Africa: Reviews from our travellers

"We did have a great time, but all the little things mentioned before just meant that we had a good time and not a special time which we felt we had when we came back from Tanzania the last time we went on safari (and to be fair I expected for the amount of money we spent). For example in Tanzania the camp manager would sit down with us the evening before and discuss our activities for the next day, the communication was not very good on this holiday, we were not given a choice on drives or told where we were doing except in Nsefu. When we went to go on an alternative route in Tena Tena we had to turn around as the guide said we cannot go that way as they are going there (which was the two French guys).

At Robin's house Helen was given a lot of food she could eat that was especially made, and whilst Polly made an effort at mealtimes, Helen was limited with snacks etc at both Nsefu and Tena Tena, ( I put on weight eating all the cakes etc and she lost weight). But Helen did have sandwiches on the last day from Tena Tena out of rice flour.

The holiday was a 9 or 9.5 out of 10 but so easily could have been a 10 which was the disappointing part for all of us but especially Helen with it being her first safari.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

I was very pleased with the service we received from both Maruska and you as a company, I would certainly recommend you and would be keen to book with you again." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zambia safari

"The trip had the uncanny quality of feeling once in a lifetime whilst making you desperate to return.

We had great advice from Elizabeth in the Expert Africa team and couldn't have been more delighted with the choices we made on where to stay and what to do with our time. The planning was well done in advance and every element hung together seemlessly - every connection was made, all transport was waiting, everyone with whom we were staying knew to expect us.

We're already thinking about where to go next and wouldn't hesitate to pick up the phone to Expert Africa in the future to help us plan another great trip." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zanzibar holiday

"1. A few thoughts about the Nissan X-Trail

Almost all of the time this was an adequate and comfortable vehicle for touring Namibia. The ground clearance was quite good, the tyres were good, no punctures in 3710kms. The visibility for gameviewing and birdwatching was good. However we did take it to Terrace Bay and nearly lost traction in some of the stretches of soft sand in the final 50kms of the road up the Skeleton Coast on the way there; coming back we attacked the sand with a bit more speed and got through without a problem but we did bottom the vehicle fortunately without damage but the brakes did squeal until all the sand and gravel had worked their way out. Our advice would be not to attempt this final bit of road in anything less rugged than an X-Trail and even then care should be taken and the use of a 4x4 vehicle seriously considered.

Fuel economy was quite good and there was never a problem. We had had concerns about the lack of a fuel station at the Dolomite Camp in Western Etosha but this was not an issue. The tank capacity of an X-Trail is 65litres and we were using fuel at the rate of 1litre per 11kms, giving us a range of well over 600kms. After refuelling at Kamanjab the distnce to the Dolomite Camp was 110kms; during our two days of game viewing we travelled 259kms; the journey from Dolomite to Okaukuejo was 177kms. Thus we did 546kms before refuelling at Okaukuejo where we put 43.41litres into the tank meaning that we had at least 20litres left. We thought that this information may be of use to you if anyone else queries the range of an X-Trail and is worried about the lack of a fuel station in Western Etosha. Our opinion is that there should be no problems provided you have a good idea of the capacity and consumption of your vehicle and keep an eye on the distance you travel.

2. A few thoughts about our route.

We had a really good tour. As we had been before we had a good idea of what to expect with regard to road surfaces and the lack of other traffic, so that was fine. The distances we set ourselves to travel each day were not too far; our longest drives were from Swakopmund to Terrace Bay and from Onguma to Windhoek. Both of these were no problem after early morning starts, reaching our destinations well before 1600h. We deviated slightly from the route suggested by Sabina when we left the Damaraland Camp and went to Kamanjab on the C43 over the Grootberg Pass instead of on the C39 at the suggestion of the guides at Damaraland, they said it would be quicker, we're not sure about this but it certainly was an interesting drive. Some of the other drives we had were really spectacular.

3. The places we visited and the things we did.

Erongo was excellent, good walks, very interesting bird watching for us Europeans.
Swakopmundwe were not sure about; it has become a styllish resort which caters for a different type of holiday. We did the Welwitschia Drive and had a splendid day in the desert although it was a bit disturbing to see so much mining prospecting taking place and the transformation of Goanicontes into a camping resort is amazing. Swakopmund does now have some good shops to stock up for trips further north.
We have mentioned Terrace Bay, Damaraland and the camps in Etosha already. All gave us really memorable experiences. Overall our animal watching was very successful, We would have liked to have seen cheetahs in Etosha as we had done on our previous visits but the number of rhinos we saw and the splendid views of a leopard made up for it. We found some parts of Etosha a bit busy, particularly around Namutoni where there seemed to be quite a few large coaches making a lot of noise- not a good way to travel around Etosha and a bit disruptive for everyone else.
As well as the wildlife and rhe wonderful scenery our trip was made special by the warmth and friendliness of all the people we met. Even filling up the car becomes a social event!

And finally, of coursr, we have to thank Sabina and her colleagues for organising such a great trip. we are already our next one in our minds, maybe in 2014." Read full review: 24 nights in Africa; 22 on a Namibia trip

"The fact that we have now made ten trips with EA since 2006 speaks for itself - and this one was right up there with the best. We continue to have no hesitation recommending Chris and his team to others." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zimbabwe safari

"I can't find enough superlatives to describe the overall experience of the trip (despite the few difficulties listed in the wider feedback). In fact, even the tyre problems, listed at the begining of the document, were a part of the overall experience and have now become a signifiicant part of the 'adventure' and of the telling.

This was very well organised and the accomodation excellent. I can't thank Sabina enough.

A great trip though hard work at times. Deffinitely not a holiday for those with poolside inclinations but what an adventure.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Some additional recomendations for any one doing a similar trip at this time i.e probably wanting to see the flowers. Don't miss out a trip round the cape for wild protea. Don't miss out Kirstenbosch. On the journey north take the coast road from Cape Town and take in the West Coast National Park with the Postberg reserve. The flowers are stunning and there are also game and bird viewings to be had. The coast road is good with good tarmac. Make sure your car has a ZA sticker on the back as the Namibian police at the Orange river border will threaten to fine you if you don't get one put on at the service station just after the border.

As soon as you get into Namibia go to the service station anyway and get your type pressures checked and deflated to about 1.80 - 2.00Atm for the gravel roads or you risk having punctures." Read full review: 23 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"Our trip was a once in a lifetime experience. One that will never be forgotten.

All the camps and lodges were different, as were the national parks and animal reserves. And we loved them all. We saw all the animals and birds in their natural habitat. Our guides were wonderful and very knowledgeable. WE were lucky that we had our own guide and jeep all the time, except for Lamai Serengeti. It made it easy for us to see all the animals in comfort. We have more Camps and Lodges to see in Tanzania.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

None, you have done a marvelous safari tour for us." Read full review: 39 nights in Africa; 34 on a Tanzania safari

"Our first safari in Africa and we definitely hope it will not be our last. We were fascinated by all we saw, heard, felt, experienced and learnt. We loved it. Seeing so many animals up-close-and-personal is such an experience and privilege. We had to keep pinching ourselves that we were actually there in the places we had only read about or seen on our TV screens.

We appreciated Liz listening to our 'wants' and coming up with the solution that to get the experiences we wanted we should combine the North and the South of Tanzania - excellent.

We are glad we did not spend more time in the more crowded areas of the Serengeti, and so glad we went up to the border near the Mara River, before flying down South to Ruaha (Mwagusi) and Selous (Beho Beho). Each camp so different - each with their own special feeling - but each providing wonderfully efficient service, given with warmth and friendliness.

We just have to save now for another safari......

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Only a minor point which relates to us as one passenger is a bad traveller - if a trip required flying over the Serengeti - try to arrange morning flights which apparently are not as bumpy!!!" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 11 on a Tanzania safari

"Overall we enjoyed our trip.we had chosen to self drive for the first time and found no issues with safety, fuel stops, money etc.
The drives were long at times but the roads are really good, air con was welcome in the heat.

Namibia is a stunning destination, such spectacular scenery and amazing wildlife, this is what we came for.

Expert Africa selected some lovely lodges for us and the service provided in planning our trip with Sabina in particular was extremely helpful.
We are grateful for her help and advice and say a big thank you to those at Expert Africa for intoducing us to Namibia." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip

"We enjoyed our stay in Zimbabwe and found a very warm welcome from everyone we met. There is obviously a strong desire to promote tourism and in Victoria we were thanked for going there.

Many friends questioned the safety of our choice of destination before we went and so we ended up saying safari in Africa after a while! We encountered no problems nor any hostility towards us at all. We will now be able to tell people so.

Cash purchasing is all important so take plenty of it - 4 of the places we stayed had safe facilities. No one wanted travellers cheques, and credit machines seldom worked.

In Victoria, vendors are persistent but not aggressive - just keep in mind they just want to make a $. There are plenty of tourist police on hand if need be.

The Falls are stunning and well worth the visit. We had 3 nights in Victoria. Two is more than enough if it is only the Falls that you wish to see and in fact we did that on arrival so 1 night would have been sufficient for us with more time on safari.


Importantly the game viewing is excellent and the regions offer a great deal of contrast so it is worth doing as much as you can afford! I would not recommend less than 3 nights in any camp/area if travelling between regions as the travelling is long and tiring. Travel arrangements need improving overall including communication about them.

The guiding was all of a very good standard with obvious enthusiasm.
We had hoped to do more walking, but were constrained by our travel arrangements. This is a great pity. For the nervous, think carefully before choosing Goliath as the proximity to wildlife is challenging and could be very uncomfortable for some. For those who would like the experience, it is awesome.

We would recommend Zimbabwe from the experience we had. Just plan your route carefully" Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zimbabwe safari

"The trip was amazing, Rwanda exceed our expectations and I wished we'd stayed longer. Selous is a worthy extension and I couldn't have been happier with all the guides, transfers, flights and all but one of the hotels!

I would like to put in a plea that EA consider booking Rwandair air connections between Kigali-DAR/Kili. They are by far the most efficient and organised airline I've used in Africa and for clients looking to do a similar trip I would opt to book your own internal flights, than go back to Nairobi using EA partner airlines.

Thanks to Ellie and all at EA for organising a fabulous trip for us." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 5 on a Tanzania safari