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Main Boards => The Dark Continent => Topic started by: Ben Tiller on August 20, 2012, 03:19:00 PM
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Gents
I got back from my safari. It was the worst experience of my life. I will attach the e-mail I sent to the US rep. I am still awaiting a response 6 days later. I am also awaiting $7,200.00 in deposit money (10 days and counting).
Here is my e-mail to the US Agent. (Just FYI, 400 hectares is about 900 acres):
Jeff
I am back in the office, but I wanted to take a few minutes to fill you in on our trip. I have nothing positive to bring from this experience. From the moment we arrived, it was absolute chaos. Please note that I am speaking for myself and of my own experience, but suspect that my companions, on some level or another, will agree with what follows.
When we arrived at OR Tambo, we were met by Adele and her husband, Anton. Unfortunately, neither of them knew where we were headed. We got into the car, where we were told, "Welcome to SA, you are now a walking wallet." We drove out of town, and stopped at a truck stop for an hour as Anton tried to get ahold of Chico to figure out where to take us. Once he figured this out, we realized we would not be staying at Steyn's camp. Instead, we were to be carted off to the Limpopo, reportedly nine hours from where we thought we would be staying.
When we were were dropped off with Chico in Nystrom (sp?), he had clearly been drinking. On our way up, we stopped at a restaurant, because Chico did not know if there would be dinner at camp that night. Chico had another rum and coke. He drove us to Lephalale, where we met up with Sampi. Sampi had clearly been drinking, and still had a rum and coke in his hand when we arrived. We stood around for 1 hour. We don't know why. On the drive from Lephalale to Camp, Chico thought it would be funny to race Sampi, so he passed him at well over 120 KM an hour. When we hit the dirt roads, he thought it would be funny to make Sampi "eat his dust," so he sped, slowed down, sped, slowed down, sped, all the way to camp.
All in all, it took 9 hours to get from OR Tambo to camp.
When we arrived at camp, we were disappointed to say the least. Where were the luxury linens? Where was the pool (there was a pool, but you couldn't see the bottom for the muck)? Where was the internet access (which was essential to me, a traveling lawyer)?
Neither Sampi nor Chico had ever stayed at this camp. On numerous occasions both Sampi and Chico proclaimed they would never stay here again because it was so terrible. However, neither one considered our interests and attempted to remedy the situation. Here are a list of the problems with the camp:
1. Breakfast was served 4 times in 10 days. One of those days it consisted of yoghurt and granola. Another, there was not enough food for four people, let alone the seven who were there.
2. Lunches on 7 of the days consisted of white bread, margarine, and either one slice of tomato or one slice of bologna. There was a packet of crackers, a piece of fruit, and a juice box. On the other 3 days, we got either a cold hotdog, a cold sausage, or a cold hamburger.
3. We were allowed to eat game on 3 out of the 10 nights. It was very important to us to be able to eat African game. Despite shooting two impala, a kudu, a steenbok, a pig, and two gemsbok, we were fed game only thrice. One night we received gemsbok steaks, another we had warthog stew, and another we had impala stew. No one ever got to try kudu or steenbok.
4. Laundry was done twice in ten days. I don't believe soap was used.
5. Location, location, location. I drove nearly 1.5 hours every morning and evening to and from my hunting grounds. I drive far less to get to my hunting grounds when I'm not on a hunting vacation.
6. Our bedsheets were never replaced.
This was far different from the accommodations we had been looking forward to relaxing in. We expected:
"a beautiful main building where you can relax in the bar and lounge or unwind in our Jacuzzi and pool overlooking the spectacular views of the mountainous terrain. Private luxury suites lie hidden in the lush bushveld which makes for a perfectly tranquil, indulgent getaway particularly after a long day of hunting. First class lodging is air-conditioned en-suite and equipped with oversized baths, luxury linens, and all the comforts of home to make your stay as comfortable and memorable as possible. Each suite has its own private balcony offering sweeping views of the surrounding mountains. Additionally, as our guest you will enjoy daily laundry service, internet, cellular, and satellite television access during your stay."
With respect to food, we looked forward to the following:
"Our culinary chef prepared meals are of impeccable standard. Savor hearty bush breakfasts, midday feasts, and evening meals prepared to your liking with an African flavor and accompanied by a fine selection of famous South African wines, aperitifs, and local beers. Evening cuisine is served in the main lodge with amazing views of the African Bush, or in the Boma beside crackling fires, where guests may experience the sounds of the African night under starlit skies."
I was offerred wine on two occasions in 10 days, despite my questionnaire stating that I would like to drink regional wines and beers.
The Hunting Grounds
I hunted with a guy named Koos. He was a 3rd PH, apparently hired by Steyn because Chico and Sampi didn't know the area. He was a nice guy, and very understanding. He owns a cattle/kudu farm. It was rather large (approx. 1000 hectares), but the only animals on it were kudu with a smattering of impala and a few gemsbok. There were warthogs, steenbok, and duiker as well (since these critters can't be fenced). Unfortunately, the first kudu I ever saw were at a trough, next to a shed/blind, eating alfalfa. When we drove up, they looked at us (from 7 or 8 feet), and went back to feeding. Aside from the horns, it was impossible to distinguish the kudu from the cattle.
The other ranch I hunted was 400 hectares. During my conversations with you, I was informed that the smallest ranch we would hunt would be 7500 acres. The size of these ranches was a huge disappointment. I saw high fences numerous times during every day, not just upon our arrival.
The Guides
My guide (Koos) allowed me to spot and stalk. I shot a steenbok and a warthog. Chico and Sampi insisted that spot and stalk was "impossible" (a word I heard quite often), and refused to try it with the other guys. Although I never spent time in the blinds with Chico or Sampi, my companions report that their guides slept most of the day, and asked only to be awoken if something they wanted to shoot came in.
Chico and Sampi also decided to hunt during this trip. They spent two evenings in a blind hunting bush pigs. I feel this was inappropriate, but perhaps it is common in Africa for the hosts to abandon their guests to get some hunting of their own in.
When they were around the fire, most of the conversation was in Afrikaans, so we never really knew what they were talking about. They were quick to switch to English when talking about tips. One night Chico and Sampi went on and on about the crummy tips they have received in the past, and how they had threatened hunters to ensure that tips were paid on other occasions.
The Final Day
The form that was given to us when we purchased the hunt said "10 days of hunting for plains game species for each hunter." There is nothing that mentions this will include only 10 days of lodging. We booked our tickets in December. No one ever informed us that our last night of accommodations was not to be provided by our package. Our expectation that it would be provided was reasonable; how can you have 10 days of hunting if you must leave halfway through day 10? This misunderstanding was made worse by the fact that no one told us we were leaving on day 10 until 1 PM on that day. We got a phone call saying that we needed to be back by 3:00 so that we could pack and leave. That was the first I heard that we weren't leaving the following day. If we were to leave on day 10, why was our ride scheduled on day 11? Why didn't anyone ever ask us where we needed to be picked up? Why did no one ever suggest that we needed a place to stay on the last day?
I was astonished when Steyn attempted to charge us $400.00 per night to stay at an $80.00 per night bed and breakfast. The rationale was that we were "hunters," despite the fact that we were told our hunting was over at 1PM earlier that day. It was the false imprisonment later that day that fundamentally repulsed me. As we were trying to make arrangements, Steyn officials told Chico and Sampi that we were not to be allowed to leave the facility. We were also told that we were going to be charged $400.00 to stay at this facility we could not leave. Chico did a few hours of wrangling over the phone in Afrikaans, and eventually we all loaded in the truck and left. I rode with Sampi for 2.5 hours under cover of darkness to Chico's house.
This whole scenario could have been avoided had someone informed us that we were going to leave on day 10. We would have gotten a hotel (at a rate far less than $400.00 per night), and arranged our rides.
The Pre-Trip Communications
Prior to the trip, I sent numerous e-mails to Tracey at Steyn. She was unresponsive. I have attached the e-mail exchanges. One very important aspect of this trip for me was visiting Kruger National Park. I rented camera lenses and trekked with nearly $3,000.00 in equipment so I could take some memorable photos of Africa's animals. Instead, the only photo ops I got were of kudu over feeders. I chose not to take these photos, as I was embarrassed that this was what I had come to "hunt."
Our group's desire to make this trip to Krueger was no secret. I was greatly disappointed that I didn't get to go.
The Trip to the Airport
The Shuttle was 1.5 hours late picking us up. We spent that 1.5 hours standing in a Wimpy parking lot. When the shuttle finally arrived, we asked to be taken to a curio shop. We passed one, and they asked "like that one?" We said yes, acknowledging that a rural, roadside shop was what we were looking for. Instead, we drove all the way to OR Tambo without stopping. Once we were within sight of the terminal, the driver made a turn north, back to Pretoria, and we drove another 35 minutes to a giant, commercial gift shop.
When we got to the Airport, we were escorted to terminal A, which was where we were told our flight was departing. After waiting in line for 30 minutes, we were informed our flight departed from terminal B. We traversed the airport again, and waited another 30 minutes for checkin.
Conclusion
I can't express my disappointment in words. I will never return to Africa. I spent two years preparing for this trip, and was not provided with the benefit of my bargain. It was impossible to relax amid the dingy accommodations and massive disappointment. This isn't a comprehensive list of everything that went wrong. But now I must put it all behind me. I just thought you should know how we were treated on our safari.
Best
Ben
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:scared:
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Wow...that is brutal...id be hitting every hunting media out there with that information...
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hate to hear it.
lots of bad folks out there in the world
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Looking at their site the wording seems "shifty". They talk about the main lodge but then talk about being taken to "your hunting camp", inferring at least that it is a different location than the "main lodge".
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. Far too often when I see videos of people hunting in Africa it doesn't look too much like hunting. Sounds like your experience was similar. Again, very sorry to hear.
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Holy smokes that is no good. No good at all.
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When they say "farms" they mean "farms" I guess.
It was sorta crazy Ben, sorta crazy.
I was glad to get home and under a hot shower with water pressure LOL!
Perhaps moose season will be better...
My best,
Scotty
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Definitely a "hunt in h3ll".
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Sorry to hear it was a disappointment!!! I couldnt imagine spending all that time and Money to have a terrible trip :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
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They tend to "embellish" over there, but wow! This is bad. Glad yall are back in one piece
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Wow, sorry for the bad trip. Africa is my hunting goal for this decade of life. I would lose my mind if my trip turned out that way.
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Sorry to hear about your bad trip. I'm reading between the lines a bit and wondering if this is your first trip to a third world country? Things that we consider intolerable at a hotel at home are standard in a lot of the world, like poor water pressure in the shower, having a long drive to get to the destination etc. I take that stuff as part of the adventure and roll with it. Other things like not enough food, no wine with supper etc. should be able to be worked out with a quiet conversation with the host.
I suppose sometimes one really has to fight to be treated the way we should as clients. Did you check references? I know there are great operators out there looking for business we really should be giving those guys our money, not sending it to outfits like this.
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You are reading that which isn't there, Calgary Chef. This was not my first trip to a third world country. The camp I purchased a trip to is here:
http://steynsafaris.com/Lodge-Accommodations.html
It was supposed to be a 3-4 hour trip from the airport. Daily laundry service, hearty bush breakfasts, midday feasts, etc. The quiet conversations netted us nothing. The guides were complaining, too. This camp wasn't owned by the outfit, so they had no control.
Bottom line is, this was a $400.00 per day hunt. It may have been a third world country, but it was not sold as a third world retreat. References checked out fine, because they all stayed at the Steyn camp seen on the website.
Ben
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This is simply outrageous. Their website looks very impressive. Your unfortunate experience simply added more weights to recommendations from this site ie reports from members which ones are the go n ones that are no no...hope you will receive some form of compensation n relief of this terrible ordeal.
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I'm sorry your experience was terrible and this outfits’ performance is inexcusable... It does sound as if you at least got to hunt and were to some degree successful but this is one scary story..... Fortunately for me my experience was great but I talked to at least 20 people, and read many more reviews over a period of 5/6 years before my deposit hit the mail. I talked with my PH for the same period of time and asked many questions and gauged his demeanor and attitude from his responses. Being a man of limited means I needed to know who this man was and what to expect. I had no surprises at least of the negative kind.
Ben I'm very sorry as I know what it costs and the effort it takes to put a trip like this together only to have an experience like yours.
Research, research, and then research everyone.... Ben thanks for sharing and let it be a red flag for the rest of us!!!
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Really bad !
If one day you want to forget all this nasty trip and people and have dream trip, you can find here a lot of address from several of us tradgangers who went several times there with great time.
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The biggest problem was the lack of communication. I was pretty much in the dark the whole trip. Steyn was NOT geared to archers, trad archers in particular and it seems that even with ample warning, they sort of "punted" at the last moment when when we hit the ground in SA.
The saving grace for me was the time spent with my son and seeing lots of critters I had only seen pictures of. My son did take a very nice Kudu (his first big game with a bow of any sort) and followed up with Gemsbuck and Impalla. Fortunately, he shot up all my money and I did not have to fret over trophies and such 8*()
The place we stayed was NOT the SA Hilton for sure but it was better than the ol blue tarp I am used to ;*)
Try to ponder the good times Ben, the rest will go down in history as a bump in the learning curve ;*)
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I was wondering what there website looked like. Un real what a website developer can do. I scanned through it and they keep referencing the Main Lodge, which looks like a spa.
I just can't beleive they are that mis leading. It is very unfortunate. I see where your coming from Ben, as far as expectations accomodations, hunting conditions etc....
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So sorry you had a horrible trip, there are some really bad boot leg outfits out there, and you got the worst of it.
What contracts do you have for the trip?
Also please be sure to file a report with PHASA in South Africa.
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FILL OUT A REPORT TO THE PUBLICATION '' THE HUNTING REPORT'' THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT
ANDY
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Hello
I am a South African Outfitter and it disturbs me greatly when i hear stories to this effect about our industry.
Please could i ask you to send all this information to PHASA (www.phasa.co.za), OR SPEAK DIRECTLY to Adri Kitshoff at the above office. She is the chief executive officer and can be contacted on 0027126672048.
There are rouges in any industry but they need to be exsposed and dealt with, and this can only be done by the ofiliating organisations.
Thank you and we are sadened that this has happened. As we are proud of our country our continent and our industry.
Hamish Skead
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So sorry to hear about your hunt. There are great outfitters out there. I just got back from spiral horn outfitters and had a great experience. Definately contact phasa, they need to know about your experience.
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That sucks! If you can get past your totally justifiable feelings about how bad your experience was I would recomend giving Africa another try. It is a magical experience when you have a good trip.
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Hello Ben and other readers.I as a South African resident (born Rhodesian) am so embarresed right now after reading this report about the disgusting treatment you recieved in this country.I hang my head in shame.I hunt alot in SA using bow and rifle.This type of treatment is certainly criminal no matter where the customer comes from.I would not stand for it either.
I am not an outfitter but know a few.There are many many great companies that can provide proper hunts and accomodation and service.Please do not write off returning,if you are financially able to you must return.I can guide you if need be.
Sorry once again to read this nonscnece you had to endure.Fly by night outfitters need to be eradicated.
Cheers
Ge Jooste.
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This is really appalling. You should share your experience as widely as possible. Are you on the Accurate Reloading forum?
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Sorry to hear of your bad experience this happens more than we hear.
There are some good places in Africa, just have to be careful where you book, I don't think I would have been as patience as you.
I know a place in Zambia that we are working with to establish a confidence with the owner. Its 5000 acres or better and lots of game the accomdations are rustic but he lets us have the run of the place and cook our on meals, no guide service hunt like you want and pay for the game you shoot, if we can we want to establish a place for bowhunters that want to do it on the own.
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Hi Ben, what a terrible experience at the hands of my countrymen! They are not the norm, I assure you. Have you made contact with anyone from Phasa? I publish one of the local newspapers in the Lephalale-area and would like to run a synopsis of your experience along with a response from Phasa. I think it is important that the local outfitters realise how their actions reflect on the entire industry. It is also important to test the authority of a body like Phasa when it comes to inapropriate behaviour by ph's and outfitters.
Regards
Jasper
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Sounds like some of the Quebe outfitters.Hopefully you can get some satisfaction.
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WHAT MINT SAID!!!!
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Home work and a good booking agent are the only way to avoid such disasters. I owned and operated a booking agency for many years. With all my experience in Africa, I can say this is the first time I've read such an account of misrepresentation. You should name the agent in your accounts for all to be aware of. As mentioned, I'd file a report with PHASA,SCI and the Hunt Report. This will advise thousands of people of your situation and help prevent anyone else from getting ripped off as well. It will hurt the outfitter where it needs to in the pocket book.
I'm afraid you can probably expect to get scammed and ripped off in regards to your trophys being shipped and paperwork from such an operator as well. Don't let them hold you hostage over trophys.
South Africa is a beautiful country with lots of top notch operations to choose from. If you truly want a fair chase spot and stalk hunt then South africa is not the place to go. 98% of operations there are high fenced operations. If you are ok with that then there are few places that are better.
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If I were you, I'd demand a full refund, and I would do anything in my power to get it. This is absolutely unheard of. It sounds to me like none of your expectations (and promises) were met. How can they expect you to hold your end of the bargain, as far as payment goes, when they most certainly did not uphold theirs?
That being said, I am really sorry to hear about this disappointment, to say the least. I've been to South Africa once, and it was - still is - probably the greatest trip of my life. Don't let this travesty scare you off. Africa is still a great place, despite indecent fellows like these.
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Just came across this thread. I am sorry to hear about your experience Ben. I have been on a couple of hunts that were not quite what I was promised, but never anything close to what you describe.
As already mentioned, please contact PHASA with your experience, and also The Hunting Report. I have met Barbara Crown, the editor while in RSA before. She is a super nice lady, and she will do her best to make operations like the one you visited have a tough time staying in business.
BTW, do not think all hunting operations in RSA are like this one. I have hunted in RSA and was almost embarrassed by the royal treatment, plush accommodations, and 5-Star meals every single day.
Oh, and I never paid $400/day in daily rates either.
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HI Ben
I am very sorry to hear about your terrible experience! I do understand the fact that things do go wrong at times whilst on safari however it should never come down to this kind of an experience.
Ben it is a great shame that there are Outfitters who simply don't care it actually makes me sick to think the hard work we put in over a season to make our very grateful clients happy and then have a fellow competitor destroying the very industry that we love and have to live off.
While contacting PHASA would be the right thing to do, I would have to say they would only be able to act if this Outfit is a member of PHASA. I think it should be mandatory for South African Outfitters to join PHASA so that we might be able to weed out the bad guy's.
I would like to make a difference here even though I am not able to change your first experience of Africa I would like to try and offer you a second trip to South Africa.
This hunt would be donated at no cost to you and a fellow hunter:
7 Day Plains Game Safari for 2 Hunters
This includes:
1x Arrival Day
1x Departure Day
5x Full Hunting Day’s hunting 1 on 1 with your PH
2x Impala
1x Blue Wildebeest
1x Gemsbuck
The above rates include the following:
• The full use of all facilities in the camp such as the swimming pool and satellite television
• A daily laundry service is also available at no extra cost
• Full catering: early morning coffee & rusks, brunch, snacks, dinner, all soft drinks and alcoholic beverages in moderation
• Hunting: a fully licensed Professional Hunter, trackers, skinners, all camp staff, transport to and from blinds, picking up of trophies, field preparation of any game taken and transportation of trophies to shipping company
• Transport by vehicle from Johannesburg International Airport
The above rates excludes the following:
• Accommodations prior to and after safari
• Transport by vehicle between other Hunting Provinces
• Taxidermy work and shipping of trophies to final destination
These are not cull animals all of the animals included in this package are trophy animals.
Once again I am really saddened to read about this horrible ordeal and I sincerely hope that this would make a difference.
Best Regards
Louis van Bergen
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That's a great offer.
Louis is one of the good ones. Hopefully, you can take him up on the offer and have a great safari.
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Wow! Way to go Louis. Class act for sure.
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That is a kind offer Louis.
I hope Ben takes you up on it.
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Louis, you're the man :-)
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Now THAT'S an outfitter, good for you Louis!
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What a shame, I must chime along with hunt it and coaster 500 on this... RESEARCH PLUS REFERENCES. Kudos to Louis's offer on the hunt. Very nice gesture. It would bs safe to say you have way more patience than me, I would probably still be in a South African Jail !!!!!!!
Lanier
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Louis what a stand up act Thanks Shane
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Wow! Great offer Louis, If Ben dosen't accept, I would be glad to! :bigsmyl:
Benjy
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Do it, Ben. I've been lucky to have two good experiences in RSA(although some less than great ones elsewhere). It's obvious that Louis is one of the good guys. I'll betcha he gives exactly what he promises and more!
As someone else said, you may suffer further when you find out how this bunch of crooks handled your trophies. Surely hope not! But, it takes a long time to get everything back home and/or mounted. Can either be the crowning glory, or just some more pain! Sure hope yours turns out fine, and you take another trip - and that turns out to be wonderful.
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Originally posted by SHS:
HI Ben
I am very sorry to hear about your terrible experience! I do understand the fact that things do go wrong at times whilst on safari however it should never come down to this kind of an experience.
Ben it is a great shame that there are Outfitters who simply don't care it actually makes me sick to think the hard work we put in over a season to make our very grateful clients happy and then have a fellow competitor destroying the very industry that we love and have to live off.
While contacting PHASA would be the right thing to do, I would have to say they would only be able to act if this Outfit is a member of PHASA. I think it should be mandatory for South African Outfitters to join PHASA so that we might be able to weed out the bad guy's.
I would like to make a difference here even though I am not able to change your first experience of Africa I would like to try and offer you a second trip to South Africa.
This hunt would be donated at no cost to you and a fellow hunter:
7 Day Plains Game Safari for 2 Hunters
This includes:
1x Arrival Day
1x Departure Day
5x Full Hunting Day’s hunting 1 on 1 with your PH
2x Impala
1x Blue Wildebeest
1x Gemsbuck
The above rates include the following:
• The full use of all facilities in the camp such as the swimming pool and satellite television
• A daily laundry service is also available at no extra cost
• Full catering: early morning coffee & rusks, brunch, snacks, dinner, all soft drinks and alcoholic beverages in moderation
• Hunting: a fully licensed Professional Hunter, trackers, skinners, all camp staff, transport to and from blinds, picking up of trophies, field preparation of any game taken and transportation of trophies to shipping company
• Transport by vehicle from Johannesburg International Airport
The above rates excludes the following:
• Accommodations prior to and after safari
• Transport by vehicle between other Hunting Provinces
• Taxidermy work and shipping of trophies to final destination
These are not cull animals all of the animals included in this package are trophy animals.
Once again I am really saddened to read about this horrible ordeal and I sincerely hope that this would make a difference.
Best Regards
Louis van Bergen
:clapper:
there is a man that believes in himself and his business!
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People calling you a "walking wallet", racing each other over 120, under the influence of rum and coke, the yogurt granola breakfast, skimpy lunches, the tip talk...This trip was a disaster. Sorry it happed to you.
If I ever go to Africa I'll make sure to talk to Buff, TradTusker, Prairie Drifer and others who I trust to get a feel for who to book with.
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That's bad, Ben. Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. Some great advice has been given regarding contacting PHASA and SCI.
Hope you get something out of it.
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WTH!!!!! Man oh man, you're a better man than I, Im pretty sure I would have turned that into an international incident. My temper couldn't have handled that total utter BS!!! Ahh!
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WOW, that was painful to even read. I went on my first African safari in June 2012 and it was the best experience of my life. I hope that you give it another shot someday because you deserve to experience the REAL African bush with an excellent outfitter. I went with Infinito Safaris ( website here (http://www.infinito-safaris.com/) ) and Charl and his crew worked so incredibly hard to make sure my safari was nothing short of incredible. The food was great. Homecooked and fresh. Big breakfasts and we ate wild game for lunch and dinner every day. The hunting was great, we saw tons of game with trophy sized animals being fairly common. Charl's operation is very professional and well organized. All staff were friendly and could speak English, they never drank to excess, and made sure we had everything we needed/wanted. They even remembered what we preferred for breakfast. For example, I like a hot breakfast with meat. Once they learned that, they made sure I had meat with my breakfast every day after that. Also, they had a full bar with local liquors. We never had to drive more than 20 minutes to our hunting spots, and it was often less than that.
If you ever do decide to hunt Africa again (and you absolutely should!!), I can get you some contact information with a friend of mine who goes every year. This friend owns an archery pro shop and you can even choose to go with him on his trip. That's what my husband and I did and it was amazing. I killed 4 animals (two of them made Roland Ward), and had three of them in the salt in the first 4 days of my hunt. My husband killed 3 animals and missed his 4th. The taxidermy should be here by November of this year. We are currently saving for our second trip there and hope to go in two years. If you have any more questions, PM me. Sorry you had to endure such a terrible experience :(
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I have dreamed of an African Safari all my life. I still intend to go. I can't believe the hunt you experienced.
I like being remote but would like to eat at least two meals a day. I would like to experience a remote camp and not a lodge. I would feel just as bad if they promised a remote camp and I wound up in a 5 star lodge.
This thread has cut my search for a reputable PH. I don't have to search further than Spiral Horn Safaris and Louis van Bergen. One day when I have the loot I will be booking with them.
Very sorry to hear this experience you had. I sure wouldn't let one guy ruin my dream. He wins if you do.
Gil
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I would also like to say I admire Louis van Bergen's integrity and generosity. You rarely get to see integrity like that.
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I just got back two weeks ago from my second great hunt in Africa. I had a great trip with another outfitter. I want to go back in two years. It will be with Spiral Horns. I applaud what you did.
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Hey Ben
Sorry to hear about your experience, I feel embarrassed! there are some real nasty folks out there with only their best interest at heart! parasites! I'm only reading this now as I am a newbie to both trad archery and the site. My only request would not to be put off by my beautiful country by your bad experience. I do understand the disappointment but maybe when I am more proficient and ready for a hunt you could join me here in RSA so I can show you a different side.
I'm sure I will get to know the bow hunting scene better as I get into it a bit more and hopefully will be able to provide you with top class info in the future.
Juan Human
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Get references . Just got back from a great hunt with Kudu safaris .
every thing was what they said and more.
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So what happened????