Mega Wild Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $570 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Kim | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
COVID19 Cancelled our trip and this company took advantage of the pandemic
I do not recommend booking with this company. Anne was very friendly, but the savings of a few hundred dollars turned out costing us thousands. We had a safari scheduled for early June 2020, which we chose to cancel due to COVID19. We cancelled 3 months in advance. We chose not to wait it out because we feared losing all of our money if this safari company decided that COVID19 was not a good reason to cancel and to be honest it turned out that they didn't feel a pandemic was a good enough excuse to cancel anyway. Their policy of a 75% refund less the gorilla permits was better than losing the total $6600 I spent.
However the upsetting part was that I emailed Anne asking how they planned on dealing with COVID19. I was nicely told they would give full refund less the Gorilla permit that they tell you aren't refundable (which is not true by the way.). Needless the say when I took her up on her kind offer of giving full refund.... well, there was radio silence for over a day. So I emailed again and then she finally replied telling me... Oh sorry that full refund I mentioned we could do, well we can't because i talked to people who told me I can't give it. IT IS HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE TO DO THAT. Also their website states that they give 90% refunds if canceled more than 60 days in advance but their written policy doesn't say that. Also, please check out this link and never use a tour company like I did to book your Gorilla permits- Uganda Wildlife Authority does give refunds. It's just another way for these tour companies to SCAM you. https://www.bwindiimpenetrablenationalpark.com/gorilla-permits/cancellation/
After arguing with Anne over email that it was not okay to tell a customer full refund and then change your mind. I finally accepted the refund they would give and filed a dispute with my credit card company. The crappy part is my credit card company is so bogged down right now with other travelers. Anne failed to mention to them that she had told me full refund and then took it back. She also failed to mention, I never signed a contract. She failed to mention that the Uganda and Kenya are closed right now due to COVID19. Failed to mention that it's not possible to go on a trip right now.
Overall, my experience is I got scammed. When I didn't want to rebook my trip and took her up on her offer I think she freaked out and then said, oh no... By the way, rebooking the trip would have cost me more money. Why you ask? Because the Gorilla permits cost more next year and there is a fee to reschedule. And don't forget they aren't refundable. They are refundable, just not to you if you book with this company or one like it.
So the moral of this story is, I'm totally bummed I had to cancel my trip. Yet, there are better companies out there to work with. These guys are not fully honest. The policy stated on their website versus the one given to you are different. They can decide when they feel like it if they don't want to honor something they tell you.
I will likely not win my dispute for the other half of my refund, but I have not given up. One thing I've learned in all my travel is that you need to fight for your refunds. I travel a lot. I'm a digital nomad. I'm writing this review in hopes to save another person from this experience.
COVID19 or not... I would not trust this company. They have some good reviews and it's why I went with them, but don't be fooled. You could have a great trip with them or you could get total ripped off and scammed just like me. The choice is yours. I wish you all well.
Reply from Mega Wild Safaris
Posted on May 11, 2020Dear Kim,
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are truly sorry that we failed to meet your expectations. Please kindly note that Uganda Wildlife Authority(UWA), the only body responsible for issuing gorilla and chimpanzee tracking permits, does not offer refunds for unused gorilla permits and Chimpanzee permits but rather offers reschedules incase a customer is not able to track on their comfirmed dates. As such, the company was unable to offer you the refund for the already purchased permits because Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) did not offer us a refund for the permits we had already purchased for your tracking. Please understand that the Company issued you a refund in accordance with the refund and cancellation policy that was clearly stated on your invoice and agreed to by yourself prior to you sending the payment for the trip. We are however sorry that your experience did not match your expectations and we'll strive to do better.
MT
Email Adele | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our tour operator provided us with the best guides ever!
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip in Africa - Kenya and Uganda. Our guides Patrick and Dalson made sure about this - they were very attentive, reliable throughout and did all they could to make sure we had the best holiday possible. I would definitely recommend them.
I preferred Uganda while my friend preferred Kenya. My choice is due to the fact that the programme was more at leisure and more varied in activities - Kenya had some early starts and long hours in jeep and heat; I would have liked a little more time to settle into a hotel and chill a bit especially since the accommodation the tour operator chose for us were great. I would have done either lake Nakuru or Amboseli in a week's trip - not both. Probably would choose Nakuru as less driving. But, I know my friend would want to do it all once again so it does depend on personal differences.
The accommodation was good, comfortable, and clean throughout the trip. The food and service were also very good too. The accommodation close to Bwindi was a bit lower in standards - mostly in terms of the service, lack of warm water, poor lighting, and internet.
Transportation - I hated that mountain road to see the gorillas but I guess that can't be helped :). It is recommended to have a proper safari jeep rather than a van.
Some points for reference:
1. US dollars are preferred and only the new ones are accepted - and papers need to be flat, clean - no tears, no gem marker etc.
2. Despite paying a lot for this trip (a 2 week trip in Africa has cost us as much if not more than anywhere else in the world including the US/Canada; Central and South America; Asia) one is still expected to fork out in tips .... daily.
3. Take some clothes, and sweets for the kids waving by the roadside.
4. Check all plans in detail with the tour operator beforehand since we had one or two miscommunications. However, these were rectified. Communication was regular prior to the trip and the guides could easily contact the operator during the trip.
5. Try to go to a local dance/performance show, it is worth it!
Anne was very responsive and attentive to our needs/wants during the safari
We were very pleased with the service we received from Mega Wild Safaris, Anne was very attentive to what we were wanting for our trip of a lifetime and was quick to respond to our emails/questions. We liked having someone local in Uganda because we think it made the price more reasonable and she had contacts in Uganda, our trip was booked for Uganda and Tanzania over the Christmas holidays.
Our driver in Uganda, Kassim, was the absolute best! Unfortunately, the airline lost our luggage for 6 days and finding medicine/necessities/clothing etc is not that easy but Kassim was very patient and we were able to get a few things so we could have the basics. Anne was instrumental in locating our luggage and was able to get it to the hotel where we were originally going to stay, because of the time and curfew it was a challenge getting it to us, but Kassim was able to get a couple of his friends to drive the 9 hours and we were able to have it before the Gorilla Trekking! We enjoyed the hotels in Uganda and Tanzania, in Uganda we stayed with the locals on holiday which was a wonderful experience and we met some of the nicest people we have ever encountered. We would definitely travel with Mega Wild Safaris again and would ask for Kassim as our guide/driver. Anne is very Professional, Calm and understanding to anything you may encounter along the journey which made us feel like we were always in good hands. Uganda is a beautiful place with beautiful people! Tanzania is better equipped for tourists and our guide in Tanzania was very good, Anwar, but it was definitely more of a professional feel as a opposed to a more personal experience we had in Uganda. Overall, it was an incredible experience and we look forward to returning!
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Email Lillian Tsai | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very knowledgeable and friendly service
The communication was transparent and clear. There could have been more details about the Rhino lodge and what to expect. I appreciated Mega Wild letting the lodge know of my special diet although the lodge wasn’t consistent about the amount of salt they used. The tour was great. My guide was persistent in seeking more animals through communications with other guides and the Park.
Email Andy | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Wonderful Experience with a very professional company
This is our second safari in East Africa. On the first, which was organised via an Australian company I realised that all the organisation and work was done by the locals on the ground. So on our return I wanted to organise the safari directly with an East African company. From my very first interactions with Mega Wild I knew that they were a dedicated and professional company. Anne was just delightful to deal with. She patiently guided me through the planning process and helped me design the safari we were after. On arrival in Uganda we found ourselves in the care of our guide Dalson and that’s when the fun really began. He was fabulous company, gave us great guidance and was an excellent driver on the challenging roads. We always felt safe and well cared for and had an absolute ball in the process. In Rwanda, our guide James also looked after us with care and professionalism and showed us his country with great pride. Our time in Uganda and Rwanda was simply amazing. Friendly people everywhere, extraordinary landscapes and of course - the animals. Our gorilla trek and chimpanzee trek were once in a lifetime experiences we’ll never forget. It was as great pleasure working and travelling with Anne and her team. Mega Wild is terrific family company based in Kampala. I cannot recommend them more highly.
MX
Email Gerardo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic! They proveed to be 5-star and so much more
Went to Kenya and Uganda for an 11 day safari. Since day one their attention was great. They structured a nice safari to diferent national parks, each one better than the previous and ending with the AMAZING Masai Mara. Hotels were great and guides knew quite well about each park and the animals we could spot on each. We ended seeing all the animals we were looking for, so we were quite happy about it. Overall, i would definetly rate them 5 stars. Since day one (before doing any payment) the communication with the staff was impressive, which at the end gave us the confidence to book with them. Would definetly do it again! As for our gorilla trekking trip, we saw rhem around 30min into the trekking, which was fantastic. Overall, really happy with the trip we had.
IT
Email Carlos | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very professional, with a very good value for money.
The tour was absolutely fantastic!
Anne helped me to organize exactly what I wanted.
Dalson was an excellent guide and driver.
Everything was better than expected, even the lodges were good, clean and comfortable.
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Email Jeremy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime In East Africa with Mega Wild Safaris
We cannot recommend Mega Wild Safaris enough. From the moment we started communicating with the managing director Anne Bright, we knew we were in good hands. She even agreed to speak with us relatively late at night for her to answer some preliminary questions before we even plan the trip.
We were incredibly pleased with both the selection of destinations and lodgings chosen for our trip. Our guides for Tanzania and Uganda (Anwar Razak in Tanzania and James Marunga in Uganda), were knowledgeable, friendly and simply easy to get along with. We’ll definitely request them as guides for any return trips to these beautiful countries.
Even when one unexpected change in plans came up, the managing director was responsive via email and made things right in a very short amount of time. We greatly appreciate their ability to pivot because of an unexpected change in plans that was in no way the tour company’s fault.
Simply put, we could not have asked for a better trip to East Africa, and Mega Wild Safaris made it happen. We will remember this trip and these people for the rest of our lives.
CA
Email Sahaarenghan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unbelievable Safari experience in Uganda and Tanzania
Had an incredible 12-day expedition with Mega Wild Safaris, exploring the wildlife and vibrant culture. A special thank you to Anne for her exceptional service. The journey exceeded all expectations and was a memorable experience.
The guide in Tanzania was exceptional. He was genuine and had a passion for his work. He was accommodating and flexible throughout the trip. He shared enthralling tales about the wildlife. It was a truly remarkable experience, seeing glimpses of abundant wildlife, including the elusive rhino.
In Uganda, the guide Dalson, not only exhibited genuine kindness but also became a cherished friend over our journey. His profound knowledge of the region, coupled with his engaging personality, made the 7-day Uganda adventure truly unforgettable.
I wholeheartedly would recommend Mega Wild Safaris for anyone in search of an unforgettable African safari. Their commitment and dedication guarantee for an exceptional adventure.
DE
Email Sven | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable, flexible and a good experience.
We went on a four day safari through Akagera National Park. The organization and communication was problem-free and very reliable. Our expectations were exceeded. A spontaneous change of plan due to a participant's illness was possible without any problems. It was a fantastic tour and a great experience. We would book with mega wild safari again at any time.
Thank you very much Anne and Irere!