IE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Refunded for day 1 of trip
** UPDATE APRIL 2015
Thanks to peter for refunding us the cost of our first day's travel as promised
** ORIGINAL REVIEW
We booked transport from Nairobi airport to Masai Mara for 7.30am dept time so we could do an afternoon game drive. We left nairobi 8 hours late at 3:30 pm having waited all day and arrived at 9:30pm and missed entirely one of our two days of game drives. We were given continued excuses over and over again and several requests for money en route for expenses etc. We had paid upfront and in full. This company almost ruined the entire trip. Thankfully we had independently booked great accommodation who provided their own good driver and guide for our game drive the next day. This company is not anywhere near good enough and should be avoided at all costs. They have promised a refund but continuously have deferred about paying this.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Safari was fantastic but the road trip to and from was a disaster.
Helpful in booking and changing / amending booking at the last minute to an exceptionally good and exclusive safari. Picking up both times before the breakfast time at hotels and then stopping for long periods of time to pick up other passengers, once for an hour. Not stopping for food during 8-9 hours of road trip. Not friendly at all and not open to receiving feedback. Poor communication skills by the staff.
RU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Overrated. Had no luck with a guide driver.
So the main complaint is about information. It seems that our guide driver Matu was a lier! Or a joker, but it was not good that information about animals he gave us and other guides gave was very different. As not an local we cannot prove anything so it was kind of unfair. Also, he was late every day. Talked a lot with somebody on the phone and with other drivers. It was very uncomfortable to travel with him. He never commented his actions. We were driving about 3 hours under the hot sun with no words where are we go and what a going to do. And he had very bad accent. He always said "glass" instead of "grass" and other words.
Also it is a complaint about hot drinks. It was highlighted in the contract that drinks like sodas and beers are not included. But they didn't say a word that hot drinks are not included into lunches and you should buy it!
But they gave us a better price for that time. But at the same time the hotels and camps they are providing are so poor and incomfortable. Other proc is that they didn't want a prepayment (you know that e-payment systems are not brillliant in Africa) and the water was included in price.
I want to say a big thanks for Vinsent.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not the best
We were told we had booked a particular accommodation, on the evening before our safari when we met them in Dar Es Salaam we were told we will be staying somewhere else as we were on the reservation list and the place was fully booked. We would never have booked if that was the case this, it was never explained in any email communications prior to booking. When we arrived at the accommodation is was way way below the standard we had booked for, aircon not working, broken windows, shower not working very well, need I go on! MAKE SURE YOU ARE GUARANTEED THE PLACE YOU WANT AND NOT TOLD YOU ARE ON A WAITING LIST!!!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Second rate at best, owner has no integrity!
Where do I start, the food in the camps was good but that's about it! A party of 6 doing a 12 night trip all paid for before we arrived. 3rd day we are at Speke Bay Lodge for one night, our safari landrovers turn up at 1300 hours to collect us, they are immediately blocked in by a tractor and trailer, the management of the lodge inform us that East African Safari and Touring company (also known as EastCo) had not paid for our stay and would not let us go until they did, our luggage was locked in reception. The lodge management then phone EastCO and ask me to speak to the owner Mr Simon King, this I agreed to as I was not happy, after a long chat Mr King asked me to pay off his debt with my credit card, I suggested he use his own credit card, as we had paid for everything up front, he hung the phone up!! About an hour later Mr King phoned and asked to speak to a different member of our party and ask them to pay his debt, again told no, again he hung up. After we had been held hostage for 4 hours, I'm afraid to say that with no help from our tour company, I threatened to kick in the reception door and I would move the tractor (I'm a farmers son) At this point the lodge management get us go, this would turn out to be the first of 3 safari drives we would miss out on due to EastCo's lack of integrity. We drove for 5 hours, mostly in the dark, to arrive at our next lodge at 2100 hours. So lets talk about our 2 Landrover defender safari jeeps, both 15 years old, most of the seals round the doors were gone, so we were covered in dust most of the time, One only had 4 gears out of 5, the other sometimes 3 or 4 gears ( this would cost us another game drive later as the gear box would fall out) this jeep also had 6 warning lights on from day it picked us up! On another day one of the pop up roofs would not stay up, so we were only able to look out of the side windows, most of which were stuck shut! On 2 days we drove for 11 hours between camps, only to be told on arriving at EastCo'c tented camp there was only enough water for 4 people to shower, on the second day at the tented camp 5 French guest arrived to be told there was no water for showers! Ok, I think you are getting the idea of how our trip went, missed game drives, charging a lodge without telling us, the 2 drivers did the best they could with the resource they were given, each time we entered a Game park the drivers had to fill in forms and pay cash which took about 30 minutes, while all the other safari companies stopped for 30 seconds, showed there passes and drove on.
Do not use this company.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Overpriced.
For what we received the charges were exorbitant--the room was not in order upon arrival, water not hot, pool hours limited so that once one returns from the cruise the pool was closed, cruise time was fine but the distance and information limited, family rooms sleep six but only four allowed (????), price was more upon arrival than quoted in the email. Sorry, but we won't be staying there again. It just wasn't worth the price.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
No go Operator!!
I got offer from this company by email. On arrival in Kampala they changed the itininerary at once and gave me lower value als before. The guide Erick was lazy, almost driving to fast and not safe, coming late for departure, not want to stand up early in morning. I missing completly the knowlodge about how to make a tour with foreign guests.
May be other guides are better, but please never go with Erick!
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Disappointed.
We chose Kazinga for their flexibility, good reviews and prices. With another couple of friends we spent 9 days of game drives in three parks of Tanzania.
When we saw the 4X4 car picked us up from the airport in Dar, we already said it started badly. It was an old 4X4, 18 years old, in poor condition, with smooth tires! Of course we had a puncture. In addition to the nine days, he broke down twice and stopped two days.
The organization safari was bad, with trip totally undervalued times (4 hour trip turned into an exhausting 11-hour trip!)
The guides were friendly and reservations had been made and paid.
Finally, we cut and preferred to fly at our expense, to go from Ruaha park to our hotel on the Indian Ocean.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
ATC 57 Day African Adventure
We have just finished ATC 57 Day Cape Town to Nairobi overland trip, and though the staff on the ground for the most part were very good, the actual organisation of the trip certainly does not provide the best value or experience on the market. Parts of the trip were disorganised, very expensive comparative with other companies, meals paid for were not made available, suppliers used by ATC were slipshod in their attention to detail and expensive.
Booking through On The Go Tours we were informed that there was no way that optional excursions could be paid for in advance, we were therefore surprised and annoyed to find that other travellers on our trip using a Dutch Agent had all major excursions included in the price.
Itineraries supplied by different agents for the tour were slightly different and this caused confusion with at least one out of the three trip leaders we had, and meant last minute changes in plan.
Changes in tour leaders, cooks and driver also meant meals paid for were not provided, and we actually had to pay for a meal at the ATC Nairobi campsite that was included in our package. The new tour leader indicated he would investigate this with the office but no further comment was provided by the tour leader or ATC.
Campsites had been changed comparative to the itinerary supplied and due to not camping inside national park game viewing opportunities were lost. If using ATC ensure that any changes in itinerary do not affect the paid for activities.
Equipment used especially on the first two parts of the trip were "well used" to say the least, and in my opinion the cooks knives on the final part were dangerous to use and unhygienic with handles falling apart.
Optional tours with third party supplies were found to be 25% more expensive than other operators offering better value both at Victoria Falls and Swakopmund, which given the amount of business generated by the overland tours was disappointing to learn. If you use ATC I would strongly urge you to shop around at both these places.
Tour teeshirts out of the four ordered from ATC recommended supplies two in Kampala and two in Vic falls, none were provided as agreed with the suppliers representative, which was very disappointing.
We did go to all the places within the itinerary, and much of the trip was enjoyable, however, if we were to repeat this trip we would use alternative companies which offer similar itineraries. Do not be fooled by the cheap upfront price, by the time all optional extras are included it is certainly no cheaper than going with others who include these in the upfront price.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Did not fullfill our expectations and what we have booked
We were 2 persons and booked 3 days hiking Mt. Meru and 4 days safari for approx. USD 1500 each person.
Every day we had discussions with the guides or persons who conducted the tours. They wanted too high tips for average or under average services. We had acrid discussions about the tips.
In our mentally and physically worst moment on Mt. Meru on the summit day when we slept only 3 hours, climbed 1300 vertical meters up to 4500m and 1300 down, had still another 2000 vertical meters down towards us and BEFORE we got a meal, they asked us how about the tipping and if we already know their tipping guidelines and if we now could give the tips.
On safari, we booked 2 days Serengeti, 1 day Ngorongoro and 1 Tarangire National Park. The truth is, you only get half of these days because the rest of these days is travel time to the next destination or camping site. Our guide did not explain anything. Just nothing. He just drove the car and did no else "guiding service". But afterwards, he expected a high tip.
Transkibo has subcontracted the whole safari tour, meaning personnel of a different safari company or freelancer conduct the safari guides. But these persons don't have a strong connection to the company we have booked (transkibo) which is why they do not care about providing good services.
The truth is Tanzania is not a backpacking country. The country is spoiled of rich tourists who spent a lot of money to get carried on Kilimandjaro with chairs and portable toilets.