NO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Terrible customer service.
We believe we have been scammed by Kima Safaris. We had planned and booked a trip in the start of november 2025, but due to problems regarding the election in Tanzania, Steven told us to cancel the safari due to safety. He told assured us that all the money would be refunded, but to this day (23.02.26), nothing has been refunded. They still owe us 4600USD.
In the beginning he would answer my calls and messages, and told us that he would pay by the end of the month etc. but everytime the date he said he would pay us back was due, nothing was refunded. Now, he wont even pick up the phone and answer my calls or message me back, so we believe they have scammed us and would strongly reccomend everyone to stay AWAY from Kima Safaris Tanzania.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trusting them ruined my dream safari
I booked a private safari trip with them and paid the prices for upper mid-range to luxury level of accommodations. In reality we were given budget accommodations with very bad quality of service and rooms. During reservation phase, they stated that the vehicle would have on-board wifi but it was not there. They also overcharged for all the park fees by almost 33% and when I asked for clarification they just said I already paid so there’s nothing that I could do about it. So please ask for clear breakdown in the beginning before making any payments and if possible, don’t go with them. When I asked for my AMREF Maisha coverage card, their reservation agent, Jackeline, tried to gaslight me and said that only Kenya side operators share the cards and Tanzania side operators don’t share the card, which is wrong as per the AMREF website. So I think they didn’t buy AMREF insurance even though I paid for it. Also their drivers are freelancers so who you will be assigned is completely random and can either be fine or completely disastrous depending on your luck. Also they are buying reviews on sites like tripadvisor to prop up their ratings.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They misssold the 3 day Saadani Park trip.
Kisangara Tours sent us an itinerary with photos of 5 star accommodation with a pool and we were booked into 1 star accommodation with no pool, very limited food choice, the 4 wheel drive was not as per the itinerary and the safari guide was disinterested and unreliable.
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very dishonest company — I do not recommend booking with them.
We booked a one-day safari to Mikumi from Zanzibar two months in advance for the 18th. On the evening of the 17th, when I contacted them to ask what we should bring, they casually informed us that they had moved our safari to the 19th due to weather changes and other guests being rescheduled. We were never informed beforehand and were simply told there was no availability left on our original date.
It was very difficult for us to move our plans to the 19th, so we requested a refund. First, they said we would only receive 25%. After I spoke with the manager, she assured me we would receive a full refund. Minutes later, we received another email saying management had decided on 40%. After that, the manager stopped responding entirely.
In the end, we were forced to go on the 19th despite the logistical difficulties. The safari itself was great — but only because the guide they hired was excellent. You can easily book with other companies that use great guides as well.
Poor communication, broken promises, and very unprofessional handling of refunds. Avoid this company.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Not reliable.
This is a follow-up regarding a review I posted here in December 2025.
I am still trying to recover the $10,000 that I mistakenly transferred to Mr. Karema of Expeditions Maasai Safari in Kenya in June 2025. In January 2026, I received $1,000. Mr. Karema stated that he would continue making payments. I sent him a payment agreement last November, but he never signed it.
I have continued requesting the remaining balance; however, he has once again stopped responding. Unfortunately, he remains unreliable, and I can no longer trust his word.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I would advise you don't choose them if you want to have a good experience
I had a horrible experience choosing this operator. Initially, during the reservation phase, they promised me a great experience and in reality, I had a terrible experience going with them.
Sketchy Org: First of all, they are not member of the TATO(Tanzania Association of Tour Operators), which I did not know about before I tried to register a formal complaint against this agency. It is recommended that tourists go with TATO members for safety against fraud, and other bad experiences. So please choose an operator which is a TATO member atleast to save yourself the trouble that I have faced.
Unprofessional Driver: The guide, Kim, was extremely unprofessional. He kept on making food related jokes when pointing towards animals and also constantly kept on making sexist remarks degrading females which was really disgusting. During long transfers between the borders and the roads, he started to play loud music which was pretty annoying. Even after asking him on many occasions to stop making his cheap jokes, he kept on making them throughout the entire safari which ruined the experience. Also, during the reservation phase, I had it confirmed that Matey will be our guide but when we arrived at the border, we were surprised to find that Matey had not come and instead Kim was there. This was a big red flag and beware of their stunts like this.
Low Quality Accommodations: I had some concerns initially with some of their accommodations based on google reviews and research but they assured the accommodations are top quality and nothing to be afraid of, but in reality they turned out reality bad. They offered us Tloma Lodge in Karatu for the stay after Ngorongoro crater and we were bitten by mosquitoes whole night in that lodge. The staff was really unprofessional.
Horrible Picnic Lunches: They also don't buy lunchboxes unlike other operators and save the money. The quality of lunches we had everyday were really horrible like cold pasta, fruits that were starting to rot already, cold potato fries, and 1 tiny piece of cold and soggy fried chicken per person. Please confirm with your operator in advance what lunches you will get if they offer you picnic lunch.
Fraudulent Breakdown: After the bad experience when we asked to show the breakdown of the costs, the numbers they sent were all over the places. First, we had paid for 6 days of safari car with unlimited mileage but they again added an extra charge for transfer which was within that 6 days. Also, they showed park charges which was almost 33% higher than actual park fees. Also they did not buy us AMREF insurance policies which they promised and charged us to include. The reservation specialist confirmed that operators get special prices for booking accommodations which are much lower than the ones available online or through direct booking with the hotels and camps. But in the breakdown their prices were all higher than the highest prices that you can find on the direct websites or booking platforms. When I asked to justify the areas of concerns in the breakdown, they just said they don't need to justify because I agreed to pay the amount initially. So please ask detailed breakdown in the beginning from all your operators before making the payments.
Overall they ruined my honeymoon experience so totally do not recommend them for anyone. They charged a lot because we wanted private tour and in return we were provided bad accommodations, horrible food, unprofessional driver, and no resolution or support when we raised the concerns. Please save your money and time and go with a more trustworthy operator.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An incompetent operator prone to repeated booking errors and poor coordination
I’m posting this review so other travellers planning a high-stakes or special-occasion stay understand the risks I encountered booking through Safari.com.
I used Safari.com for a proposal trip booking at Giraffe Manor and experienced repeated coordination failures and inaccurate information from my assigned consultant, Kim , along with later management handling by Bianca. This was clearly communicated as a proposal booking where precision and follow-through were critical.
The most serious failure involved the private dining arrangements. I first asked Kim to reserve the Orchid Room for private proposal dining roughly 8 months before arrival. I was later told it was double booked and was assured she would arrange an alternative private dining experience instead. After I raised concerns and escalated, Bianca told me she would personally oversee this to ensure it was handled. Despite those assurances, when I arrived at the manor, the on-site team informed me no private dining had been arranged by the agent at all, and they had to organise something last minute after I raised it directly. An early request, a fallback promise, and management oversight were all in place — yet the arrangement was still not executed.
Other documented issues included:
• An official voucher issued with the wrong month of stay (later corrected, but highly stressful for a limited-availability property booking)
• Incorrect information given about the Edd Suite location
• Photographer cost requirements not fully disclosed at the outset, with material extra cost added later
• Arrival details not properly handed over despite written clarification
• Internal handover lapses later acknowledged by management
Management later described these as “administrative friction,” but when you are paying premium rates for a flagship experience and a proposal setting, accurate product knowledge and reliable coordination are basic expectations — not optional extras. The fact that the stay ultimately went ahead does not erase multiple preventable planning failures.
To be fair, the property staff on site were professional and helpful and stepped in to fix issues last minute. The failures were in the booking management and pre-trip coordination through the agency.
Even after internal review confirmed communication gaps and errors, management declined any monetary goodwill compensation and closed the matter on the basis that the core services were delivered.
If you are planning an important or once-in-a-lifetime trip, I would strongly suggest using a specialist luxury safari planner rather than relying on a volume booking agent. Well-known competitors that handle Giraffe Manor bookings and focus on bespoke, high-touch travel planning include Brilliant Africa, Wexas Travel, Ker & Downey Africa, and Wild Earth Stays. I recommend verifying all special arrangements directly with the property in writing to avoid preventable stress.
Based on my experience, I cannot recommend Safari.com for critical or milestone travel bookings.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Horrible Communication
We purchased a 2-person safari through a charity auction. In addition to our initial donation, we were later required to pay nearly $5,000 in airfare and about $3,500 in non-refundable fees (for example, “cross-country transfers”), which were not clearly disclosed up front.
Communication was extremely poor when trying to book dates and get information. Emails routinely went unanswered and phone messages were not returned for months, if ever. The lack of responsiveness made planning very stressful.
As our travel dates approached, we became increasingly concerned about traveling to Africa with a company that was this unreliable. We did further research and found that the photos on their Facebook page appeared questionable, with no clear evidence they were taken on actual Run Wild safaris.
Ultimately, we canceled the trip due to these concerns. Around the same time, we were contacted by another couple who had taken the safari, made it to Africa, but had such a stressful experience that they paid out of pocket to fly home the next day. They told us they were in the process of pursuing legal action against the company.
We certainly wish we had done our research first.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Irresponsable liar
We planned booked and paid a 7 days safari. The night before departure they cancelled the trip. They apologised and promised to refund the money. We were very desperate and angry. If you have enough money, you can book another Safari.
We reported them to Safari bookings, the TRA and many other people who said that they have influence tried to help us. Meanwhile they lied to us and to Safari bookings telling different stories of when they would refund and that they offered us a different safari. After nearly six months we have the money back because they had a lot of pressure. Hope that this company will never ever have the chance to do this again. Avoiding is the best solution. There are other companies, be careful though.
UA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Complete disrespect and horrible organization
Horribly experience. They don’t care about your time. Disrespect your time and don’t take responsibility for their mistakes.
I don’t recommend. Select another operator to go on a tour with.