US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Below average info and not very accommodating
The company did not provide much info or interpretation on the parks (Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater) they brought us to or the animals we saw. There was one guides who was a wealth of knowledge, but the other two guides (including our truck) barely said anything and when we asked something the answers were short and basic. Also, we asked to go deeper into the park to see the great migration and the drivers made excuses without trying to accommodate us, see how it could work or explain why it couldn’t. Finally, they promised us an “extra special” stop on our last day and then didn’t do anything about it even when reminded. Overall there was a lack of info and communication and they just told us what they thought we wanted to hear, true or not.
NO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Some issues during the stay - The experience got worse after contacting Outlook
I visited Outlook in Pretoriuskop camp in April 2018, together with three other travelers.
Although unfortunate for us, I understand unforeseen things and misunderstandings can happen. So I contacted Outlook to discuss these things, instead of going directly online to post a negative review. I also asked Outlookfor a compensation.
I received quite an aggressive, insulting an unprofessional reply from their general manager, Steven. This leads me to give them a lot lower rating than I initially would have based on the issues during our trip only. Instead of being credited by the fact that I reached out to them, I was told that "it is in poor taste to hold us to ransom with a threat of a review online. Please note that your decision to do so was the convincing reason in our decision as to how to conclude this matter."!
With the conclusion being that Outlook takes no responsibility of any of our issues and that we get no apology or compensation at all.
I would say that all in all, Outlook safari offers an ok safari package: Guides are good(we enjoyed our game drives with Jojo and especially Jeremiah). We saw quite a lot of game despite some bad weather. Tents are good, (really appreciated the night stand with power supply in each tent). Food and wine was ok to good. If you are looking for a group trip to meet new people, the setting is good for that. Beds were uncomfortable though (a standard canvas field bed would have been better than the option we got).
Our issues though:
We were not informed before arrival that we were joining a group trip(only for the very first game drive was it mentioned that we would be together with other guests from the camp). That, despite the fact that I was from the beginning requesting a camping safari in a private camp. Once I realized that a private camp is not possible in the Kruger, I booked with Outlook still, since their daily itinerary looked quite exclusive. We were therefore surprised to arrive and see that the set-up was in a group with shared meals and safari vehicles.
The general manager addressed this issue by saying that Outlook has no control over how customers interpret the info they were given.....
...and by saying that he had looked through the information we were given, and that he could not see that it under normal circumstances could be misinterpreted by any normal people...
....he also said that it had been clear for their booking staff, that since we were asking for a camping option, clearly we were not willing to pay the price that a private safari costs. I think that should be up to the customer itself to decide.
Three of us got very sick during our stay. We all ate the same food, but the three that got sick all drank the dispenser water offered in the dinner-tent. And the fourth person that stayed healthy did not. After getting sick we saw the water being filled from a garden hose in the park. Outlook states the water is thoroughly filtered and therefore it is completely safe to drink. Even though water is filtered, that doesn't mean all bacteria have been removed and that everyone from around the world can safely drink it. Also, there is some question about the routine of refilling this dispenser bottle(hygiene of the bottle and the hose that they refil it from). We would have appreciated to have been informed that this was actually not prepared bottled water. Had we known, we would not have drunk it.
Because we got sick, we missed out on meals and game drives almost equivalent to an entire 4-day safari for one of us. Reports from us that we were sick were met with comments like: "That sucks!" No one checked in with us to figure out what made us sick or if any of us needed help. According to Outlook though, this is our own fault. As we were in a setting that was different from what we expected(we weren't looking to be in a group) and as we found some behavior of the guides weird, we were being a bit reserved and tried to make the best of it and enjoy the trip together with our chosen travel mates. We didn't ask anyone to "Leave us alone", but we weren't being personable with the guides. By doing that, they were apparently not supposed to follow up on us when we had a problem.
As mentioned, we reacted to some of the behavior of a couple of the guides, resulting in us taking some distance to them for the rest of our stay:
a) If you at dinner said "No thank you!" to another glass of wine, the guide try to convince you to drink more. Which could be innocent enough. but it's just unnecessary.
b) One of the guides came to our group one evening and loudly commented that we were not chatting or drinking enough. Then filled one of my travel companions glass even though she had turned it down. They could also say that this is only the guide trying to be friendly, but it's again unnecessary and unprofessional behavior.
c) One guide got intoxicated one evening in the dinner-tent. We only heard it as we were busy being sick, but other guests had been present.
Outlook stated further in their reply to me that their goal is to give customers their best holiday experience of their life. That experience we had last year while doing a private mobile safari with our own crew of three in Botswana. That experience cost us about the same as we payed for our stay with Outlook and not 10 times more as stated by Outlook that a private option would have cost us.
We also stayed at a lodge in Sabie after our stay with Outlook. It was better and at the same price that Outlook offers(stayed in tents there as well).
I realize and accept as stated by Outlook themselves, that most of their guests probably are happy after their stay. I guess I will also have to accept, as also stated by Outlook, that we are unfortunately part of the 1% of unhappy guests that they choose not to care about because they can "live with it".
All in all I would rate their safari package(not including our issues) as an ok to good budget option. Their way of handling customers on the other hand....Unprofessional and disrespectful!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
terrible customer service
We booked our holiday through a travel agent who then booked us through sense of Africa. we were due to fly to the safari by cessna aircraft from Nairobi airport which we paid a lot of money for to save us (as they told us) 6 hours driving. we landed and where told by the guide that we had a five hour journey - they had no idea why we had landed were we were and asked why we didn't fly into the landing strip beside the lodge. When we asked we were never given an explanation. We then arrived in Zanzibar to our supposedly luxury hotel for 8 nights (this was our honeymoon which we paid thousands which we had saved for) the hotel was not luxury and was no better than a 4 star in Spain. it was said to be all inclusive but it wasn't. when we complained it took two days for a representative to contact us. they said they would sort matter but it was not until two days before we were due to leave that a rep turned up and asked if we wanted to move hotel!!!!!!!!! we were then told that the matter would be investigates (by Frank) and we would be told what had happened before we left. that date cam and went. we then e-mailed sense of Africa and were told to be patient they were still investigating (that was two weeks ago) we have chased and emailed Pamela Osik and we have yet to receive a response. never trust this company or pay for anything through them. the experience has left us feeling duped and seriously out of pocket for what we received.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Security an issue
This review was very difficult review to write. The staff, especially the camp host and cook are very pleasant people. Rickson, one of the guides went above and beyond to make our last safari truly memorable. I’ve had over 30 safaris and he is truly a fantastic guide who tries to meet his clients needs. The chef was also amazing. I did not expect to be fed so well.
Now the bad. One of the guides got very intoxicated the first evening and we did not see him again until 36 hours later.sadly it gets worse. We had are tent broken into and some of our money stolen. They left some money and my iPad so it could have been worse. Outlook claims that this was the first time that it had ever happened with guests commonly leaving everything in their tents with no issue. One the last day they even ask you to leave your tents completely open with your belongings. Strike 3 is that they told us to expect a email from our booking agent (not sure what that means) but it’s been over 36 hours later and nothing yet,
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari was good but nonstop attempts for cheating against clients
Cheating : they always tried to find a way to get more money from there customers (change the price in shillings which has been already agreed by saying that the dollar currency is different today, giving only 2 rooms for 4 different group saying that there is no more accommodation available, skipping the morning game drive with an excuse of returning time back to Nairobi....). Just be careful and don’t trust them what they say as it is. Insisting what you have been promised in the program and negotiating all the time.
Safari: safari was not bad, the driver was quite experienced so you could see all the major animals that you can see in masai mara.
Car: they brought a van for actually suitable for six people but received a reservation for 8 people. We had to squeeze in in the small car for 7-8 hours driving. The backseat was too high so I had to bend my back and neck all the time.
Communication: the communication and customer service in nairobi office was very good, swift and helpful. They tried to resolve the problem but it seems that they don’t manage very well the subcontracted drivers and accommodation staff.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Company did ok but guide was disappointing
I communicated via email with Benson on a 1-week itinerary for me and my 3 children and he presented a comprehensive mid-range safari package in a timely manner. Everything went well until we started out with our private guide. Logistics were smooth with one exception that was clarified with a quick call to Benson. Otherwise, the guide was obviously more interested in chatting with others on his 2 cell phones and car CB than in providing information to us, his clients. Some of the communication was between guides sharing animal sightings in the area and there was no shortage of those the guide pursued but there was more than one case of me seeing an animal in a place that required backing up and the guide disregarded my request. This was my 3rd time on a guided safari but my childrens’ first and they missed out on so much, even with my advocacy. I prompted the guide several times to provide information - differences in species, etc. - and answers were one or two sentences at best. It got to the point at one meal where, after loudly reminding my daughter that using electronics during dinner was rude and unacceptable, I had to ask him to put his cell phone away minutes later. He never asked what kind of animals we were interested in, never pulled out a field guide, and offered very little personal insight. I felt like my family was a load to be transferred between locations rather than a family who had crossed half the globe to appreciate his homeland. We met other Benson guides who showed far more interest in their jobs (and us) so I think we got the guy who’d grown tired/bored after 15 years of guiding. One other minor thing: Benson claimed he would come by to meet us which he never did. The week was good in the sense that the animals are everywhere in the parks, camps and food were good and we didn’t have any catastrophes but I know the trip would’ve been MUCH better with a different guide.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Two different negative experiences: (1) vehicle and driver did not show up and (2) we missed flight
I would NOT RECOMMEND Self Drive Uganda based on two separate experiences that were both costly and unpleasant.
(1) Upon arrival, there was no driver or vehicle to pick me up. This occurred despite extensive conversation and confirmation with the company beforehand. This put me in a pickle for my gorilla trek the following morning, which I could not reschedule. I ended up hiring a taxi driver for $200+. Self Drive Uganda eventually sent a driver, charging me for the tank of gas to come meet me. They never provided an apology or acknowledgement of their error.
(2) About one year later, I returned for another gorilla trek. The drive was quoted at 5-6 hours long, which was consistent with Google Maps and my previous experience. Despite having packed lunches and my family saying “we are fine,” our driver suggested that we stop for a “quick lunch” while he allegedly patched the spare tire. He stated that he would be “back in 20 minutes” given that we had “plenty of time before our flight.” He returned 1hr 20min later. We proceeded to hit rush hour traffic at the border crossing and then again in downtown Kigali. From start to finish, it took us 10 hours (9:15am to 7:15pm) to get to the airport, in comparison to the 5-6 hours quoted. We missed our flight by 30mins, which caused us to forfeit $700+ in previously booked flights, and then we had to purchase new tickets at $1,275. I am suspicious that our driver went and saw his wife and child as our lunch break also happened to be in the town where he lived. Once again, there was no apology or acknowledgement offered by management. Instead, management berated me over email for allegedly shorting them $15 in payment (which was their mistake). For context, the $15 “issue” was literally 1% of the added (and unnecessary) financial setback that Self Drive Uganda caused me. It was a mistake to stop for lunch, we were lied to, and the driver grossly underestimated how long the drive back could take at this time of day, knowing that we had a flight to catch.
I gave two stars because (1) the trip went well otherwise, (2) the vehicles were reliable, and (3) the driver was polite.
I deducted three stars because (1) no driver or vehicle there at pickup, (2) driver’s poor decision-making cost us $1300 in missed flight expenses plus new hotel expenses, and (3) a consistent unwillingness to provide an apology for company errors, that to me are both inexcusable.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Rude and dismissive guide
It pains me to write a bad review! I took the trip from Dar Es Salaam all the way down to Cape Town, with two different sets of staff: tour guide, cook and bus driver. I can't say enough good things about the second part of the trip, from Victoria Falls to Cape Town. The campsites were beautiful, the food was AMAZING and our guide was extremely knowledgeable. However, the first few weeks of the trip were quite painful, due to our terrible tour guide. He was rude, talked back to customers, wouldn't tell us how long the bus trip would be, and openly mocked customers. My bag got stolen at one campsite (no one's fault at all!) and I couldn't find our tour guide to tell him, he was at the pub having a drink. When I did tell him, he simply kept saying that it 'was not possible' and refused to help in any way at all. I had to contact the reception team at ATC to get a letter (they were quick, sympathetic and professional.)
Overall, my experience was good regarding the campsites, food, locations, and administrative staff. However our guide was so terrible for the first three weeks that it is impossible for me to give ATC more than two stars. :( If you are considering booking a tour, ensure that your tour guide is NOT Frances. I'm sure the rest of the guides are great, and this is just one bad apple. Ensure that Frances is not your guide before leaving.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Stick to Kenya and don't expect great customer service
We had combined 10 day safari in Kenya-Tanzania. Everything was great on the Kenya side. Driver was fine, would answer questions if you asked, but you did have to ask. Accommodations were better than expected with private bathrooms and actual beds in tents. They definitely work to find animals and make the most of the time in the parks.
Tanzania - nothing went right at all. We were supposed to be met by the director Abraham at the bus depot and he was not there. So very confusing getting us to our hotel in Arusha.
Day 2 the driver, George, brought us to Lake Manyara when our itinerary said to go to Serengeti NP. We were dropped off at camp around 430 near the lake, not in the Serengeti. He refused to t call anyone to check on the mix up for us. Basically that it was not his problem and we were stuck.
Day 3 We should have had a full day in Serengeti national park. We did not arrive until 2 or 3pm. George told us breakfast was at 730 and we would leave at 8. . We did not depart until 10am. No one could give us an update on when we would leave. They claimed the delay was due to the chefs. Who produced fried chicken so burnt we couldn’t eat it at lunch. We had our driver changed 3 times that morning. Though Etome ended up as a very good guide. The Serengeti camp ended up being far superior to where we stayed near Manyara
Day 4 The game drive was very good this day though it was only 6 hours not the full day we paid for. We had a brunch and dinner instead of 3 meals. No time on the trip were we given the chance to visit Olduvai gorge and the museum. Also no evening nature walk was offered at the Simba camp.
Day 5 The game drive this morning was very good. However we did not enjoy a picnic lunch in the crater as described. We were driven back to camp to have lunch which was not as scenic. David did meet at at the border for our transfer back to Nairobi airport and did not ask us for additional money when the police pulled over our car and asked for bribes to continue on.
However, he claimed that he would rectify the situation that had happened in Tanzania and we would hear within a week. When we contacted him a week later he said he was still working with his Directors and Abraham in TZ. 2.5 months later and we have never heard from him again. No refund or any other compensation for going to the wrong park and wrong lodging.
Kenya was great but avoid working with the TZ company. They will lie and not stick to the paid for itinerary. And once on the trip you have paid and are stuck going where they bring you. Very disappointing that David appears to communicate greatly until they have your money then they don't care what happened to you.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tour guides were nice but everything about the tour was overwhelmingly disorganized.
The animals and national parks were great. Park entrance fees were extremely overpriced but the safari itself was great.