Simbaland Magic Tours

Poor organization

The organization was a complete disaster. On the day we arrived, a driver picked us up and dropped us off at the hotel at 1:00 p.m. He told us that someone would come later that afternoon to give us a briefing. As soon as we arrived, I sent a WhatsApp message to our contact person, but they never replied. We found ourselves stuck at the hotel with no idea what time the safari would start, who would pick us up, or what the plan was.

Eventually, at around 7:00 p.m., the hotel reception managed to get in touch with them, and they told us that the briefing would take place the following morning. It never happened. They simply picked us up from the hotel and drove us straight to the parks.

Once we were there, I think your experience depends entirely on the driver you get. Ours was terrible. He barely explained anything, rarely stopped at good photo spots, and although we were very lucky to see all the animals we hoped for, it certainly wasn’t because he was actively looking for them. In fact, he spent most of the drive using his phone.

On our first day in the Serengeti, he picked us up 1 hour and 15 minutes later than the agreed time. Even worse, on the day we visited the Ngorongoro Crater, we had been told it was essential to leave early to make the most of our permit before it expired. Instead, we left the camp two hours late because our driver was waiting to help one of his colleagues.

The parks themselves are absolutely incredible, but the company’s organization leaves a lot to be desired. After the trip, we sent them a WhatsApp message with detailed feedback so they could improve their service. They never even replied with a simple “thank you.”

I would never book with this company again.