And what can you do to make sure you get the best out of your Tanzania adventure? Andrea Vadalá from Catania, Italy, recounts her recent expedition in Tanzania, a safari that turned bittersweet.
Through her ordeal, she learnt a valuable lesson. Tanzania is a great destination but be careful of the tour agency you choose to take you there. Tanzania, especially Zanzibar Island, is an attractive holiday destination for many Italians who favour spending time on the beach.
Furthermore, the availability of direct flights from Italy to the island only add to the advantage. Andrea had a few snorkeling trips, and for four days, they enjoyed the beaches in Zanzibar, after which they headed to the mainland.
That's where the problems began. After landing in Arusha, they had to wait for one hour for the chauffeur who had promised to be at the airport at 9:00 AM but showed up at 10:00 AM.
Things went downhill from there on. The original plan was to visit the Serengeti and watch the great migration. Unfortunately, that didn't happen; the tour company that had planned their itinerary didn't live up to their expectations.
When contacted, the tour operator said that, because Andrea had booked a joining safari, the main problem was that they had to collect tourists from their accommodations, join them together, and then start the journey together. And that takes time, depending on the distance between accommodations.
Originally, they had planned to stay for two and a half days in the Serengeti. Instead, they ended up spending just one day in central Serengeti and a few hours in the northern part of the National Park.
“The problem is what we were sold isn't what we were delivered,” she claimed.
The complication began when they joined a group tour. They met five other tourists, making a group of seven individuals, each with different desires for the safari.
Group tourism offers better rates for tourists on safaris, but one has to compromise personal wants for the sake of others.
“We were with five other people, and their programme was to stay in central Serengeti that night. So when we arrived in Northern Serengeti at around midday. After just two hours, the driver wanted us to turn back and head to the hotel; we didn't even catch the great migration,” she lamented.
When The Citizen reached out to the tour operator, he explained that the drive takes hours, thus the need to start the journey back early. “When you pay, it's normal to have full-day activities." Andrea hit back. “I told the driver to find another car, another group to join, but they didn't find anyone.
So, we were forced to return to central Serengeti,” she added. To make matters worse, the two wine bottles that were promised as part of the package were never handed to them, though the tour agency said he delivered two wine bottles and a carton of beer, which he suspects Andrea and her partner might have forgotten in the car that picked them up from the airport.
It was not all an unpleasant experience. She had a chance to visit an orphanage in Arusha and spent time playing with the kids and giving them necessary supplies, as well as books and pencils that they needed for school. She said that was the highlight of her journey to Tanzania.
Though she did not see the great migration, she saw the smiles of these kids. “We wanted to do something different, make a small difference, so we went to Matonyok Orphanage,” she said. There they danced, sang, and taught the children. They spent two days at the orphanage, which Andrea calls the best two days of the whole journey.
They eventually left the mainland and went to Zanzibar, and flew back to Italy. She said the tour operator refunded her just $100 dollars each. A far cry from the $1,600 they each paid for the trip.
She advises tourists to thoroughly check the tour company's online presence by googling them, but most importantly, to check former clients' reviews of their experience, making sure they're genuine and not manufactured.
She said you can even contact people who have travelled with the tour operator in the past and ask them about it.
If you're willing to spend your hard-earned money, it's okay to do your due diligence for peace of mind and to make sure your safari experience is everything you dream of.
Andrea took her grievances to Facebook and narrated her ordeal. She received mixed reactions, with some saying that the amount of 1,600 dollars she paid for the trip was not nearly enough to cover the full expenses for the safari.
Others consoled her for the experience she had. Some posted that they hope this doesn't ruin how she views Tanzania as a country and welcome her back for a better experience next time.
But as soon as she posted, the tour company sent her a direct message. “When I published the comment on the Facebook groups, the tour operator contacted me to ask me to delete these opinions,” she said.
Andrea took it to TripAdvisor to leave a review, but she couldn't find the company's profile, which she thinks might be blocked or that they have scrubbed their online presence.
Tanzania is among the best destinations to visit. Its national parks are teeming with all of Africa's big five, and the country has the largest population of lions in the world and the highest free-standing mountain on earth.
This is a safari enthusiast's dream destination. However, before you book a trip with any tour company, it would be wise to check that the company is licensed.
Before paying, ask for the operator's current tourism licence and verify the company name, licence number, and validity. Make sure the tour operator is a member of the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO), which provides additional credibility.
An unusually low price should be treated as a red flag. Ask if the full price includes park fees, accommodation, transport, transfer, or any other services, compare that to what other companies offer, and insist on getting the final price. Once you have chosen the tour agency, make sure the entire itinerary is agreed and written down. Avoid verbal agreements.
Make sure the tour operator will not sell your safari to a subcontractor. Whoever you pay should be on the ground and responsible for the actual safari.
This, among many other things, will help you avoid a disappointing safari, but most importantly, trust your instinct when some details do not add up, inconsistent prices, changing bank accounts when it's time to pay, or evasive answers.
That should be the time to walk away and choose a more reputable tour company.
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