BMS Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2011)
- Member Of:
- IATA & TATO
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $160 to $650 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Carol | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Terrible !!!
We booked a 7 day safari of Tanzania and the travel agent outsourced it to BMS. What a disaster. The vehicle provided was in horrible shape ( it had over 473,000 kilometers) and shook like crazy. You could not speak or hear for the noise created by the land cruiser while traveling off road. We were passed by every other vehicle ( the other safari vehicles’s suspension could handle the washboard roads just fine ) so it took many extra hours to get anywhere. Our driver/ guide was switched at the last minute and Baraka ( the driver ) spoke very little English so he could not or would not explain anything. The driver did not know where our permanent camp in the Serengeti was and he had no map or directions. We got lost and the radio did not work properly and he had no cell service. Then the land cruiser broke down after 8 hours traveling (transmission). He did not have a proper tool kit. Some other vehicles helped us and took us to camp 2 hours late. He fixed the vehicle that night but 2 days later it broke down 4 times( fuel leak) and we run out of gas! Another safari operator took us to our lodge an hour away.
Two days out of six on safari were lost to extra long driving days ( car could not go as fast as the others )coupled with getting lost and the multiple breakdowns
I was able to communicate with the office through Whatsapp but Buhambo, the owner/manager (?) just kept saying he was sorry or he was working on the problems. Since our diver did not speak english( though they assured us he did) we had to ask others to help us but he could not explain the animals or birds or the vehicle breakdowns and timing of travel. We had been on safari in other countries for weeks so we knew quite a bit but what a disappointment.
We kept asking for a new vehicle but apparently they were all out on safari and this was rented but how would we have been able to prevent this? I booked this safari 8 months in advance and the original company I booked through was appalled but what can you do when you are in country?
The camps and lodges were very good and Tanzania is a beautiful country. Just do not travel with BMS Safaris! We have traveled to over 145 countries and this was our worst experience by far.
Overpriced for poor value
Don't trust a word they're saying! Better yet, don't book with this deceiving company! They sold us an overpriced three day safari, told us we paid for food although we said we'd bring our own for less money and still we didn't get any food (which we unwillingly still payed for), payed more than any of the other tourists who went with us and felt utterly betrayed. Communication after the transaction was shit and we immediately felt the deceiving and untrustworthy atmosphere.
The safari itself was fine and the guide nice enough, but he barely told us anything about the park or the animals.
We had another safari with another company in a different park for way less money that was so much better it's unbelievable.
So yeah, don't book with them. (They also knew we were unhappy so they didn't even sent us a link to review them like they do with their satisfied customers.... strange right?)