Africa: Reviews from our travellers

"This was really the trip of a lifetime! We saw and did so much. For people who like to watch birds and animals, this provided opportunities galore!

It was also a very nice itinerary, suited to our particular interests and preferences. We would have liked to be more active since we aren't used to spending so much time in vehicles, but recognize that the nature of the trip made this very difficult. Game drives made it possible to see much more, from a closer distance, with less hazard.

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Overall, the trip was very well organized. We stayed in some spectacular places.

Having the customized map and letter really helped in terms of self-drive navigation. (Two small points: The location for Okonjima was too far north for the actual turn off. Also, there were a couple of inconsistencies between the letter and the actual itinerary that looked like they were 'left overs' from a previous version of the letter.)

In terms of the overall itinerary, the trip was very well organized. If we were to do it again, we would make very few changes. We might skip BullsPort (but then wouldn't have walked at all!). We could also have skipped Mushara Bush Camp, except that we did need somewhere to overnight in about that location. Maybe we could have stayed inside the park? We loved having a waterhole chalet in Etosha and that was really a highlight. Footsteps was an interesting experience and might have been more important to us if we hadn't spent the previous 4 days kayaking and walking in the delta with a different outfitter." Read full review: 31 nights in Africa; 19 on a Namibia trip

"This is the best holiday that we have ever had in 40+ years of travelling.

Expert Africa gave a good range of camp options in Zambia. We watched their videos on Youtube. There was footage about each camp in South Luangwa and this was very helpful to us in making our selection. Robin Pope's website was also extremely useful because it showed how we could make the trip more economical by benefitting from the green season rate and the long stay discount.

Freddie was very helpful over the phone and prompt with his emails. Although there were a couple of mistakes these were quickly rectified.

The local agents at Lusaka Airport (Tour Africa) were very helpful and attentive. We were impressed by the service they provided.

Robin Pope Safaris were outstanding in every way.

We hope to book another holiday with Expert Africa and Robin Pope Safaris in 2016." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 11 on a Zambia safari

"Superb

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Some comments sent already [Ed: in lodge review pages - linked to below], no major suggestions, all went really well. Many thanks!" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"Our trip as a whole was excellent - we have never had a better holiday and will remember it forever with great affection." Read full review: 36 nights in Africa; 28 on a Namibia trip

"A great camp and super game viewing, well organised by Megan." Read full review: 6 nights in Africa; 4 on a Zambia safari

"The trip was a great experience and we had a fantastic time and will return for more.

We loved visiting Terrace Bay and the drive up the Skeleton Coast - although a bit awed by the remoteness. Swakupmund was fun, with a great day out travelling to Sandwich harbour and back. Etendeka was another great experience as was the time we spent in Etosha. Erongo was great place to finish the trip.

Sabina's suggestions (don't spend two nights at Terrace Bay, try Mushara Bush Camp) were excellent. We really appreciate her phoning us when we had broken down to check we were OK and being looked after and confirming that the replacement vehicle was on its way. Also impressed by Wilderness Safaris who co-ordinated the replacement vehicle with Bidvest and the transfer from Okaukuejo while we were waiting for it to be delivered from Windhoek.

We were enormously impressed by the back up when we had a problem with the vehicle. It was very reassuring that were not coping with it alone. THANK YOU!

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After our experience with the original car we would be inclined to book a 4x4 next time to ensure we had a more robust vehicle.

Driving on the roads we travelled wasn't a problem but the original car we had an ineffective handbrake (not spotted on delivery and not actually much of a problem parking on the flat) and a very soggy passenger seat. It seems that it had been subjected to hard treatment which may be why it broke down." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"Loved the trip. Nick put together a great itinerary, and everything was outstanding. One of our top trips ever." Read full review: 7 nights in Africa; 5 on a Botswana safari

"This was a great trip, with many good points and highlights.

We loved the Kalahari - the size, space, remoteness and sense of peace, and were very impressed at the amount game there - big herds of springbok and oryx. The Delta was special - the sense of peace, and the colours. The game was great - big herds of elephant, plus giraffe, Kudu, Oryx, Impala. We got very lucky and saw 4 adult leopard and 3 cubs over the course of the trip, plus lion hunting buffalo (unsuccessfully!).

The people are delightful - warm, relaxed and friendly, and of course the quality of guiding is very good." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 10 on a Botswana safari

"The trip exceeded all our expectations, being both memorable and enjoyable.

What was particularly impressive was the seamless way in which the different components of the trip were linked together, whether by light aircraft or ground transfers between and across borders. This clearly reflects the high quality and efficiency of all involved in the administration of our trip.

Particular credit must be given to Tracy, whose personal interest and sound advice added considerably to our holiday experience." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 8 on a Botswana safari

"This was a fantastic trip. We spent 25 days doing a full circuit of Namibia - everything we expected and far more.

I expected it to be all desert, but I never knew how many different kinds of desert there are and what amazing landscapes and geology Namibia has. Nor did I realise what a fantastic variety of wildlife and birds there are.

We chose to have a driver/guide and it was well worth every penny - he not only took all the strain of the long drives, he was also an astonishing fund of knowledge and expertise. WIthout him, we would not have seen half the things we did, nor appreciated what we did see half as much.

Then we had 9 days in the Okavango Delta, a truly amazing place where the concentration and variety of wildlife is quite extraordinary. Very good guides provided by the lodges to find all the animals. The days were filled with great experiences.

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We had a fanatastic time and no complaints at all. However, we did find that quite a few of the lodges etc were really rather over the top in their attempts to emulate 4- or 5-star hotels. It's a matter of personal preference, but we actually felt more comfortable in the places that didn't try quite so hard and were perhaps a little more authentic in their atmosphere - like Etendeka and Kwara.

If I had known better what the range of options was, I could probably have explained this to Tracy at the beginning. So my suggestion would be that your agents could maybe spend a little more time getting to know what the client's expectations are and what kind of experiences they are looking for, and discuss the options, to enable them to make better-informed choices.

My impression is that, because I didn't have a limited budget, the assumption was that we would automatically prefer the most up-market places; that doesn't apply to us and maybe others are the same." Read full review: 35 nights in Africa; 25 on a Namibia trip