Africa: Reviews from our travellers

"I enjoyed it very much despite the numerous bites I had at the end of the trip. S. Luangwa is a lovely park, amazing for leopard lovers. But it gets very hot this time of the year and hence, it is difficult to enthuse yourself and other guests to walk.

It was the first time to travel alone and I may say that I kind of liked it... I also liked the fact that the camps were pretty empty, I was only with one more guest. The downturn is that one of my fellow guests that I shared drive with she is an avid wildlife photographer, hence I had to compromise or stretch my patience often.... but as we say life is a compromise!

The night drives are interesting as well and it works out well as it gets dark by 6pm, so you can go about for an hour after the sun-downer before you return to the camp. You see wildlife that you wouldn't otherwise ( e.g beautiful genets)

If I return, most likely I will skip the Luangwa river camp." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zambia safari

"On our 3 week stay in Hwange our wish was to spend the maximum time game viewing. And this was what we got, from the moment we stepped off the aircraft at Manga airstrip until the time we left. Absolutely brilliant!

Expert Africa is very efficient and Tom took into account everything we wanted from the outset, spending some time to juggle things around to fit in with timings, availability and budget.

We were looking for small basic bush camps and the 4 camps we stayed in ranged from the more basic to those with slightly more comfort. Each provided their own unique experience, and even the more basic camps were extremely comfortable.

In a country that is currently experiencing a food and fuel shortage, it is unbelievable how these camps still manage to keep providing such an excellent service. And how they manage to provide such good food and in such quantities. We have both come back several pounds heavier!!

In all the camps, the staff were efficient and friendly and the guiding was exceptional. It was great to see that people living and working in that environment all the time are still so passionate about the wildlife around them. The available activities such as game drives, walks, and using the hides, gave a good variety, and made for an excellent experience with some extremely close encounters with the wildlife!

With all wildlife you can never guarantee what you will see, and it is very much dependent on time of year and weather conditions. Overall we had an abundant and excellent wildlife experience to make for a really great safari, and one we will never forget!

Apart from the wildlife survey list of species, we did see several other species that we would count as notable ‘sightings’, such as: some magnificent kudu, tortoise, honey badger, reedbuck, tsessebe, waterbuck, bat-eared fox, wild cat." Read full review: 23 nights in Africa; 21 on a Zimbabwe safari

"My daughter and I absolutely loved our safari and bush experiences. The bush camp staff were exceptionally committed, knowledgeable, and hospitable.

Unfortunately, we were terribly disappointed with the last part of the trip in Zanzibar." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 12 on a Tanzania safari

"This was a wonderful trip and our first experience of a safari holiday. It exceeded all our expectations.

We didn't have to worry about any of the arrangements and were met when we were supposed to be met and given clear instructions of timings to be collected. The safari camps were different in their own way but were both most satisfactory. The free laundry service was an added bonus and our rooms (tents) were kept spotlessly clean and tidy. At Impala Camp we had our own Masai man to escort us to and from our tents in case there were any visiting animals. He was always there and yet was unobtrusive.

The only concern was the tipping system, particularly in Mwagusi Camp. Here it appears the staff were only given their tips once a year, including the guides. We would have preferred to tip the guides separately as we did in Impala. We were put in a difficult position and this needs to be sorted.

It is essential to have cash! Neither camp had the facility to pay by card. We also needed to pay by cash at the hotel in Dar es Salam because their internet was down.

Pongwe Beach Hotel was almost the icing on the cake." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari

"Overall we had a great time.

All the connections worked well.

All the accommodation was good, apart from the few details we have mentioned in the report" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 8 on a Seychelles holiday

"Our trip was absolutely wonderful! We saw all the animals we'd hoped to, except for a cheetah. That gives us the excuse we need to return one day.

Our itinerary worked well - about the right number of nights in each place.

Generally, very good food and wonderful, enthusiastic service." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip

"This was my third African safari adventure and – aside from the fact that I still have not crossed the Aardvark, Pangolin or Pel's Fishing Owl off my "must see" list – the trip exceeded my expectations in many ways. I liked the wide range and variety of camps and the mixture of air and road transfers, even if two of the latter were, to put it mildly, arduous. I don't regret having experienced the long drive from Amalinda to Somalisa or the one from Mkulumadzi to Pumulani, but I wouldn't want to do either of them again.

I'm happy I returned to Zimbabwe and Zambia – two outstanding wildlife countries with exceptionally skilled guides – and I very much enjoyed my introduction to Malawi. The Majete Wildlife Reserve is still in its infancy but holds great promise, and I found Lake Malawi breathtaking to look at and fascinating to explore.

Working with the Expert Africa team – and particularly with Freddie Sutton – to plan my month-long itinerary was great fun and very rewarding. Freddie is experienced, knowledgeable, patient and, above all, flexible. He responded quickly to all of my requests for changes and updates, and he always found an attractive alternative where one was needed. Even when a slight glitch arose during my time away, he immediately resolved it and all went well." Read full review: 38 nights in Africa; 11 on a Zimbabwe safari

"As mentioned elsewhere, the highlight of this trip was the Karoo National Park.

Its a pity that Expert Africa do not extend their horizon to this area. It is really worth taking a 3-4 day detour north of R62 and the Garden Route. Karoo National Park was truly exceptional, Graaff-Reinet worth a visit, Prince Albert simply delightful, the Swartberg Pass unmissable.

This was my fourth holiday with Expert Africa - they continue to be my first choice" Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 11 on a South Africa trip

"This was a most enjoyable holiday and far exceeded our expectations.

Namibia is absolutely beautiful and unspoilt and you don't appreciate its beauty unless you drive between lodges. The holiday was short - 9 nights - very well planned as driving distances, although quite long, were not excessive and we had two night stays in most of the camps allowing early morning game drives on the full day. One does spend a lot of time in cars as the drive between camps is about 6 hours and on arrival you are then taken out on a 4 hour game drive. The camps do not have an abundance of game which is why game drives are long but are pleasantly interrupted with snacks or sundowners depending on the time of day.

The guides were, without exception, excellent, and the standard of the camps was universally very good. Travellers coming from England will find fuel and drinks prices cheap compared with England (diesel is about £0.60 per litre) but it is essential to pay for petrol with cash as fraudulent use of credit cards is reportedly rife, so buy plenty of S Africa rands before leaving England.

Expert Africa warned us of this and it was confirmed several times by locals. It is wise to have some cash in small denominations as everyone, including those at petrol stations, will expect a tip We found this a most enjoyable and well organised holiday and we were given much useful advice by Expert Africa before our departure but despite all warnings the only problem we experienced was a single puncture.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

This was a very well constructed holiday by people who clearly know what they are doing.

We were very well warned about all the potential problems almost to the point of wondering whether we should continue with our plans or not and while this is very important it is probably worth saying to clients that if they are sensible they are no more likely to experience anything untoward than they are on any other motoring holiday, apart from the poor quality of the roads. Unless we were just very lucky!

Many thanks to Claire and Expert Africa for organising a wonderful holiday in Namibia." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip

"A three week trip including 9 separate flights and 3 countries worked well.

It is reassuring to have the expertise of Expert Africa to arrange all the local contacts, meet & greet personnel and transfers that ensures all the elements fit together." Read full review: 22 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zambia safari