ROAR AFRICA - Luxury African Safaris — Local services in Miami Beach

LUXURY WITHOUT ACCESSIBILITY; a disappointing experience with ROAR Africa

I was looking forward to using a woman-owned company. During our initial planning call, we clarified that we would be traveling with a handicapped member of our family. We discussed accommodations ad nauseum prior to the trip to ensure everything went smoothly. Despite all of this, there were so many miscommunications and disappointments.

The first thing that went wrong was our transportation. We had specifically requested that the member of our family could not travel in an SUV because she is not ambulatory enough to step up into it. Nearly every time we had a car service pick us up, they brought an SUV without an accessibility step. We wasted several mornings having to wait for a new driver to show up with a car. When it came to traveling by plane, there was also limited accessibility. Our family member was not provided the right kind of access to get in or out, and she was very hurt and self-conscious.

When it came to our guides, we did not feel like we could trust them. Our guide in Cape Town had recommended we buy tanzanite from his friend, but we did not feel confident that he was telling the truth. I had hiked with him and he spent a lot of the time on his phone, which made the hike feel less authentic. Although Matetsi in Zimbabwe was not anything like Londolozi in South Africa, our guide there, Pasquale, was the kind of guide I am used to. Incredibly knowledgeable and I learned a lot from him. Part of traveling is getting an education that doesn’t exist through a book and he was that kind of guide.

In terms of food and drink, a restaurant that ROAR Africa recommended ripped us off. The server had insisted we needed to pay cash. We found out later that he had overcharged us and it was very disconcerting. We had also put in requests with ROAR Africa for certain food and drink in the safari camps. The first camp supplied everything we requested; however, the second camp had no record of our requests.

Another note on lack of handicapped accessibility, we had been told (and I even have confirmation in writing) that the “lodge has no stairs.” However, there were indeed steps that made it very difficult for our family member to get around.

We feel as if ROAR Africa was not transparent with us about the safety of the cities we were traveling in. They do not prepare you to understand how dangerous the cities are and that you cannot go out exploring alone.

All this said, we decided to cancel the last part of our trip in Botswana, the part we had been most excited for. I just could not trust that ROAR Africa would do what they were supposed to do. It had been exhausting to try and rectify the communication issues throughout.

When we returned home, Roar Africa worked with us to get a refund from the canceled leg of the trip. Lee sent me all of the paperwork immediately and we were reimbursed in full through the insurance. Although I regret using ROAR Africa, they do have some wonderful employees, especially Gena.

The actual safari was the highlight of the trip. But it is important for people to understand when traveling, you should do your own research, prepare yourself the best way you can, and if you use a company like ROAR Africa, you need to advocate for your needs especially when things go awry. ROAR Africa did not measure up to our expectations. I admit I am used to luxury travel and have never had to check and recheck my travel agent but in this case I should have.

In the end, I question how ethical the company is and if money is the primary motivation and not customer satisfaction.

Last thing is the VAT. VAT in South Africa is the most complicated VAT I’ve ever experienced. Specific receipts and paperwork has to be done. I wish someone had gone over this with me. It’s a time consuming process and receipts have to be very specific. Please research and understand their process to avoid...

Our dream trip to the Elewana Serengeti Migration Camp and Angama Mara exceeded our expectations! I traveled with my two daughters, Kim Kleinpeter and Kara Synkula and a good friend, Martha Brabston. In Nairobi the Elephant and Giraffe Sanctuaries were heart-warming, and we enjoyed seeing Karen Blixen's house. I adopted a precious elephant called Latika. Hearing her story made it an easy decision to reach out and help with her care. Hemingways Eden was enchanting and dinner that night was exceptional. Thank you, Lisa for the wine and well wishes for our stay. It was a night full of stars and carefully placed fairy lights blinked around the lake creating a magical setting. Stephen and other staff working with Roar guided us through the challenges of flying to Tanzania and getting through the Tanzania & Kenya customs. It was exciting to finally get to the Elewana Serengeti Migration Camp which is a beautiful location on the Grumeti River. At night we could hear hippo's making laughing sounds, and one night we took a short detour to our tents when the "Old Generals" got a bit too close. We adored our safari guide, Sirili who was very interesting, knowledgeable and passionate about the animals and his home. On our first afternoon at Elewana, Sirili found a leopard in a tree with a fresh leopard kill. We were thrilled! He said that it is rare to see leopards because they are very shy. My favorite time with Sirili were two picnics near a lake when the migration split on either side of us. Our tents were lovely and had gorgeous views of the Serengeti landscape. One night we dined under the stars with candlelight and mosquitos were never a problem. For our last night, Bweed prepared a special dinner just for us, and all of the staff sang the Jambo Bwana song. The tune still lingers with me today as a reminder of my out-of-this-world experience in Africa. Our new camp at Angama Mara was a dream come true and exceeded our expectations. Sammy was our friend and guide for our stay, and he had a great laugh. We took bush walks with our Maasai friend Patrick and learned how the local plants can be used for healing. Our Shamba was prepared in the garden, and the food and the view were amazing. Our tents were gorgeous with floor to ceiling glass windows, and a million dollar view of the Maasai Mara! We could see the Out-of-Africa picnic area from our balcony. At an elevation of 1,800+ feet up, we could enjoy the panoramic views from our rooms, and the walk-in shower was pure luxury! We also soared above the treetops in a hot air balloon to see the expansive Mara and many incredible animals. From high above the Mara, we could see a lion with a fresh cape buffalo kill. The ride was both thrilling and exhilarating! We danced with the Maasai, had our photographer Sam accompany Sammy and our group on a morning photographic safari and had a champagne breakfast under a tree large enough to be the "tree-of-life". That evening, we dressed up for an Out-of-Africa Sundowner that was so much fun. Bonaface, our waiter who we affectionately called Boni, prepared some tasty snacks, and we had champagne toasts. Sammy, our guide; Sam, our photographer; Patrick, our Maasai friend; guards and other staff were there to make it a memorable occasion. We are grateful to the manager, George for bringing medical staff to treat Kara and I for a sinus infection. The doctor was affiliated with a foundation that Angama Mara sponsors, and he gave us medicine at no charge. Both of us gave a gift to the foundation to show our gratitude. We may have gone to Africa to see animals and the beautiful landscape, but it's the people that won our hearts with their kindness and generous spirits. I am grateful to ROAR for making our dreams of seeing Africa come true. Wild about...

First and foremost, thank you, Merritt Howerton, and Roar for arranging an absolute wonderful trip/experience. This is one we will not forget. Your suggestions for length of stay and where to stay were spot on. The Roar representatives who met us at Jo-burg, Kasane, Maun and Cape Town airports really reduced any anxiety we had navigating from flight gate to flight gate and getting through passport checkpoints.

A big callout to our guides in Victory Falls and Cape Town. Andrew Makuyana, in Victory Falls, was absolutely wonderful and a delight to spend time with. His knowledge of the area, his country and the people gave us great insight into the history and present day conditions in and around Vic Falls. We were able to develop a good relationship during our short time together. He asked us if we would like to visit his property where he is building a home. His pride was so great that he was able to save his money in order to begin the construction. We exchanged emails and recently received an email with pictures of the progress being made on his house, what a wonderful individual.

Stephen Bell, in Cape Town, met us at the arrival gate on landing in Cape Town and was our hand holder for the few days we had in Cape Town. His knowledge of the area, where to go, and his ability to adapt to the changing weather conditions was terrific. When we arrived in Cape Town the weather had turned cold and rainy. It stayed that way through the first full day we were to visit the wine country, by bicycle no less. Obviously riding in torrential downpours was out of the question. Stephen made changes and we were able to see more of the wine country then if we would have biked. His knowledge of the towns and history was great fun learning. On Sunday the weather turned very pleasant and Stephen picked us up for an early morning visit to the Kirstenbosch Gardens; great way to begin the day. We then began to drive to the Cape of Good Hope. Stopping occasionally to view the scenery, the South African (jackass) penguins, on to the Cape of Good Hope and back the west side to Cape Town. Beautiful country and surprisingly more mountainous than we expected. We left Monday, for home, with his help getting us through Cape Town airport and the passport checkpoint. Terrific job.

The accommodations were beyond anything we expected. Ilala Lodge was a perfect location to explore Victoria Falls. The potential to see wildlife just outside our room made the beginning more fun. Not knowing what to expect once we entered the safari camps blew our minds when we experienced the camp tents, facilities, service, food, and the beautiful people operating the camps. We both agreed that staying at Hyena Pan and Skybed first was the best way. A little more rustic than our final camp, Xakanaxa. We wish to complement the staff at both camps for making our stay most memorable. It was great fun waking up each morning and seeing animal tracks, throughout the camp, from animals that passed through during the night.

Our tracker/guides were incredible, their knowledge and ability to find the animals was unbelievable. Their willingness to explain, to us, how to read the “jungle news” each morning was very interesting. At Hyena Pan and Skybed; we were told by other trackers that Bilipe was magical in his ability to track the animals. His story about his beginning as a tracker would raise the hair on the back of your neck for sure. Russell provided an experience at the ground level hide and our walking safari at Skybed. Butler was one guide/tracker we have exchanged emails since returning. Very passionate about Botswana and making a better life for his people; terrific individual. At Xakanaxa we were fortunate to have Harry (Harrison) for all...