Enrico’s Tours and Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Member Of:
- Namibia Tourism Board
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $70 to $350 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Michael | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
This company is a scam.
Based on doing an 8-day self-drive tour with this company and subsequent communication afterwards, I have come to the conclusion that this company is a scam.
1) My assumption was that they had made all bookings in advance when I paid my fees. This was not the case. They told me they had gotten the start date wrong despite me getting a confirmation of the itinerary with the correct dates, but my suspicion is that this was to cover up the fact they hadn't made any bookings. Instead of making all the bookings on the day this error was found, the location for accommodation changed nearly every day. In only one case had a booking been made and payment completed before our arrival out of 7 overnight stays.
2) The places where we actually ended up staying was consistently changed to a hotel or lodge at a lower price point than what was advertised on the itinerary we used for booking.
3) Twice we ended up having to pay for the stay ourselves (conveniently the 3 most expensive nights of the trip) and the company still hasn't reimbursed us despite repeated requests over the last month. The stress of never knowing if a booking had been made was a detraction from our trip. If we hadn't paid already, we would have set everything up on our own, but we were trying to get him to pay for accommodations whenever it was possible.
I have filed a complaint with the Namibia Tourism Board about Enrico's Tours and Safari World Tours, since they changed their name but are still the same operation.
All this said, you should absolutely go to Namibia because it's an incredible and magical place. But absolutely DO NOT book through Enrico's Tours or Safari World Tours.
AE
Email Belin | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
THey are thieves and liars!!
We’ve wanted to go to Botswana/ Namibia / Zimbabwe and because of their lies, we couldn’t even leave the airport!!! It’s been a month and they’ve never refunded our money back!!!
We’ve trusted that they will handle our visa:
:For Turkish citizens I’ve asked they’ve said no need, I’ve doublechecked by sending a link and they’ve assured me that I would get the visa on arrival still, which was misleading.
:For my friend they’ve started the visa applications.
:We’ve purchased the flight tickets after their confirmation on her visa on Nov 27th Tue, which they’ve said they would send the file either on the same day eve or the next day morning.
: They’ve never sent the visa!!!! We’ve received an image of a so called ‘visa’ only 12 hrs before our flight. And at the airport we were told that it was not a visa but a ‘Acknowledgment of Receipt’. It turned out we were fooled/lied by Enrico’s Safaris. And still no refund!!!
They’ve ruined our holiday plans and we’ve missed an opportunity. On top I’ve received an email from them saying: ‘If you guys could have emphasised strictly that you are not allowed without a Visa I would have done my atmost best to make sure, thats why for you I did not even bother to apply for a Visa’ Imagine a travel agency that saying this!!!!
Of course we’ve asked for refund of our downpayment & flight ticket costs. They’ve said they can only return the downpayment and instead of the flight ticket they’ve offered free of charge tour in March 2019, which we’ve declined and asked for a refund. Since then no refund, no answer to our emails and phones.
I’ve been to more than 55 countries and this is the first time in my life such a thing has happened. So if you are even considering them do not! They are incompetent & unreliable.
Email Ann | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Took our money but only booked and paid for our 1st 2 nights. Very embarrassing and stressful.hopele
Dreadfull.Except for the 1st 2 nights nothing was prebooked or paid for
Pathetic excuses.Guide left his employment after this experience
AE
Email Sandra | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very bad & disappointing!!
we were planning a trip to Botswana/ Namibia / Zimbabwe but we couldn't make it & actually we were sent back from the airport because the agency lied to us and didn't provide the needed documents.. so the vacation was ruined, embarrassment at the airport minding that myself & my friend we are regular travelers (weekly basis almost). they ripped us off & no one is answering our mails & requests to get refunds!!!
It’s been almost 6 months & still nothing...
We’ve trusted that they will handle our visa , at least that's what the agent said
:For my friend it was extrmely confusing for them to give an answer about her documents and then they’ve assured that she would get the visa on arrival... this never happened because we were not even allowed to leave the airport
:For myself they’ve started the visa applications. (again what they said!!)
:We’ve purchased the flight tickets after their confirmation on my visa delivery on Nov 27th Tue, which they’ve said they would send the file either on the same day eve or the next day morning.
: They’ve never sent the visa!!!! We’ve received an image of a so called ‘visa’ only 12 hrs before our flight. And at the airport we were told that it was not a visa but a ‘Acknowledgment of Receipt’. It turned out we were fooled and ripped off by Enrico’s Safaris. And still no refund even after 6 months & no one is replying !!!
They’ve ruined our holiday plans and we’ve missed an opportunity. On top my friend received an email from them saying: ‘If you guys could have emphasized strictly that you are not allowed without a Visa I would have done my utmost best to make sure, that's the level of support you get from this agency!!
Of course we’ve asked for refund of our down payment & flight ticket costs. They’ve said they can only return the down payment and instead of the flight ticket they’ve offered free of charge tour in March 2019, which we’ve declined and asked for a refund. Since then no refund, no answer to our emails and phones.
again I am a regular traveler & this never happened to me but I guess there is always a first time when we have such incompetent agencies. please check before picking them for your vacations because they are such a big disappointment , waste of money & time...
Reply from Enrico’s Tours and Safaris
Posted on May 13, 2019Dear Sandra, we just tried to assist you on getting a visa its actually not our duty as a tour operator to get you a visa. But we really tried to help you. we talked about a refund but unfortunately you wanted us to pay you more then the deposit you paid us.
But still we tried all other alternatives to solve this but it seems you dont want any solutions This is the 2nd review you write but until now you dont want a solution. I have taken this matter to the Tourism Board as well to get assistance and they advice me to get a good solution and what you have paid,needs to be refunded and thats what I am trying to do,but it seems you dont want any solutions.
DE
Email Marco | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unprofessional and dishonest...scam!!!
We paid for the 1/2 Game Ranch Tour weeks before and never heard back from the company. The day before the tour I sent an E-Mail to ask about the pickup and I immediately received the confirmation that we are going to be picked up at our hotel. Eventually, nobody came to get us to the ranch. We tried calling and found out that they forgot about us. The company tried to rearrange for another day and we accepted.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, they apparently forgot us again on the 2nd occasion. Our hotel then called them and they sent a driver who came an hour late. By the time we arrived at the ranch, the game drive has already started without us. Furthermore, we got to know that Enrico is not in charge of the game drive itself but the ranch and that our spots have not been paid!!! If we had wanted to participate, we would have needed to pay again!!!
After that, we tried to reach out to Enrico in order to at least get our money back but no response, no apologies. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!
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Email Vijay | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Shady, Fraudulent and Untrustworthy
We booked and paid for a 6-day tour of Etosha National Park, Swakopmund and Sossusvlei (accommodated) on Viator 6-months in advance. A week before the actual trip we got a message from Enrico Safaris and Tours that the tour was cancelled as it did not meet the minimum number. They offered a private tour that was only slightly higher and we booked and paid for entire tour to Enrico Safaris and Tours including accommodation, dinner, breakfast, activities and admissions. We did not realize that we are going to be dealing with a shady and fraudulent tour agency and we are going to have a harrowing time.
On Day 1 we were picked up 2 hours later than scheduled. It was a small car (not suitable for driving on unpaved roads later) and the car’s a/c was not working. After 4 hours of uncomfortable journey the guide/driver managed to get a temporary fix. But we arrived 3 hours behind schedule and had to cut short that days’s game drive in Etosha National Park.
On Day 3 when we reached Swakopmund, the room charges for hotel was not paid for by the Enrico Safaris and Tours. Since they could not be reached, we ended up paying for the rooms for us and for the tour guide.
On days 4 and 5 in Sossusvlei, once again the hotels rooms and dinner were not paid for and also none of the activities were paid for. We had to pay for all these for us and for the tour guide.
The guide/driver (who is not an employee of the Enrico Safaris and Tours, but just hired by them for this tour) tried calling Enrico Safaris and Tours several times to address the issue. They either did not answer the call or lied to the guide about sending money, but never sent the money. The guide/driver was a very friendly and a nice person who tried his best to help us out of the harrowing experience. But Enrico Safaris and Tours did not either answer his calls or lied to him repeatedly that he is going to send the money. The guide/driver managed to get a 4x4 on day 4 for travel on unpaved roads on Day 4.
In summary, Enrico Safaris and Tours did not just mishandle the tour but were defrauding and swindling us. In spite of fully paying for the tour in advance to Enrico Safaris and Tours, we still ended up paying for more than half of the accommodation, dinner and activities.
So our recommendation is “Don’t trust Enrico Safaris and Tours and Do Not Use their services”.
IT
Email Lorenzo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Simply a crook
Clarence Enrico Goastoeb appears as a crook. Simply. We even had to submit a criminal complaint to the Namibian Police and to the Tourist Officie, involving Diplomatic Authorities and discovering he has several other cases pending. We have booked a 11 days safari with some friends, all experienced travellers in Botzwana and Namibia. We have faced several serious problems since the beginning: to make a long story short different service (or no service at all) from what booked, total lack of comunication. The most serious experience was the following: We were abandoned in the middle of the Jungle and we had to find an emergency place to survive and to book a private plane to escape from that mess. For what we understood Mr. Enrico's policy seems to be simple: to play with the good faith of his suppliers and clients and, at the end, to try to not pay them/not give to them the service booked....keeping the clients'money in his pockets. Moreover Mr. Enrico uses as guides freelances in order to claim him unresponsable for them and vice-versa. Therefore sometimes the suppliers abandon him and his clients. In our experiences Mr. Enrico just ignored the problems hoping that the clients will find a solution by theirselves and they will not prosecute him for relative small money. All is organization and way of doing business is based on that "philosofy". Stay away from him.
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Email Bettina | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Stay away from this company!!!!!!!
We booked a 10 day trip in 9 friends in Botwana. The trip included a program and services that were not respected in the least. There had to be 2 jeeps, 2 guides, a panoramic flight, instead we had only one Jeep, a totally incompetent guide who has never been able to answer. We were forced to find alternative solutions at our expense to alleviate the inconvenience caused by the bad organization. We didn’t enjoy the trip because every day we had to face unexpected and bad surprises.
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Email Elisa | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Horrible Experience
Completely un-organized, a scammer. We booked 11 days with him many months in advance, we paid beforehead but still when we got there nothing was ready for us. We paid for 2 cars but we had one. Everything was done very last minute. Do not use!!!
DE
Email Tanja Siegmund | 35-50 years of age
Totally unreliable, very bad communication
It was really bad, they didn't answer. We can't do the tour, because they didn't pick up us, the car was in service. They said we can also do the tour a day later or do it only 2 days, but we booked 3 days.
That's no way!