US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I Would Not Use This Company Again
I reached out to Apodiformes Adventures to book a private three day tour that included two nights in Amboseli National Park including 4 game drives over three days, transportation from Diani Beach to Mombasa train station, train tickets to Emali station (near Ambolseli), and finally transportation to Nairobi. Peter quickly responded and I started communicating with him to work out the details. After a few days of emails and what's app texts back and forth we agreed upon the details. One of the conditions was that we could pay with a credit card which we did for the initial deposit. Later however, he said he wanted to balance to be paid in cash in USD on arrival. I told him that wasn't possible because we were going to be in Africa for several weeks prior to this tour and didn't want to carry that much cash with us. Eventually he agreed to let us pay in credit card but insisted on an additional fee that wasn't previously agreed upon. This wasn't a deal breaker but in was the first in several instances where things weren't quite as initially stated.
Getting to the Mombasa train station and onto the train was an absolute fiasco. Our driver was supposed to pick us up at our hotel in Diani beach at 5am on Saturday in order to catch the 8am train. At 5am the driver was not there. This is where it gets tricky because at 5am (in the pitch black of night) there was a driver waiting at the hotel apparently arranged by the hotel. We got into his car and started driving. About :30min into the trip I asked him about the train tickets. He was confused because he thought he was taking us to the airport. At this point, I wasn't able to get a strong enough cell signal to call or text Peter, but the driver was able to finally get him on the phone. There was a lot of back and forth (and yelling) in Swahili over several calls that I didn't understand.
Once we did get to the train station, the plan was to wait for the other driver who we were told was an hour late getting to the hotel in Diani and he would come and give us the train tickets. This was not a good solution. First off security at the train station did not want us hanging around the parking lot. They said we had to either go thru the initial security check or leave. The train station was extremely chaotic. There were hundreds of people pushing and yelling and trying to get thru and we couldn't find any workers who spoke English to help us and I still wasn't able to use my phone. Peter and the other driver were trying to call me but none of the calls or texts were coming thru.
Eventually we did find a security guard who spoke enough English and was willing to help us. He took us thru security despite us not having tickets or a confirmation, and got Peter on the phone using his own phone. Peter then sent him copies of the ticket confirmation. He then whisked us into the lobby and told us to wait while he went and printed the tickets. Great! He came back gave us the tickets and pointed us to get in line. We waited in the line but when we got up front we were denied because Peter sent the guard the wrong ticket confirmation! The guard was gone and we were back to square one without tickets.
Keep in mind that the station is complete mayhem. At this point we tried to buy new tickets but the train was sold out. I was able to convince a ticket agent however to look up our names and reprint the tickets. This was much harder then it sounds but eventually they were able to do this but we had to pay an additional re-printing fee.
The original agreement included the transportation to the station and the train tickets, but we ended up having to pay the driver and the ticket re-print fee which was 30% of the price. When I asked Peter to reimburse us for these expenses he refused to do so basically blaming me saying it was my fault even though his drive wasn't on time.
We were met in Emali by David who would be our guide in Amboseli. David was wonderful. We thoroughly enjoyed ever minute with him especially the game drives.
We spent 2 nights at the Kibo Safari Camp and were supposed to do 4 game drives. One on the Saturday of arrival, two on Sunday, and one on Monday morning before heading to Nairobi by auto. However on Monday morning we were picked up in a vehicle (with a different driver) not suited for safari, so we headed to Nairobi without doing that fourth game drive. This wasn't a huge deal, but it was part of the agreement and payment. I never heard anything from Peter about this. In fact I never heard from Peter again after we arrived in Emali on the train. No follow up. I even waited three weeks to write this review to see if he or anyone from Apodiformes would contact me. Nothing.
This was not my first trip to Africa so I understand that stuff happens and things can go sideways. You have to be flexible. I get that, but the reason for this negative review is the lack of communication and follow up. The bottom line for me is that they over promised and under delivered which ended up costing us extra money out of pocket. I would not recommend Apodiformes Adventures.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
needs to significantly improve the organization of their safari trips and the overall quality of the
We recently participated in a safari tour with Zambezi Expedition Tour and Travel for 9 days from June 6th to 15th, and we want to express our disappointment with several aspects of the experience. As experienced safari travelers, we expected better.
Firstly, we booked and committed to this trip for a specific amount, but once there, Oscar asked for an additional 1000 euros. I had to send the signed quote for him to remember the agreed amount.
The accommodation plan for Chobe National Park, as published on Safari Booking, indicated lodges. However, upon arrival, it turned out to be a camping lodge, which did not match the pictures of the rooms shown in the plan.
We complained to Oscar about this, but he claimed it wasn't mentioned in the commitment plan. Eventually, he upgraded us to the room specified in the plan and the quotes. The game drive in Chobe National Park was organized by another safari company. They asked us to be at the hotel reception at 8:30 AM for an 8:45 AM pick-up, but the driver was 40 minutes late, resulting in a shortened game drive in the morning.
The accommodation at Victoria Falls was also supposed to be a lodge, but again, we were surprised to find it was a tent. It was too warm during the day and too cold at night, making it very uncomfortable.
All the tour plans and activities were organized by other travel companies, giving the impression that Zambezi Expedition is merely an intermediary that finds clients for other travel companies without caring about the quality of service offered to their clients.
On a positive note, the best activity of the trip was the Okavango Delta. It was well organized, and the guide and cook were very nice people.
We chose our trip with Zambezi Expedition Tour and Travel after reading all the good reviews on Safari Booking, but we were disappointed. We have been on many other safaris and enjoyed them, but this one did not meet our expectations.
PA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Disappointing and Unsafe Experience
Our recent stay at Ulusaba was supposed to be an unforgettable adventure, but it turned into a distressing experience due to serious safety and emergency response issues.
Our Experience Before the Incident: I want to start by doing the following disclaimer. We did spend three magical days at the hotel before the incident. The staff were amazing and incredibly kind. Dinners at a shared table with all the guests led to some unforgettable conversations. Breakfast and drinks served by our guides after the game drives were amazing and created a special bond. We were thrilled to see all of the Big Five during our stay, with particularly incredible leopard sightings and wild dogs unlike any other place we visited. Our private pool was warm which is a rarity in safari lodges. And food was incredible.
The Incident: On the morning of our final game drive, my wife slipped and fell in the shower of our suite at the Rock Lodge. The lack of a shower curtain and the poor design of the bathroom left the floor wet and slippery, causing her to sustain a serious head injury. We immediately informed our guide, but the medical response was delayed and inadequate.
Emergency Response Issues: Upon checking in, we were assured that there was an onsite doctor available for emergencies. However, when the accident occurred, the doctor never arrived. Instead, we were left waiting for a prolonged period (3hrs) without proper medical assistance. There was no backup plan in place when the primary emergency responder was unavailable, leaving us without sufficient help. This lack of preparedness in a remote location is very concerning (we saw two black mambas the previous day very close to the hotel - imagine getting bitten).
Response from Ulusaba and Virgin: Despite acknowledging the issues, even going as far as saying that they will be remodeling the bathrooms, Ulusaba’s compensation offer does not cover our expenses or the distress we experienced (a ruined vacation). Even the involvement of Virgin, their parent company, has not led to a satisfactory resolution.
Final Thoughts: While the staff at Ulusaba were kind and tried their best to assist us, the management’s failure to address serious safety and emergency preparedness issues is disappointing. For a luxury resort, such oversight is unacceptable.
We hope that by sharing our story, Ulusaba and Virgin will take the necessary actions to ensure the safety and well-being of future guests. Until significant improvements are made, we advise potential visitors to consider these risks before booking their stay.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Stay away from this operator
If you're after unprofessional behavior, being unreliable and severe lack of communication, then mafie adventures is the operator to go with.
If this is your first time going on safari or are a solo traveler, then be careful of this company. The main point of contact is a very sketchy guy.
QA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Bad Driver makes a tour disaster
we had 3 days safari for Massai Marra. Our driver was an old man that has no eager to stop for any good view, any animal or even enough explanation about any things. He just liked to drive whole day! First day and the last day will be just road driving and the fact is only the middle day is a real SAFARI. The funniest part is that at the end of the trip, he asked tip from all of us, not as a request, but as an order to pay! I dont want to say his name and better this company survey and monitor the drivers and tour guides.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Overpriced and overrated
absolutely, the great migration is a spectacle you must see at least once. But other than that, I found Tanzania to be mostly disappointing. Not so much what we all saw, but more the overall experience. If you keep in mind that you are visiting the most expensive national parks in the world, you expect something in return. In the Serengeti, for example, I think the roads were extremely bad. We did 10 days of full day safaris, which at the end I almost couldn't last because of the back pain. The rest camps are completely worthless and unpleasant. Again, for the most expensive national parks in the world you can really expect more. The distances between our sightings were often enormous. Everyone drives through the Serengeti at unprecedented speed to make sure you don't miss a lion that is then sitting 200 meters off the road... And which you are watching with 70 other cars... Guides do not behave professionally, push the animals too much and the tourists are also 'once in a lifetime safari poop', which you can see from their behavior. It is often noisy during sightings and I found it difficult to enjoy it. All in all disappointing, not value for money and the safaris were not romantic and relaxing as I often feel in private parks.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Basic itinerary elements were not delivered as agreed upon but nice overall trip
We did a 5-day safari with Simba Expeditions to Kidepo National Park in uganda. Although the trip and especially the nature were overall very nice, we encountered several issues with the tour operator, that left a bitter-sweet aftertaste.
For example, our itinerary and invoice clearly included a landcrusier vehicle but on the day of the safari we got a different car type (that was less comfortable and would usually cost less than what we paid for). When we raised the issue with Simba expeditions, the only solution they offered was to stop the trip immediately (after we have already been on the road for several hours) return to Kampala and get a full refund. Obviously, this was not an option for us, as it is impossible to organize another safari on such short notice.
Apart from a few if those issues, the trip and nature we experienced was really great.
CZ
4 days MM and Nakuru with Navasha
Safari was good itself, not the organisation. Mr. Benson didn't keep promise to side boat tour in Naivasha, even after I notified few times in advance, and only offered to pay taxi for myself back to Nairobi if to go so I had to resign. At the arrival he let me wait over an hour abandoned in a car park in Nairobi without transport until I got my own.
The driver failed in critical interaction with local authorities and after bribing them he demanded money from me to pay all to him. Very disappointing customer care
PK
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
She was good but didn’t tell the whole picture
We booked trip to safari for 2 persons . They said it will be whole day safari as charges were too much . Guide picked us at 8:30 am from hotel , reached safari at 1:15 pm . Then they said you have 2 hours for lunch , that’s ridiculous. At 1:30 we boarded our jeeps and to our disappointment, safari ended in 2 hours
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great at communicating, unhappy safari guide, poor planning and value for money ,
The communication from splendid was prompt and efficient. Vehicle was robust and well serviced. Driver/tour guide was grumpy and rude at times. Only on the last 1 hour drive of a four day tour decided to share his extensive knowledge. Company grossly misrepresented transit times between parks -2 hours was actually 5/6 hours. Hotels were fantastic.