65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
This tour operator cannot be trusted
Update to review below:
The owner, George Oketch, has today (31/05/2026) responded to my complaint, confirming that the money owed to me has been sent. This is indeed the case but it was hardly settled promptly as he claims! I had to wait over 6 months for this to happen, and only then following the intervention of the Kenyan Tourist Regulation Authority and KATO. This operator is not to be trusted.
I had travelled 6 times with Right Choice since 2021 and always had exceptional service. However, on our trip in November 2025, my companion was asked by the owner if she would pay for Amboseli park fees as he had been unwell and it was Sunday! As I trusted him completely, I assured her that he would pay her back the following day as he promised. This did not happen! No reimbursement has been forthcoming and my companion is owed the equivalent of £490. Also, we had paid for 3 internal flights but only 1 materialised. Two were "unavailable" so we had to travel by road. We are now owed refunds for the flights we didn't have but, unsurprisingly after our experience with the park fees, no money has been received and now our emails are being ignored. What shabby treatment of a loyal regular client by retaining a significant sum of money to which Right Choice's owner is not entitled.
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Disappointed
The only good thing was Brian, our guide. He did what he could to get us to see some animals.
This company is so disorganized. I bought the package without giraffe centre and they almost took me there twice. I had to reach out to get details of the driver, which was shared late night, only a few hours before the pickup, I had to stay awake to get the details.
It’s not 6 hours as promised. We had barely 4 hours at the national park. You pay a super expensive fee for the park to be there for just a bit. And there’s no clear explanation of that. The title is super misleading.
Plus, is a mini van and is hard to see anything from it. When I tried to switch cars, they just ignored me.
I had such a beautiful experience in Nairobi, and this was the only really frustrating part.
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Vehicle Accident and What Followed
Our safari with African Big Cat Safaris in May 2026 was unfortunately marked by a serious vehicle accident, and I believe future travellers should be aware of both the incident itself and the company's response afterwards.
During our safari in the Serengeti, the vehicle left the road and came to rest on its side. Official incident reports and a traffic citation were issued following the accident.
Several members of our group sustained injuries. I was seated in the rear row of the vehicle and, after returning to China, CT imaging confirmed fractures of the L1-L3 lumbar transverse processes resulting from the accident. Another member of our group was diagnosed locally with a mild concussion.
Local medical assistance was arranged after the incident, and based on the medical assessments available at the time, no serious bone injury was identified. However, both the concussed passenger and I were unable to participate in safari activities the following day and remained at camp while the rest of the group continued the itinerary.
To be fair, the company covered local medical expenses incurred in Tanzania and provided the accident documentation when requested.
My concern relates less to the accident itself and more to the level of care and support shown afterwards.
After returning home, medical examinations confirmed injuries that had not been identified locally. We submitted the relevant medical evidence and attempted to resolve the remaining accident-related costs through direct and respectful communication.
We also limited our request and did not pursue compensation for missed safari activities, damaged personal property, loss of income, rehabilitation costs, or other indirect losses. Instead, we requested a modest contribution toward a small portion of the accident-related expenses that remained uncovered by our travel insurance.
The company ultimately declined any form of goodwill support beyond the medical expenses already covered in Tanzania and informed us that its position was final. More importantly, at no stage did we feel there was meaningful acknowledgement of the impact this accident had on the injured members of the group.
Safari travel inherently carries risk, and I understand that accidents can happen even with experienced operators. For me, the most important measure of a company is not whether an accident occurs, but how it responds when guests are injured.
I encourage prospective travellers to ask detailed questions about vehicle safety procedures, seatbelt policies, emergency response arrangements, accident reporting processes, and post-incident support before booking.
This review reflects my personal experience and is supported by official incident records, medical documentation, and correspondence with the company.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Non-licensed tour operator holding back deposit after cancellation
This is your sign to ALWAYS properly check the organisation you choose for your trip to Uganda and go to https://utb.go.ug/licensed-tour-companies/ to type in the company’s name in the Uganda Tourism Board’s search register.
We found "All Budget Gorilla Safaris" online via Google and had a very great start with them - presuming they are a „fully registered“ tour operator in Uganda as stated on their website.
They were helpful, responded very fast and helped us create our dream route. After proposing us to send the full payment in advance for taxation reasons we became a little startled for the first time. But we could agree on half of the price so we sent a deposit of 3000 USD for our planned trip. After receiving the deposit, the conversation turned more quiet and they were not able to provide us with any proof of secured permits for the gorilla trekking. We were very patient at first but became suspicious after a while.
When doing extensive research online we found out that this company is not a licensed tour company in Uganda (please always check here: https://utb.go.ug/licensed-tour-companies/). To make sure this was correct and not simply a mistake, we had personal contact with the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB). Unfortunately, they confirmed that this company is not licensed. Additionally, the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) also confirmed that "All Budget Gorilla Safaris" is in fact not a part of their organisation despite stating so on their website.
Sadly enough we then found an article in which "All Budget Gorilla Safaris" is listed as a suspended tour company because of fraudulent practices (check here: https://www.ugstandard.com/uganda-tourism-board-suspends-18-tour-operators/).
After finding all this information we decided to cancel our trip due to the concerning trust issue that they made us believe they are a solid tour operator but have no license at all and could not provide any proof of secured permits. We cancelled our trip on April 7, 2026 and are still waiting for our money. They assured a full payback but as of today (June 5th, 2026) we still have not seen any of it.
As long as this review is online and you are reading this, we are still missing out on 3000 USD - and even worse a trip to see the beautiful mountain gorillas! So please, be advised to always check through the provided link whether a company is licensed by the UTB or not and do not send any money to unlicensed companies. We had to learn the hard way and hope that this review will save you from experiencing the same.
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Terrible organization and management by Abongo, though Peter the guide saved the experience
I booked the "Nairobi: 4-Day Maasai Mara and Lake Naivasha Safari" through GetYourGuide, operated by Silver Spark Africa Safari, and the company's management (especially the boss, Abongo) was absolutely dreadful. I do not recommend them at all.
The issues started the day before the trip:
Last-minute changes: We were informed that they had to change our hotel because it was fully booked, and that the Spanish-speaking guide we requested couldn't make it due to being in "quarantine."
Extreme lateness and unprofessionalism: We were told to be ready at 6:00 AM at our hotel in Nairobi. The boss, Abongo, showed up at 8:00 AM (two hours late) because he had overslept, and he smelled strongly of alcohol. After dropping off the vehicle, he left and did not join us for the safari. Furthermore, the van he provided was incredibly old; it’s a miracle it even survived the trip.
Failure to pay entry fees: Upon arriving at the Maasai Mara gate, we were denied entry because the company had not paid the fees. Abongo sent me a WhatsApp message demanding that I advance $400 USD, claiming GetYourGuide hadn't paid them yet. After a heated argument where I flatly refused to pay, and after waiting for 2 hours, our guide managed to get them to let us in just to eat, under the condition that the payment would be processed later.
Held hostage at the hotel: After Maasai Mara, we headed to Lake Naivasha. The next day during check-out, the exact same issue happened again: we were forced to wait and couldn't leave the hotel because the company had failed to pay for our stay.
The only saving grace:
Our driver and guide, Peter, is a 5-star professional. He was amazing, always available, and constantly trying to minimize and resolve the endless problems caused by his boss, Abongo. The safari itself is wonderful because of the nature, but Silver Spark Africa Safari's management is a complete scam. They put you through incredibly stressful situations while the owner pockets the money and fails to pay vendors on time. Avoid this company at all costs!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Bored, entitled staff members, lack of transparency and shorter tour than I was led to believe
Very dishonest company - I paid for a 2 day, 1 night tour and my tour took less than 24 hours!! Before paying I wanted them to confirm in writing my pick up time and drop off time and they purposefully avoided answering the question. Now I know why!
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
ghosted us
we were booked for a gorilla trek and golden monkey trek. We had to cancel coming to Uganda and Rwanda. We emailed asking for a full refund, sent a couple of follow-ups- no response.
slimy organization
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bad bad experience with Greg Adventures
We were scheduled for a 3 day safari with Greg Adventures but at the end of the first day, the vehicle we were in filed on its side and two of the 6 passengers were injured and needed stitches. The driver never helps in any way. He was too interested to erase the name of Greg Adventures from the side of the vehicle. In addition Greg adventures denies any responsibility. This outfit is unreliable and should not be trusted if anything should happen during your safari.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Prepaid for tours & when cancelled would NOT provide refund nor documentation to submit to insurance
Africa Safari Concerns
Wild Horizons Zimbabwe Upon arrival, Wild Horizons Zimbabwe had no record of our reservation, causing significant confusion at the border. The driver initially dropped us at the wrong location, requiring a return trip to the correct exchange point. As a result, we lost approximately 1 hour & missed our scheduled afternoon activity. We request a full refund for this portion of the trip.
Chundu Island Our stay at Chundu Island fell below expectations:
Limited and underwhelming activities.
Repeated confusion regarding prepayment for Victoria Falls activities, despite prior confirmation.
Significant ant infestation upon arrival, resulting in multiple bites (see photos) & ants on dining utensils.
Two encounters with a bat in our room.
Unreliable hot water, allowing effectively one shower per person per stay.
Frequent boat operational issues, including collisions and a broken steering line, leading to modified excursions.
CapeTown
Dinner cruise was cancelled; we requested a full refund.
Missed opportunity to hike Table Mountain despite favorable conditions. Our requests to arrange an alternative guide were denied, causing significant disappointment.
Insurance
We purchased travel insurance through Travel Insured Intl (Crum & Forster) for $1255. Ntaba did not provide the documentation needed to submit a claim for the 4 paid activities affected by cancellations & operational mishaps. Our travel advisor, Jodi Oechsle of Krafty Travel, never submitted the claim on our behalf. We request immediate provision of the necessary documentation and clarification on why the claim was not submitted. We acknowledge and appreciate that Ntaba provided a goodwill gesture of $500 in recognition of some of the issues experienced at Chundu Island. However, this goodwill gesture did not address the four paid activities that were missed due to cancellations or operational mishaps. We request a formal response addressing each concern, along with details regarding refunds & compensation.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari