US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Baboon Budget Safaris – We almost died - extremely disappointing experience
We booked a 6-day safari with Baboon Budget Safaris company, and the experience was deeply disappointing and, at times, dangerously unprofessional. Below is a summary of the key issues we encountered.
Severe Lack of Safety and Professionalism: There was no safety briefing or orientation at the start of the tour, despite entering a wildlife park. The driver assigned to us was not a trained guide but an inexperienced driver operating a poorly maintained, outdated vehicle with no navigational tools or working two-way radio. He lacked knowledge of the animals, animal locations, the park and camp-site routes, or even basic driving protocol in wildlife settings.
On Day 2, we suffered a serious accident. The driver got lost around 7:00 PM as he took a wrong route back to our camp. We had to intervene and use our personal phones with Google Maps to guide him in the middle of pitch-black wildlife park. At 8:30 PM, in complete darkness, he failed to slow down for crossing large wildlife animals like Zebras and buffalos crossing the road, lost control of the vehicle while speeding, and drove off the road violently while seven passengers were being tossed around in the car. The impact burst the back tire, pushed the car into the mud and grass on the side of the road and left us stranded deep within the park. We were unable to exit the vehicle due to the surrounding wildlife. There was no passing car since the park was closed at that time and no hope for help. The driver got on the phone and tried to secure a rescue plan for us while passengers were distraught and distressed inside the car. Eventually a random passing car stopped and offered to take us back to our campsite for a fee.
What’s worse, the tour company, Baboon made no effort to check on us, send help, or even contact us to make sure we are fine or at least apologize. We wrote emails to them later that night, but they completely ignored us. They did not send any alternative safe vehicle for us to continue the rest of our trip. There was no apology, no accountability—only total neglect. The entire situation could have ended in tragedy or death.
Freelance Drivers: The drivers Baboon hires are freelancers – they are not employees of Baboon. This is according to the drivers. Once Baboon takes the full payment for the safari, they pass you on to the drivers. Any issues you face during your safari, you are either on your own or have to go through the driver to resolve. This makes things a lot worse.
Accommodation Failures: We had clearly agreed with Baboon on accommodations with two separate rooms throughout the 6-day tour. Upon arrival at the first camp (at 8:30 PM), we were told only one room with 2 beds was booked by Baboon, and that Baboon had instructed the camp to provide just a single room for two people. This left three of us without appropriate arrangements, discussions, haggling and pleading with the camps manager to secure another room and bed. This problem persisted at every accommodation throughout the rest of the tour.
Payment Issues: We paid a deposit via bank transfer two months in advance. On the first day of the tour, we were taken to the Baboon office and asked to pay the remaining balance in cash only—credit cards were not accepted. Although we provided brand new US dollar bills, several were rejected arbitrarily for not being “new enough,” despite having come directly from the bank in excellent condition. This unnecessary negotiation delayed the start of our tour.
Our experience with Baboon Safari Tours was unacceptable on every level: lack of professionalism, communications, total disregard for safety, logistical failures, and a refusal to take responsibility when things went wrong. I strongly advise others to consider alternative, reputable tour operators when booking a safari if you care about your safety and life.
MY
Not all the people they arranged are well-trainned.
We visited South Africa with great expectations and engaged Mo Afrika Tours, a local company based in Johannesburg, with the hope of having a memorable and safe experience. Sadly, what happened on our arrival at the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel in Sandton turned our trip into a nightmare.
At the entrance of the hotel, we were violently robbed at gunpoint by four men. My parents were physically assaulted — my dad sustained a nose injury, and my mum was hurt around my left eye. The trauma we endured is indescribable.
We believe that the driver arranged by Mo Afrika Tours was untrained and unfamiliar with their own procedures.
- He parked in a distant open-air lot instead of the car park directly across from the terminal, where other experienced drivers would park, causing us to walk a considerable distance with all our luggage.
- He struggled with basic vehicle functions, including how to open the trunk, delaying our departure further.
- He left us unattended in the car to pay for parking, which took longer than expected — all this in an area vulnerable to crime.
Only later did we discover that our assigned experienced driver was unavailable, and instead, an assistant operator of the company with no proper driver training had taken over. Shockingly, the tour company just denied their responsibility for their negligence regarding our safety, despite being aware of the local risks. Such negligence is inexcusable from a company claiming to provide secure travel services despite some post-incident support provided.
The hotel’s lack of visible security presence also raises serious concerns about guest safety. After the incident happened, we knew from the hotel’s security team that firearms are easily accessible in South Africa. This revelation only deepened our concern — if the hotel’s own security team is aware of the risk, why weren’t there more proactive measures in place to protect their guests, especially right at the front entrance where many arrive? The hotel staff had witnessed us frantically trying to get their attention, but no one took any action. I will never forget the four receptionists’ eyes that saw us asking for help but did nothing.
We do appreciate the post-incident support they provided. However, it is hard to overlook that, in the crucial moments of our arrival, the hotel’s lack of visible security and proactive measures left us vulnerable.
We’re sharing our experience not out of bitterness, but to warn other travellers. Your safety should never be compromised — and unfortunately, trusting these companies came at a great personal cost to us.
No security at the hotel entrance. No protection from the tour company that left us vulnerable in the car. Just fear and trauma.
If you’re planning to visit, please be cautious. A dream trip can turn into a nightmare when safety isn’t treated as a priority by those you trust.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Lost $6,400 with Ngoni Safari Tour Operator
The Ngoni Safaris Manager, Bwire, planned our 5-day Gorilla Trip in June. Bwire double charged me on my credit card for the trip and acknowledged his mistake but Ngoni Safaris refuses to refund me my money $$$. I verified this mistake in May 2025, when we received the trekking permits, and Bwire has assured me 4 times in the past 2 ½ months that he has corrected this error but Ngoni Safaris still fraudulently retains my money. Bwire has spent the duplicate $6400 and is unable to repay the money.
I am currently pursuing legal action through an attorney to recover these funds. Based on my experience, I strongly recommend that the company be suspended from safari listings until this matter is resolved.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Terrible Agency
A car accident ( may happen ) caused by our tour driver has forced us to rescheduled our Safary trip missing the Tarangire Park day tour. We had asked for a refund for the experience not seen and the partial day lost due to the accident but the owner of the agency has met us into his office and said that he could just refund us only the Tarangire entry fee (50 $) despite we had paid for 4 days private tours costing us 2600 $ for 4 experience. For him, that refund of 50 $ was ok although we had spent 5 hours stuck in a police station (because of the accident) and the following hours driving to arrive to Serengeti National Park with a new driver who could barely speak English and also got lost in Serengeti Park. Flying over the high tone of our conversation, We also had requested to see all the invoices for the extra costs he said he had to pay to guarantee us the continuation of our Safary: He said He did not have any invoices .He focused the attention to the cost of petrol there has been and also the water the tour had provided to us.He also has been very stressful in expecting us to accept his offer interrupting us every time we tried to explain him that we had paid to see four attractions but in the end we just saw three. We didn’t accept
CN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Irresponsible operator. Refuse to refund payment.
We lost $3600 with this operator, and the business owner, Abraham Haftamu, also treated us, the victim, in the most disrespectful way. Our booking experience with Vowland Ethiopia Tour has become a worst nightmare.
In July this year, we decided to book with this operator for our Ethiopia Safari tour. We emailed the official email address, which is under the operator's business website, for booking details. In early July, the operator emailed us the payment links to make the payment of $3600. Afterwards, they also confirmed the receipt of my payments from the same email address. However, we never received a contract, and this got me worried.
A few weeks later, we received emails from Abraham's email address claiming that his business website and email address had been hacked. He didn't receive any payments from us. He initially apologised for the situation and asked if we could pay an extra $1600 for the safari tour. ($600 initial discount he agreed to us, plus $1000 financial support due to the loss he suffered from the website hacking), While communicating the incident, he suddenly flipped his tone and refused to take any responsibility. But instead, claiming my email was hacked, that I was intentionally tracking and attacking his business. That I am a THIEF AND LIAR.
The whole incident is unbelievable. I didn't just lose my money, but also received the most disrespectful treatment.
I don't want to assume the worst for the business, but at least they are extremely irresponsible and refuse to take responsibility for their poor management. They refuse to resolve the issue, and they also refuse to refund any payment. But instead, they insist I am the THIEF and LIAR.
As a customer, this is the worst experience of my life. I hope no one has to experience the same.
I would like to thank the SafariBookings team and their investigation. Thank you for thoroughly looking into the evidence I submitted. I appreciate the time, the effort you gave to this matter.
MY
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very unprofessional
On July 15, 2025, our family had a terrible experience in Johannesburg while on a tour with Mo Afrika Tours. We were attacked and robbed at gunpoint by four men right in front of the main entrance of the Radisson Blue Johannesburg hotel. My wife and I were both physically assaulted and injured, and all of our belongings were stolen.
We believe the driver arranged by Mo Afrika Tours acted unprofessionally and without our safety as a priority. This, in our opinion, is what left us vulnerable to the attack. Because of this, we believe Mo Afrika Tours should be held responsible for what happened.
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
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
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.
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.