I am writing to formally raise a complaint regarding a dispute that I have with the travel agency ThinkScene Safaris. Licence : TRA1/22/C01/47527
We, along with my family, traveled from France to enjoy what we hoped would be a magical stay in Kenya.
Unfortunately, my experience with the travel agency was far from satisfactory. It left us in a difficult situation, caused significant stress, and left us deeply upset.
I confirmed a contract with them on the 9/01/2025 (format : day/month/year) that we both agreed on and that was fully paid before the stay, as required.
On the 23/03/2025, during our stay, they came back on some of our agreements and I received an email requiring an unjustified extra payment.
I refused this and justified clearly my position. We tried to solve this amicably on multiple occasions but failed to find a suitable agreement.
To uphold the core values of tourism in Kenya, I am contacting you to resolve this serious situation in the best possible way.
To make everything as clear as possible, I have joined all documents illustrating my points to this email.
After each explanation, you will find references of files related to each point. I kindly ask you to review them.
Email exchanges were copied into Word documents and you will find my notes there written in red.
Here are all the documents : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kLQ3tHCdZx_72FwZofPKE8Ol5bjKpe5g?usp=sharing
For a start, I contacted the travel agency with a detailed request that you will find in “Email 1”.
After several exchanges, a proposition with price breakdown per person was made by the agency and I accepted it. (Email 8).
I asked to have a formal signed contract with terms and conditions showing that we both accept contract conditions.
Instead, they certified that this proposition with per person price breakdown acted as final contract (Whatapp message 14/01/2025, 14:53).
We agreed on a contract based on email 8 for the itinerary at the price of 6770$ paid in full (email 12 + Whats App 14/01/2025, 14:31).
They invited me to consult their terms and conditions on their web site, which I did.
The dispute started on the email that I received from them (email 21 received on the 23/03/2025, 18:43).
This was received during my stay and took a big toll on my mental peacefulness as it ruined the rest of our trip.
1340$ extra payment was required by the travel agency for ridiculous unjustified reasons.
We had a contract agreement that was fully paid but still, they were asking for more money and by doing so, broke the contract.
We discussed about it for quite a while to find a suitable solution and they sent a revised email adjusting the required amount to 710$. (email 22).
I could not accept to pay any extra amount whatever it would have been as the reasons were completely unjustified.
Please also check the email 22 transcription with my notes. Here is the list of extra charges required and why there are not reasonable :
- “Early Check-in Charges at Best Western Hotel ($180) – No Adjustment Unfortunately, this is a direct charge from the hotel that was applied due to the early check-in for yourself (1:30 AM on March 18) and your family members (4:00 AM on March 23).
As per hotel policy, a 50% surcharge applies to early check-ins. Given that this is an unavoidable cost, we kindly request your understanding in covering this charge.”
à The proposition and my request were clear about this (email 8 + email 9) : I required the 17/03 to 18/03 night in Nairobi
My flight details and my mother & brother’s were both given through What’s App in advance and multiple times.
The flight details have been acknowledged in email 18. No warning was issued by the travel agency, nor they didn’t say anything about it not been included.
Please check email 8, 9 + Flight details Whatsapp – Taslima – Yvane Durand (1 & 2 and the dates on which they were sent).
There should not be any extra payment request about this as it’s the agency’s mistake. They missed a night despite the clear request.
- “WRC Safari Rally Cost Adjustments ($400) – Reduced to $300 While the initial costing did not fully account for increased fuel consumption, higher accommodation costs for the driver,
and logistical challenges due to WRC access restrictions we recognize the need for flexibility.
As such, we have reduced this charge by $100, bringing the total down to $300.”
à My request and the proposition were clear about this. Unlimited mileage + car + driver including fuel, driver costs (accommodation, food and hours).
No exclusions are written on the agreement. The car we agreed on is a pop up van 4*4 which I had. I refused their upgrade proposition to Toyota Prado.
All this was agreed from 20/03/2025 to 23/03/2025 included within the following regions :
Nairobi, Nakuru, Naivasha. I stayed in these regions as contracted.
Please check email 1 & 18 + Google Maps screenshots.
During the event, I paid around 32$ extra fuel on the driver’s request despite having contracted unlimited fuel.
The driver didn’t have any accommodation for one night during the event and I offered him to sleep in the second empty room of my Air BnB for free (22/03 to 23/03).
They also recognise in these lines that the initial costing did not fully account for all this. Once again, it’s their own mistake. I am not responsible for it.
There should not be any extra payment request about this as per contract. Everything was made very clear from the beginning.
- “Accommodation Adjustment at Tsavo – Voi Safari Lodge Upgrade ($130) – No Adjustment
Due to limited accommodation options at Tsavo East & Tsavo West, we were only able to secure a mid-range lodge rather than a budget camp, leading to a price difference.
Unfortunately, this cost remains unavoidable, and we ask for your understanding in settling this charge.”
à Voi Safari Lodge is written in the proposition which is the contract and the balance is fully paid.
Please check email 8 + Whatsapp message on the 14/01/2025, 14:53 confirming the contract.
The agency gave me this hotel name. It was not my precise request to sleep in this one.
It’s an obvious budget mistake that I am not responsible of. There should not be any extra payment request about this.
- “Nairobi City Tour Cancellation ($150) – Reduced to $100 Despite a confirmed booking for Taslima and Yvane Durand’s Nairobi City Tour, which included a dedicated guide and vehicle, we understand that last-minute changes occur.
While same-day cancellations are non-refundable as per our policy, we have further reduced this charge to $100 instead of $150 to acknowledge the situation.”
à There was no confirmation of this service from our side, only refusals. Please check emails + screen shots in email 19 file.
They asked me for 300$ dollars for a driver and a regular sedan to be driven around Nairobi for one day, so after so time to think about it, I simply refused the offer.
The refusal was based on a clear overcharge as 300$ is well over usual prices for this service. There should not be any extra payment request about this.
The total cost for all these elements is 710$.
My offer to the agency was for them to keep the extra 300$ (flight money for which they charged me but I asked it not to be included), cancel all extra unjustified extra charges and go on with initial contracted services without any more payment.
It was based on all previous justifications made for each cost element, that I explained patiently to Philip Bosita and Brenda Idza of Thinkscene.
The offer was refused by them and clear threats were made on upcoming downgrade changes on the second leg ! (email 21 + orally)
After these threats and an insulting call that I received from my initial driver, the situation now escalated to a point a no return.
Due to physical, financial, and emotional safety, we decided to no to proceed with the final leg of the travel agency due to multiple contract breaches on their side. I explained this further in the annex joined to the case.
They considered that we owned them money, then threatened us several time to change our part 3-final leg services by downgrading them. Any change, disruptions, risks or unwanted surprises in travel plans were not an option.
This the reason why we could not proceed with the initial plan and simply asked for a full refund of the final leg without any more complications. This was the only amicable resolution possible in our both best interests.
All this was explained multiple times to the agency more than eager to sabotage the rest of our stay. We had to rebook last minute the whole last leg through another trusted travel agency that we knew about after arriving in Kenya.
I asked for a full refund of the final leg – 1000 $ per person so 3000$ in total as we are three persons. The agency initially agreed on a refund then cancelled it totally after I had to precise that it’s 1000$ per person, as per contract email 8.
The trust towards them was totally lost and I was right to precise that it’s per person. The agency seems to forget that the last leg was 3000$ in total and they were about to take advantage of that if I didn’t take the lead before.
They kept saying that their terms and conditions didn’t allow this but the situation escalated well beyond their application. They broke the initial contract asking for hidden fees, overcharge on false accounts and obvious mistakes on their side.
The terms and conditions themselves are potentially illegal… They basically say that the agency can revise the price at any time. We couldn’t simply take the risk of continuing with them under this hazardous situation.
The travel agency refused any refund and stopped any communications with me since then.
Legals actions against them were conducted, two Police complains were made and the French Ambassy is involved as well, but it takes time.
This situation is of high importance and I willing to go at extreme heights to expedite this and get my money back as quickly as possible.
We are reaching out to you, to kindly ask for your help as you are the official body guarantor of tourism activities making your country so attractable for visitors.
I request the full amount of my final leg, 3000$ refunded for all the reasons explained before. Based on the dreadful way the agency treated us, and the time I have wasted, it’s the minimum and penalties should be applied.
I am sure you understand the distress in which we are in and the difficult financial situation we are facing, after having to pay again the whole final leg amount again to another agency.
This, just be able to continue your journey in Kenya in the best possible way.
Thank you for your consideration. I eagerly await your response.
PS: I have attached an annex describing each and every detail that could help in this case. I mean, each detail of strange behaviour from the agency, mistakes and even punishable by law behaviours they had toward me.
I have also explained my legal actions taken until now, which are at a stall.
Kindly read it as well for a more in-depth detailed story line of how events unfolded.
I am in touch with the Tourism Regulatory Authority which already seems to have engaged some processes.
I am quite doubtful of their seriousness for many reasons, one of which they promised a partial refund from the travel agency.
The due date was on the 30/09/2025. I didn’t receive anything and TRA remains silent to my emails.
Cyril Durand
