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Inspired Budget Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $300 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
RO
Email SORINA | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unilateral cancellation, vehicle breakdowns, zero balance on refund account, police case opened
We booked a 2-week safari to Kenya and Tanzania with Inspired Budget Safaris and paid over 12,000 USD via Wise and PesaPal. The agency unilaterally cancelled the second part of our trip (Tanzania) and brought us back to Nairobi. They repeatedly promised a refund in writing. However, the payment platform PesaPal officially confirmed to us in writing that the agency has no money in their commercial account. The banking transfer references provided to us did not result in any funds arriving. Before our departure, we officially filed a complaint at the Police Station. Additionally, the Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO) officially confirmed to us in writing that this agency is not a member of their association, despite the information displayed. We are sharing this based entirely on our personal experience and official documents.
The first week in Kenya was problematic. The safari vehicle broke down almost every day due to poor maintenance, putting our safety at risk.
The agency changed our booked hotels without our consent.
They tried to compensate for these inconveniences with a 30 USD boat ride.
Furthermore, we discovered that the price they charged us was double compared to what other agencies charged our fellow travelers for the exact same activities and itinerary. For example: Masai Village visit for us 20USD/pp for other was 10USD; balloon safari for us 500USD/pp for others 425USD
I'm very disappointed with the way they worked with us and how they handled the situation. Every day they told us they were changing our car, even though they had no intention of doing so.
Reply from Inspired Budget Safaris
Posted on Aug 25, 2026Thank you for sharing your experience. We sincerely apologize for the frustrations and inconveniences you experienced during the Kenya portion of your safari.
We would, however, like to clarify a few points for the benefit of anyone reading this review.
Regarding the cancellation of the Tanzania portion, this was a decision we made after repeated concerns from the clients about the number of passengers in the safari vehicle. They made it clear that they were not comfortable continuing if there were more than seven people in the vehicle and expressed that they would report the matter to the police if this happened. Since we could not promise a vehicle arrangement that we could not guarantee, we felt it was more responsible to cancel the Tanzania portion rather than put the clients in a situation they were uncomfortable with. We arranged accommodation for them in Nairobi at our own responsibility and immediately began the refund process.
The refund is still being processed, and we remain in direct communication with the clients. To clarify the issue regarding PesaPal, PesaPal confirmed that there were insufficient funds available in the PesaPal/card-payment balance to process the refund at that particular time. This did not mean that there was no money in our bank account. We are continuing to work toward completing the refund and will honour our commitment to the clients.
We also acknowledge the concerns regarding the first week in Kenya. The experience clearly did not meet the standard we aim to provide, and we sincerely apologize for the vehicle issues, accommodation changes and the frustration these caused. We take this feedback seriously and will use it to improve our operations and communication.
Regarding the optional activities, we would also like to clarify that the clients were not charged by us for the boat ride, village visit or balloon safari. The boat ride was provided complimentary as a gesture of goodwill. For the village visit and balloon safari, we advised the clients to pay the activity providers directly on the ground. We provided estimated prices because these optional activity prices can vary depending on the provider and prevailing rates. We therefore did not intentionally overcharge the clients for these activities.
Regarding KATO, we are currently in the process of applying for membership. KATO has contacted us, we have responded, and we will continue to comply directly with their requirements. We acknowledge that our communication regarding our relationship with KATO should have been clearer, and we apologize for any misunderstanding this may have caused.
Ultimately, we accept that the first week of the safari caused considerable frustration, and we are sorry that the experience fell short of expectations. We made the decision to stop the Tanzania portion because we believed it was the most responsible option under the circumstances, and we took responsibility for arranging accommodation in Nairobi and initiating the refund.
We remain in communication with the clients and are committed to seeing the refund through.
We are a growing company, and while this experience has been difficult, we are taking the lessons from it seriously. We will do better, improve our communication and strengthen our operations so that future clients receive the experience they expect and deserve.
We sincerely apologize once again for the frustrations caused.