SafariBookings has received complaints from clients about Open Africa Safaris.

Reviews

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anteide   –  
Spain ES
Visited: November 2018 Reviewed: Dec 6, 2018

Email anteide  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of anteide and not that of SafariBookings.
Thieves
1/5

How is it possible that this guy is still offering on the net? How can one stop an evident thief?
Again, do not use them, do not book with them and do not pay anything!

Keith   –  
United States US
Visited: October 2018 Reviewed: Nov 23, 2018

Email Keith  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of Keith and not that of SafariBookings.
BEWARE: INSOLVENT BUSINESS. DO NOT SEND MONEY
1/5

Open Africa Safaris is run by John Williams, who is a middleman for safari tours. The business is insolvent and John took my payment but did not forward it to the African operator Dilunga (even though he kept assuring me he would), so I could not do my safari. DO NOT SEND him any payment. Use another agency.

Jamie   –  
United States US
Visited: October 2018 Reviewed: Nov 6, 2018

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

The review below is the personal opinion of Jamie and not that of SafariBookings.
Do NOT Book with This Company!
1/5

Do not book with this company! The principal, "John William" runs a scam operation - possibly in connection with others. He'll take your money and then tell you shortly before your scheduled arrival that his company is in financial trouble BUT there is another safari operator who can help - IF you pay again for the trip. Also, "John William" will tell you that he made mistakes in the day-by-day activities list that he sent you so, sorry, but you have to pay your own way, for example, to Zanzibar from Tanzania. And, oops, there is an extra safari day listed by mistake so you’ll need to find something else to do on that date at your expense. "John William" (I don't believe it's his real name!) is a liar and a scammer. Also, by the way, when he says he's "booked" a reservation, it does not mean he's paid for it. I've been told that he runs his bogus operation from the United States. After cheating so many people out of money, his website is still active as he's trying to swindle as much money out of folks that he can before he's carried off in handcuffs.

If you already have been victimized, contact your charge card company, the police, and Elly Maturo (+255 713 230 134), ellymaturo@gmail.com, from the Tanzania Cultural Tourism Program.

Glyn   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: September 2018 Reviewed: Oct 18, 2018

Email Glyn  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Glyn and not that of SafariBookings.
Thieves
1/5

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.

Violet   –  
Canada CA
Visited: September 2018 Reviewed: Oct 11, 2018

Email Violet  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of Violet and not that of SafariBookings.
Terrible. Worse vacation ever. John Williams scammer.
1/5

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.

getaway260528   –  
United States US
Visited: September 2018 Reviewed: Oct 9, 2018

Email getaway260528  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of getaway260528 and not that of SafariBookings.
Shady business practices and scam
1/5

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.

Volodymyr   –  
Ukraine UA
Visited: September 2018 Reviewed: Oct 1, 2018

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

The review below is the personal opinion of Volodymyr and not that of SafariBookings.
Stay away from this travel agency
1/5

I had a terrible experience of a 6-days safari, booked through the Open Africa Safaris.
All that it's representative John Williams said about the tour, was a lie.
In particular, I asked the following questions before paying:

1) Will all six-day safari be the car of your company and run by your employees?
Yes, all six days will be operated by our company's vehicle and employees.
Will there be a safari in mixed with other companies car?
No, all customers will go under our company but from different places ..

But in fact I was attached to a mixed group of tourists from different companies with different programs. The trip took place on the cars of various guides-freelancers. For six days I was transplanted into 4 different cars. None of these machines had the mark of Open Africa Safaris. Two of them did not have a promised chargers, no working fridge and no promised Coffee boxes, Wildlife books and Maps.

2) Do you provide a sleeping bag and a tent?
Yes indeed, we provide all camping equipment including, tents, sleeping bags, mattresses and pollows for each client.

But in fact nobody from our group took sleeping bags for two nights in a row. Only the mattresses and the dirty torn sheet with a dirty blanket. The next night was given only to the mattress itself.

3) Does the safari program have a visit to any river?
Big chences, yes and good news is that our driver will try his best to make sure that you see the wildebeest migration in Serengeti NP.

But in fact in fact neither migration nor rivers have been seen.

4) Do you already know the number of people in the safari group to which I will join?
You will join 5 more people, so total will be 6 people in the vehicle for the trip.

In fact, two days in the car there were 7 tourists, and I had to sit near the driver without a rooftop.

5) Open Africa Safaris is not ASTA member. Information on this site is false. You can check it on ASTA website.

6) But the worst was not even the above.
Day 1. At the entrance to Tarangire, we lost an hour, since the fee for entering the park was not paid.
Day 2. At the entrance to Serengeti, we lost two hours, as the entrance fee to the park was not paid again. Another hour we lost because of a car breakdown (the battery was down, not some force majeure). Accordingly, there was no game drive this day.
In the evening, we found out that there are no sleeping bags for us. Every other tourist from other companies in camp had sleeping bags.
Day 3. Sunrise game drive until 11:00. After that the guide said that entrance fee for second day in Serengeti not paid and we cannot move on game drive around the park. The half of day was held at Serengeti Airstrip near the payment office, waiting for payment, which was never done on that day. The evening was held in the ranger's office by filing applications and explanations. The half of night was at the police station.
Lost a day, no gaming drive. There are no sleeping bags again, only tent and mattress. Very cold.
In addition, it turned out that in one car three groups of people with completely different itineraries on the next day.
Day 4. Got a short game drive only at 12:00, after which there was a road to the camp near Ngorongoro. They submerged me into another car as a seventh tourist, in which I was sitting near driver without access to rooftop.
Day 5. Still in car as 7th tourist without rooftop access. Lost again 40 minutes through unpaid entrance to the Ngorongoro conservation area. They brought to the camp already at 15:00, that is, the half of day of the safari was lost.
Day 6. I began game drive only at 11:30, because there was no group to which I could join this day. As a result, they sent me a separate car, but they did not even give me water with me. Already at 14:00 I was back in the camp.
Besides, I was never in the evening, but even during breakfast I did not know which guides and cars I would go to safari that day.

When I wrote to John Williams about a refund for at least a lost 1 full day, he replied that he did not have the money and that I would contact a the subcontractor with whom he shared me and who actually carried out the safari, which I do not even have contacts with.

alice   –  
Italy IT
Visited: September 2018 Reviewed: Oct 1, 2018

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

The review below is the personal opinion of alice and not that of SafariBookings.
ATTENTION IT IS A SCAM! terrible experience
1/5

We booked 11 days of safaris with John William of open africa safaris for September 2018. We have been in touch with him for two months (email and whatsapp) and we never thought we'd find out what happened to us. We found good reviews about this tour operator, we trusted on him and we payed him in advance for the total amount of the safaris for our honeymoon (4600 usd). Once we arrived in Kenya he asked to anticipate 2000usd because of transfer problems with the promise of an immediate refunding. He send us a request of refunding by square, however the day after he cancelled the operations without telling us anything. In the following days he asked us other 300usd to continue our tour. Moreover he booked some hotels but he never payed, so we had to anticipate other money. Lie upon lie he destroyed our honeymoon. Once in Arusha we tried to find his office but IT DOES NOT EXIST! Fortunately the tour operators East African exotic safaris (Manager Raphael) and big5 Vojage (Manager Dilunga) helped us to not spoil out trip. They organized safaris for us despite they never get money by him to take care of our trip. They were angels for us. Excellent people in contraposition to the fraudulent open africa safaris. I will be always grateful to them.
I know that my review will sound unique compared to the old reviews but unfortunately this is the reality. Another young traveler can testify because she faced the same problem as us. We are now reclaiming our money and do our possible to avoid that other guests will fall in the same scam. For any further informations please contact me privately.

Disclaimer

  • All corporate and/or tour info is provided by Open Africa Safaris, not SafariBookings