A Disappointing Experience by Blacktrotters Afrika: Failing to Deliver on Promised Luxury Travel

I recently had the unfortunate experience of booking a luxury travel package from Blacktrotters Afrika. The package was a visit to three cities – Paris, Amsterdam and Rotterdam from SA. They were recommended by a friend who is following them from Instagram, little did she know that pictures were deceiving.

My partner and I including our travel mates were left utterly disappointed and frustrated. The level of service provided by Blacktrotters Afrika was far from luxurious, and their failure to fulfil their promises has left a sour taste in my mouth. From the very beginning, the travel agent painted a picture of a dream vacation, promising an exquisite and personalized travel experience. They assured us that every detail would be taken care of, leaving us with nothing to worry about. However, the reality was a far cry from their grand claims.

First and foremost, the night before travel we received a text advising that flights were delayed by 24 hours, and our new flights had a 8 hour lay-over in Doha instead of 2-3 layover. This new arrangement meant that we lost a night’s stay in Paris and full day of activities.

The accommodation they arranged in Paris was not five minutes’ walk from Eiffel but 20 (TWENTY) minutes’ drive from Eiffel Tower, same hotel group but different locations – they are ****** who know the game well.

Additionally, the promised luxury service was non-existent throughout our trip. Our dedicated concierge was NOT at airport in Paris instead the companies photographer was helping arrange transit to hotel, he was clueless. Shem poor photographer was being scolded at by everyone until we realised he too was left stranded, it took him more than 15 minutes to reach a representative from the travel agency to assist him.

Furthermore, the activities and excursions that were included in the package were poorly planned and lacked the luxury touch we were promised. Our first excursion the bus ran out petrol, the driver left us at a tourist spot to go fill petrol, I’m not kidding. In the 3 hour bus tour we were not provided any refreshments in the middle of summer, I’m talking about plain old water bottles. In our travel package we were led to believe that we would have access to exclusive experiences to site Paris’s secret gems and top-notch guides, but instead, we found ourselves in crowded tourist attractions. We had to find hidden gems in our spare time – which we didn’t have remember we lost 48 hours because of “late flight bookings’ which the travel blamed the airline.

Communication was another major issue throughout the entire process. The travel agent failed to provide timely updates and neglected to inform us about changes in the itinerary. We had to find out other travel mates what was going on. It felt as if our concerns were not taken seriously, and we were left feeling neglected and ignored by the owners of the travel agent. A laughable situation, my partner and I still joke about it now, one of the owners bumped into my partner at midnight at the hotel bar and he asked for a chat, like excuse me sir?!

Upon returning home back to SA, our flights were delayed by a day and were offered accommodation in Doha that fell far short of the luxurious standards we had agreed upon. The hotel we were placed in was mediocre at best, with outdated decor and lacklustre amenities – anyone who stayed in a hotel with smelly carpets will know what this means. Even worse the bus used for travel in DOHA was a school bus, I’m not kidding it was marked as a school bus and we had to sit with their knees under our chins.

In summary, the luxury travel experience promised by this travel agent was a complete let-down. Every aspect of our trip fell short of our expectations. The lack of communication and unresponsiveness further exacerbated the situation, leaving us feeling frustrated and cheated.

I strongly advise anyone considering booking through Blacktrotters Afrika to think twice before entrusting them with your dream vacation. Their failure to deliver on their promises is indicative of their lack of professionalism and dedication to customer satisfaction. It is crucial to find a reputable travel agent who genuinely values their clients and strives to provide the exceptional service they claim to offer.

Ultimately, my experience with this travel agent has left me disillusioned and determined to seek out a more reliable and trustworthy travel provider in the future OR just go back to organising trips myself – tedious but they have taught me a lesson.