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Radhika Bajaj   –  
India IN
Visited: August 2016 Reviewed: Sep 8, 2016

Email Radhika Bajaj  |  20-35 years of age

The review below is the personal opinion of Radhika Bajaj and not that of SafariBookings.
Be wary of them, we felt cheated.
1/5

My husband and I booked with Simon Malimbo of Wild Race Africa Tours after finding him on Safari Bookings website. We were told that tour operators are generally trustworthy. So we booked with him for a 5 day tour to Nakuru (1 night) and Masai Mara (3 nights) which was an all inclusive trip - all meals, transportation, pop-up van and 6 safaris all paid. The safaris we were promised were - evening safari in Nakuru, next morning safari in Nakuru, evening safari in MM, two full day safaris in MM and then a morning safari in MM before we leave. We paid him 30% advance and the rest amount immediately upon arrival. Simon handed us to Obama who was to be our tour guide. Obama was accompanied by a girl who, we were told, was an 'intern' and wanted to be a tour guide, so we happily welcomed her.
Our first shock came immediately after we set off for Nakuru. Obama told us that there would be no evening safari, and if we would do an evening safari, there would be no safari the next morning. I spoke to Simon to ask him why, he had a response that - the entry ticket at Nakuru was not valid for 24 hours like Masai Mara and hence we had to choose. He apologised and and said it was a mistake on his part that he had included both safaris in our confirmation email and swept it off under the carpet. Though we were upset, we let it go thinking it was a genuine mistake.
Obama was extremely informative and intelligent and gave great insights into the animal life. The girl intern wasn't the least interested in anything remotely related to wildlife but we thought she may be shy and so simply ignored her.
We then set off for Masai Mara. We had made it clear that we wanted all the safaris we paid for - 4 to be precise. Obama promised us that we would have an evening safari that day. We reached at 4.30pm and as promised, he got out and bought three tickets at the gate (the girl intern was tired and got off to go to the hotel) and we set off for the Safari. Obama told us that the park is open till 6.30 and we will have to leave it by then. So we exited the park at 6.30.
Next morning we four (intern included) left for a full day safari. Obama waved the tickets from the day before (they didn't stop us to check) and they let us in. Obama told us we would leave the park at 5 as we would be tired. My husband smelt a rat because Simon had told us that Masai Mara tickets are valid for 24 hours. But he didn't say anything. The sightings on this day were amazing and the place was teeming with wildlife. There were also a huge number of cars everytime we spotted an animal. When we stopped for lunch, the girl intern lay on the carpet with her pant button and zip open. My husband and I found this behaviour weird but we didn't say anything. We left the park at 5 instead of 6.30 at the stauch insistence of Obama.
In the evening at our lodge,when Obama was not there, we questioned the girl intern about herr study course for becoming a tour guide, she told us that she was a hairdresser and had done courses in hairdressing. We again found this strange but didn't say anything.
Next morning Obama deliberately delayed our departure for another full day of safari. We eventually left around 8.30am. Today too the intern was tired and didn't accompany us. This time he told us that he was taking us in through a 'side gate' and this was 'rhino country' and the chances of spotting a Rhino are high here. We did not pass through any gate but after an hour he showed us a gate behind us and said that now we are inside the park. He did not show or purchase the tickets anywhere that day. All day we roamed about but this day the sightings were few and far in between and we didn't encounter any cars except very few. Obama said it was a dry day. He let us stay till 6.30. While we were leaving from the park, our car got stuck in sand but Obama refused to radio for help. While he was trying to get the car out, my husband checked the park entry tickets which Obama had kept in the front of the car. My husband found tickets of only the first day but none for the rest of the days.
When we reached the lodge, my husband decided to confront Obama about his intentions. Obama denied everything and became very emotional and called up Simon and spoke in Swahili (we don't know what). He kept telling us that he will show us the tickets of all the days but deliberately avoided to show us. Obama claimed that he had bought the tickets of all the 3 nights together and hence we didn't stop of tickets on the previous two days. He said this was normal practice. He then avoided it by saying that Simon will give all the tickets to us. We never got them. He pretended to be so upset that he said he was leaving us and arranging another car for us. This unprofessional attitude angered us and we told him off for wanting to leave the two of us alone in a jungle with no connectivity and wanting to run away. My husband was worried about me and then apologised and coaxed him to stay back. Maybe that prompted him not to abandon us in the middle of nowhere.
Next morning on our last safari Obama went through the gate. Before entering, he made a phone call in Swahili. While entering a female guard came out and checked our tickets and let us in. On our way out, before exiting, he again made a call and spoke in Swahili. At the gate, the same female guard came out and let us out. Then Obama told us that he had to collect the 'exit receipt'. And then he got out of the car and I saw him slip some money to the same female guard at the gate.
We are sure that Simon and Obama saved the money from the entry tickets - they paid only for one 24 hour safari.

All in all the wildlife was exciting and Obama was very knowledgeable. But Simon and Obama spoiled our trip by these underhand and shady dealings at Masai Mara and also denying us a safari at Nakuru. And we are pretty sure that the girl, whoever she was, was definitely not an intern for becoming a tour operator.

Please don't book with Wild Race Africa or Simon. Obama is genuinely knowledgeable but he was definitely involved in this business. We had great safari game drives and an amazing time in Kenya, the trip was so memorable and we saw the Big Five. But we felt genuinely cheated. So please don't book with them!

Reply from Wild Race Africa
Reply from Wild Race Africa
Posted on Mar 13, 2024

Dear Radhik Jaiswal,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We are truly sorry to hear about the challenges you faced during your tour with Wild Race Africa Tours.
It is disappointing to learn that your expectations were not met and that you felt cheated during your time in Kenya.
We take your feedback seriously and will be investigating the issues you have raised with Simon Malimbo and the team at Wild Race Africa Tours.
It is important to us that all our clients have a positive and authentic safari experience, and we apologize for any discrepancies in the services provided to you.
We appreciate your honesty and will take the necessary steps to address the concerns you have highlighted. Your feedback helps us improve our services and ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.

Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience caused and thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. If there is anything else you would like to share or discuss further, please feel free to reach out to us.
Thank you for choosing Wild Race Africa Tours, and we hope to have the opportunity to restore your trust in our services in the future.
Warm regards,
Sungu
Wild Race Africa Tours Customer Support Team

Lisa   –  
United States US
Visited: December 2015 Reviewed: Jul 18, 2016

Email Lisa  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Great safari adventure in Tanzania
4/5

The safari brought us to the unequaled beauty of wildlife in four parks in Tanzania. The guide was very knowledgeable l and fun to be with. We encountered a few mechanical problems with the jeep, but the guide was able to resolve them without overly impacting our excursions. The lodges were very nice and comfortable. We loved the trip.
The one thing that was unexpected was that the manager of the safari office wanted US$ cash payment for the balance due before we began the safari, but we had been told that credit card payment was acceptable. As we had limited cash, we were able to agree on both a cash and credit payment, but this was inconvenient and not right.

Lee   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: September 2015 Reviewed: Jan 3, 2016

Email Lee

Fantastic
5/5

We had a 10 day safari across Tanzania and Kenya that was organised by WildRace - it was seamlessly organised and one of the best trips we've ever been on

We saw the big five within a day and learnt so much from the knowledgeable guides - as well as being able to relax in nice surroundings and accomodation

Would definitely recommend Wildrace to friends

Hannah   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: August 2015 Reviewed: Jan 3, 2016

Email Hannah  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Amazing safari in Kenya and Tanzania - thank you Wild Race for the trip of a lifetime
5/5

Went on a 10 day safari in Tanzania and Kenya in August 2015 and had an incredible time. Wild Race Africa were incredibly helpful throughout the planning process, and helped us put together an itinerary that suited our budget and timescales. The guides we had on both the Tanzanian and Kenyan side (Godlove and Gordon) were both incredibly knowledgeable and helpful - we learned so much on tour. Saw the big 5 within the first 3 days (which is apparently very rare and lucky!) and also we were lucky enough to see baby leopards, baby cheetahs learning to hunt and a baby elephant less than 2 weeks old.

We stayed in a range of accommodation styles, from luxury resorts also to temporary private campsites. Personally, I felt the campsites were the most memorable and special - we were right in the heart of the wild (eg the Serengeti on the Tanzanian side), so could zebras and other forms of wildlife walk past the camp in the middle of the night. Felt completely safe and comfortable the whole time. The chef on site cooked up some amazing meals, and all of the staff ensured we were very well looked after. We could also sit outside the tent (which is fully furnished with a double bed and hot showers etc) each evening to watch the sun set and enjoy a glass of wine after a day of game drives.

Would highly recommend Wild Race. We specified our budget and requirements, and kept communicating with Simon until we reached what we felt was the right itinerary for us. They are very flexible and accommodating. Highly recommend. Thank you Simon, Japherth, Godlove, Gordon and the rest of the team - you guys were great :)

rachel steper   –  
Netherlands NL
Visited: December 2015 Reviewed: Dec 28, 2015

Email rachel steper  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Ecellent Best of Kenya Safari Eperience With apersonal touch!!
5/5

Want the best of safari experience that meets your desires and delivers to your expectations? Then superscript Africa safari and her team of excellent professionals is the company to walk you to the wild for an excellent wildlife safari experience.
We are a group of 42 students taking our research at edgerton university and then decided to have a taste of the African/kenya has to offer. We Gore to Simon milanbo through recommendation from my two great friends from Netherlands who had a safari experience with this mighty company.
Simon was very helpfully in array gong our 6days best of kenya luxury safari,vety swift in his mail responses giving detail by detail,flexible and most importantly the safari cost is very pocket friendly.

The massive Mara accommodation at the solar lodges was excellent and our guide phanuel and Derick were the best guides we could ever had for the entire trip. Very flexible, have great passion and love for their job. Very knowledgeable and explained everything into details leaving nothing untouchable from insects, birds,trees and animals. At some point we felt like we were taken back to the lecture room that was very much I.portant to us as it was online with our research topic.
We were the first to get to the animals,have best shots and then derick would communicate to the others to come have a shot too.
We saw almost all the big five just in one day and the rest of the day was just like a bonus. Each and every day we did get to learn something new.
Trip to lake nakuru/Naivasha was excellent,the accommodatio ns were excellent and located right at the heart of the park, we got so close to the Animals on foot in lake naivasha on a walking safari,bicycle ridind and more amazing part of it was the boat ride to the crescent island which is a paradise on its own.
The trip was amazing,excellent,very much accommodating team of staff full of great sence of humour.
Wildrace Africa exceeded our expectation and sure will always recommend this company for their kind and excellent work.
Keep it up Simon, when we get back home, we will send you our group in April 2016.
God bless you and your entire team till we meet again.
Cheers!

Nikhel   –  
United Arab Emirates AE
Visited: August 2015 Reviewed: Nov 1, 2015

Email Nikhel  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

A very professional yet caring service provider
4/5

I must confess that it was very pleasant dealing with Simon from the onset. Simon ensured that he was constantly in touch with us during all stages from initiation/ planning to the culmination of the trip. All concerns/ suggestions were promptly taken care. Accommodation at Amboseli and Masai Mara were excellent; Nakuru accommodation was satisfactory.
However, there remained few concerns which surfaced because of Naivasha accommodation and also a 2 hours waiting period before start of Masai Mara trip as plan to induct another group was not properly planned. After raising these issues to Simon, he apologized immediately and took sincere care that any more problem is not encountered and remaining trip remains spot-less. Based on the feedback, he ensured that Naivasha accommodation was not repeated for any more tourist.
In all, I can say that he was a very professional and caring host and I will surely recommend him to all my friends.

Pervin   –  
Malaysia MY
Visited: August 2015 Reviewed: Oct 8, 2015

Email Pervin  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Great trip
4/5

We had a great time. Simon was very helpful & our guide Gordon was excellent and we were lucky to see all of the Big 5 on our safari.

Colin Christensen   –  
Kenya KE
Visited: July 2015 Reviewed: Aug 23, 2015

Email Colin Christensen  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Awesome itinerary and service!
5/5

We used Simon's tour company when my wife's family came from the US to visit us in Kenya, their first trip to Africa! We really needed a memorable trip, as this was a once-in-a-lifetime visit for them, and Simon really delivered. They got us to everywhere we needed to go on time, and sent us two vans to accomodate us all comfortably - even though we didn't request this - and didn't charge us extra. The drivers/guides Gordon and Simon were really fabulous, very knowledgeable during the game drives and helpful during the car rides. They also put us up in a great lodge - Sopa Lodge. Simon will give you both a great price and a great experience.

Stephanie Visited: June 2015 Reviewed: Jun 24, 2015

I❤️Africa
5/5

I would like to Thank Simon and his team for giving us the most amazing African holiday! They took care of our every need and we felt safe with them the entire time. Our guide Gordon was a wealth of knowledge, there was not a question I asked that he didn't know the answer to or wasn't able to find me the answer. He ensured all our accommodations where adequate and to our liking. (Traveller's remember the accommodations in Africa are not the same as your used to, ask lots of questions and never assume anything as this may lead you to have unrealistic expectations, in our eyes this is what made things more authentic) The Massai Mara was full of adventures and fully lived up to our expectations, Gordon spotted us the Big Five all in one day and much much more! We also had the luxury of having a ride along guide intern with us for the first half of our trip and Jeffith always ensured I captured every moment by offering to take our picture and videos in all locations/ events of the days. We visited a Masai village and learned of the traditional ways of their people, it was a very eye opening experience and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to experience more of Africa. In Amboseli National park we where given the honour of having our meals prepared by a private chef Alan and every meal he impressed and ensured we where fully satisfied :) When we crossed the boarder into Tanzania the transfer was smooth and both guides ensured we where comfortable. Ozy our guide for Tanzania could spot any camouflaged animal from miles away and took the time to sit at certain spots ensuring we saw different animal interactions that we didn't anticipate such as the lion mating routine. (Always account for travel time and traffic, all these parks are amazing but they do require a bit of travel time to get there.) I cant say enough about the personal touches that going with Wildrace offered us, Simon took the time out of his busy schedule to pick us up at the boarder and accompany us for the final day, driving back to Nairobi from the Tanzania boarder and even some shopping and our final dinner at the Famous Carnivore restaurant. One of my crazy requests was to ride a camel and on the last day my dream came true as we went to a Masai camp out of the original plan and I was able to ride a Camel!! Wildrace far exceeded my expectations and as first time visitors to Africa made me feel more then at home, my advice for any traveler going to Africa would be to plan your itinerary with a local company to ensure you get the real African experience ( Not being put in a large bus with 20 other people like we seen of many large companies) be flexible and just enjoy the moments. Thank you again Simon and your great team, I can't wait to plan our next adventure visiting the Gorillas of Uganda with you and feel truly grateful to have met each and everyone of you!

Peter Rujabuka   –  
Uganda UG
Visited: November 2014 Reviewed: Dec 26, 2014

Email Peter Rujabuka  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Magical Kenya Safari
5/5

I had the pleasure of using WildRace Africa Safaris for Kenya and Tanzania trip for my guests that arrived 4th to 10th November 2014 and they had great adventure. They provided a real Africa experience, with professional staff like Simon and great tourist understanding. They are reliable and very honest with their quotations and I highly recommend them for fair price and good value for money. Rweteera Safaris from Uganda will continue to have a strong and healthy business relationship.

Average User Rating
4.6/5
Rating Breakdown
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