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.
NZ
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nice enough
That was ok. Hoped for better but that's fine. The let down was having to wait at the gate of sun city for 30 minutes for a shuttle instead of getting dropped at out accommodation. Bizarre given we were picked up from our accommodation and it ruined the whole day
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Once In a Lifetime Disappointment
I'm really shocked by all of the 5 star reviews. For an experience that costs so much money, I was dismayed at the barely adequate level of service that was provided. Did we see animals? Sure. But they are had to miss and there HAS to be better operators to go with.
Some tips: Make sure your guide speaks English well. Ask about the quality and presentation of lunches you'll be provided while you're out on game drives. If possible, book a tour that provides a guide AND a driver. They are two different skill-sets. Don't over-extend yourself trying to see too many areas. You don't want to spend more time driving from park to park than seeing animals. We felt that Shayona failed in all of these areas for us.
First, our guide (Ndika) was awful. For my standards, he barely spoke English. He couldn't answer to our satisfaction our questions about the animals or numerous other questions that arose on the tour. We gave up after a while, which significantly diminished how much we could've learned through the experience. Also, he had horrible body odor. Admittedly, that may not be a big deal to some people, but when you're stuck in a vehicle for 4-5 hours a day for multiple days it's a miserable experience. We brought this up with Ajay when we first met our guide, but the situation was never resolved. Ndika also drove like a mad-man, over-taking vehicles like he was on a race and at one point, while driving up a narrow cliff-side road as we entered Ngorongora park, one of our rear wheels started to slide off the edge of the road (cliffside). He had to do a crazy drifting maneuver to right the vehicle. I've never been so scared in my life.
Beyond that, as a tour operator, you expect them to apply their expertise and experience to help ensure a pleasant tour. Nope. One small example was our daily lunch. Most other tour groups had picnic blankets to drape over the picnic tables which, understandably had bird droppings on them. They had food that was stored in hot or cold packs. Our lunches, which had perishable items, were kept on the front seat with the driver. There were no picnic blankets so we had to sit at tables covered in bird droppings. The cooler in the vehicle didn't even have ice or dry ice to keep drinks cold during our long outings. These are small things, but you'd think that an experienced company would have figured out these basic things to ensure a good experience for their guests. Remember, these tours costs thousands and thousands of dollars.
The tour organization was also very half-hazard. Flight itineraries weren't read in advance, so we were left scrambling at the last minute for lodging when we arrived. As mentioned earlier, our guide, didn't seem to know what was on each day's itinerary from one day to the next. Most critically, the itinerary Shayona provided was completely impractical. We spent WAY too much time driving from one place to another when we could've spent that time looking at animals. The operator should've used his expertise and experience to tell us if we needed more time or needed to cut down our wish-list of places to see, but he didn't. There was no guidance that could've made for a better trip. To be honest, there wasn't much communication leading up to our trip, which should've been a red-flag.
Sadly, this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip so there are no do overs for us. What should've been an amazing experience was ultimately a huge disappointment. Choose your operator and guide wisely. If I were you, I wouldn't choose Shayona.
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A mixed bag
Our experience with Indigo Safaris had its highs, but ended quite on a low. The safari planning was top-notch, and the communication was smooth. Then, the safari started quite well; our camp was wonderful, with meals we really enjoyed and an amazing tent. Sadly, the safari itself wasn’t as gratifying. Even though we were in peak-migration season, we weren’t able to spot anything particularly wonderful, even though a friend couple also doing a safari with a different operator at the same time had the most splendid encounters. Finally, at the end of our trip, we had arranged with them a quite costly transfer from the airport to our accommodation, for which the driver didn’t show up, forcing us to take a taxi to the hotel. Indigo's response was underwhelming, completely avoiding any blame, claiming that we should have contacted them instead (although instructions clearly indicated that someone would be waiting for us with a sign with our names on it); therefore, there was nothing wrong on their end. Thankfully, this was a minor issue, but after their response, it became clear that if something bigger had happened, their reaction would have been identical. Will reach for a safer alternative next time, for sure.
TW
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Racist remarks during our safari — and no direct response to our complaint
Unfortunately, what should have been one of the highlights of our family trip to South Africa became a deeply upsetting experience — not only because we were subjected to what we experienced as explicit racist remarks during a safari, but also because of the way our complaint was handled afterwards.
During a game drive in Kruger, another guest sharing our vehicle complained loudly throughout the safari, repeatedly criticized the guide and tried to control where the guide should drive. When I asked her to stop complaining and allow the guide to do the job, her behavior towards us became aggressive.
She repeatedly told me, “Get out off my country,” and then said, “That’s why I don’t like Asian people.”
As Asian travelers, there was no ambiguity in how those words made us feel. We felt targeted because of our ethnicity. It was humiliating, offensive and deeply uncomfortable, particularly because we were traveling with our child.
The same guest was also vaping throughout the game drive while our child was in the vehicle. I do not know whether vaping is permitted in safari vehicles, but as parents we found this inappropriate and uncomfortable.
I want to be fair: many other parts of our trip were well arranged, and we understand that a tour operator cannot control everything an individual guest may say or do. Our greatest disappointment with Nhlalala Travel is therefore not simply that this incident happened. It is how we experienced the company's response after we reported it.
I personally sent the tour operator a detailed message explaining what had happened, including the racist remarks directed at us and how distressed and uncomfortable the experience had made us feel.
The message was read.
We received no direct reply.
We received no direct acknowledgement, explanation or apology, and no one contacted us directly to ask whether we and our child were okay after what had happened.
Because we were so uncomfortable with the lack of a direct response, I eventually asked a South African friend to contact the company on our behalf. My friend received a brief apology, but the company still did not contact us directly. To this day, we have not received a personal apology or any meaningful explanation regarding how our complaint was handled.
For us, this is the most disappointing part.
I do not expect a tour operator to be able to prevent every conflict between guests. I do, however, believe that when a guest reports what they experienced as explicit racial abuse, a professional tourism company should take the matter seriously. At the very least, I would have expected an acknowledgement, some concern for our wellbeing, an apology for the experience, and an explanation of how the situation would be addressed.
Instead, after telling the company that we had been repeatedly told to “fuck off” from the country and that the other guest explicitly said she did not like Asian people, our detailed message was read without any direct response to us.
That silence made us feel that what happened to us did not matter.
We traveled a long way to experience South Africa and Kruger as a family. We did not expect special treatment. We simply expected to be treated with dignity and, when something this serious happened, to feel that the company responsible for our tour cared enough to respond to us directly.
I am leaving this review because I was invited to share my experience. I believe reviews should reflect not only how a tour operator performs when everything goes according to plan, but also how they respond when something goes seriously wrong.
There were enjoyable parts of our trip, and I appreciate the people who worked hard to make those parts possible. But unfortunately, when we genuinely needed care, communication and support, we felt that we did not receive it.
For that reason, what could have been a wonderful memory of our family safari has instead been overshadowed by both the racist remarks we experienced and the disappointing lack of a direct response that followed.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I feel let down
We went to vic falls and Botswana. The second part of the trip was in Botswana at the Chobe river lodge- the team there were fantastic and anja the manager was phenomenal.
I will point out the indigo safari did pay for a bottle of wine as a gesture based on the horrible experience at the first part of the trip at vic falls.
At Vic falls we stayed at the kazabambezi lodge. The lodge itself was ok- that said the room we were given had no working tv or wifi from the end of night one to the end of night 2 into day 3. Wires seemed to be crossed and they got someone in on the last night and 3rd morning g our last day to fix it.
I made the representative at indigo aware of the situation and asap this was not what we paid for and suggested we would need compensating. That individual then made the team at the lodge aware of us requesting compensation and I was the approached in my room by the owner of the property angrily saying I would not be getting compensation station and that everything worked fine and that I had made it up.
My issue is not with the tv not working but with the indigo representative making the lodge aware and then me being approached angrily. As I am in a same sex relationship i did not feel safe when approached angrily by the owner in a country where same sex couples have zero rights.
This spoiled the whole time in vic falls and made me want to get out of the are immediately.
Not a good experience.
In addition i was told on 2 occasions to calm down and watch my tone by the representative at indigo, when i was neither emotional nor abusive, just assertive as times had been left off our booking form.
I will not use the company again.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Kenyan wildlife experience, but disappointing delivery from Meektrail
We recently completed a 10-day private safari organised by Meektrail, covering Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and the Maasai Mara. Kenya itself was wonderful, and we had some unforgettable wildlife experiences, but our experience with Meektrail was unfortunately mixed.
Planning and communication before the trip were initially good. Meektrail adapted the itinerary following our feedback, and we agreed on three nights in Amboseli, two at Lake Nakuru and four in the Maasai Mara, with a private driver-guide and mid-range lodges.
Problems began on arrival, when we were told during the drive from the airport that our three-night stay at Amboseli Sopa Lodge had been changed. The first night would be at a different, noticeably more basic lodge. This was not communicated beforehand, no proper explanation was given, and no alternative was offered.
Our original guide then spent on the next few days a very and unacceptable amount of time on personal phone calls, including during game drives. We eventually raised this with him. To his credit, he apologised and explained that he was dealing with a difficult family situation. He was subsequently replaced partway through the safari due to a family bereavement, which we fully understood.
The biggest disappointment was in the Maasai Mara. Our itinerary specified full-day game drives with picnic lunches, but on our first two full days we were returned to Zebra Plains Lodge at around 12.45 pm and told, “See you tomorrow.” We therefore lost two afternoons of game viewing and had to spend part of our holiday contacting Meektrail to resolve an issue that should never have occurred.
We also had to remind Meektrail about the sundowner and special “unforgettable meal” promised for our 25th wedding anniversary. The sundowner felt improvised, while the special meal was simply the normal lodge buffet, although Doris at the lodge kindly decorated our table.
Zebra Plains Lodge was the weakest accommodation of our trip. Despite being marketed as a boutique luxury lodge with Mara views, our room was enclosed by vegetation and had no view. We also experienced poor cleanliness, questionable towels, smoke entering the tent, repeated voltage drops, weak Wi-Fi and, on our final day, no usable water pressure for a shower and despite the largest of the lodges we stayed, had the worst food offering and variety and was rather repetitive
In contrast, Ziwa Lodge at Lake Nakuru was excellent, with stylish rooms, very good cleanliness and a genuinely welcoming family atmosphere.
Finally, we were told that our Meektrail representative would meet us at the airport before departure, but this did not happen. Four days after returning home, we had still received no follow-up, despite Meektrail knowing about our concerns.
Kenya was fantastic, but Meektrail’s internal communication, attention to detail and delivery against the agreed itinerary were disappointing. Taken together, the issues left us with a sense that the company had under-delivered on its promises. Based on our experience, we would not use Meektrail again.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Bait and Switch Company
My wife and I booked the 12-day East Africa Bush Expedition Kenya & Tanzania. We thought the marketed itinerary and hotel accommodations Apodiformes listed on Safari Bookings was what we're going to get. Well, that wasn't the case. Silas sent over a PDF of an itinerary saying, "As per your request, kindly see attached itinerary for your consideration". I assumed the itinerary Silas sent would be the same as listed on Safari Bookings. It was not. They changed accommodations that were not nearly as nice and much further away. Lesson learned!
Two of the three driver/guides were nothing more than a taxi driver. Silas even said to us upon departure he only has one driver/guide because if there's two, they end up talking to each other and not the customers. Well, while in the Mara for 2.5 days, our driver/guide had a trainee. The driver/guide talked to the trainee more than us.
Some of the game drives call for full-day drives but only lasted a half day.
The jeep had a mechanical issue that needed fixing. So, the morning we were to do a full-day game drive in Ngorongoro Crater our driver/guide sent a couple texts that were short and rude. At first, it was I'll be late, then it turned into a substitute coming to take us on the game drive. Long story short, after keeping us waiting in the lobby for hours, the substitute picked us up and we did a game drive for UNDER 2 hours!
The last accommodation was rated a 7.2 on Tripadvisor. The "new itinerary" had us here for 2 nights. It was so bad we considered ending the expedition early.
Silas contacted me months before the expedition requesting $3,000 that was not due until arrival. This was on top of the $3,784 deposit already paid. He said big company's purchase blocks of rooms at hotels and lodges and the $3,000 would ensure reservations. Most of the accommodations where we stayed had vacancies and the $3,784 would have easily paid all of the accommodations. So, in my opinion, this was Silas' way of squeezing a larger deposit out of us.
Overall, we would not recommend Apodiformes as a tour company. If you do use them, double check the "final" itinerary and make sure the quality of accommodations are to your satisfaction and not 2.5 hours away.
PL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Something went wrong
We used this operator before and everything went well, but when we decided to organise Safari again, we paid in advance for a safari that never took place.
We have been waiting more than a year for a full refund. Most of the money was returned, but not all of it. The remaining balance is still unpaid.
Cannot recommend.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Wildlife let down by Operational Chaos and Extreme Logistical Failures
The core wildlife experience was phenomenal. The guides on the ground were knowledgeable, apologetic, and worked tirelessly under difficult circumstances to track animals and deliver great game drives. The natural beauty and animal sightings were truly unforgettable. The distances between parks and drives can be extensive and the roads very bumpy, its all part of the experience but for some this might not be part of their expectation from the glossy brochures
However having paid $1,100 for a 4-day mid-range classic safari, I expected basic comfort and private en-suite facilities (as per agreed itinerary). Instead, the tour was subcontracted to a third-party operator without prior notice, causing a complete breakdown in communication and organisation. Guest details were muddled from Day 1, resulting in missing out on a booked tented lodge entirely. On the second night, I was dropped at a basic campsite with no towels, torches, or en-suite facilities. I had to stay overnight at the campsite simply to avoid forcing drivers onto dangerous, unlit roads late at night to rectify their mistake.
Schedules were consistently mismanaged, with pick-up delays stretching up to two hours with zero proactive communication resulting in shorter time on drives/in the parks. Following airline baggage delays I specifically requested support to purchase items where i could get receipts to claim back purchase costs, this was not actioned on until i firmly advised that I was unhappy, but left to feel like I was the problem. During vehicle transfers, guests were left waiting in the heat for nearly an hour without access to water, restrooms, or updates.
Because this was a shared group safari, extra pick-ups and drop-offs for other passengers impacted the timetable which is understandable, however almost appeared like this was a unique situation. Despite months of advance notice regarding an 8:30 PM departure flight on the final day, logistics were severely mismanaged which meant arriving at the airport check-in desk just 2 minutes before bag drop closure. This was an unnecessarily stressful way to finish my safari experience. I will however say thanks to the drivers who managed to get me there in the nick of time.
I raised these matters with the company who have issued a partial refund to address these failures however i was at times made to feel like it was my fault the company were 'out of pocket'. In my view travelers should not have to navigate this level of preventable stress, miscommunication, and logistical risk on what is often a once in a lifetime bucket-list trip. If you book, insist on receiving direct contact details for the actual ground operator, re-verify your accommodation list directly with your guide each morning, and build in massive time buffers for airport connections.
For reference the company who actually provided the safari drives was 'Dancing Simba'.
