ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Terrible organization and management by Abongo, though Peter the guide saved the experience
I booked the "Nairobi: 4-Day Maasai Mara and Lake Naivasha Safari" through GetYourGuide, operated by Silver Spark Africa Safari, and the company's management (especially the boss, Abongo) was absolutely dreadful. I do not recommend them at all.
The issues started the day before the trip:
Last-minute changes: We were informed that they had to change our hotel because it was fully booked, and that the Spanish-speaking guide we requested couldn't make it due to being in "quarantine."
Extreme lateness and unprofessionalism: We were told to be ready at 6:00 AM at our hotel in Nairobi. The boss, Abongo, showed up at 8:00 AM (two hours late) because he had overslept, and he smelled strongly of alcohol. After dropping off the vehicle, he left and did not join us for the safari. Furthermore, the van he provided was incredibly old; it’s a miracle it even survived the trip.
Failure to pay entry fees: Upon arriving at the Maasai Mara gate, we were denied entry because the company had not paid the fees. Abongo sent me a WhatsApp message demanding that I advance $400 USD, claiming GetYourGuide hadn't paid them yet. After a heated argument where I flatly refused to pay, and after waiting for 2 hours, our guide managed to get them to let us in just to eat, under the condition that the payment would be processed later.
Held hostage at the hotel: After Maasai Mara, we headed to Lake Naivasha. The next day during check-out, the exact same issue happened again: we were forced to wait and couldn't leave the hotel because the company had failed to pay for our stay.
The only saving grace:
Our driver and guide, Peter, is a 5-star professional. He was amazing, always available, and constantly trying to minimize and resolve the endless problems caused by his boss, Abongo. The safari itself is wonderful because of the nature, but Silver Spark Africa Safari's management is a complete scam. They put you through incredibly stressful situations while the owner pockets the money and fails to pay vendors on time. Avoid this company at all costs!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Non-licensed tour operator holding back deposit after cancellation
This is your sign to ALWAYS properly check the organisation you choose for your trip to Uganda and go to https://utb.go.ug/licensed-tour-companies/ to type in the company’s name in the Uganda Tourism Board’s search register.
We found "All Budget Gorilla Safaris" online via Google and had a very great start with them - presuming they are a „fully registered“ tour operator in Uganda as stated on their website.
They were helpful, responded very fast and helped us create our dream route. After proposing us to send the full payment in advance for taxation reasons we became a little startled for the first time. But we could agree on half of the price so we sent a deposit of 3000 USD for our planned trip. After receiving the deposit, the conversation turned more quiet and they were not able to provide us with any proof of secured permits for the gorilla trekking. We were very patient at first but became suspicious after a while.
When doing extensive research online we found out that this company is not a licensed tour company in Uganda (please always check here: https://utb.go.ug/licensed-tour-companies/). To make sure this was correct and not simply a mistake, we had personal contact with the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB). Unfortunately, they confirmed that this company is not licensed. Additionally, the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) also confirmed that "All Budget Gorilla Safaris" is in fact not a part of their organisation despite stating so on their website.
Sadly enough we then found an article in which "All Budget Gorilla Safaris" is listed as a suspended tour company because of fraudulent practices (check here: https://www.ugstandard.com/uganda-tourism-board-suspends-18-tour-operators/).
After finding all this information we decided to cancel our trip due to the concerning trust issue that they made us believe they are a solid tour operator but have no license at all and could not provide any proof of secured permits. We cancelled our trip on April 7, 2026 and are still waiting for our money. They assured a full payback but as of today (June 5th, 2026) we still have not seen any of it.
As long as this review is online and you are reading this, we are still missing out on 3000 USD - and even worse a trip to see the beautiful mountain gorillas! So please, be advised to always check through the provided link whether a company is licensed by the UTB or not and do not send any money to unlicensed companies. We had to learn the hard way and hope that this review will save you from experiencing the same.
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Vehicle Accident and What Followed
Our safari with African Big Cat Safaris in May 2026 was unfortunately marked by a serious vehicle accident, and I believe future travellers should be aware of both the incident itself and the company's response afterwards.
During our safari in the Serengeti, the vehicle left the road and came to rest on its side. Official incident reports and a traffic citation were issued following the accident.
Several members of our group sustained injuries. I was seated in the rear row of the vehicle and, after returning to China, CT imaging confirmed fractures of the L1-L3 lumbar transverse processes resulting from the accident. Another member of our group was diagnosed locally with a mild concussion.
Local medical assistance was arranged after the incident, and based on the medical assessments available at the time, no serious bone injury was identified. However, both the concussed passenger and I were unable to participate in safari activities the following day and remained at camp while the rest of the group continued the itinerary.
To be fair, the company covered local medical expenses incurred in Tanzania and provided the accident documentation when requested.
My concern relates less to the accident itself and more to the level of care and support shown afterwards.
After returning home, medical examinations confirmed injuries that had not been identified locally. We submitted the relevant medical evidence and attempted to resolve the remaining accident-related costs through direct and respectful communication.
We also limited our request and did not pursue compensation for missed safari activities, damaged personal property, loss of income, rehabilitation costs, or other indirect losses. Instead, we requested a modest contribution toward a small portion of the accident-related expenses that remained uncovered by our travel insurance.
The company ultimately declined any form of goodwill support beyond the medical expenses already covered in Tanzania and informed us that its position was final. More importantly, at no stage did we feel there was meaningful acknowledgement of the impact this accident had on the injured members of the group.
Safari travel inherently carries risk, and I understand that accidents can happen even with experienced operators. For me, the most important measure of a company is not whether an accident occurs, but how it responds when guests are injured.
I encourage prospective travellers to ask detailed questions about vehicle safety procedures, seatbelt policies, emergency response arrangements, accident reporting processes, and post-incident support before booking.
This review reflects my personal experience and is supported by official incident records, medical documentation, and correspondence with the company.
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Disappointed
The only good thing was Brian, our guide. He did what he could to get us to see some animals.
This company is so disorganized. I bought the package without giraffe centre and they almost took me there twice. I had to reach out to get details of the driver, which was shared late night, only a few hours before the pickup, I had to stay awake to get the details.
It’s not 6 hours as promised. We had barely 4 hours at the national park. You pay a super expensive fee for the park to be there for just a bit. And there’s no clear explanation of that. The title is super misleading.
Plus, is a mini van and is hard to see anything from it. When I tried to switch cars, they just ignored me.
I had such a beautiful experience in Nairobi, and this was the only really frustrating part.
Worst safari I had.
Worst safari ever. Lost my time.the car was bad and destroyed. I hope the director change what is needed.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unreliable
I booked a one-day safari tour for 25 October, but unfortunately had to cancel it because my wife became pregnant. I had to chase them for months to get my refund. Only after I threatened several times to take legal action was part of the amount refunded – and even then, via Western Union, which incurred additional fees. The rest has still not been refunded to this day! The provider claims it’s down to taxes and so on! What am I supposed to be paying tax on if I never actually used the service? I would never book with this provider again. It was quite a headache trying to communicate with them.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Poor value and doesn't take responsibility for anything
Our guide to the Victoria falls area was of poor quality in general. She barely provided any guiding and just drove us around. One thing that really stuck out to me was when we pre booked dinner at the Lookout Cafe through the company. Only after we got there we realized they booked us after Sunset when it was pitch black outside with no visible view!
The places is called the Lookout Cafe, the whole point is to eat with a view. The brochure they gave us focused on the view. We were very much looking forward to it. There was not enough time to rebook us at any other point during our trip. The response we got was laughable. They didn't take any responsibility and tried to blame us for not looking up the sunset time ahead!? As a tour organizer it is your basic responsibility to check these things when you make a booking on behalf of a client. Then they just said the local guide booked it and didn't realize. Again, as the organizer it is your sole responsibility to make sure things are booked appropriately. Darren offered absolutely no resolution and got snarky when we brought it up.
IE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not very friendly or understanding at all.....
I was quoted an absolutely ridiculous price, more than half than the reserves website actually stated, no difference between adult and child, and did not in slightest try and accommodate me or better the price, an absolute rip off they are....
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
RIP off dishonest company
Save your money and book else where. Charlatans all nice and responsive before you travel. Than it all goes wrong!! We booked chimpanzees in kibale park instead we were taken to Kyamburu. This with less the half the cost of what we paid for. Our 2nd hotel was cancelled without any warning. Where we were at was substandard and not in the park as promised. Some USD800 difference in cost. Lies about water as we called the hotel. Our driver had received our itinerary 2 weeks prior to our arrival. We were always booked in the sub standard hotel and was never informed until we arrived at the wrong hotel. I think he thought we would not notice. We were supposed to go to ischika this didnt happen. They will sell you one itinerary than completely change it. Please look elsewhere and read reviews from other websites. I managed to find plenty of negative reviews once I researched properly. I have noticed quite a few of the bad reviews have disappeared. Uganda is a beautiful country please DO NOT book through beyond travel. I have included many screen shots as I have noticed the owner responds to reviews with lies. The difference in what we paid for and what we got is some USD2000 difference
CH
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Splendid, SPLENDIDE!!!!
Splendid safaris with excellent guides. Wonderful people. I will never forget this adventure…
