CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Big Time Disappointment - Big Time Holidays Ltd. - COMPANY NOT RECOMMENDED
We scheduled a safari through Charles (Allan) Milambo with Big Time Holidays and ultimately wasted an entire day of our two day safari trying to sort out mass confusion due to lack of communication and general incompetence. It started with failed attempts to locate Charles (Allan) who was supposed to pick us up from Kilimanjaro airport. After an hour of waiting at the airport pick-up area and actively trying to reach Charles (phones did not connect through and no response to emails), we finally concluded we were scammed and decided to salvage what we could of our short stay in northern Tanzania. Consequently, we were out of pocket monies that were spent on taxis, meals and advice from other tour companies (note: meals and rides were all supposed to be covered as part of our service). Imagine our surprise when three hours later we do hear from Charles (Allan), who indicated that another driver had been sent to pick us up from the airport (not him - why were we not informed and provided with the new drivers contact information?) and had been waiting for us this entire time (where?? We spoke to every driver in the airport's pick up area multiple times and no one there was looking for our family, was going to Ngorongoro Crater, or was affiliated with Big Time Holidays. We did, however, have many people offer to take us instead).
Our three primary frustrations are listed in detail, below, for anyone wishing to proceed with caution:
1. Services not met
Simply put, the clearly articulated services and costs for services agreed to were not met; namely, pick-up from the airport, staying at the on-site Rhino Lodge from which animals can be viewed*, enjoying a full afternoon and full, early start morning of safari, visit to Olduvai Gorge, and all meals. Notably, early in our email conversations, Charles explicitly stated that “Ngorongoro Crater alone needs two days to see everything.” Online reviews and a general internet search did not indicate any reason to suspect sub-par service.
*a few weeks prior to our trip, we were informed that we were on a waiting list and that a reservation elsewhere was made; we were not informed that this new site was over an hour away; nor was it confirmed that this plan B had become our plan A
2. Questionable ethics
There are three parts to this. Firstly, a few weeks after our initial deposit was made, Charles requested an additional 295 USD for services. When asked for more information on the surcharge, his email indicated that “his hands are tied up on this” and that there will be “no more extras”. After looking into the situation more, including contacting the Ngorongoro Conservation Agency and friends in Kenya, there was no information to substantiate the increase, and we communicated as much to Charles. He then responded - on the same day - “Don’t you worry about it. We have already solve the situation. The plan remain the same” (Note: he did not answer the majority of our questions asking for clarification in the back and forth leading up to this 'resolution').
Secondly, Charles specified early on that he would be our driver (“I will devort [sic] my self to a company you on this trip always to keep standard.”) We expected all along that we would be working with him and did not receive any communication indicating otherwise (we would have asked for the driver’s contact number if this were the case). (note: this piece is directly related to the confusion outlined above)
Thirdly, there was a clear unwillingness to acknowledge the stress and reduced services of our actual situation on Day 1 of our trip. During a phone conversation mid day when we finally managed to get a hold of one another, Charles claimed that he had met all the stipulations of our agreement and refused to compensate us in any way, stating that he had sent three separate drivers to find us to fulfill the agreement and that it was our fault (?!) for not finding the driver at the airport.
3. Money out of pocket and undue stress
One of the reasons we prearranged the safari with airport pick up and drop off, as well as meals and 50% down-payment on what we consider a large sum of money (please note: most companies ask for 30%; we however felt that we could trust Charles based on early interactions), was so that we could arrive in Kilimanjaro and simply enjoy our experience as a family – the youngest of our three kids being two years old. The opposite happened. Not only did we spend a substantial amount out of pocket for additional transportation, international phone calls, food, and bank fees, in the actual unfolding of events during our brief time in northern Tanzania, we experienced a substantial amount of stress from not knowing where our driver was, to suspecting that we were scammed, to finding an alternate solution and being asked for about 1.6 times our original costs (i.e. being taken advantage of in our desperate circumstances), to spending almost an entire day sorting the situation, to not receiving the full services agreed to.
In short, my wife and I do NOT recommend this company to anyone looking for a hassle-free holiday. We would have accepted reasonable compensation for our troubles, but that was not even considered.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect for vacation
It was a wonderful Vacation.Travelled with a group of 61 Adult, march 2018, we spent 7 nights and saw Tarangire, Serengeti as well as Ngorongoro crater, SG Tanzania Safaris was a right company for our journey as their organised and provide the best safari with best experience ever in wild safari.We highly appreciated the tour guides as well as the SG tour safari management for making us comfortable and become interested to come back again at the next summer . For those who wants a group safari with SG company they may contact me direct here in Canada +13439971857 or home address 275A Graig Henry drive,K2G 4C7 .With no regret I highly recomend SG safari for your comfortable and memorable wild safari in East Africa
SI
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable life experience. Highly recommended!
I went on 7 days safari tour: Kasane- Chobe – Savute - Moremi – Maun – Makgadikgadi – Kasane in july 2014. I have to say that Botswana has the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen.
I also had the best time with Kaizer. He is the best guide - expert, reliable, funny, made us feel safe all the time... Very experienced with lots of knowledge.
I would recommend professional guide Kaizer, who is also a great driver, to all my friends in Slovenia.
It was a lifetime experience, that is difficult to put into words. I will definitely go on this Tour again as soon as it will be possible and I hope that I will be guided by Kaizer again.
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I was given the adventure of a lifetime!
My experience with Gilmag safaris was unparalleled by any other company. I have travelled to many destinations, and used many tour operators over the last ten years, and have never been met and catered to in the way that I have with this tour company. The professionalism that i encountered was far beyond most companies, and Mary's personal touch to ensure that all of my flight connections, accomodation, and airport transfers confirmed that I was dealing with the best tour operator in Tanzania. In the future I will only use Gilmag Safaris, for the African adventures I crave.
NO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic
We are 5 Norwegians who highly recommend Daigel Torus. A day trip to Mikumi is something we will never forget. Very nice and knowledgeable guide in a lovely setting. Next time we will also have a sunset and sunrise with the wild animals :-) We will return
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful! We saw so many animals! We saw animals hunting, mating and taking care of their young! A+
A trip to Tanzania was number 1 on my bucket list. To make this dream happen, I contacted “Shadows of Africa” to help me put this trip together. I could not picked a better company! The trip was wonderful in every way.
I did my homework before I contacted “Shadows of Africa” and had a general vision of what I would like the trip to be like, parks to visit, timeline, and accommodations. Jake McCormick and Stacy Breen, the Safari Specialists, with “Shadows of Africa” listened to my vision, and did their best to make it happen. They answered all my questions in a timely manor. They made good suggestions to make the most of our trip. The accommodations they lined up were wonderful. A good, balance between tented camps and lodges, all well run, that added to our safari experience. Shadows of Africa has a USA office in addition to an office in Tanzania.
My boyfriend and I usually like to travel independently. In Tanzania, the two of us traveled with our Shadows of Africa guide and driver Dickson Julius in a Toyota Land Cruiser, modified for safari travel. What a fantastic guide and driver he was! Dickson strived everyday to make our trip memorable. We just didn’t see animals. We saw animals doing thing like hunting, mating, or caring for their young. Dickson could read the movements of the animals, and knew when “something special” was going to happen. We saw so many birds and animals! Elephants, leopards, cheetahs, lions, impalas oryxes, jackals, hyenas, warthogs, rhinos, zebras, and MANY more. Dickson was a master at navigating the terrain. One evening, while we were in the Serengeti, we had a heavy rain storm, so the next day the roads were sloppy. That didn’t stop Dickson. He knew those conditions would be the best to see the hippos. When we saw the hippos that day, they were active in the water, with their mouths open, enjoying the infusion of fresh rainwater. Dickson was able to drive the Land Cruiser to places I never thought we could get to. But, he also knew where not to go. There was a river in Tarangire National park, that he decided not to cross at the first crossing. So we crossed it at a different location, further up river. Later in that day, we can back to the first crossing and there was another land cruiser stuck badly at that crossing where Dickson knew not to cross. I would love to go back to Tanzania, and without a doubt, I will use Shadows of Africa and hope to get Dickson as our driver.
Our trip consisted of 1 day in Arusha to overnight after arriving from USA, 2 days at Tarangire NP, 1 day at Lake Manyara NP, 2 days in the Serengeti NP- Ndutu Region, 2 days in the Serengeti NP- Central region, 1 day Ngorongoro Crater, 1 day Lake Eyasi, 1 day near Mt. Kilimanjaro and airport to fly home. Our trip was late February and Early March.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Majestic Vastness of Serengetti---I'll always remember.
I've Traveled in Latin Am, Asia, Europe and Africa & I appreciated Hilary and the Suricata Guide-Driver and cook! Hilary, the owner was so hospitable, on-time, and thoughtful to us. His price was reasonable and yet he helped us in extra ways, like taking us to the shuttle bus to Nairobi, even though we had already paid him and he did not have to do this big favor for us! I enjoyed the safari---especially the majestic vastness of the Serengetti. Emmanuel, the driver/guide has amazing eyes for spotting animals and is kind and thoughtful towards his guests in the safari. Dionnis, the cook prepares really good food and it comes on time---a big contrast to the lackadasical service we experienced at even a supposed 5 star hotel in Arusha. If I could do it over again, I would arrange to spend 2 days and 2 nights in the Serengetti, and sacrifice Tanguire or Manyara during a 5 day safari.
PL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience!
Me and my friend did the 5 days safari tour, Masai Mara, lake Nakuru. Saw the big five. The hunting cheetah was breathtaking. Our driver was very knowledgeable and open for our questions and requests.The safari group did amazing job. Lovely people, good accommodation and food. I definitely recommend this trip!
Fantastic experience
Saleh is an amazing tour guide. We saw all the animal we wanted to see. The accommodation was fantastic. Anna met us and welcomed us on the first day. Highly recommended. Dont forget a jacket, it can get cold at times!
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding service from incredible staff
Brian and his staff succeeded in providing myself and a large group of friends with an unforgettable few days in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. We were given a jam-packed itinerary that included a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel, chimpanzee trekking and several game drives throughout the national park.
The service was truly brilliant and our guides, Brian, Joseph and Charles couldn't have been more helpful. Before we even met Brian, we found him to be very accommodating while planning an itinerary for us that suited both our interests and our budget.
It made a big difference to our safari to have staff that were friendly, caring and could give us so much information. We were incredibly impressed with the time that we spent with GoExplore Safaris and we had a truly unforgettable experience