specialize in Gorilla trekking wildlife 4x4safaris
Kofi Travel Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Member Of:
- Uganda Tourism Board
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $35 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
IT
Email Luna | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Extremely Disappointing and Unsafe Rental Experience
We rented two vehicles from Kofi Travel Safaris this summer for a self-drive trip in Tanzania. Unfortunately, our experience was extremely disappointing and at times unsafe.
Due to mechanical issues, one of the two cars we had booked was unavailable upon arrival, so the company had to find another vehicle for us, causing us to miss the first day of our itinerary.
According to the company’s own Terms & Conditions, the vehicles were supposed to be “well-maintained”. However, the car that arrived late was in very poor condition and suffered from numerous mechanical and safety issues throughout the rental period.
Land Cruiser 78’s problems:
- Brakes weak, later completely broken
- Rear right wheel missing one bolt – then two – from the axle flange
- Rear right wheel deflated overnight
- Roof rack broken (welds detached)
- Rear tent unbolted
- Rear tent with broken floor + water leaking inside
- Rear right door could not be opened
- Gas stove not working (we repaired it ourselves)
- Power steering broken twice (we drove one week without it)
- Rear-view mirrors loose, right one broken
- Co-driver and right passenger seats unstable/moving
- Driver’s seat belt could not be pulled out
- Co-driver’s seat belt difficult to unfasten
- Faulty battery (hard to start the engine)
- Front headlight not working
- Reverse light not working
- T-belt warning light on
- Handbrake not working
- Drive belts frayed
- Excessive oil consumption (1L every 300 km)
- Water tank unusable
- Secondary fuel tank unusable
- Front tent ladder could not lock
- Starter motor not working correctly
- Windshield wipers not functioning
- Speedometer not functioning
- Battery bracket broken
- Windows hard to open and scratched
- Differential oil leaking from right rear hub
- Hood latch system broken
- A/C not working
- Radio not working
Land Cruiser 76’s problems:
- Radiator blown
- Missing lower bushing from rear left shock absorber
- Missing upper bushing from rear right shock absorber
- Front bumper detached
- Windshield wipers not functioning
- Ignition problems (battery terminals)
- A/C switched on made the engine stall at idle
- Handbrake not working
- Missing tourism permit
- Unpaid fine
These issues caused significant delays, additional expenses (e.g. we had to sleep in hotels close to the mechanics), and constant stress during our trip, putting our safety at risk.
We repeatedly reported these problems and formally requested a partial refund to reflect the poor condition of the vehicles and the inconvenience caused. Although the company reimbursed us for the mechanical repair costs we incurred (with a four-day delay), they refused to compensate us for the time lost due to the breakdowns and the vehicles’ repairs.
Vehicles in such poor condition should never be rented out, especially for long trips through remote areas where reliability is crucial. For these reasons, we cannot recommend this company and strongly urge other travelers to consider alternative providers if they value safety and peace of mind.
IT
Email giacomo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
terrible experience
If I could give zero stars to Kofi travel Safaris, I absolutely would. We rented two vehicles, and it was a complete nightmare from start to finish, with multiple occasions where our safety was put seriously at risk.
Just a sample of what went wrong: one radiator literally exploded (not a hose, the actual radiator), one engine was so cooked it burned one liter of oil per day – we had to buy 5-liter cans and top it up every single morning. The power steering system leaked until it completely failed; after we patched the hose, the pump itself collapsed, leaving the steering unusable again. Driving a Land Cruiser off-road, in mud, without power steering is almost impossible.
One vehicle had a bent wheel from day one, causing constant vibrations that eventually led to a brake system failure and nearly caused an accident. The starter wiring was badly connected and falling apart, then the starter motor itself died. When we opened it, we found it had been beaten with a hammer countless times, clearly a long-term “fix” by someone who knew it was failing.
The documents were inchoerent: the registration showed a different model, and the chassis number was freshly re-stamped. No windshield wipers – and of course, it rained on muddy tracks, turning a defect into a life-threatening situation. Air conditioning didn’t work in one car; in the other, switching it on killed the engine at idle. Cars were advertised as coming with water tanks – neither had one. One fridge didn’t work at all; the other only worked with the engine running, making it useless overnight since food spoiled.
A bumper fell off on a track, the rear shock absorbers lost all bushings and were literally metal on metal, and one roof rack weld snapped twice, forcing us to weld it back in the field.
All of this across just two vehicles. These issues caused multiple dangerous situations and at least two full days lost between breakdowns and repairs.
The company refunded mechanic bills and parts (oil, battery, etc.) but refused to compensate for the lost days, charging us the full rental. After we repeatedly insisted, they offered only a “voucher for a future rental.” Needless to say, there will never be a future rental with Kofi.
This was not just poor service – it was reckless, dishonest, and put our lives at risk. Avoid Kofi at all costs.
IT
Email Francesco | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Honeymoon ruined by KOFI
We rented a Toyota HZJ78 from KOFI Travel for our honeymoon trip to Tanzania in August. While the vehicle looked good at first glance and we paid it full price, it was a death trap that completely ruined our trip. The damages I'm listing are just a small fraction of the dozens of failures we experienced.
On day one, the starter battery failed, leaving us stranded. The roof rack broke from vibrations, and we almost lost our rooftop tents. The starter motor broke, too. The power steering failed not once, but twice. The rear right wheel was bent, causing severe vibrations that eventually led to a massive oil leak from the axle. The engine was in such bad shape that we had to add a liter of oil every 300km. The final straw was when a brake line exploded, and we nearly crashed.
During one of the many days we spent in a workshop, a Toyota expert pointed out that this was originally a left-hand drive vehicle that had been poorly converted to a right-hand drive. The conversion was shoddily done and clearly not by a specialist. To make matters worse, the conversion was done using the chassis number of an HZJ76 model. I can't even imagine what would have happened if one of these failures had led to a serious accident.
This was not just a series of small issues; it was a cascade of catastrophic failures. This vehicle was not fit for purpose and should never have been rented out. We were lucky to get out of this trip alive
CH
Email Florian schaal | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Worst car company of the world
Horrible and dangerous car, and lire about all the answer for advise ! Don’t book with this company! In my experience, I felt scammed and ended up losing my money.
US
Email Emma | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Poor quality badly maintained
I paid for a 15 day Selfdrive trip about northern Kenya.
I picked up the car in an apartment block in Nairobi and drove out to town.
On the third day of driving to started on the dirty roads 3 hour into the day the breaks and steering failed.
I stopped and saw that the shock absorber had broken. On the front left side.
We managed a lift back to the local police station where we were able to contact kofi travel.
NL
Email mrV | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Terrible company, old cars with zero mainenance
I want to share our experience with Kofi Travel with you. We rented a Toyota Camper Cruiser for 16 days. Everything went perfectly until we accepted the car at the airport. When booking, I clearly asked if the A/C worked. "Yes, this one works perfect," it was said. I found out 10 minutes after picking up the car that the front windshield wiper wasn't working. I created this in the group app and reported it immediately. The answer was promptly given. However, we didn't have time to wait and started driving towards Amboseli. This ride was a horror. The car bounced enormously. The tires were at more than 4.5 bar. This is more than twice as high. This causes the car to move in a dangerous manner. While braking at +/- 60 km/h, the car pulled enormously to the right. The front brake calipers did not work properly; it was very dangerous. The A/C did not work at all, even though they said it would. To be fair, they made proposals to solve the problems. However, these problems were already present when we received the car. This means to me that the car receives no maintenance at all before they give it to customers.
We soon found out that the Camper Cruiser consumed a lot of fuel—1 liter of petrol for 3 km driving. Extremely high consumption if you visit remote places. There was a jerry can in the back of the car, which is nice, but a loose jerry can full of fuel in the car does not seem safe to me. Another negligence from a rental company that continuously says they consider safety the most important thing for their customers. I found a garage near Amboseli and had the windshield wiper motor repaired. They checked the A/C, but the compressor was broken, so it could not be repaired quickly. I had to pay 20,000 Ksh total. I passed all this on via WhatsApp. "This will all be refunded," they said. So far, all friendly and helpful.
After Amboseli, we had a stopover near Nairobi. I was notified that there was another car for us. We were super happy. The car was delivered to the agreed location on time. I had asked if they wanted to bring the second car with a full tank because we already had the Camper Cruiser filled up with petrol. This had not happened; they siphoned the fuel with a hose. Problem solved, we thought. With the second car, we drove towards Shomphole, a remote area where we had booked two accommodations. This was on an asphalt road. During a stop, I discovered that we had a fuel leak at the tank. They had tried to close it with pieces of rubber from slippers. I reported this and received the response that we had punctured the tank by driving over a rock. They started to lie, and I don't like that. We had power problems on the way to Laikipia. I looked at the air filter; it was full of holes, and we got dust on the airflow meter. The throttle cable was loose and had been tightened amateurishly.
Overtaking trucks was dramatic and dangerous without power. The 4x4 lever was broken off in the car, making shifting difficult. I reported all this. A proposal was made by the management to return the car to Nairobi and get the remaining money back. I wasn't friendly anymore. I did not agree with this proposal. Returning the car to Nairobi would take me two days. We had booked a camp in Laikipia to see the black panther. This costs $2,000 per night for two people. Do you really think I'll just come to Nairobi to return the car? I was later told that I was out to get money from them and that I had lied about the 20,000 Ksh. After a conversation with the owner, we agreed that we would receive a 5-day refund. He suggested 3; I wanted 5. This was verbally agreed upon; he did not give this either and said I was lying. We booked Shomphole Wildersniss, Lentorre Lodge, and Laikipia Wildersniss in Kenya for $18,000. If it was a matter of money, I wouldn't have booked these expensive accommodations. So folks, I could go on and on. Be careful when renting a car from this company.
They are friendly, which is nice. But the cars are terrible, dangerous, without any maintenance, and extremely old. On another review page, the owner responded that we chose the budget car and they suggested the Land Cruiser 78, which was the best option. This never ever happened; he was lying again. And then, this means they offer low-budget cars that are terribly unsafe and with zero maintenance. Think carefully before doing business with these guys.
