SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Disappointing communication - Ghosted
A reputable tour operator should be available to reassure and guide their clients, but Great Lake Safaris just went silent. It feels very unprofessional and untrustworthy.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wildside Kenya Safaris cannot be trusted
Having had the same excellent safari driver/guide for many years through a company that has ceased trading, we were anxious to retain him for another holiday. With our approval, he booked us with Wildside Kenya Safaris for a week in the Maasai Mara in early April. We paid the deposit and it was agreed we could pay the balance upon arrival at Nairobi airport. We duly handed USD4,048 to the proprietor of Wildside. We were spending the week at the same lodge and, when we were due to leave, were informed that the lodge had not been paid by Wildside. Our safari driver/guide was visibly shaken and upset - he was in no position to pay it himself. Both he and the lodge staff tried persistently to contact the proprietor of Wildside by 'phone without success. There was either no answer or the 'phone was turned off. There was no alternative to our driver/guide asking us to pay the lodge. We paid USD9,018 by card. We then realised that our driver/guide had also not been paid for his services and expenses for the trip. This was devastating for us all. All the money we had paid to Wildside Kenya Safaris had been retained illegally by the proprietor. We now need to investigate and find out what action we can take from the UK to get our money back. We are frankly disgusted and appalled by the behaviour of the proprietor of Wildside.