Nkollo Tours & Safaris

Disappointing Experience with Nkollo Tours - Unfulfilled Promises and Poor Service

We had a deeply disappointing experience with Nkollo Tours during our private fly-in safari from Zanzibar to Selous, Tanzania. The communication was severely lacking, with multiple schedule changes not being communicated to us, resulting in significant delays and missed safari time. Our flight was rescheduled without prior notice, causing us to miss 2 hours of our first day’s safari. We only became aware of the rescheduling when we arrived at the airport, prepared to board our flight at 06:00, and were handed new tickets. Moreover, the flight we were placed on included a stopover, contrary to the direct flight that was promised to us. As a result, instead of arriving in Selous at 06:50 as initially planned, we did not reach our destination until 08:15. After contacting Nkollo Tours about this delay, we were promised compensation through extended safari hours, but this was not honoured. In subsequent correspondence regarding the flight rescheduling, they asserted that they are not responsible for the issue and advised us to contact the airline directly. However, it is standard practice that when a flight is rescheduled, passengers are rebooked on a comparable flight, not one that includes a stopover and is significantly less expensive. The second day was equally unsatisfactory. Our safari, originally scheduled to start at 07:00, was delayed by two hours without any communication, forcing us to wake up unnecessarily early (again!). The driver then proceeded to rush through the park at high speeds (60-80 km/hour), despite being informed of my mother’s back pain. This reckless driving led to a broken phone, a broken camera lens and injuries to my back and hip. We passed the elephants twice this day, yet the driver refused to stop for them, citing the need to be on time for lunch. Because the safari tour started two hours late, and the full itinerary was still followed, the driver maintained high speeds, which made it impossible for us to capture decent photos or to enjoy the safari experience properly. Lastly, if the driver did stop for us to look at the animals, a huge cloud of sand came up because he had to brake so hard for the car to stop. In subsequent correspondence, they claim that driving at such speeds would have caused the vehicle to break down. However, as someone who frequently drives, I observed that they were indeed driving at significantly high speeds, certainly not the 30 km/hour limit that is required within the park. They also claim they are not liable for any damages suffered, but I feel this is unjust, as these damages would not have occurred had they adhered to the appropriate speed limits. On the final day, our scheduled walking safari was also delayed, with no timely notice, leading us to cancel it altogether. We had asked the tour operator the day before if the start time could be pushed to 08:00, but were informed that if starting at this time, we would not be able to see any animals. We were therefore advised to begin at either 06:00 or 07:00. We agreed to a 07:00 start, but upon arriving in the dining room, we were informed by one of the employees of the lodge that our tour guide had notified them at 00:00 the evening before that our tour will start at 08:00. Given that we had to wake up 05:30, we were already in bed by this time, unaware of the change in schedule. Given the previous warning about the likelihood of not seeing animals, we cancelled the walking safari altogether. Although we received a $100 compensation for this, we were still extremely disappointed with the overall experience we had with Nkollo Tours. Additionally, the lodge’s pool was out of service, and we were not informed of this in advance, which diminished the value of our stay further. In conclusion, the experience was severely impacted by poor communication, lack of professionalism, and failure to deliver the promised service. We are seeking compensation for the missed safari hours, damaged property, and the subpar experience, but Nkollo Tours insists that the cost of the tour has increased, and therefore refuses to refund any portion of our payment, despite the numerous delays and damages we endured. The second day, they even bought us two bottles of liquor, which we interpreted as acknowledgement of their mistakes. However, they are now citing this gesture as a reason for refusing to refund any portion of our payment. We strongly advise other travellers to be cautious when considering Nkollo Tours for a private safari.

Celine Serry

A well-prepared and knowledgeable tour guide with an excellent driver

We took part in a tour where our tour guide was like as David Attenborough from the BBC channel in personality. He was at home in all areas, even on the night safari he told us the zodiac signs and showed us the stars of the southern hemisphere. We have been in contact with him ever since, because a good friendship developed between us.

Jager Viktor

Perfectly organized family vacation by Nkollo tours

Our family adventure with Nkollo Tours was absolutely magnificent, from our initial inquiry to the day we bid farewell to Africa! Months before embarking on our dream family vacation, I reached out to Nkollo Tours. Each message was attentively handled by Allan and Cathe, who proved to be incredibly helpful, gracious, and professional throughout the entire process. They organized the finest possible trip with the information provided before our arrival. They even assisted us with essential preparations such as flights and transfers to Zanzibar. Upon arrival, we were briefed on concerns about transportation, lodging, and dining all expertly managed by their team. Their commitment surpassed our expectations, ensuring our family vacation was a success. Our journey led us through the best destinations including Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara, the Serengeti, and the Ngorongoro Crater. The accommodations were superb, and the cuisine was exquisite. Jefta our guide, was exceptional providing safety, knowledge, humour, and friendly to our kids throughout our journey. He ensured we not only encountered all the animals on our wishlist but also stumbled upon many delightful surprises along the way. From majestic lions to leopards and cheetahs, we marvelled at the wonders of the Big 5 multiple times. We were fortunate to witness large lion pride with their playful cubs and even saw several rare Black Rhinos in the Ngorongoro Crater. Additionally, our cultural excursion to Lake Eyasi provided an enriching and unforgettable experience. In summary, our family vacation with Nkollo Tours surpassed all expectations, and every penny was well worth it.

Ramon Gilles

Great team, incredible adventure.

Our 3-Day Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Manyara was amazing, a life- changing experience. Tanzania is magical, with great parks to vizit numerous wildlife. We saw: lions, elephant, zebras, giraffe, buffalos, wildebeest, hippos, a lot of beautiful birds. Our safari guide was extraordinary, he knew so much about the local wildlife and had some fascinating stories. I recommend Nkollo Tours & Safaris, for a fascinating adventure.

Florina Popovici

Great experience

We had a 4 days safari tour. It included the Tarangire, Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. The booking was easy and you can easily do changes before the tour. Our tour guide Emma was very kind. He showed us everything and if we saw something no matter it was, we stopped and had time to look around. We had together a good communication and he gave us the opportunities to make small changes every day about time or things we wanted to see. He was as well very punctual. We not. So, he waited a lot because of us. Everything was overall well organised. The food, the hotel and the camping ground were every day excellent. We can definitely recommend to book a safari tour here especially with Emma. He was a great guide.

Lars