Disorganised, disappointing, and expensive
Whilst this is a review of a Natural World Safari holiday in Sri Lanka that we went on and not Africa, we have posted it here to inform others considering holidaying with this company.
We do not recommend booking a holiday with this company. Their online literature gives the impression of a professional organisation offering a wonderful opportunity to swim with blue whales but once out in Sri Lanka the organisation was nothing short of shambolic.
We paid £14k (excluding flights, food, and beverage) to go on a Sri Lankan blue whale safari trip that was without doubt the most disorganised, disappointing, and most expensive holiday we have ever experienced. We had accepted that a proportion of the cost went towards conservation and research, but the holiday was so substandard in every way that we feel totally conned by this. Aside from the trip being a strong contender for the world's worst honeymoon, we were misled to believe that the Picture Adventure Expeditions operation that Natural World Safaris commissioned for this holiday, would have permits to swim with blue whales in the Northeast of Sri Lanka. This was what sold us the holiday. The literature sent to us from Natural World Safaris in both selling us the trip and again after we had paid the first instalment for it, boasted that they work with the top blue whale scientist in Sri Lanka: Asha De Vos. By coincidence, we met two acquaintances of Asha's on a later part of our holiday in Sri Lanka whilst in Wilpattu. They were surprised that Asha would be involved with an operator that allowed tourists to swim with whales and contacted her to verify this claim. It turns out Natural World Safaris were falsely using Asha De Vos' name and she publicly denied all association with Natural World Safaris (which we confirmed by contacting her directly ourselves).
When we contacted Natural World Safaris (at the end of the trip) asking for proof of the permits to swim with whales in the Northeast of Sri Lanka, we were informed that although they had been requested by Natural World Safari's "partner", they had not been confirmed because Natural World Safaris had failed to provide our passport details to them despite them having had them for over a year or contacting us to check whether they had changed.
During our holiday, the incompetence and recklessness of the employed boat captain was truly alarming. This “personally taught” (by Natural World Safaris) captain had no idea how to safely drive a power boat and the tour leader from Picture World Safaris did nothing to intervene despite the distress of his three clients. As a qualified yachtsman and RYA powerboat driver myself, I had to intervene several times to curb his ‘joy riding’ style of driving a speed boat in high waves and at beaching it too. Our accommodation at one point in the trip was little more than a hostel and of the quality that even the cockroaches were trying to move out. On top of this, our guide and operator of Picture Adventure Expeditions, Josh, seemed to be concentrating more on running his printing business back in India than ensuring his guests, who had each forked out £7k were kept safe and received reasonable value for the holiday they paid for.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Totally exceeded my expectations
PaoWhat an unforgettable 4 days, totally exceeded my expectations.
From the beginning the organisation and communication via emails was thorough and every detail we requested was noted and not forgotten.
When the safari started, we got an amazing guide, Yusuph Omary. He made us feel very welcome and did everything to make sure we were comfortable and enjoying ourselves.
The quality of the food and accommodation was top notch.
We got to see lots of rarities including lions mating up close, 2 leopards and even spotted 2 rhinos which are extremely hard to find. Luck plays a part but also credit has to go to our guide. He worked really hard to find us those rare moments, and thanks to him I have so many great photos and videos.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
well worth the money - saw tons of animals on 3 day safari!
Robert was super accommodating and very helpful in giving me all the relevant details for the trip.. he wanted to make sure everything ran smoothly and even went out of his way to meet me before and after the trip to make sure everything went accordingly. He was interested in how to improve.
The safari was well worth the money considering the costs involved in organising park access, food, accommodation and transportation. I did the 3 day safari to Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Lake Manyara and saw tons of beautiful scenery and animals! It was in January so everything was lush and green. I had a great stay at Panorama campsite at Lake Manyara and met lots of other solo travellers there too! Would definitely recommend Robert and his team!
KR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An excellent tour with this company.
Great experience. The people were excellent, friendly and helpful. The service was excellent. The vehicle was very good. The itinerary was good and we saw a lot of animals. The accommodation was very good. The food was good but could have been better. The whole experience was excellent. If we need a safari again, we will use Seknka.
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great tour operators present with the options to pick from and ones that match your expectations.
Very promotion and careful communication, focusing on the need of the customer and not selling off the shelf tours. I m really happy with the services by Michelle
KR
Excellent safari company !
Great experience. The people were excellent, friendly and helpful. The service was excellent. The vehicle was very good. The Itinerary was good and we saw a lot of animals. The accommodation was very impressive. The food was very tasty but could have been better. The whole experience was excellent. If we need safari again, we will use Sekanka.
AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Big Five Outstanding professional Company
Very professional Company, everything was perfect, outstanding knowledge about the animals and birds, best lodges, great picknick places for lunch.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Memorable experience!
Thank you Kenny for all your help and making our first trip to Kenya a truly memorable one. We were a group of 7 who travelled for my moms 60th birthday- a safari was her bucket list dream and Keron did not disappoint! The service received was absolutely top notch. Kenny was always readily available by WhatsApp before and during our trip and was very responsive - he was truly a pleasure to communicate with. Despite a few challenges with accommodation prior to our arrival Kenny was able to get us sorted and offered to provide us with a free upgrade which was appreciated. Our guides were friendly and professional- we managed to see the big 5! I highly recommend using Keron to anyone going to Kenya and will definitely be recommending your company to family and friends. We received great value! Thank you for making my moms bucket list item so great, we will remember our experience forever:)
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unique experience, driver George completely at your disposal
We booked with this travel agency without knowing anything about them.
But we were lucky, we spent very nice 5 days in the savana, an environment similar to the movie “the lion king”.
The driver was very friendly and always available and kind with us and with our little kid. I suggest this trip for every group, from couple to friends group. It is a way to discover the wild life of some animals that in Europe is difficult to see. 5 stars for a family like us.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent experience for (Kilimanjaro and Serengeti Safari)
We had two very amazing experiences with Tanzania Go Adventures. First, our Kilimanjaro trek with our guide Joseph, who was very knowledgeable and helpful. The trek was absolutely wonderful, and something we had been dreaming of for years. Thankfully they organized it all perfectly.
Our second trip was the 7 day tour to Lake Natron, Serengeti, Tarangire, Lake Eyasi and Ngorongoro. Another great experience. Our guide Jumanne, was so great, and really did his level best so that we could see as many animals as possible. I can only praise all their hard work to make our trips as smooth as possible.
It's a 5 stars adventure
