Bad staff ruin it

I have not been in the best shape of recent. So I was worried if I would manage to go on this adventure. I asked the guide Dean many questions and informed him of my currently low fitness levels, BEFORE booking, and he assured me that I will be fine and he even said that I could Kayak with him. Once I paid for my family of 4, totaling approximately R3500, quite a large amount for one adventure for the family, Dean was a whole different person. I struggled quite a bit on the hike. He was extremely cold and callous, acted like I wasn't fast enough and a burden. Lorenzo on the other hand was a real gem. He tried his best to stay with me and encourage me. When we reached the kayaks, Dean said I couldn't kayak with him because there was a person who booked alone and would need a partner. This was a very young male in peak physical condition and he understood my struggle. He went with my 18 year old son, and he insisted a guide take me instead of him.

What really ****ed my husband and I off was that Dean insisted that he didn't say I could kayak with him, and that I was lying!! The only reason I booked the adventure in the first place, was because he assured me I would be in the kayak with a guide!

I went with Lorenzo on the kayak, who looked after me in the best way and I was extremely grateful to him. There was lots of bad weather this day, so the river had a lot of currents and was much higher than normal. It was raining on and off. Lorenzo explained to me the usual water level, compared to the day we were doing the activity. The guides themselves spoke of the rough conditions.

Dean is NOT a people's person. The adventure can be scary for a novice person and the guides should do their best to calm a person and encourage them. Dean did the opposite. He made me feel unsafe and a bother. I watched him. He didn't check on anyone in the group to see how they were managing. Lorenzo had his eye on every person, in addition to having to deal with me. Dean seemed very interested only in chatting to the international clients, I'm assuming because he expected to be tipped well.

You have a gem of a guide in Lorenzo. Nurture this young man and he will be an asset to your business. Dean will become a liability as he was there to regurgitate facts at a speed, no one could really even understand what he was saying. He was just there to get on with it. He was not there as a true leader.

Untouched adventures, YOU could DO BETTER. Train your guides to exercise compassion and kindness in dealing with people who are finding the activity difficult. People come from far and wide and pay a lot of money. This type of person ruined it for me and my family and we will be very hesitant before we recommend it to anyone.