65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Disappointing
Day i got the departure date wrong by 3 days and told the driver it was our fault.had to change the first 5 days of the itinerary to fit thechimp tracking permits booked in March.
Driver late by One hour on first day.
Driver liked to drive fast even on game drives,had to be told repeatedly to slow down .
Wasted a lot ( up to 45 mins) at Park gates on numerous occassions.
Were put in lesser accomodation in Enjojo camp according to our receipt.
Owed one lunch on a long day,just never got it.
Driver was totally disrespectful of my wife,never addressing her by her name and calling her”she”.
On the last night we complained about a wet messy bed and the driver joined the manageress in blaming my wife,straight away with no evidence.(look up Rushaga lodge reviews and see that this had happened before).Ido not think that there is a worse insult to make in the safari world.We are in our seventies and my wife does not “ leak”.
The vehicle had the rear windows(our viewing windows) covered in a dark tint which was hard to see through.Only one rear window was working and the exhaust gasses came in through the tailgate door.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Do not recommend
We went for our honeymoon with a luxury package. Cars are old and half broken (the first broke down on our first day). They forgot to pick us up at the airport; we arrived at 1:30AM and we had to call the hotel and wait one hour. The guide could not find one of the lodges we were staying in Serengeti and we wandered more than 2 hour looking for it. Also the guide insisted on changing the plan we had agreed and we ended doing fewer games - we paid for 6 days but only did 5 days. They forgot multiple times of our dietary restrictions. We ran out of water on the last day. The guide spoke little English so communication was very hard. Definitely go to Tanzania (parks are great) but choose a different operator.
SG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Do not book the Luxury Package, it falls well below other agencies standards
I will stick to the facts so this review is not biased. We booked the Luxury Package on SafariBookings.com, but Serengeti Silence (linked to the sister companies Serengeti Smile and Stars, same boss) did not deliver the luxury standard offered by other agencies.
The positives:
- Amazing wildlife.
- Knowledgeable guide.
- Nice hotels.
What went wrong:
- Lunch quality: Our first lunch was a barely edible sandwich box, while many other groups received hotel-prepared meals with hampers, cutlery and tablecloths. After I complained, they reluctantly upgraded us but responded defensively and made us feel guilty for expecting the standard that other agencies offered.
- Vehicle condition: The windshield was already cracked on pickup day (see photo), a safety concern on rocky roads. The phone charger was also broken.
- Unnecessary detour: We lost nearly 1h stopping at their office over an alleged unpaid balance. Everything was already settled, and they later said the stop was only to collect lunch boxes, which could have been collected before picking us up.
- Poor preparation: They forgot to provide binoculars on the first day.
- Last-minute surcharge: A few weeks before departure, they charged an extra $80 per person (including children) due to fuel prices, despite our signed quote and deposit. We had no real option but to pay or cancel.
For these reasons, I cannot recommend this agency. Their unprofessionalism irretrievably marred what should have been a dream safari.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Average
Claim to be great but actually very average. My family was not impressed. Actually as we have taken other tours in Africa via other touing companies
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Offered wonderful trip bit we missed some activities because of non payment by company
Missed hot air balloon because of non payment by company. Had to wait over an hour at every check point while the guide repeatedly rang the company for payment of entry fees. We had paid in full months in advance. Had to get legal support to get refund for missed hot air balloon.
CA
I lost trust in Cedarberg before the trip even started
I am a Luxury Travel Advisor in Canada and personally spend 90 days in S Africa every year. I have traveled to 100+ countries and l just love S Africa and all it has to offer. I worked with Cedarberg to arrange a trip for 3 couples, Golf, Kruger, Cape town and the Garden Route. I found the agent I worked with to be very difficult and lost trust during the planning stages. My clients are very important so I was very concerned with the supplier that I selected for their trip. In general their trip was good however there was a big lack of communication, overcharges and hotel downgrades which was never communicated to me until I met with my clients on the last week of their trip. My clients finished their trip and it took me 2 months to finally have Cedarberg refund the clients for the hotel downgrades which was over $600. In 20+ year of selling luxury travel I have never had such a difficult time with a supplier.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Did not execute, failed to remedy the situation
Serengeti African Tours markets itself as an ultra-luxury travel provider, which makes our experience all the more disappointing.
Despite paying a substantial premium, the reservation arrangements confirmed to our group just 1 day in advance, were not honored, resulting in significant inconvenience and the unnecessary separation of two couples traveling together. This created an avoidable and uncomfortable situation that should never have occurred.
What was most frustrating was that there was a simple solution available: provide the arrangements that had been promised and paid for. Instead, the issue was mishandled, no meaningful effort was made to resolve it, and the follow-up response consisted of little more than an unsatisfactory email explanation.
Our group entrusted Serengeti African Tours based on the expectation that the company would deliver the experience it sold. Unfortunately, it failed to uphold its commitments, and its response afterward demonstrated a disappointing lack of accountability and customer service.
Luxury travel is defined not only by the destinations and accommodations, but by flawless execution and responsive service when problems arise. In our case, Serengeti African Tours fell well short of the standards it claims to represent. Based on our experience, I would not recommend this company and will be sharing our experience with others considering booking through them.
A couple of highlights which kept it from 1 star:
Our Guide (Godfrey Maarifa) was very knowledgeable, engaging, and good to work with. If you can book directly with him, he's great.
The park overdelivers. I suspect that the guide had a significant impact on the animal viewing but we saw them all. Definitely recommend the trip, just not the tour operator based on the customer service and attention to details.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A safari operator whose guiding standards and handling of customer concerns fell below professional
I booked a shared Tsavo East safari experience through Kisite Discovery Safaris, which was operated by Jambo TravelHouse Holidays. The trip delivered did not match the itinerary and experience described to me at the time of booking, and the subsequent complaint process fell well below professional standards.
Issues:
• Location Discrepancy: The safari was marketed and sold as a Tsavo East safari. However, I was never actually taken into Tsavo East National Park. All game drives took place within a small private conservancy near the lodge.
• Group Status: During both the booking process and the safari itself, I was repeatedly told that I would be joining a group of French and German tourists. No group ever materialised. Only after I raised concerns following the safari was I informed that the booking had supposedly been changed to a private safari without my prior knowledge or consent. This explanation was later used to justify both the higher price I had paid and the fact that I was never taken into Tsavo East National Park.
• Guiding Standards: The guide spent significant portions of the three two-hour game drives on his mobile phone and speaking with the driver rather than actively guiding the safari. One game drive was cut short, and another was going to end early until I pointed out the discrepancy.
• Complaint Handling: After returning from the safari, I spent considerable time attempting to obtain clear explanations regarding what had happened. Kisite Discovery Safaris remained in contact with me, but the explanations they provided kept changing. At various points, responsibility was attributed to the guide, the booking agent, or the alleged “private safari” arrangement. Several pricing justifications also did not match the information I was able to independently verify.
• Refusal to Engage by Jambo TravelHouse Holidays: When I attempted to raise concerns directly with Jambo TravelHouse Holidays regarding the operational delivery of the safari and the conduct of their guide, they were dismissive and repeatedly referred me back to Kisite Discovery Safaris rather than engaging meaningfully with the issues raised.
• Staff Pressure: Kisite Discovery Safaris eventually offered $30 in compensation and explicitly informed me that the amount would be deducted directly from the booking agent’s salary. I was later contacted personally by the booking agent, who asked me not to accept the refund because of the financial impact it would have on him. No customer should be placed in that position.
Positives:
The Ngutuni Lodge was lovely, with many elephant sightings and excellent customer service. We did manage to spot a leopard at the end of the final game drive - much to the extreme surprise of the guide and driver. The daytime driver made an effort to improve the experience once I expressed dissatisfaction.
Overall, this tour did not deliver the location or group structure promised at the time of booking. Based on previous safari experiences in Kenya, I do not believe this experience met acceptable professional standards, particularly in terms of communication, guiding, and complaint handling.
I would not recommend either Kisite Discovery Safaris or Jambo TravelHouse Holidays, although Ngutuni Lodge is a wonderful place to spend a night or two.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Logistical Issues
We booked a 4-day, 3-night safari through the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park through this company on TripAdvisor. We paid about $1,750 per person for the mid-range lodging package.
Before the safari, John scheduled a briefing the day before departure. He was polite, but the meeting felt mostly repetitive since the information had already been covered in the materials we received. Communication was also difficult at times because he spoke very quietly. The other uncomfortable part was the discussion around tipping, which felt more expected than optional. Tipping should reflect appreciation for excellent service, not feel mandatory before the trip even starts.
There were definitely positives to the safari itself. The mid-range lodges were very nice overall — clean, comfortable, and better than expected for the price point. The food was decent overall, especially on day two, although day three’s meals were mediocre. Lunches were usually only warm at best due to the catering setup, but we genuinely appreciated that hot sauce and salt were always available because they helped a lot. Dessert was bananas all three days, which became repetitive quickly.
We were fortunate enough to see all the major animals, and some sightings were truly memorable. Our drivers, Adam and Steve, were both friendly and knowledgeable. Adam was easier to understand and drove aggressively to maximize sightings, while Steve was more cautious but equally professional.
The biggest issue — and ultimately the reason for the low rating — was the logistics.
Right from the start, our itinerary was changed. We were originally scheduled to visit Tarangire first, then the Serengeti, and finish with Ngorongoro Crater. Instead, the order was rearranged, which appeared to happen because the company combined our tour with guests on shorter three-day itineraries.
From that point forward, the trip constantly felt like a compromise between different budgets, tour levels, and schedules. Mid-range guests were mixed with budget campers, creating constant delays for campsite drop-offs, gear pickups, loading supplies, chef coordination, and other camper-related logistics. It honestly felt like the camping guests’ schedules were prioritized over the mid-range guests who paid for a different experience.
The issue was never the early mornings or long safari days — we expected that. The frustration was paying for very nice lodges and arriving so late each evening that we barely had time to enjoy them. Guests should ideally arrive at the lodges at least an hour before sunset to actually experience the accommodations they paid for.
One suggestion that could improve the experience significantly would be replacing the catered hot lunches with well-prepared box lunches. It would simplify the logistics, reduce delays, and likely improve the overall flow of the safari.
Another major issue was the constant focus on reviews. Both during and after the trip, it felt like there was a strong effort to manage and secure five-star reviews rather than simply letting the experience speak for itself. We experienced similar behavior on another East African tour as well. Multiple debriefings and repeated reminders about leaving reviews started to feel disingenuous rather than genuine hospitality.
Honestly, the aggressive push for five-star reviews became a turnoff for us and directly impacted our final rating. Companies should focus on delivering a seamless experience instead of trying to influence guest feedback afterward. If anything, the review pressure lowered our rating from what likely would have been a three-star review down to a two-star review.
Overall, we had some incredible wildlife sightings and enjoyed the lodges, but the poor logistical planning, mixing of incompatible tour types, and heavy-handed review solicitation left a disappointing final impression.
poor communication and unprofessional
Almost impossible to send funds to reserve from overseas. Wanted to charge more for the lodge reservation the next day. In experienced driver didn't know the importance of vehicle position for photos. Very frustrating and no possibility of phone conversations, only email . AVOID
Finally high pressure sales around your vehicle and Maasi village to purchase their overpriced trinkets AVOID