Hi,
Tanzania is great ... but some tour operators are of poor performance.
Beginning 2007, we decided to make a tour including Kilimandjaro climbing and a safari in Manyara Park.
Even if we have been travelling & living abroad for many years, we have been trapped in a messy organization that impacted badly our vacations.
At that time, we had contacted Akaro Tours, that is in the list of registered tour operator agencies ... for the local organization of our trip that occurred end of October 2007.
When meeting the manager of Akaro tours, the so-called Martin Ibrahim Akaro, we understood that the organization had some financial problems when Martin told us that his business was still a "start-up company" that needed to grow up. When climbing the Kilimandjaro, it appeared that the organization of the team was of a very poor standard compared to the other standard organizations:
1. the tents were in a so bad shape that all our equipment were wet the very first day ... that is not ideal when one need to be on good shape for the preparation of the final climb at the D-day
2. the only first aid kit was ours ... and the guide had been sick two days prior to the final climbing
3. the guide did not climb up to the top of the mountain (Uhuru)
4. at the end of the trip, the guide asked us for 750 USD tips ... far beyond the normal standards (we were three only)
Something strange is that the guide did not mentioned the name of Akaro in the registration book at each camp, but Livingstone, the mother company, I presume.
... but it was only the beginning of the story ... since we experienced something unexpected during the stay by Manyara park.
Indeed, even if Martin had been 100% paid at the departure to the safari, it appeared that he did not paid the manager of the lodge.
Late in the night, this manager asked us to go out of his lodge ... and of course we argued several hours up to the night spent in the lodge.
We tried to contact Martin ... but it was impossible to get in touch with him. His wife answered and told us that we had to give some cash advance on behalf of his husband that would reimburse us at the airport. Of course, we did not paid twice.
In morning time, the manager of the lodge closed the doors of the lodge where we were trapped up to noon. In the meantime, the police had been called and caught Martin that sent someone to pay the lodge company. Of course, Martin did not apologize and did not go to the airport to meet us.
The Tanzanian landscape was great and the experience too.
But, we could hardly recommend Akaro organization to friends ...
Incredible Tanzania !