35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Francis Otieno is a SCAMMER!
Francis Otieno is a seasoned scam artist operating as a tour operator 'Adventure Dragon Safaris'. Under the suggestion of the safari driver (who was working for this scammer for the first time thus didn't know him), I have filed a police report and he has been issued with an OB number.
I could go into a lot of detail, but in short, he actually pretends to work for a registered company called Big Safari Tours and he didn't fully honor the tour I paid him for. On day 2 of the safari, the driver said he had not been sent the park fees and because we were such a long way, we had to pay for these (again) and hope he would refund us the money later. Of course, he turned his phone off. Back in Nairobi, the guide managed to get a hold of him, but he refused to refund the money so effectively, he had stolen those park fees even though it was part of our agreed safari tour. That, along with impersonating a registered company, is what is in the police report.
Foolishly, I did not verify that he worked for Big Time Safari until after I paid him the deposit in his MPesa account, in which he issued me with a receipt from his 'sister' company 'Adventure Dragon Safaris' with an official-looking logo. I couldn't verify with KATO that his 'business' is registered. While I wondered whether he was going to turn up at all and run off with my deposit, he did turn up, so I thought I was simply going to get what I paid for but with another company. I was obviously wrong. He is very manipulative, but the lies started becoming obvious when he suggested additional activities at clearly inflated prices (he quoted $150 for an activity I already knew was $60). I also discovered that he overcharged me for the actual tour too.
I acknowledge that all this wouldn't have happened if I had done my due diligence and had not been so trusting, but as it has happened now, all I can do is warn others not to make the same mistake as I did. I feel rather stupid because normally, I verify these things on Trip Advisor and such. I'm not the first person he has scammed, but I do hope I'm the last. Given he hasn't even changed his phone number or Facebook for several years, I feel it has been too long that he has been getting away with it. He told me he recently bought a new car (he's also an Uber driver). It's probably no wonder with all the money he continues to steal from people.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thieves, they stole our money
Incredibile, but true story
We booked a safari in Tanzania with John (Fig Tree) on January 2021 to July 2021 and paid more Than 1.000 euro in advance.
We asked whether the Safari was fully refundable or not (because of risk related with covid19). Of couse John answered us yes.
Now (AFTER TWO YEARS) we are still waiting our money.
We sent thousand of message, but we are still waiting.
An endless story. The Air company (Oman Air) refund us our flight tickets (even though after 1 year), but we are still waiting Fig Tree.
I think that we’ll never receive our money back, but i DON’T SUGGEST FIG TREE AND DON’T SUGGEST TO GIVE THEM MONEY IN ADVANCE
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Do not go with Epic Uganda Vacation
Travel from February 14 to February 23
Agency: Epic Uganda Vacation
Driver/Guide: Moses Niwamanyaa
Flight: Luxembourg – Kigali – Entebbe by KLM
Planned route:
• Entebbe
• Murchison
• Kibale
• queen elizabeth
• Bwindi
• Lake Bunyonyi
• Entebbe
Hello
Here is my feedback following a trip with the local agency Epic Uganda Vacation as well as my feedback on the lodges and my itinerary.
Every year, I travel with my dad. Not living in the same country, we meet somewhere in the world for an average vacation of 8-12 days.
This year, we chose Uganda, from February 14 to 23.
I chose Epic Uganda Vacation and talked with them to put together an itinerary that met our expectations.
3 weeks after paying for half of the trip, the agency told me that 3 of the lodges I had selected were finally fully booked. At the time, although disappointed, I found new lodges that we liked and was able to confirm these with the agency. After having been able to check the tourist influx in Uganda, I doubt today that no lodge was really full. First disappointment.
Having to work every day for about an hour, I asked the agency for confirmation several times that internet access would be possible on our itinerary. They assured me that was the case. And… that was not the case at all. The lodges generally have a router at the restaurant but these only work very slightly. I bought a sim card with internet data, but without 4G (or very little) during our itinerary, it was not useful.
The agency also told me that they had internet at all times in the vehicle. The router had an autonomy of about 30 minutes in the car and had to be recharged on mains plug after that (thus completely useless during road transfers of several hours).
If the agency had been honest with me, I could have managed not to work during this period, but that was not the case. Second disappointment.
Moses, our guide, supposed to be fluent in English but we had a hard time understanding him. Third disappointment.
My father arrived in Entebbe on February 14th in the early afternoon and I in the late evening.
Our departures were scheduled as such: my father had to leave at 3 pm on February 23th (and be at the airport by 1 pm at the latest) and my flight was leaving at 11pm on February 23th (so I had to be at the airport by 9pm).
ENTEBBE
We spent the first night after arriving at the Airport GuestHouse hotel.
Very well located (close to the airport), quiet, spacious and very pretty rooms. The service is pleasant and the food ok.
MURCHISON
The next morning we drove to Murchison with a stop at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. The walk is pleasant and the park well maintained. The proximity to the rhinos is original, impressive and is a very good experience.
Arriving in Murchison, we settled in at the Twiga Safari Lodge.
The rooms are spacious, clean and the view right at the foot of the Nile is splendid. The service is very good, the food excellent.
The next day's program was to take us to the base of Murchison Falls, by boat cruise and then up the falls to see them from above.
We finally stopped more than a kilometer from the falls for a short minute, after 2 hours of boating and returned to the starting point.
Explaining this disappointment to our guide, he finally took us to the top of the falls.
The Nile is breathtaking, powerful, the view is magnificent. This place is not to be missed under any circumstances.
KIBALE
Depart for Kibale with a stop at 'Amabere Ga Nyinamwiru. A stop with a visit to the caves and the wonderful waterfall.
Arrived at Kibale, we settle in at Turaco Treetops. Spacious, magnificent rooms, in the middle of the forest, with a breathtaking view. Very good service, good food.
The next morning, we leave for the chimpanzees trekking. An experience to live absolutely, which is indescribable. We were lucky enough to be able to find the family very quickly, and to observe them on the ground, in the trees, eating, playing, preening, …
Following this magnificent experience, we did the Bigodi Wetland nature walk, which I also recommend. The different village houses, the tasting of banana beer or banana gin, and the walk in the swamp allow us to discover this ecosite which is absolutely splendid.
QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth for a day of game drive and installation at Pumba Safari Cottages. A hotel well below the range we had paid for. A new disappointment. The view is beautiful, the bed comfortable, but the room is tiny. The service is very bad and the food too.
The next day, we drove on the way to the Ishasha sector to continue our game drives and hope to find the trees climbing lions (bad luck, we did not find them). Installation at the Topi Lodge. Beautiful rooms, impeccable service, very good food.
In general, the landscapes of Queen Elizabeth NP are splendid, but if you are used to safari in Kenya or Tanzania, the fauna is poor.
BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, direction Bwindi by a catastrophic road. Off the tracks, the road to access Bwindi is a mountain road with a huge gap on the side, huge crevasses, significant road insecurity (and yet I have traveled before in a lot of countries where the roads were neither finished nor started).
Installation at Bweza Gorilla Lodge, which is one of the most beautiful lodges I have had the opportunity to see. The rooms are spacious, splendid and the view breathtaking. The food is good and the service is great.
The next morning, departure for the Gorilla Trekking. We hiked about 6 hours, including one with the gorillas. The forest is aptly named impenetrable. A good physical condition is necessary to enjoy this trek but seeing a silverback is a reward that has to be earned. The flora of this forest is also a splendor.
We loved meeting the gorillas and observing them.
Unfortunately, unlike the trek with the chimpanzees where THEY were our guides, the rangers disturbed the gorillas a lot during this “hunt”. By dint of wanting to please the tourist by removing the branches behind which the gorillas settled (including a female with her three-week-old baby), one of them must have come to get angry and hit the ground in front of a ranger.
I think despite everything that it is an experience to live, hoping that our case was isolated and that most guides and rangers are more respectful.
We leaved the forest with wet feet (you have to walk in streams, in the mud, …) and clothes full of mud (we fell a lot ah ah).
BEGINNING OF BIG PROBLEMS
After our visit with the gorillas, we were supposed to go doing our PCR tests in anticipation of our departures the next day and then reach Lake Bunyonyi for a relaxation before the return route to Entebbe and our respective return flights the day after. This whole part (had to be) had been organized by the agency.
Arrived at the laboratory in Kabale (still being dirty and with wet feet), it is explained to us that I could have my results before my departure the following evening but that my father could not have his before his scheduled departure the following day at 3pm. Big panic!
Our guide tries to negotiate but fails. For more than two hours, we stayed there watching our guide making calls and talk with the lab technician, hardly speaking to us anymore, not keeping us informed of events or what solutions we had. In the meantime, I took my test on the spot since they assured that the results would arrive no later than 4 pm the next day and that I had to be at the airport by 9 pm.
Also, we found a flight for my father that could leave the following evening, which would have allowed the tests to arrive on time. Our guide refused this option and forced us to take the road to Entebbe at that time for an express test there, open 24 hours a day. We fell from the clouds.
We of course had no choice and left for 9 hours of driving, always with wet feet and disgusting clothes, without even going to the lodge which was planned at the lake and which we had paid for, after 6 hours of hiking + hours waiting at the lab.
We arrived at the express laboratory at 4 am, after an extremely dangerous 9-hour drive (trucks driving with full headlights and coming straight at us, for example) where our guide refused to pay the difference between the standard test and the express test at first. He finally accepted full responsibility and paid the difference.
We arrived at the hotel (Airport GuestHouse, the same as on arrival) at 4:45 am and my father received his results at 6 am.
After having slept for 2 hours, we had breakfast and the spirits had calmed down, reassured to know that my father was going to be able to take his flight.
The guide apologized, refunded me the lake lodge we hadn't been to, and seemed sincere in taking responsibility.
I had planned to normally go visit the Mabamba swamp after my father left at the airport, for $100, to be given to the guide. Counting on the sincerity of our guide's apology, I decided to keep this plan and go with him. I asked him to call the lab before leaving for the ferry to make sure my results would be there as planned, between 3 and 4 pm. The lab apparently confirmed.
To get to the peninsula, you have to take a ferry. Count at least half an hour for all cars to board, cyclists and pedestrians (passengers cannot stay in vehicles during boarding and crossing).
The Mabamba swamp is absolutely beautiful and I had the opportunity to see a shoebill there as well as a lot of other birds. Do not hesitate to go there, it is really worth it. And this little canoe safari is really soothing.
At 5 pm, as we head back to the mainland, I asked my guide to call the lab back because my results had still not arrived. From the tone of his voice, I immediately knew there were a problem. After hanging up, he told me that my results are not ready and that they will not be ready until 9:30 pm (I had to be at the airport at 9 pm).
I was then completely panicked, alone in Uganda, and asked him to rush to the ferry to take an express test (the results of which normally arrive in 2 hours). We arrive at the ferry, fortunately there is a place for us. The time of boarding, crossing and road to the hotel, we arrive on site at 7 pm and my guide has still not taken the responsibility to call the express lab. He finally does it, summoned by the manager of the hotel to whom I tell my problems.
The laboratory assistant arrives on site, gives me the express test and my guide refuses to pay it. Exasperated and absolutely wanting to go home, I handed him €100 to pay for my test (he had to go to the bank to change them into shillings, the lab not accepting euros).
So they go together to the bank, him and the laboratory technician, each in its car. Arrived at the bank, the technician gets out of her car, and my guide leaves with my money…………
Despite the warnings of the laboratory, the hotel manager and mine for more than two hours, he will not return. The manager took his license plate number and threatened to call the police.
Fortunately, the laboratory still agreed to do my test, seeing the state I was in and sent me the results. I offered to pay them (so I would have paid for 3 tests in case) but they refused, the fault being entirely that of the guide (and moreover, everyone had seen that I had given him the 100€ for the test – and not to settle the walk at the swamp as he seemed to justify after the threat of the police).
At 9:45 pm, while I was waiting for boarding at the airport, I received a message from the hotel and the laboratory telling me that he had come to apologize for his bad decision, that he had paid the test and wanted to take me to the airport. A few minutes later, he was also texting me apologizing.
CONCLUSION
Uganda is an absolutely beautiful country with splendid landscapes. The encounter with the great apes is an incredible experience.
The country is, I think, the poorest and saddest I have seen and the roads in a catastrophic state and a great danger, especially when there is a void of several hundred meters nearby.
I have always used Tripadvisor to choose my local agencies and itineraries, but it seems all the more important to me today after this experience.
I recommend this itinerary if you are in good shape and physical health, if you are adventurous and if you have the right guide/driver.
The country will certainly have changed in a few years and if I had known, I think I would have waited before going there.
Of course, I absolutely DO NOT RECOMMAND Epic Uganda Vacation.
Do not hesitate if you have any questions.
Lisa
50-65 years of age
It Started in Africa - Where is my money?
I've now bee waiting five years for the return of US$4,500 from It Started in Africa, for a safari that never happened. My money was only part of hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen from tourists around the world. The company was investigated and taken to court. I personally lodged a claim in Arusha with the Tanzania Tourist Board and a statement with the Arusha police. Still nothing back so far after all these years!
SI
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Terrible - he is a cheat !! Do not use this company at any cost!!
In January 2020, we have arranged and paid for a 15 daytravel for 5 person in Tanzania with agency Ringo Adventure Safaris from Kenya- Diana beach. The travel included trekking for 3 person at Kilimanjaromountain (6 day - Marangu route) and a 4 day safari in the NP Manyara, and NPNgorongoro with accommodation in Serena Lodge Ngorongoro. We have is fully paid for all and that we have the account(paybill) of Ringo Adventure Safaris, signature of director Mr. Amos, which theright or original of the name is Hamisi Bekari.
We pay this man the extra moneyfor stay in Tanzania in the hope that he will be taken care of by ourworry-free travel for all 15 days from start to end… BUT… The case is such:Ringo Adventure Safaris, Amos told me that in Tanzania working with a localagency to Bestday Safaris. It has proven to be a lie, because the Bestdaysafaris does not have any contracts for our trips and travel (I was spoke withMr. Peter from Bestday Safari after our travel…). In fact it is he Amos-HamisiBekari – Ringo Adventure Safaris) with the Tresa Trekking and a Safari fromArusha, to which the director was supposed to be Thahit Kassim Juma. Later, itturned out that the agency is not registered as an agency acting illegally inorder to avoid the payment of the state fee and taxes.
In conclusion, the Amos-Hamisi Bekari, the director of thetourist agency of the Ringo Adventure Safaris from Kenya is a collaborationwith the Thahib Kassim Juma (nonexisting and engaging in unauthorized agency, TresaTrekking and Safari) to steal our 2.785$. :
According to the contract it is our journey that we hadpaid for the Trekking Kilimanjaro for 6 days for 3 people– with an extra day ofacclimatization at the Horombo hut) but to get there, we get only five (5) days,without the extra day of acclimatization. (Which may be the reason that one ofthe members was unable to conquer the summit Uhuru peak.).
Without our knowledge for only 5 days it's Thabit KassimJuma orders the mountain guide Jeff before treking (one day before we havemeeting in Altezza lodge in Moshi with Amos, Thabit, Jeff and our guys whowants and pay for treking – this day we are talking around 5 or 6 days and wetold Jeff (and Thabit and Amos9 that we paid for 6 days…). Immediately aftergetting out of the trek we order to Thabit that he must refound money-back,becouse they didn't have 6 days treking…. Since then we didn't seen Thabit anymore… , and this moment started a complication in the communication between thethis two of 'maneger' Amos and Thabit. They can't spek at phone or whatsupbecause they haven't connection – this is lie of course…
Later on, we were the injured of the two the most expensiveof the day that we have a pay for– NP Ngorongoro and stay in the Serena Lodge Ngorongorofor 5 person. That we didn't get and don't see it. Thabit said to me on phone,that Amos didn't pay for this to him... But Amos said to me on phone that he ispaying the Thabit all of money for everythin around our conntract , but he giveall the money in his (Thabit) hands witout any contracts or account or paybill…he just give the money in his hands. I can't belive this… this is so stupid andI'm not an idiot…
In my opinion is that they are to prepare all this togetherand both together they are thiefs and wants to stole our 2.785$. Amos – HamisiBekari from the agency's Ringo Aventure Safaris – he promise to me that he willrefund all this money of 2.785$ to me… however, of the 17.in January up totoday, 09.in march we have not received even a single dollar. It is all justtalk. The theft of the money, I signed up Tanzanianand the Kenyan police, andnotification to the competent department for the operation of travel agenciesin Kenya and Tanzania.
CAUTION FOR YOU: PLEASE IF YOU WANT TO GET WHAT YOU PAY AND IF YOU WANT TO HAVE ANUNFORGETTABLE HOLIDAY WITHOUT A LOT OF TROUBLES…. NEVER CONTACT ANY OF THOSE TWO AGENCIES :
RINGO ADVENTURE SAFARIS (FROM KENYA – DIANI BEACH) OR.AMOS- HAMISI BEKARI
AND
TRESA TREKKING AND SAFARIS (FROM TANZANIA – ARUSHA) ORTHABIT KASSIM JUMA (this man is a fraud and a liar, which is the one ofavoiding the payment of taxes and the receipt of the money in his hands and liethat he has an turist agency Tresa… this agency is not registered and worksunlawfully and all business is illegally…)
!!! Both of these men: Amos or Thabit will destroy yourholidays and steal your money!!!!
!!!! check on the internet: there in north part of Tanzania or Kenya has registred thousand oftourist agencies and check on the tripadvisor which is the best agency foryou!!!!
Since today (March 2022) he never answers to me from 2020 despite all his promises how will return our money!
US
This company is currently bankrupt and will take your money and give you nothing!
We booked with African Sunsets for a 2020 tour of Namibia. We prepaid for lodge reservations, a vehicle and a guide. After we were in Namibia we found we had to pay for almost everything ourselves, with the promise that our expenses would be reimbursed before our trip was over. Reimbursement was delayed “for a few days”, them promised “ before we left the country”. Five months later we have never seen a penny of it. The worst of it was that the company stiffed our guide, who was the best guide we’ve ever had in a lifetime of travel.
We have been in contact with African Sunsets off and on since we returned home, with no response. I realize that Covid hurt the South African tour business badly, but this tour company was not honest with us about their financial condition and let us travel halfway around the world before we found out we still had another $4000 of debt to cover. Don’t book with them. They are not an honest agency.
TW
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Marek Adventures is lying to us.
Marek Adventures totally is a lier. We paid a third of the tour cost. Because COVID-19, we are following cancellation policy of contract, before 45 days that we formal notice of cancellation to Marek Adventures. (Our tour time was 2021/10/10~2021/10/22, we were 2021/05/19 to formal notice Marek Adventures)
Marek Adventures said we need waiting all hotels/ lodges refund deposit to Marek Adventures then Marek Adventures will refund our money to us.
We asked Marek Adventures about the refund progress, Marek Adventures always answered “on-going”. The latest got the refund progress status was on 2021/09/17. We tried to contact the boss, Carlo (before is contact the other person, Blanca Carlo). He always had different reasons not to reply to the progress of the refund. 2022/02/27 was the last message we sent to Carlo, Carlo hasn’t read it and reply till now.
We contacted each hotel/ lodge, tried to understand what’s the problem to stuck refund. We asked 9 hotels/ lodges, 5 hotels replied our mail, one is permanently closed. Those hotels/ lodges didn’t charge a deposit from Marek Adventures. From beginning to end, Marek Adventures is lying to us.
Marek Adventures is without integrity and irresponsibility!!!!!
BE
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Terrible expierence
On the advice of an acquaintance, we booked a 12-day safari directly with this Tanzanian operator.
The trip was more expensive than through a Belgian agency, but this would be offset by a more personal service.
However, the safari vehicle (a Toyota Landcruiser) was worn out and had to be pushed every morning to start. The wheels turned out to be attached to the axles with only two instead of five bolts and a footboard had to be welded along the way. Repairs cost us almost two days of delay.
The choice of lodges was also substandard. In one case without water or electricity, in another case we had to make our suitcases in the light of our flashlight.
The program was also changed without notice so that we were forced to pack unexpectedly quickly to change lodges.
The food was generally okay but the driver/guide (Patrick) considered the safari his personal private trip. Armed with a Canon camera with 600mm telephoto lens, he idiosyncratically toured to create his photo book. Our questions and demands were ignored… well, the trip was pre-paid and we were totally dependent on him anyway.
His driving style was at times life-threatening. On a muddy track, he reached speeds of 100 km/h where the maximum speed was 50 km/h.
The negative highlight was the beautiful descent to the Ngorongoro crater. That happened in a closed vehicle with windows that were opaque due to mud.
Our Serengeti trip was ruined to a large extent by guide Patrick. The tour operator was not at all interested in our criticism at the end of the ride.
An advice ? Book through an official agency in your own country. With a Tanzanian company you have no defense whatsoever, despite all the good intentions of acquaintances.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not trustworthy
We had planned a trip in December for our family. Unfortunately my husband got sick and passed away. We reached out to Patricia letting her know the situation and and then the pandemic hit. It has been a back and forth with them for the last 2 years trying to recoup my money. They have promised so many times that they would make small payments, but as of today I have not received anything. I have written requesting the money be used as a voucher for a future trip. I would like to take my kids and fulfill the trip their father wanted to take with them. It is a real shame that we have had a loss, a pandemic, and now we have lost our deposit. I guess it is easier to ignore the client and pretend nothing ever happened. If a company cannot be professional enough to take responsibility for its actions then it is not worth dealing with. A very sad customer.
SE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Refund not payed according to homepage! No Money returned
I booked a travel for 8 people before the pandemic, according to the homepage the refund could be payed back without any problems, so I payed full amount of the trip.
Even if I have been in contact with the travel agency (marhabaholidays) and discussed a payback plan since I belive in trusting people, no money have been returned despite it is over 2 years of waiting.
Do not book with this travel agency!