US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The Absolute Worst
AVOID. HIDE. RUN. My 11 day solo Uganda tour blew up after 5 days – money issues. I found out (too late) that Bella had financial difficulties. I paid in full before the tour but they kept asking me for money during the tour. Beware of her and guide Robin coming back into the business under a different company name.
Internet: “www.bellaafricasafaris.com Mailscanner has detected fraud in the website at docs.google.com. Do not trust this website”. www.inspirock.com Bella ... # 78 of 102 in Wildlife in Kampala “www.tourhq.com ... Bella ... ranked # 39 of 47 tour groups in Kampala”
Before the Tour: My repeated emails were typically returned days late. I had to ask for receipts after monies were paid. A “must have” list never came. I emailed the lodges on the tour itinerary a week before it started. Only one lodge said they had a reservation under my name or Bella’s. I emailed Bella, and guide Robin responded that"all reservations are confirmed" (liar).
The Tour: Substitutions were made for all of the lodges listed on the itinerary. I was picked up late every morning at my lodge, once 3 hours late. Guide Robin said that the van had repairs done that day, but the driver told me in the afternoon that Robin spent the morning trying to get money. They asked me for money on the second day … difficulties in Bella getting money to Robin (lie). We spent an entire morning trying to get into Murchison NP - Robin with Bella on the phone tried to talk the person at the gate into letting us in. Finally I paid (and was never reimbursed). A joke. The van was given gasoline 6 gallons at a time – never filled. Bottled water was purchased one bottle at a time. The tour blew apart on day 5 in Kibale NP. Bella never paid for my Chimp Habitation permit (surprise!) – she asked me to pay the 200 USD fee. Nope. The game warden said I could go on the habitation if Bella got the money to him before I returned at the end of the day. I went on the habitation but no money came. When Guide Robin arrived to pick me up (I was the last person to be picked up out of 25 people) they kept him, fortunately letting me go back to the lodge with the driver. The warden kept Robin in jail for the night because of lack of payment. He was let out the next day. I heard later that they were thinking of keeping me in jail, too! The driver got disgusted with everything and drove his van home – he had never been paid anything by Bella and had been using some of his own money to buy gas. I stayed on one more day – the wonderful lodge manager got me a ride back to Entebbe (200 USD) and I stayed in Entebbe until my plane left 5 days later. Believe it or not Bella came out to Kibale NP and apologized – too little too late. She said I would be completely reimbursed for the tour (I’m still waiting on the money that won’t come !). Bella and Robin wanted me to continue the tour! I was genuinely concerned about my safety as well as being outraged with the tour. When I got back to Entebbe the lodge people and other guides told me about Bella and her money problems. They were angry with her for giving Uganda tourism a bad name. I could tell more. DO NOT GO NEAR!
The bottom line is that Bella let me fly 19 hours in the air to Uganda (and back home), pay 1500 USD roundtrip air, and pay her about 5000 USD in full for a trip that she knew that she could not pull off. As low as you can get. Would have liked to give zero stars. Amazingly, she still has her website online and on Safari Bookings.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
avoid this company
First off, I bought this safari from Trip Advisor Africa Safaris, and had all communications with Seth Vincent of that
company. The morning of the safari, we were picked up and taken to Inno Africa Safaris or Innocent Africa Safaris, where we
paid for the tour. We should have realized something was wrong at that point, but we were assured we were getting the safari
we booked. I am posting this review for both these companies as they have blamed each other in our communications.
Originally I was traveling myself, so I went with the basic accommodations. Later a friend joined me, so we upgraded to the
mid level accommodations. Below is a copy of the itinerary I was sent, then our communication confirming the upgrade to the
new accommodations.
DAY 1: ARUSHA / TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK.
Pick up from your overnight hotel in Arusha follow by short briefing and distribution of hard copy itinerary, then drive to
the Tarangire National Park for a morning & afternoon game drive. You will enjoy a picnic lunch served at a picnic site while
you watch the wildlife around the lake. Later in the day you will leave Tarangire and drive to Serengeti for dinner and
overnight at Seronera tented camp https://www.google.com/search?q=seronera+camp+serengeti&client=firefox-b-
ab&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjBq7GK06nVAhWGvxQKHXPrABAQsAQIYA&biw=1024&bih=669
Day 2: / Full day serengeti national park
All day spent in Serengeti with morning and afternoon game drives in the park with your picnic lunch. Serengeti National park
is one of the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world and symbolizes the the classic Africa Africa safaris with more than
2 million Zebras and it has greatest concentration of plains game in Africa the it's also symbolize with the annual wildebeest
and Zebras migration other animals like Zebras giraffe baboon and many others might be sported dinner and overnight at your
campsite https://www.google.com/search?q=seronera+camp+serengeti&client=firefox-b-
ab&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjBq7GK06nVAhWGvxQKHXPrABAQsAQIYA&biw=1024&bih=669
Day 3 / Serengeti Ngorongoro Via Olduvia Gorge
Early morning game drive then leave Serengeti to Ngorongoro Via Olduvai Gorge with optional stop over at Oldvia gorge where
remains of animals that lived and died more than 2 millions years ago area found the guide will give you on site information
of the gorge before you proceed with your safari you will explore various area such as Moro Kopje's the extensive grassland
interspersed with Kopje' rocky outcrop like Island the flat plain each with their own the Saronera River flows through the
park providing habitats for varieties of birds mammals and reptiles proceed to Nabi hills picnic lunch will be served at
picnic site drive to Malanji depression entering Ngorongoro crater are in the evening and direct to your campsite the drive
is amortizable with clouds rollings over the rim like a mist waterfall, the whole setting is a dreamy and unique Africa Masai
campsite safari fit into contours of the Ngorongoro crater rim dinner and overnight at your campsite on full board basis.
Day 4: 28 / 1 / 2019 / Ngorongoro Arusha drop off Killimanjaro
This morning better prepare yourself for Ngorongoro Crater - The Eden of Africa: The Crater is Twelve miles wide, home to the
rare Black Rhino and has its own Soda Lake. The high concentration of wild animals in the Crater area means that you are
likely to see the African Big Five in a short period of time. As we descend 2,200 feet into the Crater, experience a
thrilling day among Africa's Big Five: the Lion, the Elephant, the Buffalo, the Black Rhino the Leopard, zebras, hippos,
hyenas, wildebeests, warthogs and many more you will leave the Ngorongoro in the late afternoon and proceed to Arusha town
follow by drop off at your hotel in Arusha Kilimanjaro Airport where our service ends.
My email to Seth confirming upgrade: Ok Seth, lets upgrade to the mid range accommodations at katikati tented camp
https://www.google.com/search?q=katikati+tented+camp&client=firefox-b-
ab&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjEzb3AqbrdAhXPz4UKHRh_DZoQsAR6BAgCEAE&biw=1280&bih=891 and Ngorongoro sopa
lodge http://www.sopalodges.com/ngorongoro-sopa-lodge/overview.
Day one, got picked up at 730 from our hotel. Other safaris were doing pickups at 6:30 or 7:00am. Driver had no supplies or
gas, which amounted to another hour wasted. There was no such thing as a morning drive as advertised. Driver drove at least
10 mph slower than everybody on the highway. We passed nobody, and got passed by semi trailers (really,) women walking with a
hundred bananas on their head, and grazing goats. Very near Tarangire park, for no reason, we stopped in a small town for ten
minutes, (to stretch our legs as driver said,) long enough to be pestered by peddlers. Approximately 30 other jeeps past
through the town, and not one of them stopped. As we continued on, we found out the park was less than 10 minutes away. We
stopped for 15 minutes to have boxed lunch, and started our safari at 1230. The driver who couldn’t keep up to loaded trucks,
is now racing thru the park like Al Unser. Most stops, he would start to drive away before we said we were ready to go. Ended
the safari at 4:00 and were supposed to drive to the Serengeti park for dinner and lodging, but stopped In Mto Wa Mbu at 5
even though dinner wasn’t ready till 7:25. Total safari time on day one was 3 1/2 hours. Instead of staying at the Katikati
tented camp, (which was absolutely amazing and one of the highlights of the trips,) we stayed in a 2 star hotel which charged
$100 per night, as opposed to Katikati which is over $500 per night, so I wrote Seth the following letter. His reply followed
Seth I thought our safari was with Trip Advisor Africa Safaris, not Inno Africa Safaris??? Our itinerary is not how you
emailed, or what it shows on your web page. There was no morning drive in the Tarangire yesterday. In fact we didn’t start
until 12:30, and left the park at 4, a mere 3 1/2 hours. So I thought, that’s fine, we have to drive to the Serengeti, like
your itinerary says. NO! We stopped at a lodge in Mto Wa Mbu at 4:55 pm, where dinner wasn’t ready until 7:25, so we wasted 2
1/2 hours doing nothing when we could be driving to the Serengeti. I thought, OK we will leave early so we can get to the
Serengeti for an early morning drive. All other safari companies staying here left this morning at 0630 or 0700. Not us. It’s
9:35 and they are still loading the Jeep. Obviously the morning drive (when the lions are out) at the Serengeti is not gonna
happen as we won’t get there until afternoon. Why did we just stay 17 hours in a lodge room without a tv, wifi or working AC?
We paid for a safari, not to stare at four walls. Obviously we are not getting what was promised or what we paid for, and are
not very happy.
His response below, where h never answered any of our questions:
My dear to be honest, if you arrive at the lodge around 4:55pm, and the supper was ready at 7:25pm is there any problem? I
think you were given time for refreshment before you go for supper, remember we are not at safari rally and if you start
calculating time instead of watching the animal it will be a big loss to you.
Drive will try to go slow as he can so that you can see the animals, they will try to look areas where they will get animal,
not as safari rally where they compete with time, our main aim is to see animals not to reach in time,
I will be very happy if you will tell me that you have see all the big five (5).
Thank for your understanding.
Regards
Seth Vincent
Day 2 we left late, because they made us wait for other customers to join us. We sat in that rundown hotel for 17 hours. We
obviously lost the morning drive in the Serengeti. In fact, we never arrived till well after noon. We had only 3 hours on the
safari. Day 3 we started an hour late because we had to wait for the driver to pick up the people staying at a different
camp. Instead of a full day in the Serengeti like promised, we left early because the driver only purchased a 24 hour pass to
the park, so we never got two days there like promised. Then we drove to our accommodations. Once again, we were taken to a
different lodge then we agreed upon. We were supposed to stay at a beautiful lodge overlooking the crater. Of course, we were
placed in lower valued and priced accommodations. I wrote both for prices. The difference was $200 cheaper for the place we
actually stayed. Following is another conversation I had with Seth.
1. We were supposed to have two days in the Serengeti. We had only a 24 hour ticket
2. We were supposed to have two nights in Kati Kati tented camp. Instead we stayed in a rundown Twiga lodge without working
AC. The price difference between the two was $400. The Kati tent was one of the highlights of the trip, Twiga was the
lowlight. And we did not appreciate sitting in the Twiga lodge for 17 hours, instead of being on a safari
3. Last night we were supposed to stay at Sopa, overlooking the crater. Instead we stayed at Rhino Lodge. Price difference
was almost $200
Writing this to Trip Advisor Africa Safaris, his reply was this:
Thank you very much for your update. First I like people like you who do update us if something went wrong,and see how we
can sort it out. To be honest, all the money you paid in Tanzania and even the $ 200 paid before I sent to our Tanzania
counterpart for the same service. I have go through your email and what your saying it is an acceptable, please allow me to
contact my Tanzania counterpart and then I can come back to you latest Monday. People to serve a lot to come to holiday and
they should get exactly what they have paid for, there is no way he can decide to take you to Rhino lodge instead of sopa
lodge,to serve $200.Please am apologies for what has happened but before that, let me get the side of the story from Innocent
then we can see what to do next.
Thanks again and again for your update!!
Regards
Seth Vincent
Conclusion: Day 1 we lost the morning drive at Tarangire Park, due to reasons listed above. Then we stayed in a poor hotel at
Mto Wa Mbu city, instead of the stunning accommodations in the Serengeti.
Day 2, we stayed in Mto Wa Mbu for a total of 17 hours, waiting so they could join more people into our jeep. We obviously
lost the morning drive at the Serengeti. As a result, we only had 24 hours there, not two days like promised. Day 3, started
late again, and had to leave the Serengeti early before the 24 hour ticket expired. Then drove to our accommodations, which
turned out again to be lower valued accommodations than promised. Day 4, were told we'd start at 7:00 am, got picked up at
7:50. In all, we lost the morning drive at the Tarangire Park, one day at the Serengeti, an hour at the crater, one night
stay in the Serengeti camp, and one night stay at the crater. The price difference between the accommodations day one was
$400. The difference the third night was $200. That does not include the value of all the time we missed on the safari. I
wrote Seth Vincent from Trip Advisor Africa Safaris and demanded a refund, for at least the price difference in the
accommodations that they would have saved, roughly $600. Once again, that does not include all the safari time lost. After a
month of back and forth emails, and me threatening to write an obvious bad review, it was apparent, that all he would refund
us was $100 each, if we didn't write that review. Looking back at the pictures, and the memories, I am so mad at what we
lost, and realizing they ruined our once in a lifetime trip, I am therefore now writing that review.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Rude Driver and lack of response from the company
Very poor
I was travelling with Bonfire Adventures in Masai Mara. It was the worst experience as driver treated me. He was rude and aggressive.
Moreover, the senior tour consultant was good in dealing with me but he stopped replying after the drivers aggressiveness.
I would like to claim compensation for driver's attitude and reducing the promised itinerary.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
disgust
I once personally visited the next gen mall office to enquire for a booking and the customer service guy was awful, didnt care, vague, over priced i think, behaved as if they dont need guests we need them, companies are based on customer service, ithink the owner is rich now thats why when you read from the reviews you see alot of negative comments, even the roman empire was big but it fell down, treat people right, improve your guest relations, give the right information, be on time, and have work ethics,.the company is now trying to buy other tour companies, i would rather pay millions for a comfortable stay in a diani that pay a measley $300 with bonfire.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
You’re a bunch of lying thieves and take off with unsuspecting tourists money and leave them
You’re a bunch of lying thieves and take off with unsuspecting tourists money and leave them with no bookings. How are you still in business?!
Horrible cars
Not only stole all the prepaid money, but my friends had to pay it all again and missed out on most of their safari trying to find hotels to stay in because of your incompetence!
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Took our money but only booked and paid for our 1st 2 nights. Very embarrassing and stressful.hopele
Dreadfull.Except for the 1st 2 nights nothing was prebooked or paid for
Pathetic excuses.Guide left his employment after this experience
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
DO NOT GO ON PETIIT MAASAI or INNO SAFARIS, YOU WILL REGRET IT
I’ll start with this. I hate that I have to post this crappy review. I hate reviewing in general as I don’t have time for it. This should tell you how messed up my experience was and how angry and cheated I feel over the whole experience as were all the individuals who were taken on this safari with us in the third week of February 2019. The guides name was Kantona but he goes by “Eric”. Below is my description of the trip, it's chaotic because I am beyond angry, frustrated, and the trip was chaotic as well.
By writing this review I genuinely hope it spares you the experience I had. If someone had written this deserving review before I had booked this safari, I could have avoided this misery so at least I want to prevent it to happening to as few people as possible.
The bad (and it was 99% bad, really bad): I really hope this helps you make an informed decision and I would really urge you to steer clear of Petit Maasai and Inno safaris unless you want to have a miserable experience and feel cheated, lied to, and have a throbbing headache by the end of your “vacation”. If they want to lie to you more and tell you that my review is written by a competitor, please message me and I’ll be happy to email you a scan of my receipt and pictures of my safari.
The trip was memorable despite of the tour company and guide. That speaks to how beautiful the Serengeti is.
This “guide” wasn’t a guide. He was a bus driver. You don’t tip bus drivers do you? The audacity for them to even ask for a tip is already beyond comprehension let alone the fact that they asked for a "big tip" before the trip even started and in fact before he even told us what his name was as he never introduced himself and just said to put our bags in the car.
So firstly, I booked this safari tour through Petit Maasai Safaris. I spent a few days researching the tour operator before I booked and gave them a deposit. Like most people I did some research and would expect to be taken on the safari with that company. Oh was I mistaken to assume that I was going with the tour operator that I booked with!
The actual tour: I am put up in the hotel the night before the tour. The next morning a few guys dressed in jeans show up about 45min late and start yelling at me, are you going on safari? I said yes as did the couple in the hotel lobby also waiting for a tour. So these guys have no idea who I am or that I was supposed to be on the safari with them. After another half hour of them calling some guys they say ok put your backpack in the car. I carry it myself to car which isn’t customary on guided safaris but whatever, not a big deal. I get to the car and it has a completely different logo on it. It says Inno Safaris. I ask them whether I am still going with Petit Maasai and they just say no. No explanation, nothing. When I ask why not they look at me as if I’m crazy for even asking. To them, they’re taking me and that’s that. Almost as if they’re doing me a favor. This is all right after the first word out of their mouths were: "give Eric a BIG tip" before anyone introduced themselves.
I went on this trip because I wanted to see the great migration which the company office promised me I would see. They said unequivocally that it was part of the tour. One hour in to the actual tour after I’ve arrived all eager to see it, the guide says oh no the great migration is in Maswaa Reserve and we won’t see it. I was speechless. I felt very cheated considering they were more than eager to make promises and take hundreds of dollars from me.
The guide, Eric: he ONLY smiles when joking with other tour guides or screaming into the radio that when he wasn’t screaming into it, was full volume screeching for THE ENTIRE 3 day safari. I mean I wish I was exaggerating. Every time you’d say something to him like “could you tell me what species of bird this is?” the smile would instantly fade. At first this was concerning and eventually became comical in the context of this entire messed up “safari tour”. To this question he would reply with one word: the species name. No information on it such as sex, age, mating behaviors etc. (you know, the stuff that we go on these safaris to learn which makes it more enjoyable and memorable when it is more interactive). Boy, were my expectations flawed!
We were always the last ones to arrive to the park on game drives and the first to go back to the campground. No exceptions. I wish this was a figure of speech.
The entire three day trip the guide said maybe ten sentences to us. For every one word he said to us he spent one hour on the radio chatting with his friends on radio and cell phone. Asking him for anything was like pulling teeth. If you think I didn’t ask him to turn off the radio or god forbid lower the volume you are mistaken. Would just completely ignore any requests made by me or the other tour members. Just didn’t give a sh*t. I hope this review at least makes him care or at the least the owner of this company care because this isn’t acceptable and can’t continue. This is one of the most expensive events of my life and one of the worst service experiences I have ever experienced or could have imagined.
First thing you hear from them is give this guy a good tip. Not even a hello my name is... Never introduced himself. I thought this tip comment was in poor taste to begin with but I didn’t quite understand the audacity of this request considering the poor guide and service I was about to receive which I couldn’t have ever imagined. Not for something you pay for. Homeless people waiting in line at a soup kitchen are treated with more respect and dignity than we were on this tour.
Zero information about animals other than this is lion. Any other information was painfully solicited.
Would smile and laugh when talking on the radio but then the moment you ask a question his smile goes away. Acts like doing you a favor and you’re just interrupting him socializing with his friends. This "guide" needs to understand that he is there for you not the other way around. People fly from across the world for this experience and he couldn’t care less. Zero social awareness.
We were literally the only group that didn’t go to meet the Maasai people out of hundreds of other Safari expeditions.
Safari guide is one of the better paying jobs in this region of Tanzania and it’s a travesty that someone with this little apparent care for other people and in particular paying customers, with zero interest in or respect for nature who idles his engine in the Serengeti while all the animals breathe the toxic air, has this job when I’m sure so many would be willing to take his place. This guide would leave the radio screeching on for the entire freaking drive and Safari. While you’re trying to watch the animals and relax he leaves the engine on and all he says is can we go after a few moments. Zero information about the animals unless painfully solicited. So you’re listening to screeching radio for the entire day and listening to him scream into radio with his buddies while you try to relax and ignore it so you can actually watch the animals.
Oh and the cherry on top was him playing a prank joke of pretending to have forgotten me and then stopping a few hundred meters away down the highway. I thought at least this poor joke that I’ve paid hundreds of dollars a day to experience was over and he’d come back but to my shock he just idled the engine and waited for me to catch up to the car. This piece of sh*t not only doesn’t have the social awareness to not play pranks on paying customers and laugh at their expense but didn’t even have the decency to freaking put the car in reverse and come back. Just incredible. Simply speechless as were the other people of the group. If you don't believe this happened, I have it on video and will gladly send to you.
I understand that there are limits to expectations and customer service but this is one of those situations where competition needs to teach not just this guy a lesson but the company for lying to me and also for putting such an individual to “guide” us for three days. And furthermore we were promised a private tent but were put into a tent with another guy. Fine, wasn’t the end of the world even though that was another lie. But when we heard how loud he snores the nightmare was just continuing. So after listening to the guide yell into the screeching full volume radio, we got to retreat to a tent with the worlds loudest snorer.
On the ride home I was relieved to be leaving and at least be able to get away from the rude behavior and get some peace and quiet. To my further dismay, the guide picked up another tour guide and they jabbered in Swahili the ENTIRE 4 HOUR JOURNEY HOME. I mean at this point I was almost manic, trying to see the humor in how terrible this experience just kept getting, and alternating that with anger and thinking about how I will ever explain this on Trip Advisor. Because honestly words don’t do this experience justice.
I wouldn’t do this tour if I WAS PAID I feel like we should have been paid to go on this nightmare.
In summary: If you want to listen to three days of screeching radio, listen to a guide yell Swahili at other guides and into the radio all while being ignored and feeling genuinely disrespected, oh and feel like you’ve been lied to because they do lie to attract customers, and I almost forgot the cherry on top, be pranked that the car is driving away while you feel stranded in a third world country without your backpack or wallet, if this is what you want then Inno Safaris and Petit Maasai are the tour for you!
The good:
Food was good. I will give the chef that. He did a very good job in the mix of all this. And the Serengeti and Ngorongoro are incredible. The setting is one of the most beautiful I have ever been to in my years of travelling. You just can find so many alternative safari guide companies that will actually complement the scenery by providing information and just being nice rather than forcing you to have to tune out the noise and yelling and just the general feeling that you are there for them and they are doing you a favor. If you don’t like this job then quit. This isn’t for you and I can’t EVER imagine this individual providing any level of service that would leave someone happy. The guide just needs to be replaced.
Next time I will just rent a car and pay the park fees and do this safari myself because I will receive the same amount of information about my surroundings as with this guide (none). And at least that way there isn’t a radio and you can enjoy the peace and quiet.
I will lastly say that I heard that Innocent, the owner of the company who takes some of the groups, is actually quite good and is passionate and knowledgeable. But I wouldn’t take the risk of getting the guy that we got. Not when there are so many good other tour operators. And even if you’re promised to go with Innocent, I was promised to go with Petit Maasai and that’s who I gave a deposit to and we know how that ended. I also was promised to see the great migration and I also have yet to see it. Moral of the story, don’t trust what they say, their promises mean NOTHING and be very prudent when picking a tour operator and guide so you don’t experience what I did.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Worst experience ever
We had the most horrible and scary 2 days of our lives with this company. First day was the car accident and it went into a full on death-spiral from there. I don’t even want to rehash the 24 hour period in between the car accident the first day and being broken down on the side of the road on the return trip, so for the sake of brevity I’ll start at the vehicle breakdown on January 28th, 2019. We were on the side of the road for 8 hours, in the region where CANNIBALS are known to abduct, kill and eat stranded people. WE HEARD THEM IN THE WOODS BEHIND THE TREE LINE JUST FEET AWAY FROM US! We were in SO MUCH DANGER. 6 tourists had be taken and eaten just a few months prior, we learned the next day. We had to call one of our own people to come get us from Kampala (2.5 hour drive each way for him), if we would have waited for a representative from Love Uganda to arrive, it would have been after 2am! The biggest issue we have at this point is that Love Uganda agreed to refund us 40% of the Safari cost, and we wrote up a contract and both parties signed that by March 1st the funds would be transferred into our account. We gave them 4 WEEKS to get us the refund. 4 weeks came and went, and I emailed them that their deadline had passed. I was told that the owner was out of the country until the end of the month (weeks from then) and that nothing could be done. Here it is April 1st and there has STILL been no contact from them and no refund. I had not intended to write this review because even though our trip was HORRIFIC AND TRAUMATIC, we just wanted the partial refund and to return to our lives. But after everything that happened, and NOW after them not honoring their agreement and ignoring the contract that they signed AND not communicating, I feel it is my duty to warn others. They talk a professional game, but they do not honor their financial agreements, and that is NOT PROFESSIONAL.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nightmare - Do not use this safari company
There are many bad reviews of this company. 14% are 1-star on TripAdvisor as of this writing. Please listen to them to save yourself the money, hassle, and discomfort my daughter and I endured, as well as a threat of bank account fraud.
We were picked up at the airport as scheduled, but in an old, broken safari vehicle with broken seat belts and an overall dirty, filthy condition.
We were immediately told we needed to pay an additional $200 per person on top of the $1,750 per person we had already paid. She said the additional $400 would be to stay at a tent camp, not the upscale Serena Hotel we were promised and paid for. THIS IS A DECEPTIVE SCAM. It apparently happened to the last two reviewers as well.
We went to this tent camp, which we were promised was as upscale as the hotel, but it was far from. These accommodations were subpar to what we paid for and what we were promised. This was a true bait-and-switch. We demanded to be taken to the hotel we prepaid for, and the driver refused to take us. Martha didn't answer the phone. The driver said he didn't have the money or reservation for our hotel we were promised and we were again stuck in this very basic tent camp. We felt as though we were being held against our will in the middle of nowhere.
The safari vehicle itself was broken down and in poor condition. Some issues included broken off seatbelts, a broken hood latch so the hood kept bouncing up in our view, the radio didn't work, and the car was unkempt and dirty. It was not comfortable, particularly when we paid for a premium experience.
The only good thing was that we saw a lot of animals. The driver was unprofessional and smelled (poor personal hygiene).
At the end of the trip, we were supposed to go to the airport to depart. We thought we were on the way to the airport, and the driver took us to a gas station. At that point, Martha (from the beginning of the trip) got into our vehicle. The driver took us so slowly to the airport, we felt we were behind held against our will, as Martha accosted us about an email complaint. She threatened to have us arrested.
We eventually made it to the airport and they refused to let us out of the car. They threatened us and yelled at us. Finally, 45 minutes before our international flight time, we were able to get out of the car and rush to our flight.
After returning home, we wrote a negative review here on TripAdvisor. The tour company contacted us and agreed to a $900 refund if we removed this review. They never sent any partial refund. They told us they would only send any partial refund if we gave our bank account routing and account number, which is the last thing anyone should ever do with their bank account. They would not refund to our original payment method or send via Western Union.
This company is fraudulent and made me and my daughter feel unsafe and uncomfortable. Do not go with your family. Do not go with your friends. Do not use this tour operator under any circumstances. Take your money and your business elsewhere. You will have a much better trip for it.
CZ
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Terrible woman, very rude, non professional, stole our money, left us stranded
Dear reader, as you read this, please scroll to the review under this one. March 4th, a 5 star review of a ten-day safari with one picture of like 2 buffaloes, March 2nd, two days earlier, a one star review, might not seem odd. February 24th, one star review, followed two days by well what do you know, a five star review. From August 2018 to February 24th, zero reviews.And after two one star reviews, 2 days later a 5 star review shows up? The reason I’m pointing this is out is what I have to say about Lians Travel Africa. We met Lilian, the owner of Lians Travel in our estate, who had just arrived with the driver. They were slightly later than expected but nevertheless we were happy that they had come, we left and had to go to the bank to pay the driver presumably. This was on 11th February, long drive, thought we were stopping for lunch in a town called Narok but apparently after clients pay for all inclusive, they also pay for their own lunch. (I have the text message provided to me from Lilian’s confirmed number, check even on Lians Travel Africa at the bottom and see the Mobile phone number ending in 710 111. One passenger was sick but poor her, she didn’t even get lunch, priority was to get her to camp to relax. We saw the Maasai performance which was nice, safari on 12th was very nice too, it was a pleasant day and I can’t complain.
13th February was went it all went bad. We had no safari in the morning and I saw the itinerary and noticed a few issues that the driver had pointed out. I will mention these later. The driver was looking nervous and was talking to my daughter and her husband. We were just standing on the side of the road, not knowing what’s going on. A few phone calls in the car, messages exchanged, my daughter and her husband were getting concerned and from what they told me, the driver didn’t wanna go on the journey, it seems that driver was not paid his full money. We didn’t really know that but I just wanted to continue with the journey.
My daughter called this woman, her husband did too, the driver and at some point it was just shouting and shouting even when they told her to calm down. The woman called Lilian. From what I have been told, she accused my daughter’s husband of being on the same side as the driver who were apparently running the safari. I have the message to prove it. It’s funny because my son in law also paid for this safari so I didn’t understand why she accused him. Later he explained that Lilian sent a text message saying that “You are from Kikuyu tribe so I know you also stole something from the safari.” Kikuyu tribe is one of the biggest tribes in Kenya and apparently the stereotype is that Kikuyus love money and Lilian was by a long shot, trying to say that my daughter’s husband was stealing from us too. I think she thought that he was some travel agent who booked the holiday for us, in Europe we are not saying this to people, I just don’t understand why she said it. What kind of person is this or what kind of country is it where someone judges another by tribal basis? I really didn’t understand this. I will attach this message here and you will see with your own eyes. It’s unbelievable that after ditching us in Narok, she was trying to secretly find out if we paid the park fees for ourselves, hello? She had just ditched us a few hours earlier! Anyway,I’ve got a video of her telling us to “sort ourselves out”, it’s a shame I cannot post it here, but IF YOU ARE READING THIS,JUST GOOGLE LIANS TRAVEL and you will see even on YouTube.There is just something terrible about seeing your loved ones and family members looking despondent, it really gets you. it was very bad day, everyone frustrated, poor safari and we had to pay for transport and entrance for Nakuru. A police report was made but I understand that Lilian just hid from the authorities, no justice in Africa. It was a terrible experience for my family and my first time in Africa. You have seen the suspicious reviews here, and on no other platform will you find Lians Travel Africa, just on safari bookings, that should be your first red flag. Check the top of my post and see the reviews from August 2018 to now, see if they make any sense, 2 days after this, another 5 star review might show up. Since 4th March, no review yet, strange indeed. I shall attach the text messages here as proof.
I will give some advice too, there are many good travel companies, with good reviews all over the internet, much more trustworthy, do you wanna risk it with this company? I’m sure you don’t. I don’t recommend this company at all!
