Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs W from Warwick

"Thank goodness and Tracy. She sorted out a problem with our bookings only a couple of weeks before we left for our holiday. It was not exactly as we anticipated but it was great, particularly the inclusion of extended stays at Polentswa and Rooiputs.

The success of a game spotting holiday can be down to luck in seeing the game. In this respect luck was not on our side, particularly, this time but having been on four holidays to Kgalagadi, we know that this is not the be all and end all. The landscapes, birdlife, and small animals are all wondrous. Most of all, however, we are always struck by the interesting people we meet and the stories they tell us - including Mercy, who recalled meeting Chris McIntyre.

Our one criticism is that the revised plan meant a lot more travelling between distant camps and too many changes in accommodation. 10 changes in a 12 days stay is too much especially when there were six hours and more of travelling to be done in a day. But, anyway, we had a holiday!

Kgalagadi is not for the packaged tourist and long may it stay that way despite the gradual increase in accommodation at the camps."

"Our holiday was in two parts. The Kgalagadi in September will not be to everyone's taste as it is by no means a luxury holiday. It takes good advanced planning to make sure you are properly stocked up with water and other essentials before you set out from Upington. Your diet could be limited to red meat on the braai but don't let this put you off. This is a holiday for those who value the traditional south african safari experience.

From the Kgalagadi we travelled through Namakwaland at wildflower time. So lucky, as there are only a few weeks in the year when the desert blossoms. It is unforgettable.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
I value the fact that you allow me to book my own flights and my car hire."

"The animals at Etosha were inevitably he highlight of our trip but this doe not take away anything from the rst of our holiday. We stayed at some exceptional places and had some wonderful experiences. Namibia is a stunning country and we enjoyed every aspect to it.

This is the second time we have used Expert Africa and the Bradt guide and are sure to use them both again. Sabina was always helpful and responded well to all my quirky requests.

Suggestions for improvement:

This not an improvement but is something I would like EXpert to consider taking up.

This is that I think that the quality of the experience offered by NWR at, especially, Etosha is deteriorating. Although the individual staff are generally courteous and helpful I think they need to improve their service as they no longer offer a value for money experience compared with that offered by the lodges with which they are in competition. This is an issue for them but my main concern lies with their management of the Park.

Firstly, I was extrememly concerned by their seeming lack of an effective response to a fire in the Park when I was there at the beginning of October. I first noticed the fire in the morning as a very small column of smoke which by the end of the day had extended on at least a 5km front from the western edge of the park right up to the Pan. I was told this was not the first big fire recently and would like to be assured that the NWR was learning from its recent experiences in this regard.

Secondly, the absence of rangers on patrol within the Park meant that there was little policing going on. It suggested to me that the aminals of secondary importance and this might be symptomatic of a neglect of the environmental conservation aspect of managing the park and that sadly it is increasingly looked upon by government as solely a cash cow."

"An unforgettable trip. Everything worked well and repayed careful planning. We did 3000km in two weeks. This was far enough. We know some try and do too much and this must be a mistake as one needs to stop and draw breath and experience the desert.

Maruska was a great help when I was struggling to organise the trip on my own.

I will certainly use Expert Africa again

Suggestions for improvement:

I was very impressed with the guidebiook which became our bible. The only shortcoming was the comment on Swartfontein in the guidebook. The italians left four years ago and the new owners, although perfectly nice, are very much concentrating on hunting and those of a mild disposition may find it uncomfortable if there are hunters amongs their fellow guests.

Thanks Maruska for your care and attention."