RU
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Tatiana
Unfortunately, I think the park is dying due to the recent floods. It's sad, but it's instructive to see how cruel and merciless nature itself can be at times.
AR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Not good experience
Honestly, the experience with Peter was very complicated and negative from the very beginning. Before arriving in Uganda, communication with him was very difficult. He either didn’t reply or wasn’t clear when he did.
We had agreed that payment could be made by card, but the night we arrived he told us it could only be paid in dollars. Not only cash, but the bills had to be from 2015 onward (something common in Uganda), but we didn’t know that. It was our first day, we arrived at night in a new country, I was with my wife, and he took us to withdraw money in a place with armed people and made us take out cash. It was a completely uncomfortable situation.
The next day we couldn’t withdraw all the money because of ATM limits (it was a large amount), and at 6 a.m. he was already messaging us to go withdraw more. We managed to pay part by transfer, but he charged an extra fee that had never been agreed.
Then he rented us a car that he knew was in bad condition (he had told me) but said it had been properly repaired. We went to Murchison National Park and the car broke down in the middle of the park with no signal. It started smoking.
We managed to contact him and his solution was for us to stay two days at a mechanic’s house in a small town in the middle of Uganda until it was fixed, which was completely unviable. We had to take a six-hour public transport ride across the country, which felt dangerous.
In the end he never refunded the money — he said the car wasn’t his and gave all sorts of excuses.
Later we did the gorilla tour with him. That part was overall okay, although the car also got stuck and we arrived late to all the hotels.
Honestly, I don’t recommend him. The only positive thing I can highlight is our guide, Apton. Very professional and the only thing worth rescuing from the trip.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A tour operator that failed to deliver the agreed private safari experience and did not provide adeq
⭐️⭐️ Review – Tsavo Cat Tours & Safaris
We booked a private safari with Tsavo Cat Tours & Safaris which unfortunately was not delivered as agreed.
• A private 4x4 vehicle was booked, but a standard van was provided.
• The itinerary was changed without our consent.
• The agreed road transfer back to our hotel was replaced with a train journey to Mombasa.
• Basic expected amenities were not available.
These were material changes that reduced the value of the safari.
After the trip, we contacted the operator to request a fair partial refund. Although there was initial acknowledgment, no clear proposal was provided and communication eventually stopped despite reasonable deadlines.
This review is shared as a factual account of our experience so that future travellers can make informed decisions
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Largely a transfer service that is not equipped for multi-day itineraries
I booked Touch Africa for a 7-night safari based on a smattering of positive reviews and a desire to support a smaller, locally owned business. This ultimately turned out to be a mistake, as the company does not yet seem equipped to handle complex or multi-day itineraries. It’s worth noting that this was not my first safari, nor my first time in Africa.
Pros:
• Communication leading up to the safari was good, and they were always responsive — though it did seem like multiple people were sharing a single WhatsApp account.
• Last, the individual that everyone seems to interact with, was very friendly and knowledgeable about Zimbabwe and the Victoria Falls area.
• We were paired with a game drive operator in Chobe named Rocky, who was outstanding.
Cons:
• They operate mostly as a glorified transfer service. Last showed up to transport us between lodging points, and that was largely it. The transport itself was an unmarked, fairly old and worn-out minivan with only one working passenger door, which could only be opened from the outside. We also had to ask for seat covers to be removed so we could use seatbelts, after a few fairly harrowing drives.
• Despite clearly expressing that our primary goals were wildlife/big game viewing and staying in a tented camp, our Chobe lodging — Tlou Lodge — was located directly behind a strip mall. We later learned that Touch Africa cannot access lodging that requires a 4x4. I ultimately paid out of pocket for alternative accommodations (Elephant Valley Lodge — outstanding) and arranged directly with our game drive operator, Rocky, to handle pickup and drop-off.
• The itinerary listed the transfer from Chobe to Nata as “approximately 2 hours.” In reality, this is a 315 km / 195-mile drive that took over 4 hours in the aforementioned minivan.
• Nata was described in the itinerary as being “home to vast salt pans and unique desert wildlife.” However, we quickly discovered that not only is there little to no wildlife in the region at this time of year, but the salt pans themselves had been flooded for nearly a year. This is without even getting into Nata Lodge itself, which had its own lengthy list of issues.
• Despite being on time or early for every other engagement, Last was late for our airport transfer. As a result, we ended up using the lodge’s transfer service, who — thankfully — drove like a bat out of hell and allowed us to just barely make our check-in window.
TL;DR (short version):
There were numerous negative experiences (I distilled it down to the major ones) on our trip that could have been avoided with basic due diligence and clearer communication. It became increasingly clear — and was later admitted — that larger, multi-stop itineraries are new territory for Touch Africa, and unfortunately we were the ones impacted by that learning curve. We paid approximately $6,000 for what amounted to a $2,500–$3,000 experience (after researching typical room, transfer, and activity rates). The best parts of our trip — aside from our Chobe game driver — were the result of last-minute changes I personally made that were not part of the original itinerary provided by Touch Africa.
I am not typically someone who leaves negative reviews, and I have tremendous empathy for smaller companies. I fully understand when issues are genuinely out of a provider’s control (weather, road conditions, lodging quirks, etc.). However, it was abundantly clear, time and again, that Touch Africa was out of their depth in planning and executing an itinerary of this scope.
Finally - I gave Touch Africa 2 months to provide a fully agreed upon, relatively small, partial refund (Hence the delay in this review), They eventually stopped responding and I never received a single payment.
LI
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Too many pushing emails. Too many infos to provide. Would not use again safari.com
We sent an email and wait for answers but once safari.com sends an email or request they are pushing for immediate decisions. To much pressure. Maybe it is an AI based software behind it? Value for money is very low. The lodge that we did end up with was the worst in our 5 times in the bush. Pictures presented nicely but far away from reality.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Poor follow up and customer service
We traveled to Africa this fall and booked a portion of our trip through Classic Journeys Africa. Unfortunately, due to unexpected civil unrest in neighboring Tanzania , our itinerary had to be cut short for safety reasons.
I want to begin by saying that the part of the trip we were able to complete was truly wonderful. The accommodations, guides, and experiences arranged by the company were excellent, and during the trip itself everything was handled professionally.
However, the experience since returning home has been extremely disappointing.
Because significant portions of our trip were canceled, we were assured that refunds would be issued for the unused services. Since then, communication has been inconsistent and largely unresponsive despite multiple follow-ups over several months. While we have received repeated acknowledgments that refunds are owed, no reimbursement has been received to date.
We fully understand that unforeseen events such as political instability can complicate travel logistics, and we approached this situation with patience and understanding. What has been frustrating is not the disruption itself, but the lack of follow-through and clear communication afterward.
Based on our on-the-ground experience, this company is capable of delivering an excellent travel experience. However, their post-trip customer service and handling of financial commitments have fallen far short of expectations.
Future travelers may want to ensure refund policies and communication expectations are clearly documented before booking.
We sincerely hope this matter will still be resolved.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Distressing incident
What was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime safari turned into a distressing incident involving our tour guide abandoning myself and my elderly mother at a toilet stop 3 hours into our trip and fleeing in the truck with all of our belongings (money, passports, baggage) leaving us with no resources (including my mothers medications).
The company has avoided my calls and emails and have not provided any compensation for what we endured and have given empty promises of a refund for the alternative vehicle for the past 6 months.
We are deeply disappointed in how this was handled by the company and therefore cannot recommend booking with them.
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Disappointed by organization
I booked in November a safari with Marula. The communication was very fluid and everything was ok with Brian.
But 15 days before arriving in Kenya, Brian told me that the guide preferred to change itinerary and that we will begin by Tsavo to finish by Amboseli.
I told him that it was not really logical but I accepted the change.
On first day of safari, we were very surprised to have a very long drive from Nairobi and the driver explained us that Brian changed itinerary because he forgot to book hotels!!!
I was very angry against him because he lied to me and didn't propose me to change hotels instead.
Kenya is a wonderful country so we fortunately spent a nice trip but we lost a lot of time on road.
RS
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Promises luxury, struggles with delivery.
This review relates only to the service provided by the safari company in organizing our trip, not to the national parks, wildlife, or Kenya itself, which were all wonderful.
First, I would like to emphasize that our guide, John, was excellent. He was kind, professional, and did his best throughout the journey. Our dissatisfaction does not relate to him.
We booked an eight-day package that included the word “luxury” in its name. After receiving the offer, we accepted it and paid 50% within a few hours. Later the same day, we were informed that two of the four lodges included in the confirmed offer were not available. Having already paid, we felt we had little choice but to accept the proposed alternatives. We were particularly dissatisfied with one of the replacements.
Two days before departure, we were informed that yet another lodge was unavailable and were offered a different property, which again was not our preferred option.
Upon arrival at the airport, the agent who organized the trip arrived approximately 40 minutes late, which was quite exhausting after a long international flight.
The vehicle provided for the safari was operational but quite old and extremely noisy. Although this did not prevent us from completing the itinerary, it made long drives significantly more tiring than expected.
We also had the impression that the itinerary may not have been carefully planned in practice, as some activities were poorly distributed across the days, which resulted in adjustments having to be made during the trip.
The most disappointing aspect for us concerned included activities. One afternoon in Ol Pejeta, we did not have the scheduled game drive because, as we were told, there had been a misunderstanding regarding the validity of the park entrance tickets.
Additionally, although a visit to Hell’s Gate was clearly listed as included, we were initially informed that we would need to pay the entrance fee ourselves. After discussion, the company agreed to cover the cost. However, on the same day, the visit to Crescent Island, which was also clearly stated in the itinerary - was not organized.
Based on our understanding, this resulted in us missing activities with a combined value of several hundred dollars in park fees.
Overall, in our opinion, communication and organization were not at the level we expected, especially for a tour marketed as “luxury.” In our experience, the company was very efficient when it came to securing payment, but less consistent when it came to delivering the agreed services.
We had a memorable time in Kenya thanks to the parks and our guide, but from an organizational perspective, the experience fell significantly short of our expectations.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Top carriers but not the best guide
We are a really sporty couple who decided to take the challenge and hike Mount Kenya in 3 days up to Lenana.
The first day everything was perfect we got picked up at the hotel in time and we drove all the way through. We met our team and after lunch we started the hike.
The second day (at 3200ms) we had to wait around 20 mins for the guide to pick us up and start the hike.
During the hike we had not so good experiences as he was stopping by himself and saying keep going I will catch up. We ended up losing him for almost one hour. Meeting him after one hour being angry with us. Since then, the whole experience changed. During the hike I experienced altitude sickness and the recommendation from the guide was to “take a nap and drink water”. This is what I did, but I started to feel worse and worse, almost passing out, we were lucky to talk to a medical guy who was there who recommended us completely the opposite: go outside, small walks, dont lay down, drink a bit of coffee and some breathing techniques. He also said that in this condition is impossible to go to the summit the day after and that we should descend as soon as possible.
That night we talked to our guide and we were surprised about him trying to convince us to go to the summit. After a long talk we told him we are not in condition and that we would love to go back.
The last day we started the descent and we were even more surprised about our guide not talking at all to us, going 300-400 meters in front of us the whole way. Specially knowing that we were not in good conditions. It really gave us a bad feeling, that we were not in good hands and that we were not accomplishing anything.
As a summary I would say the food was super nice and the carriers (special mention to Nelson and Taylor), but the guide has sole room for improvement.
I am pretty sure I was not the first and wont be the last having these problems so I would recommend the guide to be informed on what to do in case something like this happens. And also to try to be a bit closer to us, guiding should not be just walking but also ensuring we are save and that we are having a good experience.