PL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
BOTSWANA - SURPRISE
I am an experienced traveler, travelled all continents, only in Africa I did 11 countries mainly alone. Travelled difficult and sometimes really dangerous paths, I have never met such bad service as I encountered this August during "6 Days of Moremi Game Reserve" in Botswana. The service was provided by Waterlime Mobile Safaris.
And this is what Waterlime Mobile Safaris can provide:
1. Guides (Frank and Katee) who lie about travel conditions, change the route without your approval, refuse fresh water, shout at and ignore requests and protests of their customers.
2. Guides who are very reluctant to give their telephones to call their agency, and when communicating with their boss speak only their language so that others couldn’t figure out what they talk about.
3. Guide/ driver (Frank) who instead of driving along the paths for vehicles in National Parks, drives across the bush chasing animals, incl. a female elephant with a baby.
4. Guide/driver (Frank) who probably knows nothing about nature and tracing animals and cannot give any information about the area and traces basic animals with big difficulty.
5. Guide/driver (Frank) who is very willing to sleep with you in your tent and offers his service also at night.
Now it all looks a little funny but it was not on the spot.
It was a surprise, and not a pleasant one. I have never expected such a treatment in Africa.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dishonesty and deception , Avoid!!!
Unfortunately we regrettably made the mistake of organising a Safari with this company run by Calvin Onkendi for a group of 4. We gave him our budget & he agreed to offer a midrange Safari for which he sent us pictures of what to expect and confirmed it would be private camp, he also promised we will have a private bathroom not shared and with hot water. He gave a $20 discount for the students amongst us. We paid him in cash full payment a day before the Safari and at every stage we confirmed what we were to expect. (He still has not given us a receipt)Calvin reassured us multiple times and we have this all documented in writing.
Unfortunately to our surprise we were put in a public camp site with a dirty public toilet to share with more than 50 people! I brought this up with our safari guide (who was wonderful and I will review him separately) who advised I speak to Calvin as he doesnt know anything about private camping. I contacted Calvin via message and he apologised and said he paid for private camping but somehow ‘the government’ did not fulfil its promise. He promised to give us a partial refund as soon as he gets it back from the government as he paid for private camping but they gave public camping instead. (We have this in writing)
To this day he has not honoured this despite multiple correspondence which we can provide as evidence. Instead he has changed the story and lied multiple times. In fact he even went on to make derogatory comments about me as an African woman . He also used our pictures without permission to advertise and to my friend’s horror stole her pictures from Facebook and used them without permission.
Calvin will not hesitate to lie and change the story despite all the documented evidence we have. Despite clearly documented agreement he did not honour instead went forth with excuses, insults and more unscrupulous behaviour. He is currently insisting our ‘budget was low’ as his excuse as if he was not the one who provided the price for the service and we agreed to it and despite clear correspondence that shows he acknowledged his mistake and promised to make ammends I am appalled that anyone thinks this is a good way to run a business.
Definitely would not recommend Calvin, please spare yourself the trouble and find a more honest and trustworthy broker
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Thieves
The safari was wonderful but we can never get over the fact that we were robbed by someone called John William. We were told the company was having trouble transferring money from America for the park fees and asked to take some money out which we would get back on our return.
Luckily we couldn't get out the full amount as, despite a number of promises, we are now £400 or so worse off.
Do not book with this company.
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Terrible experience Drive Tanzania Ltd, safaris not as agreed on at all.
We had a very bad experience with Drive Tanzania Ltd. The safari was not as promised at all. First of all, we had agreed on 4 hour gamedrives on the both first and the third day. Both these days we only spent only 2 hours in the national park. Secondly, our guide did not interact with the clients at all and did not treat the animals with respect. He went off road very often, which is prohibited, and disturbed animals by getting extremely close. Third, our 'semi-luxury camp' had no electricity and no running water most of the time and if there was, the water had a brown color.
When we emailed Yoeni Japheth to express our disappointment after our safari, all he did was offer us to go with his company again on our next trip, which is something I would never do again. Yoeni Japheth said he mixed up the itinerary of a private and a joined safari, however, the itinerary he sent us before was named joined safari and he had confirmed about lengths of the gamedrives after I had specifically asked him. When we insisted on a partial refund for missing out on half of the safari time on two days, Drive Tanzania Ltd simply ignored this and stopped replying.
I won't recommend anyone to ever use this company for a safari.
LV
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Stole money from us!
Took our money for the tour. Said that the driver has run away with our deposit so we have to pay more. We did not pay and never got our money back. Don't choose this company!!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Not what was advertised
We booked a safari to Kreuger Park in South Africa, a 4-day and 3-night stay. Our first night was in Tremisana Lodge, which is a budget lodge. The rooms were nothing fancy but were fine. The food was decent and the staff was helpful. The guides in the reserve were knowledgeable. We spent the next 2 nights at Marc's Treehouse Lodge. The treehouse experience was great, the food again was decent and the staff helpful. I was incredibly disappointed with our booking experience with Swahili Paradise. We were quoted in USD, which makes it easy for us but since the exchange rate changes we were told on arrival that we had to pay 5,000 rand more than we thought we needed to pay. We went back and forth with the woman at reception, she had to call Jimmy and clarify so that we paid what we had been quoted...which we found out was about 3,000 rand above what the price would have been if we had booked directly with Viva Safaris (the operators that actually provide the tour). We were told in our package that we would have 3 meals provided every day...the first day our pickup was at breakfast time so we didn't really expect much of anything for breakfast but we were surprised and quite irritated when we had to buy our lunch. Then on the day we went to Kreuger we again had to buy our lunch. And on the way back to Johannesburg we had to buy lunch a third time. This was simply false advertising. Also, our quote said we would have 2 full days in Kreuger park. Again, not true. We spent 1 day in Kreuger park - and we didn't even get there until after 10am (best animal viewing time is sunrise and sunset so this is TERRIBLE logistical timing). The other day that we thought we would be in Kreuger we spent 5 hours sitting at Tremisana lodge doing nothing, waiting for a short 90 minute game drive before they transferred us to Marc's camp. Incredibly disappointed that I spent >$1500 on this experience and it was not what we were told we were getting. Since then I have tried to contact Jimmy to ask about the above complaints and have received no response. This tells me that once they got our payment our experience means nothing to them. Strongly discourage you from booking with them. Do a self drive in Kreuger or book directly with Viva since they're the ones that actually service the trip. DO NOT waste your money booking with Swahili Paradise for Kreuger park.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Horrible !!!!!
The worst experience I had with a company. I’m not use to write reviews but in this case i need to do it to inform potential futur customers.
DO NOT BOOK with them.
When you ask quotation there are really professional and kind but when you start the safari it’s the mess trouble everyday!!!
A few point amour a lot of others:
-Schedule not respected (they change the plan without inform us)
-they ask money to some customers to pay the park entrance!!!!! (Cause they didn’t got enough money !)
-we went for 5 days others in the car for 3 days we lost half day to change cars
-Hotel is a fake they didn’t respect the hotel the gave in the schedule
Nothing works well there is plenty of other companies so book anywhere else.
The headquarter is located in Kenya We did in Tanzania so don’t believe this guy and his subcontractor friends in Tanzania!
It’s maybe not the direct fault of Kenya office. But anyway with book with wild race Africa so you are responsible of the reliability of your subcontractors !
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Terrible. Choose other options. Don't let this company cheat you
I purchased a 8 day and 7 nights Safari with this company and it had been the worst experience of my live. I am an experienced traveller who have visited more than 40 countries and 8 different in Africa, and ner happened something like this.
This operator is a cheater who will try to scam you and take the money from your pocket. Remember: They don't get what you pay. They also scam you with the rate exchange what rise the price of the tour, They have ruined our holiday.
The van is overcrowded (9 people), fake itinerary, they don't go where they promise, not experienced staff, they make changes in the itinarary and hotels without considering what you paid. They spent a lot of time in logistics like an ordinary bus changing people to reduce their costs and don't get you what you paid. The accomodattions don't have the minimum standards, no hot water, broken mosquito nets, dirty room, terrible food.
They manage well the social networks to cheat you, but be aware that these people are cheaters and will ruin your safari.
Choose another option in order to avoid they mess you up and ruin your holiday.
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Terrible. Worse vacation ever. John Williams scammer.
I had the worse experience with John Williams. We landed in Serengeti to find out the parks fee was not paid nor the hotels. I can't even write down my thoughts because I'm so upset with the whole situation. I trusted John. Pls guts be careful about this agent.
US
Experience level: first safari
Shady business practices and scam
John Williams and his partner in Tanzania, Dilunga, cannot guarantee itineraries that are booked. I booked and paid for my safari tour and ended up with a join in tour group that did not book the same tour I paid for. Only upon arrival to Kilamanjaro was I informed that my itinerary changed. Also, no one met me at the airport for the transfer. Total BS and scam.