IL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Worst experience I've ever had with a tour operator
I traveled with John in August 2025 on a classic eight-day safari trip.
The trip involved serious organizational failures, but most importantly, I am still waiting – five months later – for the return of several thousand dollars that were paid twice and never refunded.
This was neither my first nor my second time in Tanzania, and I am very familiar with how such trips are supposed to be run. At first, John made a pleasant impression and responded quickly to messages, which is why I chose to hire his services. However, already at the very beginning of the trip, he made an utterly unreasonable number of mistakes – mistakes that should not happen even over ten trips. He failed to book some of the hotels, made pricing errors, booked the wrong room types, booked different hotels than those we had agreed upon, and even got reservation dates wrong.
Throughout the entire trip, there was a constant feeling of a complete lack of transparency, as if John was repeatedly trying to mislead me. Even when he came to my hotel in person to try to resolve the issues, it did not help, and the situation only became more frustrating.
All of this is very serious, but the most troubling issue occurred when John asked me to pay again for flights from the Serengeti to Zanzibar – an amount of roughly $3,000 – even though I had already paid him for these flights in advance. He claimed that his bank was giving him problems and promised that the money would be returned to me within a few days.
Five months have now passed. During this entire time, John has not denied that he owes me the money. Instead, he repeatedly promises – almost every week – that he will return it, only to postpone or disappear at the moment he is supposed to pay. This is not a financial dispute or disagreement over services; it is a case of money that was clearly paid twice and never returned.
I waited until now in the hope that the issue would be resolved and deliberately refrained from writing a review, despite the fact that the overall experience alone justified a negative one. Unfortunately, I have now given up and am publishing this review.
I am currently considering filing a formal complaint against John with the relevant authorities so that his license can be revoked.
Anyone reading this review who has made it this far – I strongly recommend staying away from John and not booking anything through him.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Avoid
I relied on the operator for a horse safari in Arusha National Park. Unfortunately, the operator did not take any step towards actually organising it. On the day, there were no horses ready for us. The operator insisted we would have to pay a high additional amount for the horses, despite all fees and transportations being explicitely included in the bill we already paid. After suggesting to substitute the horse safari with a walking safari, he as well asked us to bear the extra costs of the walking permit, despite the fees being covered by the tour proposal and the disaster with the horses. In all of this, the operator maintaned an extremely unapologetic and at times aggressive attitude, which felt very out of place considering the terrible organisation. AVOID
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Completely dishonest tour - took our money and canceled 1 day before flight began
I recommend you avoid Dream Africa tours at all costs. They are very thorough and precise in building trust. I booked a tour with them, they were kind and responsive and we had written agreements in place stating they would fully refund the tour if for whatever reason it didn’t happen.
Then, less than 48 hours before we boarded our international flight to Kenya, they sent an email saying they needed to cancel, without any reason disclosed. When we pressed for information and for a refund, they said they were in a dispute with the Kenyan tax department, and they would refund 100% of the money by November 1 2025 at the latest.
Instead, they have stopped responding to us, we’ve confirmed independently that there is no record of any tax dispute with the company, and they are launching new tour offerings across platforms.
Please avoid Dream Africa tours, as they are targeting international travelers while still not refunding any of the thousands of dollars they took from us.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Poor Service
We have traveled to many countries around the world, and we have never experienced service this disappointing from a tour company. This was one of our worst travel experiences. I am extremely disappointed and regret choosing this company over others based on the reviews we read.
From our perspective, the focus seemed to be on receiving full payment two weeks before the trip. After payment, communication felt insufficient to us. We had to make several calls just to confirm details for the first day, and after the tour started, we personally felt there was no meaningful follow-up to check whether everything was going well or if we had any concerns. We only heard from the company again after the program had already ended.
The meals that were included were not what we expected. Breakfast and dinner appeared to be pre-prepared, and we were uncomfortable with how dinner was being handled by the guide/driver. Because of this, we chose not to eat the provided meals and instead paid for our own breakfasts and dinners. No one from the company followed up with us to ask why we had refused the meals.
Overall, we felt that the quality of the experience did not match the price we paid. In our opinion, we were charged at a premium level but received a much lower standard of service. Because of this experience, when friends asked us for advice about booking a safari this year, we advised them to look elsewhere.
The only positive aspect of the safari for us was the guide, Daison, who was very helpful and supportive during the trip.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dishonest company
You risk ruining a lifetime trip to Kenya and thousands of dollars if you book your trip with Mwanje at Image Travel. We paid him over 14000 usd for a fly in fly out trip to Amboselli and Sand River. Everything seems fine at first, good communication and very informative until we made the final payment. After that, communication became bare minimum. We were already in Nairobi before he finally informed us of our bush flights. That was the only thing he paid for out of the 14000 usd. The two accommodations were not paid prior to our check-in and either were the park fees. Communications with him by the hotel staff and us were unresponsive. In order to leave, we had to pay the hotel over again. I was in tears practically the whole trip. But the kindness of the Kenyans at the hotels were amazing. Even without confirmation of payment, they still took us on game drives outside of the parks. I will never forget their generosity. They are wonderful people and Mwanje is not fit to be among them. He is a thief. We reported all to the tourism police and tourist associations. We sent several communications requesting refund to no avail. We are still following up with authorities. So so many good travel agents to Kenya. Be wise and choose a different one or risk your vacation.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very disappointing. Not recommended.
Never saw the Serengeti despite having paid for it and being scheduled. Unfortunately, it was New Year's Eve and the guides were in a rush to celebrate. The facilities were inadequate, and in the end, they even stole our luggage. The worst of the worst.
(automatic translation from Italian)
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good communication
Unable to review for 2026 trip
We place a booking with this company about 18 months from intended travel. Told that deposit would be held in trust till Dec 2025 and refundable.
Booking contracts were submitted.
Carefully read section on NON REFURDABLE deposit.
Unfortunately we had to cancel approximately 11months from trip because of extreme medical issue and the person has in fact passed.
The booking was for group of 5. Almost $10000 was kept. A limited amount was refunded.
However, they stated that they needed to cover fees for cancelled land content. I check the Web site of accommodation and several had a no cancellation fee this far from stay.
When asked for proof of cost they refused to justify this extreme amount.
Yes they need to be paid for preparation of tour, believe this to be extreme.
Travel insurance not taken out at time because of being more than 12 months from trip and told to take out insurance once flights were booked.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Horrible, be careful, it doesn't deliver the service you pay for.
Be careful, they don't provide the services you pay for. The conditions we paid for were not what they offered us once we were there. The water service, supposedly free, was a lie; they made us pay for it after the experience was over. The vehicle for the safari was completely different from the one you see in the pictures before we paid for the safari (the condition of the vehicle left much to be desired, and the one we booked was closed on the sides and open on top, and at no point did they provide us with what we paid for). You pay for a guide, and in our case, he didn't speak to us at all during the entire trip, nor did he offer us water all day (when, in theory, you're paying for a guide and for water during the trip). The only time he spoke to us more fluently was at the end of the safari to tell us his name and show us a QR code to rate him, in an aggressive way, as if we absolutely had to give him a good rating. On our first day visiting the Maasai village, we waited for over an hour, and when we finally arrived, they didn't even apologize. The food service was very poor; when we arrived for lunch, we were given a sandwich... They always under-served us. And they offered no solution. We want to claim a refund, but they haven't responded to any of our messages. We will not recommend Kihindo Tours to anyone we know.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Horrible, disappointing, empty promises
As a freelance conservationist and wildlife photographer, my first trip to Kenya was meant to highlight the wonderful work the Kenyan government is doing to save various wildlife from extinction. This trip was self funded and my way to developing a story/book I could use to show the world how well conservation works when we put the welfare of animals first. Each location I requested to visit had a very specific purpose. Ol Pejeta for their work with bringing back the black and white Rhinos, Masai Mara for the Wealth of wildlife thriving due to conservation and Amboseli National Park for the Super Tuckers like Craig. After reading positive reviews of this company, from travelors who mentioned DAVID numerous time as a great tracker who was great at finding animals, I felt confident that they would be able to give me the safari experience I wished for.. (and honestly, the reviews of David is the only reason I chose Tropical Wild Expedition because I wanted a guide who knew what he was doing and was recommended by so many people)
I expressed to Susan what I was looking for and she assured me her company could fulfill my goal. I ask if I could get this DAVID as a guide. Her response was that I would have to wait til closer to my safari date to see if he was available. I ask if I could request him, I never got a response. Susan was well aware of who I was and what my purpose was because once I booked.. she stated she would save me a window seat as well as a beanbag to use for my long lens.
What I was met with however was completely opposite. The disorganization was more and more profound each day. When told this would be a group joining safari, it was only explained to me I would be joining other people (up to 7 others in the same safari truck). I asked if those people would be from the same company.. I never got a response. I figured how bad could it be, joining others to experience the same beautiful animals of Kenya. Aren't we all there for the same reason? But the reality of group joining Safari was so much harsher then I could ever imagine.
The real reality is there could be 7 additional people from up to 7 other companies staying at 7 different accommodations on the same tours. By having so many different companies staying in so many different accommodations, it made actually having a real meaningful safari impossible. Drivers weren’t trackers as promised.. they were simply just drivers taking people from point A to point B completely ignoring the purpose of the safari. Had I known this up front I would have never gone with this company or group joining.
My experience prior to this safari took place in Kruger Nation Park, South Africa.. Drivers/guides had us in Kruger NP before the sun came up and we stayed during the most active part of the morning (and evening) to ensure we saw as many animals as possible. We took breaks during hottest part of the day.
The Kenyan itinerary sent to me by Susan stated AM/PM Safaries at each park (Masai Mara, Amboseli). But the only time I had a pm safari was the first day in Masai Mara. The other days we were lucky if we got into the park before 9:30am and drove around aimlessly during the hottest part of the day while all the animals hid in the shade. Each day we left the park just as other companies we're arriving for the pm safari and we were always back at our accommodation by or before 5pm.
I had 5 different drivers throughout the 8 day safari. It is my understanding (from previous safari) that safari vehicles are equipped with CB Radios so drivers can communicate with other drivers when a sighting occurs.. 2 of the safari vehicles didn’t even have a CB Radios. When I asked the one driver how he will know where there is a sighting, all he said is he’ll get a call on his phone. First full day in Masai Mara, We sat in a cue for nearly 2 hours at a leopard sighting, only to never actually see the leopard because we sat so long the leopard moved. I knew the leopard moved before our driver by watching other drivers interacting with the rangers ( he never got a call bout anything). When it was confirmed the leopard moved (by the rangers moving as well) our driver just sat there letting the other 50 vehicles behind us to go in front of us. I was in Masai Mara for three days, where I was told I would see every animal.. It ended up being the biggest waste of time never shooting a sunset/sunrise, a leopard, lions, lion cubs, cheetahs, ect. We did find a momma lion take a kill to her babies only be to told we couldn’t follow when other vehicles were.. this happened several times missing prime the photographic opportunity I has stated I was looking for prior to booking.
On our way to Amboseli the truck broke down and left us sitting on the side of the highway for nearly 2 hours. I found out through the companies of the other people in my group that we were getting a new truck. When I reach out to Susan, it took her nearly an hour to say, “the driver is handling it”.., no reassurance, nothing. That’s when I was thankful I was in a group with other companies..
The most devastating memory I’ll have forever, is while in Amboseli for 2 days, I begged the driver to try and find CRAIG (the famous Super Tusker). This was a very specific request I made in my first email to Susan nearly 8 months prior when I asked if I could get David as a driver. I even asked if David could track CRAIG. Well I never got David. Nor did I ever meet Craig because the driver I did get didn’t care. I found out within an hour of leaving Amboseli on way to Nairobi, that Craig was in the conservatory not far from the park. If I could find that out within an hour of leaving the park, why couldn’t the driver find that out before leaving the park when I had been asking him for two days. I woke up yesterday to the devastating news that CRAIG PASSED AWAY in the early morning, just 2 days after I returned home.. I was so close and this company ruined everything.
This company only cares bout making enough promises that you given them your money, and while you are there, they do what they want and you can’t do anything about it. They couldn’t care less fulfilling request and giving their clients the experience they requested.
If you value the money you work so hard to earn and use to go on a safari in Kenya.. DO NOT HIRE THIS COMPANY.. they will take your money, make you promises and give you in return nothing but headache and bad memories. Oh.. and I never got the beanbag either. At this point the bean bag is trivial , I only bring it up so show even the smallest requests get ignored. You would think at least the bigger request we get honored and they weren’t.
If this experience sets the precedent for how tour companies work in Kenya, I will be very hard-pressed to ever return because how could I ever trust another company’s word if this is how they work in Kenya.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Disappoint with Tour Company Update
This is an update to a previous review. My family and I took an eleven day tour through Kenya and Tanzania in 2024. The tour would have been amazing had the owner of Features Africa Journeys, Karanja, been more honest and communicated with us better. Basically once we paid our deposit all communication stopped. While on tour 3 out of 6 lodges on our itinerary were changed without our knowledge. After the second change, which was a HUGE downgrade from what we paid for and extremely disappointing to be there for three nights, I was clear he needed to let us know if he was going to change our last lodge. He agreed. Sure enough he did it again and clearly had no idea where he was bringing us. This is the owner of the company! He drove us around the last park in the dark until he figured it out. The day before we ended our tour Karanja came to me and asked for more money due to increased park fees and lodges. Wow! There is a long story to this situation.
End result is, on the day we ended the tour we (the owner of Features, myself and his financial institution Pesapal) made an agreement to a partial refund. Within 3 weeks of leaving the country it was clear I was not going to receive the refund and Karanja stopped communicating the day we left Kenya.
One year three months later and a very long process I finally received the refund. It took filing a complaint against Features Africa Journeys with the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK), the Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA), the Kenyan Tourist Police Unit, and my credit card company to resolve the matter. Please, if you are due a refund from a tour company in Kenya and did not receive it do not give up. It can be done. It is not okay to take advantage of a tourist.
Our experience is a shame as we would have had an amazing tour if communications were better, the lodging was what we expected and not downgraded and we were not cheated out of our money. There are plenty of other tour companies to use that are more honest.