David R, Ellicott City, M.
Micato Safaris Africa: My Worst Experience Ever!
I strongly suggest you don’t take a Micato Safaris safari. Its “Heart of Kenya & Tanzania” tour was the worst experience of my life. I’m 72 & have taken many tours, but I’ve never been treated as badly as I was by Micato Safaris, to whom I paid nearly $30K. Its accommodations, though, were 1st class. I’m a very well-liked & respected man, having been a community leader for decades. I’ve given 100s of reviews & never gave a bad one until now. I feel a strong moral duty to warn solo & senior travelers as I believe this could also happen to them. Micato’s mgmt has never returned any of my calls. I wrote a letter & received what I perceive as a cold, unapologetic reply 17 days later, denying nearly all I wrote; making statements I believe to be untruthful; & referencing the “binding & compulsory arbitration” clause in their Terms & Conditions. “Forced arbitration” is often viewed as making it difficult for consumers to seek justice in court. I urge you not to make the same mistake I made by signing these T&C’s, as it waives your 7th Amendment Right to sue. I believe this is why Micato doesn’t return my calls. In their literature, they claim to provide “non-groupy group departures rarely numbering more than 12 guests and can be as small as 2.” Ours had 13, incl 6 couples & me, as the only solo guest. I was told I was the 1st person in our group, the other 12 being added later. I believe Micato did this to make more $. We used 3 vehicles--2 with 2 couples each, & mine with 2 couples & me. Behind the driver were 2 rows of 2 window seats. A rear bench, used only in my vehicle, held a rider who sat over the rear axle while riding over pothole-filled dirt roads on extra hard tires. He had the most uncomfortable, noisiest ride of all, it being nearly impossible to hear the driver & guide. There was a high roof hatch top for game viewing, enabling 1st & 2nd row guests to photograph wildlife. This top did not extend over the back bench, forcing this rider to either lean over the person in front of them or walk down the aisle to peer out. On the 1st game drive, a woman told me to sit in the rear so she & another could sit next to their husbands. I told the director, asking him to create a daily seating chart, stating every tour I took used such a chart. He refused, telling me to always be the 1st to board; to sit anyplace I wanted; & to tell the others he said so. I soon felt the ire of others, contrary to Micato’s claim to always provide “assiduous care to ensure all our guests feel secure and comfortable” & to afford them “a completely stress-free travel experience.” Thereafter, this woman & another harassed & bullied me. I felt too uneasy to argue in front of their husbands. I never felt safe around the 1st woman, as she appeared to me to be extremely controlling & her behavior seemed emotionally erratic. I felt physically endangered by her actions when she slid my seat forward up against the seat in front of it & held her feet up against my seat back so I couldn’t slide it back, causing me to ride sideways without a seatbelt & fear for my safety. When I told the director, instead of sliding my seat back to its initial position, he slid the seat in front of mine forward, without saying anything to the wrongdoer. I felt like he prioritized the couples’ preferences over my concerns, which made me feel marginalized, as if my being a solo guest was inconvenient for him. In front of others, he twice accused me of losing boarding passes when I hadn’t, causing me to feel unfairly blamed, humiliated & disrespected. I was afraid to leave the tour, knowing I’d feel emasculated around family & friends having been victimized by women. Micato claims “If . . . anyone anywhere along the way is not observing health and safety and protocols in line with Micato standards, your Safari Director will quickly remedy the situation, leaving you free to enjoy your safari without having to concern yourself with such matters,” and “when you travel with Micato, you’re traveling with more than just a company–you’re traveling with our family.” My impression is the founders no longer run the company.