BE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Thieves
We booked the safaritrip "The best of East Africa" in 2020. Because of covid we had to postpone to 2021.
The trip we booked was fully options, parkfees, logies, meals etc.
When we arrived in Nairobi Peter and Peninah were waiting for us together with our driver.
They said everything was arranged for our trip.
At day 4 the troubles started, we had our lunch in a restaurant on the way to Masai Mara and the driver paid 6.000 KES for the lunch.
A hour later, the driver told me he had a call with Peter about the lunch and h said that Peter told him to ask the money back to me and that he would pay me back when we were back in Nairobi.
The same day a recieved a mail from Peter asking me to pay the parkfees for Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara and Amboseli, because the were not payed yet.
Because we were already on our way to Masai Mara, I wrote him that I could do that if we could pay with creditcard at the entree of the park and that he would repay us whn we were back in Nairobi.
He replied, no problem.
So, we paid the park fee for Masai Mara.
Then we went to Tanzania and that driver said that they had contact with Peter and that we would pay the park fees in Tanzania.
I said , yes, if we can pay with creditcard at the gates.
That was impossible he repleid, in Tanzania the fees are paid through the travelco and you cant pay at the gates, because they have no cardreaders.
So, we drove to one ATM to another, collecting cash money, because I reached that day the maximum of cash redraw, we would do the same when we came from the Nogorongoro crater.
The amount we had to pay was also much higher than Peter wrote me in his mail.
So, I wrote Peter that same day, that I will stop paying and that he had to find a solution.
I never recieved a answer on that mail, so after visiting the crater we had to go again to ATM machines to collect the rest of the money.
When we went back to the border of Kenia, to visit Amboseli, we had to show our PCR test, but nobody told us, not Peter or the touroperator in Tanzania, that we had to do the test.
So, instead of going to Amboseli, we had to return to Arusha, to do the test.So, we lost our stay in Amboseli and we had to pay $110 for the test.
The normal price for the test is $49, but we had to pay more, because the testcenter was already closed and they found a doctor who would do the test, but only if we paid $110.
So, the day after we went back to the border and straight to Nairobi.
I sent a mail to Peter to meet us in the EKA hotel, so he could pay me back.
Once arrivbed in the hotel, a few hours later Peter, Peninah and one other lady showed up.
After explaining what we went trough and how much they owned us, the discussing started.
They did not had the money to pay us back and they told us we had to wait until they recieved money from another group that would come the second week of September.
So, after 4 hours of waiting and discussing, we had to call the tourist police.
When they arrived and because they could not explain what they did with our money we paid for our tours, they arrested them and put them in jail. Before we went of to the police station another issue popped up, even our hotel was not paid for our last night and diner.
Last week a recieved our first payment, but we are still waiting to get the rest of our money back.
What should be a splendid holiday, became a nightmare, we lost more than 4 days, first driving to one ATM machine to a other one, than because of the PCR test we never had the change to visit Amboseli and our two last days in EKA hotel, where we spend more time in the police station than in the hotel.
Thanks Ms Leonorah Kasina for planning my Turkey trip.I really enjoyed everything.You are the best.
Vacay deals are the best,they have never disappointed me.
Am so grateful.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Blue Crane Safaris: a great tour operator in Namibia!
We found Blue Crane Safaris while searching online for tour operators in Namibia.
Since the very first contact, the communication with Derek (the operator's manager) was extremely efficient.
Particularly during the current pandemic, the travel conditions may be quickly impacted and this requires constant interaction between both parties.
We can recommend the whole process (tour configuration, individual interests, on-site guiding and transport, execution of the planned activities, etc) as outstandingly well done.
Derek and his team always met our expectations, and we are certainly satisfied with our great experience in beautiful Namibia.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great job of finding great places to visit
Wonderful trip lots of animals friendly people and great accommodations
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Weekend getaway
Went to Diani with my Family. Trav organized everything from transport to accommodation. i highly recommend them for your travel.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very proffesional and what you pay for is what you get.
The moment I made contact with Tiago from Spirit of Kenya there was a sence of good vibes. He always answered the emails I wrote him in the same day. He understood evry question and never gave me the impression that he was feed up with me. (I asked a lot of questions)
Everything he told me was true and he made us a very special trip that we customized ourselfs.
As soon as we were on the ground our guide took over. Hes name was Franco Sego. The best guide and driver ever. He loved doing hes job and thanks to him we saw the Big 5 and much more. Franco made our trip super special.
I truly belive that thanks to the team effort of Tiago and Franco our trip was 50 % better.
I can only recommend going on safari with Spirit of Kenya.
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredibly attentive
I had originally booked a different tour, but the agency let me know well in advance that there was a chance I wouldn’t be able to see any animals. They then offered me two very reasonable alternatives. They genuinely wanted me to have a great tour. Then, the tour I had chosen unfortunately did not have enough people so they offered me either a refund or to join the other tour for the same price. Of course I joined because I wanted to see the animals. I was incredibly amazed at how attentive they are and wanted me to feel comfortable. They picked me up from my hotel bright and early and dropped me back off. It was very well organized and I highly recommend booking your tours with them. A big thank you to Said who arranged it all and did his best for me.
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Masaï Mara 3 days
3 wonderful days at the Masai Mara. Daniel, our driver / guide was fantastic. We were able, thanks to his insight, to see lions, leopards, cheetahs… He made us discover the savannah in all its splendor. The lodge where we stayed is a few kilometers from a gate to the reserve. it is immaculately kept and the tents are very comfortable. meals are simple but plentiful. I highly recommend African Home Adventure, both in terms of the organization, timing and cost of the stay. It will be an unforgettable stay. thank you again to Daniel who is an outstanding driver.
NG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
My experience was amazing , at some point I felt like extending my trip . Haha. The tour, reception and hospitality was top notch. This is something I would like to do all over again someday . Thank you
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding Experience during Kilimanjaro climb - 7 day Lemosho route
Migration Venture provided an extraordinary and a very pleasurable end-to-end experience for us during our successful Kilimanjaro climb through the Lemosho route.
Starting with ease of interaction with Amos at the point of sale to the patience exhibited by our able and highly experienced guides, Epa and Joseph along with an outstanding team of porters, cooks and tent folks, our overall experience was simply outstanding.
They all came together to constantly motivate and help us through out the way to successfully summit the Uhuru peak one day ahead of schedule. This really helped us with additional time to rest and recuperate after the climb.
The accommodations arranged by the company pre- and post-climb at Chanya Lodge in Moshi was equally delightful. The staff out there, the wonderful ambience inside and outside our room, and the restaurant food made us so much feel welcome and at home.
We could have never dreamed of accomplishing this feat without their help. Kilimanjaro climb does expose us to very harsh environmental conditions ( extreme temperature changes and UV radiation from the Sun), with steep grades at various points during the climb. It is nearly impossible to simulate such conditions and train effectively for a 15K ft+ climb prior to the climb.
Yet, we were able to completely avoid an signs of early fatigue, burnout or high altitude sickness and I would attribute all of that success to Epa, Joseph and the team of porters.
I would not hesitate to climb again with these wonderful and highly committed folks, perhaps in about 2 years from now.