The team
African Breeze Tours
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2011)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Mid-range & luxury)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
JP
Email Mayumi | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Be careful.
I paid USD 300 in August 2019 via wire transfer as a deposit to join the safari tour but I had to cancel because they offered a really high price in last minute before I joined the tour in January. So, I did not agree to join the tour and they agreed that they will refund the full amount of USD 300 to me in January. Since then, I've tried to email them many times to get me refund but they kept saying there are finance issues(even before COVID 19 situation) so they will refund later, however it's been 10 months since they acknowledged and refund has not been done. I will try my best to get me refund of USD 300.
Email Chloe | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Avoid at all costs - nightmare tour operator!
DO NOT BOOK with African breeze tours – warning! Cate is at best, disorganised, unresponsive and manulipative, and at worst a con artist. AVOID AVOID AVOID
We booked our honeymoon with Cate at African Breeze tours – we were super impressed with her communication, putting together a bespoke package, and offering a great price.
We arrived at the airport, expecting a driver to pick us up from arrival. We landed at 5am, and Cate told us that we would have to wait until 7.30am for her and a driver – which we did.
The next few days were fine, although we hadn’t booked a private tour, no one else joined us, and it was great. We stayed at Treetops (highly recommend a stay here), Samburu Lodge (again a great hotel), and our driver/guide Solomon was good, he was a little maverick, and at times I wasn’t too sure if he was totally sure where he was going or whether we were lost.
The second half of the week though was horrendous, stressful and has really tainted my view of the honeymoon. We arrived after an 8hour drive from Samburu to Lake Nakuru (although Cate told us it was a morning drive, and we would be there by lunchtime – we left at 8am and arrived gone 4pm!). Our driver struggled to find the hotel (Eagle Palace), which was in the city centre, not a hotel you would expect on a safari. Once we checked in, the driver said we should go for a drive around Lake Nakuru, but Cate hadn’t sent all of the money, and so we would need to pay $200USD. With the park only open for another hour, we decided it wasn’t worth it, but we were now worried that our driver didn’t have any money for fuel, and wasn’t prepared to drive us to Maasai Mara until he was paid. Cate didn’t pick up anyone’s calls, said she was having bank issues, and couldn’t pay until the morning. She didn’t read the WhatsApp messages and we had a strife night in Nakuru.
Cate paid the driver his fuel money so we left Nakuru, and headed for the Maasai Mara. En route we switched vehicles and drivers, and it appeared that Cate had booked us onto a tour with another company (Bencia tours – who were amazing!), we checked into the lodge (Ol Moran) and went for a drive the next day. When we arrived back at the lodge the staff were waiting for us and said our agent hadn’t paid for the room and so we were unable to get into our room until we paid $360USD. They had tried to get hold of Cate all day and she had promised to pay, but didn’t. After over 2 hours we managed to scramble together all the money the lodge required and paid it over, only then did Cate pay the lodge and our money was returned later that night. The lodge had told us that Cate had booked us into the lodge on the day we arrived, despite us booking with Cate 9 months before we arrived, and she had confirmed the lodge name and booking with us.
Overall the Safari was great, but African breeze were a nightmare. The company address is a PO box at JIKA airport – and this should be a warning sign to anyone.
AVOID AFRICAN BREEZE TOURS AT ALL COSTS, if you already have booked with them, I suggest you double check that all the accommodation has been booked and paid for before you leave, and that the driver has all the money and park fees before you leave for Safari.
Reply from African Breeze Tours
Posted on Oct 4, 2019The world can judge by reading your review Chloe, BUT a careful reader will judge it fairly.
We appreciate that Chloe confessed, at least ,that they were super impressed with Cate's communication, putting together a bespoke package, and offering a great price and that You arrived at 5:00 am and Cate told you to wait until 7:30 am. The company's safari itinerary to you Chloe stated that departure time was 8:00 am. You were not late to be picked,at least Cate and driver were there before your pick up time.
You really appreciate the first bit of the safari as well, going to an extent of recommending the Tree tops lodge, Samburu Lodge and the driver Solomon.
The second phase is where you state that it was horrendous. You left Samburu Lodge at 8:00 am and arrived in Nakuru at 4:00 pm. Anyone reading this review can google the location of Samburu lodge and they can tell that the lodge's location is inside the park, so you definitely had an enroute game viewing as you exited the park before even getting to the main gate of Samburu national reserve. Leaving at 8:00 am from Samburu ,arriving to Nakuru at 4:00 pm totally depends with our roads, and that was no one's fault. The parks entrance fee to Lake Nakuru national park was usd 120 for both of you and still it is until now and the driver had all the park fees, you clearly state that YOU DECIDED it wasn’t worth a visit. It was your decision to have a restful evening since you thought you had a long day. Anyone can see that.
You forgot to point out that you had spoken to Cate that evening and she said she was coming from Arusha, though on the way the network wasnt good but atleast you managed to communicate. Chloe, the safari you took was a group safari but the company did go an extra mile of giving you half exclusively private safari, and when you were just about to complete your safari you joined a group, anyone can see you didnt like the last bit of joining other travelers but remember that you were very much aware that your safari was supposed to be a group joining safari.
We called the hotel and they confirmed that they didnt take any money from you,we can still call or email them if any one needs clarification,network in Masai Mara(the wild) is not always consistent and calling Cate from there and didnt get hold of her doesnt mean she didnt pay the hotel or she hadnt booked you on time, you were on the 2nd night and Cate forwarded the payment ref number that very evening. Anyone who has stayed in big hotels/camps knows that the billing is done only when you are checking out ! Right? The following morning you checked out of the camp without any issues, right? what does that imply? Did any one fuel you Chloe?
We tried to tried reach you out after you were back in your country just to see what you were not happy about since the last day of your safari you did not have time, your flight was departing sooner, but you said were not willing to say what exactly made you so angry. Was the other agent i work with my competitor instead of a partner ????
Treetops lodge and Samburu lodge are expensive lodges than Olmoran tented camp, The company paid those as well, if any one was a CON ARTIST as you imply, then you would not have had any of those! You didnt say you wanted to visit our office in the first place, we would have gladly taken you for a tour in there. its wrong to accuse anyone falsely.
We regret that you say your honeymoon was tainted, should you ever be ready to tell us exactly what transpired, we will be happy to listen to you and solve whatever problem that might have occurred.
Regards,
African Breeze Tours.
KR
Email Jeong | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Don't believe them. Especially Kate.
They kept me waiting for more than two hours at the airport and didn't abide by the numerous provisions stipulated in the contract. The airport dropoff was a contract, but they dropped me off in downtown Nairobi. I questioned her(Kate) but ignored it. They change when they get paid.
KR
Email Joshua Sanggyu Kim | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
This operator just took my money and didn't make a refund until now. Operating skills very poor too.
I would just write facts here. It is your option to judge.
In brief, this operator
1) Took my money(entrance fee) and made me pay twice. Didn't make my refund until now.
2) Didn't inform me about changes within the tour
3) Didn't pay hotel in advance
4) Doesn't keep promises
1. Just took my money and didn't make a refund
I met Cate(Operator) at my hotel before my trip to Masai Mara. I paid the remaining deposits to her, including Masai Mara entrance fee(280USD for 2 pax). However, when I arrived at the national park, the park rangers said no entrance fee was paid. I had to call her(several attempts since she didn't pick up the phone) and she said the queue for the bank was too long so I should pay the rangers 280USD and she would pay back my money once I get back to Nairobi. I told her to tranfer the money directly to my Mara hotel but she said that was not possible. I had no other choice so I paid the rangers 280USD and went for my tour.
Cate promised me to meet me at Wilson airport once I get back, but she didn't show up. (She was in Tanzania) I needed to keep calling her and check how things were going. (Why would I use a tour operator if I needed to do EVERYTHING by myself?) She promised me (again) that she would send someone to my hotel in Nairobi and give me back my money. She didn't. I came back home after my trip and requested online refund. She said she will but kept ignoring my emails and said she needs a month due to funding issues. (She obviously used my money elsewhere) So I waited with patience but she decided to ignore my email again. She knows that she owes me my deposit(she stated that in her own email) but keeps on refusing to pay me back.
2. Not a professional operator.
- This operator must have done hundreds of excursions but never notified me regarding which domestic airport I should book for Masai Mara. I used skycanner and searched an airport and booked it in advance, but Cate said it was another airport few weeks before my trip. Shouldn't I be notified?
- Due to booking a different airport, my hotel was changed to a more expensive hotel. However, since this was my honeymoon, I wanted to have a private game drive. That was why I booked this tour in the first place because it was all private. However, I found out that my game drive was shared by 6 people. I understand what happened with the hotel but nothing was informed. I needed to call her(again) to check.
She insists that she is making nothing from this tour due to a more expensive hotel, but this wouldn't have happened if she informed me about the aiport.
- When I was checking out at Masai Mara Hotel(Serena Lodge), they said my balance was not paid. I paid everything to Cate, but the operator didn't pay the lodge in advance. I needed to call her(again) and check what was going on. The operator was on his/her way to pay and I needed to wait until I was free to go. I had a flight coming up so wasn't comfortable with waiting.
I strongly recommend you to look for another operator. This is how this operator does business.
ES
Email Mirta | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unpaid tour and guide that did not explain anything
They work slowly, many unnecessary waits. They took us from Lake Nakuru to Amboseli, to then return to Naibasha, obviously we lost the last day, because it was horrible to do 9h to see a lake again. They did not return any money, they only paid us a bus for 10 euros, instead of a minimum 150e. The guide driver did not explain anything to us. It was very monotonous and boring. Neither warned us where there was wifi or not. Excellent Masai Mara, of course, regardless of the safari company. I would not repeat.
US
Email Dr. Pratt | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Serious issues before we embark. Planning on canceling.
We have traveled to Africa few times for Safari. We plan on heading for a Wildebeeste migration in September 2017. We paid a $400 advance to Cate on January 10th.
Prior to the payment, we received frequent emails inquiring about our plans. However, things dramatically changed right after the payment on January 10th. We received no response; nor have we received confirmation on the lodging (we were quoted for Keekorok) since. I have emailed Cate over three times requesting a date for the reservation (we need it to sign off on our vacations), noting that we are flexible with dates in September. Sadly, we have not heard anything yet.
This is turning out to be a serious worry and I feel that the $400 is already lost. I am in the process of filing a charge with my credit card provider.