Cheli & Peacock

A warning regarding pricing transparency when comparing safari quotations

A warning regarding pricing transparency when comparing safari quotations


I am a seasoned traveller with a professional background in the airline, hotel, and travel industry.


After changing career, I became a business owner within hospitality, which has given me a deep understanding of service, customer expectations, and responsible business practices.


My approximately 400 TripAdvisor posts reflect my private travels, all of which I have personally planned and paid for. I consider TripAdvisor a valuable platform, and I am always mindful that my reviews concern real businesses and the people behind them. For that reason, I document my experiences with photos and aim to provide balanced and useful information for fellow travellers.


When planning my journeys, I research destinations, lodges, and experiences carefully, build my itineraries step by step, and use reputable local partners for practical arrangements. My purpose is always to share experiences and hopefully help and inspire like-minded travellers.


I am also familiar with the commercial structures behind travel pricing, including rack rates, net rates, and the commission arrangements between suppliers and agents.


My experience with Cheli & Peacock Safaris was therefore very disappointing. I had decided not to proceed with this company.


I had contacted another safari company through their website while researching options. Cheli & Peacock contacted me stating that they worked with this company. This was confusing, as they were not an agent I had selected or approached directly.


After receiving their proposal, I compared the quoted prices with the official published lodge rates, transfers, and domestic safari flights. I was genuinely alarmed by substantial additional mark-ups (between 60 and 100 per cent) on top of rates where agents would already normally receive commission.


I subsequently chose to work directly with Pollman’s Tours & Safaris for my Kenya journey. The itinerary created with Pollman’s is twice as long as the proposal from Cheli & Peacock, includes the same key experiences and additional elements, and is approximately USD 2,000 less expensive.


This incredible difference raises significant questions in my mind regarding the pricing structure presented by Cheli & Peacock.


Such pricing practices raise concerns regarding transparency and customer trust. They can make excellent lodges and safari partners appear significantly more expensive than they are, potentially affecting the reputation of the very suppliers that agents represent.


A premium safari experience is built on trust, professionalism, and clear communication. Clients should be able to understand what they are paying for and feel confident that pricing structures are presented fairly.


Coming from the EU, where consumer transparency, ethical business practices, and responsible commercial relationships are strongly emphasised, I found this experience disappointing and not in line with the standards I would expect from a high-end safari operator.


My concern is not about the quality of Kenya’s lodges or safari experiences — these are outstanding. My concern is about the importance of honesty, transparency, and respect in the relationship between agent, supplier, and client.


I hope Cheli & Peacock will reflect on how their pricing approach is perceived by informed travellers, as trust is one of the most valuable assets in luxury travel.


If you are seeking an agent, read above, I highly recommend the agent, I am using, I have breakdown pricing, double the nights in Kenya, and still saved USD 2,000. My trip is what you would call high-end lodges.