US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The company is not professional with minimum customer care
George Killas, owner of Terrain Tanzania Safaris, left us completely unsupported during multiple trip failures—and never took responsibility.
After a full day of travel, our group (which included elderly family members) was denied check-in. The hotel informed us that George had failed to make payment, even though he had told us everything was confirmed. Later on, he tried to explain the situation and then we realized that he knew this could happen weeks ago but chose not to inform us.
When the hotel rejected the voucher, George told us to “just show it again” and dropped the call. We spent over an hour begging hotel staff to let us stay while he did nothing. It was humiliating, stressful, and completely avoidable.
Throughout the trip, George showed no accountability. From disappearing during emergencies to making excuses instead of solutions, he abandoned us when we needed him most.
We booked this trip expecting reliable support and coordination from a trusted safari company. Instead, we were met with negligence, dishonesty, and total lack of professionalism.
Do not book with this company. George will take your money—and leave you stranded.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They are scammers! Stay away from them
I paid an advance of 257USD back in April for an3 days safari to Masai Mara in September. In the 3rd week of August, he sents me a msg saying he has to cancel the safari and he will initiate the refund.
And then I have tried to text him, no more responses. I had to pay another operator to do my safari, but these never got back
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unreliable
A few years ago, 10 of us traveled on safari to Kenya and Tanzania through a different travel agent who went above and beyond. That trip was flawless, which made us excited to try Kruger in South Africa, as it is often considered even better. Sadly, our experience with Bianca Els and Craig Lucke of Southern African Tours was the complete opposite—and it has left us heartbroken.
We first contacted them in September 2024. Craig was responsive in the beginning, but soon handed us off to Bianca, whose replies were slow and inconsistent. After our first deposit, her communication slowed even more. By March 2025, we had paid in full—including domestic flights—for a group of 14, totaling over $56,000 USD, because Bianca said everything had to be paid in advance. From that point, communication nearly stopped. Confirmations never came, and when replies did arrive, they were delayed and filled with excuses.
Two members of our group required visas. Despite repeated requests, Bianca sent only one document, with incorrect information, and gave no real guidance on the requirements. She never even asked if the visas were obtained . She also ignored repeated requests for proper flight and hotel confirmations. Bianca did take a call a few days before our departure to discuss the trip and also again gave assurance she would be available 24/7 and that everything was confirmed. Because this company had come recommended, we trusted her assurances that “everything is taken care of” and boarded our flights to Johannesburg believing our arrangements were secure.
The reality was devastating. Upon arrival, we learned that nothing was booked: no domestic flights, no safari lodges, no activities, no transfers, no dinners. The only exception was a single night at one Johannesburg hotel. We were left scrambling, on our phones at all hours, trying to salvage an 8-day trip for 14 people at the very last minute. This caused incredible stress, disappointment, and financial loss.
During this ordeal, Bianca and Craig never once responded to our messages or calls. Yet when friends back home posed as potential new clients, Bianca replied to them immediately. That contrast was deeply painful and showed us where their priorities truly were.
We also discovered that the company operates under another name, Afrique Australe Tours (PTY) Limited. Their Southern African Tours website displays the SATSA logo, which typically signals credibility, but when I checked directly, I was told they are not current members. Perhaps they once were, but displaying the logo now feels misleading to travelers.
We tried everything during our stay—calls, emails, even asking locals for advice—but there was no accountability or resolution. The staff at the hotels we eventually stayed in were kind and sympathetic, and even they expressed shock that agents representing their country would allow this to happen. Several suggested our only option was to pursue legal action once home.
This experience has not only cost us greatly, but it has also shaken our trust in visiting South Africa at all. It is a beautiful country, and the people we did meet were wonderful—but what happened with Southern African Tours was devastating.
Warning: Based on our experience, we strongly urge travelers to avoid Southern African Tours / Afrique Australe Tours . We relied on them entirely, only to be abandoned, with the $56,000 we paid unused for our trip. We hope sharing this prevents anyone else from going through the same pain.
Very disappointed.
We booked a hut in Lower Sabie Camp. What a disappointment. Only shelves. No cubbards. Only a basin with cold water. No shade where you can braai. The road is going around this hut no silence. This is really a disappointment. We will leave tomorrow. Pay our money back please.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
From our experience,avoid this company
Only now, when I was about to leave a review, I noticed that several reviews were from locals with a single review, and several others complained about the same experience we had.
Furthermore, the photos weren't actually taken, but were taken online.
In summary, we had a terrible experience and I would advise everyone against using this agency. I've also reported them to the Italian consulate for their utter dishonesty.
I contacted them for a quote, and they responded very kindly and offered me a solution.
I asked if it was possible to make some changes since it was a private tour.
Everything was accepted.
The initial tour includes 8 days and 7 nights at a cost of $4,995:
- Airport transfers, accommodation and meals only
- Tarangire National Park, accommodation and meals
- Serengeti National Park, accommodation and meals
- Central Serengeti National Park, accommodation and meals
- Ngorongoro Crater, accommodation and meals
- Lake Manyara National Park, accommodation and meals
- Materuni Waterfall, accommodation and meals
- Airport transfer
I decide to modify the itinerary based on my needs by booking the initial and final accommodations and two intermediate ones myself, after asking them for confirmation. The program is modified so that I can do a one-day light trek on Kilimanjaro and have more time for the Serengeti: therefore, 6 days and 2 nights are at their expense.
The final program will be as follows:
- Mount Kilimanjaro Trek
- Tarangire National Park, accommodations and meals
- Serengeti National Park, meals
- Central Serengeti National Park, meals
- Serengeti National Park, accommodations and meals
- Ngorongoro Crater, meals
You'd think the total would decrease, right?
But no, because I'm told the initial offer remains the same (so they're already making money on the four nights I won't be using) and all additional expenses are my own.
New total requested $5,870, as you can see from the attached images.
Almost $1,000 for the changes.
The program still mentions full days spent in the various parks.
Initially, I try to negotiate, but given the limited availability, I decide to let it go and insist that everything go smoothly because it's the vacation of a lifetime...
Everything was fine on the first day, but already on the second day, the surprises began:
- rooms in the second day's accommodation had mold-covered walls and unbreathable air (and we thought it was a mix-up that led to our amicable termination)
- they didn't pay the accommodation fees, causing us to be in trouble because they had to pay them at the park entrance, but we never went to the register (read what's listed as included in their offer, and in any case, they specifically asked me for the money to pay them)
- they said, despite it being stated in the contract, that for the days we had the accommodations, no meals were included, despite it being stated in the contract and no one having notified us.
- to earn about $400 more, they forced us to get up between 5 and 6 for two consecutive days, because by compressing our hours, they saved themselves from paying for a day of access to the Serengeti.
Let's just say we spent the third day pissed off, having found the manager to be a total pain.
On our last day in the Serengeti, in particular, we spent three hours at the park gate arguing about the fact that we had paid for an extra day to stay there (about $1,000), and at 9:45 they were taking us out.
Truly embarrassing.
The only positive note was the truly exceptional guides, especially Samwel!
What more can I say? Avoid them completely.
RU
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The agency cheats on clients, I reported to police
I paid fir 11 days Kenya +Tanzania safary. Arriving in Tanzania, I realized, that hotel and safary were not booked. No hotel, no guide, no safari. Tge hitel told that I'm not tge firs victim of this agency. I returned to the border Namanga and reported to police. The agency didn't responded at all. Finally Kelvin send me this message.
Dear Olga,
I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you are currently experiencing in Arusha. Please allow me to clarify the situation.
We had indeed arranged and paid for your Tanzania safari; however, we have unfortunately become victims of a cybercrime-related funds fraud that has disrupted the payment process on the ground. This unforeseen situation has interfered with the operator receiving the funds as scheduled.
To ensure your trip continues smoothly and without further delays, I kindly request that you make payment directly for the Tanzania safari on your side. Please be assured that we will process a full refund to you within 7 working days once our accounts are settled.
We deeply regret this unfortunate occurrence and take full responsibility for resolving it. Your experience and trust mean everything to us, and we are doing everything possible to ensure the rest of your safari remains memorable.
Please let me know once you have made the arrangements, so that I can personally monitor the refund process and keep you updated step by step.
With deepest apologies and appreciation for your understanding,
Kelvin,
CEO,
Beast Spoor Safaris
THIS CHEATERS MUST BE BUNNED FROM THE BUSINESS
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Absolute Rip Off
The camps were mostly filthy no hot water dirty matresses ,no toilet paper with staff cooking in kitchens in the camps at night making so much noise one couldn’t sleep.overpriced.
All viewings had so many tourist vans on disgusting roads that it was likely a peak hour expressway
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely Disappointing Experience – Do Not Recommend
We had an awful experience with Explorers Wild Adventures and cannot recommend this company.
The safari vehicle they provided was completely unfit for purpose, which caused us to miss an entire game drive — one of the main reasons we booked this trip. When we raised the issue, the company admitted fault and promised to refund the park fees for the day we lost. Months later, despite repeated follow-ups, we have still not received our refund and they are now ignoring our messages.
A safari is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the lack of professionalism, poor communication, and failure to deliver what was promised ruined what should have been a highlight of our trip to Kenya. There are many reputable operators in Kenya — avoid this one if you want reliability, honesty, and a properly run safari.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They took our money and didn’t plan anything.
We began planning our 2025 trip to South Africa back in September 2024. Originally scheduled earlier, we had to postpone due to friends in our group becoming new grandparents. Bianca and Craig from Southern African Tours came highly recommended, and at first, they lived up to the praise—responding promptly to inquiries and accommodating the adjustments we made nine months ahead of time.
However, as the trip approached, communication began to falter. We were repeatedly assured that a detailed itinerary, including guide names and reservation numbers, would be provided, but we never received it. One week before departure, we managed to speak with Bianca, who again promised to send the necessary details. Unfortunately, nothing ever arrived.
Despite the lack of information, we remained hopeful that everything had been arranged as promised—after all, we had paid in full for the trip, including accommodations and excursions. That hope quickly vanished upon arrival in South Africa, where we discovered that no internal flight reservations had been made. Even more troubling, our accommodations in Kruger and Cape Town had not been booked or paid for.
This was a devastating realization. I have never experienced anything like this with a business. It feels as though they took our money and disappeared. Although Bianca had assured us she’d be available for support during the trip, she has not responded to any of our group’s calls or messages.
Looking back now, some warning signs were there—particularly Craig’s defensive responses to other reviews, which, in hindsight, should have raised concerns.
We’ve been saving for this trip for a long time, and it’s heartbreaking to see our money mishandled like this. Thankfully, members of our group have stepped up to salvage the experience, and we’ve had the opportunity to meet some truly wonderful people here in South Africa. Sadly, we can’t count Craig and Bianca among them.
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Careful Serious Breach of Contract Not Professional at all
I am witting to formally report a serious breach of contract regarding a reservation made through - African Bush Cats. The reservation was made for a Jambo Mara Safari camp fom august 7th to August 9th 2025. I paid 2200 USD For a single and a triple toom in top glass cottages, full board, transportation Go and return + one day game drive.
The Manager was supposed to pick us up on the 7th at 10.30am and no vehicule came pick us. I finally arranged to go by my own with my 3 kids to Jambo Mara safari camp when arrived I realize the full reservation was no paid. This was an extremely serious issue and I consider this situation to be NO professionnal misconduct bordering on fraud. I would like to report to you this information as i don't want other person have the same misadventure. You should not work with this Tour Operator I paid 100% of the amount I negociated and I am still waiting for a refund. I have made report to TPA and TPU, tourism & police regulatory office in Kenya.