65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Cannot Be Trusted At All
If you are seriously considering booking any tour with Madagascar Natural Tours, I would strongly recommend that you read this review before you do so.
We booked a 15-day birdwatching tour with Madagascar Natural Tours and started the booking process 9 months in advance.
On the Madagascar Natural Tours website, it showed all of what we were promised would be included in our tour, and Harilala,who is the owner of Madagascar Natural tours, confirmed all of the details.
However virtually every significant aspect of our tour that was promised to us was not provided to us,
We were promised and paid for a 15-day tour but we received only a 13- day tour. We had booked our flights to Madagascar about 6 months before our tour was scheduled to start. Then,one day prior to our scheduled flight to Madagascar, we received an urgent email stating that our flight had been canceled for safety reasons because of civil unrest and violent protests that were taking place in Madagascar. The airline also stated that they were not sure when they would resume flights. I contacted Harilala about this, and he assured me that it was still safe to come to Madagascar for our tour because we were not going to be in the places where the violent protests were taking place. I told him that most airlines had stopped flying to Madagascar and that the government of Madagascar had instituted night-time curfews so that only flights arriving in daytime hours could still land in Madagascar. I told him that I would look to see if there was any way we could still find a flight to Madagascar. Harilala told me to let him know if we could find a suitable flight and then he would try to change the hotel arrangements to reflect the new dates of arrival at each hotel. We were able to find a flight onEthiopian Airlines that would arrive a day and a half later than our original arrival flight and would arrive in the late afternoon. I gave this information to Harilala and he said he would check with all the hotels to make the changes necessary because our tour would be starting on a later date that was originally planned. I checked with Harilala on the following day and he told me that he had successfully changed all the booking dates for all of the hotels for all 15 days of our tour.
Then when we arrived at the Madagascar airport, we were met by someone who worked for Harilala and rushed to a vehicle, Then Harilala showed up briefly to introduce us to a driver who did not speak English and also to a supposed “full-time qualified birding guide”about whom Harilala told us was not really a birding guide, but that he would be with us anyway.Harilala then told us he had something else to do and ran off.
We then discovered that Harilala had not rescheduled any of our itinerary and hotel arrangements like he had told us he had done. He had decided on his own, without telling us or providing any explanation, that we were now starting on Day 3 of our tour itinerary instead of Day 1of our itinerary, Harilala had unilaterally eliminated the first 2 days of our 15-day tour without any advance notice or explanation, and without any recourse. This resulted in him taking away 2 days of our tour during which we would no longer have the opportunity to see the cultural and scenery sights, the birds and other wildlife that we had wanted to see.
We had been promised a comfortable airconditioned 4X4 vehicle for our tour, but what we got on our first day there was a beat-up van with a non-working air conditioner. When we complained about this, we were told that we would get the vehicle we had been promised in another 3 or 4 days. But the vehicle Harilala provided 4 days later was another older van (not a 4x4) which at least had a working air conditioner.
We were promised a full-time qualified birding guide that would be with us throughout our tour, but all we were given was a person who admittedly knew nothing about birds (who provided absolutely no relevant information regarding birds) and was with us for only the first 3 days days of our tour, After those first 3 days, we had no birding guide at all and had only a driver with us for the remainder of our tour. Considering that our tour promised that we would be stopping and trying to see birds as we traveled along from destination to destination, by not having a full-time qualified birding guide with us meant that we would miss out on seeing many species of birds that we should have seen, Keep in mind that Harilala had 9 full months from the time that we first paid a deposit for this tour to find and assign a qualified full-time birding guide to accompany us on this tour but he failed to do so.
We were promised that we would also have qualified local birding guides provided to us on 11 of the days of our tour, but the local guides that were provided were certainly not qualified to be birding guides. Except for 2 of them, the local birding guides that were chosen for us did not own or use binoculars. We have never met or heard of any legitimately qualified birding guide that did not own or use binoculars. Most of the local guides provided did not know the English names of the birds and had to repeatedly try looking up the names of the birds. They mis-identified the birds dozens of times. Two of the local guides did not speak understandable English. Incredibly, one of the local guides blatantly stated that he would not speak to us unless we bought lunch for him.
We were promised in our itinerary that all dinners and all breakfasts would be included in the price of our tour, but on 3 occasions when we checked in to our lodge or hotel, we were told that there was no record of these meals being included. On all 3 of these occasions, we had to ask them to contact Harilala to correct this so that our promised meals would be included. At the last hotel where we stayed, our reservation also had no record of meals being included. When they contacted Harilala about this, we were told by the hotel representative that Harilala deliberately chose the option where breakfast would be provided for only one of us, telling the hotel representative that the 2 of us could split the one breakfast. .
If you look at tour reports from other legitimate birding companies that offer birding tours in Madagascar that have followed the same itinerary as we did on our tour, you will find that a typical 2-week birding tour will result in seeing between 150-200 different bird species. On our tour, we only saw 102 different species. And the reason for that is because Hrilala, in addition to eliminating 2 days of our tour, failed to provide all the key elements that were promised to us, including a full-time qualified birding guide and truly qualified local birding guides.
Obviously, we tried again and again to contact Harilala about this. We made multiple telephone calls to Harilala, but he only answered one of them,and in that call ,he lied about many things. We sent many WhatsApp texts to him that were usually completely ignored, and if they were eventually answered, they were also full of lies and nonsensical explanations. For the last 3 days that we were in Madagascar, we repeatedly asked Harilala to meet with us in person to discuss what had transpired on our tour. He agreed to do so, and then on each of the next 3 days, he made us some excuse why he could show up.
Right after we returned home, we sent a detailed message to him explaining all the things that went wrong on our birding tour because of his failure to provide all that he had promised.We also requested a refund to make make up for the 2 days that he had eliminated form our tour and for not providing the full-time qualified birding guide that had been promised. Harilala said he would soon provide a response to this, and despite multiple further contacts with him over these last few months, he has never replied.
What makes this situation even worse is that Harilala could have warned us or told us in advance about these significant issues, but he never did. Harilala could have asked us if what he was doing would be acceptable, but he never did. Harilal could have offered us an explanation of why he made the choices he did about cutting short our tour and why the promised birding guides were not given to us, but he never did Harilala could have apologized to us for all these things, but he never did. Harilalla could have offered compensation or a refund for not providing what we had paid for, but he never did.
PLEASE BE WARNED: I would expect Harilala to respond to this review, and I expect that whatever he says will be the same kind of lies and fabrications that he has given to us. I believe that Hartilala is essentially a dishonest conman whose only goal is to make all the promises that you want to hear, then takes your money, and then fails to provide virtually anything that he promised,,
We would strongly suggest that you avoid booking any tour with Madagascar Natural Tours. There are many other tour providers in Madagascar that are honest and ethical and will deliver everything that they promise. Use one of them.
SE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unfortunately, we did not get what we were promised: a calculated and cynical move by Knap Tours
Hi,
It's heartbreaking to share this story, but I feel fellow travelers need to understand how Knap Tour operates - and communicates.
November 2, I was contacted by Knap Tours after I asked for a quote on Safaribookings.com
November 3, I talked to their MD on phone to make sure we were on the same page. He confirmed everything in writing.
November 4, I wired money for the 3day trip with Knap Tours
November 5, the trip, with accomodation was confirmed in writing
So far.... so good. But what was supposed to be a dream trip with my 12 year old daughter turned out to be a nasty surprise as we arrived to the lodge. Our guide received a phonecall 1 hour before we arrived. He said that the lodge was full, there had overbookings and standard procedure was to pass on guests to an Ostrich Farm. We refused as the plan was to stay at the lodge. We were offered another place, turned it down, and offered to be driven back to Cape Town with full reimbursement (6 hours drive... don't think so) and my daughter started crying.
I called the MD and asked what was going on and he told me he'd just been informed about the non existing Luxury Tent at the lodge. I found it all very suspicious.
During this converstation with the MD from Knap Tours, I was offered 10% reimbursement.
We had to stay at the new accomodation but upon arrival to the lodge the day after I talked to the MD and booking manager at the lodge who found it all very odd, so they checked.
Nov 3, Knap Tours asked for a reservation
Nov4, the lodge replied that they had no tents or any accomodation for NYE.
So... Knap Tours sold me something that was not theirs to sell. They lied about the process (the lodge confirmed this and told me they would never refer any guest to the Ostrich Farm) and they knew very well that we could not go back to Cape Town. They made a bet we'd accept it without a fight.
Fortunately the lodge was helpful and let us stay in one of their tents (just had a cancellation) for NYE.
When I asked for the 10% reimbursement once back, the MD was most rude to me and then ignored me and my messages.
So: be aware - these guys promise you things they cannot keep, they bet you are not willing to fight for what you have been promised and they are cynical and most rude.
Stay away from Knap Tours and make sure you chose a serious agency if you do a once-in-a-lifetime- trip
Honestly,
//Jakob
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Trip cancelled with just 2 weeks notice. Still awaiting full refund
After 3 months, reluctantly, I feel I have no choice to post this review about my experience with Ngala Wilderness.
Last April, I booked and paid in full for a 2-week, photography based, trip with Ngala Wilderness at their base in South Africa, commencing 18th October 2025.
Two weeks before I was due to go, I received an email notice of cancellation, the reason being that the other 3 participants had cancelled, and it was no longer viable to run anymore.
Whilst I was hugely disappointed and had to quickly find an alternative trip, I was promised a full refund, which being Ngala’s decision to cancel my trip, you would naturally expect.
After 6 weeks (and much hassle), I received a part payment in mid-November – about 45% of the value of the trip. I am still waiting for the balance. And this is despite ongoing and protracted communications with the Director of Ngala Wilderness and promise of settlement.
I have spent a huge amount of time exchanging emails and WhatsApp messages with their Director. A lot of unsubstantiated reasons why I was not being fully refunded. Paypal being an easy option for them.
I feel I have been incredibly patient but it’s been over 3 months - it’s now January 20th 2026. It is totally unacceptable to withhold my refund for this trip.
I ca provide complete proof and documentation of my statement above.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Terrible !!
do not book with this company - they are all lies.
they use 3rd party operators and don't care what happens after you've paid.
most horrible of horrible of experience.
joshua,the so called manager does not respond. staff say ,i just work here, sorry.
4 day safari costing over $2300/person - unmarked vehicle used is falling apart ,old, windows hardly work, breakdowns on all 4 days spending hours repairing the vehicle.
less than half the day spent on safari. guide has no clue of lodges - gets lost every nite, driving around for hours in the dark.
3rd party operator used 5 different companies to transport us , none of them have ever heard of moria,including other company guides that we met. not one moria vehicle was seen, do they even exist.
sub standard accommodation used after showing lodges that they said we would be accommodated in. changed lodges without informing us until we on our way to safari.
do not part with your hard earned money, these guys are fake - they will desert you once you've paid . when staff are contacted they will say they have no authority - joshua is the manager.
i am spreading this far & wide in as many platforms as possible, don't don't book with these people please !!!
furthermore, I believe they are using locals to write fake reviews to make them look good - beware !!!!
After writing this - look at the response
the manager, joshua has come back to me - he says that breakdowns are acceptable due to road conditions - nothing can be done !!!
the strange part is that we did not see another vehicle that broke down, in other words ,they are not interested.
again - i urge all of you - do not book thru this company, you will regret it !!!
14th january 2026 - i write again as joshua undertook to get a refund for a flight i could not use due to the unrest - asked me to provide proof , which i did - has not bothered to come back to me and does not answer my calls - further proof that this company cannot be trusted.
just take a look at all the 5 star reviews - all written by locals, most have only written 1 review - all with a similar review - fake fake fake - all the real reviews are the 1 star which should be zero stars.
once again - do not book with this company - you will regret it !!!!
LT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Avoid this company at all costs
We partnered with them to organize a group trip and transferred the agreed advance payment in full. Instead of using the funds responsibly, they spent the money and then, just two days before the trip, demanded that we transfer the same amount again, promising they would “deliver the trip now and refund later.”
This is not a misunderstanding — it’s a complete breach of trust and of basic professional ethics.
No travel company should ever operate this way. Their actions show a lack of financial integrity, zero respect for travelers, and a blatant disregard for legal obligations. A company behaving like this should not hold a tourism license, and its manager Mr Perminus Muturi should not be working in the travel industry at all.
For the safety of your clients, your finances, and your peace of mind: do not work with them.
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I recommend You Do Not Use This Company — Our Tour was Unsafe, Disorganized, and they had Zero Accountability!!!
Our four day trip was plagued by serious safety issues, poor planning and zero professionalism . Day 1 STARTED 5.5 HOURS LATE with no explanation, costing us half the day or 1/8 of our trip. When we brought this up Big Apes told us we were brought to our destination, so they fulfilled their obligation, ignoring the fact that instead of enjoying the resort for 5.5 hours, we sat in the hotel lobby waiting for our ride that kept telling us he would be there any minute. The vehicle was VERY unsafe. Many seats lacked seatbelts and one seat literally CAME OFF THE FLOOR WHEN THE VEHICLE BRAKED. The driver admitted extreme fatigue even telling us HE “FELT DRUNK”, drove recklessly, nearly caused an accident, and even planned to drive until the vehicle ran out of gas on remote roads. Yep, he told us he intentionally planned to drive as far as he could down a remote road to get as close to the gas station as possible. Thank goodness we rolled in on fumes.
Water was not adequately provided as promised, the last hotel was AWFUL and not even close to the standard of the first two hotels (which surprisingly were actually nice) and at a border crossing the driver Walked Away From Me, Saying Nothing, Leaving Me Standing Alone In The Middle Of The Street At An International Border Alone
with no guidance. The “guide” provided no guiding at all, he just drove, was rude, and completely disengaged.
When these issues were formally raised, management refused accountability, dismissed the safety concerns, and offered to refund only the guide’s $40/day pay as compensation for a $4,000 trip.
This company omitted the most basic safety standards, organization, and professionalism. This should be a no-brainer, just go with another company and stay far away from Big Apes.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nothing nice to say here.
Explore Rwanda Tours should not be taken into consideration as a serious travel option. Communication is abhorrent and, in particular, customer service agent Grace frequently ignores messages, deflects concerns, and provides non-responses. Did we survive? yes. But several of our planned excursions were skipped. Coffee tour was planned on Christmas and was closed. Cave trek was abandoned because the caves were closed(and had been closed) for the past year due to an outbreak of a deadly virus. We chose specific accommodation options 10 months in advance only to find out 2 weeks before the trip that the company was unable to secure the lodging and we were forced into lesser options. Grace gave us false pricing for the lodging and has yet to refund us the difference between the two prices despite offering to do so. Currently she is ignoring my messages to speak to management with no resolution in sight.
Go to Rwanda, it is a beautiful country and full of adventure, but I recommend absoultely do not use Rwanda Tours
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I felt totally scammed
I booked a tour to visit La Reunión.
The first bad impression came that AFTER we already paid the travel we got informed that the tour needs a minimum of 6 passengers. If not it doesn't take place or you can switch it into a private tour which is way more expensive.
I would think that this is an information you should give before the booking and not after.
As we go with a Cruise Ship we only have this 1 day to see the island so 3 weeks before we are going I asked if the tour is fully booked. I got a pretty quick answer that it isn't so I send a message that I would like to cancel and get a refund so I can book somewhere else, where it's a confirmed booking.
Since than I sent several messages but I didn't get any messages or my money back.
I can just recommend not to book with this company.
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.
The lawyer is still on the file.
Sincerely, Francois
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Terrible experience, stay away from this tour operator.
Hello,
I wanted to report a truly unpleasant experience that recently occurred with travel operator Shinzelle Safaris during the period of natural emergency and severe rainfall that affected the Limpopo and Mpumalanga regions. Usually the quality of a travel agency shows when problems arise, not when everything goes according to plan.
We had booked, many months in advance, a rather expensive 4‑day package in January, which included accommodation, meals, transfers, and safari activities in private reserves and inside Kruger National Park. The day before our arrival, we were informed of the serious emergency unfolding in the region and especially inside the park. When we asked whether it made sense to cancel the experience (we still had time to reorganize a different itinerary in South Africa), we were told to stay calm, that all activities were still confirmed, and that we only needed to prepare for a bit of rain. So we left, still very excited.
Day 1:
We arrived at the Lodge around lunchtime, and despite the 6‑hour trip from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit, we were informed only upon arrival that the afternoon safari activity planned in a private reserve had been cancelled. They offered us an alternative activity (spa and massages at the Lodge), which we accepted, but magically there was no availability anymore. We asked to reschedule it in the following days, but it was never recovered.
Day 2:
The full‑day safari went ahead successfully. We entered the park through Orpen Gate at 5 a.m., and despite the heavy rain throughout the day, we had fun and truly enjoyed the experience (it was our very first safari), without paying much attention to the weather conditions.
Day 3:
Panorama Route interrupted after just a few hours. Our boat tour was postponed from the morning to the afternoon, but the rain conditions were dramatic from the early hours. Despite this, they still made us leave, but the road was crazy and the vehicle was at serious risk of skidding off the road. Along with the rain, dense fog prevented any visibility of the canyon, making it impossible to enjoy the views. After about 3 hours of driving, we were called back (obviously all boat tours had been cancelled), as conditions had become prohibitive and the main road back to Hoedspruit had already been closed. We returned to the Lodge around lunchtime and spent the entire afternoon and evening in our room.
Day 4:
Morning safari—an optional activity paid separately from the standard itinerary—was scheduled in a private reserve but cancelled the night before, with no alternative activity offered despite our request.
Summary: Two safari experiences cancelled and the Panorama Route interrupted in dangerous conditions. Communication with Danielle, the operations manager of the tour operator, was always prompt during the booking phase and when it came to cancelling activities along first days. But as soon as we asked for replacement activities, responses became vague and never timely. It should be noted that despite the adverse weather, we always maintained a calm and even enthusiastic attitude about the experience. But when the last activity was cancelled, we politely asked—despite the frustration—for a partial refund for the activities not carried out.
From that moment on, Danielle literally disappeared for more than 48 hours, without even acknowledging us (not even a simple “no, it’s not possible, our terms and conditions do not include refunds for weather cancellations, we are handling emergencies and will get back to you”—nothing). We were completely ignored until we returned to Johannesburg and flew back to Europe.
We are fully aware that their terms and conditions give them the upper hand, but we would have expected at least a different attitude, more empathy and cooperation (which we showed throughout the cancellations and especially when we were put at significant risk on the roads under heavy rain, all documented with photos and videos). We were not even offered a partial refund for an optional activity paid in advance. Unfortunately, we felt misled throughout the stay, when it would have been easy to avoid wasting our money, time, and putting us in dangerous conditions. Strangely, we were contacted again only after we sent an official complaint by email and after posting our first negative review on their social media.
They even pointed out that we received an upgrade from a 4‑star Lodge to a 5‑star one—an upgrade we had not requested, though appreciated—and for this reason we supposedly had no grounds to complain, despite some issues with the food (little variety, overly spiced) and having to shower with cold water one day (reported and then resolved). They said they offered us two meals and drinks (one vegetarian wrap lunch when the first safari was cancelled, one wrap lunch upon returning from the Panorama Route—although lunch was already included in the itinerary—and two drinks), which didn’t even remotely cover the cost of the lost activities. Only later did we realize that the upgrade (from a well‑known luxury lodge chain) to a private lodge placed us right next to the company’s headquarters inside the Hoedspruit Estate.
After many years of travelling around the world, we have never encountered service like this from a travel agency. We were very surprised by the treatment received and the total lack of empathy and customer care. Why not offer at least a partial refund, even just for the cancelled optional activities, as a gesture of goodwill toward a clearly disappointed customer? Especially when you, as the tour operator, organizing the activities directly with your own resources, did not have to bear any cost? We would have been satisfied even just to see some willingness to meet us halfway. Instead, we were treated merely as a number, yet another tourist to take advantage of.
Looking back, we can consider ourselves lucky to have been able to return safely to Johannesburg and not have had any accidents along the way. According to them, they met all safety standards and consumer care requirements, but unfortunately the facts told us a very different story.
We came back home sad, disappointed, and deeply bitter.