65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Disappointing
We (group of 10) signed up for a tour several months prior to the scheduled june5-9 th tour. We were to be in Uganda for a volunteer work week, helping a community, and this was a post work excursion. Due to the Ebola outbreak, we had to change to another country in Africa on the other side of the continent. Therefore, this unforeseen situation required us to cancel. We asked for our refund. The average refund was only 25%. After a lot of communication, the operator showed no proof that he purchased any permits or any of the expenses for this tour, nor any safety precautions concerning Ebola. His verbiage and actions did not show any interest in our situation. I cannot recommend anyone to use this company. This was a terrible experience.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Avoid this company.
Our October 2025 safari was canceled because of political riots, which was unfortunate but completely understandable. What isn't understandable is what happened afterward.
We were promised a 100% refund. The company later admitted they had recovered most of the funds from our booking, yet they never refunded us. Instead, they stopped responding to our emails and messages altogether.
When you're booking a safari in Africa, you're trusting a company not only with your vacation but also with your safety and your money. The true test of a tour operator is how they handle situations when things go wrong. This company failed that test completely.
Being ignored after repeated promises is unacceptable. If a company is willing to ghost customers over a substantial refund, I would think twice before trusting them with an expensive trip. There are plenty of reputable safari operators that actually stand behind their commitments—this was not one of them.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
"Nightmare"
Terrible experience. Totally disorganized. They don't even give you a receipt when you give them money, they didn't book the rooms they told you or the flights. Unreliable! They don't give you back a single euro of what they promised you. Rely on an agency that rather charges you more but doesn't screw you over because it ruins a beautiful experience.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
The worst… African Marvel Tours
I did my Safari in Tanzania exactly one year ago. It was one of the worst experiences I have ever had regarding lodging. African Marvel Tours, touted a luxury camping situation, which upon arrival, had no idea and no reservation for me. Once an inferior accommodation was made for me, I discovered that there was not a drop of running water for handwashing, toilet, shower, etc. The situation was dire, and Staff and African Marvel Tours did nothing to alter the situation. After one year, after many, many many attempts of receiving a refund, I continue to wait after a promise that I would be sent money to my account. Dealing with African Marvel Tours has been the absolute worst. There is no good communication. Calls emails, etc. are not returned. There are promises made, and no promises kept. Avoid this company as there are so so many out there which will deliver luxury camping to The highest level. Everything where I stayed was sub standard, which includes all pitiful food. The food was absolutely unappealing and disgusting. No matter what is offered to you, please do not trust your Safari. To these people they are unethical, corrupt, and criminal.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
1-Star Honest Second Review – Extremely Dishonest & Disorganized Safari Operator
This is my second review for this safari company. I previously left a genuine, detailed review of my 7-day trip, yet the business claimed I never traveled with them and pressured the platform to hide my original feedback. This deceptive behavior alone already ruins all trust, and I can only rate the entire service 1 out of 5 stars now—even though the raw wildlife scenery alone might barely deserve a 3-star score on its own. Every unethical, unprofessional misstep from this operator is listed below, supported by full chat logs as evidence.
Core Problem 1: Night-and-day customer communication before vs after full payment
Their response speed dropped drastically once I finished paying the full trip fee. Before transferring money, their staff replied to every message within minutes; after payment, they took zero initiative to brief me on follow-up procedures, airport transfers or paperwork. I had to chase them for several days before they finally sent the airport driver’s contact and payment receipt unprompted. No proactive guidance, zero after-sales care after receiving my money.
Core Problem 2: Deliberately misleading lies about airport SIM cards, costing me heavy roaming fees
Two different staff members contacted me pre-trip, both strictly warned me not to buy a local SIM card at the airport, claiming airport processing would take too long. They promised my safari driver would help me register a SIM card along the route. The airport transfer driver repeated the same lie when picking me up, also urging me to skip airport SIM registration.
After settling the final balance at their office and switching to the main safari vehicle heading to Amboseli, I repeatedly asked the driver when we could get the SIM card—he had absolutely no clue about this promise. He stopped at a local shop nearby, where staff informed me SIM cards registered under foreign passports can only be issued in major cities like Nairobi, not small towns en route. The driver then said we could sort it out after Masai Mara once we passed Nairobi.
This promise was never fulfilled either. After Masai Mara, our group split: two passengers had no further travel plans, so the driver took a massive detour to drop them off first. Our drive from Masai Mara to Lake Nakuru became an exhausting all-day road trip, and he claimed we ran out of time to stop for SIM registration again. Even after switching to a new driver for the latter half of the itinerary, the same empty promise was repeated. I finished the entire 7-day safari without ever getting a local SIM, forced to rely on costly international roaming that cost me around $10 USD per day. The company’s intentional misinformation wasted my money .
Core Problem 3: Discriminatory, unsafe, lazy driver service
Our initial group had four passengers: two Asian women (my travel partner and me), plus two male travelers from English-speaking countries. The driver showed obvious racial bias from the start—he consistently carried luggage only for the two Western men, leaving us to haul all our own bags alone.
After those two men left the group at Lake Nakuru, the driver’s service collapsed completely. He stopped giving any wildlife or landscape commentary for the rest of the ride, and spent nearly all the driving time scrolling his phone while behind the wheel. This distracted driving created serious safety hazards for every passenger in the vehicle. The driver’s service quality did not warrant any tip at all, yet many tourists reluctantly hand over gratuities just because travel guides push mandatory tipping culture online, even when they receive zero attentive service.
Core Problem 4: Unilateral, unapproved last-minute itinerary changes that ruined travel mood
Our group split after Masai Mara, and the two remaining passengers had separate scheduled next stops. Without prior consultation, the driver notified the other girl that her confirmed itinerary would be altered, forcing her to detour and follow my route instead. She spent nearly the entire day on the phone arguing with the office team to fix this unauthorized change, which completely destroyed her enjoyment of game drives. The office finally confirmed her original schedule would stay unchanged and promised to speak to the driver.
Later that same day, the driver tried to pull the exact same trick on me, attempting to rewrite my booked itinerary without asking for consent. I immediately contacted the office to file a formal complaint, insisted they preserve my original travel plan, and requested a driver replacement due to his unprofessional conduct.
Overall Verdict
This safari agency operates with total chaos and zero management oversight. They prioritize collecting payments above all else, with no reliable coordination, truthful pre-trip briefings or quality control over their drivers. The wildlife sightings themselves were mediocre at best—animal numbers were far fewer and less spectacular than advertised, and the whole safari felt little more than visiting an ordinary foreign zoo, with only novelty value from a new environment to offer. Save your money and avoid this dishonest operator entirely; there are countless far more transparent, professional safari companies across Kenya.
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bad experience
Our experience with this safari operator was extremely disappointing.
We booked and paid for a private safari, including private accommodation, transport, park visits, and related arrangements. However, shortly before our trip started, we were informed that the safari vehicle had been involved in an accident, and we were told a private tour could not be arranged. Instead, we were placed in a group tour, which was not what we had booked or paid for.
We were repeatedly assured that the private vehicle would be available the next day, but this never happened. The promised arrangements were not fulfilled.
The biggest disappointment was that our Amboseli National Park visit was cancelled due to the operator's inability to arrange a vehicle. This was one of the main reasons we chose this itinerary, and missing it significantly affected our trip.
We had already paid for accommodation, food, transport, and the full safari package. As a result, our holiday did not match what had been promised, and we incurred considerable inconvenience and disappointment.
Fortunately, we had paid by credit card. When we were unable to resolve the issue directly, we initiated a credit card chargeback, and after reviewing the evidence, the dispute was resolved in our favour. Without that protection, I do not believe we would have recovered our money.
My advice to anyone considering this operator:
Get every promise in writing.
Confirm that the tour will actually be private if that is what you are paying for.
Verify hotel bookings and transport arrangements before your trip.
If possible, pay by credit card so you have consumer protection if things go wrong.
If any traveller would like to know more about our experience before booking, they are welcome to contact me through this platf
PH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Axis is okay but driver/guide Rodgers is not
Axis is okay, but make sure Rodgers is not your driver
I was assisted properly during inquiry up to booking, including organizing a pick up of my bag to the airport.thanks to Rita. BUT the game drive and the tour ended up a disaster.
Driver/Guide Rodgers seems to be always in a hurry and not giving options. While it is in itinerary that you should inform,the guide should also ask or atleast brief before the day starts. We were asked about the boat ride, but not the Crescend island. So we ended up doing twice boat and Crescent island. Convenient for the guide as the day finished early.
2nd, in Hells gate, he just dropped us in the gate, pointed the guide and the bike. Even he knew I do not know how to bike and dressed improperly,he said that there's bike for 2. Again, laziness. He should have atleast laid the options. Because cars can go inside the park.
3rd, on the last day, the safari will be cut because there is a protest. We should leave early. But the President of Kenya spoke at night and went in between the 2 parties of protester. The next morning no update from Rodgers. So I told him the President spoke last night. He got wild! Pull the car in Amboseli and did the safari.HE ASSUMED because I told him that, I want to still do the safari. Left the other 2 guest confused too. Created a scenario in Amboseli park. Refused to talk the whole drive. Didnt give me also the packed lunch.
Guides job is to atleast update with developing cases/story, right? And in case the situation got back to normal overnight, it is just fair for paying guest to maximize the day because after all, WE PAID FOR IT!
Axis Safari's value of money is fine. But make sure Rodgers is not the driver
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Itinerary on Paper, Poor Execution in Reality
We chose Lush Africa Safaris because of its overwhelmingly positive reviews. Unfortunately, our experience was the complete opposite, and I cannot recommend this company.
Our trip was planned by Abbey Rafsanjan, Director and Safari Consultant. Before we made our final payment, Abbey was responsive, professional, and provided what appeared to be a well-organized itinerary with detailed descriptions of every hotel and activity. Once payment was made, however, the level of service changed dramatically.
The most serious issue was that three hotels on our confirmed itinerary were changed without our knowledge or consent. In every case, the replacement hotel was of a lower rating and significantly lower nightly cost than the hotel we had paid for.
On the first night, after more than 24 hours of travel, our driver took us to a different hotel than the one listed on our itinerary. We had no reason to suspect we were being taken somewhere else. We only realized the substitution several days later when we returned to Kigali. We immediately contacted Abbey and asked that we be moved to the hotel we had originally booked. He replied that he was in a meeting and would call us back. He never did. After waiting for over an hour, we paid for rooms at the correct hotel ourselves rather than spend another night at the downgraded property.
A second hotel substitution could not be corrected because we did not discover it until we arrived.
The third substitution we caught in time, and we instructed our guide to take us to the hotel that was actually on our itinerary instead of the replacement.
We requested reimbursement for the unauthorized hotel substitutions, but our requests were ignored. Abbey stopped responding to our emails and messages altogether.
There were also problems with the activities we had paid for. Our itinerary included a morning safari, but our guide told us Abbey had never informed him about it. Had I not insisted that the safari was included in our itinerary, we would have missed an excursion that had already been paid for.
As a result, we spent the entire trip having to verify each day's schedule with our guide to make sure we would actually receive the hotels and activities we had purchased. That is not how anyone should have to spend a vacation.
Ironically, before booking, I noticed two reviews mentioning unauthorized hotel substitutions but dismissed them because there were so many positive reviews. That was a mistake. Our experience closely matched those reviews. I've learned that sometimes the negative reviews reveal problems that shouldn't be ignored.
A safari in Rwanda is an expensive, once-in-a-lifetime trip. When you pay for specific accommodations and activities, you should receive exactly what you purchased—or at the very least be notified of any unavoidable changes and compensated appropriately.
Unfortunately, that was not our experience with Lush Africa Safaris. Based on our experience, I cannot recommend this company.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Do NOT send any $$$! Exercise extreme caution with Nyange Adventures, Moshi TZ.
Based on my experience, I recommend you exercise extreme caution with Nyange Adventures, Moshi, Tanzania. $97,830 was paid for services not provided, and no cash refund has been received. The matter is now with Tanzanian legal counsel. Please do your due diligence before entrusting this company with your money.
IL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Disappointment
We booked a six-day safari for a family of seven with Bobby Camping based on excellent reviews and what appeared to be strong personal communication. I rarely write negative reviews, but I feel compelled to share our experience so that future travelers can make a more informed decision.
The vehicle provided was in very poor condition — approximately 25 years old (the last of its model series was manufactured in 2007). It was one of the oldest safari vehicles we encountered during our entire trip. The suspension was terrible, making every bump on the rough roads extremely uncomfortable. The rear row was so cramped that adults could not even sit properly with both legs down. There was no air conditioning, which was a major issue in the dusty Serengeti environment. With windows closed to keep out the dust, we were constantly soaked in sweat. Rust from the roof continuously fell onto our heads throughout the journey.
At one point, part of the vehicle’s bodywork broke off and fell onto the road. The driver had to stop and reattach it on the roof. When we contacted Bobby immediately upon seeing the vehicle, he assured us that all his vehicles were in similar condition. We later had the chance to compare it with another safari vehicle on the same route (used for our balloon safari) and the difference in quality and comfort was striking.
While the driver was adequate, he was nothing more than that. However, the most disappointing part of the entire experience occurred on our return to Zanzibar. After the driver dropped us at Arusha Airport and left, we discovered that our Flightlink flight had been transferred to Kilimanjaro Airport and had already departed an hour earlier. All other flights to Zanzibar that day were full. The airline staff showed us an email they had sent to Bobby the previous day informing him of the schedule change — yet no one had notified us.
After an hour of stressful negotiations, we were eventually transferred to the correct airport and flew out in the evening. As a result, the hotel transfer we had paid for was missed entirely. Instead of arriving at our hotel around 3:00 PM, we reached it at 11:00 PM. We had also planned a special anniversary celebration at the hotel that evening, which was completely ruined along with our overall mood.
This experience was far below the standards we expected for a premium safari booking. We received no apology from Bobby or his team for any of the issues. While I dislike leaving negative feedback, this trip fell so short of expectations that I believe it is important to warn others.
