AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Didn’t meet the expectations
The experience overall was not the best. Very few things could have made it a lot better.
I have to say the driver (guide) was very nice and helpful. All else wasn’t up to the expectations.
The car had too many issues, we had to stop at least three times to fix things. Each of course wasted time. Almost everything in the car was shaking and with the roads it was a lot worse.
The food tasted bad, the quantity in the was very little, but when i complained, they fixed this. And then came the tents, mattresses and sleeping bags. This was horrible. They smelled like pure sweat. It was raining at night and tents were leaking water. My mattress was soaking wet, my bag got wet, almost everything got wet. One of the guys who were with us got everything wet even her passport.
Investing in a better car, some tents and some more organization could have made the experience a lot better
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not diligent with arrangements
In September 2023, we booked a luxury African Safari through Image Travel Ltd, a Kenyan tour operator. Despite staying at luxury &Beyond properties and having a memorable experience, there were issues. We faced a hotel change and missed activities for which we prepaid $1,100. Despite assurances from Image Travel Ltd, we never received a refund. We filed a complaint with the Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO) on January 3, 2024, but haven't received a response as of April 2024. Given their failure in arrangements and because they have yet to refund our money, we cannot recommend Image Travel Ltd. Instead, we suggest booking directly through &Beyond for a seamless experience. Their properties and staff made our trip unforgettable.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Not the "luxury" we were expecting (Capetown)
This is my experience and my opinion of my latest trip booked with Kanyezi. This is my 2nd time I booked through Kanyezi. The first was a last minute trip (2-3 weeks notice) my flights were my only gripe and I take partial blame for that due to my last-minute booking, so this time I booked my flights myself to solve that issue.
I was expecting luxury or at least upper end accommodations based on their sales of a "luxury" trip, their contract and my previous experience. Our accommodations in Cape town were changed the last few days prior to us leaving on this trip, they were changed from a wine estate to a golf resort? This was not what we had been planning, we don't play golf but we were to go with this change as we were told the other accommodation (Spier or Lanzerac) were not available. The resort, which I will call a "motel" was def not upper end/luxury. We did not even have a/c one night as it didn't work, mold in bathrooms, hairs in the bathrooms, a kitchenette (like an inn suites) also there were private residences on this property, so dogs were barking constantly, laundry hung out to dry all over the place, dust an inch thick on the plastic plants, you get the drift. When I called Chris to express my discontentment he really didn't care and said when he stayed here (10 years ago) it was a nice place. He would rather argue with me than try to sort out our stay somewhere else that was more of what we felt we paid for and were expecting. He was NOT customer service oriented and had a lot of excuses, some were just downright untruths.
There actually was room at the other resorts as we checked, and another couple booked also through Kanyezi actually moved to one of the "unavailable" resorts, however our funds were paid to Kanyezi and we simply didn't have extra funds to make the move to the nicer and what was expected accommodations.
The way were treated by Chris was unacceptable and honestly shocking! This was 4 nights (33%) of our 12 night trip spent in unacceptable accommodations.
Also, I will also say their communication was poor and often took days to respond to emails and most often didn't answer my questions I had asked in my emails. The lists of restaurants to book for dinners given by Kanyezi had not been updated and most of them I called were now permanently closed, because they had not even bothered to check to update their recommendations. Our contract was not updated throughout after they changed our accommodations in Capetown still saying the original "Spier Wine Estate" throughout. Chris is very "contract" driven and mentions his contract regularly.
Given the response and treatment to our situation I would never use Kanyezi again and would not recommend!
I will say Dulini, the safari resort, and The Palms in Zimbabwe were both excellent! I will book direct next time and save myself the hassle of being treated like crap not to mention the anger and frustration I experienced the first days of our long awaited and expensive trip to South Africa. Never again KANYEZI!!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A mediocre experience at best
So the tour started about 1hour and 30 minutes late because the initial driver could not pick us up because the safari car broke down on the way to our hotel. So we got assigned a new driver and this driver was supposed to arrive at our hotel 20 minutes later than the actual pickup time. But he arrived over 1 hour later and the boss of the travel agency promised us to extend the game drive for the amount of the time the driver was delayed. So when the driver arrived he was in not so good of a mood because he had been woken up in his sleep to do the tour instead of the other driver. So his bad mood was understandable to us at first. We continued with the tour and tried to make the best out of the situation. The Safari tour felt rushed and the actual Safari was very underwhelming because we just rushed through the main paths of the national park for about 2 hours and did not get any explanation of the driver whatsoever without us actually asking him specific questions. We did not see many animals and our requests during the drive were not regarded. The Safari was expensive (500$ and more for 2 people) and it was not worth the money at all. We spent 25$ per person for a meal which was just rice and vegetables and the driver even was rude to us when we asked him why he was making us rush through everything when actually we were promised a longer Safari tour because of the delay. We can’t recommend this agency although not everything was bad.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Thornybush Game Reserve by Debra Younghans
Wildlife viewing paled in comparison to Timbavati Nature Reserve. The vibe at the lodge was good but not exceptional like Kambaku.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Debra & Angi
Because of the increasing salt water is everything destroyed!
More over we didn’t have time to se much because our plan was in the afternoon at 3 from Arusha…
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not customer-oriented, only interested in own profits
Starting with the positives:
* Our driver exhibited exceptional friendliness and punctuality throughout the journey.
* We were consistently provided with excellent vantage points for capturing wildlife photographs.
* Despite encountering dangerous traffic conditions, our driver drove safely, though it's worth noting the necessity for functional safety belts within the vehicle.
However, handling of unforeseen circumstances by Meektrails Safari, particularly regarding our delayed arrival:
On the downside:
* Meektrails initially suggested omitting a day from our Masai Mara itinerary, a significant disappointment given its prominence in our plans and its associated cost, with no reimbursement offered.
* Contrary to their stated cancellation policy guaranteeing full refunds in such situations, we were informed that refunds were not feasible due to upfront payments for accommodations and entrance fees.
* During the safari we saw that these fees were typically paid upon arrival, contradicting Meektrails' explanation.
* Following considerable negotiation, Meektrails agreed to adjust our itinerary to two full days in Masai Mara, yet failed to compensate for the activities and accommodations we skipped.
* Additionally, the promised sightseeing activity in Nairobi on our final day was abruptly canceled without prior notice, leaving us feeling fooled
In conclusion, we recommend you to recognize the potential for abrupt changes in plans during such excursions. However, Meektrails' failure to stick to their refund policy and their apparent attempts to prioritize their interests leave a negative impression. Regrettably, we cannot recommend this agency.
GH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Poor management, lack of flexibility but great guide
Before confirming our tour with Bienvenido Kenya Tours and Safaris, I made sure to ask explicitly if the place we were going to stay at was the one I had mentioned, even sending a link for reference. To our surprise, the camp they confirmed via email had nothing to do with the one I had asked about. They offered us another camp for a much higher price. We suggested splitting the additional costs, but they refused.
I don't think they intended to scam us, but their lack of flexibility and taking responsibility for their mistake left a bad taste. However, the two employees we dealt with remained polite, but it was not their call to make things right. I blame the director/CEO who didn't want to discuss the matter at all or take any final accountability despite recognizing their mistake.
On a positive note, Nico, our guide, was fantastic. He knew a lot, was happy to answer questions, and was just a really nice person to spend time with during those two days.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Lazy, looking for money and poor in service.
I'm very sorry for the people who work for this company, but I can't recommend the company that was responsible for my climbing at all, but I can't recommend the people who work closely with you or accompany you. But you can also find them everywhere else and you can also hire Angelo privately, for example. I can only warmly recommend him and his team, but you've already read that. So if you are interested, I would be happy to put you in touch.😊 But Nelson, who I have corresponded with and who owns this company, was a horror. Zero information and quite long response times. Some answers didn't even arrive after several reminders. The information that followed was also inadequate. For example, I asked him what utensils I needed, since I'm a complete layman. He wrote to me that I didn't have to worry about anything or any utensils. Everything would be there. I don't have to worry. But he didn't say that I had to pay for the missing utensils. I ended up paying an additional $90 and in the end I feel let down. What about people who are on a tighter budget? He also didn't write down what the preparation should look like. The person who does this for the first time, like me, is left alone. Sure, you can read up on the internet, but every company does it differently. There is no sensible information on his website either. I'm very sorry, but I had to get this out of the way, also for the people who might be interested in climbing Mount Kili or doing something similar. I also booked the safari through Nelson and it was also designed to spend as little money as possible. Several groups who had booked different things were put in one car, which is fine in itself. You got to know more people and the stories behind them, but the implementation was horror and the performance didn't live up to the promise or the program. For example, we each had much shorter safari times. You left at just the wrong times. And meals were designed differently and even skipped. And since I have already completed two safaris, I can easily compare. And the comparison is very negative. He also failed to mention that bed and breakfast worth $20 each was included before the respective venture. So I didn't use this service, which is almost fine for me, but I just think paying $40 for the transfers is unfair and not right. I'm very sorry, but in the end it's more important to me that, should you ever do this, you are as informed as possible.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Nyerere National Park by Alessandro
Just avoid this park (at least in rainy season). I don't know how it is in dry season. No animals, terrible roads , and 7 hours drive from Dar Es Salaam. A proper nightmare.