65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beware beware beware, never again
In a group of 11 and we all paid in full for a Safari holiday to African Marvel. Expecting a holiday to remember but what we got was their management not paying hotels, lodges and park fees and we lost big chunks of time where we should have been viewing Kenya and Tanzania wonders. What we got was hours waiting at park entries, or in hotels not being able to leave because the bill wasn't paid by African Marvel. Tourism is very important for Kenya and Tanzania but this experience has left a bad feeling and we have told family and friends our experiences, a nightmare of failed promises by management. That said the guides were amazing, hotels, lodges, food were also amazing. Even the guides weren't getting paid and relied on our daily tips to survive. So based on my experience, do not use this company, find a company that you can trust. Yes we paid in full but that doesn't guarantee a flowing, wonderful holiday with beautiful countries, animals and locals. Find a financial operator that does put your money into your holiday. Beware, please beware.
Update, now been over 3 weeks and no promised money has been transferred from African Marvel to our group. All words and clearly no action or no care!
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our holiday of a lifetime ruined by the lies and deceit of Africa Marvel.
The twelve day Safari of Kenya and Tanzania was marred with delays, a feeling of being held “hostage” at each junction of the trip until accommodation and game parks were paid; sometimes by Marvel after much pressure being applied, and from us (for a second time!) to ensure that we did experience some of what was promised to us in our itinerary.
Our family group and friends, totalling 11 people, had paid in full and in good faith that the services would be provided as booked.
It was evident that Marvel was stringing us along financially and emotionally, promising us a
refund of the services not rendered, totalling USD30,000.
Not one cent of that huge amount of money, that our group could ill afford, has been paid back. We are still waiting!
Cutting short the safari as once again the accommodation and park fees were not paid for, we returned to Nairobi early.
Even more bad news as the Rwanda 4 Day Tour to experience the Gorillas and the Golden Monkeys for the 6 of us an absolute once in a lifetime “bucket list “ paid to Marvel was NEVER booked at all. When pressed further about this tour he admitted the day before that he had done nothing. We were devastated! It was clearly fraud!
The emotional and financial stress, the uncertainty and betrayal is the key element I have taken from dealing with this company.
We thought we did our due diligence in going with this company, but that proved to be an absolute nightmare on so many levels.
Be so aware!
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not communicating the facts.
After booking a 7 day Safari, i found out that day 1 of 7 only consists of checking in to your hotel although the itinerary clearly states that your adventure will begin after meeting the team. No team was ever met. Day 2 was no adventure either. After driving about 75 kms, we had breakfast then i was passed off to another tour company altogether. Day 3 and 4 were fine, but when it came to organizing my balloon trip, the driver new nothing about it. I had to text Jambo Masai Tours and connect them with the driver. After that, things did not get better. On the 5th day, my guide was returning to Arusha with all guests. I informed him that my Safari was for 7 days, not 5. He arranged for me to be transferred to another company, but by then, i was completely fed up an cut my Safari short by 2 days. I concidered requesting a refund, but i didnt want anything more to do with Jambo Masai tours.
GR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unnaceptable and Offensive behavior
We hoped that after our extensive and detailed communication, everything would be as we accepted with «akondo adventures».
Despite the fact that we had no experience from safari when we chosen a 3-day vacation during our zanzibar holiday, given that there were many other travel organizations in the same areas, we easily understand that our vehicle was not in a very good condition for comfort on off-road roads.
However, by the second day, this problem was overcome thanks to our guide, athoos, who deserves our thanks, as he was knowledgeable of the environment and the opportunities for miracles at every point, plus he was extremely kind and voluntary.
However, on the 2nd day, at the end of our trip, and while the guide was taking us to our hotel (mawe mawe manyara lodge), we accidentally realized that it was not the one we had approved and booked!
We asked Innocent to contact the manager asap. The answer he gave us was that our hotel was overbooked at the last minute and they would transfer us to another.
When we moved to the new hotel, depressed and absolutely angry, we realized that this had nothing to do with the quality, location and services of what was agreed and paid in full 5 months ago.
The manager refused to answer our continuous phone calls and told their guide that he didn't want to talk to us!
So without having any other solution we were forced to stay with what he offered us...
The next day, at the airport for our return, the manager appeared spontaneously, apologized and proposed a refund of our accommodation in order to avoid a bad rating!
We asked his request to be put in writing. in his written response, we were surprised to read that he falsely claimed that the change happened the previous time (the guide had printed out the day's program in the morning...), that he mistake did not inform us as he should have..., and that the refund amount he intended to pay was not even 10% of the total cost of the 3-day safari.
His unacceptable and offensive behavior was worse than the fraud we were endured to.
We suggest that every interested tourist enterprise include penalty clauses in every agreement with the agreeing companies and certainly not to proceed to a full advance payment of 100% of the value.
🚫 WARNING: New World Safaris took $68,000 and left clients with NO bookings in Africa
I am writing this review as a consumer alert regarding New World Safaris (Pty) Ltd.
I am a travel advisor. My clients prepaid over USD 68,000 months in advance for a luxury safari and hotel package. When they arrived in Tanzania on Christmas Eve 2024, there were no confirmed reservations anywhere - every “confirmation” we had received was either fake or non-existent.
Their bookings at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Simbavati Tented Camp, Nyasi Tented Camp, and Melia Zanzibar had all been canceled due to non-payment by New World Safaris. Each property confirmed in writing that they had repeatedly requested payment and never received it.
We were forced to rebook every stay out of pocket at enormous personal cost. Throughout, New World Safaris’ representative David repeatedly assured us that all arrangements were secure, but the lodges told us otherwise. I personally intervened and paid vendors directly to prevent my clients from being stranded, even though they had already paid New World in full. I had staff from New World Safari messaging me on the side helping me rebook (at my own cost), and asking me not to tell David or Mariano they were helping.
Despite repeated attempts to reach Mariano Cuervo (owner) via email, phone, and WhatsApp, there was complete silence.
The final communication we received was on December 31, 2024, after I sent a formal notice of breach of contract and refund demand. Their response, from David Smit, stated: “WITHOUT PREJUDICE. We will proceed with the same in terms of defamation and false pretence. Regards, David.”
That was the last message we ever received. Since then, there has been no acknowledgment, no explanation, and no refund. The company went dark and stopped responding entirely.
We have filed formal bank disputes and police reports and preserved all evidence, including screenshots, payment receipts, and written correspondence from the lodges verifying non-payment.
I am writing this now because New World Safaris has resumed advertising and promoting itself on social media channels such as Instagram and Facebook, attempting to attract new business as if nothing happened. Consumers deserve to be warned before more travelers are deceived.
In short: do not book with New World Safaris. They are still marketing themselves despite this conduct. Travelers should consider this operator high risk.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip Cancelled By African Safari Guru Shortly Before Departure
Our 2025 safari with African Safari Guru was cancelled less than three weeks before departure after we had paid in full. Communication and refund follow-up were difficult, and only a small portion of our payment was returned. It was a disappointing experience after many months of planning. Travelers should confirm refund policies and have strong travel insurance before booking with this company.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Out of business do not book
Now I know who Gabriel is... upon receiving an email addressed to him, I had the exact same situation... although I received the dear Gabriel email only 3 days before my trip was supposed to start, and I was already half way to Nairobi... and there were 4 of us, so we lost $21,000!
we paid the deposit by credit card in October of 2024, and sadly I didn't revisit the reviews before making the final payment... I wanted tp save
the $600 credit card fee, so I wired the balance due, hopefully my trip insurance will come to the rescue...
On the day of our scheduled departure, I contacted another company and paid them for a trip they set up for us that same day. They really saved us. That company was Twiga, and I highly recommend them.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We had a terrible experience - they cancelled on us last minute and have not returned our money.
We paid $930 for a safari which was the full agreed-upon amount for our group. 24 hours prior to the safari we received an email stating we owed another $400. We declined to pay this since we had already paid in full, so they cancelled our trip leaving us without plans less than 24 hours prior to the trip. They stated they would reverse the initial payment, but no refund has been received. I have sent communication notifying them that we have not received our refund several days ago and they are not responding. We feel like we have been scammed. Feels like they were just trying to take our money without providing services. We have now had to file a claim with our credit card company to dispute the original charge.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Zero professionalism
We have prepared with them 1 week in kenya. we booked the safaris in Nakuru, Naivasha and 2 and a half days in Masái Mara, we paid everything (1000€) 4 months before being in the country. but it turns out that the same first day of safari that has been in Nakuru, we asked to enter early but did not want to drive at night so we accepted 1h later, there were punctual (we are Swiss) to enter at dawn to the safari and see the animals but it turns out after being waiting 1h and 10 min, we decided to enter and the guide speaks to us to tell us that we were not there and that had arrived on time and without apologizing. After this we talked to Naomi who is the girl with whom we hired everything but they blamed each other and she used personal reasons to excuse. We see that it is not our way of doing things between lies, excuses and victimization and we decide to reimburse everything so that we can hire it with another company. But here comes the surprise. First this girl used the technique to blame the guides, then the victimhood (again) and then already attack against us, when it was decided to make the refund we saw that I had only entered 940 €, I decide to talk to her and buuum turns out that I blocked WhatsApp ( only way to have contact with her). so now all the claim is in the Swiss and Spanish embassy (because we have Spanish nationality) and a complaint made with the insurance we have contracted. are unpresentable, unprofessional and thieves
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
AVOID AT ANY COST
Absolutely shameful experience… Do not use those scammers. Obviously most of the time things goes well so you can’t see the reality of who you dealing with. We left with my girlfriend and 8 other people including the captain and the guide. Once gone, we hit a very wavy part of the sea, the captain couldn’t handle it and litterally stood us in the middle of the waves hoping for the boat the get through it. The waves were hitting on side of the boat.. Any experienced captain would have taken the waves differently and wouldn’t leave the boat parallel to the waves… They didnt even think of giving us lifesaving jackets when things got rocky. After 2 waves the boat was full of water, after the 3rd it literally went upside down with all of us in the water… bags, phones, cameras, shoes.. everything in the ocean … 3 of us had to swim back to the shore, 1hour of struggle in the waves. Do never take a young kid, or any person that is not able to swim properly. Not only this was a scary and traumatic experience, they have been playing with us for 9 months now to refund the items lost during the excursion. Once its an insurance problem, then its financial problems then its not the high season … always finding excuses… The ice on the cake ?… we didnt even get to see the dolphins….