ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
$10.000 DOWN THE DRAIN
Scammed by Kipok! Made us pay a massive amount online for the national parks, cancelled our booking and used our money for other bookings. Nothing arranged in Tanzania. No hotel, no car, no guide,nothing. Kenya was done via subcontractor which we paid for again as Kipok did not pay them. Stay away from this company!!!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
He went bankrucpt and has filed for liquidation Lost $4060
Had booked masai Mara safari from sept. 12 thru sept 20
But on August 26 I broke my hip bone and had to be hospitalized and could not travel. My niece informed William of Madukha tours of the above accident and he agreed to give 75% of the tour money as refund
It has been two months of writing to him but still no reply ,just promises
Finally two weeks ago he informed me that he has gone in liquidation!
So in reality I have lost my money
Madukha is still operating. His website is working and he is making a fool of lots of people
Be careful otherwise you will loose your money.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unreliable
I went on a 10 day Safari with this company last July, unfortunately we did not like it.
Before booking they promise
Before departure they promise you whatever you want, but once there you don't get it. We asked to have a jeep instead of a “minibus”, we even paid money on top but we did not get it. It was told we will receive binoculars, so we did not bring ours and even those were not available. For the last we asked for a guide expert in birds since of the group is an experienced researcher in forestal ecology, as you can imagine the guide was not an expert in birds. So we felt like children, promised a lot but it was all a bunch of lies.
Other issues, the plan was changed without even informing us. We were supposed to spend 2 days in a park, but the company changed the plan and neither gave us an alternative, so we spent a day basically doing nothing.
As cherry on top, because of some departures issues, we arrived 2 days late. We kindly asked for a “discount” for the activities not done, and were told that was not possible cause everything was already booked, only later we discovered that the tickets of the parks are paid once only at the entry so our tickets were booked. When we pointed that out, it has been told to us that we will be reimbursed, and as you can get from this review, it has been more than a year I'm still waiting to be contacted.
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Program not respected and very rude guide
Unfortunately we did not have Abu as a guide but Ruben.
This guide was not attentive at all, did not explain much to us, was speedy all the time and did not respect the program despite our multiple attempts to communicate with him.
Very disappointed.
He was so rude that no one wanted to tip him at the end...
(automatic translation from French)
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I recommend you don’t book with Simian Safaris
From our experience, Simian Safaris is not Safe!
We had the worst experience with a safari to Amboseli with this company. They made us first wait for half a day in a gas station waiting for the van.
They also promised a tour that, since the beginning, the driver said it was never planned, even though we paid more more for that specific tour. When we asked for a compensation or a refund, they stopped answering our calls. They even didn’t want to pay the driver for our way back to Nairobi (which was part of the deal and was paid) and THEY LEFT US ABANDONED IN THE NATIONAL PARK with no alternative to come back to the city. After making a lot of pressure from our side, the driver and the lodge, they ended up giving a solution, but our experience was obviously ruined.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Their guide Jacob gave my wife a bad look and said a lot.
We went on a seven-day safari tour with Affordable Kilimanjaro Tour Company. I went on tour with my family. My wife, myself and my little daughter were with us. I paid them $2500 in advance for seven days. And the first two days we were fine, but during the day their guide Jacob gave my wife a bad look and said a lot. And he always wanted to rub my wife's back. We have had a lot of arguments about this and he has left us halfway and I will definitely take legal action for him. And will never recommend this tour company and none of you will be cheated by them.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bankrupt agency
I paid to go on a 7 day safari and a few days before leaving he wrote to me that they were bankrupt
(automatic translation from Italian)
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very very bad experience, I advise you don't choose it
From my experience, this is a very irresponsible travel agency, not only did they not fulfill the arrangement according to the contract, but when we found the problem and contacted them, at first they said they needed to confirmation and would not reply the email and answer the phone or WhatsApp when we contacted them later. According to the contract, we paid an extra $112.5 dollors each person (we have 4 people) to arrange a private car to take us to the airport and two nights of dinner in Arusha. But they didin't arrage, and didn't not give us any reply. If we didn't ask help from the local people in Tanzania by ourself, we almost didin't make it home in time for our flight. The second problem is that the driver and the car they arranged in Kenya is very bad. The driver deliberately delayed and drove very slowly, so that we could not reach the Masai Mara Park according to the schedule on the first day.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My advise is you avoid this company – we felt scammed
we were quoted on numerous quotations for morning safari and a boat ride. When we exchanged cash on the morning i was told the boat would be extra. If that wasn't annoying the night before our final day and morning safari, i was told it was there mistake we had no safari, and to do it we were to pay over $1200. I challenged this, with quotes which clearly stated it was
included i got no where and was told it wouldn't be happening unless i paid the money they demanded
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very rude and disrespectful guide
Very rude and disrespectful guide
The guide did not respect the schedule and made us leave later than planned every day.
We were supposed to spend 2 full days in Serengeti and that turned into 2 short half days (the agency saved a day's pass on our backs)
He didn't want to stop when we wanted and barely answered our questions
Fortunately the cook was very nice!
(automatic translation from French)