Big Time Holiday
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 1994)
- Tour Types:
- Budget camping tours where clients assist with camp chores
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $110 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CA
Email Chris | 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.
Experience of a Lifetime!!!!
I had a wonderful experience with Big Time Holidays. Milambo was always quick to email me back and answer all my questions. I joined a group 5 day Masaai Mara safari and it was the experience of a lifetime. I felt very safe as a solo female traveler from the U.S. and appreciated how well organized and fun the safari was. It was also amazing value for the money. The tented camp we stayed in was clean, the staff was great and the food was good. Our game drives were breathtaking and we got to see cheetah, elephants, lions, the great migration, hippos, hyena, buffalo, leopard and so much more. I highly recommend this company to anyone who wants to travel to Africa but is on the fence for safety or budget reasons. I had a wonderful experience! Thank you so much!
US
Email Lauren | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a Lifetime Experience
This safari company was awesome! I booked a 5 day Masaai Mara budget safari as a solo traveler joining a group safari. Milambo's communication was excellent. He would quickly respond to emails I had with questions and had the safari well coordinated . I felt very safe as a solo female traveler from America and the safari was fun and well organized. We stayed at a budget tented camp which was very clean with good food. I got to see cheetah, lions, leopard, elephants, buffalo, hippo, hyena, vulture, the great migration and so much more. I highly recommend this to anyone who has wanted to visit Africa but is on the fence about it for safety or budget concerns. Thanks again for the experience of a lifetime!!! I will visit Kenya again someday!
SE
Email torbjörn | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Washington the great
The communications with big time holiday is quick and professional and to the point and questions are awnsered with speed.
The service was excellent Washington the driver i had was a real pro whom helped with everything.
Saw the whole big five in a day and a half awesome stuff. the tour the accomodation the whole package lived up to the expectations i had and superseeded them.
I didnt know there was going to to be a shower available so i didnt bring a towel so dont forget your towels people :) i could probably have gotten one but it didnt cross my mind to ask for one ;)
PT
Email Filipe | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Experience - 7 days Kenya Safari
We had a fantastic tour in Kenya organized and guided by Big Time Hollidays. Everything was according to what we had agreed upon by mail and we can say that the whole tour was according to our expectations. The communication with Allan was flawless and in line with previous experiences from some friends who had referenced Big Time Hollidays to us. We paid in advance part of the total cost and remaining balance upon arrival to Nairobi and everything went fine with no surprises. Allan joined us during most of the tour where George was the main guide (read real guide not only a driver). All in all we had a safe and sound experience, we saw the Big 5 and had 7 memorable days with the fantastic landscapes from Mara and Amboseli in the background. It was a pleasure to deal with Big Time Hollidays and all the personal contact established with Allan. Strongly recommended!
Email Yann | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very nice safari
We had a very good driver and guide (Simon). We didn't expect to see all these animals. We are very satisfied. Only two litle problems : water was included but we had to ask for it at the begining of our travel, and during the meals ; the camp was not very confortable but with that price (low), we couldn't expect for moren and we have eaten well. The program we had signed for has been respected.
PL
Email Klaudia and Kuba | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Memorable safari thanks to Big Time Holidays Ltd
Me and my husband booked 4-days Serengeti/Ngorongoro safari with Big Time Holidays in August 2015. Definitelly we would recommend this company to anyone who's looking for once-in a lifetime experience! Firstly I must say that Milabo Allan was extremly patient and was answering all of our questions (and, to be honest, we had lots of them!). Thanks to him we were fully informed about our safari, and in fact everything went as planned. Even though at the time of our arrival to Arusha he was busy in his office in Nairobi, he arranged everything for us so that we didn't have to worry about a single thing. Every time we wanted to ask something, he replied immediately and we were in touch all the time. Actually I'm pretty sure that he would answer his mobile even if we called him during the night:) Safari itself was perfect and surely we'll keep the memories for the rest of our lives. We even had an elephant visiting our campsite early in the morning which was pretty exciting and memorable. Another advantage of Big Time Holiday Ltd is the price - I've done an extended research in so many different companies and Big Time Holidays Ltd offered us the best agreement so that we were sure we're not being overcharged. To sum up - it was just great! Milambo is definitelly a person that you can trust and he'll do his best to make your trip an excellent experience. Thank you a lot Milambo, and we hope to cooperate with you next time we come to Africa!
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Enjoyed the stunning African safari of the life time.
It was a quick and a sudden decision for a safari tour. I checked with many sites, at last i found Big Time Holidays Ltd to match my needs.
They were quick responsive with reasonable rates.
We explored the Masai Mara game reserves with an expert local safari guide and sighted many wild species. Most amazing incident was tow male Cheetahs hunted a Wilder beast and feasting. We managed to fill our memory cards with the beauty of African landscapes & natural wildlife.
Big thanks to Big Time Holidays and we highly recommend you for best safari adventures.
CA
Email Robert Leperre | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime!!!
My son and I booked a Safari holiday with Big Time Holidays. It was the best experience of our lives! The company's tour manager, Alan, was very helpful in designing our safari to meet our personal needs and interests. He was always extremely prompt in replying to my emails and kept me well-informed of our itinerary as we tweaked it to meet our needs.
Our safari guide, George Odingo, proved to be outstanding. Besides being friendly and accommodating, he was extremely knowledgeable about the animals, birds and flora that we saw. He made our safari an enjoyable as well as great educational experience .
I would not hesitate to recommend BigTime Holidays to anyone for a once-in-a-lifetime safari experience in Kenya!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was amazing- we saw lion cubs, giraffes, zebras, baboons & leopards, in a short amount of time.
The communication and service was wonderful. We were able to get in contact easily and received replies quickly about any questions we had. Everyone at Big Time Holidays Ltd was extremely friendly and welcoming. Our guide was also very knowledgeable about all of the wild life we saw which made the experience even better. I definitely recommend going to Samburu with Big Time Holidays Ltd!