"Disappointing and unprofessional North Sea Jazz experience with Blacktrotters Afrika"

<div>In July 2025, I travelled with Blacktrotters to attend The North Sea Jazz Festival. The package was a visit to three cities i.e. Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Paris from South Africa. However, the experience fell far short of expectations. The trip was plagued by numerous problems, impacting every aspect of the package from accommodation to transport and event access.

Upon arrival in Amsterdam, our hotel bookings were not secured. We had to personally follow up with Blacktrotters Afrika to sort out the reservations before we could check in, causing unnecessary delays. To make matters worse, some individuals' bookings were so mishandled that a person who paid for a single room was forced to share. We also incurred unexpected costs due to tourism tax, which we were not informed about previously and believed would be covered by the travel agency.

The situation was no better in Rotterdam. Again, some hotel bookings for some our fellow travelling companions were not properly executed, requiring them to chase Blacktrotters Afrika for resolution. After a considerable wait in the hotel lobby, they were eventually booked into a substandard hotel. They also had to pay additional tourism tax that was not disclosed.

Paris proved to be a complete disaster, leaving me feeling stressed, frustrated, and emotionally drained. We endured over two hours in the reception area waiting for Blacktrotters Afrika to release funds for our bookings. When hotel confirmations finally came through, most people, including myself, were only booked for a single night despite having paid for three. Only a few individuals received bookings for the full three nights.

My friend and I were instructed to check out the day after our arrival, upon our return from an excursion. Despite verifying at reception that our stay could be extended in the same room, Blacktrotters Afrika refused our pleas, claiming rooms were unavailable. This forced us to move to a different hotel, which, despite reassurances, was not of the same standard as the initial one. The Voco hotel was a significant downgrade from the 5-star hotel I was promised and is not comparable to the DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam. To make matters worse, the lack of running water during our stay was a shocking and deeply unpleasant experience that severely impacted our trip.

Furthermore, individuals who paid for single rooms in Paris were coerced into sharing with others. Some travelers did not receive any booking at all and were forced to share a room with three or four other people for the entire duration of their stay. Once again, we were hit with unexpected tourism tax charges.

The planned excursions were poorly organized and did not meet the expectations set by the holiday package description.

Transport arrangements were unreliable and chaotic. On the day we were supposed to travel from Rotterdam to Paris by train, we received a last-minute message stating that trains would not be operational due to technical issues. Instead of providing a suitable alternative, Blacktrotters Afrika suggested we take a train with six hop-on, hop-off stops, which was impractical, especially for senior citizens in our group. We ultimately had to find and pay for a suitable bus ourselves.

Crucially, the North Sea Jazz Festival tickets we had paid for as part of the holiday package were never purchased by Blacktrotters Afrika. As a result, we incurred significant additional costs trying to acquire tickets on short notice and ended up missing most of the performances. Some individuals were unable to attend the festival at all due to the inability to afford or find available tickets.

These numerous issues caused significant stress, inconvenience, and considerable monetary loss. Save yourself the stress and avoid this company. I strongly advise you to look elsewhere for your travel needs!</div>