Bramwel Safaris | Tanzania
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2002)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Giovanni | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Do not use Bramwel Safaris
In 2016 I planned a trip to Tanzania with the Tour Operator Bramwel Adventure Safaris. I purchased a tour for two people for ten days (four days at Monte Meru and six days of Safari). I paid 3200 USD in advance in July 2016; the price included a guide, accommodation, food, and park fees. On 9th September we arrived in Tanzania where we spent the night in Arusha, and on the 10th we left for Monte Meru. While on the trip the manager of Bramwel Adventure Safaris, William Almon phoned our guide to let him know that he had had a problem with his credit card and asking whether I could rather use mine to pay the fee to enter the National Park at Arusha. He reassured me that he would have refunded me with a bank transfer, since I had already paid everything in advance. In total I paid 595,90 USD.
I went back to Italy on 19th September 2016 and, since then, I have several times written to William Almon asking for my refund. With various justifications he delayed it, though he never denied that he owed me the money. I sent him my last request on 28th December and, once again, William Almon promised that I would have promptly received my refund, but, once again, I have received nothing.
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Email Tomer C | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Do not use Bramwel Tours, William Amon, or Meru Treks. Awful experience and they owe me $382
In August 2016, I signed up for a 6 day camping safari with Bramwel tours, operated by William Amon in Arusha. The cost was $1,200 and the itinerary that William sent me included all transfers and one night stay at a hotel after the tour was over. I was traveling alone so I asked William if I could join another tour. He said yes. I chose William because he was responsive and helpful over email. He answered all my questions in a professional manner.
Two days before the tour started, William emailed me to tell me that the tourists I was supposed to join had cancelled. He found another tour operator with a 5 day tour the same days and I could join them. I was disappointed, especially because the shorter tour meant I wouldn't be able to see the great migration (the primary reason I wanted to go on Safari), but I understood that happens when you join other tourists. William suggested they would find a local activity in Arusha to fill my sixth day.
The tour operator William put me on (Meru Treks) was awful! We lost a lot of time because the jeep kept breaking down, and we started so late one day that we missed half the day. Another day, when we went to Ngorongoro crater, the driver told us we would only have half a day, even though the itinerary told us we'd have a full day. We had to argue with our driver to get a full day.
The driver was in a bad mood some of the time and explained very little to us. The cook was nice and did the best with the food he had, but some nights there wasn't enough food for the group.
Everything about the tour suggested Meru was trying to spend as little as possible. For example, we found out that the driver and cook had nowhere to sleep! The driver was sleeping in the car (no wonder he was in a bad mood and no wonder that some mornings we started late).
Along with me on my tour were five other people, all of whom told me they were very unhappy. Two of them paid $680 for four days. One paid $640 for four days. Two other tourists paid $900 for five days. They all purchased their tickets directly through Meru.
The night before I returned, I emailed William to tell him how awful Meru was. I told him I don't want to hire him for my sixth day, and I'd like a refund for the difference between the price of the Meru Trek tour and the tour I paid for. He agreed, told me he would meet me in Arusha and pay me the difference.
When I arrived in Arusha, the hotel that was supposed to be included in the cost of my trek told me that William had paid part of the room cost and I would have to pay the remaining $32.
I emailed William to tell him I thought the Meru Trek should have cost $850 (the tourists who paid $680 for a four day trip paid $170 per day; my five day trip should have cost $850). I told William I thought he owed me $382 ($1,200 - $850 + $32). He responded that he only owed $230. He tried to charge me $50 for airport transfers and $20 for the night in the hotel, even though both of these were listed as 'included' in the itinerary he sent me. After some arguing, he agreed to refund me $382.
On my last day in Arusha, William emailed me to apologize that he would not be able to meet me to refund my money. He said he would wire me the difference.
For the last ten months, we have been emailing back and forth. William keeps promising he will refund my money, but he never does. He once told me he sent it but the money did not arrive in my account.
Altogether, I am very upset at Bramwel, William, and at Meru Treks. The trek I went on was a big disappointment. William pushed me off onto a bad operator, and then tried to charge me extra for items that should have been included. While he has agreed to pay me $382, he has not refunded my money.
I strongly agree with all the other negative reviews posted on SafariBookings. I recommend you stay away from Bramwel Tours, William Amon, and Meru Treks. I have emailed the Tanzania Tourism Board to recommend that they take away Bramwel's license.
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Email Justin | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fraud - None of our reservations were made despite pre-payment. Do not send them your money!!
We pre-paid for a 7-day safari and 7-day Kilimanjaro trek. Despite pre-paying in full before arrival, none of our reservations had been made as promised. The owner also reversed the order of our safari and mountain trek without notifying us until we arrived. As of this writing, Bramwel Safaris owes me more than $5,000 USD which they are unable to pay.
If you send this company money, you risk arriving in Tanzania with nothing -- no hotels or lodges, no guides, no park fees paid. There is a word for this - it is called theft.
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Email Serena | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Do not use Bramwel Safaris, they owe me $1100!!!!!
Do not use Bramwel Safaris!!!!!! They owe me $1100!!!!!!
I Booked a 7 day Private tour safari through them in September, I paid $5000 for this. One, our driver was terrible, he did not give us any information or facts, like a tour guide should do. When we would ask to stop to see wildlife he would ignore us and keep driving, but he would stop and talk to every other tour guide we passed. It was like we were on HIS time. When we got to the serengeti park entrance the drivers card to pay the park fees & lodging declined. Now I have already paid for this in advance so where is that money?.....they asked me to use my card and William Amon promised he would pay me in cash when we returned from the park. We had paid $530 to stay at the Ngorogoro Crater hotel which we did not get to stay in. Again, something I had already paid for. I had one request throughout the entire safari (booking a private tour they advertise you can change the itinerary to your needs, apparently not true), William had promised he would make it happen, then it was excuse after excuse as to why he could not do what I asked & it was a simple request. Our driver got fined while in the park, and that somehow was my fault. I should not have to get into an argument with the driver and William while on vacation. That is not what you expect or pay for.
They advertise ice cold water to drink throughout the safari. The so called cooler in the vehicle does not work. Since Sept 16th I have been trying to get refunded the $1100 William Amon & Bramwell Safaris owe me and I have gotten nothing but excuses. Originally he said he wired the money & it would hit in 7 business days. 7 days later of course no money, I emailed him and he said something went wrong......Yeah, bank wires do not go through if you do not have any money!!!!! Then it was going to be wired Oct 15th, It has been nothing but a series of BS excuses since!!! I am extremely dissastisfied with the service of this company & the people working for it, & the amount of lies that have been told to me. They are very dishonest and do not provide what they advertise on their website I paid a lot of money for a safari that was terrible due to the company we used, the driver, and William who ripped me off!!!!