DK
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A warning regarding pricing transparency when comparing safari quotations
A warning regarding pricing transparency when comparing safari quotations
I am a seasoned traveller with a professional background in the airline, hotel, and travel industry.
After changing career, I became a business owner within hospitality, which has given me a deep understanding of service, customer expectations, and responsible business practices.
My approximately 400 TripAdvisor posts reflect my private travels, all of which I have personally planned and paid for. I consider TripAdvisor a valuable platform, and I am always mindful that my reviews concern real businesses and the people behind them. For that reason, I document my experiences with photos and aim to provide balanced and useful information for fellow travellers.
When planning my journeys, I research destinations, lodges, and experiences carefully, build my itineraries step by step, and use reputable local partners for practical arrangements. My purpose is always to share experiences and hopefully help and inspire like-minded travellers.
I am also familiar with the commercial structures behind travel pricing, including rack rates, net rates, and the commission arrangements between suppliers and agents.
My experience with Cheli & Peacock Safaris was therefore very disappointing. I had decided not to proceed with this company.
I had contacted another safari company through their website while researching options. Cheli & Peacock contacted me stating that they worked with this company. This was confusing, as they were not an agent I had selected or approached directly.
After receiving their proposal, I compared the quoted prices with the official published lodge rates, transfers, and domestic safari flights. I was genuinely alarmed by substantial additional mark-ups (between 60 and 100 per cent) on top of rates where agents would already normally receive commission.
I subsequently chose to work directly with Pollman’s Tours & Safaris for my Kenya journey. The itinerary created with Pollman’s is twice as long as the proposal from Cheli & Peacock, includes the same key experiences and additional elements, and is approximately USD 2,000 less expensive.
This incredible difference raises significant questions in my mind regarding the pricing structure presented by Cheli & Peacock.
Such pricing practices raise concerns regarding transparency and customer trust. They can make excellent lodges and safari partners appear significantly more expensive than they are, potentially affecting the reputation of the very suppliers that agents represent.
A premium safari experience is built on trust, professionalism, and clear communication. Clients should be able to understand what they are paying for and feel confident that pricing structures are presented fairly.
Coming from the EU, where consumer transparency, ethical business practices, and responsible commercial relationships are strongly emphasised, I found this experience disappointing and not in line with the standards I would expect from a high-end safari operator.
My concern is not about the quality of Kenya’s lodges or safari experiences — these are outstanding. My concern is about the importance of honesty, transparency, and respect in the relationship between agent, supplier, and client.
I hope Cheli & Peacock will reflect on how their pricing approach is perceived by informed travellers, as trust is one of the most valuable assets in luxury travel.
If you are seeking an agent, read above, I highly recommend the agent, I am using, I have breakdown pricing, double the nights in Kenya, and still saved USD 2,000. My trip is what you would call high-end lodges.
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I highly don't recommend vivid adventure safari
Hanington was very disrespectful and kept demanding more money on different occasions than what we expected. The trip was terrible and I highly don't recommend anyone to have an adventure with this guy with what we passed through. Definitely No !
He must learn how to speak to people... It's a problem because he sees everyone who stays abroad to have money and take advantage because we are in your country .
IL
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Not honest
HUMPHREY was not honest with our group of 12 people. We paid him in advance, notified him we must cancel on time and according to the agreement conditions, but never get our refund.
JP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The safari itself was truly wonderful and moving.
I lost my wallet at Ololaimutiek Village, and although it was returned 1–2 hours later, the cash inside (17 USD and 1,000 Kenyan shillings) was missing.
I would have appreciated support and a proper response from the guide and the tour company regarding this issue.
I believe that more attention should be given to advising guests about the safety and management of their valuables during the tour.
I would choose a different safari provider.
The Kenyan portion of our trip was well organised, and our guide, James, was excellent. However, unfortunately our overall experience with Jastro was disappointing. The travel times between the national parks were significantly underestimated, which caused major issues during the final few days of our itinerary.
We had to point out that the planned schedule for the last couple of days was simply impossible due to the underestimated travel times (Jastro had not noticed this themselves). As a result, we missed a game drive and a morning descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, which was one of the main reasons we booked the trip. Despite this, Jastro did not provide any compensation.
Whilst the trip was still memorable and enjoyable, the reason for this was seeing all of the animals, and we feel this would be similar with whichever provider you used. Based on our experience, we would recommend choosing a different provider.
CH
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Untrustworthy
First, that review is not to discourage you to go to Uganda and enjoy the beautiful Country, the Nature and the mostly wonderful people.
This is a rewiev about Tubale Safari and Anette.
Its been a 6 Month hassle,
out of the 7500 USD she owes us, she paid us 3100 USD back.
On the beginning of the planning, the Companie seemed to be good. She had good reviews on TripAdvisor, Safari Booking and on the UTB
So I don’t know what happened, but I would never book with them again.
From the day we arrived, she did not follow up on the offer she made.
A few days before arrival I did ask if everything was ok with our trip, since I read a review on trip advisor, that was not so good. She assured me everything is ok.
On arrival in Uganda I got a text, asking to pay for the first two Hotels and Lodge, also for the first Tours (Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison NP, Murchison River Cruise) du to some Bank issues that she had. Well, it was not much I could do, so I paid that, since she promised, that after Tuesday, everything ist ok, well it was not.
I ended up paying for all the Lodges, except one, again, also for most of the Tours, like the Golden Monkey Tracking and so on.
Also for Gas and the Car.
The Car got locked twice via tracker from the Owner, since Anette/Tubale Safari did not pay the fees for the vehicle.
Our Guide sorted that issue, but because of that we missed an early morning Game Drive.
During the whole trip she came up with excuses and blaming everything else.
We paid the whole trip before and ended up paying for the lodges, except one and most of the tours again.
In the end we had expenses do to paying for Hotels, Lodges, Tours, Car, Gas, Food and missed Tours from 7500 USD,
On the last day of our Trip, she came to meet us and promised again to pay the Mones by March the 5t. 2026, Until today I received 100 USD.
So yea, I would not trust her and the Company for a Trip to Uganda. It might be ok for the next few Tours, but I can’t be sure and there are many Options that are safer than this Company
So please. If your booked with Tubale Safari, make sure to contact the lodges and do whatever you have to t get confirmation. And don’t Pay more than the bare minimum, most likely you have to pay for the Lodges etc. yourself.
It was not a nice experience, to deal with that every day of our trip, we never knew if the Tours were going on, till that Day or if we had the reservation still standing at the Lodges. It does not make for a relaxing Trip.
In the end we lost out on a few experiences do to Tubale Safari and we did not get the Experience that we hoped for. Had to pay for a lot of extras that we already paid for and had every day to deal with the uncertainty.
On the good side, we had a good Guide and the Tours we did go on, the Guides were great. We met some nice People in Uganda, so go there and enjoy, but nit with Tubale Safari
If you’re at the start of planning with that company, STOP. And look elsewhere. There are other Options. Since we had to go through that, we talked to other Companies, so there are good ones out there.
Should you have any questions, please contact me.
Anette is good at telling you what you want to hear and has an excuse for everything, one time is that her account got blocked by the Government, on time she said the Night Game Drive was cancel because of Safety issues, the next Day we met People and they were on the Night Game Drive, and so on
I am happy to share the communication, screenshots, that I had with Anette and Tubale Safari
Hopefully the Uagnda Tourist Board and other Places, where Tubale Safari is on, is gone see this
Like #Safari Booking
look elsewhere
This review is not meant to discourage anyone from visiting Uganda. It is a beautiful country with incredible nature and, above all, wonderful people.
However, this review is specifically about our experience with Tubale Safari and Anette.
At the beginning of the planning process, the company appeared professional and trustworthy. They had good reviews on TripAdvisor, SafariBookings, and were listed with the Uganda Tourism Board. For that reason, we felt confident booking with them.
Unfortunately, from the moment we arrived, the experience did not match what had been promised.
A few days before our trip, I reached out after seeing a negative review online. Anette reassured me that everything was in order. However, upon arrival in Uganda, I received a message asking us to pay for the first two hotels, lodges, and initial tours (including Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls National Park, and the river cruise) due to “bank issues.” With little choice, we paid, as we were told the situation would be resolved within a few days. It was not.
Throughout the trip, we ended up paying for nearly all lodges (except one), most tours (including Golden Monkey Tracking), as well as fuel and vehicle-related costs. At one point, the vehicle was locked remotely twice by its owner because payments had not been made by Tubale Safari. Although our guide managed to resolve the situation, we missed a scheduled early morning game drive because of it.
During the entire trip, we were repeatedly given different explanations and excuses. Despite having already paid for the full package in advance, we had to cover many costs again.
In total, we incurred additional expenses of approximately 7,500 USD for accommodation, tours, transportation, food, and missed activities.
On the last day of the trip, Anette met us in person and promised to reimburse the money by March 5, 2026. As of today, we have received only 100 USD.
Based on this experience, I cannot recommend or trust this company. While it is possible that future trips may go smoothly, there is no certainty, and there are many more reliable alternatives available.
If you have already booked with Tubale Safari, I strongly advise you to:
• Contact all lodges directly to confirm your reservations
• Be cautious with advance payments
• Be prepared to pay costs on-site
This situation created constant uncertainty throughout our trip. We never knew if bookings were valid or if activities would take place. This significantly impacted our overall experience and prevented us from fully enjoying the journey.
On a positive note, our guide was excellent, and the local guides during excursions were professional and knowledgeable. We also met many kind and welcoming people in Uganda.
So yes – visit Uganda, it is absolutely worth it. But based on our experience, I would strongly recommend choosing a different tour operator.
If anyone has questions, I am happy to share more details, including communication and screenshots.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Balu Travel Focussed on shopping rather than Safari
Balu Travel safari agency cared more about shopping than animal viewing. We had a long (more than 30min) shopping stop everyday, even inside the natural park and this one was at 9am!! just during the best time for animal viewing. Meeting times with the driver James were always late. On the ongoing trip from Nairobi we had to wait for 1h for some supplies which were not picked up in Nairobi. The safari started at 8am when other agencies start 6-7am for better chances of game viewing. The driver James spent most of the time at the phone, didn't explain anything, no comments and explanations about animals, only the passenger next to him could hear him, he only talked when asked and mostly responded with shortest answers possible. The driver James wasn't friendly. One visitor was curious and liked to ask questions, driver wasn't friendly with him, seemed he didn't want to respond or talk, it was very uncomfortable. Everything seemed rushed, the most important thing was stopping at selling points even inside the park. Afternoon game drive was very rushed, he just wanted to show the river and the Tanzanian border, try to finish as early as possible and no interest at all for animals. Visitors had to ask to stop and to get closer to animals because the driver wanted to finish the safari as soon as possible.
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.
