Reservations staff
Right Choice Tours & Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2005)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, KATO & KWS
- Tour Types:
- Custom luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $130 to $345 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
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Email Carl | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Bait-and-switch on lodging, haggling and hassle once arrived
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this operator. We were sold a package promising accommodation at Azure Mara Haven or comparable. What we got was Jambo Mara Safari Lodge - no WiFi, no pool, no spa, currently under construction and it books at about half the price of Azure. When I voiced my dissatisfaction, I was told that no bookings were available at the former, which a quick Internet search proved to be false. Owner George Oketch reimbursed me less than half of the difference between the room prices, which recovered one star. The other star is for his driver, Martin, who did a great job navigating the Mara and showed himself a kind and generous man with the Maasai who live there.
I learned a lot in this process. I should have stuck to my guns in holding back 10% until the end of the tour (he insisted on full payment in advance...before notifying me of the change in lodging). I should have read more reviews and done a FakeSpot review (using the TripAdvisor reviews they received a "D", https://www.fakespot.com/trip-business/right-choice-tours-safaris). I'll be more careful next time.
Tanzania safari good, but...
I booked a 4 days safari in Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro with Right Choice.
On the day of the departure, I discovered:
1 The tour was to Tarangire and not Lake Manyara.
2 I had to travel with "Meru Slopes" and not with Right Choice.
3 The other travellers of my safari booked directly with Meru Slopes and had free pick up at the airport, hotel included...
So, if you travel in Tanzania, book with Meru Slopes directly!
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Email Eric | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Paid for the budget safari and I got it
THe difference between a budget safari and a costlier one is in the accommodations, food offered. and transportation method. Low budget offers tents, same meals every day, and hard road time. On the highest end, you fly into the parks and avoid the "african massage" from the potholes in the road. HOwever where you end up going, is exactly the same spot.
I too my 73 year old mother on the budget safari. Joe was our driver and guide. He found all the beautiful creatures that made our safari amazing. My mom took to the African massage allot like everyone else in the tour van, what choice do you have? Our Route to masai mara was okay, not too long, but the second leg to Lake Nakuru was a long drive day. Flamingoes are no longer at Nakuru and migrate someplace else now. Lake Nakuru to Amboseli was a very long day. In retrospect I'd add an extrs day and spend it near Nairobi, then finish the drive to amboseli the next day.
I'm vegan and found enough to be filled. The point of a budget safari is to see the animals, we achieved that, the simple food, tents, colder showers, and bumpy roads are all part of the low cost. I can endure all that, but make sure the drive time each day is acceptable when planning. I blew it in that department.
BTW: everyone says I brought back the most amazing pictures. Over time , you forget the bumpy road time and remember the highlights.
Email Bernard Leung | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good local guide for Kenya, but choose someone else for Tanzania
Ok firstly lets get this clear first. These guys are a local Kenyan tour company, and not a UK or US based one. As such you need to accept some "Hakuna Matata" moments in exchange for a much lower cost. If you aren't willing to accept some inconveniences, then pay the extra money and go to a Western company.
Now I've gotten that clear, Right Choice are a good, respectable, honest and reliable local Kenyan tour operator. Charles (Opany), our guide, was amazing. Eagle eyed, knowledgable, and best of all just a good guy whom you can get along with. We had a great time and got some lovely viewing and photo opportunities. Also the places you go are really good for the money you pay. Ok you won't be staying Right Inside all of the big game parks, but you tend to be paying less than other company quotes for a lot of the same lodges/camps. They are seemed very flexible to cater to your wishes/budget which was great.
During our Kenya tour, they initially got the itinerary slightly wrong but George was more then happy to make sure it was amended to an agreed itinerary, with some alterations that actually suited the conditions for better viewing than we had originally planned. Word of advice to avoid any mistakes, make sure you have a typed itinerary that you circulate with ALL your correspondences, and make sure George agrees on this one. That should solve things. Also be aware that George is more then happy to tailor an itinerary to suit you, so don't be afraid to request specific changes after doing some google mapping, trip advising, and review trawling.
Now we did a Kenya/Tanzania trip with Right Choice. What I didn't realise is Right Choice don't have a license to operate in Tanzania, so they outsource to Kili Slopes safari company for Tanzania. These guys were ok, the accomodation was on par with Kenya but our tour guide, although lovely and found us some more great photo and viewing opportunities, was less outgoing/engaging than Charles and as such was a bit disappointing in comparison.
Overall I would recommend Right Choice safari's (in particular for Kenya).
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Email Erin Clark | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trustworthy, responsive and patient.
I selected Right Choice because of the great reviews and pricing. They did not disappoint ... Millicent was patient and accommodating when emailing back & forth for our perfect 9 day safari with our new friend & guide, Joshua. She worked with me for the best accommodations within the budget I had set. We traveled to Amboseli, Tsavo East and West and they included the train to our next destination in Diani beach (that was not booked through them). When there was one miscommunication with our final travel to the Diani resort, she righted it by taking care of our ride back at the end of our beach stay. Excellent service and I look forward to working with them on our next trip. Joshua was the best!
Btw, no need to worry about wire transfer for payment, all went smoothly. A+
BH
Email Denver | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Experience!!
To begin with, We had no real expectation when we'd decide holiday to Africa; so it was one of those trips we prepared ourselves not to be surprised if it turned out to be an Average holiday! Well we were pleasantly Surprised to say the least - Kenya is Beautiful, Clean and the most Friendliest and Polite people on the planet.
To top it all, we gave the entire Safari tour of 7 days to "Right Choice Tours and Safaris " and must say they stayed true to the word and the Brand Name - Certainly was the "Right Choice" .. We had a fantastic and importantly a Safe Trip!! The family was amazed by the professionalism offered by this Tour Group and the Tour Guide and Driver Jacob was a true gentleman who was well read.. Right Choice Tours and Safaris is a Family tour guide .. Wonderful People.. Mr. George Oketch Director of the Tour Company was an experienced professional and man of his word! We had such an amazing experience that we would like to return to Kenya.. We've traveled across the Globe but Must say Kenya does holds a special place. We truely recommend if you're thinking Safari and a Holiday in Kenya - then think Right Choice Tours and Safaris..
We would like to take this opportunity to wish Right Choice Tours and Safaris the very best and keep up the good work!
From a satisfied Customer
The Concesso and Family...
TR
Email Derya & Gunes | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Safari Holiday in Kenya
We spent 8 nights at Kenya (Samburu, Sweetwaters, Nakuru, Masai Mara, Nairobi) with Right Choice Tours & Safaris. It was our first safari holiday.
After making long correspondences with more than 7 local and international tour operators; we decided to work with Right Choice Tours & Safaris.
George swiftly answered all of our questions and accepted almost all of our requests regarding the schedule of our tour. He was very kind, knowledgeable and professional. We requested fee quotes from different travel agencies for the same tour program (i.e. exactly same hotels, same vehicle type etc.); the best fee quote was proposed by Right Choice Tours & Safaris.
We were really excited when our plane has landed to Kenya; because everybody told us that the most important part for the success of a safari holiday was the guide. A kind lady from George’s team welcomed us at the airport and introduced us to our beloved guide, Opany who became our best friend in Kenya!
Among other things, Opany was very knowledgeable, professional, patient, helpful, intelligent, friendly, and funny and he was a perfect driver. Most importantly, he was really trustful and this is a very important specialty as you do not have anybody else to rely on in the middle of the wilderness of Kenya. Although he is making this job for more than 20 years, he shared our excitement in our first safari experience. He is an expert in finding animals and also he gives great information about the animals. He accommodated all of requests and made many great suggestions during the holiday. We feel really lucky to meet someone like Opany.
During our holiday, we did not face with any issues. Everything was very organized.
We believe that finding the right tour operator is very important for a safari holiday; because a bad operator or an unprofessional guide can easily ruin your holiday. We really worked hard to find the right tour operator in this respect and we were really lucky about our guide. We definitely recommend Right Choice Tours & Safaris. We are sure that their other guides are good as well; but we believe you should definitely push George in order for him to assign Opany for your tour if possible.
Thank George and Opany for the beautiful holiday that you realized for us. Hope to see you again soon!
Email Tim Adjakpa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience, worth the price.
Great experience with Right Choice. Our guide, Lawi, was awesome and delivered beyond expectation.
DE
Email wik | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not professionel
We have booked 2 safaris, the first was planned with 4 nights and the 2nd with 5 nights (so it was in the mail and was also paid). The first safari went well, we have also seen many animals, the guide really tried hard. On the 2nd safari we were told after the 4th day that tomorrow is the last day. Astonished we said that according to the mail the safari lasts 5 nights and 6 days. Suddenly nobody wanted to know anything about that. After a phone call and SMS to George, he then admitted that there is probably a misunderstanding, he actually meant only 4 nights even if there are 5 nights! Astonished and annoyed, we tried to make it clear to him that we expect 5 nights at this price according to the mail. George does not want to know anything about it and there was also no compensation. The end of the safari was accordingly bad, as we desperately tried to get another accommodation at a reasonable price! Thus, we have now paid an extra night and also the full price - which was for 5 nights. From our point of view, this is pure rip-off. Who books here, must clarify beforehand how many days and nights are included in the booking to avoid nasty surprises. We do not recommend this tour operator
Email Jess | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Scammed out of $3000AUD
It pains me to leave such a negative review on what was actually an excellent tour. Myself and my husband took a 6 day luxury tour using right choice safaris in December/Jan and had an excellent time. While the tour was as hoped, all accommodations were excellent and the driver very good unfortunately I have to leave this company a negative review as we were scammed out of thousands of dollars when making payment to this company for our tour. On arrival we were informed we needed to settle final payment I advised that we had already made final payment and had emails from them and confirmation from the bank, they then informed us that their email had been hacked and the person I had been communicating with and who I had transferred money to was not them. Unfortunately they informed us they had suspicions that this may be the case and neglected to contact us using another form of communication to inform us of this suspicion knowing that this had happened to them before when their email was hacked on a prior occasion. We were forced to make another payment at the office of $3000AUD. While they attempted to contact the bank to make amends we have unfortunately not at this stage been able to get our money back and I have no idea whether their email really did get hacked or whether they were part of the scam. If using right choice safaris I advise make payment at the office on arrival not via bank transfer.
Reply from Right Choice Tours & Safaris
Posted on Jan 27, 2020Dear Jess,
I apologize on behalf of everyone at Right Choice safaris. Your review is very concerning to us.
Please know that your situation was an exception. As you can see on other reviews, we are known for taking ownership and caring deeply about our customers.
As it can happen anywhere all over the world, email accounts whether corporate, individual, state agencies, name it can get hacked. After realizing that our emails were hacked, we promptly shared this position with our incoming clients through our gmail account. I suspect this have happened after you had initiated the last wire transfer that ended up in the fraudulent account in South Africa.
This was unfortunate situation for all of us.
You made first payment to our correct account details and this was promptly acknowledged. Second payment, you paid to South Africa bank. This was unique.
In such circumstances, a polite advice to any one reading this response, please call the agency to seek clarifications. Matters regarding payment are sensitive. When there is a directive asking one to send money to a different account, before doing so, it's important to get clearest instruction.
Personally, I called the recipient bank in South Africa, fraud department and a case was opened. All the communications, are with you and you have the reference number. Your husband also called the bank and I believe the communication is on.
A case was opened on this matter. The time frame on which they will conclude their investigations is not something I cant precisely make a comment on. What I know for sure, the bank will always give a response towards any fraud case brought to their attention. My prayers is that you will get your money back. There is enough evidence to guarantee this position. And if that happens, I believe you will pull down this review too.
Calling Right choice safaris as scammers is not only appropriate but truly not realistic given all the commitments we have shown so far in this matter.
We can’t fix the past but you have my personal commitment to improve on our email security system. Until then, please accept my sincerest apologies on behalf of everyone on the team.