10 Days Kenya and Tanzania Budget Group Safari

Customer Reviews

• MA

  Martin

  · September 11th, 2019
  I regretted taking your tour. Tour radar booking: 479987-IXXPU ( 10 days Kenya and Tanzania budget group ) Nothing went as planned in Tanzania . I was left abandoned at the Arusha shuttle station terminal, upon arrival to Tanzania , facing harassment by dozens of people "offering help " , asking for money or for my credit card number " to call the tour company to inform about my whereabouts". it took hours of disappointment and many tips, to contact the tour company. Next day there was no tour to lake Manyara arranged for me ( as the brochure promised) . I met with " 7 Wonders " manager : Josh. he tried to help me and provided a jeep for my trip . Unfortunately this vehicle was so run down and old that we were stranded with the driver in the road for 3 hours waiting for a mechanic to come for help !! . The driver refused to allow me to make a phone call to update the manager . We entered the lake Manyara park." for a game drive", very late, after 3 PM instead of 11 AM !! My day was ruined . After a short visit to this place I was taken to the campsite, where I was provided with a small tent . As there were rooms available at the camp, the administrator ( I forgot her name) charged me for the use of a room instead of a small tent. This may be normal or expected , I just do not know and that is the reason I mentioned this issue of paying extra . I saw people of same tour company that I was before , sleeping in rooms assigned without extra charge. I noted that in Tanzania everything was worse , transportation, guides , accommodations, commitments , etc . I had a very bad experience with the driver in Tanzania . His name: Samwel. please do something about this " guide" . My itinerary included on August 21st a visit to Gorge Museum , ( I was aware that the entrance fee was not included) to visit the remains were prehistoric man were discovered. My itinerary said that we were going to have lunch at the parking lot of the Gorge Museum and it was discretional to the tourists to pay the fee and get in as they wished . When I asked the driver Samwel, He explained to me that " his tour was different" and does not stop at the Gorge Museum and that I had to pay to him 100 dollars to take the detour to get to the museum " because the gasoline is very expensive and the Museum: is very far from the main road " ( I am quoting him literally ) he also added that the only way we could get to the museum was paying the entrance fee to everyone in our tour . I gladly paid the entrance for the 6 of us ( $ 212 American dollars) because I went to Tanzania mostly because of this museum !! and my itinerary was not honored !!!! . the detour from the main road to get to the museum took 4 minutes ( Samwell wanted to charge me 100 dollars !!! for that detour.!!! Not nice. Samwell explained to me that my trip or excursion was organized by a company called " 7 wonders" and that my excursion or " safary " was transferred in Tanzania to a company called Led Carnibors ( or something like that ) . This is the company that Samwell works for . it is the worse, I would not recommend to anyone. I felt that my original trip was downgraded and denigrated ( lodging, itinerary , transportation ) with this operational change. I was in the tour with very nice 5 young kids ( that was very positive ) , so as I said I gladly paid to them the entrance to the Museum . they were very grateful . To make things worse , Maxwell asked to each of us for a mandatory fee of 15 dollars a day for the driver and 10 dollars daily for the cook ( fees to be paid by all passengers ) . I always give a good tip , my job in the USA allows me to do that, and it is customary for us to tip , in the USA or abroad . Having said that, I think that it is nasty to impose this as an obligation onto young kids, backpackers , who were totally unaware of this " obligatory additional expenses". For them, young people , to pay 90 dollars each was an unexpected burden. I think that people who join tours must be informed in advance that there is a mandatory fee to add to the trip ( not just a voluntary tip ) . I wonder if the manager of this company is aware or not about Samwell opportunistic behavior . What a bad experience!!!. I wanted to run away from Tanzania as soon as Possible. I did not feel safe with Samwel, as the guide . The last night in Arusha I met again with the manager : Josh .( his wife was present as well ) . I explained all the above . they were very supportive and nice . I kept the receipt for the 212 dollars I paid for the entrance to the museum for the entire group. Josh re inversed me with 200 dollars . I think this was a nice gesture . Unfortunately the bad time that I had in Tanzania, and the way Samwell made me fell, will not be forgotten . I regretted taking this trip . Josh told me that the last day I was going to be transported to Nairobi where I was going to be dropped at the airport or at the Hotel. yes it was correct , I was transported to Nairobi but left at a downtown street . the driver told all the passengers that this was the end of the drive and that we had to get to our hotels on our own !!! . I think that I understood correctly when Josh said I was going to be dropped at my Hotel in Nairobi ( and the itinerary says so !! ) He even asked me what Hotel I was going to saty in Nairobi. Well , it was not the case . I had to call a taxi to take me to my Hotel .!!! That was the end of my sympathy for this trip. Horrible planning !!! Does not need to be like that. A final thought . I guess it is expected for a trip to be downgraded in quality if a customer ticket is transferred from 1 company to the next several times. " too many middle man " getting their share . But on a positive note I have to say that in Kenya , things were much better , Maxwell was our guide and he was great .
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  Trip date: August 2019