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.
PH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely Frustrating
I trusted this company with a $6,700 USD total payment on their behalf because their system was down and they couldn’t pay the hotel and park fees themselves during my trip. I didn’t want my trip to turn into a total nightmare but unfortunately asking for reimbursement is a total stress.
After I paid in full, they suddenly claimed that their system was down and couldn’t pay the hotel on my behalf — even though this was their responsibility. They asked me to pay the hotel myself, promising they would reimburse me right away.
It’s now been over a month, and I’ve received nothing but excuses, broken promises, and constant delays. Every time I follow up, I get a new reason for the hold-up — yet no one seems to take real accountability. It’s exhausting and extremely unprofessional.
This isn’t just a delay — it’s $6,700 of my hard-earned money that they’re holding, with zero urgency or integrity. I feel scammed, disrespected, and taken advantage of.
I’m beyond frustrated and completely disappointed. Unless they resolve this immediately, I’ll be forced to take legal action and warn others about doing business with them. No one deserves this kind of treatment.
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.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A nightmare. A terrible experience.
Terrible experience with this tour operator. We were supposed to go on a four-day safari, but unfortunately, it ended on the second day because I was ill. The tour operator, after weeks of procrastination, only refunded us a small portion of the unused funds that remained in their account! Obviously, after having pressured and requested a refund dozens of times! This is highly untransparent, unprofessional, and disheartening given what happened to us. I absolutely do not recommend this company, and in fact, I recommend choosing the agency you travel with carefully to avoid unnecessary, stressful problems and wasted money!
(automatic translation from Italian)
BR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Place, terrible experience
My friend and I were very excited for this trip (Massai Mara 2 days). However, a series of events almost turned this trip into a nightmare. First, the driver (Edwin) arrived 40min late saying he had a problem with the car. The car was terrible; by far, the oldest car I have seen during the journey. As the car was very old, all the trip was very 'shaky'. On the way to Massai Mara, we had a flat tire and had to stop for change. More 30-40min wasted. Then, we had to stop to had the flat tire fixed before going to the park. Inside the park, the car broke and we were stuck there for FOUR HOURS. Four hours inside the park, and the driver and company gave no alternative option but to wait. This was very frustrating, as we were waiting for months for this trip. We understand that cars can break, but if the car was not soooo old, the odds of this event would be lower. Also, again, the company had no backup plan for this. To top it ofF, the driver was not so nice. At certain point he said that the elephants undesrstood his situation better than us. Needless to say what he meant... The following day the driver was very rude, did not enter the park and continue the trip as if we were wrong, not the company. We asked him if he could drop us at the airport - which would be nice after allll we have passed. He said no, that he could not change the itinerary. In conclusion: I do not recommend this company. We lost almost 5 hours of our time during the trip and we had no compensation
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Avoid it at any time
I am sharing my experience transparently, as I believe it's important for others considering this tour operator.
For a 7-day safari, I paid over $9000 USD. Based on my experience, I felt the value received was significantly below what I anticipated, making it a deeply disappointing trip.
As an experienced traveler who has visited over 60 countries, this particular journey stands out as my most challenging and unsatisfactory travel experience to date. My personal belief, given what occurred, is that I was misled regarding the quality of the service.
Based on my personal experience, I would strongly caution others to thoroughly research and consider alternatives before booking.
I am available to provide further details that could potentially assist others in making informed decisions.
Sincerely,
François
