Foreign tourists in Kenya have exposed a scheme where unlicensed guides allegedly misled them to private ranches instead of designated national parks, undermining their safari experiences.
A British tourist, Joshua Gibbons, described how his planned visit to Tsavo East National Park was rerouted to a private ranch. He provided photographic evidence showing the discrepancy between the expected destination and the actual location.
Gibbons told the Nairobi News that after a three-hour drive from Mombasa, he noticed the location did not match Tsavo East on his phone's map. Despite other tourists believing they were in the national park, his partner contacted her uncle to verify the site, confirming it was a private ranch.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officials intervened, offering a partial refund of 7,000 shillings. The agency deducted 5,000 shillings for the guide's fee and 5,500 shillings for fuel, according to Gibbons.
Spot Kenya Safaris, the tour company linked to the guide, denied prior knowledge of the incident. Manager Emmanuel stated the guide had not informed him of the trip, though the guide later claimed the matter was resolved to both parties' satisfaction.
