Reviews

Average User Rating
5.0/5

Rating Breakdown
  • 5 star 205
  • 4 star 8
  • 3 star 3
  • 2 star 0
  • 1 star 2

Sort By: Date Most Helpful Rating 1-10 of 218 Reviews
David and Pam   –  
United States US
Visited: August 2022 Reviewed: Sep 4, 2022

Email David and Pam  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of David and Pam and not that of SafariBookings.
Bait and switch!!! Lier!!! Find a different safari operator!!!
1/5

Afrishare does not even rate one star!
Let me start by telling you that I am in the charter business and very familiar with bad tour operations. We did a seven day private tour in 4 parks. The Masai Marain in Kenya The Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater and Tarangire in Tanzania.
If Abrahim Juma Mkwizuthe (the owner) lips we’re moving he was lying, He lied about vehicles, time spent in wildlife parks, accommodations, travel times, and what was included in his advertised package. On your website!
Meet and great at the airport upon arrival in Nairobi Kenya to meet our driver and taken to our hotel. Afrishare did not show. We had to get a taxi. The guide was not informed of our arrival until we were at our hotel.
The drivers were great but the vehicles were junk, absolutely trash, you could not see out the windows, the seats were not functional, not safari vehicles, one was a 20 plus year old two wheel drive van with no working Vhf. bald tires. The radios that professional operators use to communicate with other drivers to locate the animals. We were sent pictures of new safari vehicles that we would be in, these were not the ones provided. You had to lay the seat back to see out of the window! And could not see out the front! I cannot imagine if there were more than my wife and I in the vehicle.
Once deposit was made Accommodations that we’re advertised in the park we’re now fully booked and unavailable Afrishare replaced these with inferior lodging outside the park. Afrishare then saved money by having the driver do a game drives outside the park, therefore only having to pay for one day in Serengeti park, not two as advertised saving park entrance fees ( anyway this man could cheat you out of a dollar he would)
Travel times between masía Mara park and Serengeti 5 hours turned into 11 hours on the road in a beat up old dusty truck going down washboard back trails at 10 to 20 mph. We could not look out window without laying the seat at a 45 degree angle, then no time for game drive, regardless we did not stay in park.
Driving between saringett and Ngorongoro he took us down backroads where Afrishare wasted time so he would only pay for one day in crater park fees
Promised a full day in Ngorongoro crater we maybe got 3 hours in the bottom as we had to be outside the park by 1 in the afternoon so he did not have to pay park fees.
Afrishare promised a 7 Days safari inside these wonderful parks! He only paid park fees for 4 and a half days, pocketing the remaining entrance fees! We were asked to leave as early as 5 in am to accommodate him saving money on park fees!
Afrishare should not be able to advertise on your website, he gives Africa, it’s wonderful parks, animals and it’s great people a bad name!
Shame on him!
David Rothschiller

Reply from Afrishare Trekking & Safaris
Reply from Afrishare Trekking & Safaris
Posted on Sep 8, 2022

"Nothing was lied as the final itinerary was discussed and agreed on before even they could confirm and pay down payment. The client wanted to have final itinerary with all the agreed lodges and plan before paying and confirming the down payment of the tour. We really don't know what was his expectation as this is two countries driving safari as he was informed about the distances from Nairobi to Masai mara 6 hours drive, Masai Mara Kenya to Serengeti 8 our total with en route game drive and border clearances it is where he think time was taken but in reality that was the scheduled and client even called for clarification. They are just old people who have no faith and stubborn who are just bad in general he knows everything and never wanted to listened to our briefings as they wanted to take advantage after we have refused to follow their command which was out of the itinerary and agreement. Our opinion is that regardless of what any one could do to please them no one could make this people happy.

The Safari vehicle in Kenya was Safari Van this is what was quoted for and agreed but they refused it on Second day in Masai Mara and stared to find excuses to refuse the vehicle where they found one sit could not lay back but the van has 7 sits and all 6 was functioning and even laying back and they were just two of them in the car, we took quick decision and listened and hired Toyota Land cruiser from our own fund as they refused to use van and refused to pay for the land cruiser in which they needed after seeing other client having but still they could not be satisfied. No any vehicle breakdown and these are the vehicles we use for all our many satisfied client.

client choose to stay at Serengeti Simba Lodge outside Serengeti from Masai Mara as this day was just transferring day but as soon as they got there they demanded that they should enter Serengeti that evening driver tried to explain that was not on their plan and extra park fees for that evening even entering for one hour would apply and they refused we had to pay for the extra park fees for them to have game drive at nearby wildlife management controlled area which was not on the itinerary as per itinerary this day was just driving from Masai Mara to overnight at Simba Lodge bordering Srerengeti park still could not appreciate this. The itinerary followed accordingly and nothing was skipped but client was very difficult to please as they wanted to do what they want and not wanted to listed to the driver as this man seems to know everything he never listened anything and never wanted to, what he wanted is for us to listened and do what he want out of agreed itinerary as he bragging that he is reach and he had big company with many employee so we as African we cannot tell him anything which was insulting.

Meet and great at the airport upon arrival in Nairobi Kenya to meet our driver and taken to our hotel. Afrishare did not show. We had to get a taxi. The guide was not informed of our arrival until we were at our hotel.

The client told me that their flight was cancelled twice and they were going to tell me when will be their new arrival date and all over sudden they text that they are at The airport
I Told them to take a taxi to the hotel in which we paid for it as it could take time for our driver to reach there and we did not wanted them to wait long as we did not have their new arrival date or information therefore this is a totally big lie and not accepted is just fake allegations up things to legalize his please see the whatsapp conversation
This is again a big lie because The never paid any advance payment or booked the tour until they have agreed on itinerary as well as made sure we book and confirm all the lodges before they could book. We had several lodges discussions until we came up with final which agreed by client and no any lodges changed after the client had booked and confirmed their tour. However the only lodge upgraded before they could book and confirm was from Rhino lodge on the rim of the crater to Ngorongoro Serena Lodge and this was big up grade and not downgrade . you can see how the client was just intentionally planned to write lies to ruin our business as we could not do everything he wanted us to do. we even gave them sunset dinner and we paid for it after they refused to pay for everything extra but we could not even please them.

The same car photos we sent them it is the same they used and there not any single break down and we do have one of the best vehicle and latest than most companies and it is the same cars we are using for all the tours always.

regarding time spent in the park client wanted full day time without counting travelling time to reach the parks even after driver tries to brief them at the lodge and on pick up and as per itinerary which is impossible to spend all time in al parks without counting the travel time during transfers from one park to another. Client stayed inside the park in most parks such as in Masai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater as and the other two lodges was outside the park as per itinerary, for Example all park fees are calculated for 24 hours if staying in the park means the same time you enter in the park the day before it is the same time you will be needed to get outside the park next day but client did not wanted to understand and wanted to extend time without paying extra park fees. This client was just been mean and mischievour(mischief) and stubborn there was no way we could please such client but we will try our best level to be much informative as we can to such kind of client or decline them from the beginning to avoid unnecessary problems since your reviews platform is client centered.

Yes we agree that one sit in the car could not lay back but the van has 7 sitters which are working properly laying back etc they were just two of them i the car why that only one sit become an issue? however is not must for sit to lay back as most of the safari car sits are fixed due to the road situation.
Please ignore this reviews as have a lot of fake and made up stories.



Tobias   –  
Denmark DK
Visited: March 2018 Reviewed: Sep 22, 2018

Email Tobias  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Tobias and not that of SafariBookings.
Poor planning, no responsibility for their mistakes.
1/5

I'm sad to write that unlike most I had a poor experience with Afrishare.

The guide was ok, but manager Ibrahim was not. Because of poor planning on Ibrahims side we didnt meet the agreed itenerary on the first day. I call Ibrahim with whom I planned the itenerary and tell him that because of this i wnat to pay the last 30% on the last day, so Im sure that I will get what I paid for. This he is absolotely NOT ok with, and he accuses me of trying to avoid payment.

Also he claims that I should pay more than agreed upon in the written agreement. We only managed to reach a solution late on the third day meaning that the first three days was marred by hours of discussion and IT-mistakes by his company leading to us not having time for the planned game drive.

The arguments got very childish on Ibrahims part:
1) He argued that I made up IT-issues in order to avoid payment, when in fact his online payment-system was not working, which he in the end admitted, and I was made to make a bank transfer (I had to pay all 80USD bank charges).
2) He said that he knew my "personality type" and that I was making up issues to avoid paying - he said he had had many bad customers like me before.
3) In the end he kept switching between that I should only pay 700 USD in what he sarcasticly called a "free safari" or, that I should pay 2200. I stuck with the 1900 that was in the written agreement in the e-mail.
4) after spending the first three hours of the second day discussing and trying to work out his IT problems, I asked if we could part ways, and I could pay some of his expenses + take the paid hotel stays with me to another operater. He declined this offer saying I had to pay 2200 because he had paid everything already. Later I found out that he had NOT paid all expenses incl. the 300 USD park fees to Ngorongoro crater.

I ended up paying 1900 + 80 USD bank/creditcard charges + 50USD tip for the driver for a genuinely bad experience, only after involving hotel manager and threataning with police. My four year old son and I had been looking forward to this for months, and this was both the worst and most expensive holiday ever. Luckily - and most importantly - my son seemed to enjoy most of the safari. Writing this, however, I feel like I should have accepted Ibrahim's 700 USD "free safari", though I doubt he would have kept his word.

Francesca   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: February 2020 Reviewed: Feb 28, 2020

Email Francesca  |  under20 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Francesca and not that of SafariBookings.
we didn't see that many animals
3/5

I already went to the same safari before with my family and we were able to see way more animals and a lot of the big 5 close to our vechiles. When we went we were able to only see one lion that was also 1km away from us which was very disappointing the same with the elephants and rhinos.

Marius   –  
Canada CA
Visited: June 2019 Reviewed: Aug 7, 2019

Email Marius  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Marius and not that of SafariBookings.
There's room for improvement (2.5 Stars would be more realistic)
3/5

June – July 2019 – 8 Days safari

PROS

- Unique experience
- Amazing people
- Beautiful sceneries/places
- Rich wildlife
- Awesome driver (Atif)
- Awesome cook (Rashidi). Always smiling and whiling to help us with loading the car and so on. Great guy!
- Ibrahim has offered competitive prices


CONS

- Poor communication with Ibrahim (the owner) especially after paying few thousands deposit, he wasn’t interested in answering my emails very fast.

- No one waiting for me at the airport at 5.00 AM on my arrival. After 10 minutes of waiting while thinking that I was scammed, Atif, the driver shoved up.

- Atif, (driver and guide) as I mentioned above, very good driver but not such a great guide. First of all, he was very quiet. Most of the time we had to spot the animals and ask him questions.

- I was promised by Ibrahim that his team goes the extra mile, but I didn’t feel that during my trip.

- I’ve politely asked Atif to stop as I can take some pictures and he rudely informed me that he is the driver and he knows where to stop, telling me to “calm down”. He supposed to tell me instead: Just wait 20 more seconds and we'll get to a nicer lookout.

- I’ve asked the driver if he has a map as I can better visualize our trip and he said “I don’t have a map. I don’t need a map.” I am 100% he doesn’t because he knows all those places in and out, but the tourists don’t.

- Ibrahim didn’t provide me with a clear itinerary and plan. I always had to ask the driver what’s next. Including my commute to Zanzibar, I expected to find an envelope with instructions about it, at my hotel front desk in Arusha. Surprise! Nothing was left for me there. More than that, he didn’t even get in touch with us at all during the trip to get feedback.

- We spent too much time at the park entrances. I got the logic behind it but spending 2.5 hours at the Serengeti park entrance I still think is a bit too much. I would rather spend that time in the wild spotting animals.

- Other small things that I am not going to mention anymore. I am sorry for the CONS, not trying to affect his business in a bad way but I am trying to help other people with my experience that I had with Afrishare. The main reason for choosing Afrishare was the good reviews, not the competitive price. It didn't work for me.

Angela   –  
Austria AT
Visited: September 2017 Reviewed: Sep 17, 2017

Email Angela  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Angela and not that of SafariBookings.
Guide + Lodges excellent, vehicle catastrophic
3/5

The Safari tour was very well organized, the company delivered everything that was promised. Innocent our driver and guide was excellent. Accommodation was very good, especially Tortilis Camp. The heavy set back was that vehicle - quite old, holes in the bottom pannel, leaking wheaterstripping - even if all windows were closed the dust came into the car, our suitcases were dusty inside - on top of that one gearbox damage and 2 tire blow-outs.
Conclusion: Have a closer look first before climbing the vehicle.

Macy   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: February 2020 Reviewed: Feb 28, 2020

Email Macy  |  under20 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

A very interesting and amazing experience, Lots of memories were made and a trip I won't forget.
4/5

I think this whole trip was organised very well. And the safari itself was a great way to break up our work days. It was a school trip to volunteer at a primary school in Moshi. All of our travelling and activities were run by Afrishare. Everything was so amazing, I would definitely recommend this.

Isabel   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: February 2020 Reviewed: Feb 28, 2020

Email Isabel

It was an eye opening, fun experience
4/5

The safari was a great experience that I hope I can visit again because it changed the way I viewed the world.

Pippi K   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: February 2020 Reviewed: Feb 28, 2020

Email Pippi K  |  under20 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The whole trip was eye-opening, exciting and overall well organised!
4/5

Right from the beginning, everyone was welcoming and kind. The whole trip was adventurous and exciting. I always felt safe while also experiencing new things and stepping out of my comfort zone. I have no complaints.... the transport was good, the food was good and the activities were well organized and exciting.

Sophia   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: February 2020 Reviewed: Feb 28, 2020

Email Sophia  |  under20 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

It gave insight into animals and the environment
4/5

The safari was a great experience and changed the way i looked at the world.

Emma   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: February 2020 Reviewed: Feb 28, 2020

Email Emma  |  under20 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

A one of a kind experience in Tanzania, made memories I will never forget!
4/5

The most welcoming and warm people which made my trip such an amazing experience. Was able to go on magnificent walks up to a waterfall and to the first base camp up Kilimanjaro. The food, activities and overall experience was one of a kind and I will never forget it.

Average User Rating
5.0/5
Rating Breakdown
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  • 4 star 8
  • 3 star 3
  • 2 star 0
  • 1 star 2
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