AT
50-65 years of age
Terrible Organization and Not Holding the Promises
We went as two families with 3 children in August 2019 to Namibia and Botswana. Andre von Flotow and his team were in charge to organize the entire trip. We paid everything in advance. Never do this to this Impala Tours!
We had multiple issues along our trip. I will start mentioning them one by one in seperate reviews, as they touch different aspects.
As a start:
1) We were suggested to take a guide for our trip through Botswana and paid for 7 days.
The guide
- arrived one day late
- was not briefed where to go, We had to tell him the trip. We had the maps to tell him the way.
- did not have own coordinates of the night bookings. As the bookings were not correctly done by Andre and his team for 2 of the four locations, we had to find alternatives those days. Not nice if you have kids dont knwo where to stay and you see the sun setting.
Andre did therefore not prepare properly this guide, the guide tried to do his best!
The guide left after 4 of 7 days, although lodge bookings were done for him and we paid them to Andre. We did not receive any money back, although we took a long time to argue on this.
In fact, Andre cuts any communication related to those topics.
Be careful, use other organizers.
Please send personal message, in case you want to discuss.
Best wishes
Christoph
RU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awfull experience, cheaters!
I had a tour with this "company" in december.
First of all, they do not do tours, they just resell tours of the BIG TIME Safaris - https://www.safaribookings.com/p570
Or maybe it is the same company operating under 2 names...
Due to bad communication from their side I lost 1 day of my safari + I had to pay 350$ extra for their mistake! They did not send me any compensation. Instead - they just started to ignore me once the issue appeared they, so I had to find solution by myself.
I Higly DO NOT Recoomend neither this company as well as Big Time Safaris!
EC
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
THIEFS LADRONES TOTALES
ARE THE REAL THIEFS , SCAMMERS, LIARS AND MORE, BE CAREFULL
i wish i could forget it all!
Unprofessional and broad day light thief is what i can say about Kevin Naibei.My USD 3000 was pocketed by kevin and gave me a forged hotel reservation.on top of that he never bought my air ticket to bangkok where i had wanted to go on holiday in December 2019.So heartless that he didn't care what would happen to me in a foreign country had i presented that forged reservation.
SE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Warning !! I paid for a safari. They never showed up or answered my call.
This is probably a scam company. They never delivered the agreed and paid for safari to the mountain gorillas.
FR
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Horrible, wet, muddy NDUTU CAMPING!! Sold as LUXURY!!!!! Tented camp (camping,) during rainy season!
Awful experience with their driver Jon who asks his clients to open top roof, to load and unload luggage etc etc...Not helpful at all! Furthermore, WildLands safaris own their lodges and tented camps, and Ndutu Camping. So, they do not matter how many hours you’ll be in their car! They just want you to go toTHEIR OWN PROPERTIES!!! Their only preoccupation????? TO MAKE PROFIT! For instance: there are a lot of lodges in the Sereguenti Park that you are going to visit. Since they do not have any lodge in the Serengueti park, they put you in THEIR lodge (Ngorongoro Forest Lodge) 2 hours driving to go to Serengueti Park and 2 hours to go back to THEIR lodge!!!! And after an awful night in their wet, muddy Ndutu Camping, you telle them that you aren’t going to pass an other night in this Ndutu Camping, because of the tents full of water and mud, they just ask you: « you want to leave? But who will PAY?? » Only profit! Profit!! And I DO NOT CARE IF MY NAME IS GIVEN!!!!
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Under no conditions use this company. I was ripped off.
Absolutely dishones about what i paid for. Completely dishonest.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Scam
We booked with them based on a friend’s recommendation. We booked for 6 days, and we booked a balloon ride. Upon arrival we discussed the planning. However on the balloon trip it was weird they said we had to go to the balloon center when we got in the Serengeti. And make an appointment. Serengeti was day 3. So we visited some parks and upon arrival at the Serengeti it was already weird. We had to wait 2 hours for cash. So we go in the park and ask our driver to go the balloon centers. He confessed that everything was booked months in advance. Okay fine, but then we expect the money back as they didn’t book it. So on our ride back to the airport we would meet the owner. He stalls it, making us wait an hour and almost missing our flight. He didn’t want to pay/didn’t have the money. So we were scammed out 1000 usd. Before flying out of Tanzania I emailed the firm for a compensation. After some pressure from my end they agreed to pay in installments. 4 installments of 250$. The first 2 went fine, the 3rd took 4 months and the last one I am still awaiting. For over 6 months. They said they could not pay the last installment due to cash shortage but that was 6 months ago. Since then they are not replying on emails.
So DO NOT BOOK ANYTHING WITH THIS FIRM. THEY SCAM YOU AND ARE PROBABLY BANKRUPT.
NO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We have not received refund after cancelling
We had to cancel our safari in August due to ill health. We are very disappointed to still be waiting for a refund request made in June 2019 for transfers between Nairobi to Masai Mara booked with Collins at the Operations and Reservations office for Airports & Beyond.
Collins was very quick and diligent in following up with us for full payment for the transfers of US$1070, which we immediately paid. However, when we requested a refund we were told we would not receive a 100% refund, but instead a refund of US$ 620.
After 20+ emails and calls we are still waiting for our refund. We either don’t receive replies to our emails or calls are not answered. When we do manage to get Collins on the phone, we receive the usual response that he is working on our refund, he is waiting for his boss for authorisation, or he will process the refund shortly.
In November the manager Ken claimed that Collins left the company, but Ken promised to process the refund. After numerous emails and calls where Ken repeatedly has stated that the refund is on its way we have still not received the money.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
CRIMINALS
This tour operator doesn't exist, it is a fraud for receiving deposit for fake safari.
They pretend to receive all the money many weeks before departures: fortunately I've sent just half of the price.
Their presentation by mail looks good and professional: don't believe it!
The day before starting safari nobody called or wrote me: I tried many times to contact them but nobody answers to the phone, the mobile is a fake number and their address doesn't exist.
Only two hours before departure they send an email saying sorry but safari was canclled because of the weather: I was yet in Tanzania and the weather was good, indeed I did safari with another tour operator.
Now they don't want to give me back my money.
Please pay attention.