Crater Explorer Tours And Safaris

Be careful - we were switched company for an inferior tour not what we paid for

Bitterly disappointed - be very careful with this company.

Leading up to our trip, Emanuel was very helpful and responsive and planned what seemed a great 4 day safari trip. A nice route planned to share out a lot of driving with game drives. Early starts at 6.00 which is what we wanted as there’s more to see when doing early game drives. 6-7 hours a day game drive sounded perfect. Nice reviews.

Sadly the day before we started the safari, it all started to go wrong. Emanuel came to our hotel to collect the cash balance due. Then informed us that as he hadn’t sold all places he had moved our booking to another company…. Assured us it would be equally as good. As we were now in Tanzania with no hotel etc we had no option but to accept.

Later that evening he called to say that one of the three couples on the trip were doing a 3 day safari not 4, so to accommodate them the route was changing????

This resulted in the first day no less than an 8 hour drive to the Serengeti to then have 2 hours game drive viewing animals. Not the 2 hour drive followed by 6-7 hours game drive.

We were then dumped at our camp site as they also mixed couples from different accommodations so they had to leave us early to take the other guests to their accommodation.

Day 2 - advertised as 06.00 start and 6-7 hours game viewing. We were collected at 07.45 so missed all early morning viewing. We then returned to the site to collect the chef at 10.30 so less than three hours game viewing. We then drove, flat out, to the next area of Ngorongoro for 5 hours - stopping twice to see some lions and a cheetah. On complaint, we were told that this drive between areas is also game drive??? At speeds of up to 80Kph on dirt roads it’s impossible to view game and take pics etc. we were then dropped at camp site which is just a field (that’s fine as we booked that) at 16.00 and that was the end of the day??

On this route the truck also broke down three times - absolutely no communication from driver as to why or what was happening, another truck actually had to stop and fix the problem as our driver had no idea. These things happen but in the middle of nowhere guests were worried and some communication would have helped. We did ask what was happening and were completely ignored.

Day 3 - Ngorongoro crater we had been looking forward to for a long time. Again instead of the 6.00 start as promised, we started entry into the crater at past 8.00 so missed the early morning action. The worst efforts of viewing possible with some really poor decisions on routes and where to go. To our shock we then left the crater at 12.00, some 4 hours instead of the advertised 6/7 hours, because we had to return to drop off the guests doing 3 days. Another 4 hours high speed drive that they claim was game viewing to drop one couple back.

Our “camp site” this night was not as advertised, it was basically a strip of grass next to a major road in a town!!! Not quite the in park outdoor experience we envisaged.

Day 4 - Tarangire park - we collected a new couple for their first day whilst we were on our last day - this meant expectations were completely different as different parts of trip. We got to the gate at 08.00, then somehow whilst lots of other vehicles entered the park, our driver took an hour to get a permit sorted (no idea why) so we entered the park at 10.00. Pointless as now so hot the major animals were all in hiding. About 5 hours here including lunch again not the advertised 6/7 hours.

Our driver was not a guide. Frequently ignoring questions. Offering no information on animals or areas we were visiting. Spending far too long when we did stop because he was constantly texting or on phone. The power outlets on truck did not work so couldn’t charge anything nor did the cooler as advertised.

I contacted Emanuel after day 2 to try and resolve the matter before the last two days. I was told that the driving to each place is a game drive. Personally I see game drive as viewing animals, taking pictures etc not driving flat out on bumpy roads.

I enquired with our driver to be told I should have booked a different trip and basically to shut up.

On further contact with Emanuel I wax then told to “relax” and “hakuna matata”. Not quite the professional response we wanted having paid A LOT of money.

It is such a shame as this was a dream trip if it had been delivered as promised. I’m sure all of the positive reviews were customers that actually got Crater Explorers and not another company and had other guests on the same trip and accommodation.

In no way should we have been switched to a different inferior company nor mixing of groups with different accomodation or times of safari as the mix doesn’t work.

Then the customer service from Emanuel at Crater Explorers and also the driver from the other company were so poor you cannot believe it in this day.

Please do your research and ensure you will actually be getting the trip you have booked and not being switched around as we were