ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Poor organization
The organization was a complete disaster. On the day we arrived, a driver picked us up and dropped us off at the hotel at 1:00 p.m. He told us that someone would come later that afternoon to give us a briefing. As soon as we arrived, I sent a WhatsApp message to our contact person, but they never replied. We found ourselves stuck at the hotel with no idea what time the safari would start, who would pick us up, or what the plan was.
Eventually, at around 7:00 p.m., the hotel reception managed to get in touch with them, and they told us that the briefing would take place the following morning. It never happened. They simply picked us up from the hotel and drove us straight to the parks.
Once we were there, I think your experience depends entirely on the driver you get. Ours was terrible. He barely explained anything, rarely stopped at good photo spots, and although we were very lucky to see all the animals we hoped for, it certainly wasn’t because he was actively looking for them. In fact, he spent most of the drive using his phone.
On our first day in the Serengeti, he picked us up 1 hour and 15 minutes later than the agreed time. Even worse, on the day we visited the Ngorongoro Crater, we had been told it was essential to leave early to make the most of our permit before it expired. Instead, we left the camp two hours late because our driver was waiting to help one of his colleagues.
The parks themselves are absolutely incredible, but the company’s organization leaves a lot to be desired. After the trip, we sent them a WhatsApp message with detailed feedback so they could improve their service. They never even replied with a simple “thank you.”
I would never book with this company again.
EG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good Communication, Disappointing Safari
I had mixed feelings about my experience with Intimacy Adventure.
On the positive side, the company was responsive before the trip, and the hotels were exactly as promised. There were no issues with the accommodation, and everything matched the itinerary.
Unfortunately, the safari itself was very disappointing. Instead of being handled directly by the company, we were combined with guests from different tour operators and assigned to a driver who wasn’t actually part of Intimacy Adventure. Whenever we had a problem, he would simply tell us to contact the company, leaving us without any real support during the trip.
We also lost a significant part of our Serengeti experience because of an issue involving another group’s hotel reservation. Since everyone was traveling in the same vehicle, we all had to wait for hours, which wasted one of the most important safari days.
The biggest issue was the safari vehicle. It was old, uncomfortable, and kept breaking down. I experienced several other safari vehicles on the last day, and they were in much better condition. I asked to switch vehicles because ours was clearly not suitable, but my request was refused.
Sadly, only the first day was enjoyable. The remaining four days were so frustrating because of the vehicle and the poor organization that I found myself counting down the days until the safari ended.
I expected a much better experience, especially considering the amount I paid. Better organization, proper vehicles, and having a driver who represents the company would make a huge difference.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bad experience due to tour guide
My company booked a tour through this agency. Even though the initial part was good, thereafter it started to become bad. During the tour, at some point I asked the guide to close the window and hood due to extreme dirt, he did not do that deliberately, giving various reasons. After first day end, back to the hotel he drove as if an animal being transported. Same goes for the second day. The tour guide was Noel, and before the 2nd day afternoon I asked him to finish the tour and take me back to airport. Very bad service. Also he was always in a hurry. I can see another guides were giving much time and space to the tourist.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful safari, but terribile organization
We booked a combined safari and Diani Beach tour, which unfortunately turned out to be quite a disaster from an organizational point of view.
The safari itself was absolutely amazing. We had the chance to see an incredible number of animals, and our guide, John, was outstanding. He always made sure we got as close as possible to the wildlife and made every day enjoyable. The drives between the parks are long and can be tiring, so if you're not prepared for that, my advice would be to visit only the Masai Mara, it is absolutely worth it on its own. Diani Beach is also beautiful.
The major issue was the organization. We had agreed that the tour operator would take care of everything, including our transfer from Nairobi to Diani, which was included in the quotation. However, on the day of our departure, we discovered that the domestic flights had never been booked. After several discussions, we managed to get the company to cover the cost of the flights, but despite this, and despite our repeated reminders they still didn't book them until the day before we were due to travel.
As a result, only a few flight options were left, and the flights chosen by the agency caused us to miss a morning game drive that we had paid for, as it was included in our package. We also ended up spending almost two full days of our trip waiting around in airports.
Overall, the experience itself was wonderful, but I strongly advise against booking with this tour operator.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Disappointing
Day i got the departure date wrong by 3 days and told the driver it was our fault.had to change the first 5 days of the itinerary to fit thechimp tracking permits booked in March.
Driver late by One hour on first day.
Driver liked to drive fast even on game drives,had to be told repeatedly to slow down .
Wasted a lot ( up to 45 mins) at Park gates on numerous occassions.
Were put in lesser accomodation in Enjojo camp according to our receipt.
Owed one lunch on a long day,just never got it.
Driver was totally disrespectful of my wife,never addressing her by her name and calling her”she”.
On the last night we complained about a wet messy bed and the driver joined the manageress in blaming my wife,straight away with no evidence.(look up Rushaga lodge reviews and see that this had happened before).Ido not think that there is a worse insult to make in the safari world.We are in our seventies and my wife does not “ leak”.
The vehicle had the rear windows(our viewing windows) covered in a dark tint which was hard to see through.Only one rear window was working and the exhaust gasses came in through the tailgate door.
SG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Do not book the Luxury Package, it falls well below other agencies standards
I will stick to the facts so this review is not biased. We booked the Luxury Package on SafariBookings.com, but Serengeti Silence (linked to the sister companies Serengeti Smile and Stars, same boss) did not deliver the luxury standard offered by other agencies.
The positives:
- Amazing wildlife.
- Knowledgeable guide.
- Nice hotels.
What went wrong:
- Lunch quality: Our first lunch was a barely edible sandwich box, while many other groups received hotel-prepared meals with hampers, cutlery and tablecloths. After I complained, they reluctantly upgraded us but responded defensively and made us feel guilty for expecting the standard that other agencies offered.
- Vehicle condition: The windshield was already cracked on pickup day (see photo), a safety concern on rocky roads. The phone charger was also broken.
- Unnecessary detour: We lost nearly 1h stopping at their office over an alleged unpaid balance. Everything was already settled, and they later said the stop was only to collect lunch boxes, which could have been collected before picking us up.
- Poor preparation: They forgot to provide binoculars on the first day.
- Last-minute surcharge: A few weeks before departure, they charged an extra $80 per person (including children) due to fuel prices, despite our signed quote and deposit. We had no real option but to pay or cancel.
For these reasons, I cannot recommend this agency. Their unprofessionalism irretrievably marred what should have been a dream safari.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Average
Claim to be great but actually very average. My family was not impressed. Actually as we have taken other tours in Africa via other touing companies
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Offered wonderful trip bit we missed some activities because of non payment by company
Missed hot air balloon because of non payment by company. Had to wait over an hour at every check point while the guide repeatedly rang the company for payment of entry fees. We had paid in full months in advance. Had to get legal support to get refund for missed hot air balloon.
CA
I lost trust in Cedarberg before the trip even started
I am a Luxury Travel Advisor in Canada and personally spend 90 days in S Africa every year. I have traveled to 100+ countries and l just love S Africa and all it has to offer. I worked with Cedarberg to arrange a trip for 3 couples, Golf, Kruger, Cape town and the Garden Route. I found the agent I worked with to be very difficult and lost trust during the planning stages. My clients are very important so I was very concerned with the supplier that I selected for their trip. In general their trip was good however there was a big lack of communication, overcharges and hotel downgrades which was never communicated to me until I met with my clients on the last week of their trip. My clients finished their trip and it took me 2 months to finally have Cedarberg refund the clients for the hotel downgrades which was over $600. In 20+ year of selling luxury travel I have never had such a difficult time with a supplier.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Did not execute, failed to remedy the situation
Serengeti African Tours markets itself as an ultra-luxury travel provider, which makes our experience all the more disappointing.
Despite paying a substantial premium, the reservation arrangements confirmed to our group just 1 day in advance, were not honored, resulting in significant inconvenience and the unnecessary separation of two couples traveling together. This created an avoidable and uncomfortable situation that should never have occurred.
What was most frustrating was that there was a simple solution available: provide the arrangements that had been promised and paid for. Instead, the issue was mishandled, no meaningful effort was made to resolve it, and the follow-up response consisted of little more than an unsatisfactory email explanation.
Our group entrusted Serengeti African Tours based on the expectation that the company would deliver the experience it sold. Unfortunately, it failed to uphold its commitments, and its response afterward demonstrated a disappointing lack of accountability and customer service.
Luxury travel is defined not only by the destinations and accommodations, but by flawless execution and responsive service when problems arise. In our case, Serengeti African Tours fell well short of the standards it claims to represent. Based on our experience, I would not recommend this company and will be sharing our experience with others considering booking through them.
A couple of highlights which kept it from 1 star:
Our Guide (Godfrey Maarifa) was very knowledgeable, engaging, and good to work with. If you can book directly with him, he's great.
The park overdelivers. I suspect that the guide had a significant impact on the animal viewing but we saw them all. Definitely recommend the trip, just not the tour operator based on the customer service and attention to details.