HK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Lost driver, broken down vehicle, waste of time.
Is a Serengeti Safari a trio of a life-time? Do you want to see the migration, the big 5, and enjoy a beer at the safari lodge after a good day? If so, don’t book with Bobby!
The first day the agency failed to communicate where the safari lodge was, meaning we drove for HOURS only to arrive exhausted and after dinner was served.
We never saw the migration, bad luck perhaps.
The 4th day the vehicle broke down, and we spent the day on the side of the road, enjoying waves of dust.
For your Serengeti experience, I'd recommend you choose any other agency!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Poorly organized and not transparent
Do NOT book with them. They do not use their own safari car for group safari but instead throw you in a car with tourists who booked with other safari companies and whose itineraries they have no control over or knowledge of. There was a lot of confusion, delay and waste of time just waiting because everyone stays at a different place and has different specific itineraries, plus the local guide is not directly affiliated with the company so communication was indirect. We almost missed our entrance to Maasai Mara the first day and missed our day at Lake Nakuru. On top of that, they put 8 people in our car which was very uncomfortable for an 8 hour ride on bumpy roads.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I believe that we have been scammed by this organization
We booked a full organized trip for 12 days to Rwanda and Hodari only arranged the first 3 days!! We had to pay for the hotels and they also cut the 12 days. Samuel, CEO, promised us to refund us for the payments of the hotels but we're still waiting. We have been fooled by Hodari Group.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Beautiful contry lack of services, expensive, corrupted
Be prepared if you intend to go in Tanzania, in terms of services its very poor, and it has got the higher costs in between South Africa and Kenia safari whom are much more organized affordable, better food, better transportation.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Warning from my experience I recommennd you avoid Kipok Africa Adventures and Amani
In July 2024, I received a quote from Kipok Africa Adventures and paid a USD 2,000 deposit. Amani, the owner, assured me that all lodges for our July 2025 safari would be booked.
However, in December 2024, after seeing several negative reviews appear for the company, I contacted the lodges directly. Every single one confirmed there was no booking under my name or the company’s name. When I questioned Amani, he gave multiple excuses and then started requesting additional “government” payments in advance — despite our written agreement that the balance would be paid closer to the trip. I researched the “government” reason he gave and found it was completely false.
As we were travelling during peak season, I told him we had lost trust in the company and requested a refund on December 19, 2024. He asked for 90 days. The 90 days passed with no refund. After more than 40 follow-up messages, he eventually refunded USD 1,100 — but USD 900 is still outstanding, and he has now stopped communicating entirely.
From what I have learned, Amani is essentially a freelance jeep driver who has set up his own company and is scamming unsuspecting travellers.
I recommend that you do not book with Kipok Africa Adventures. You risk losing your money and having your holiday ruined. If you are ever on safari with another company and he arrives to pick you up, call your tour operator immediately and refuse to travel with him. He will find every possible way to get to your wallet.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They Don’t Deliver What They Promise, Constant Lies, No Refund
We booked a 4-day midrange honeymoon safari with Suricata Safaris. What we got: reversed itinerary without notice, exhausting drives to meet the itinerary of people that was doing a 3 day safari with us, downgraded lodges that were not lodges almost 2 hours outside the parks, and a schedule cut short to match other guests. Multiple times we were moved to much worst accommodation with no warning.
The worst part: the lying. At the end, they apologized, promised compensation, and assured us a refund for 1 of the 4 days. Their own messages tell the story:
“Please accept our sincere apologies for the issues you experienced during your 4-day safari. We’re truly sorry to hear that your trip—especially such a special occasion as your honeymoon—fell short of expectations in several key areas.”
"This is not the kind of experience we aim to deliver, and we regret that you were not informed of the changes in advance.”
"Your refund has been successfully initiated. Please allow up to 24 hours."
"Please share your bank details" (after claiming it was sent).
"I’ll send the bank slip shortly" — which never existed.
No refund ever arrived. Just lie after lie. Trying to sort it out through our bank now.
We understand sometimes things can be a bit unpredictable and changes might occur, but we don't accept the continuous trickery. Drivers and guides are good, but Suricata’s logistics and dishonesty ruin everything. If we’d known, we’d have booked elsewhere.
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dont' recommend
We just returned from a trip organized through an agency in Spain with local guides from Akilanga, and I have to say it was disastrous due to the organization. We had buses of 50 people, and the guides were very unfriendly, especially in Johannesburg, and were not very helpful or helpful. For excursions, you had to get up early and spend an hour and a half picking up other guests from hotels, and the same thing happened on the way back, with the resulting waste of time. Furthermore, the excursions are very expensive for group trips. I was traveling with my family, and on one of them, my son didn't have a seat and had to sit in the guide's seat.
The tours are from the bus, leaving little time to take photos or explore.
I don't recommend it at all. It's much better, both for personalized attention, in smaller groups, and cheaper to book local excursions.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We were almost scammed out of $1,600
⚠️ WARNING – Do Not Book with Natural World Kenya Safaris!
We were nearly scammed out of $1,600 by this company. Please read other recent TripAdvisor reviews — our experience is not unique.
We booked and paid in full (online, by credit card) for an all-inclusive Lakes Nakuru & Naivasha Day Safari Tour for six people. The package included breakfast, lunch, three park entrance fees, a boat tour, and a walking tour. I coordinated with Ezra from their office, and Dikdik was assigned as our guide.
The day started well:
• Hotel pickup in Nairobi was on time.
• Our guide was friendly, talkative, and knowledgeable during the drive.
Red flags began two hours into the trip:
• We still hadn’t stopped for the promised “breakfast along the way.” When we mentioned it, our guide paid for breakfast out of his own pocket but said he was “unaware of the itinerary.”
Lake Nakuru was beautiful, and we enjoyed a great game drive thanks to our guide’s skill in spotting wildlife.
Then the problems began:
• On the way to Lake Naivasha, the guide asked for payment again, claiming Ezra told him we would pay in cash.
• He said he had used his own money for gas, breakfast, and Nakuru park fees but couldn’t pay for the rest.
• When I explained I’d already paid online, he insisted Ezra hadn’t given him the money.
• I called Ezra during the confrontation — he claimed payment would “show up in two days,” even though credit card payments are instant.
• This turned into shouting, finger-pointing, and accusations between the guide and the office.
From that point:
• The company stopped responding to all my messages. No apology, no explanation, no reimbursement.
• The guide pushed us to continue the safari and “pay as we went,” which we refused. We asked to return to Nairobi as we were afraid of being stranded.
What we paid for vs. what we got:
• Paid for: breakfast, lunch, boat tour, walking tour, three park entries.
• Got: one park entry, no lunch, no boat or walking tour, and an incredibly stressful experience.
While driving back, we checked other reviews and found multiple travelers describing this exact scam — same company, same guide, same story — and some lost even more money than we did.
Bottom line: This company is unreliable, unprofessional, and in our experience, dishonest. Save yourself the stress and book directly with reputable local drivers or a different company.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The tour is fraud
I experienced the same fraud as the below reviewer- including having a signed confession of fraud from him for several thousand dollars and him being arrested during our tour, he did not pay any money back.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Worst Safari Experience in 30 Years of Travel
My husband and I booked a 3-night, 4-day private safari in the Masai Mara with this agency, specifically to witness the river crossing. Two friends of ours booked a 2-night group safari with Axis at the same time.
Day 1: On our first evening, our driver ( Francis)took us to see a couple of lions, then drove for 1.5 hours through empty areas — no other cars, no animals. Back at the hotel, other guests (including our friends) shared how they’d seen cheetahs and other wildlife. I assumed it was just bad luck.
Day 2: We had a full-day game drive. The morning brought two lions, then the driver took us back to the same empty area as the day before. We saw a few hippos and maybe four other vehicles all day — that’s it. I specifically asked to drive along the Mara River, but he refused, saying there was “nothing there.” By 3 pm, he drove us back to the hotel without explanation. Later, I learned from my friends — in the same area — that they’d seen lions, cheetahs, leopards, and more. Clearly, it wasn’t luck; he had wasted our entire day.
Day 3: We finally drove along the Mara River and waited for the crossing until about 4 pm. The driver drove us back to the hotel, At 4:40 pm, my friends messaged me — they’d just seen the river crossing.
We paid $8,000 for four days and saw almost nothing, while everyone else seemed to have incredible sightings. The driver spent most of his time on the phone with his wife and kids, which I wouldn’t have minded if he’d still done his job. I understand nature isn’t guaranteed, but his choices and lack of effort made this the worst safari I’ve ever taken.
I’ve been travelling for 30 years and have done several safaris before — even when sightings were rare, the guides made the experience enjoyable. This time, the driver’s poor decisions ruined it.
I recommend that you don't book with this company. Save your money, time, and patience.