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Traveller reviews

Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs M from Texas

Review Distribution

Excellent
Good
Average
Poor
Terrible

Total number of trips

1

Countries visited

3

Lodges stayed in

5

Excursions taken

0

Our Africa Memoriy 2011

Botswana and 2 other countries between 19 May 2011 and 3 Jun 2011

Trip rating: Excellent
"This ranks as one of the top vacation trips in our 49 years of marriage. We received true value in every aspect, but particularly in Botswana.

Every aspect was planned and executed by Expert Africa with its various on-site agents to give us a vacation and experience without any hiccups. My hobby is photography, and I feel I had the opportunity for some great shooting. The camps selected or suggested by Expert Africa gave us the variety to get as much "feel" for Botswana in 9 days as we could have hoped.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

You might consider having potential customers fill out a form indicating what they want or expect from a trip to Africa. many of our friends reacted to our plans with comments like "aren't you scared to be out there at night?". Many Americans are not as familiar with the potential experience as they should be."

Arranged By Maruska AdyeRowe


Avani Victoria Falls

Avani Victoria Falls

"Great stay at Zambezi Sun"

2 nights Arrived 19 May 2011
"Wonderful location for viewing the Falls. I went back early in the morning at sunrise and walked to Boiling pot at base and was able to catch rainbows in the early sun on the Falls. However, because the large amount of rain left a very full river, the views of the Falls was mostly blocked by mist. Better to go later in the year for full view.

Sun staff including front desk and traveler seervices were very responsible and helpful, Breakfast was outstanding to point of having too much to choose from. The only weakness was the evening meal buffet--only average.

As a recommendation, there could be something in the room explaing proper settings for the air conditioning unit. We set it too low and it froze the unit making our first night of sleep uncomfortable."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Khwai Lediba

Khwai Lediba

"Great Safari at Kwhai Tented Camp"

3 nights Arrived 21 May 2011
"While the traditional East Africa tented camp is not for everyone, it was for us. We enjoyed the small size and personal attention of every staff member. For wild life viewing it was excellent and our guide, Pilot, was truly outstanding. You could tell he loved his job, the country and its wildlife, and worked hard to see that you got to see everything it offered--from watching leapord devour its kill in the tree on the night drive, to tracking that same leopard the next day, to tracking mama lion and her cubs--both day and night.

We saw a wide variety of mamals and birds too numerous to mention--but I photographed them all.

Food was excellent--prepared by the very capable Temptation, who had been trained in the culinary arts by Orient Express. She had to prepare her meals on a small four top gas stove stove and every meal was presented beautifully and hot. By the end of our three days we felt like part of their family.

Tent life was what we had expected from a previous trip on the Serengetti, and we always had hot water for showers and morning game drives--cold temperatures at night were made more comfortable by hot water bottles in bed. This was the first of 3 camps visited in Botswana, and for personal attention and devotion/skill of the guide/tracker, it was not exceeded."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Mapula Lodge

Mapula Lodge

"Great Safari at Mapula Lodge"

3 nights Arrived 24 May 2011
"The ambiance and feeling of being in the "real" Okavango Delta was our favorite impression of this camp. High water meant that each game drive was as if we were in an amphibious water/land rover. Getting to the camp located on an island meant crossing a wooden bridge whose surface was below water level--an exciting first entry.

We loved our Mokoro trip through the reeds, flowers and canals to see birds, mammals and reptiles. Our chalet on stilts was very comfortable, with a deck overlooking a beautiful lagoon. We enjoyed morning and evening game drives led by our guide Dix, and our tracker Simon, to see a great abundance and variety of birds (including 5 male and 5 female Ostrich in one gathering), as well as elephants, giraffe, tsessebe, Kudu, hippo,croc, wildebeest and, of course, Impala.

On one drive we found a large herd of zebra and gave some chase which allowed good action photos of them running through water. Our in-camp hostess Dudu made sure we had a comfortable and enjoyable stay for our 3 day visit."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Lagoon Camp

Lagoon Camp

"Great Safari at Lagoon"

3 nights Arrived 27 May 2011
"Lagoon Camp had been recently renovated and the resut is outstanding. The independent challets lie along the Kwando River. Night sounds of the wild life including hippo fill the air and the elephants treat the camp as their own. Our deck, sitting area, bed and bath all overlooked the river.

On one afternoon, an elephant began grazing outisde the bathroom so close to the tub, I thought he was considering a tub bath rather than the river. The physical facilities, camp fire area, dining chalet are well planned and contribute to a special ambiance. Our game viewing was truly outstanding. led by an excellent and very knowledgeable guide, Spencer. On our first afternoon, he tracked a pack of wild dogs to a large lagoon where we enjoyed the opportunity for some great photos, followed by sunset "sundowners" shared with a large contingent of hippos. Back to camp and an outstanding dinner and more wine while being entertained with staff song and dance.

Morning game drives were cold but made more comfortable with hot water bottles ("Bush Babies") and wool blankets. First morning we tracked and found 3 Cheetah brothers and Leopard. We also found a mongoose family, elephant, Savannah Buffalo,and two beautiful Saddlebilled Storks.

That afteernoon Spencer again found the wild dog pack after they caught and killed a prey. We arrived to find them eating their dinner. The next day game drives located elephant herds, the Cheetah brothers, Steenbok, Kudu, a huge Wart Hog, African hawks, Jackel, Buffalo ,Springbok, and the wild dogs. Every day also included the "usual suspects" of African mammals and a variety of interesting birds.

At the end of each day, sunsets and "sundowners" followed by outstanding dinners. At the end of each morning drive a a wonderful and filling brunch. In camp, our hostess, Amazing Grace, saw that we were comfortable. We also enjoyed the companionship of our fellow campers who were there from many countries, and, like we, were interested in the same experiences."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Acorn House

Acorn House

"Great Stay at Acorn House"

4 nights Arrived 30 May 2011
"This B&B was outstanding in every way. We have stayed in many throughout US, Canada, and Europe and Acorn House ranks with the best we have enjoyed.Our hosts, owners Bernd and Beate, and Stewart, were welcoming, informative, engaging and helpful throughout our 4 day stay. Attention to every detail was a hallmark in the setting of this 100+ year old house in a quiet neighborhood of an old orange grove at the foot of Table Mountain.

We were a ten minute walk from the Red Line tourist bus across from Mount Nelson Hotel. We rented a car and parked right in front of the house and could route quickly and easlily throughout the city and its environs. We had easy access to the M3 for our drive to Cape Point and the N2 to the Airport. Breakfasts were wonderful with a wide assortment hot and cold.

Our upstairs room "Park" was very comfortable with an outside deck overlooking the city lights and bay, Lion's head to the west and Table Mountain. If we return to Cape Town, we would not consider staying anywhere else."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent

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