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CLIENTS TRIP REPORTS EAST & SOUTHERN AFRICA – APR-JUN 2019

September 16, 2019 Client Trip Reports

Botswana Flying Safari to the Kwando Reserve and Okavango Delta

Dear Elena and Africa Adventure Company, 

Thank you so much for making this trip amazing and very memorable. First, thank you so much for the graduation gifts, the shirt is so soft and I absolutely love it, and the fleece was a life saver in Africa, it got a lot colder than I expected. The CD is amazing I absolutely love the music, it makes me feel like I am back in Africa.

Second, thank you so much for the guided tour of Victoria Falls. I loved learning about all the history, talking with the guide, learning about the culture in Zimbabwe, and about the different tribes there. I also loved listening to their language! In Botswana I was able to learn some Tswana which is amazing! One of my favorite parts was learning the language because it is so beautiful… The people there are so nice and want to make sure that we feel welcome. Also, I would like to thank you for making the trip even more special by helping me celebrate my graduation at each camp. They sang me a song and gave me a cake at Lebala and Lagoon Camps (the cake is the absolute best cake in the entire world! I wish I would have been able to get the recipe that they used). At Splash Camp they gave our group a private dinner with our guide and it was so much fun! These are definitely memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

During the trip I loved talking to the guides and the camp staff and learning about all the different animal behaviors and their culture. I learned about the behavior of lions and elephants, all of which I am very interested in!.. Seeing all the animals was absolutely breathtaking! I loved watching them and being able to capture them! I included some of my absolute favorite pictures!

Thank you so much for an amazing experience and for everything you did to make this trip memorable. 

Thank you so much,

Kerstyn Countryman, June 2019

Adventure Safari to Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools

Hi Kyle,

Thank you and it’s good to be home although we miss Africa already!  We had an amazing trip, unbelievable trip.  This was our fifth trip to Southern Africa and the four nights we spent at Vundu Camp with Nick Murray and the Bushlife team in Mana Pools was the very best we have ever had.  You all did say he likes to get “really close” and you did not lie.  From walking to canoeing the level of intimacy he is able to offer with big game and in particular the elephants and wild dogs is just unparalleled.  I never for a minute thought I would be standing less than five feet from a wild bull elephant or within 30-feet on foot with a pack of wild dogs.  Nick is an amazing guide and the staff at Vundu Camp led by Natalie simply can’t be beat.

Joseph James, June 2019

The Best of Southern Africa including Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, the Okavango Delta and Cape Town

Dear Saskia (and Africa Adventure team) – thank you so very much for an inspiring and exciting trip. Your attention to details and logistics, the quality of the accommodations, the excellent food, the professionalism and care of the staff, the expertise of the guides, the variety of outdoor experiences – all were superbly executed. We could not have asked for a better vacation.  While the animals (and the Victoria Falls) were memorable in so many ways, the interaction with the people – the camp staff, the guides, the drivers – it is they who bring South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana to life. We even had an opportunity to meet with the wife of our Chitabe Lediba guide Tebogo (“Tank”), and have a delightful time “on the road” with her as well.

We have already spoke about Africa Adventure to friends and hope that they will book with you.

We are very glad that we went in the winter. It was good not to have to deal with bugs or with the very hot weather. Thank goodness that they had hot water bottles and bathrobes (and hot water bottles and ponchos on the land vehicles) since without heat in DumaTau and Chitabe Lediba the temperature was below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. We would suggest that you let clients who will be traveling this time of year to pack for cold weather. It will enhance their comfort…

Chitabe Lediba Camp

Again, Saskia, you and your colleagues were a pleasure to work with you. You made our experience the wonderful trip that it was.  We are grateful to our friends Leora and Herb Wollner for recommending AAC and to my first visit with Mark Nolting who stimulated our interest. Under his vision and leadership, Africa Adventure lives up to its reputation as the premier African touring experience.

Wishing you the very best and continued success.

Noah Levine, June 2019

Safari to Southern Tanzania including the Selous, Ruaha Reserve and the Lazy Lagoon

Hi Elena,

…The Selous Game Reserve was beautiful. The Sand Rivers Selous Lodge sits at the Rufuji River’s edge and was inviting and comfortable. Then we went to our room. We were prepared for the front of it to be open to the elements — Oops — The entire room is open in that the sides have big gaps and no caulking so all night we were entertained by monkeys, bush babies, lizards and things I didn’t look at too closely. The shower had plenty of hot water and the weather was great…While animal sightings were adequate, this is more of a water and bird camp, both of which will not disappoint.

Unlike the other places we have visited, Sand Rivers has jungle. Floating on the river we passed impenetrable foliage filled with monkeys and baboons — and a beautiful leopard slinking along the rocks. Hippos and crocs dominate. We did two activities on the river, a breakfast voyage to Steiglers Gorge and an evening sundowner adventure that included me trying to fish. Chris went out everyday to try his luck for Tiger Fish and ironically they would jump all around his fly and never hit it!. 

Another water activity was the Hot Springs. After a hike up a gorge we arrived at pools and a waterfall of clear water steaming from the heat of volcanic action below the surface. We could have gone swimming, but decided only to dip in our hands and feet. Lovely. After that we went for a walk where Geoffrey, our ranger, explained all sorts of tribal lore and knowledge concerning the variety of trees and bushes. Later in the trip we spent time at the hide watching birds, although other guests saw herds of elephants…

The highlight of the entire trip, however, was the fly camping. We arrived at dusk to a roaring campfire, and sat in camp chairs with our wine watching the sunset over Lake Tagalala. After dinner we crawled under our mosquito net to the sounds of hippos in the water. We literally passed out and didn’t wake until 6:30, to be greeted by Geoffrey grinning from ear to ear inquiring how we liked the two hippos who spent the night right outside our net. Thank goodness I never woke up to stumble out to the ladies room. There was plenty of hot water both at the sink station and the bucket shower.

The next camp was Kigelia in Ruaha National Park. Unlike Selous, the area was mountainous, dry, and open with Baobab trees predominating…The game at this park was more plentiful, especially the lions and elephants… The most interesting game activity was the special night drive done after dinner, and the most interesting animal encounter was the elephants wallowing in a mud hole.

Delicious dinners were always served in different venues, including down in a dry river bed, at a long communal table under the stars, and at individual tables near the veranda…

We arrived in Bagamoyo in the rain and Alberto, manager of Lazy Lagoon, took us to the ferry — an over-sized rowboat. We had to wade in the Indian Ocean to the boat and hoist ourselves aboard. We were the only guests on the entire island and so we had lots of personal attention.

We spent lazy hours swinging in the rope bed on the porch, walking the beach, reading in the lounge and indulging in great food. A bush baby stole Chris’s banana dessert right off his plate. The staff gave us campfires on the beach, a sundowner on another deserted island complete with bonfire, boat rides, a candle-lite dinner on the beach, taught Chris how to fish with just a line and took him out on the ocean to try his luck and I had a facial and a massage…

So, another great adventure is done. I’m very happy we did it and would recommend adding Selous to a Serengeti itinerary.

Thanks as always Elena for a very well-planned trip.

Barbara Lyndrup, June 2019

Northern Highlights Safari to Botswana and Zimbabwe Canoe Safari

Dear Alison and the entire Africa Adventure Company team,

Thanks so much for all the thought and organizing and dreaming you brought together for my recent safaris to Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools and in northern Botswana. The experiences were incredible, the guides were so knowledgeable and on top of bringing the most incredible experiences to us. And particularly at Mana Pools that level of knowledge was so important to safely canoe pass pod after pod of hippos. I learned so much about their behavior – which enriched my experiences even further! And the food, oh my! On the Botswana trip, where I joined five others, they all looked longingly at my vegetarian fare. The chefs that I had on those two safaris really knew how to do vegetarian extremely well! I gained 12 pounds!

Once again, my most sincere thanks. You and your team’s expertise and warm personal manner brought together some incredible experiences for me.

All my best wishes,
Mike Perry, June 2019

Iconic Visions Safari to Southern Africa

Greetings Jessica –

Thank you so very, very much for helping us put together the trip of a lifetime. Our experience on the Africa Adventure Company trip was beyond expectations. As indicated in your email, we thought we’d share some of the highlights and insights from our trip.

First, a huge thank you to everyone at Africa Adventure Company who helped arrange our travels, accommodations, and prepare us for the trip.

Every single aircraft leg of our journey worked perfectly. All the scheduled airline flights left on time, every single charter flight was there to meet us and took us safely to our next destination, and our bags traveled with us the entire trip with no issues whatsoever. We were thrilled to see the bright green Africa Adventure Company rolling duffel bags come off the planes at each leg of our journey. Those bags were terrific. They held all our belongings with ease, were convenient to pack and carry, easily were loaded on the charter flights and proved to be much tougher and sturdy than any suitcase we’ve ever owned. In addition, the big yellow stickers on the side attracted attention of many travelers and airlines agents asking us about our trip and your company.

The accommodations at each of the camps and hotels we stayed at were beautiful. The rooms at each of the camps were well furnished, had great bathrooms with double sinks and all had lovely and fun showers. Tanda Tula and Ngoma had outdoor showers while Camp Moremi had double shower heads in an indoor shower that looked out the back of the tent. The beds, bedding, and pillows all the safari locations were clean, comfortable and warm, which was helpful since it was fairly chilly in the night and early mornings. And, of course, the Victoria Falls Hotel and the Cape View Clifton were stunning and completely indulgent as one would expect. The views from those two hotels were incredible. 

The service from all the staff at each of the three camps and the three hotels (Southern Sun O.R. Tambo Airport, Victoria Falls and Cape View Clifton) was super friendly, very welcoming and completely attentive. Having only eight tent rooms, Ngoma Safari Lodge had a smaller staff in comparison to Tanda Tula and Camp Moremi, but we were constantly being cared for in all three. And thank you, Jessica, for alerting everyone of Dick’s 66th birthday. Tanda Tula had a huge sign and a special coffee stop in the bush on that morning, as well as decorations, fruit and a bottle of champagne in our room when we got back from the afternoon game drive. Camp Moremi baked a special birthday cake and had the entire camp sing Happy Birthday after dinner one evening, and when we got to Cape Town the Cape View Clifton hotel chef baked a very special birthday cake that we enjoyed in our upgraded room with a huge outdoor terrace overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

The meals at all three camps were very good (delicious in most cases) and we certainly never went hungry. We especially liked Tanda Tula for the elaborate breakfasts in the bush and the variety of different dinner locations each night. Ngoma Safari Lodge provided us with a luxurious table for two the night before we departed. Both Tanda Tula and Camp Moremi entertained us with African dancing and singing before one of the dinners during our visits at those camps. But most of all, we loved the sundowners with the guides each evening on the afternoon game drives at all three camps. Cape View Clifton hotel had a self-service honor bar so we were able to continue with the sundowner tradition during the last three nights of our trip.

The guides that we had at all three camps were tremendous. At Tanda Tula we had both a tracker and a guide, who worked tirelessly to ensure we saw all of the Big 5, including driving 15kms from camp one evening to find a group of four male lions walking through the Timbavati Reserve. We also saw a female leopard make a successful kill of an impala. Guide Chad Cocking was just an all around great guy and showed us a large variety of trees and birds in addition to all the animals. Guide Sam at Ngoma Safari Lodge took us on a power boat trip down the Chobe River where we saw elephants swimming across the river with only their trunks above the water. Sam also showed us an amazing number of rare and unusual antelope in Chobe National Park including some sable, roan, red lechwe, and eland. And at Camp Moremi, our guide KT was fabulous and very interested in showing guests animals they wanted to see. During a power boat trip in the Okavango Delta, he located the very rare Sitatunga antelope in the reeds. On an afternoon game drive, KT found two very large and powerful male lions that were stalking a herd of buffalo, and then took us back the next morning to where they had killed a buffalo during the night. The photos these three guides put us in position to take during all these game drives are just amazing.

We were especially pleased with the service and assistance provided by all the companies that Africa Adventure Company had arranged to meet us at the airports, get us through customs, and transport us to our next locations. Representatives from each of the companies were at the airports or our hotels every single time. We were very happy with the various guides that took us on the tours at Victoria Falls and in Cape Town…all of those folks were especially friendly, engaging and very helpful… 

All is all, we are totally over the moon about our trip. We are eternally grateful to you and the entire AAC team for the arrangements and for making our entire trip so successful. We definitely have and will continue to tell relatives, friends and other people we meet about the excellent service you provided. And we look forward to making arrangements through you again for a future African adventure.  We did not see a cheetah or any wild dogs and simply must travel to Africa again to see those.

Thank you again and all the best,

Dick and Sharon Swihart, June 2019

Ultimate Safari to Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe

Hi Kyle, 

It was another splendid safari experience for us in Southern Africa. 

Our ‘Ultimate Namibian’ safari tuned out great. We enjoyed the small group experience and met three wonderful people from Great Britain who rounded out our group of seven. There were some long drives, but amazing scenery and land scape which we would have missed if we had flown between sites. We liked the variety on this safari and the different activities. Climbing to the top of the dunes and “sliding” down was fun and kayaking with the seals was delightful. The sunrises and sunsets at Camp Kipwe were over the top and the camp was great-fitting into the builders and hill side. We enjoyed our small camp at Onguma and our open tents overlooking the waterhole. We were able to see desert adapted elephants and a large variety of wildlife in Etosha… 

Onguma waterhole
Little Vumbura

During our flying safari to Botswana and Zimbabwe, we appreciated the slightly slower pace and spending four nights in each camp was great. We had great guides in Lucky, Eustice and Simeon in little Vumbura, Linkwasha and Mana pools respectively. We loved that each camp was in a different setting. Our time in Vundu Camp was a highlight. The camp is “old school” which I liked. We turned out to be the only guests for our four nights and were really pampered. We won’t forget walking with elephants and canoeing on the Zambezi River. We had a brief but special painted wolf siting at dusk as well. 

Apparently everywhere was a little drier than usual this year. That was good at Victoria Falls where we were able to see although there was still  a LOT of water. 

We enjoyed the city tours in Johannesburg, Victoria Falls and Cape Town and learning about apartheid and township life and modern day Zimbabwe. Our guides Tumi, Precious and Suleiman were great and very knowledgeable. Our dining experiences at the Residence and Moyo in Johannesburg, Fyn and Salsify in Cape Town and Joes Beer house  were all great. 

After five weeks, we were not ready to return home. It was a perfect way for me to start my retirement. 

We are already talking about some possible future trips- maybe Zambia, Primates and East Africa and I have a weird desire to see Madagascar and also the flowers in Namaqualand so maybe add these on to a trip at some time. 

This was my fifth safari with AAC and again it went off without a hitch. I can’t imagine that anyone can do it better and so appreciate you and your team. It was again fun to take someone new and share their excitement and amazement each day. 

Thanks once again for a memorable trip. 

Vikki Canfield, May-June 2019

Active Wildlife Safari to Southern Africa

Lynne – David and I cannot thank you enough for our perfect Africa trip!

We especially loved Mashatu, which felt very special to us. Daniel, our guide, (along with Commando) was just wonderful – great driving, tracking, explaining, keeping us warm and comfortable, and busy, etc. The variety of animals we saw was astounding. We did spend time in the elephant hide, which everyone loved…

MalaMala was a completely different kind of experience, although we loved it too – more distant from the animals (usually; sometimes they appeared at our door) and more sophisticated. The lodge was lovely – more elegance than we had expected… 

Both Mashatu and MalaMala were great, but I am glad we had Mashatu first – it will always have a special place in my heart, you know?… Thank you.
Carolyn and David Levin, May 2019

Botswana and Zimbabwe Wilderness Safari

Well Kyle,

It was an adventure that couldn’t be topped. Each place – Jacana, Chitabe and Mana Pools we’re perfect in each individual way…I’ll send you the video of Ann and me crawling in the dirt filming the wild dogs in Mana Pools and a “fake” charge from the elephants. They were more interested in the wild dogs but we got a good deal of action. 

Jacana Camp
Mana Pools resident

All our accommodations at the camps were great, little more rustic at Mana Pools but the care and thoughtfulness of every staff member along the way was the best. 

Allex Nellias, May 2019

Flying Safari to Zambia’s Lower Zambezi and Botswana’s Okavango Delta

To Szilvia, Yejide, and all the great folks at the Africa Adventure Company:

This is a very belated note to express our sincere gratitude for all that you all did to make our first (and we hope, not our last!) trip to Africa such a marvelous experience.  Your recommendations for accommodations were excellent, as were the accommodations themselves; in all cases your arrangements for flights between camps worked out very well; and your scheduling of ground transportation, and “guides” to see us through the ordeals of larger airports were also very welcome amenities.  Everything worked just as planned, and we had a great trip, thanks in no small measure to AAC. 

Please be assured that when we go back to Africa we will once again confidently rely on AAC to make all arrangements for us; in the meantime we will comfortably recommend you to others who may also be considering similar travels.  Thank you so much!

Liz and Rick Rosenthal, May 2019

Legends of Zimbabwe Flying Safari to Hwange and Mana Pools

Hi Kyle,

Ed seems to think this is our 14th trip with you.  I stopped counting a while ago but I would guess we are almost there if not yet 14.  We started with AAC in 2000 with Sarah, so it has been a long time.

We had a fantastic time again this year with some of the best sighting and camp experiences we have ever had. Thank you so much for putting this together. 

Khulu Bush Camp in Hwange was a very nice camp.  Matt, the manager, runs a very good operation.  Food was excellent.  Accommodations were very comfortable.  The hide in camp was very nice although we did not see elephants the time we sat; other guests did and had a wonderful experience.  Seeing the animals at the waterhole in the evening by light was a new feature for us.  We loved working with our guide Zeb and we were able to spend a full day out with him which we always enjoy.

Khulu Bush Camp

We had wonderful lion sightings with Zeb including Cecil’s daughters and her very young cubs.  Since we had seen Cecil’s cubs two years ago at Somalisa it was fun to catch up with the family.

Little Makalolo was outstanding.  We had a private guide for our stay as the Camp assigns guides/vehicles based on the day you arrive in Camp.  No one else arrived in Camp the day we arrived so we were private.    It was like winning the lottery!  Our guide was Eliza and he was excellent.  He is a true teacher and worked to identify topics and educate us on things we might not know from other safaris.  He hit it out of the park!  For example, Eliza taught us new information on termite mounds  and  the history of hunting in the area, Cecil’s family history as well as info on gnus. Eliza would be a top guide anywhere.

Little Makalolo Aerial View
Little Makalolo Camp

In three days at Little Mak we had two different cheetah sightings, two different leopard sightings, three different lions sightings including Cecil’s daughters/cubs who had moved since the prior day sighting with Zeb, eland, roan, sable, huge herd of giraffe, elephants  and wonderful birds.  The game and bird viewing overall was extraordinary.  We intend to go back.  The food was excellent.  The Camp manager was fabulous and I wish I could remember his name as he was an extraordinary young man.  He sat with Ed and I for dinner one night and has a fascinating history with having been in the Zim government at early age, working in Mozambique and Malawi. He is a really great Camp host and he is one person who really should write a book.  It would be a best seller!…    

Going home to Mana Pools and Vundu Camp is always heaven!  Natalie is back in camp and it is so nice to have her running Vundu again.  She has a great style and runs things very well.  Good coordination with the team and service is very strong.  There is a new chef and food has gone up another notch – really good with the chef presenting the menu every evening and food presentation at evening meals noticeably at a higher level.  

We did see the pack of 14 wild dogs.  (People are clearly visiting camp to see the dogs now and talking about the BBC series.)  We saw leopard on a few occasions (we had not seen leopard previously in Mana) – twice in the day time and once in the evening.  We saw a large heard of eland for the first time in Mana, lots of tiny elephant babies this year. Tusker encounter that was unbelievable! Everything was dry but the animals seem to be doing okay so far.  We did canoeing again and we went on the pontoon boat a couple of times – Ed and Nick did fishing on the pontoon which Ed enjoyed.  I enjoyed  the pontoon very much which surprised me. 

We had a very special barbeque dinner with two other couples along the river one evening – outstanding.  For the first time we stayed at Little Vundu for two nights.  Nick has previously offered but I could never convince Ed to go.  I love this camp better than Vundu but Ed is a fan of Vundu so I don’t know how we will get him back there.   

We loved the Amanzi Hotel in Harare!  Just beautiful.  Very comfortable. Great staff. Breakfast was excellent!   I would definitely stay there again!…   

We are looking forward to our next trip in two years. 

Thank you for everything!

Our best, Patsy and Ed Samuel, May 2019

The Best of South Africa including Cape Town, Sabi Sand and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Hi Kyle and Team,

We are very grateful to you and the entire team at Africa Adventure Company for working with us to make a dream of ours come true and are 100% satisfied and enthusiastic about the support, guidance, service, and materials we received from you. THANK YOU!

Below are some thoughts we’d like to share:

Overall experience with Africa Adventure Company

– Clear expertise in the region and safari experience, including a wealth of resources, information, materials, etc.

– Customized itinerary that truly reflected the type of experience we wanted within our budget. Having four nights at Ngala was a highlight & we were able to see everything, including cheetahs & leopards. You were also right that we should’ve spent four days in Cape Town, but I’m not sure what we would’ve given up. And we loved the contrast between the two safari experiences.

– Incredibly responsive (We were truly surprised that you were able to mobilize someone to meet us when our arrival flight changed)

– Friendly and professional service & correspondences

– Thank you for the Bidvest lounge passes in Johannesburg!

Airport transfers

 – Each and every one was on time, polite, professional, friendly, and efficient

City Lodge O.R. Tambo

– Fine airport hotel that’s incredibly convenient

– Really appreciated not needing to navigate Johannesburg upon arriving fatigued & in the evening

Welgelegen Boutique Hotel (Cape Town)

-We LOVED this place! I can imagine it’s not for everyone, but we really appreciated being in a neighborhood, walking to Kloof St & having a view of Table Mountain from our porch

– Beautiful, spacious, elegant but comfortable

– Each and every staff person was terrific and we were sad to say good-bye

– Delicious breakfasts

Makakatana Lodge (iSimangaliso Wetland Park)

-Another big win!

-This place was more “down home’ than your typical luxury lodge and we LOVED it

-Staff were very friendly and we were able to really connect with them on a level not always available at bigger/”fancier” lodges, e.g We had such a fun chat with the Manager (Nadia) and our guide (Jako) on the 2.5 hour drive to the Durban airport, discussing everything from Marvel/Avengers to politics

-The real asset here is the exclusivity as they are really the only lodge in the Wetlands and have exclusive rights to part of the lake and other parts of the park

-Beautiful lodge

-Food was good with a few misses here and there

-We would absolutely recommend this & go back here

Ngala Safari Lodge (Private Game Reserve)

-I’m sure you already know what an amazing experience this is, truly a dream come true

-Only six of us on our drives, with a Guide & Tracker who we really grew to appreciate, they even took me on a 5 mile run in the bush (they ran with me, followed by a vehicle)

-Beautiful facility, lodging, pool, etc.

-Over the top, delicious food – can’t believe I didn’t gain weight on this trip

Happy to answer any specific questions you might have. Our kids definitely regret not going & want us all to go back, so you may hear back from us in a couple of years!

Thanks again,

Robert Sindelar, May 2019

Southern African Splendor to Cape Town, Chobe and MalaMala

Hey Alison,

Lois and I had a wonderful, memorable safari.  So many highlights I want to share with you.  First, our guide in Victoria Falls, Cynthia Moyo, was incredible! Aside from being hugely knowledgeable regarding the Falls, she was most helpful in all aspects of Zimbabwe.   Her people skills were impressive and we loved working with her.

Second, at the risk of being repetitious, Lucijita Bellairs was a superb guide and truly cared that we enjoyed our time in Cape Town .We enjoyed all our time with her. Our favorite activity in Cape Town was Table Mountain, the Coastal Drive to The Cape of Good Hope, the Kirstenbosch Gardens, and visiting Simon’s Town and learning about ‘Just Nuisance’, what a heart warming story. In summary, it would be almost impossible to meet two  better qualified , personable guides than  Cynthia and Lucijita.

At MalaMala, we were most fortunate to have Bruce Missing as our guide—as you know, he is one of the senior rangers and had great tracking skills and knowledge of the animals…Bruce’s low key manner was  really refreshing. Mention should be made of the general manager at MalaMala, Vusi, who went out of his way countless times to make us feel welcome and comfortable. An exceptional man.

With respect to lodging, we were both very pleased. We had a variety of accommodation as you know. Our favorite, not surprising, was MalaMala and Ilala in Victoria Falls. The Welgelegen was really comfortable and near four very good restaurants, right around the corner—-how convenient .Our favorites, Café Paradiso and Black Sheep.

The trip went very smoothly and for that we thank you and your excellent Staff who made the trip seamless and without any major bumps in the road.  This simply reflects the expertise of your company.

We plan to return to Africa and ask for your services again.

Regards,

Larry Buxton, Apr 2019

The Best of Botswana Flying Safari

Dear Elena,

Thank you for arranging our first Africa adventure!  Everything worked exactly as planned, which made our travel stress free.  The accommodations were outstanding, the staff members and fellow guests became friends, and the wildlife kept us excited and eager for the next surprise around the bend!  All of our guides were passionate about their work.  They eagerly shared with us their vast knowledge of the ecosystem and the history of the areas we visited.  And, to top it off, they were loads of fun!

The best trip ever…until we plan the next one.  You were correct when you said this would not be our only trip to this magical continent.  

With warm regards,

Denise and Gene Gardner, Apr 2019

Botswana Flying Safari and Cape Town extension

Elena et al.,

Thank you for putting together a fabulous experience.   Jennifer and I greatly enjoyed being in the moment and the intimate experience of the small camps.   The logistics of this rather complicated itinerary worked incredibly well…   

All the Botswana camps worked well.  Duma Tau had large groups during our stay so we ended up having a very intimate experience with very few other clients… and generally had a guide to ourselves.   The wildlife was further away which resulted in extensive driving to see the animals but we did encounter wild dogs, lions, and a leopard.  The elephants crossing the river were a special sight to see.   

In the Okavango Delta, we were the only guests for the bulk of our stay at Kwetsani Camp which made for a wonderfully intimate experience with the very welcoming staff.   The flood hadn’t arrived so we had long drives to see game and didn’t really experience the archetypal Okavango Delta experience.   It was still worth going but wasn’t what I had expected for the delta.   

Kwetsani Camp

On the periphery of the Moremi Reserve, Chitabe Camp delivered on the wildlife with lions literally walking past tents and an elephant eating marula fruit next to our tent.   Overall, the guides did a great job across the camps.  They do appear to take people back to sites where they know they will find lions and leopards… maybe at the expense of new experiences… 

We didn’t know much about the Old Drift Lodge in Victoria Falls.   It was a great find – very much in line with the approach of the bush camps but with enough electricity for espresso!   We really enjoyed being on the Zambezi and the arrival via boat (with an elephant welcoming committee) was lovely.   It was a great way to re-enter civilization without the noise and hustle of the city…

Overall we had an amazing trip.  Thank you for your help in pulling it all together.

Best regards,

James Jackson, Apr 2019

Honeymoon Safari to South Africa and Botswana

Hello Elena,

We absolutely had the trip of a lifetime! Thank you so much for your assistance in planning such an amazing trip. Overall the trip was absolutely amazing, we couldn’t have asked for more. I would say staying at Singita was the absolute best. The staff and environment were top of the line. We also had the most animal viewings there…

Little Mombo was a wonderful facility & lovely staff. Beautiful and high end. The time of year we visited was very dry and the animal viewings were a little more difficult to find…

Little Mombo Camp

Thank you again for everything.

Warmly,

Katie and Rodney Weiss, Apr 2019