35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Be careful! They tried to cheat us!
Our experience with Pega tours was terrible! We booked two safaris with them ( Hell's gate and Nakuru). We made the deal with Peter, and he charged us 200$ each for the driver and guide in Nakuru and another 150$ each for driving us to Hell's gate and hire a guide in there. The entrance fees and the bike rental were on us.
At Nakuru everything went all right , but when we arrived to Hell's gate they told us we had to pay for the guide. We called Peter and we explained him that we paid 200$ to him for the driving to Hell's gate but also for having a guide in there, and he just hung up the phone to us after saying the 200$ were just for the transportation. Even the guides from Hell's gate were shocked for what he was doing !!! Eventually, our driver, who was great, managed to talk to him and convince him to pay the guide, because we were already talking about coming back to Nakuru.
So my advice is: do not hire anything with them, or at least with Peter! He'll try to do the same
HK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Way worse than we expected
I am very disappointed with the service from this company, including the director and tour guides.
Upon our arrival at Kenya International Airport in the morning after a long and exhausting flight from Asia, we were shocked to find that no one was there to pick us up. We waited for hours, anxiously looking for any sign of our transportation. During this time, we attempted to contact George multiple times, but we received no response. It was incredibly frustrating to be left in such a situation, especially after such a long journey. Ultimately, we had no choice but to call a taxi and make our own way to the first hotel. George only reached out to us after we had arrived at the hotel, explaining that his Kenyan partner had made a mistake and forgotten to send someone to pick us up. This lack of communication and organization was unacceptable.
On the following day in Kenya, we encountered further issues. The tour guide did not take us to the destination specified in our itinerary. Instead, we were pressured into participating in walking tours that required us to pay out of pocket, despite our initial refusals. The tour guide insisted that we must join at least one paid program, leaving us feeling coerced and dissatisfied with the experience we had originally signed up for.
Additionally, the lodges where we were accommodated were clearly of a much lower standard than what was promised in our itinerary. The company claimed that the accommodations listed were overbooked, yet they failed to provide us with equivalent options that matched the quality we had expected. The food served at these lodges was unsanitary, and we were suffering from diarrhea, which significantly impacted our trip.
Throughout our experience, there was a constant push to make us pay for additional services that were not part of our original package. Unplanned souvenir shopping stops were added without prior notice, which felt more like a sales tactic than a genuine part of our tour. This relentless focus on upselling not only detracted from our enjoyment but also made us feel undervalued as customers.
Overall, this trip has been far from the enjoyable experience we anticipated. I hope this feedback will be taken seriously to improve the service for future travelers.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Horrible
I strongly recommend that you do not book with these people
They stole my money.
I booked a 3-day safari with them and, on the day of departure (Monday, 18 Aug), they changed my booking from a lodge to a campsite after I had already paid the full $890 USD. They told me it would be “better, don’t worry.” It was NOT better.
Then, on Wednesday, 20 Aug, when I was supposed to return to Nairobi, I received a text at 2 a.m. saying: “Hello, our bank did not clear the money for your stay. Can you please pay the camp, and we promise to pay you back when you return to Nairobi.”
I had no choice but to pay because the camp locked the gates, and my driver refused to give me my luggage until I handed over $410 USD (which was already part of the $890 I had paid on Monday). They repeatedly told me, “Don’t worry, we will pay you back.”
On the drive back to Nairobi, they ignored both my calls and the driver’s calls. I strongly believe the driver was in on it as well. Later, I received a random text saying they would bring my money at 6:30 p.m. and to “be patient.” 6:30 came and went — no money, no response.
This company i believe has scammed me. Please don’t book with them. They trapped me in a situation where if I hadn’t had the $410, I would have been stuck at the camp. Now they are dodging my calls and messages.
PL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very disappointing experience
BE AWARE!
We had everything arranged with Emmanuel: the itinerary, the price, the participants—everything—three months before our arrival. Four days before arriving in Arusha, Emmanuel wrote that the tour cost had increased by... 80%!!! At the same time, he left us stranded, without a tour, without a safari, without transfers. To this day, we haven't received a refund of our deposit, and we've been asking for it repeatedly.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They cancelled safari 3 days before arriving
We booked our Safari with Kenmara months before arriving and paid all money on time. 3 days before arriving they sent an email cancelling the safari, no call or follow up email offering any help or assistance.
We are travelling from the UK so holiday potentially ruined.
Terrible company DO NOT USE not with worth the risk.
Safari bookings you should Ban them from your website.
MT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Have a terrible experience with this company at all costs – fraudulent, unsafe and violent, experience
We booked a safari with 1 Wonder Expedition in July and were promised 5-star lodges and luxury tented camps (confirmed to us in writing twice). We paid €2000 in cash on arrival, but once the trip started, every hotel was downgraded to far cheaper and lower-quality alternatives with poor reviews WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE. The driver was simply instructed to drive us to these alternative hotels and we only found out because we realised the direction he was driving us to was different.
When we requested a fair refund of €1000, the company’s employee “Kingi” (who had originally pretended online to be “Rachel James”) told us to come to their office in Arusha. Another tourist in the same situation was also called there.
When we arrived, seven men were waiting for us, including the Director of Operations, Ally, who had collected our payment. Instead of giving us the refund, he physically assaulted my partner when he tried to film his aggressive behaviour, HIT me and another tourist, and one of the men Tried to lock us inside the office. We only escaped by forcing the gate open.
Police were called, and Ally spent a night in custody. We have since filed a formal police report, submitted evidence, and are pursuing the case legally. We also have WhatsApp messages, photos, and videos to prove all of this.
In my experience, this company did not operate transparently — I was given what I believe were fake names and confirmations, and I felt my services were unfairly downgraded. I also felt intimidated and even feared for my safety during the trip
No tourist should ever have to experience this. Please protect yourself and avoid 1 Wonder Expedition entirely.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Do not book with them!!!
I had booked a safari with this agency for February 2025. Just one day before departure, I discovered they were in serious financial trouble. Many lodges (including some that were supposed to be part of our trip) refused to take bookings from them because they weren’t being paid. This meant we would have had to do the safari staying in places we hadn’t chosen and paying again on site, even though everything had already been paid in advance.
We decided to cancel and go with another operator. We asked for a refund of our deposit, but it was delayed for months until the promised date of May 15. That date came and went—no refund, and all their email addresses suddenly stopped working. The “government” and “bank” contacts they gave us as a guarantee were completely fake.
This agency is absolutely untrustworthy. It’s shocking that they’re still allowed to take bookings when they claim they can’t even refund €400 due to lack of funds. If I could, I would give them zero stars. Do not trust them.I had booked a safari with this agency for February 2025. Just one day before departure, I discovered they were in serious financial trouble. Many lodges (including some that were supposed to be part of our trip) refused to take bookings from them because they weren’t being paid. This meant we would have had to do the safari staying in places we hadn’t chosen and paying again on site, even though everything had already been paid in advance.
We decided to cancel and go with another operator. We asked for a refund of our deposit, but it was delayed for months until the promised date of May 15. That date came and went—no refund, and all their email addresses suddenly stopped working. The “government” and “bank” contacts they gave us as a guarantee were completely fake.
This agency is absolutely untrustworthy. It’s shocking that they’re still allowed to take bookings when they claim they can’t even refund €400 due to lack of funds. If I could, I would give them zero stars. Do not trust them.
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful guide, terrible office organisation. Don’t book with them.
The good things: Our tour guide, Blair, was wonderful - knowledgeable, communicative and funny. The safari itself was great.
However, the office organisation was problematic. Firstly, we only received the link for the final payment while we were on tour, in a rural area where wifi kept dropping. When we told the office that the wifi meant the payment was proving difficult, they told us we had to pay before the next day or the activities would be cancelled, placing undue pressure on us in a difficult situation. We tried again, and finally the problematic wifi allowed the payment to go through. However, the glitchy wifi meant that payment was taken twice from my card. I communicated this to the office, and while Bella replied to me via whatsapp, Peter (the finance manager) was absolutely silent. No call, no email, no communication whatsoever. The problem was ignored completely. I then raised a process with my card issuer, and informed the office of this. I have also informed them that if my card issuer is unable to help, then I would pursue legal action. It was only at that point that Peter finally replied to my emails, saying he would have a solution by the end of the week. That deadline went by over two weeks ago, and I have heard nothing from him since then.
None of this needed to happen if they had simply said “ah that’s annoying that the WiFi did that - here’s a refund.” It could have taken a matter of minutes to resolve. Instead, they’ve chosen to keep the extra money and process no refund at all. What should I conclude from this?
My advice would be: there are many tour operators available to go on safari with. Don’t choose this one.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Disappointing Experience and Lack of Value
Our experience with this service was profoundly disappointing. We found that the quality was poor, and markups were added without delivering any corresponding value.
Key Issues
Overpriced with No Added Value: Significant markups were applied, but the service did not justify the cost. For instance, our flight tickets show a price in Kenyan shillings equivalent to approximately $470, yet we were billed $698. For such a premium, we expected expertise, local insights, and proactive support, but received none.
Unreliable: There was a lack of rigour in the details provided, and some committed items in the itinerary were left undelivered until we challenged them. We were initially assured of premium room , but when we requested specifics, we discovered that our rooms were merely superior, not premium.
Disorganised: We had to repeatedly follow up for basic details such as driver timings. To us, the experience felt like dealing with a basic middleman service, without any added value. Thankfully, the hotels we booked were excellent and ultimately salvaged our trip.
Detailed Experience
Nairobi: Last-minute changes to our plans resulted in missing most of the elephant centre, skipping a paid-for market stop, and being transported in substandard vehicles for both the airport pick-up and the day tour.
Masai Mara: The vehicle provided was in poor condition—dirty, with some doors that wouldn’t open, and felt generally neglected. The driver was rude and spent the entire six-hour drive and subsequent game drives on their phone. They attempted to skip the paid game drive and were hostile when we insisted on following our itinerary. The day began with no clear plan, and when questioned, the driver was extremely discourteous. Later, they informed us that the paid for village tour could not be accommodated, as we supposedly needed to leave at 7 a.m. to reach the restaurant for lunch by 2 p.m.—none of which was previously communicated. We had to insist (and offer additional payment) for a different driver for the return journey to address these issues. To give them their due, Splendid organised an alternative.
Mombasa: Although we paid for a late checkout, the hotel was never informed. Transfers required constant chasing for details.
Refund and Transparency
We received a small refund for undelivered items, but there was no transparency regarding what these items were. The refund did not compensate for the poor experience. What was most disappointing was the lack of transparency—for example, skipping parts of the itinerary and claiming it was for our safety, yet not communicating this at the time of booking, Or late checkout not being arranged despite charging - with the explanation that they do this only on the last day when flight details are known. However, by then, the hotel had already allocated rooms – so even had they wanted to extend, it would have been impossible. Note - this late check out charge was refunded, on our demand.
Our recommendation based on conversations with other guests and travellers, is that you skip this service as you will receive better value, service, and advice by booking directly with hotels and camps.
CO
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
They don’t return the money.
They canceled the safari that was scheduled with me for next September 17, and they still haven’t refunded my money. I do not recommend using their services.