OM
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Difficult to enter
I am unable to write a review of South Africa, its wildlife, or its landscapes due to the frustrating experience with the online eVisa system.
Our first application was rejected after nearly three weeks without any update on the website, despite being notified of a decision. It took several phone calls, emails, and text messages to receive the official verdict.
We are still waiting for a decision on our second application, two weeks after submission.
Our travel plans for July had to be rescheduled for August in the hope that the visa will be approved in time.
Having traveled to numerous countries, we find this process to be the most exasperating. While most countries have their peculiarities in documentation requests, requiring copies of our deceased parents' death certificates appeared unreasonable.
Other eVisas we've applied for were processed within hours or days, but this takes weeks.
JP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Disappointed
During my tour, okavanko river is dried up and no wild animals in this region.
I was really disappointed that situation even though tour company informed in advance.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Could have been a better experience
Itinerary not well structured. Too many hours and days lost driving from place to place on roads that can only be described as horrible.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Ni Refund for Booking
I have had a really bad experience with Ambula as did a friend of mine a few years back. I booked a trip in March for a trip to Victoria Falls at the end of June. At the beginning of if April I had to cancel the booking s I will be traveling overseas in business this is virtually 3 months in advance and I was told I would get a full refund and the it would take 4 to 6 weeks and could expect the refund the first week in May. It is now end of May and I still have not been paid my refund despite repeated requests.now my emails etc are being completely ignored. I just find this completely unacceptable. So I would never chose to use them again even though the prices are more reasonable than the bigger operators at least you would not get this experience with them
DO NOT TRUST THESE PEOPLE. They ripped me off TERRIBLY.
I previously wrote a review on this company for January 2015. IGNORE IT. please make your booking elsewhere. Unfortunately I discovered too late that these people ripped me off. They stole money from me which I could then not spend helping children from the poorest regions in Kenya. When they were caught out recently, they just denied everything and disappeared. I came to Kenya to set up my charity for abused children, which these people knew. They charged me what I now know to be extremely overpriced amounts for multiple driving services. Despite my best intentions for the poor children in Kenya, these people from this company still had the audacity to rip me off and steal from me. The amount they took from me has greatly deprived the little kids in my charity whose lives I am trying to save. I am ashamed that I trusted these people.
main camps ok nothing to write home about. Avoid Matombe at all costs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hardly any wildlife, mainly elephants, eland, Impala, zebra, giraffe etc
In our 3 nights we never saw ANY predators. I will skip this in future, totally not worth it! Weather good, roads wet and muddy, we got stuck 3 times in mud during drives.
Chobe National Park a Photographer's Paradise
Chobe National Park is a photographer's paradise. Whether you are on land or water, the photo opportunities are bountiful. I loved it----particularly the water cruise. Out on the water gave you a chance to appreciate and enjoy the beautiful sky and to relish the wonderful sense of space. I give two (2) thumbs up to Chobe, and if I had more thumbs, they would be up as well.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Beautiful contry lack of services, expensive, corrupted
Be prepared if you intend to go in Tanzania, in terms of services its very poor, and it has got the higher costs in between South Africa and Kenia safari whom are much more organized affordable, better food, better transportation.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
3 day safari that really only added up to 1 day - promised refund never came!
I booked a 3 day safari to Amboseli with Karibu Safaris. I was told I would be joining a group on their way through from the Masaai Mara and be picked up at 12.00 midday. I was not picked up until 3.30, meaning that the game drive scheduled for that afternoon did not happen as we were travelling til 9.00 that night, and eating dinner almost at 10.00. I was also promised free water and a visit to a Massai village - neither happened. The group I joined had been told they would all get a window seat in the van - my arrival meant that there were 3 in a row on our seat, and we couldn't all stand up at once to do the game viewing when we finally got out into the park for a day. It was a good day, very average lunch, accommodation VERY basic, stinking toilets, 20 mins to get hot water etc The next day after a 2 hour game drive we had to drive to the Kenya / Tanzania border to drop off some of the group. This meant me sitting in the van for 2 hours in various carparks waiting for them to be sorted over the border. Not my problem, not what I paid for. So 3 days was two days driving and the equivalent of 1 day game viewing. Arrived back into Nairobi at 2.00pm - nothing like a full day there either. I asked for a refund, was told that I would be given $50 refund, I said $60 given the free water had not eventuated either, and so was told I would get $60. I sent account details, was told that it had gone to accounts, and now - typically - am not getting any replies to my enquiries. The trip was also run by Bigtime safaris, a totally different company I was just thrown onto. I have been travelling through Africa for 15 years and this was the most disappointing trip - lied to, oversold, bored sitting waiting in carparks while others had their trip sorted out and I couldn't get mine sorted, and then to be promised in various emails a refund only to have that fall by the wayside too. DO NOT GO WITH KARIBU!
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Nice place, the worst services in whole Africa safari regions
Terrible experience with the Safari company MAKINI company, Tanzanians asking for a lots of money with very poor services, much better the safaries in South Africa or Kenia. Parks are managed by the Government and if you sleep in the Camps its own your risk, animals in between the tends, most of the time not water in the public toilettes...dirties etc. Food prepared by Cookers in a vey lack of hygene conditions, roads are terrible, but Tanzanian Gov, gets 45,00 Usd for each tourist going in the parks.
I don't know if you see the above mentioned comments cause I tend to think this site its manipulated