Tanzania Adventure - Be careful selecting tour agencies
Dec 22 '05
The Bottom Line Tanzania is a wonderful country, but be careful to selecting your tour operator!
Please beware of Tanzania 2000 Adventure, also known as Tanzania Adventure. You can find them on the web at www.tanzania-adventure.com.
My wife and I used this operator for our honeymoon in September 2005. Their official name is Tanzania 2000 Adventure. WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!!
They are actually a very young company; most locals mentioned to me that it would have been much safer going with a more established company like the other ones listed in Lonely Planet or other travel guides. While the established companies may have less pizazz in their websites, their prices are similiar to Tanzania Adventure.
We climbed Kili, did a safari, and then went to Zanzibar over the course of two weeks. The troubles started once we arrived. First, we had confirmed an itinerary of 1) Kili, 2) Safari, 3) Zanzibar. We were shocked when we arrived that the company had switched our itinerary around such that we were going on safari first and then Kili second. We were notified after we had arrived.
For the most part, the safari was quite nice, except that they did not book us in the luxury camping that we had requested and they had confirmed via email. When you email, you speak solely to Ronny Bender; however, in Arusha, you discover that you will liase solely with Gibson Meiseyeki, his partner. Ronny doesn't live in Arusha (the base for most safaris and Kili climbs). Instead, they booked us in a "camping" safari, which is really camping in tents -- this is very different from a "luxury camping" safari in both product and price. We only discovered this discrepancy after we insisted that we go over every remaining itinerary, after the initial safari / Kili mixup. Upon discovery, we immediately asked that Gibson rectify the situation and book us as we had agreed with Ronny. At this point, it was late at night, and he said that since we were leaving for our safari early the next morning, there wasn't much he could do. He would try, however. He also tried to charge us an additional fee; however, we protested, and he agreed to try anyway without the fee (After we came back from safari, he asked for it again, saying "I thought we agreed to this earlier, no?" We responded with an adamant, "No." We argued for quite a while -- my wife is an attorney -- to get this point across).
Gibson did manage to book us in a nice lodge for one evening. The other evenings we stayed for two nights in a basic lodge and one night in a run-down tented camp. We were the only customers at the tented camp, and I believe there were probably in excess of 10 rooms there. Needless to say, other than the night at the nice lodge (Ngorogoro Farm House), we did not feel we received the accomodations we paid for.
I will say, however, that the saving grace of the safari was our guide, Peter Moshi. He was friendly and very knoweledgable. He was formerly with Abercrombie and Kent, a very reputable firm. We saw many anmials; however, unfortunately, we were unable to find any cheetahs or leopards. One other guide we talked to was shocked that we didn't see any cheetahs; he said they were all over the place.
When we returned to Arusha, we were all in all, pretty satisfied with our safari experience. Peter made it very informative and interesting.
However, upon arrival, as mentioned earlier, we spent another two or three hours "negotiating" with Gibson for arrangements we previously paid for and agreed to. We asked to be moved to a hotel with a hot shower and finally I agreed to give him $80 USD additional to cover the "new charges". We were moved from the Oasis Lodge to the New Arusha Hotel. Although I knew that the New Arusha Hotel probably didn't cost more than $80 a night, I gave in because I didn't want us to have any trouble with Gibson, considering he was still responsible for our Kili climb and Zanzibar trip.
Also during our conversation with Gibson at the hotel, we expressed concern about climbing Kili in the short time we allowed (4 days up; one day down). He kept telling us that it would be no problem -- "hakuna matata." The guide sitting next to him kept telling us that it could possibly be very difficult and that we should add a day, but Gibson kept overriding him. He was giving our guide some nasty looks, and finally Gabriel the guide stopped talking.
My wife didn't make it up because she was unable to acclimatise in such a short period. I would suggest you budget 5 days up and 1 day down, for a total of 6 days.
Well, we proceeded to climb Kili the next day. I discovered that Tanzania Adventure did not employ our guide; they contract him out. He was an independent. Also, Gibson hired 6 porters, a cook, and a guide instead of what we were originally sold: 4 porters, an assistant guide (cook), and a guide. Gabriel told me that Gibson hired additional porters that were Gibson's relatives, so he could help them earn an extra buck. Excluding our food, my wife and I brought less than 20lbs of gear each (a single porter can easily carry this).
Our guide was TERRIBLE. He consistently walked 50 yards ahead of us. My wife was throwing up and he suggested that we push ahead. Finally, near Kibo, we told him that she could not continue on. She would be throwing up, and he would be checking his cell phone while sitting on a rock.
About 25 mins walk from Kibo Hut, Gabriel goes off to get the rescue team. I sit with my wife waiting for them to get there, but she is still throwing up. We decide to start slowly walking down. An hour later, still no one. We continue walking down the saddle because it is starting to get dark. Finally, I had decided that I would carry her back to Horombo Hut myself, and I had given up on the rescue team ever coming.
Two hours after leaving us, Gabriel arrives with the rescue team. The rescue ranger immediately asks us, "How did this happen? Did you not listen to your guide?" We told him that we did exactly what our guide asked us to do, and that it was us who finally made the decision that we should go back down. Gabriel all the while is talking rapidly in Swahili to the ranger, explaining his case.
When I asked Gabriel why it took them so long, he told me that the rescue rangers are lazy, and that all they do is sit up there and drink. I couldn't believe it. At the very least, he was responsible for making sure that someone else came down. After all, we had a team of 6 porters and a cook up at Kibo hut; he should have at least asked one of them to come down to make sure we were ok.
My wife was in such bad shape that she could no longer walk. They carted her down on a stretcher. The rescue ranger was pretty angry with Gabriel, so he asked him to carry part of the stretcher. That was enough to tell me that the ranger felt Gabriel was at fault.
Upon arrival to Horombo, the other rangers quickly attended to my wife. I have to say, the Kili rangers are very professional and knowledgeable. I have much respect for them.
Gabriel then asked me to tip the rangers; I'm not sure if that was his way of protecting himself from a negative report or not. Nonetheless, I gladly tipped them.
That evening, I called Ronny to explain to him our nightmare of a trip so far. I was very worried about my wife and was asking him what we should do for her. He said that her case was only the second time someone using Tanzania Adventure had been carted down. I also asked what we should do about the remainder of the climb. I mentioned the gross negligence of the guide and asked if he could make some arrangements for us given the circumstances. He was very reluctant to make any additional arrangements. I felt that he should try to at least give us some alternatives. He asked me to call Gibson, and Gibson kept saying that he had to talk to Ronny. We argued for a minute or so, and he said, "I am in Pemba! What do you want me to do?!". That was the last time I spoke to Ronny.
After much deliberation, we decided that I would continue back up and that my wife would go down to rest. She ended up paying for her own one day safari, since Ronny and Gibson would not provide any kind of activities for her without a large fee. Gibson told her something along the lines of that he could sell her a one day safari at a loss. When my wife checked around, she discovered that she could book her own for much cheaper. She ended up going with a fellow who was doing elephant research in Tarangirie; she raved about how great he was.
I continued the climb with Gabriel. Gibson told me that he would find me another guide, but never did. I didn't have much trust for Gabriel after what happened the two days prior. In any case, we continued up, and this time, Gabriel was walking over 100 yards ahead of me (later I discovered that guides are never to be more than 10 yards away from their clients). I took many pictures of how far away he was as proof. I was in disbelief.
I climbed Kili without any problem. I verified that the point where Gabriel left my wife and me was really only 25 mins walk away from Kibo and the rescue rangers. I could have made it by walking fast in about 15 mins. On the way down it took me 10 mins.
We skipped the rest day and went from top all the way to the gate. Gabriel didn't want to do it, but I was insistent, since we had a flight to Zanzibar the next morning. I wasn't sure that Gibson would change anything for us, or book us an extra night in Arusha if I didn't make it down.
I called Gibson and asked him to arrange for transportation from the Kili gate back to Arusha. He said it would be no problem and that Gabriel would arrange it. Melissa kept calling Gibson to make sure there would be a car there. She insisted that he arrange for one to be there in case there were none standing by at the gate when I got down the mountain. He replied to her by saying, "Look, I know Africa; you don't. There will be cars there." She told me this over the phone.
By the time we got out of the gate, it was late and there were no cars available. No cars were willing to take us to Arusha because they said it was dangerous to drive at night. After waiting for an hour or so, we ended up taking a ranger's truck to a bar / hotel type of place. We waited for an hour or so there as well before they found a car willing to take us to Arusha. Originally, they asked me to just stay at the hotel, but I refused. Finally, I arrived back to the Arusha hotel at about 3:30am.
The next day, my wife and I went to the Tourism office in Arusha to report Gibson and Tanzania Adventure. The gentleman there said that it was a new company, but he had heard about Gibson before. Then we flew to Zanzibar, where we stayed at the Sultan Palace. We did not have to rely any more on Tanzania Adventure, Ronny, or Gibson. I thought Ronny might contact us to apologize and make sure we were ok once we got to Zanzibar (he lives there), but we never heard from him. In any case, we had a great time on Zanzibar!
Tanzania is a wonderful country! Despite the poor service from Tanzania Adventure, it was one of my most memorable vacations! If I do it again, I will definitely find a more reputable company to arrange my travels.
I hope this is helpful.
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