Tribes Travel Reviews 237

TrustScore 5 out of 5

4.8

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Considering 83 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the company for organizing exceptional holidays, highlighting the staff's helpfulness and expertise in tailoring trips. The service, from initial planning to the seamless execution of transfers and excursions, is frequently described as superb, ensuring a stress-free and enjoyable experience. Many people also commend the excellent locations and accommodations chosen for their trips. However, some people were dissatisfied with communication, noting a lack of follow-up and dismissiveness when issues arose. A few other people also felt that the benefits of booking through the company were minimal, experiencing problems with hotels and finding the support less attentive closer to their departure.

What people talk about most

Holidays

Consumers consistently report positive experiences with their holidays, often describing them as "fabulous,"... See more

Staff

Clients share positive opinions on staff, consistently praising their helpfulness, knowledge, and excellent... See more

Service

Reviewers mention positive feedback about service, highlighting the exceptional organization, seamless... See more

Location

Customers had positive experiences with location. Reviewers consistently praise the careful selection of... See more

Customer service

Reviewers highlight positive aspects of customer service. Customers felt valued and supported, praising... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Incredible experience, wonderful places, food and people. An absolutely brilliant service from Tribes Travel and Lima Tours. Andrew did a tremendous job in arranging a tour that covered all the best p... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Superb organisation and every transfer, every hotel, every excursion went like clockwork. It was great peace of mind to have things in place and to be able to fully enjoy our fabulous holiday. We woul... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Tribes Travel are South American experts using local people and care about the environment of the countries they cover. We cruised the Galapagos for a week on the Origin and Arturo at Tribes Trave... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Tribes listened really carefully to what we were looking for in a safari and were able to consider many options and propose a fabulous trip for us - aside from considering our overall budget they coul... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Tour Operator
  2. Boutique Hotel
  3. Cultural Tours Provider
  4. Travel Agency

About Tribes Travel

Written by the company

Discover the world with Tribes Travel

Why travel with Tribes?

The Tribes team creates high-quality, tailor-made holidays, adventures and safaris; unmissable and inspirational travel experiences which aim to feed your spirit and benefit wildlife, environments and people.

Tribes is all about wonderful people: you, the curious traveller; our valued destination partners; the often visionary property-owners we work with; the superb guides, chefs, drivers . . . and, of course, our incomparable team of experts here in the UK.

We’re sure that your holiday will make you very happy as well as positively benefiting some beautiful corners of the earth along with the people and wildlife who live there.

We are: trustworthy & reputable – friendly & personal – knowledgeable & imaginative – responsible & protective – fully-bonded & offer value for money.


Contact info

4.8

Excellent

TrustScore 5 out of 5

237 reviews

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Replied to 100% of negative reviews

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Tribes Travel Forever

Our trip to Mozambique was even more special thanks to the Africa expert, Christine MacDougall who has catered to our needs from our first trip to South Africa in 2023 for our mum's birthday. Since then we have never looked back!

Mozambique and its people are beautiful, calm and welcoming. We felt very safe there and enjoyed its cuisine (fish and seafood galore). The highlights were the Mafalala tour and visiting Machangulu, Santa Maria, Inhaca and ilha dos portugueses.

In November, my mum and sister treated me to a birthday in Maputo, Mozambique. Christine placed us at the Polana Serena Hotel is centrally located and is a short walk to the Feima Arts and Crafts Market, Mabuku book store and the Polana Mall. It is also a short cab ride to a variety of restaurants (Sagres and South Beach), plus the Baia Mall. The hotel has a 25 metre swimming pool and a luxurious spa with a gym and heated outdoor pool, nestled in a tranquil location. The restsurant provides delicious local and international cusine for breakfast, lunch and dinner alongside the Polana bar (which provides food).

Upon arrival at the hotel, we were greeted by a welcoming reception and customer relations team. The staff were warm, polite, helpful and always ready to assist.

The team surprised me with a birthday cake and bottle of fizz on my day. The warmth towards us grew daily and upon our departure, reception, concierge and customer relations came outside to say goodbye. Technically, our holiday was to continue in Johannesburg. However, it was an emotional experience leaving.

Christine made another African adventure unforgettable and full of beautiful people and memories for life. Christine and Tribes Travel remain our trusted and beloved agency. They add a human and caring touch in today's AI environment.

November 3, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We can thoroughly recommend Tribes…

We can thoroughly recommend Tribes Travel company. Arturo organised a very good birdwatching tour of Costa Rica which ran extremely smoothly. The itinerary was great and we saw loads of birds and critters. 5*!

November 29, 2025
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks for the recommendation and 5 star feedback Annie! The wildlife is something else in Costa Rica. I am sure Arturo can make some more recommendations for great birding trips in South America.

Hopefully see you for your next adventure,

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Our trip was excellent!

Our trip was complex, with five different locations - the whole trip was very smooth with not a hitch!

November 29, 2025
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the 5 star review! I am really happy to read you had an excellent trip!

Hopefully see you for your next adventure,

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

High Expectations Met

I had high expectations for my sister's birthday celebration in Mozambique from my previous experience with this company. Yet again, our wonderful consultant, Christine Mac Dougall lived up to our expectations!

She clearly is an expert in this field who is passionate about what she does, and Africa as a continent. Christine takes the time to know her customers. I feel valued by her each time. She is considerate, her attention to detail, her enthusiasm, and her attentiveness are second to none.

My mum and I have various medical conditions; therefore, Christine ensured that we all travelled comfortably and safely throughout our holiday, from our flights, to private transfers, and on excursions.

To prevent the risk of DVTs we spent a few days in South Africa before moving onto Mozambique and before flying back to London. Christine specifically picked 3 separate accommodations to suit all of needs and excursions that each of us were able to enjoy (no easy feat with 3 women of different ages, mobility, and interests). Some of our highlights included visiting Constitutional Hill, returning to Soweto and eating Braai in the Chaf Pozi at The Soweto Towers.

My sister's dream of visiting Mozambique was fulfilled. She thoroughly enjoyed speaking Portuguese, visiting some of the beautiful islands and some of our excursions in Maputo. We also had the privilege of having some beautiful ladies perform traditional dancing and signing for us in Mafalala (Maputo's largest Township). The Mozambicans, in general, are some of the nicest people I have ever met. Genuinely welcoming, kind, helpful, and calm, it was easy to feel at home. In fact, whenever, I heard the words, "Welcome Home!," as a person of African diaspora, I am humbled and moved beyond what I can convey in writing.

Once, again, I cannot thank Christine and Tribes Travel enough for making my sister's dreams, on this specific occasion, become a reality. I am also so grateful for their ethical ethos. Those of us who have an opportunity to travel are, in my opinion, are privileged and should try and do so redponsibily.

I highly recommend Tribes Travel for their ethics, the quality of the service, the attention to detail, the manner in which they value clients, and of course, for the incredible holidays. Together, with them, we are creating precious memories.

Thank you Christine and Tribes Travel. Xx

November 22, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thank you so much for the lovely in depth feedback Laura. Chris has been getting a lot of amazing feedback lately and your review highlights why. She is so passionate about Africa and is absolutely an expert. I had a quick look at your itinerary, what a trip to Mozambique you had! I am so glad it lived up to the expectation, creating memories is what travel is all about!

See you for your next adventure!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Tribes Travel - the best!

Tribes Travel are South American experts using local people and care about the environment of the countries they cover.
We cruised the Galapagos for a week on the Origin and Arturo at Tribes Travel tailored a fabulous program for us - 5* all the way.
Every little thing was considered and adjustments made when we asked. Nothing was too much trouble and answers and actions were immediate.
The trip was amazing and Tribes Travel are our first stop for our South American trips.

November 26, 2025
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thank you for the lovely feedback and the 5 stars Wendy! I love the heading, I agree Tribes Travel are the best :) I am really glad to read that you had an amazing time.

Arturo knows his homeland of Ecuador better than anyone, you were certainly in good hands!

Hopefully see you for your next adventure!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Highly recommend

We were recommended Tribes Travel by friends who have travelled with them twice. From our initial enquiry form we were contacted by Chris who arranged a zoom call to discuss our preferences. We were provided promptly with 3 amazing trip options and it was hard to choose between them. Our eventual trip took us to Stone Town, Ruaha, Rufiji and Mafia Island and our experiences were authentic and tailored to exactly what we were hoping for. We felt that we were immersed in the beautiful natural environments that we visited. Transfers etc were exceptionally smooth and well organised. At the end of the trip our flights were cancelled due to political unrest in Tanzania - Tribes couldn't have been anymore helpful in ensuring that we were looked after and arranged alternative flights as soon as they were able to. Chris and Charlie were amazing and we can't thank them enough! Highly recommend Tribes and we hope to travel with them again in the future.

October 16, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the 5 star review Helen. You really had the full Africa experience, safari, beach time and political unrest! Fortunately the latter happens very rarely, but I have to say you took the whole thing in your stride. I think the two most important things when booking with a tour operator is speaking with someone who knows their stuff and booking with someone who will look after you when things don't go to plan, that is Chris in a nutshell!

Hopefully see you for your next adventure!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Highly recommend!

From initial enquiry to finish of holiday everything we absolutely to plan. Andrew listened to our brief, was patient with all our concerns, and subsequently arranged a magical trip to Costa Rica. All transfers were pretty much on time - bit hit and miss with Costa Rica - Tico Times - they can't be responsible for that - hotels were fabulous - trips that were arranged all amazing and even the guide for one tour which was private we were so grateful for as if he hadn't been with us we wouldn't have seen half of the incredible wildlife. Their partners in Costa Rica were so helpful and a credit to the Tribes brand. Overall massive thumbs up for this company - highly recommend

November 3, 2025
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback and recommendation Belinda! Listening to our customers is what makes our country specialists so good at what they do. I am so glad to hear that you had such a magical time in Costa Rica and that Andrew did such a good job in arranging it, its what he does best!

Hopefully see you for your next adventure!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A memorable trip

Once again, Christine and the team at Tribes organized an outstanding holiday for us. Christine took the time to listen carefully to our requirements, ensuring that every aspect of the trip was tailored to our wishes. Our journey began with a relaxing few days at The Swahili House in Zanzibar, followed by a luxurious stay at The Manta Resort in Pemba, where we truly felt pampered.
We have chosen Tribes for our travels several times, and our experiences have always been excellent. However, it is during unforeseen circumstances that the value of a knowledgeable and experienced tour operator becomes most apparent. This year, we needed to change our plans before departure. Christine managed all the arrangements and negotiated the best possible deal for us, demonstrating her commitment to our satisfaction.
While we were abroad, our return journey was disrupted by the Tanzanian elections, resulting in the cancellation of our flight home. For several days, we had minimal contact with the outside world. During this challenging time, it was incredibly reassuring to know that Christine and the Tribes team were actively working behind the scenes. They coordinated necessary arrangements for our extended stay in Zanzibar and did everything possible to ensure we could return home as soon as possible.

October 31, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the 5 star review and also for bringing up the work Christine does outside of booking the holiday. She is obviously amazing at planning and booking African holidays, but its the care and attention that goes into making sure everything runs smoothly from beginning to end (and being proactive when there are changes) that sets her apart. Our number one priority is always the well being of our customers when they are abroad and I am really glad to hear that despite the disruptions, you had a great trip. I hope the diving was good in Pemba, that is on my list!

See you for your next adventure,

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Poor service

What an awful company , I rang up for an itinerary for a special occasion holiday to Africa , I asked to speak to the Africa specialist and was told her line was busy and another specialist from another location took my name and telephone number and said I will get her to call you back , I received no call back , so tried again 3 days later and asked to speak to the africa specialist again the same happened again she is busy and said will get a call back , I explained about what happened no call back from 3 days ago , the specialist said I will get her to call you urgently and guess what no call back .

If you advertise for clients to have a holiday of a lifetime have the decency to contact them .

November 14, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Hi Mark, apologies that no one got back to you. We are a small team and the last few weeks have been very busy for our Africa team, trying to rearrange our customers travel due to the election disruption in Tanzania (see the review above). Our number one priority over anything else is our customers well being when they are away, which is where our focus has been. I don't think calling us an awful company is fair, which is reflected in our last 4 reviews, all for our Africa, all 5 star.

I hope you have managed to book this holiday for your special occasion and I hope you have a wonderful trip.

Thanks

Charlie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

25th wedding anniversary safari

We booked our safari with Tribes travel for our 25th wedding anniversary. They listened to our needs and fulfilled all of them and more. Ours was epic with each safari exceeding our expectations. We had bush walks, night safaris, bush lunch in the middle of the Serengeti along with our lovely guide on each safari,Hans,who was knowledgable and easy to be around.
All our tented accommodation was different but all lovely with great food and comfy beds and most of all super lovely staff
We then went on to Zanzibar which was also amazing. Beautiful beaches and warm seas. But again the staff were the best part of all. So happy and welcoming.
We had the Vamoos app which also gave us all the info we needed on our trip however tribes used this app to update you on connecting flights,gate numbers etc. And every where we went we were treated like royalty.

Would highly recommend you book with this company. I dealt with lovely Chris. So easy to deal with and very kind in helping with our visas.
One of our best holidays ever.

Thank you x

September 14, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Congratulations on the 25th wedding anniversary and thanks so much for the in depth feedback Emma, and of course the 5 stars! I can't think of a better word to describe a trip like this than epic! I know Chris was thrilled to get this feedback, she loves sending her customers back to her home country. It really sounds like you saw the best of Tanzania.

Hopefully see you for your next adventure!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful safari in Tanzania

As usual with Tribes our trip went smoothly and all was booked/organised by Christine as requested. Our guide for the first 6 days, Godfrey, was excellent at spotting games and birds and is a very considerate person. It was just a wonderful safari in Tanzania

October 21, 2025
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the 5 star feedback and I am so glad to hear you had a wonderful time. We will pass on your comments about Godfrey, it is so nice to get personal feedback on the guides as they really do an incredible job, as does Christine!

Hopefully see you for your next adventure!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Christine - the Africa Specialist

I've used Tribes twice now to book trips to Africa - Tanzania and Malawi. Christine is the best. She really takes time to understand what you are looking for and finds the perfect locations and accommodation to match your desires. The service pre, during and post trip couldn't be better. They take care of everything ensuring a stress free holiday.

October 4, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the 5 star feedback! I agree that Christine is the best and an absolute Africa specialist. I am so glad to hear you had a a great trip, and stress free is what we are all about!

Hopefully see you for your next adventure!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Amazing 3 week tour of Peru

Alex designed and booked an amazing trip to Peru, after patiently listening to all our requirements. Service from Tribes excellent throughout, including accommodating a last minute unexpected change. Alex was very knowledgeable and we found Tribes very easy to work with. We did have some communication problems with the local tour agency once travelling, but Alex assisted with getting that sorted.

September 15, 2025
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks for the 5* feedback and also your in-depth feedback you sent through separately. We will ensure all your feedback is passed to our partners on the ground. Thanks for highlighting how knowledgeable Alex is, he really knows his stuff, a true Peru specialist!

Hopefully see you for your next adventure!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Attention to detail

Attention to detail - great hotel choices

October 9, 2025
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks for the 5 star review Caroline! I am glad you loved the hotels.

Hopefully see you for your next adventure!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Sold a holiday of a lifetime but…

We were sold a holiday of a lifetime but this was not our experience. We had some issues on this holiday which Tribes have not chosen to contact us about since we returned. They were not interested in hearing our feedback, v poor communication. There was no point arranging our holiday through this company as there was little benefits to doing so, each stage was marred by some issue with hotels etc. When things started to go wrong they were dismissive of our concerns. Overall extremely disappointed, would not recommend.

August 5, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thank you for your feedback and I am sorry to hear this trip did not live up to the expectations that had been set. Feedback is incredibly important to us, both positive and negative. We always pass the information back to our partners on the ground so they can investigate and we can respond accurately. Sometimes this can take longer than we hope as we wait for a response from a hotel or a tour operator. I have responded to your email in detail, but I am sorry it took longer than planned.

We are consistently amending our trips based on our customers feedback, so thank you for taking the time to send over your experience of the trip.

Charlie and the team at Tribes.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Tribes planned an amazing Safari for us…

Tribes planned an amazing Safari for us in Botswana. The planning process was extremely easy and hassle free. Tribes put together an incredible itinerary for us and booked everything. While we were away, everything ran seamlessly with absolutely no stress for us. i would highly recommend Tribes and would definitely use them agaiin.

September 8, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the recommendation and 5 star feedback Ellen, we really appreciate it. I am so glad you had such an amazing time in Botswana, its a wonderful country.

Hopefully see you for your next adventure!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A pleasure to work with Christine…

A pleasure to work with Christine planning our trip to Zimbabwe and Botswana. We had already been in touch with another well known travel company who ignored our budget requirement. Christine listened carefully and came up with what was an excellent value itinerary in a very expensive country. She assured us it would a fabulous holiday and indeed it was staying in Victoria Falls and three safari camps in Botswana with the very best saved till last. Truly a holiday to remember. This was the third time we have used Tribes over admittedly a long period and can't fault them.

September 7, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks for the 5 star feedback Tim, it is much appreciated! Chris really listens to her customers and always delivers based on their expectations. It looks like a great trip you booked! I am really glad it ended up being as fabulous as Chris predicted.

Hopefully see you for your next adventure!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A fantastic experience from planning to…

A fantastic experience from planning to taking the trip. Chris put together a fantastic itinerary and was very helpful when I needed to make some last minute alterations.

September 10, 2025
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks for the 5* feedback Chris. I am so glad to hear it all went to plan. Chris is so attentive when anything needs changing at the last minute.

Hopefully see you for your next adventure!

Charlie and the team at Tribes!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Tanzania

Chris and the team organised a perfect trip to Tanzania for our family. Chris considered all our requests and was always on hand to provide expert advice if necessary. Our safari was planned to perfection leading to a totally stress-free experience. With multiple hotels, trips and transfers planned, every detail was organised in advance - all we had to was be in the right place at the right time! Our guides and lodges in Tanzania were outstanding. We would highly recommend Tribes and look forward to using them again in the future.

August 10, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the 5 stars and recommendation, it really is appreciated! I just took a look at your itinerary, what a trip, very jealous! I am so glad to read the guides and the lodges were outstanding. Chris will be thrilled with the feedback, she puts a lot into these trips to make sure they are perfect!

See you for your next adventure!

Charlie and the team at Tribes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Reassuring travel advice with integrity

Extremely impressed with this company's ethos as regards assisting one in selecting an appropriate holiday.
Very patient, honest advice given initially by Will and followed up by Chris. Amazing customer service!
Felt so reassured that the right safari was chosen, can't wait!
Thank you

August 15, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Tribes Travel

Thanks so much for the 5 stars Richard! Will and Chris really know their stuff, I am sure you will have a great trip! I was in Botswana earlier this year, there really is nowhere like it! Have a great time and looking forward to the feedback when you get back.

Charlie and the team at Tribes

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