US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The office personnel will rip you off here!
Let me first stop off by saying that the climbing team (Guide, cook, waiter, and 6 porters) was incredible. They were hard-working, fun, and were always positive.
I'm leaving a one star review because of the Emmanuel in the office.
At my hotel room the night before the climb, we went through what I had packed (even though he never sent a packing list beforehand). He stated that I couldn't wear the shoes that I brought and would need to rent shoes and a mattress to put under my sleeping bag for an additional $65 (extremely expensive). I gave him $70 and never got change back. He said he would be bringing the mattress. The next day we went to a small shop and searched the pre-worn boots (about 8 pairs) and left with one pair that fit. The first red flag was that we didn't pay for them. We just left with the boots.
A few hours later when we arrived at the park, another red flag went up. The office didn't send enough porters to carry the weight of all the bags, tents, kitchen stuff, etc. so when we got to the Kilimanjaro National Park gates, the park made us hire 2 additional porters to carry everything. The Unique Jungle office should have weighed the bags before they picked me up. Additionally, Emmanuel said that he didn't have any way to pay for the additional porters so he asked if he could borrow the $100 USD it would take to hire the 2 additional porters to get us into the park and start the climb. Once in the park, he asked me for a tip for the driver, which seemed odd. I've never tipped the driver in all my travels...its always included.
We finished the climb earlier than expected so there was an additional day to spend in the area. I had asked my guide about a safari and Emmanuel came to my hotel that night with the costs. A boxed lunch was going to be $50! Even lunch in the USA isn't that much! Needless to say, I declined his entire offer and found my own way.
I would love to hire the climbing crew again if I return. They were great. However, I will not work with Unique Jungle again because of Emmanuel. He is a thief, liar, and lacks any knowledge of true customer service in the travel industry. People are traveling to a new country where many don't speak the native language and because of this there's a certain vulnerability. Emmanuel will take advantage of this situation and of you. Its been a month since my trip, I've asked numerous times and have yet to receive my $105 refund from Unique Jungle.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Low capacity to provide good services
This tour company is misleading and does not stand upto the commitments it’s promised.
They portray an incorrect picture inspite of knowing client expectations and mislead them by lies. They do not have capacity of good and professional services. Once you’ve paid and are on the tour they do not respond to any of your concerns. They portray a different picture and provide sub standard services.
Also they withhold information which comes as a surprise later on the tour and which is disappointing while you are there and stressful as well.
It’s a marketing gimmick and if you do go ahead with them still make sure to put everything on paper. Example
Food
Conveyance
Itinerary
Professional guide
Accommodation expectations
Be clear about everything they don’t stand up to their commitments.
PH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Quote was different with the actual service
The quotation says free bottled mineral water but I did not receive any bottled water during meals and on game drives. Also, it says there will be a hotel pick up and drop-off which didn't happen as well. When I booked, I already mentioned the hotel that I am staying and Peter said he will pick me up. The night before the safari, he emailed and said he can't pick me up because my hotel is far which is unfair because when I reserved a slot, I already mentioned the hotel name. He should have told me when I reserved that he can't pick me. Lastly, they are using a van so it's 3-2-3, a total of eight plus a seat beside the driver which make it really cramped. I noticed the other groups have 2-2-2 plus one beside the driver which make it an ideal set-up.
SG
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Rip off for average package with positive attirude
Over priced package was for the oldest, simplest jeep, below average food, ontime but unaware people of details and what the package covers...charged for average available hotels highly, ticket copies and our bill were not adding up....very accommodating boss but no answers on billing correction or refunds..highly disappointing price quality...prefer South Africa experience be it for price quality relationships or honesty in offer!
SK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
not as expected
We expected more because price was very high, and we have to pay the money for guide extra.........
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great safari, poor organisation
The safari itself was great, beautiful nature and nice to see all the animals.
Unfortunately, the organisation and service of Uhuru travel was very bad and no value for money. There was no pick-up from our accommodation, the game drive started more than 2 hours too late, there was no breakfast on the first and third day, and the group size was larger than communicated. Moreover, we were placed on a campsite which we did not book for and we had to pay again to stay at the right campsite.
SE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Did not get what was promised
I dont feel that i got what was promised. I booked a 2-day safari but it was just one day. We were picked up at 6.00 in the morning. It was said the trip would be 4-5 hours but took more than 7. Due to the car breaking down we didnt get to eat breakfast until 10.00. Then 2 hours later they said we should have lunch. That was to soon so we ended up eating at a ”restaurant” in the park. The food here was not good.
The drive in the park in the afternoon was great and we saw all the animals we wanted. Our guide Tony was very good.
We were driven to the acommodations TanSwiss around 18.30. The stay here was ok but when we asked our guide about day-2-plans he said we were just going home. No more safari.
In the booking i was promised ”After breakfast from lodge with the packed lunches enjoy en route game drive in Mikumi National Park before depart to Dar es Salaam in which you will arrive in evening”. This booking promises a second day and writng about lunch like that gives you the impression that it will last a couple of hours.
In the morning the guide made it feel like were going for a drive around the outskirts of the park and would see many animals.
One hour after leaving the hotell were out of the park and on our way home. Super short en route game drive with no packed lunches, just one hour on the big road.
The titel of this trip should not be ”best 2-day Mikumi safari” instead ”4 hour safari with lodge stay”
I am sure that there are other companies that offer safari with better service and that can deliver what they promised. So I would not recommend LuiTours.
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Mixed up itinerary, below average guide, unreliable vehicle, unkept promises
We booked a private 20-day birding tour from July 25-August 13. The main guide, Alfred, was already booked so we had a guide who doesn't guide as often and wasn't as experienced. Main problems: 1) we had a final itinerary from the office, but it turned out that the guide and driver were given a different version of the itinerary, leading to unexpected and unpleasant surprises during the tour; 2) one of these unpleasant surprises was being told the morning we were supposed to do a chimpanzee trek later that day that we had not paid for the chimp permits and therefore would not be doing the trek. We had copies of the final invoice that clearly stated the price included the chimp permits, but the guide said he was told we could not do the chimp trek; 3) the guide tried to tell us we were wrong -- even when we showed him the invoice; 4) later, we managed to speak on the phone with the office representative and were assured we would be refunded the US$300 for the chimp permits that we had paid for. This was confirmed again by email after we returned home. To this day, more than 2 months after the end of the tour, we still have not received the refund despite several reminders to Alfred. 5) The vehicle we were in during the tour broke down at least twice, leading to long delays to try and repair it. The only good thing about the tour was the driver, Benson, who tried his best, given the situation. He often performed tasks that the guide would normally do such as making sure we were taken care of on the gorilla trek. The guide, on the other hand, paid no attention to whether things were okay with us, be it accommodations, meals, or on the trails. He never once asked how things were going for us. He was more interested in chatting with local guides and park rangers than in finding the birds and helping us to see them. Sadly, we cannot recommend this company as our experience was way below an acceptable standard.
IL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Disappointing experience
We booked a trip to Namibia and Botswana in advance of a year and a half to get a specific driver / guide in Botswana. Andre promised us that. As a result, Andre gave us another driver / guide. Moreover, Andre changed three ordered camps without prior notice. One of these camps was outside the national park, and we had to pay additional fees for entering the park. We are very disappointed.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
ACZ tried to change agreed conditions several times
After agreeing on conditions and contracting tour for Amboseli 3 days in lodges, and paying in advance 50%, they contacted to say that it wasn't a lodge but a luxury tent and that a suplement was needed for a lodge. We refused and referred to agreed terms, finally they admitted it would be lodge without suplement.
One or two days before the tour, they called us to let us know that they had problems with the vans, and that they were changing our open-roofed van for a jeep... we refused, and finally got the van as agreed (which is more spacious and permits a full experience).
During the tour, they disturbed us during dinner and argued that they had problems again with vans and proposed to change the safari drive of next day for a visit to a Masaai village. Again we had to refuse, really upset of being bothered by their logistic problems that we are not responsible of.
Last day in the return trip which had lunch included, the driver stopped and told us that the company had given him some money for us to buy food. The amount was ridiculous, so we had to refuse again and as in other tours asked to go to a proper place where the meals are arranged for tourists and we don't need to care about prices.
None of these things happened with other safari tours that we contracted.
Not directly related to ACZ, but to the AA Lodge, we found several cockroaches in the lodge, not only in the bathroom but also inside the sheets. We had to move to a tent that night.
Apart from all of that, we enjoyed Amboseli a lot, and the driver was really nice (in these tours, drivers generally do the hard work in an excellent way and get the less of the money; managers just arrange conditions and pickup the money).