PT
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Big let down
Our report would mirror Susie and Jonny´s from last Sept. The company never paid Foxes for our three camps, and we were left in the 3rd with the threat of being charged yet again for a holiday for which we had paid fully 4 months previously. It would certainly seem as if they have a cashflow problem. We tried to help, ringing both Pure Safari and Foxes (both based in UK while we were in Tanzania) but despite various implausible excuses from PS I do not believe that our payment has been transferred to the owner of the camps. Beware of using this company.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I am due to go on safari in a few days and It started in Africa have stopped responding to requests
It started in Africa has gone bankrupt and has not communicated to us and we are booked to leave in a few days. I stupidly paid my deposit in cash transfer. Any tips on how to retrieve my money would be gratefully appreciated. They have disabled their facebook page!
Many thanks, Amy, Joey, Georgia (11) & Dylan (10)
CA
Disastrous Train Booking (Daud John Kiango)
I attempted to arrange for a train ticket from Mbeya to Dar es Salaam with Daud John Kiango after he responded to an online inquiry I had made through the website http://tanzaniasafariszanzibartravel.org (which I found through a link on the train travel site seat61).
I took the chance on Daud and paid $75 in advance for him to book me a ticket, which I was to pick up at the Mbeya Tazara train station. However he never followed through and after spending two frustrating days at the Mbeya Tazara booking office I was never able to get the ticket which I had paid Daud to procure for me.
I was forced to take a bus to Dar instead and Daud promised me a prompt refund. He of course never processed a refund but did send me several incoherent emails, presumably meant to confuse me.
I would avoid this company completely.
NO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Read all 1 star reviews. They are TRUE!! Do not book with ISIA!!! WARNiNG!
We paid extra for a pick up from the airport.
They didn'¨t show up. We had to find another a taxi driver in the middle of the night.
The next day we had to hunt ISIA down by phone with the help of the hotel manager.
The trip started 5 hours too late because of this.
We had paid USD70 for an extra event. We didn't get to do this event and still after 4 months we haven't been refunded. I waited this long before writing a review to give them a chance to make it good.
They answer emails sometimes and sometimes not. Lies and stalling. In the beginning they said that they had made the payment but that it will take a couple of weeks before we would see it on the account.
The guide wasn't too interested in talking about animals. He just wanted to drive to get to the next camp and start driving a bit late every day.
He had good contact with other drivers to find animals but that was about it.
In the end he and his boss tried to pressure us to pay USD20 per day in tips and said that this wasn't optional.
You don't need to pay for an expensive company like ISIA!
All companies drive around and talk to each other. Just be sure to get a driver who have been driving for at least 5 years or so. This because a rookie might wreck the car and you will lose time.
There is a million companies out there.
Check what areas you want to go to and what camps you want to live in. Then contact any company but NOT It Started in Africa!
You have been Warned!
Truck unbelievably uncomfortable. Transfer didnt eventuate Joburg & Sunway refused to pay us back!
Wrote a long review to Sunway but they never even replied!
Happy to take your money but no after sales service.
Bus unbelievably uncomfortable, hot & seats terrible.
Food not great.
Wouldnt refund our transfer despite saying they would - waited Joburg airport for an hour & gave up!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Dreadful experience in Victoria Falls and dreadful customer service
In honesty, I would not touch this company with a barge pole. All they had to do was book three nights for us in Victoria Falls and they could not do that. We booked 6 months in advance, paid in advance, had the booking confirmed in advance and when I checked just before we left, the booking was confirmed... once we had left and were away from phones and home internet, we were contacted to say they apparently could not find a record of payment. In order to keep the booking for a bank holiday weekend, we had to pay again. After three months of trying to get our money back via formal routes, we are getting no response from Falcon Safaris. We had such a lovely time in Zimbabawe with other people and companies, until the final phase which should have been well managed by Falcon Safaris but it was not. Would never use them again and strongly say the same to any friends or family. Dreadful
SG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Dens Safaris: avoid at all costs!!
This is an honest and complete overview of my encounters during my trip with Dens Safaris in Zambia from Sept. 1-16, 2017, which I hope will provide a meaningful insight into the practices of this company for future clients.
My itinerary was arranged and paid for back in December 2016. Initial e-mail conversations with Denver Mbewe, the owner of the company, went smooth but further questions a couple weeks before my flight to Zambia went largely unanswered. These were critical questions related to the visa requirements, malaria pills etc. I sent a few e-mails and even a message on their Facebook, which was read but never answered. The only reply I received was that I was going to be picked up at the airport and someone would be waiting with a sign with my name on it.
My personal driver and guide in South Luangwa was an unexperienced young guy aged 24 (the youngest guide in the whole national park) who was clearly not used to dealing with customers. On the second day, I was told by him to repay my park fees for my entire stay at South Luangwa, totalling $250, which I already paid in advance 10 months ago as part of my all-inclusive package. I did not receive a satisfying answer on the phone by the office manager as to why this happened, but decided to go ahead and pay in order not to waste too much time.
I was driven around the park in an old safari vehicle which had issues with the engine radiator, which repeatedly overheated. Over the course of 4 days we used up to 3 different cars, all of mediocre at best quality. To make matters worse, my guide did not even have a radio with him on any of the days he guided me and also forgot to pack water and a cooler box during many days.
On the day of transfer from the Mfuwe to Nsefu sector of the park, my guide informed me that he was going to pick up a friend of his. I was not provided with any explanation who this person was and why he was joining me on my private safari. I assumed he just wanted to catch a ride from Mfuwe to Nsefu and we were going to drop him off once we arrived in Nsefu. Upon arrival in another bush camp, it became apparent that my guide was not at all familiar with the Nsefu sector, which is why he took this guy with us, although also he had to admit he was only partly familiar with that part of the park. During one of the game drives, he thought it to be a good idea to throw some large branches at a baby crocodile (twice) so it would move and I could get a better picture of the animal. I immediately told him that this was unacceptable.
Citing obvious safety hazards, the owner of the bush camp rightfully decided to send my guide back home. She also shared with me some stories about other Dens Safaris customers she had received in the past months who were anything but happy. She herself was only briefed about my arrival a couple days before, and thought I was self-driving to the park. She then kindly proposed me to use one of their guides who was a qualified professional South Luangwa guide. The difference in the quality of guiding was stark: the number of sightings went up and I felt much safer given his possession of a radio and plentiful water and food supplies. Because of the last minute change in plans, I had to join another photographer during most of my game drives in Nsefu, and I also had to give up on all day game drives as the other guests at the bush camp paid for morning and evening game drives. Therefore, I did not get what I paid for, which was strictly a private trip consisting entirely of full day game drives.
After my stay in South Luangwa, I flew to Lusaka for a transfer to the Lower Zambezi national park. After waiting for half an hour, Denver and his office manager picked me up and drove me towards Kiambi lodge. I repeated the issues and concerns I had been facing throughout my trip, which I also e-mailed to him a couple days before. Denver acknowledged that mistakes were made but did not come up with a proposal for compensation and left me at Kiambi without communicating how he would work this out in time before my departure back home.
In Lower Zambezi I stayed at the Munyemeshi River Lodge, a self-catering lodge were I seem to have been the only guest. The lodge was under renovation and there was hardly any staff around let alone any convenient amenities: no bar, no restaurant. My first room did not have warm water in the shower, and in fact there was hardly any water coming out of the shower head. I then had to go to another room where the shower was leaking. I stayed here during the second day with two other disgruntled Dens Safaris guests, who did the full two-day canoe tour. I dropped out after half an hour during the first day as I did not feel comfortable nor safe in the water which was infested with hippos and crocodiles. The couple mentioned to me that they had to find another guide the day after given that the first one was to drunk to wake up in the morning, which confirmed my belief once again that my safety had indeed been at risk.
During the first day game drive I was driven around by a guy who was clearly not a professional guide. His command of English was poor, he hardly spotted anything and was unable to answer my questions about the wildlife. What was worse is that he stepped on the gas and increased the speed of the safari vehicle when there were elephants blocking the road. The elephants were clearly in distress and some of them initiated mock charges at us. This happened at least three or four times and I told the driver this was unacceptable and unprofessional but he didn’t care to listen. When animals associate humans with danger, this will lead to fatalities and the end of the tourism industry in Zambia.
I decided that I could not tolerate any further risk and stayed at the lodge during my last day, although another full day game drive was on the itinerary. By then I was sick and tired of the unprofessional and dangerous treatment I had received and thus had to end my trip disillusioned and disheartened.
In summary, Dens Safaris makes you pay premium prices for subpar guidance using the cheapest people they can find, which has severe implications for your wellbeing and general safety. Therefore, DO NOT book with this company and spread this message as much as possible to prevent future malpractices.
Sammy Six
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Despicable. Taken double our money.
Falcon safaris are appalling. We booked with them months before we left for Zim. Whilst we were away, we received an email saying that they had not received our money. We then had to pay for another room in a different hotel so they would hold a room for us. They have offered no help in tracing the money, despite or bank being able to trace exactly where it has gone. They have offered us no help whatsoever. In addition, their tour operators tried to sell us mor experiences in our pick up from the airport - clearly trying to make more money from us. We have been changed double for our holiday and no one from this company will contact us. Absolutely shocking.
Do not use them.
Awful service and stolen money
Warning! Do not use this company at all or risk losing a lot of money. They have stolen over £1000 of our money and refuse all forms of contact - and have done for the last 3 months. Do not trust or use them because our experience is truly awful and we are significantly out of pocket. They do not follow through on bookings after payment!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolute Rip Off
Do Not Book With This Group!!!!
I booked the 3 day Massai Mara safari with this group, paid in advance, and they left me stranded at the hotel. I tried emailing, texting, calling, and Facebooking them with no success. The hotel I was staying at tried to contact them, as did the lodge I was booked into for the safari. I have tried to contact them in a variety of different ways over the last 10 days with NO response from them.
Don't book with this group.