IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bad experience
Spoton Vacations completely disappointed our expectations. We booked directly with them from Italy. The first problem was that we had to wait an hour at the airport for the driver to arrive. The second problem was that we were charged an extra for an activity that was included in the price we'd already paid. To get our money back, we had to wait until the last day, insisting with the driver despite repeated requests over the days. But the most absurd thing was the lack of attention and disorganization on the part of the agency, which admitted to having made a mistake that cost us €330. Our plan included access to Lake Nakuru for the morning safari, followed by lunch at the hotel, and finally a return to the park in the afternoon for another safari, but once we left the park, the ticket would no longer be valid. The agency didn't take any responsibility for this problem, despite admitting it was wrong. As a result, to see a beautiful part of the safari, we had to leave the next morning, having to pay €180 for the entrance fee plus €150 requested by the driver because it was unscheduled. This money was never refunded.
The safaris were beautiful, but the human experience with the agency was truly awful. This left a bitter taste in our mouths, completely at odds with the experience we'd hoped for in Africa. At the end of the trip, the driver didn't even take us to the airport because all his licenses had expired. He told us he'd pay for the taxi, but given our experience, we preferred to pay for it ourselves, as we were afraid he wouldn't have the money to pay for it, given that he had a hard time providing us with the first-day refund.
Always ask for licenses, safari vehicle insurance, and the licenses of other drivers. Make sure everything is in order, because if something happens, you could get into trouble.
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A safari turned nightmare
We booked a "14-Day Kenya & Tanzania Budget and Midrange Group Cruiser Safari" for August 10–23, 2026.
From day one, we noticed that the 4x4 Land Cruiser was in poor condition—dirty and lacking proper suspension.
That very afternoon, the vehicle broke down, and the entire group had to be split up among other vehicles to continue to the Masai Mara. Naturally, we couldn't take our luggage with us; we didn't get it back until around 9:00 PM, when the vehicle finally arrived—supposedly repaired.
On the second day, during the game drive in the Masai Mara, the vehicle broke down again, and once more, we had to be distributed among other vehicles.
We had been asking for a different vehicle since day one, but apparently, that wasn't possible; however, the third day went smoothly.
On the fourth day, en route to Amboseli, the vehicle broke down yet again, and this time we made our dissatisfaction with the agency very clear! Aware of the many negative reports indicating that vehicles in Tanzania were even worse than those in Kenya, the agency offered us two options:
- An upgrade to a private vehicle for an additional fee of $3,200!
- A return to Nairobi and a $7,200 refund for the Tanzania portion of the trip.
Since we refused the paid upgrade, the only option they gave us was to return to Nairobi, with them "offering" us two nights at the After 40 Hotel—and a ruined vacation.
We met Lina Margaret at the hotel on August 16; she apologized and assured us we would receive a prompt refund. After a bogus bank transfer (the proof provided wasn't even stamped by the bank), a failed attempt via Pesapal—which cut ties with the agency due to insufficient funds in their account—and a request from me to use Wise, it is now September 4, 2026, and we are still waiting for a refund!
We had no choice but to file a police report and alert the TRA, who confirmed they are looking into the matter.
My wife posted a review on safaribookings.com; the agency responded with lies, claiming to safaribookings.com that we had never traveled with them... and the review was removed...
They keep giving us the runaround, claiming they are a small agency with limited resources but promising to refund us. I even proposed a payment schedule, but still nothing...
Upon closer inspection, they have nothing but 5/5 reviews on safaribookings.com and Google; this seems suspicious and leads me to believe the reviews were generated by AI.
I will update this review once we have been refunded.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Horrible
The tour was organized with an old minibus that didn't even have any suspension. While traveling, a seat came off, and my wife fell forward, hurting herself.
The doors were defective and couldn't be opened from the inside, only from the outside... Obviously, from a safety perspective, this isn't acceptable. The next day, we decided to cancel the safari, but we weren't refunded a single cent. Stay away from this company.
(automatic translation from Italian)
NZ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Pathetic Tour Company
I would strongly advise against booking with Wivi Agency. We found them through SafariBookings and at first everything looked legitimate—the quote and itinerary fit our budget, so we decided to go ahead and paid in full well before our trip. Then, just 1.5 days before our flight, Elias suddenly messaged asking for an extra 1200 USD, saying they had “miscalculated” the quote. We had to cut down our game drives to adjust, and three hours before our flight, Victor contacted us again asking for another 300 USD, claiming they were a small company and not making any profit. When we pushed back, he actually called us “bad people,” which was shocking and extremely unprofessional.
When we landed, things got even worse. At our accommodations, we found out Wivi had only paid the advance, even though we had transferred the full amount to them 10 days earlier. Wivi asked us if we could pay the remaining balance. Luckily, our guide stepped in and paid the outstanding amounts from his own pocket because Wivi wasn’t paying on time, and even though they promised to reimburse him the next day, he still hadn’t received the money until the very end of the trip. Throughout the safari, they kept coming back to us with “miscalculations” and extra charges, including trying to make us pay again for entrance fees we had already covered.
The final day was the most stressful. After our itinerary was completed, our driver asked Wivi for his payment, and they started giving him excuses instead of paying. He refused to drive us to the airport until he got his money, and we were stuck waiting while our flight time was getting closer and closer. We ended up reaching the airport only about an hour before departure, which was completely avoidable if Wivi had handled their responsibilities properly. Even then, Victor was still trying to charge us for things we had already paid, and he remained rude, dismissive, and unwilling to listen to anything we said.
Overall, the trip felt chaotic, financially draining, and emotionally exhausting because of Wivi’s poor planning, last‑minute demands, and lack of professionalism. They even offered a “full refund” 1.5 days before the trip, knowing we had no time to find another operator and no guarantee of when the money would arrive. Trust me—if you want a smooth, enjoyable safari and peace of mind, do not choose Wivi Agency.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wayfairer left us stranded in Botswana
Wayfairer left us stranded in Botswana. Do not use this company or whatever it rebrands as! If I could leave a zero star rating I would!
My parents and I were in the middle of our 12 night safari to Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. While out in the bush, Kwando Safari (they are amazing!) informed us that Wayfairer failed to pay any bills associated with our itinerary for Zimbabwe and Zambia September 2-5, 2026. I called our travel agent to confirm & she confirmed this information. She also informed us she was laid off August 31 & there was nothing she could do to help us rectify the situation because Wayfairer went insolvent. We were under the impression that completing payment of all installments on May 30, 2026 meant our trip was fully booked. To say we were blindsided by this company's mismanagement of our funds & violation of our trust is an understatement. We are currently trying to complete our vacation out of pocket with no word from Wayfairer or offer of refund or compensation.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Deceitful
Do not recommend – I had a terrible experience with Victoria Falls Serious Fun Travel. The company failed to provide the agreed-upon services and has since defaulted on returning my money. After a formal dispute arose, a signed debt settlement agreement was reached where they committed to a partial refund of US$1,500. However, the owner, Marvel, completely broke this contract—only returning US$245 before cutting off communication and defaulting on the rest of the debt.Because of their fraudulent behavior and breach of contract, I have had to file formal fraud reports with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), the local Tourism Police Unit, and CID Commercial Crime. I am also actively working with my credit card provider to resolve the unauthorized and unfulfilled transaction.Save yourself the stress and avoid this operator. They do not honor their contracts or their legal settlement agreements.
CR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Warning - I do not recommend hiring RightChoicr in Nairobi
I strongly advise travelers and tour operators to be extremely careful before hiring George or Rightchoice.
I paid **$29,000** for tourism services, trusting that everything would be handled as agreed. Despite numerous promises and commitments to repay me, George has only returned **$5,000 and still owes me $24,000**.
I have made every effort to resolve this situation directly and in good faith, but he has now stopped responding and disappeared.
I have also learned that **I am not the only person who has experienced problems with him**, and that other people have reported similar situations, including legal action to recover their money.
**Based on my personal experience, I strongly recommend NOT hiring this company or sending them money in advance.** I am sharing this review to warn other travelers and tourism professionals so they can do their due diligence and avoid suffering the same experience.
PT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Not a Good Experience - Was a bad experience
This situation are bad because:
- the jeep was old, and full of problems, and unfit for the safari, as it turned out.
On the very first day, the starter motor stopped working, and the jeep could only be pushed... it broke down in the Serengeti park, and it doesn't seem to me that the guide made the best decision, leaving us in the middle of the park to close it. Fortunately, another driver from the Leopardo company noticed the situation and took us to the entrance/exit gate.
The jeep should have been replaced immediately, but it wasn't.
It was partially replaced during the third day. To top it all off, on the last day, the lights went out at night in the middle of the road, leaving us tourists stranded on our way back to Arusha. We were helped by the Maasai people, and a replacement vehicle was provided to take us to Arusha.
This situation had several consequences, as we arrived very late, around midnight, in Arusha and Moshi, when we were supposed to arrive in the late afternoon.
In short, regrettable situations that were unnecessary and ended up making the safari experience a rather unpleasant memory. Only the idea of some good parks in Africa remains.
On the other hand, the first and only lodge we stayed in was not the one that was planned in the program.
I regret this whole situation and the inconveniences caused, as it did not correspond to what was contracted and what I paid for.
Obviously I'm in Europe, obviously Tanzania is in Africa... I don't know if I'll return to Tanzania, but with this experience, I certainly won't recommend your services to my friends here in Europe
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very knowledgeable - BE AWARE -
David is very knowledgeable when it come to a safari tour, topography, animals, culture etc.
Had a bad experience and found out we were not the only ones.
The case
On a 12 days PRE-PAID safari holiday tour of the national parks and on the entrance to Serengeti national park (day 7 of the tour), David says he needs a loan as he did not pay the park entrance fee as well as the following accommodation. Stuck (and shocked) at the park entrance we had to pay the entrance fee as well as the following accommodation fee (in the thousands of dollars).
David promised he will return the money – he did it after few months and not in full.
My concern is that now I found out that he did it to OTHER GROUPS too, so this seems to be pre-planned. He knows where to get his clients – when they are most venerable.
AVOID AT ALL COST as there are plenty of other options.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Mama Tembo took my money and failed to deliver or refund
Mama Tembo Tours removed me mid tour and dropped me off in a foreign city with no hotel reservations or flight home. She stated I broke the law. No police or security were called. Mama Tembo refused to tell me which law I broke. I believe this was all fabricated. Mama Tembo has yet to reimburse me for my expenses to get home or for the unused portion of the tour. I would not trust Mama Tembo with my money or my life.