ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unacceptable
Worst safari ever – filthy camp, horrible sleep, major rip-off
We paid 3,000 USD for two people, which is 300 USD more per person than another family traveling with us.
From the outset we were placed in extremely unsanitary, mosquito-infested conditions at Nyatu Camp: cockroaches in the bed, no running water, broken doors, and zero hygiene. It was the worst night of sleep in our lives, living in a room that felt like it wasn’t intended for tourists. We couldn’t rest, were and it felt unsafe.
To make matters even more suspicious: although we booked with Flexivel Safari Kenya, everything was actually handled by Jockie Tours or perhaps another subcontractor—Flexivel seemed like just an intermediary with no real control over what we got. It was clear they passed our booking down without ensuring basic standards.
And when issues arose, Jonathan disappeared, never responding the phone calls.
This was such a betrayal: the worst night of sleep, unacceptable health conditions, and blatant overcharging. If you book through them, expect to be ripped off and treated terribly.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Not with this Company
As a solo female traveler, I took an 8-day private tour through Uganda/Rwanda. It was a wonderful few days with my driver, Mutanda, who knows the area very well. Unfortunately, I can't recommend the company Go Gorillatrekking. After accidentally debiting $1,600, Michael and Kalema were no longer reachable, either by phone or email. The office in Kampala was also closed. Dubious and unprofessional. Stay away from this company.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The overall experience was fifty-fifty
Overall Rating: The overall travel experience was acceptable, but near the end of the trip, we realized there were communication misdirections and cost traps that led to many unnecessary expenses.
We trusted our guide completely, but compared to other guides, he really did let us down a bit
Main Issues:
1️⃣ Guide Replacement Without Prior Notice
* Our contracted guide, Wilson, was unexpectedly replaced with Alvin (no advance notice). While Alvin performed reasonably well later, this uncommunicated change felt disrespectful.
2️⃣ Excessive Cost Traps
* We were encouraged to join a "nature walk" (not disclosed as a paid activity upfront), which was of little value. Upon finishing the brief 20-minute walk, they demanded $30/person. After negotiation, we only paid $30 for the entire group.
* During the Masai Mara Safari, an on-site ranger was arranged to accompany us to see hippos and crocodiles, after which we were charged $10/person. Conversations with other tourists later confirmed this activity is typically free.
* Nakuru Crescent Island Hike: Besides the $20/person boat fee, we were charged an additional $20/person "island hiking fee". We later verified through social media and other travelers that the specific area we hiked in is free. Furthermore, we were rushed throughout the short (under 20 min) hike and not taken to the island center. The actual standard island hike costs $33, lasts over 40 minutes, and includes photo opportunities with animals in the center. (We were not informed of this option nor given a choice).
3️⃣ Poor Safari Timing Caused Itinerary Reduction
* Amboseli park tickets are valid for 24 hours. Due to the guide's incorrect scheduling of the Safari time (done without consultation), our contractually agreed-upon final day Morning Safari was canceled. They knew how to schedule correctly to allow us an extra Safari, but we were neither consulted nor given options. Our complaint to the office received no reasonable response.
4️⃣ Unprofessional Guide Conduct
* On the last day, we paid $180 to extend the jeep hire. We confirmed an itinerary (Giraffe Centre -> Market -> Restaurant - guide specified). We indicated we'd decide on the restaurant that day. Midway through the planned activities, we requested to change restaurants, offering 2-3 options within the distance range the guide himself had suggested, but he refused them all. While searching for a new restaurant (which took less than 15 minutes), the guide decided we were taking too long. Without any discussion, he abruptly drove us directly to the airport. We arrived around 3 PM without having lunch/dinner and had to wait 4 hours before we could even enter the terminal for security and food.
Highlights:
✅ Guide Alvin was proactive in tracking animals: He ensured close-up sightings of most animals (we saw nearly everything except a leopard).
✅ During Safaris, the guide actively shared knowledge about animals and nature, enriching the overall experience.
✅ Alvin was exceptionally personable — assisting with luggage daily and even buying us Fruits. We tipped him generously with daily gifts,
✅ developing a friendly rapport that made the later conflict particularly disheartening, In Nakuru, they upgraded us to single rooms (one each), and in Amboseli, they moved us to a better camp
Conclusion: While the wildlife viewing experience met expectations, issues with chaotic management, opaque pricing, and guide negligence were significant. We advise exercising caution when choosing this operator.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Booked to stay in the cabins, but on arrival, cabins were in a very poor condition and dirty.
We were bitterly disappointed with the state, cleanliness and quality of the cabin. I have previously stayed in these cabins when I used to live in eSwatini and cannot remember them being in this state – hence the reason why I was keen to revisit the nature reserve. I appreciate the cabins are supposed to be rustic but they were not clean, very outdated and were lacking basic items:
* Chairs stained and dirty
* Sheets stained
* Limited kitchen items and incomplete cutlery
* Frying pan and single pan greasy (not properly cleaned)
* No glasses or bowls
* No washing up liquid
* Kitchen drawers had mould growing in them
* Bathroom dirty and extremely old
* No chairs to sit outside and no braii facility
We were shown another cabin but this was not much better. We had travelled from overseas and therefore cannot bring basic items with us.
MX
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Bogoria National Reserve by Isabella Yang
there are so few flamengos and the tourism agency didnt tell us anything about it.
NL
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
He was just driving. He promised us to be there at 7am. Around 9:30am he came to pick us up.
Randomly our last day for cancelled. Cause of that we made a compromise that he will pay that day back. He texted us that he will wait for us at the hotel to give the money back. After two months; we still don’t have the money. And now the days he isn’t answering on our messages again. So I will not recommend it!
35-50 years of age
Dishonest company: Qualified Tours & Travels – Tanzania”
In Dec 2024, we paid $4,000 USD to Qualified Tours & Travels – Tanzania, operated by Mr. Navulia.
After receiving the money, they vanished – no tours, no communication, no refund.
We filed a legal case against the company, Qualified tours and its director, Mr Navulia
✅ We won the case in court.
❌ Mr. Mdee escaped and has not followed the court's order.
Tanzania Police are currently searching for him.
So all visitors should be alert!
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Comes across as great but please please beware
We too fell victim to this company (also known as Natural Tours and Safaris). Booked a holiday of a lifetime in Kenya in October 2024 and wanted a 3 day 2 night safari to go with our beach holiday in Diani.
Booked through the Diani office of this company and duly paid our $856 deposit.
As the holiday came closer we became aware of issues with this company and found they were also under investigation by KATO, the Kenyan Association of Tour Operators. I then contacted the lodges we were supposed to be staying at who had no record of any bookings for us made by this company. More negative reviews followed so we decided to invoke our right to cancel the book for a full refund minus 'Administrative Costs'. After this I received no communication apart from a T&C statement saying there was a 60 day refund policy. We went along with this but of course, this came and went. Despite numerous emails and phone calls to the head office in Nairobi there has been no further communication from them.
We have waved goodbye to our deposit and I have reported them to KATO to go along with their other complaints.
Please also note as we have. Once a negative review us posted like this they all of a sudden have several five star reviews all of a similar nature! Just saying, must be just a coincidence.
We did in the end have a lovely holiday with the safari supplied by ORANJE Exclusive Safaris.
HK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dangerous, Disorganised, Misrepresented & Overpriced Safari Experience
I booked a safari with Kinfolks Africa Gateway expecting a premium, stress-free experience — having paid USD 4,600 for what was described as a carefully curated and fully coordinated itinerary. What I received instead was a series of breakdowns, delays, miscommunications, and deeply disappointing outcomes that left me feeling misled and severely let down.
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🗓️ Detailed Safari Schedule with Kinfolks Africa Gateway (USD 4,600 Package)
Travel Dates: 14–20 July 2025
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Day 1 – Arrival in Nairobi (14 July)
3:00 PM – Landed in Kenya
4:00 PM – Transferred to hotel
❌ No activity scheduled for the entire day
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Day 2 – Masai Mara Chaos (15 July)
7:00 AM – Picked up from hotel
🚨 Was asked to pay an additional USD 250 to another driver (Daniel) because Kinfolks failed to prearrange the original pickup for Mara Ngenche
8:30 AM – Dropped at Kinfolks’ office
8:30–10:00 AM – ❌ Waited 1.5 hours doing nothing — no updates, no plan
10:00 AM – Departed for Masai Mara
2:45 PM – Arrived at park gate
2:45–3:45 PM – ❌ Stuck at gate for 1 hour — driver lacked park entry cash and asked me to cover it
6:00 PM – Finally reached Mara Ngenche Lodge
❌ No lunch provided the entire day (originally scheduled 1:00–2:00 PM)
🔸 Total delay: ~5 hours
🔸 Passive wait time: 2.5 hours
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Day 3 – The Only Flawless Day (16 July)
✅ Arranged directly with Mara Ngenche’s in-house guide, not Kinfolks
7:00 AM – 4:30 PM – Full-day private game drive with picnic breakfast & lunch
5:30 PM – Returned for spa
7:00 PM – Dinner
📌 Smooth, on-time, and well-managed — Kinfolks had no involvement
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Day 4 – Abandonment & Cancelled Game Drive (17 July)
7:00 AM – Departed Mara Ngenche
9:00 AM – Dropped off to join a group
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – ❌ Left alone at a bus stop for 3 hours
12:00 PM – Picked up by new driver
4:00 PM – Arrived at Sarova Woodlands, Lake Nakuru
❌ Afternoon game drive at Lake Nakuru cancelled
❌ Hotel spa unavailable (under maintenance)
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Day 5 – Compressed Game Drive & Transfers (18 July)
7:30 AM – Picked up
8:00–11:30 AM – Game drive at Lake Nakuru National Park
1:30 PM – Arrived at Lake Naivasha resort
2:00 PM – Lunch
4:00 PM – Boat ride
6:00 PM – Dinner
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Day 6 – Long Delays & Cramped Transfer (19 July)
10:00 AM – Informed pickup time
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – ❌ Waited 2 hours in hotel lobby post-checkout
12:30 PM – Arrived at Buffalo restaurant
12:30–2:00 PM – ❌ Waited 1.5 hours for another traveller to fill the vehicle (cost-saving measure)
2:00–8:00 PM – 6-hour road transfer to Amboseli
❌ Missed scheduled lunch at Kibo Safari Camp
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🧾 Additional Notes & Issues
• I was left alone at a roadside café for 1.5 hours, and the second driver had no knowledge of my itinerary — I had to explain it myself.
• The Lake Nakuru drive was cancelled, then “replaced” the next morning — not an acceptable fix.
• The promised spa didn’t exist, and only after I arrived was I told it was under maintenance.
• Kinfolks never confirmed my flight time. Had I not raised it, I would have missed my flight.
• I paid an extra USD 250 out of pocket to cover Kinfolks’ failures in basic coordination.
• Just 12 hours before my Amboseli transfer, the CEO admitted I had been given the wrong itinerary. I compared with other guests in my Land Cruiser — they followed that same (pure travel) schedule and had only paid USD 1,000, while I was unknowingly grouped with them despite paying USD 4,600.
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💵 Final Refund Offered: USD 250
Kinfolks eventually refunded USD 250 — barely enough to cover what I was forced to pay myself. This did nothing to compensate for the poor experience or service gaps.
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📉 Final Verdict
I remained polite and cooperative throughout, giving Kinfolks several chances to resolve things fairly. However, the false promises, last-minute changes, lack of coordination, and bait-and-switch itinerary have made it clear: I cannot recommend this company.
If you value clarity, safety, accountability, or even just getting what you paid for — I strongly suggest booking with someone else.
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📝 Additional Context
• Day 7 (20 July) – I am paying again out-of-pocket for a 1:1 private game drive because I cannot risk another mismanaged group day from Kinfolks.
• Day 8 (21 July) – Pure travel back to Nairobi for my international flight.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Suggest to avoid below average agency with a bad driver
Local agency offered a fair price and booked good accommodation. However, their customer service and English communication were not very strong.
The main issue was our driver. He struggled to find good viewpoints and was not responsive during key moments. We went to see the river crossing, leaving at 6 a.m. and arriving on the spot first. However, when the crossing began, he parked in the wrong place (three times) and didn’t react in time—so we couldn’t see anything, despite having clearly stated that this was our top priority.
Throughout the safari, he often rushed us, especially when we were watching animals—despite this being the main reason for the trip. He always tried to bring us back to our hotel as soon as possible (always dropping us at around 3).
On one occasion, he misunderstood the phrase “why not” (we’re still unsure what he thought he heard) and suddenly became angry, yelled at us, and even suggested he might leave us behind—in the middle of the Serengeti. Although we explained several times that he had misheard and apologised regardless, the situation didn’t improve.
This incident, combined with the missed river crossing, left us feeling that the safari was a waste of money. We gave the minimum tip, though we felt even that was too generous, and he accepted it without saying thank you.