65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Switched lodge from mid-range to budget without letting us know until our arrival in Victoria Falls.
I want to express my disappointment in this tour operator. We had reasonable accommodations in Victoria Falls but on arrival in Zimbabwe we were given a “new” itinerary stating that we would be staying at a place called Lions Kraal Lodge in Hwange instead of the Hwange Safari Lodge which was the place in our original itinerary/invoice. We didn’t initially protest this change because we assumed the two lodges would be equivalent however when we arrived at Lions Kraal we soon found many issues.
There was not nearly enough hot water for even short showers for all people, no heat, very poor lighting, in some rooms just one lightbulb, no shower curtain. The rooms had open air with screens that didn't go all the way down, so were very cold and not insulated at night without heat, and very exposed to bugs and animals, such as 3 lizards found in the rooms. One bathroom had no mirror over sink for shaving. Bottled drinking water was only provided the first night but never replenished after that. We had to pay for bottled juice/soda at meals. Wifi was spotty, didn't work in some rooms. There were no locks on doors.
The Lions Kraal Lodge is in a beautiful area and has great potential but is clearly not quite ready for visitors. Other issues, we were supposed to see the painted dog reserve but the day this was planned – the reserve was closed.
There was also a misunderstanding about meals at Hwange. We were told that meals were extra at Lions Kraal but on our departure were given a bill for $700 which we had to pay in cash and were told we were being charged $25/person/meal for very basic no frills meals with no options. There was no menu – we were given food without ability to choose.
There are 4 restaurants at the Hwange Safari Lodge where we were supposed to stay, we could have chosen our own meals and price range. We also thought that most lodges in isolated areas would include meals and our original quote for Hwange Safari lodge actually included meals. The amended itinerary said breakfast only, but this was not associated with a decrease in price. We would have spent less on food had we been fully aware of its cost and marginal quality. Hwange Safari lodge looks like an excellent place online with ac and heat enclosed rooms and tea making supplies in rooms, hairdryers, desk, laundry service and multiple restaurants and a bar. Hwange Safari lodge is also closer to the park.
In our original invoice we were quoted at $250 per night per room at Hwange, which aligns with online prices, but online we can see that the chalets at Lions Kraal are $60 per person on their website, so $120 per room. This is a difference in price of $390 per night for the 3 rooms, and $1170 for the three nights.
Before this switch we were very pleased with the service, itinerary and attention to our comfort, so were extremely sad and disappointed. I wanted to write great things about the company ASM, but this has left a very bad taste in my mouth.
When we voiced our concerns to the tour operator Arthur he replied “Thank you for reaching out and providing us with valuable feedback. We appreciate you sending us your feedback and i would like to apologize for the bad services you encountered in Hwange and all the mis communications, we have learned something from your message and I will take up on the management do that in near future for other guest not to go through this, communication is vital, we should have communicated all the changes .
Once again kindly accepts my apologies 🙏 for everything happened. “ [SIC]
ASM is Arthurs company so stating will take this up with management is BS. He did not offer any compensation.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I feel this would have been better if I wasn’t a solo female
Whilst the tours were great , there were a multitude of errors that caused me discomfort and wasted my time .
I booked this company because my friend booked a tour previously with this company and said it was great so I booked 2 tours with this company - on the first I was left at a safari camp alone as no driver came to collect me in the Serengeti.
Thankfully another driver took me with him as he had a spare seat but then the whole morning Game drive was spent on the phone to various people organising what to do next to amend the mix up , which stole the entire experience from me and the car full of other people who had to listen to my conversations .
On my second tour I had a arranged for a 4 hour train from Mombasa to emali but Ed told me two days before my trip that he had been on a ‘waiting list ‘ for a ticket ( no such thing exists ) and so I had to take the 8 hour coach . I knew this was a lie and he just hadn’t booked the ticket in time and then they sold out .
I then tried to cancel the tour but with such little notice couldn’t find an alternative .
As a solo female it was pretty scary going on the local bus for 8 hours as the only tourist and not speaking Swahili . I didn’t understand any of the instructions the driver called out .
After the tour I went to the office to pay for my tour , and as I walked in Ed exclaimed ‘ you’ve put on weight ‘ and then scanned my body up and down . I told him I want happy about taking the bus and he didn’t respond .
As I left he scanned my entire body again and asked me to write a review .
I had a really great time when on the tours and when it worked well but I credit the safari camps and the drivers for those experiences .
This tour is good value compared to others but as a female solo traveller I’m not sure I was a priority to the company at all and so would look elsewhere if you are one thinking to book .
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We were very very poorly advised and regret using Alkebulan
The booking process felt very reassuring - the experience was precisely the opposite - and the follow up hasn’t been too good either.
We were told explicitly by the agent that a drive from Nairobi to Amboseli would be “three hours”.
It isn’t, it’s nearer five hours even on a clear traffic free run.
We felt deceived. Felt like a grab for the fare without consideration for our welfare.
We drove there and back in the day from Nairobi. To my eternal regret.
I’ve registered a complaint and the response is simply to say it’s traffic dependent - there was no traffic - it was 430am on a Sunday morning!
Moral of the story. Do your own research. Don’t assume the agent has any other aim aside from collecting their fee.
RO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unilateral cancellation, vehicle breakdowns, zero balance on refund account, police case opened
We booked a 2-week safari to Kenya and Tanzania with Inspired Budget Safaris and paid over 12,000 USD via Wise and PesaPal. The agency unilaterally cancelled the second part of our trip (Tanzania) and brought us back to Nairobi. They repeatedly promised a refund in writing. However, the payment platform PesaPal officially confirmed to us in writing that the agency has no money in their commercial account. The banking transfer references provided to us did not result in any funds arriving. Before our departure, we officially filed a complaint at the Police Station. Additionally, the Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO) officially confirmed to us in writing that this agency is not a member of their association, despite the information displayed. We are sharing this based entirely on our personal experience and official documents.
The first week in Kenya was problematic. The safari vehicle broke down almost every day due to poor maintenance, putting our safety at risk.
The agency changed our booked hotels without our consent.
They tried to compensate for these inconveniences with a 30 USD boat ride.
Furthermore, we discovered that the price they charged us was double compared to what other agencies charged our fellow travelers for the exact same activities and itinerary. For example: Masai Village visit for us 20USD/pp for other was 10USD; balloon safari for us 500USD/pp for others 425USD
I'm very disappointed with the way they worked with us and how they handled the situation. Every day they told us they were changing our car, even though they had no intention of doing so.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful safari, but poor organization and an unprofessional guide.
The safari itself was a beautiful experience for me, with amazing landscapes and lovely accommodations. Despite the issues, I genuinely enjoyed it and would happily do a safari again.
Unfortunately, the organization was disappointing. We booked a 4-day safari, but after arriving we were told that our itinerary would be shortened to 3 days because we had been combined with another group with a different schedule. We complained about this and had to insist several times before the situation was partially resolved.
Our guide, Peter, was initially friendly, although we noticed that he rarely spotted animals himself and often followed other jeeps when they found something. We also noticed that other drivers could access certain areas that he told us he could not enter because he did not have the required license. For example, when we spotted a lion, other jeeps were able to get closer while we had to stay further away.
After we raised the issue about the itinerary, his attitude changed completely: he stopped speaking to us and no longer explained anything about the safari. On the last day, he also took us to the wrong hotel and was convinced that he was right until the hotel confirmed that we had no reservation there.
One final thing: check the prices carefully before paying. At the beginning, we were asked to pay €100 more than the amount we had calculated. The company said it was simply a mathematical mistake, and I hope that was the case, but I would recommend double-checking all calculations.
Overall, I loved the safari experience, but if I could do it again, I would definitely choose a different guide.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Disappointed in experience in Uganda by this company
Very disappointing time in Uganda yje guide was disinterested and gave no information on Uganda. He coerced us into missing the Golden Monkeys. He drove at excessive speeds. The response from the operator was "sorry about that". Very unsatisfactory. The guide in our Tanzanian leg Sam was fantastic highlighting how bad th we Uganda guide was. Sam works for a group that operates out of Tanzania. There are plenty of other local Safari operators in Uganda. I would suggest you use someone other than Katella Uganda Safaris.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very Disappointing Safari Experience with Trav-Interactive
Our first day started smoothly, although our tour guide, Kolo, mentioned several times that the Land Cruiser was making strange noises and was not working properly. Despite the vehicle issues, we had a great evening game drive in Tsavo East National Park and saw many animals.
Unfortunately, the Land Cruiser was very old. The seats were uncomfortable, and the interior was shabby, worn-out, and clearly in poor condition. I do not understand why the vehicle was not properly inspected and serviced before the tour began.
The second day was completely ruined. During the morning game drive, from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m., we did not see a single animal. Our guide then dropped us off at the lodge for breakfast and told us he needed to repair the vehicle and would return at 11:00 a.m. to pick us up and continue the journey. Based on that information, we checked out at 11:00 a.m. However, he did not arrive until 12:30 p.m. If we had known in advance that he would be delayed, we could have enjoyed the pool instead of sitting in the lodge lobby for 1.5 hours waiting for him.
According to Trav-Interactive, we were supposed to arrive at our next lodge in time for lunch and have an evening game drive. Instead, our guide had difficulty finding the lodge and arrived at approximately 5:00 p.m., rather than the expected 2:30–3:00 p.m. We were finally served lunch at 5:30 p.m. and missed the visit to the rhino sanctuary because it closed at 6:00 p.m. The entire day was extremely frustrating and a major disappointment.
The itinerary stated that the driving time would be 2–3 hours, which we found to be misleading. The delays caused by the vehicle problems and navigation issues significantly affected the tour and resulted in missed activities.
On the third day, our guide tried to make up for some of what we had missed on the second day, including seeing the lava flows and visiting Mzima Springs, which had originally been scheduled for the previous day. We saw many animals, and overall the third day went smoothly.
On the final day, we had another morning game drive and saw many animals. However, on the drive back to Nairobi, the vehicle broke down again. Our guide dropped us off in Emali for lunch and left once more to repair the vehicle. We eventually arrived in Nairobi after 6:00 p.m. Again, the itinerary indicated a 2–3 hour drive, which was clearly unrealistic given the actual delays.
Overall, while we enjoyed seeing the wildlife, the repeated vehicle breakdowns, poor condition of the Land Cruiser, long delays, missed activities, and misleading information about travel times made this tour very disappointing. The service was not what we expected, and the second day in particular was completely wasted.
I do not recommend Trav-Interactive and would not book another tour with this agency. The poor vehicle condition, inadequate preparation, communication problems, and misleading itinerary information need significant improvement.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was not a very good journey.
On May 28th, the manager of the travel agency sent me a quotation via email and added me on WeChat. On May 30th, we first confirmed our arrival and departure times on WeChat. On May 31st, after finalizing the hotel and other details, we paid the deposit to complete the reservation. On June 1st, we sent her the specific arrival time (13:40 on the 22nd), flight number, and other information for the second time. Apart from asking for the itinerary, there was no other communication in between. However, on June 19th, two days before departure, she suddenly informed us that our arrival time was too late to catch the first day's itinerary and that we would need to pay a private transfer fee of $300. Initially, she explained that she had assumed it was 2am, but after seeing the chat record I provided showing 13:40, she said she had thought it was the departure time. Finally, she claimed that we only informed her of the specific arrival time after the reservation was finalized. In summary, she ultimately admitted it was a mistake and apologized for it, but we still had to pay an additional fee of $200!!
We have questions about this. Regarding the arrival time, we provided it multiple times before and after the reservation, even providing the flight number. Why wasn't it confirmed earlier? Why was it only raised when all hotels were booked before departure? We believe that $200 is not a cost we should bear.
As compensation, the manager offered us a complimentary tour of the Marseille market. However, this was not discussed with the driver in advance, which led to a lengthy communication breakdown between us and the driver on the final day. The driver claimed he was unaware of this additional itinerary, as it was not listed on the schedule. Although he eventually took us there, we felt extremely exhausted and the entire communication process was far from smooth.
Due to the overpayment of $200, we did not provide an additional tip to the driver. It was stated that tipping the driver was not mandatory, but when we finally left, the driver made very impolite facial expressions and gestures in public towards our failure to tip him. We felt very hurt!!!
In short, it was an unpleasant journey.
CO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good safari experience, but unacceptable handling of the final day
I took some time before writing this review because I was hoping to receive a logical explanation and, above all, an apology from Meektrails for what happened on the final day of our safari.
We booked a private 12-day safari through Kenya and Tanzania, starting in Nairobi and ending in Arusha. Overall, most of the safari was a very good experience.
Our guide in Kenya, Ben, was excellent: professional, responsible, friendly, and always willing to do his best to give us the best possible wildlife experience. Our Tanzanian guide was also professional and made a genuine effort. The hotels were generally good, although I would not recommend the Elementaita hotel due to the enormous number of lake flies in the area.
Unfortunately, the final day was a completely different story.
The driver for our final transfer was the same guide who had been with us during the Tanzania portion of the safari. We had agreed that he would pick us up at 8:00 am. to take us to the airport for our 2:30 pm flight to Zanzibar. The drive from Ngorongoro to the airport takes approximately four hours.
At 8:00 am. , the guide did not show up. We waited until 8:45 am. without receiving any communication from him or Meektrails.
I then contacted Charles at Meektrails, explained the situation, and asked for the guide’s contact information so I could try to reach him directly. My attempts to contact the guide were unsuccessful.
Around 9:00 am. I asked Charles to urgently arrange alternative transportation so we would not miss our flight. We were in a remote area, so arranging transportation ourselves was not easy.
Finally, at 10:15 am. a taxi arrived. The driver did everything possible to get us to the airport, and after a three\-and\-a\-half\-hour journey, we managed to catch our flight to Zanzibar just in time. .
What was particularly concerning was the lack of communication. It was only after I contacted Meektrails that they became aware of the situation. I then had to send two additional messages before I was eventually told that the guide had supposedly experienced a medical emergency and had been hospitalized.
I can understand that an unexpected medical emergency can happen. What I find unacceptable is that there was no communication with us or any apparent contingency plan. Even if the guide was genuinely unable to contact anyone himself, the company should have had a system in place to realize that their guide had not arrived and immediately contact their clients.
What disappointed us even more was what happened afterwards: no apology, no follow\-up to check whether we had arrived safely, and no compensation for the stress and inconvenience.
We paid approximately USD 11,000 for a private safari for two people. At that price, we expected a much higher level of organization, communication, and customer service.
The final day was extremely uncomfortable. We had breakfast at 7:00 am. and did not have another meal until approximately 5:00 pm. when we finally arrived in Zanzibar.
I want to emphasize that the entire safari was not a bad experience. We had many excellent moments and our guides did a good job, particularly Ben in Kenya. However, the way Meektrails handled this incident and the complete lack of communication afterwards significantly affected our overall impression.
For these reasons, I cannot recommend Meektrails for the Tanzania portion of the safari.
Emergencies happen. What is within an agency’s control is having proper communication, monitoring scheduled transfers, having a contingency plan, and taking responsibility when something goes wrong.
In our case, none of this happened.
After spending USD 11,000, all we expected was something very simple: an explanation, an apology, and some gesture from the company to acknowledge the stress and inconvenience we experienced.
Unfortunately, we received none of them.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Disorganized Safari and Unprofessional Guides/Drivers
We booked our high-season safari in January well in advance with Racheal and even agreed to pay extra to ensure a premium, seamless experience for our family documentary with Manager Dennis. Unfortunately, the trip was plagued by logistical failures, missed opportunities, and highly unprofessional behavior.
Major Issues Faced:
* Ruined Documentary Footage: We explicitly communicated our need for specific footage, including our family dressing up in a Masai village and critical river crossings. The Masai village visit was an unauthentic tourist trap solely focused on aggressive money solicitation. Worse, our northern Serengeti driver was not vigilant, failed to network with other drivers, and caused us to entirely miss a river crossing that we knew was happening, despite arriving 1.5 hours early. Driver did not stop on major points like entrance of National Parks.
* Logistical Failures: Due to itinerary confusion and poor planning regarding border-crossing migration delays, we completely missed our evening sunset game drive and were unable to arrange the hot air balloon experience. We also never received our driver information before the trip, nor did we receive the extra binoculars promised for our 4-day journey.
* Guide and Financial Discrepancies: After 2.5 days of complete disappointment in the northern Serengeti, our replacement driver, Patrick, acted strictly as a driver rather than a guide. Furthermore, he ordered resort lunches to go that we were forced to pay $60 out of pocket for, which requires immediate reimbursement.
* Unacceptable Behavior: Driver David (Joseph) subjected me to fat-shaming, made offensive per-assumptions based on race, remained constantly on his phone, and a vehicle 4x4 were not great in condition for 5 days of our trip.
The Positives:
The only bright spot was Guide James, who did a great job helping us secure a few good pieces of footage during our full-day game drive at Nakuru and Masai Mara.
We remained respectful, patient, and flexible throughout the trip, which the drivers can confirm. High season is no excuse for a complete lack of prioritization. We trusted this agency to make our trip unforgettable, but instead, it was a profound disappointment. We are actively seeking a refund for the missed experiences and a reimbursement for the out-of-pocket lunch expenses but Dennis (Management has not refund a penny yet).