Tanzania Specialist
- Located In:
-
Netherlands
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 2005)
- Member Of:
- SGR, Calamiteitenfonds & ANVR
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $4,975 to $9,950 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
FR
Email Dan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
$2,000 charged for services NEVER provided
I strongly advise against booking with this agency due to a major breach of contract and dishonest dispute management.
The Dispute: We paid a $2,000 supplement for a specific Kilimanjaro extension (Horombo Hut). This service was never provided. We were kept on the basic 1-day itinerary, simply spread over two days, and never reached the promised altitude or refuge.
Bad Faith: Although the agency admitted in writing to an "editorial error" in their program, they refuse to refund the overcharged amount. They only offered a derisory $400 compensation (20% of the cost), which is unacceptable for a service that was simply not delivered.
Customer Service: Management refuses to take responsibility for their billing errors. Keeping $1,600 for a service that did not exist is not a "gesture of goodwill," it is an unjustified enrichment.
Email Jack Ryan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
£16,000 Honeymoon LOST
I am writing this review to warn future customers, especially those booking significant life events like a honeymoon, about our experience with Tanzania Specialist. We didn't even get to go on our honeymoon and lost everything.
We booked a £15937.46 honeymoon package through this company. When unforeseen circumstances forced us to request a postponement well in advance of our travel dates, we contacted them immediately.
The initial agent told us they would "look into it" and mentioned there "may be some costs," which we accepted. However, after weeks of back-and-forth, the company ultimately refused to move the dates after we had already made plans not to go and charged us the entire cost of the honeymoon with not even a 'sorry'. They just said its in the terms and conditions.
Our primary issue is this: at the time of our initial request, the agent did not inform us that moving the honeymoon was impossible under these ts&cs. Had we been clearly told this crucial information at the time, we would have made every effort to go on our honeymoon as planned. Instead, we were given false hope, which led to us losing the entire £15937.46.
We believe this is a severe failure in customer communication and a deeply unfair practice. We are now pursuing action through the courts to try and get money back but it is looking unlikely, Tanzania Specialist basically said, 'Our lawyers are better than yours'....complete bullies.
As I said before, we never got to go on our once in a lifetime trip after saving for years. We put our trust in this company and we got nothing for it so please be warned. Book somewhere else, your money/experience will be safer.
If anyone needs proof of emails or clarification, get in touch with me.
BE
Email Jan Sluyts | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very disappointing - we had to cancel due to medical urgencynand received NO help at all !
We booked on short notice but had to cancel due to medical emergency.the day after we transfered the money. So they had not had make any cost yet. They hid behind their general conditions to do nothing. Flights were booked by their organisation so they had to negotiate and rebook with airline - no initiative; no compensation. Disappointing and very costly’
NZ
Email Sam | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Overall fair satisfaction
We were not advised to avoid online visa application..that was costly!!
Few misguided information as to what expected to see at the safari games and the standard of the lodges! Some were excellent and some were very poor with no hot water to shower in the morning!
Our Guide was lazy overweight and more on his mobile than guiding us ...with the operator instruction to Tip him 10 usd daily ..not good !
Overcharged for luggage extra weights at domestic flight from Arusha to zanzibar..
However after all ..very good holiday with lovely Tanzanian people.
DE
Email Emanuel L | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great tour, but there is room for improvement.
Hi,
we had a wonderful hike on the Marangu Route / Kilimandscharo. The planning, communication and overall process before the trip has been great, tour price reasonable. Onsite everything has worked as planned, everybody reliable and on time and we felt in good hands. The guides have been very friendly, knowledable, adapated the tour to our speed & wishes and the food has been good. (as higher you get as less it does taste, haven't known this before) We didn't make it fully to the peak due to elevation level but still we had a wonderful once in a lifetime trip!
On the downside of things our support group has been eleven(!) people (to get the two of us on the top?) and it has not been explained to us why we need so many people. This got clearer when it was time for the (not really mandatory) tipping round as everybody expected to receive something. We stayed a little under the 'recommended rates' and still gave 500$. This unfortunately left a negative impression on the professionality of Tansania specialist.
There is no reason not to book with Tansania Specialist, still it might make sense to compare with others as well and have a special attention on these type of details.
Email Teofilo | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A very well-organized travel full of lifetime memories.
The trip was planned four months in advance with good communication throughout. Everything ran as planned, with flights and transfers on time, and the accommodation matched what was presented. However, the resort options in Zanzibar were very limited, which led me to make a direct booking.
A good selection of activity options was offered through the app to complement the itinerary. The guide/driver was professional and experienced, providing excellent game drives.
As a suggestion for improvement, a more thorough check of the vehicle allocated to the trip is recommended.
CA
Email Ken and Tilly | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tanzania Specialist has a fantastic safari package that worked well for us.
We had a fantastic safari with Tanzania Specialist. Our driver/guide Tino was a great driver and always punctual. He made sure we could see as many animals as possible on our drives. He was very knowledgeable about the animals, the parks, the plants and the topography. He was very patient when we wanted to move ahead a little for a better photo or stop to take more photos of flowers. He knew the trails in the parks like the back of his hand and how to get to the best viewing locations. He communicated with other guides to find out where the animals were so we could go there right away and see them ourselves. I appreciated that Tino took care of jeep mechanical problems when they happened as best as he could considering we were in the middle of the Serengeti National Park.
The office staff were not as attentive to some details as they could have been and that is why I gave a 4 star rating.
All in all a great safari!
Very professionel Team, communication via WhatsApp worked really well, quick response
Almost everything worked really well. The lodges were fantastic so was the staff. Service and food delicious, the guides are great , most bilingual, so language never an issue. Cars are huge and in good condition. The safari itself was beyond our expectations. Beautiful scenery, nature spots and we saw all kind of animals incl big five.
CL
Email Bernardita | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good organization
On the mainland it's Safari was amazing well organized very professional guide. hotels according to expectations. totally recommended.
Just a small comment. Our guide's Spanish was at an intermediate level, which made more fluid communication a little difficult. We recommend improving it.
Without a doubt, the company's specialty is safaris on the continent since our hotel reservation experience was not the same in Zanzibar where we had to change hotels on our own, which is why we did not score with excellence.
(automatic translation from Spanish)
DE
Email Patricia | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best guide ever
beautiful country, good, clean lodges, our German-speaking guide Toni was extremely knowledgeable, very reliable and a very, very safe driver