20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
£16,000 Honeymoon LOST
I am writing this review to warn future customers, especially those booking significant life events like a honeymoon, about our experience with Tanzania Specialist. We didn't even get to go on our honeymoon and lost everything.
We booked a £15937.46 honeymoon package through this company. When unforeseen circumstances forced us to request a postponement well in advance of our travel dates, we contacted them immediately.
The initial agent told us they would "look into it" and mentioned there "may be some costs," which we accepted. However, after weeks of back-and-forth, the company ultimately refused to move the dates after we had already made plans not to go and charged us the entire cost of the honeymoon with not even a 'sorry'. They just said its in the terms and conditions.
Our primary issue is this: at the time of our initial request, the agent did not inform us that moving the honeymoon was impossible under these ts&cs. Had we been clearly told this crucial information at the time, we would have made every effort to go on our honeymoon as planned. Instead, we were given false hope, which led to us losing the entire £15937.46.
We believe this is a severe failure in customer communication and a deeply unfair practice. We are now pursuing action through the courts to try and get money back but it is looking unlikely, Tanzania Specialist basically said, 'Our lawyers are better than yours'....complete bullies.
As I said before, we never got to go on our once in a lifetime trip after saving for years. We put our trust in this company and we got nothing for it so please be warned. Book somewhere else, your money/experience will be safer.
If anyone needs proof of emails or clarification, get in touch with me.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely Disappointing & Unsafe Safari Experience – Do Not Recommend
UPDATE: After posting my review, the owner asked me to take it down because “one bad experience doesn’t reflect his company.” But this was my one and only experience and it was robbed from me. That alone should tell you something about this company handles dissatisfied guests.
Also, notice how tactical the company is in their response: they claim they gave me a “full refund.” In reality, it was USD 1,250, which is less than a quarter of what I paid, and only covered one disrupted day. The failures on Day 1 and the overall safari experience were never properly compensated. Calling that a “full refund” is misleading at best.
Yes, I saw the wildebeest crossing, but let’s be clear, hundreds of guides bring guests there daily during this migration season. There was nothing exclusive about this being provided by Msangai. Our car was one of the last to arrive, we were stuck in the back, and the driver wasn’t even able to get us closer. This company did nothing special to deliver an “unforgettable safari experience”, despite how they market themselves.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I paid over USD 5,000 for a 3-day safari with Msangai Tours, and what I received was nothing close to what was promised. The trip was poorly organized, unsafe, and deeply disappointing.
Key issues:
• Missed game drives: Day 1 had no proper drive, just a transfer to the lodge. Day 2 was largely wasted due to delays and breakdowns.
• Abandonment: Left for 2.5 hours at Kogatende airstrip with no guide, no communication, and no safe transport.
• Unsafe, unfit vehicle: Given an old open vehicle (never disclosed beforehand) that broke down repeatedly, including a muffler failure that left us blocking traffic.
• Garage stop during safari: Instead of a game drive, we were taken to a garage while the car was being fixed – unacceptable for paying clients.
• Broken promises: Binoculars, a basic safari necessity, were promised but never provided.
• Unprofessional guiding: The guide admitted his car was failing, tried to borrow a relative’s, and showed little concern for safety or experience.
Yes, the lodges were fine and the hot air balloon was enjoyable (booked through another operator), but the safari itself was essentially undelivered.
I did eventually receive a small partial refund of $1250, but it does not make up for the wasted time, stress, and lost experience.
Bottom line: If you are considering booking with Msangai Tours, I strongly advise against it. There are many other operators in Tanzania who deliver safe, professional, and reliable safaris.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They Stranded Us
This review is not for the tour itself—it was a great experience. This review is for Aquiline Safaris, specifically Brian and his awful handling of my tour.
I originally purchased my tour through Viator. Brian immediately contacted me and told me to cancel with Viator and book directly with Aquiline because “your seats have to be held by a deposit and viator takes a whole month to pay us for your booking.” I knew it was really to cut out Viator’s commission fees, but I wanted to help out a local company. Stupid move on my part—this actually cost me more as I lost cash back from Viator’s rewards program as well as from my credit card for booking through Viator. On top of this, Aquiline charged me an additional 3% credit card fee (Viator does not) which is significant for a tour that isn’t exactly cheap. Most importantly, I lost all protections Viator, a U.S.-based company I’ve always had great experiences with, would’ve provided me if I purchased through them.
The tour started off terribly. Aquiline overbooked the tour, so we were delayed about 30 minutes while the tour guides asked everyone if they wanted to split up and sit in separate vehicles from their friends/spouse/travel partner. Eventually they convinced these two friends who did not know anyone else to ride in separate vehicles so we could finally get going.
Where Aquiline really screwed us was after the tour and my wife and I were dropped off at the safari base lodge in Mto Wa Mbu. We were exhausted after a long day of driving and the safari itself, and just wanted to get back home to rest. After waiting awhile with no one collecting us and driving us the 3 hours back to Arusha, I contacted Brian and his response was “A transfer will be arranged back to Arusha.”
Turns out, no such transfer was arranged. Through some oversight or whatever reason, he effectively stranded us 3 hours away. And had the nerve to blame it on us, when we were told to wait for our ride back after the safari. Instead of doing what normal, good businesses do and take accountability and problem solve, he spent the whole time wanting to blame and argue. I couldn’t call Viator for help, because of my mistake of canceling with them. To Brian’s credit, he eventually offered to find us a private car to take us home—at our own expense of course. Why should I pay for a transfer that I already paid for as part of the tour cost? As that would have been ridiculously expensive, especially with the mzungu tax I would’ve no doubt been charged, I declined. We just ended up taking a dala dala (local bus) all the way back home, a crowded and almost 4 hour journey.
Aquiline dropped the ball. Not a single apology or follow up with us, nothing. I don’t recommend booking any tour with Aquiline. There are so many great tour operators around Arusha. Don’t make a mistake going with a company that appeared to care more about maximizing profit over customer satisfaction.
LK
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I Strongly advice you Avoid Fabrics of Adventure Safaris if you are looking for a honest agency
After spending a significant amount on a luxury safari tour, our experience was marred by:
- Misleading information and unachievable misleading itineraries. We wasted 2 days of itnerey 5 nights 6 day luxury tour.
- Meals served at roadside instead of promised hotels. Timings spelled in the itinerary are completely misleading.
- Though the agency Fabrics Adventure promises to have guests with the same itineraries, they load people who have very different itineraries. Hence you will be deprived of what you have paid for and Driver makes decisions based on the mix of guests. WASTE OF MONEY
- Grueling 12-hour drives with minimal time spent in parks - completely off from itinerary and missing quality safari time you have paid for.
- The tracker cum Driver, PAUL, seemed lost and inexperienced. on top of that he is trying to dictate terms with guests.He is a very poor tracker and failed to spot animals and even disrupted rare hunts.
- The Fabrics Adventure direct contact is great until you confirm your tour. Once you are in Nairobi he will just show a jeep to get in and from there he is unable to help you and Driver runs the show.
- Fabrics Adventure gives you a 3P vehicle owned by a different company and has no control at all on changes the Jeep agency does.
If you want a peaceful and memorable safari experience in Kenya, look elsewhere. Fabrics of Adventure excels only in creating false itineraries, giving 3P to manage guests where the driver takes decisions even if you are completely out of your itinerary given by the agency.
overall strongly recommended to avoid this agency if you want a peaceful and great safari in kenya. which i am sure we all look forward to.
myself and my wife who was planning this trip for some time and looking forward for great time, left Kenya with sour feelings.
*Rating: 1/5*
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Terrible, unprofessional and unsafe
Colour Africa Tours is a not a genuine company from our experience. Not only do they rip you off, but they also treat international travelers poorly and inhumanely. Where do I begin?
Firstly, the safari van was wet and moldy, with a drink cabinet that had large black mold, and the drinks offered were not cold. We were charged an exorbitant amount for the safari, and despite providing our food preferences, we were never offered any food.
To make matters worse, our tour attempted to extort more money from us by holding two solo female travelers captive, causing us to miss our flights to our next destination. Even though we paid for beach tours in Zanzibar and a visit to Stonetown, we were informed once in the country that the beach tours would cost additional money.
At that point, we decided to avoid any further contact with them. Not only are they unprofessional, but this situation is also unsafe. I have reported this locally here in the UK.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dishonest company
I booked with Dosasha as they seem a very passionate and reliable team with good reviews in Safaribookings.
However, they deceived me. I got a Safari booked for September 25th. After paying the $1000 deposit the problems started, with them first not being able to fulfill the hotel orders as promised (Likely no hotel was booked by then)
The worst is that they sent a message 1 month before my trip telling me they are cancelling the tour and that they will refund, however no money is sent or coordinated at all, and they keep saying they will process the refund without any actual refund made.
Simply this company seems to have stolen from me. Be careful.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Dishonest company
My husband and I purchased a 10-day, personalized package including accommodations, safari car, park entrances and driver guide. Paid everything in advance. Already upon our arrival in Nairobi, Mr. Humphrey, the owner, communicated to us difficulties in finding the promised car. He then sent us a car to the airport which took us to the first park and which would be replaced the following day. However, we had difficulty both entering Samburu park and having a room at the lodge, as we were not booked. After a few phone calls, everything was resolved for the entrance and the lodge. Instead, for the car, an odyssey began: in short, for the rest of the journey we had to repay the car to continue and complete the itinerary, as the agency, with a thousand excuses, refused to pay the drivers. It was very challenging for us, as the drivers wanted to be paid exclusively in cash...For hotels, they were only paid for the first week. we had to pay for the last 4 nights again, as did the entrances to the parks. Once we arrived in Nairobi we went to the agency offices and the owner, as soon as he saw us, tried to escape through the back door... however, despite the threats to report him to the police and his umpteenth promises to reimburse us for the expenses incurred on the credit card, we got nothing. He proved to be an unscrupulous serial scammer. BE CAREFUL, AVOID IT
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Do not with them - as others have said - they will take your money and not book anything
They will have you pay via Pesapal and then claim it isn't "working" for them and they cannot get the money. They will ask you to pay cash the day of. As others have said, nothing is booked or paid for, Stay far, far away.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
this tourist agent is not to be trusted
i booked a 14days tour with Dosasha, this cost me nearly 5000USD, and the tour start very badly, as i and other 2 family can not have our land cruiser to kick off the tour from the first day, just because of Dosasha fail to pay the driver. they indeed manage to find car to take us to Masai Mara, but we have been told by the hotel that Dosasha have not paid them also. when we transport from Masai Mara to Nakuru, Dosasha send us a driver who is not qualified to drive us with a car which has a damaged car brake. and the driver can not drive safely with damage windscreen wiper. he also has not been paid by Dosasha, so he can not have enough diesel, we have to pay the fuel for him. he also do not know the road to Nakuru, and nearly have accident on the road because of the terrible road condition. when we finally finish the terrify journey to Nakuru, Dosasha also fail to pay the national park fee, so we can not enter and go to our hotel, we have been stranded in front of the national park gate for 3hours. when we finally have the agreement with the entrance staff we will pay the national park fee tomorrow when the POS machine can be used, and go to check in the hotel, we have been told Dosasha fail to pay them, and we have to pay by ourself to check out. after all of these drama, we give up with Dosasha, and ask for refund. they also promise to refund. but again, they fail to follow the promise to refund for 4times up to now, and no refund recieved.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari canceled 7 days prior to start by Natural World and after paying in full.
In December of 2024, I filled out the contact form on this company's website inquiring about a Safari. After much research I placed my trust in this company and put down a deposit of around $2,400 for a 7 day private Safari for 2 adults for 08/14/25-/08/21/25. All lodging, meals, game drives, and park entrance fee were allegedly included. We were to visit Amboseli, Lake Manayara, Ngorongoro, and Serengeti parks in both Kenya and Tanzania. All my communication was with an Ester via email. At the end of June 2025 Ester requested I make the final payment for my Safari. Since we had been emailing back and forth for several months I didn't think anything of it so I paid the remaining balance. The total was $8,124. This safari was part of a larger trip for me to Africa, so on 08/07/25 seven days prior to the beginning of my Safari and while I was already in Africa I received an email from the "Finance Department" stating that Natural World had been the victims of a cyberattack, since I had paid with a credit card (thank god) they requested I initiate a dispute with my credit card for "services not rendered". They apologized and that was basically it. I immediately replied and requested a call back from someone. I don't think that was too much to ask. No one at this company had the decency to get in contact with me and be transparent about the situation. After a lot of insisting via WhatsApp messages, Instagram direct messages, and replying to the emails I finally was able to speak to a Moke in the Finance Department. The conversation just reiterated everything in the email, Moke told me I could reschedule the Safari or they would cooperate with communication with my credit card company. Moke also mentioned the cyberattack was by someone within the company who had access to the pool of funds. Moke stated all payments from customers go into one account and from that account they pay for lodges, drivers, etc. I filed the dispute with my Bank of America credit card and the dispute seems to be in the final stages of the investigation. It's looking like I'll get my money back, but let's be clear if I get my money back that will be thanks to BofA not by Natural World attempting to make right by this awful situation. I was left without the safari I had been planning for half a year 7 days before it was to begin and I was already in Africa.
If this is a legitimate company...
When did this cyberattack happen?
Why was money requested from me given I had up to 7 days prior to beginning of the safari to pay in full?
Why were they not transparent from the beginning?
Why was my safari canceled only 7 days prior?
How did they know I can very easily dispute credit card transactions?
Why was it so difficult for someone (anyone) to speak to me?
If anyone would like further information on what occurred please feel free to reach out.
