Faustin tour and travel tanzania southern safaris
Faustin Tour and Travel
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $130 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email El | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely negative - driver was dishonest (took luggage and didn’t show up), bad car condition
I used Faustin’s driver and car because I joined another company - Gamily Tour to Selous Safari and their vehicle was not available one day before due to an accident. Faustin sent a driver John to cover for the transportation from Dar to Selous and driving within the game reserve.
First thing to state is that the drivers in this company are driving their own cars (instead of company provided vehicles) so the conditions of the vehicles are understandably more variable than other tour operators.
Several things which happened showed that John is dishonest and owns a car at very poor car condition (and other things eg drives aggressively)
1. Dishonest - he took my tour guide’s luggages and never show up!! On the last day of my tour, when John was driving me and my tour guide back to Dar, I discussed with my tour guide and decided that I would try to experience the “local public transport” thus he and I would get on the local bus for 2 hours. The plan was that John would drive and follow the bus to the station and continue driving me to the hotel. When we arrived at the bus station, John was still at the starting point where we got on the bus (not sure what he was doing for all those times!!). Luckily I got most of my luggages with me, and I didn’t want to wait for him another 2 hours so I took an Uber back to my hotel. My tour guide waited him for another 4 hours and John never showed up, until the next day after we contacted his company (I would have missed my Kilimanjaro hike if I put my luggage in his vehicle)
2. Bad car condition - across the 5 seats in the car, only 1 seat wasn’t suffering from water leakage. Some windows could never be closed. It also could not drive through the roads which other SUV were able to drive through - I was unable to see lions as his car could not drive through one of the flooded main roads leading to the “lion area”.
My experience with the driver and vehicle was extremely negative. While I wish that this is only an issue with an individual, seeing from other reviews, seems like there is a company-wide problem. Anyways, even if you happen to use Faustin services, you should request to avoid using John (and his vehicle) at all cost.
Email Paula | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unprofessional and disappointing
We did a really bad experience with the Tour of faustin Tours and Travel.
We tried to get any confirmations on payments and an invoice before we went on the safari which already turned out very difficult as Faustin obviously doesn’t like to confirm anything.
The First day everything Went well, we went hiking that was very nice. After that we drove in our Hotel. The tan Swiss Hotel which was nice. In the evening we Should pay the half of the Money Cash to our guide in the Hotel.
In this Moment we noticed that money from us have been stolen.
We‘re not sure where it happens either it was in the Hotel or it was the driver. But that Not belongs to faustin tours. The Problem we got was, that we wanted a new driver and since that he didn‘t answered any of our calls. Our Guide was sitting next to us and Wrote with faustin what means that he saw our calls and didn‘t picked them up on purpose.
We accepted that we don‘t get a new driver so we drove to udzungwa the next day. But when we came there he didn‘t payed the entry fee so we had to wait there Many Hours because we couldn‘t enter the park and Start hiking. We tried to reach Faustin but without any success so we had to pay it again and went to a lot of trouble with the personnel of the wild park. The only helpful person being the tour guide that will definitely not work for Faustin again! So far all attempts to reach anyone at faustin travel were without success. No one answers the phone or writes back on messages - very poor!
Also we came there and suddenly he said we don‘t get any lunch, although it was included in our offer.
After we came back there was Money over that Had to be payed, but he also didn‘t send the guide the Money and didn‘t pick up the phone as usual.
So i recommend you to Never do a Tour With faustin Tours and safaris!
He‘s absolutely unprofessionell and criminell.
If you want to do a safari or hiking trips i really recommdent taylor safaris, the Agency where our Guide Kevin was from. He was really nice and helped us a lot.
Email Mark Gleeson | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
All started well, but we're completely abandoned for our stay in Zanzibar!
Avoid this company at all costs, they changed our itinerary, omitted many features of the trip, booked us into a substandard hotel, provided a vehicle which should not have been on the road, and a suicidal driver. Once we got to Zanzibar, all communications ceased, leaving us to arrange and pay for meals, drinks, outings, transfers and flights, which were supposedly included. Very disappointing. Only redeeming feature was Michael the guide who was a star.
PE
Email Fiorella | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Strongly do not recommend Faustin's tours
I strongly do not recommend Faustin's tours. On June 1, I deposited 200 US dollars in Faustin's bank account as part of a partial payment of a safari scheduled on July 22. On July 20 I read his email saying that he had to cancel the safari because I was the only person scheduled and it was not profitable for him, he asked me the best way to proceed with the refund. I told him to do it through Western Union. He told me he was going to do it the next day, but he didn't and communication with him started to be very low since then. Then he told me he will go on July 22 in the morning. I called and texted him that day in the afternoon and he didn't reply. By that time I was already in Mikumi doing a safari and I asked my safari guide if he knows Faustin and explained him the situation. Fortunately, he knew him and called him to say that we were going to the police if he doesn't give the money back. Only after that, Faustin gave my money back.
I trusted Faustin because he had overall good reviews and he immediately replied to me when I asked for a quote, but if I would have known what was going to happen, I would have never chosen him to do safari.
Reply from Faustin Tour and Travel
Posted on Jul 26, 2018Fiorella asked for sharing safari and sharing safari is possible only if we get some one else who want to share but all of our client rejected to do sharing and they needed private safari so we had no one to join with fiorella, That is why we cancelled and send her email for cancellation. We asked her to send her refund through her phone number becouse we was about to depart for safari but she rejected to receive money through the phone as we always do here in tanzania and fiorella live in Tanzania. Then fiorella asked to send her money through the western union and that time i was at the airport pick up my client to selous. all in all i sent her money through the same way of the phone transfer, so if she could accept the phone transfer her refund could not take even one minite but her desired way of receiving money was problem to our time limit
DE
Email Alice | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Avoid Faustin tours
We (my boyfriend and I) booked a full 5-day Mikumi /Selous safari package tour with Faustin. We agreed on the price and paid Faustin the whole amount in advance. We never received a bill, although we asked several times for it! After paying, he told us, that he wasn't accompanying us for the trip, leaving us with an odd driver, who couldn’t speak English. Even though we had many negative incidents with the driver, the peak reached on the last day of the trip, when the driver never turned up at the hotel to bring us back to Dar!!! Even the people from the hotel and the local guides were shocked with this behavior.
Faustin’s organization was not well planned at all. For more information please read my boyfriend’s (Kosta) review below!!! We never heard from Faustin during the whole tour and are a bit shocked with his response. He uses fake facts/information to respond to honest feedback from customers. Faustin response doesn’t add up. We booked a full package tour from the beginning (pickup Dar + tour + dropoff Dar), not only a driver and a car!
Our trip was never about the money, we had the money, it was about the service. We flew to Tanzania for safari, of course we had the money!!! We are not his friends to ask for favors.
Looking at his negative reviews, his response is always the same. Faustin blames the customer by responding that the customer had no money and he -Faustin- tries to help making a tour possible. Which in our case was not true. He never offered help in any way.
We do not want such an incident to happen to anyone else, that’s why we really not recommend Faustin. If it would be possible, we would give him zero stars.
I bet he is going to respond to my review also negative.
Be very careful booking your safari by him.
Reply from Faustin Tour and Travel
Posted on Oct 9, 2017I have already reply this to your husband comment but whatever you may try to lie to the public if is not true it will never work as you wish becouse so may people used my agent and they will say the truth but nexty time be prepared for safaribudget and do not put your problem to people. I past you again the fact that i gave to your boy freind.
The fact is that Kosta and alice booked for the car not regular safari tour package and he went far by asking us to help him organising tent in selous and mikumi becouse they had no money for the lodges. After one night in the tent at selous game reserve Kosta found that Tent is not confortable with his girlfreind so they asked for lodge while they do not have money to pay, They have given one night in the lodge in selous and 2night in mikumi at morio hotel and all that tent and lodge i paid by my self for knowing that he will cover our money but one day before we found that Kosta had no money to pay for extral services so we took car money of one day we pay to the lodges so Kosta were supposed to pay for the car for one more day becouse we spend car money to the lodges that they sleeped. Kosta had nothing to pay for his last day transfer to dar es salaam so we advised him to take public bus to dar which is cheaper and my guide took them to the public bus to dar(Bus name is Upendo bus services). Kosta plan was to get help for free so that he may give us good reviews but we do not need good review for helping people for free so this is how story was so kosta is trying to wash him self from the shame of not prepared well for safari and put blame to other people for expecting help. Its better for kosta to show the agreed plan so that people can get truth of what he booked and what he and his girlfreind spent. The more wost thing from Kosta is bad word to my driver and guide, he insulted every one in mikumi but this is becouse of stress of lack of money. God will bless him
DE
Email Kosta | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Avoid this guy!!!
Attention, be very careful with Faustin!!! I can't recommend this tour operator at all!!! We have never experienced such a disaster before. The tour was a nightmare!!! The organisation was terrible.
The driver left us in Mikumi at the Hotel, on the last day returning back and disappeared into thin air!!! Faustin and driver would not pick up the phone since then! We were left alone and had to go back by ourselves to dar!!!!!!!! Luckily it was not our day of the departure, else we would have missed the flight back home!
We reported this incident to the Police and the Tanzania Tour Association as well as the National Park Administration!
But let me tell you the whole story...
...My girlfriend and I, booked a 5-day Mikumi and Selous private tour. Faustin was recommended by friends, who made a 9day luxury safari. Faustin and his driver John picked us up with the car ready to start the tour. Once we paid him the full amount cash (by the way we never received a bill) he left the car telling us that he is not going to join the tour with us. If we knew before, we would have canceled.
Alone with the driver we soon realized, that John wasn't speaking English at all. Luckily my girlfriend is from Kenia and speaks Swahili. Even though John was not talking to us, he was just driving like a robot. No conversation, no stories, no jokes, no social interaction. In fact, he was texting all the time and even stopped to handle some private business while we were waiting for him in the car. Being scared of getting a fine he drove 40km/h although the speed limit is 50km/h. Can you imagine how long a 5-day-trip can get with someone like that!
John was just the driver, he had no clue about the daily planned program. He asked us, what to do next, instead vice versa. We had to coordinate the trip with the local guides ourselves, who were also shocked with Johns behavior. He littered in the national park. In the national park, during safari he jumped many times out of the car while talking on the phone, although advice differently by the guides as it is forbitten by the rangers. He scared away animals and spoiled pictures. He had no patience and was bored quickly. At some point, after a long wait, trying to get a good pic, he decided to drive off. At this point I lost my calm and had an argument with him. Because he didn’t understand English, he thought we insulted him.
A regular (taxi) driver with no safari experience would have done the job with more passion and care.
We booked a regular tour, but Faustin delivered less than promised. He cut our program short. He is profit oriented but delivers a really bad service and showed a very unprofessional behavior!!!!!!
During the whole tour, he never got in direct contact with us, although we expressed some concerns. Maybe he will do that now, through this platform. I'm curious to see his response.
After the driver dumped us in Mikumi, locals told us, that Faustin is known for this tricky behavior. He owes local guides/drivers money. He doesn't pay them their full salary.
If you are thinking of doing a safari-tour check the safaribookings.com for the best rated company. I strictly advise you not to ignore my review.
Reply from Faustin Tour and Travel
Posted on Oct 6, 2017The fact is that Kosta booked for the car not regular safari tour package and he went far by asking us to help him organising tent in selous and mikumi becouse they had no money for the lodges. After one night in the tent at selous game reserve Kosta found that Tent is not confortable with his girlfreind so they asked for lodge while they do not have money to pay, They have given one night in the lodge in selous and 2night in mikumi at morio hotel and all that tent and lodge i paid by my self for knowing that he will cover our money but one day before we found that Kosta had no money to pay for extral services so we took car money of one day we pay to the lodges so Kosta were supposed to pay for the car for one more day becouse we spend car money to the lodges that they sleeped. Kosta had nothing to pay for his last day transfer to dar es salaam so we advised him to take public bus to dar which is cheaper and my guide took them to the public bus to dar(Bus name is Upendo bus services). Kosta plan was to get help for free so that he may give us good reviews but we do not need good review for helping people for free so this is how story was so kosta is trying to wash him self from the shame of not prepared well for safari and put blame to other people for expecting help. Its better for kosta to show the agreed plan so that people can get truth of what he booked and what he and his girlfreind spent. The more wost thing from Kosta is bad word to my driver and guide, he insulted every one in mikumi but this is becouse of stress of lack of money. God will bless him
IT
Email Monica | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Don't trust him
Unfortunately my review cannot be positive... Faustin let us down before the end of our holiday... We had agreed a package safari to Ruaha and Mikumi but he was everything but professional. He was very superficial about the actual time needed to reach Ruaha and he didn't keep his promises about the agreements made. On the way back, we were supposed to visit Mikumi but he stopped answering the phone and we had to pay extra money because he had disappeared. Luckily our driver stayed with us until the end, though we decided to report everything to the police. After coming home, he wrote us promising to refund us the extra money we had to pay. But, up to now, he hasn't sent us any money.
Reply from Faustin Tour and Travel
Posted on Sep 29, 2015We do agree that monica booked with us and agreed to start safari with public bus from dare s salaam because they had no enough money to make safari. I went far try to help monica to enjoy little bite in his very budget holiday to that I gave them free car from dare s salaam to Ruaha and mikumi.
Monica booked safari from 6 august 2015 end on 11 august 2015 . She arrived at dare s salaam airport and I was there waiting for them, After arrive they changed the plan that they need to rest for 1 night in dare s salaam while we have already paid for day 6 august 2015 at mikumi in morogoro region. I took them to mambosasa executive suit after check inn they rest for 1 hour and they asked for dare s salaam city tour all of that was out of program that mean they had to pay by them self . The city tour had well done and they did not pay up today and I have their photos with me during city tour . Day 7 they started safari in morning to Ruaha with free given vehicle and they arrived ruaha nicely . The problem was their package was camping but after arrive in ruaha they asked for lodge some thing that caused my driver and guide to miss the budget and I was not with them I was with other clients .
My driver Mr Winston took money from his wife to solve the problem at mikumi and the problem was solved and they enjoyed their mikumi but my driver was insisting them that you paid for budget camping safari why you ask for luxury lodge ? they had no answer apart from complaing.
We did everything to finish safari nicely and we won it .
The safari ended on 11 august 2015 at mambosasa executive lodge, From there on they have to pay everything by themselves because our packages was stating very cleary that the package stating the day of the safari as agreed with no changes and end at the ending safari date. So they was asking us again to pay for them for their last night and fist night in dare s salaam soothing that is not our responsible , they have been informed even by police officers because everything is very clear in our agreement but Monica is trying to get something back for her own problem and escaping to pay money for city tour and 2 night at mambosasa , transfers to airport and meals but we forgot all of that so we are wondering where complaining come from while she caused us alots of cost to our office..
Any evidence you need I have all of contact and agreement between us .