Arend Safaris
- Located In:
-
Canada
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $120 to $1,200 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Laurence | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The company is bankrupt and the owners are liars
Protas Kilongola and Tom Kilongola are liars who will let you down. They did not book the hotels we asked for, lied to our face and have refused to pay money they owe us.
They asked us to pay park admission fees of c.$500 (which we were told were already included) with a promise of paying us back. They have never done this. I have seen bank records which indicate they are almost bankrupt.
Other people have suffered worse than us, so don’t book with them because they will let you down and steal your money.
BR
Email Guilherme | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Was one of the tourists scammed...
My wife and I booked a 5 day safari in Tanzania and 7 day in Zanzibar, with Arend Safaris, for our honeymoon on the end of 2017.
We paid over 11k dollars in advance. When we arrived in Arusha, they picked us up at the airport, and took us to a different (worse) hotel that we booked. On the next day, after waiting for almost 2 hours for Arend Safaris to pick us up, they took us to their office in Arusha and told us that they had spent all our money in another reservation, and had nothing (no hotels, tours, plane tickets) booked.
They promised us they would have the money back in a few days, and in the mean time, we could book everything directly with a hotel in Zanzibar, and when they got the money back, they would repay us.
Now, over a year has passed and Arend has not payed us back. We had to spend a whole lot more of money to book our honeymoon on the same day.
Arend is very inconsistent with their communication. Sometimes, after a long period of no communication, they write to us telling they will refund us in a few weeks. And then disappear.
Apparently they are a legit agency, for some of the reviews out there are real. But there are cases, like ours, in which they just do not comply. So be extra careful when booking with them, ask for all kinds of receipts and booking numbers/references, and contact the hotels/lodges directly to make sure they have a reservation under your name.
CH
Email Bob | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Arend Safaris operate with a fake licence
We were looking to book a tour with Arend Safaris. Excellent contact. However, when we analyzed the copy of the Tourism licence they provided, we observed that the licence was actually the 2017 licence altered to read 2018. After inquiring with the Tanzanian Ministry of Tourism, it appears that they don't hold a valid licence. They are currently facing legal actions because of that.
US
Email Gilbert Goodwin | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Does Tom kilongola work for your company
Tom Kilongola had us wire him $9200 USD in advance for 6-day Safari and then canceled the tour on the day we were flying to Tanzania.
He has asked us to be patient in the refund.
If Tom does not work for your company I don't know what we will do,
Yours
Gilbert Goodwin
Long Beach, California, USA