Splendid Vacations

Reply from Splendid Vacations

We appreciate your feedback, and we are sorry that some of the moments you had hoped to document did not unfold as anticipated. However, we would like to clarify a few aspects of the experience.

Maasai Village Experience

The Maasai village visit was included in and delivered according to the agreed itinerary. During the visit, your family had the opportunity to interact directly with Maasai community members, participate in traditional dancing, share stories, and learn more about Maasai culture and traditions.

We understand that the experience may have differed from your expectations of what an authentic Maasai cultural encounter would look like. However, the purpose of the visit was to provide an opportunity for cultural interaction and learning, and the planned activities were undertaken. As with any community-based tourism experience, there may also be opportunities for visitors to purchase souvenirs or make voluntary contributions, but this does not mean that the cultural experience itself was solely focused on money solicitation.


Great Migration and River Crossing

We also understand your disappointment at not capturing a river crossing, particularly because this was something you had specifically hoped to film. Our assigned guide did take you to the migration corridors where the herds were located, and you were able to see large numbers of wildebeest and other migrating animals.
A river crossing, however, is a natural event and cannot be guaranteed or scheduled in the same way as a conventional tourist activity. Even when a crossing appears imminent, the animals may change direction, remain on the riverbank, or cross at a different location or time. Unfortunately, on this occasion, the herds did not cross at the location and time anticipated while you were there.

Our guide's responsibility is also to operate within the rules and regulations of the national park and to respect the ecosystem and wildlife. We believe responsible wildlife tourism requires balancing our guests' interests with the protection of the animals and their environment.

We therefore regret that the anticipated river crossing footage was not obtained, but we do not believe this was due to a lack of effort or vigilance by the guide. The guide positioned you in the migration corridors, where you were able to observe substantial herds, while continuing to operate responsibly and within the park's regulations.

Logistics

Before your travel dates, our team arranged a WhatsApp call with you to discuss the itinerary in detail and ensure that you had a clear understanding of the planned arrangements. We also advised you to maintain open communication with your guide throughout the safari and to discuss the day-to-day arrangements with the guide, as the guide is best placed to make recommendations and adjustments based on road conditions, wildlife movements, migration activity, and other factors. This was intended to help ensure that you had the most enjoyable and memorable experience possible.

Itinerary confusion

Our understanding is that some of the challenges arose because the recommendations and arrangements discussed with the guide were not always agreed upon. We regret that this resulted in frustration, but it is important to clarify that the itinerary had been discussed with you in advance and that the guide was available to assist with its implementation.

Hot Air Balloon Safari

We had recommended that this experience be booked in advance because availability is limited and it is a popular activity in the Masai Mara. However, you preferred to make the booking while already on safari. Unfortunately, this meant that we could not guarantee availability at the time you wished to participate.

Delays at the migration/border crossing

These are circumstances outside the control of Splendid Vacations. Border procedures, immigration requirements, and migration-related congestion can sometimes cause unforeseen delays. While we always endeavor to plan accordingly and minimize their impact, such delays cannot be predicted or controlled by the tour operator. In this instance, the delays contributed to the inability to complete the sunset game drive as originally anticipated.


Binoculars

Splendid Vacations provided one pair of binoculars, which is our standard provision for the safari. We acknowledge your expectation regarding additional binoculars, but an extra pair was not part of our standard equipment provision.

Guide and Financial Discrepancies

Regarding the $60 lunch charge, we would like to clarify the billing arrangement for accommodations. The majority of the hotels on your itinerary were booked independently by you through Booking.com, rather than being booked directly through our company. When accommodations are booked independently by the client, all hotel-related charges, including meals and other incidental expenses ordered directly through the hotel, are payable by the client.
When accommodations are booked directly through our company, we manage the applicable hotel bills and guide-related expenses as part of our arrangements.

That said, we understand your concern regarding the lunches that Patrick ordered and why you would expect clarification before being asked to pay an additional $60. We are reviewing exactly what was ordered and why, and we will address this with Patrick.

Driver David

David’s intention in advising you not to stand on them was for your safety, as the armrests are not designed to support a person’s weight and could easily break. We understand, however, that this may have been frustrating when you were trying to enjoy the best possible views during the game drives. As a result, we have taken steps to improve this experience for future clients by purchasing suitable stools that can be used safely when appropriate.
We would also like to point out that the pop-up roof of the 4x4 is specifically designed to allow clients to stand inside the vehicle and enjoy an excellent panoramic view of the parks and wildlife without needing to stand on the armrests.

About the comments and assumptions you have described, we take these concerns very seriously. Such behavior does not reflect the standards of respect and professionalism we expect from our team. We are reviewing the matter seriously and will address it appropriately based on our findings.

We are also taking your feedback regarding the vehicle condition seriously as part of our overall review. Our goal is to ensure that our clients feel safe, respected, and comfortable throughout their entire safari.

We sincerely regret that certain aspects of the trip did not meet your expectations. At the same time, we hope the above clarification provides a fair and accurate account of the arrangements made, the advice provided before and during your safari, and the circumstances that were beyond our control.

Our intention throughout was to support you in having a safe, enjoyable, and memorable safari, and we remain committed to improving communication and service for our future guests.