FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We believe we were scammed
We booked a full-day excursion in Nairobi, which was supposed to include the following: a 4x4 vehicle with a driver, pre-booked entry tickets for the Giraffe Centre and the elephant orphanage, a safari in the national park, a French-speaking guide (for an additional fee), a picnic, and bottled water for the day. Payment was made in advance.
In the end:
- There was no food or bottled water provided (this was an excursion with two children, aged 5 and 7, in 40°C/104°F heat).
- The "French-speaking" guide did not actually speak French (I had to translate from English into French for my children).
- The tickets had not been pre-booked: we missed the start of the elephant feeding session (an activity that only lasts one hour and takes place during a single daily time slot), and we had to coordinate with the driver to pay for the tickets ourselves, because the owner of Akira had taken our money without actually booking them.
Despite our complaint, we received no refund or any form of compensation. I strongly advise against using Akira.
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari not delivered as planned; promised refund not received
I booked a seven-day Kenya safari for my wife and myself through Inspired Budget Safaris, represented by Lina Margaret. On 3 August 2026, I paid USD 630 through the DPO Pay payment link provided for the booking.
Our safari was scheduled for 10–16 October 2026. After arriving in Nairobi, I repeatedly tried to contact Lina to confirm the arrangements. I also contacted the accommodation properties listed in the itinerary and was informed that bookings had not been made in our names.
We were left uncertain about whether the safari would take place and had to arrange an alternative at short notice, resulting in additional expense and disruption to our trip.
On 7 October, Lina acknowledged in writing that my deposit remained owed and asked me to wait until 12 October for a refund. I gave her the additional time requested, but the promised refund did not arrive.
I have retained the payment confirmation, itinerary and message history. I am pursuing the matter through the relevant payment provider and authorities.
Based on my experience, I would strongly advise prospective travellers to independently verify all accommodation bookings and obtain reliable written confirmation before relying on this operator. I hope the company provides a proper explanation and resolves the outstanding refund.
TW
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My friend and I have not yet received a refund.
James, the general manager of the travel agency, acknowledged that he would refund us the price difference ($505) resulting from the downgrade in our hotel accommodation. Despite his repeated promises regarding a payment date, he has continually delayed the process; a month has now passed, and we still have not received the refund. I feel that his word cannot be trusted, and I am deeply disappointed.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dishonest
Africa Flash McTours and Travel, specifically its owner Peter, took what should have been a most memorable safari for my wife and I and made it a horrific memory of our experience. After much research, inclusive of quoting several companies and reading reviews, we booked a 3 day, 2 night safari in Amboseli National Park with this company. We paid our 90% deposit two months before our departure date and the balance one week before departure. African Flash booked our accommodations at the Ol Tukai Lodge.
The safari and stay at the lodge were outstanding. Our driver/guide, Martin was awesome. He made sure we had a wonderful safari experience from the start as he picked us up at our hotel in Nairobi and drove us 5 hours to the park. Our horrific experience started when we checked out and looked to start our journey back to Nairobi.
Our guide, Martin informed us that Peter had not paid the lodge for our stay and that the management was not permitting us to leave until they received payment. It was at that moment that I received a call from Peter apologizing for the inconvenience and stating that he was working to settle the account. He started to intimate that I could help him by paying the Lodge a balance due. I stopped him and stated that I would not pay anything additional as I had prepaid the full amount.
Our departure delay continued for over three hours as Peter continued to make false promises that the matter would be resolved with 15 minutes, then 30 minutes…. I engaged with the Ol Tukai manager and provided him with a copy of my paid in full invoice. While apologetic he told me the lodge’s policy was not to release our vehicle and driver and thus us until the account was settled as Peter had not paid anything towards our stay. I called the US Embassy in Nairobi and had them engaged with the lodge manager. While they have no enforcement authority in the country they did explain to the manager that they had no right to hold U.S. citizens from departing their property for an account balance they did not owe. The conversation had no impact on resolving the situation (I’ll reserve further comments on what I consider the hostage holding policy of Ol Tukai Lodge for my review of that establishment)
To me, Peter continued to lie about settling the account for over another hour. The only recourse we had was to hire another transport company to take us on the 5 hour trip back to Nairobi. So, we departed Amboseli disgusted with African Flash McTours. We took our guide with us as Peter was willing to have him stay in Amboseli with the vehicle that Ol Tukai lodge was preventing from leaving.
There are dozens of Safari companies to choose from in Kenya. I would run away from this company. One final point, I did receive a refund from Peter for the cost of the transport to Nairobi, but that in no way makes up for the horrific 4 hour hostage experience we endured.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Extremely Disappointing and Unsafe Safari Experience with Apalis Safaris – Hwange National Park.
Extremely Disappointing and Unsafe Safari Experience with Apalis Safaris – Hwange National Park
*Rating: 1/5 Stars*
What was intended to be a memorable birthday experience exploring Hwange National Park became an extraordinarily disappointing, frustrating, and, most concerningly, unsafe experience. Our experience with Apalis Safaris raised serious concerns regarding the company's safety standards, operational oversight, professionalism, transparency, and overall commitment to customer care.
Serious Safety Concerns and Dangerous Driving
One of the most alarming incidents occurred when a driver subcontracted by Apalis Safaris was traveling at an excessive speed along an extremely uneven and bumpy road. While the vehicle was in motion, one of its wheels detached, causing a passenger to be violently thrown into the air. This incident could have resulted in catastrophic injuries. The circumstances raised significant concerns about vehicle maintenance, driver judgment, and the company's oversight of its subcontracted transportation providers.
Unfortunately, this was not an isolated concern. Our transportation driver appeared inexperienced and inadequately trained, even openly joking about his poor driving abilities. These remarks became particularly disturbing when he subsequently came close to causing an accident on three separate occasions.
Despite being informed that one of the passengers experienced chronic pain, the driver demonstrated little consideration for passenger safety or comfort. His driving fluctuated unpredictably between excessive speeds, sometimes reaching approximately 110 km/h on uneven roads near large commercial trucks, and unnecessarily slow speeds of approximately 15 km/h. These inconsistencies made the journey uncomfortable, stressful, and potentially dangerous.
Disregard for Passenger Comfort and Well-Being
Adding to our concerns was the unacceptable treatment of passengers during transportation. Throughout the entire four-hour journey to Hwange National Park, the driver and an individual identified as his "office trainee" sat comfortably in the front of the vehicle with air conditioning, while the two paying patrons remained in the back, enduring the heat without air conditioning.
This continued for approximately 45 minutes into the return journey before the air conditioning was finally turned on for the passengers.
This arrangement demonstrated a troubling lack of consideration for customer comfort and well-being, particularly given that the driver had already been informed of one passenger's chronic pain condition.
It is difficult to understand how the company's representatives could prioritize their own comfort while paying customers endured hours of unnecessary discomfort. Such treatment is inconsistent with reasonable expectations of hospitality, professionalism, and customer service.
Significant Delays and Failure to Deliver Advertised Services
The transportation arrangements were equally unacceptable. What was communicated as a two-hour journey to our designated destination ultimately took approximately four hours, substantially reducing the time available for the safari itself.
Additionally, the vehicle incident caused further delays, reducing what was supposed to be a five-hour safari experience to approximately two hours. This represented a significant loss of the experience we had anticipated and paid to receive.
Ultimately, a Hwange National Park ranger stepped in to facilitate an abbreviated safari because the company's personnel were unable to deliver the scheduled experience. While we appreciated the ranger's assistance, this further underscored the company's apparent lack of preparedness and operational coordination.
Misleading Advertising and Inadequate Meal Arrangements
Another significant disappointment involved the advertised lunch arrangements. We were informed that lunch would be provided at a designated location during the safari. Instead, we received a box containing only a few snacks.
A staff member acknowledged that this arrangement had been made at the last minute to compensate for what had originally been communicated. This was not consistent with the experience advertised and further contributed to our concerns about the accuracy of the company's representations.
Lack of Transparency, Accountability, and Customer Care
Beyond the operational failures, what was particularly troubling was the apparent lack of transparency, meaningful communication, and responsiveness to our concerns.
At several points throughout the experience, we felt that our safety concerns, discomfort, and disappointment were not being taken seriously. There appeared to be little acknowledgment of the gravity of the incidents or the substantial difference between the services advertised and those ultimately delivered.
As paying customers, we reasonably expected safe transportation, competent drivers, reliable logistics, accurate information, appropriate passenger accommodations, and an experience consistent with the company's advertised offerings.
Unfortunately, Apalis Safaris fell significantly short of these expectations.
The cumulative effect of these failures left us feeling misled, taken advantage of, and deeply dissatisfied with the value and quality of the services provided.
Request for Refund and Appropriate Accountability
Given the serious safety incidents, substantial reduction in safari time, inadequate transportation conditions, and failure to provide the services as advertised, we believe a full refund is warranted.
This request is not simply a reflection of dissatisfaction with an excursion. It is based on significant deficiencies in the delivery of the purchased experience, including circumstances that placed passengers at potential risk of serious injury.
Customers should not be expected to bear the financial burden of a company's operational failures, particularly when those failures compromise safety, diminish the experience, and result in services that differ substantially from what was promised.
We believe Apalis Safaris has a responsibility to acknowledge these shortcomings, provide an appropriate refund, and demonstrate accountability through meaningful corrective action.
A Call for Immediate Improvement
I strongly encourage Apalis Safaris to undertake a comprehensive review of its transportation arrangements, subcontractor vetting procedures, vehicle safety standards, driver qualifications, operational planning, passenger accommodations, and customer communication practices.
Additionally, the company should immediately review and update its advertisements and descriptions of services to ensure prospective customers receive accurate and transparent information about transportation times, safari duration, meal provisions, and what is actually included in the experience.
Customers deserve to make informed decisions based on truthful representations, particularly when participating in activities that involve significant travel, financial investment, and potential safety risks.
What should have been a joyful and memorable birthday celebration instead became an experience overshadowed by preventable disruptions, serious safety concerns, unnecessary physical discomfort, and considerable frustration.
Most importantly, customer safety should never be compromised, customer comfort should not be treated as an afterthought, and legitimate concerns should never be dismissed or minimized.
Based on our experience, we cannot recommend Apalis Safaris to others. We sincerely hope the company takes these concerns seriously, provides an appropriate refund, and implements meaningful corrective measures to prevent future guests from experiencing similar circumstances.
A safari should leave guests with unforgettable memories of wildlife and natural beauty—not memories of unsafe transportation, avoidable accidents, misleading expectations, disregard for passenger well-being, and disappointment.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Dream Safari Turned Into a Nightmare – Avoid This Agency
If I could give this agency zero stars, I absolutely would. An extremely disappointing experience, and an agency I would strongly advise anyone to avoid.
Unfortunately, we made the mistake of choosing this agency for our trip to Tanzania, and what should have been an unforgettable experience turned into a frustrating and deeply disappointing ordeal.
Our vehicle broke down repeatedly, leaving us stranded in the middle of the savannah, with a guide who appeared completely unable to handle the situation professionally. To make matters worse, the guide provided virtually no information about the wildlife, national parks, or the surroundings. There were no meaningful explanations, no insights, and no real effort to make the game drives informative or engaging. We were left wondering what we were actually paying for.
As if this were not bad enough, we also missed out on game drives in some parks because the agency combined our group with another group operating on a completely different schedule. This resulted in missed activities and a significant loss of precious time during a trip that we had carefully planned and paid for.
The level of organisation, professionalism, and service was simply unacceptable. A safari in Tanzania is a significant investment, both financially and emotionally, and customers deserve reliable vehicles, competent guides, proper planning, and a service that delivers what was promised. This agency failed on all these fronts.
Tanzania is an extraordinary country, with breathtaking landscapes and incredible wildlife. Sadly, our experience was seriously compromised by the poor choices and incompetence of the agency we trusted to organise our trip.
A beautiful destination cannot compensate for a badly organised safari, unreliable vehicles, an unprepared guide, and missed experiences. We would never choose this agency again, and based on our experience, we cannot recommend it to anyone considering a trip to Tanzania.
Do yourself a favour and look elsewhere. There are undoubtedly better operators who will treat your time, money, and expectations with the respect they deserve.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Avoid safaris with WIVI, they are fraudsters!
We booked a 14-day Tanzania safari—a "Chimpanzee Experience"—for two people through WIVI, a tour operator based in Arusha, at a cost of 8,020 USD.
Although we repeatedly pressed the operator to provide proof of our bookings—specifically vouchers for the luxury accommodations and domestic flights we had already paid for—they refused to do so.
Four days before our scheduled departure in Turkish Airlines business class, WIVI sent us a significantly altered itinerary. Upon closer inspection, we discovered numerous changes that were clearly to our disadvantage.
We were unwilling to accept these modifications without compensation for the total amount paid. However, cancelling the trip would have resulted in a total financial loss.
Faced with this predicament—where cancellation was economically unfeasible—we accepted the changes under protest, acting in accordance with our obligation to mitigate damages.
WIVI refused to acknowledge any claim for a refund, despite the fact that such a claim naturally arose from these circumstances.
Furthermore, due to the operator’s failure to book our initial flight from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma in a timely manner, our trip was delayed by an additional day beyond the revised itinerary they had sent us on September 8th.
As a result, we were unable to depart for Kigoma until September 16th and were forced to spend an extra night at the Protea Hotel in Dar es Salaam. This was entirely contrary to our wishes and represents a failure in contract management.
Instead of the luxurious Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge we had booked, we were accommodated from September 17th to 20th at the Kasekela Luxury Tented Camp—which was anything but luxurious, lacking hot water, offering poor-quality food, and even experiencing intrusions by baboons into our tent. Given our predicament, we accepted this arrangement under protest.
On the day of our scheduled departure—set for 9:00 a.m. because the camp operator anticipated bad weather later that day—it turned out that WIVI had failed to pay the camp. Consequently, we were held by the owners and forced to wait until noon, when payment was finally made.
The situation left us emotionally distressed and completely exhausted; we eventually departed by boat at 12:15 p.m.
The price difference between the accommodations for those three nights amounts to 2,233 USD—a sum for which WIVI has refused to provide compensation.
For September 22nd, we had originally booked the Serengeti Safari Lodge, but were placed at the Shuhudia Camp instead because WIVI failed to make payment on time. The price difference was approximately 200 USD.
For September 23rd, instead of the Africa Safari South Serengeti Lodge we had booked, we were accommodated outside the national park at the budget-tier Gran Vachellia Hotel in Karatu—yet another serious breach of contract.
After being forced to wait for two hours at the main entrance to the Serengeti until WIVI finally paid the required transit fee for the Ngorongoro Crater, we arrived at the hotel late at night. This followed a harrowing five-hour journey, which was further exacerbated by a vehicle breakdown. The price difference amounted to 312 USD.
In addition, we missed our scheduled game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater on September 24th.
The financial loss incurred was 436 USD.
This occurred because the tour operator failed to secure the return flight from Arusha to Dar es Salaam—originally planned for the late evening of September 24th—by the night of September 23rd.
We were initially booked with Precision Air, but because the tour operator once again failed to make the payment, the flights were cancelled.
Consequently, we had to arrange an afternoon flight from Arusha to Dar es Salaam ourselves and pay for it through Aurum Air.
Under normal circumstances, we would have flown at night, which would have allowed us to complete our booked safari in the crater as planned—the highlight of our entire trip.
Instead, we had to travel to Arusha to file a report at the local police station.
The replacement flights cost us 464 USD.
According to the original itinerary, we were scheduled to fly from Serengeti Seronera to Dar es Salaam via Arusha on September 24th.
However, the flight segment from Seronera to Arusha was omitted entirely from the revised itinerary and must therefore be accounted for as an additional financial loss. The cost for this flight with Flightlink for two people amounts to 438 USD.
The total financial loss resulting from the fraudulent actions of WIVI amounts to:
4,439 USD.
This was, without a doubt, the worst and most distressing safari experience of our lives. My partner is 56 and I am 65 years old and disabled; although we have already traveled to Kenya five times and are very experienced safari-goers, we have never before encountered such reckless and unacceptable treatment.
(automatic translation from German)
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Nakuru National Park by Sun Lin
The overall experience was extremely disappointing. We saw very few animals, the road conditions were terrible, and to make matters worse, we were completely ripped off by a terrible travel agency.
Experience level: first safari
We feel scammed: If I could give them a 0 star I would
I recently went on safari with Wild Serenity and was ABSOLUTELY SCAMMED. I could spend hours telling you each and every horrible thing they did to us, but I have a job lol TLDR: they presented a lovely front, but upon arrival, scammed us out of our hotels, offering only cheap much lower quality hotels with minimal refund, and multiple hiccups throughout the trip as well. Not only did they mess up all along the way, they never took accountability and kept coming up with new lies that we would be able to prove real lie. Would absolutely never recommend.
Here are the highlights of what happened: things started off great, they made a beautiful document that seemed well organized, and they were very gracious over text and phone call. Along the way one mistake was that they “forgot” to add the cost of an excursion to the quoted total that I had already paid a deposit on. In the quote, it included the excursion. The adamantly refused to cover this cost as the oversight was on their end, and essentially manipulated us into having to pay an extra couple of thousand dollars at the last second or not get to do what we plan to do.
- upon arrival, they conveniently tell us that the hotel that we agreed upon and put a deposit down for two months in advance suddenly “gave the booking away”, and now our only option is a much lower quality hotel that would increase each daily commute time by three hours to even get to the main part of the Serengeti. And in return we get $1000 back on a $30,000 trip. lol what a joke
- we asked for a hotel of equal or greater value, which they refused. They spent two whole days arguing about this until we put our foot down and reached out to other agencies. Then they finally fixed it.
- essentially they were using our trip as it means to grow their relationship with the Serena hotels so when the initial booking didn’t work out, they were only willing to book us with another Serena hotel, which were all of much lower quality than what we initially agreed to, and we’re quoted for.
-- They used our trip to help them build relationships with the Serena hotels rather than giving us the trip we asked for. For instance, we explicitly said our #1 goal was to see the Great migration, so it would make sense to place out accommodations near there. Instead they make it a 5 hour drive so that they could build relationships with the Serena hotels. This allowed us less than 1.5 hours to actually wait for the river crossing and migration
- the itinerary was so poorly made. The point of getting a tour agency is the assumption that they would have more knowledge and be able to make the trip smooth, effective and enjoyable as possible. They made it so that we spent the maximum time driving from one place to another and minimal time actually doing Safari game drives.
- they had an excuse for every little thing, when we asked why our “luxury” trip didn’t include a car with AC in the Serengeti heat, they said we did not opt for the extra $500 to get AC, which was never even presented to us in the first place. I would assume a luxury trip would include air-conditioning, and if you’re paying $30K, another 500 would not be a big deal, but we were never told about it.
- Communication is terrible. They’re very quick to say we will take care of everything and everything is great, when it comes to actually answering questions, they take two business days and always are busy. And when it came to our flight to Zanzibar, they did not communicate anything regarding Baig size, weight or number, leading us to have to leave suitcases at our hotel in Arusha, come back and quickly re-distribute things in bags so that they could be the appropriate weight. Adding a lot of stress and hassle to our day. Again makes you wonder why you get an agency
- and last, but not least, is the total lack of accountability. Every excuse was built on a lie, and when we would be able to dispel their lies, they would come up with a new one. The only person who apologize is the owner of the company, and that was only after wasting 2 days arguing with us, keeping us up until 6 am.
The only redeeming factor was our lovely guide who actually does not even work with This agency, he was contracted for our specific safari bc their usual guy was out.
Overall, it was not a vacation at all. They are scammers and only care for their relationships with local hotels, etc, not with giving you the best trip possible. It’s funny, because after our trip, I had at least six friends who are legitimately planning Safari trips ask about our agency and I told them that I absolutely do not recommend. They were so worried about their relationship building, or losing out on customers this way. This is not a company that will last if they continue to practice like this. Hopefully they learn from this and do better, but I would not risk my trip on that slim chance if I were you.
And I am not the only one, unfortunately I saw a few FB posts (too late) detailing on how they scammed others
All of this is true and much of it can be corroborated by WhatsApp messages
PT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
HORRIBLE
HORRIBLE! I wouldn’t recommend this agency to my worst enemies!
An agency that takes absolutely no responsibility for anything and provides appalling customer service.
We booked a 10-day tour with this agency. A person travelling with me was struck on the head by the driver while retrieving his suitcase from the car. It was an accident, and the driver immediately admitted responsibility, but after speaking with the agency, he changed his version of events.
We filed a police report and submitted formal complaints to several tourism regulatory authorities.
My friend suffered a head wound measuring 6 cm in length and 1 cm in depth, which required stitches. As a result, we missed our flight and had to pay for additional accommodation.
Not only did the agency refuse to take any responsibility whatsoever, but they didn't even show the slightest concern for his well-being.
Their behaviour was absolutely disgraceful, and we intend to take legal action with the support of the Embassy.
ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE!
