trip like this is not cheap. He says he is God fearing and goes to church. I doubt very much the man has any conscience. He is still cheating people saying he will repay them and then more empty promises.
Please do read reviews on the tour operators and do stay well away from Bramwel.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beware, avoid this company
We booked a safari through another company in Kenya for a safari in Kenya and Tanzania. This company outsourced Tanzania to sandland tours. Sandland tours did not keep the itinerary agreed upon, they changed our lodges and tented camps to cheaper ones. The owner is Abraham and his side kick is Simon. They are both liars and cheats and will do anything forore money. DO not book with this company and make sure you ask your safari company if they are outsourcing any part of your safari!!!
NO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Worst safari agent ever!
This is the most unprofessional and worst agent we've dealt with ever!
We booked our safari through a company in Kenya but for the Tanzanian part we were outsourced to Sandland Tour, Arusha.
We and also an other girl in our group (who had booked with different agent in Kenya) had to all the time argue and pin point what was included in our intiniary. If we haven't had the out print to show them they would have over ruled us on everything and cut things off. Ex: in our intinary we were supposed to drive to Serengeti via Olduvai Gorge. We drove right passed it. We were even supposed to have our lunch there, whitch did not happen.
First day 2 individually travelling guys joined us, both of them with different intinary. Second day they were sent to a different group. They were supposed to leave 30 min before us but they were there still waiting when we left.
First night at camp my husband and I got a tent together as we were a couple but the girl and the two guys , who all traveleld indvidually and didn't know each other, were placed in the same tent. The girl of course argued and after hard discussion the girl got a tent for her self. But the guys still had to share.
As they also changed the order of the itiniary we were short cut on things.
Also they took us to Tarangire park, whitch we did not have in our itiniary. This led to that we had far less time in Serengeti than what our plan said and we payed for.
They also skipped breakfast one day. When they wanted to do so second day we told the guide and the chef that we won't have it. So they ahd to give us breakfast anyway. But of course resulting in less time game driving as they didn't start the day earlier like we requested to not to miss out on time of game drives. We saw other groups start earlier with breakfasts so they could get sunrise in the parks.
Our guide, George, was not competent and showed very little interest in making a good safari for us. He knew less about animals/trees/plants/birds than we did. Many questions he didn't even answer. We did not enjoy the atmosphere on the safari and didn't feel comfortable at all. In the end we were just happy to be finished with the safari in Tanzania and hoped we would arrive safetly back to Kenya as we felt we could not trust them at all.
When the safari was over and we were supposed to get transport back to Arusha as the other girl had one more day with safari. George, the guide just left both us and the girl with no words. Him and 2 others drove off, and we never saw them again. The girl was supposed to have an afternoon game drive but at 5pm she was still at the camp.
We sat there with a stranger who spoke barely english as our driver and with no information and we were waiting for almost 2 hours before we left for Arusha. 2 hours we could have spent more on game drive or been in Arusha for sight seeing.
The day we were supposed to get bak to Nairobi we were supposed to have breakfast at 7am as our transport was to leave at 7.30 from the hotel. We were in the restaurant at 6.55am, they didn't give us the food before 7.25 even the chef and 2 waitress's were there fromt he moment we came. We tried to tell them several times that we have to leave at 7.30 but to no help.
The day we arrived in Arusha from Nairobi the boss, Abraham wouldn't give us dinner as they said it was not included. After showing them the intiniary and discussing and making us wait 3 hours they said we could have dinner.
It was very unprofessional and very unfriendly customer service. If we knew what we knew to day we would have skipped Tanzania all together as it actually led to no pleasant part of our holiday than what it did good. Unfortunately waste of money. Make sure when you book safari that it's the same agent handling your safari all the journey.
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Terrible company ran by a liar called Henry
I can confirm what was written by all clients : Northern Masailand Safaris is ran by a crook named Henry who litteraly stole our money.
In short here is our story : we booked a trip including 1 week safari and 1 week stay in Zanzibar. We agreed on a defined plan (hotels / transport / catering).
We were requested to pay 30% upfront, and the rest upon arrival. 10 days before we start, I received a message that our plans were changed, with cancellation of plane transfer from Serengeti to Zanzibar, against a road trip with a stop in Arusha.
Then I received agressive message requesting the full payment, which I refused. We did not receive any hotel vouchers at that stage.
On arrival day, the hotel that was supposed to be our 1st night was different than the one planned. The next day (a Sunday) Henry wanted to get his cash, but again, without providing any hotel voucher.
This was the begining of a 15 days battle against a liar.
At every stage, the hotel was different than the one we agreed upon, and of course, at a lower category.
When arriving in Serengeti, the driver, genuinely nice and helpful, couldn't find the accomodation, as he did not receive instruction from Henry. Eventually, after having lost 4 hours, we found our deserted place - and of course not the one agreed upon.
We then had a strong argument with the liar to make sure our nice Zanzibar hotel was booked. I had to chase myself the hotel and put pressure on Henry to book it eventually.
Back in transit in Arusha, we agreed for an overall refund of 1000USD. Henry never paid his due !
Last but not least, when leaving Zanzibar, for our transit to the airport, Henry cancelled the taxi, and we had to pay for it ....
So, in a nutshell, stay away from that company, as this will lead you into much trouble. We were definitively lucky not to have any incident. Without a doubt this liar who have dropped us in the middle of the Savannah.