Africa: Reviews from our travellers

"best holiday ever - can't wait to go back!" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 11 on a Zambia safari

"Overall, we had a fantastic trip to Rwanda. Got great gorilla sightings and a bonus sighting of one of the research groups on the way back from Karisoke. We had to walk through shoulder high stinging nettles to get out of their way but it was worth it!

The people of Rwanda are lovely, very friendly, welcoming and they seem genuinely delighted that we chose to visit their country. The country itself is beautiful, stunning landscape and incredibly clean. I enjoyed it as much as I did the first time I visited and would love to go back again! William [Rwanda guide] was very good, very polite and very knowledgeable. Would maybe have been nice if he was a little bit more talkative at times, but he appeared a bit shy. Could not fault his guiding though and he looked after us very well.

He asked us to say hello to Tracy. He talked about guiding you a couple of years ago and sends his best wishes!

And on the final evening when we were feeling fed up about going home, we visited the Palacina suites in Nairobi - wow what a place! Beautiful rooms and a fantastic meal to finish our trip. We would definitely go back there! Thank you for the suggestion!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service

Keep doing more of the same! I would definitely use you again for a bespoke trip to Africa and would happily recommend you to others - in fact I have done so already!" Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 6 on a Rwanda safari

"The balance between resting and activities, the Indian Ocean coast and Stone Town produced a great 4 days in Zanzibar and we managed to fit in all we had wanted and more.

Fisherman Tours the Expert Africa representatives were really helpful and helped to arrange a Spice Tour (good idea to do on the trip between the east coast and Stone Town) and also a walking tour of Stone Town. It might have been a good idea to have had a list of possible activities that they coudl arrange before leaving home as quite a lot of information was given to you on the trip from the airport to hotel.

Good idea to get a Zantel SIM and 10,000Zsh credit before leaving Stone Town area - we made loads of calls to mobiles and UK and still didn't run out of credit by end of week.

Safari Blue (www.safariblue.net) was a brilliant decision to take up - we read about it at Shooting Star and as total novices had been a bit nervous about doing a day trip with dhow sailing and snorkelling but this was a really well organised but friendly and informal activity and excellent value for money at $55 per preson for an all inclusive whole day of dolphin watching, dhow sailing, coral snorkelling, great food, chilled drinks, a trip in a traditional fishing katamaran, flooded mangrove swimming all in a friendly and helpful atmosphere. Good also to see the company using some of the profits to reinvest in local communities - definitely to be recommended.

Taking a walking tour on first afternoon in Stone Town was a good idea as it meant we enjoyed the subsequent time more as we felt confident about where things were and more happy to venture off the main routes and see more than we would have done if not." Read full review: 5 nights in Africa; 4 on a Zanzibar holiday

"As ever everything was very well organised and any problems ironed out before they become a problem. Some trips just work and this was one of those trips.

It is all in the planning and the fantastic staff at EA - thanks again Claire and well done - I enjoyed the fruits of your hard work.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Get a spell checker for this form!!" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 14 on a Tanzania safari

"We loved Namibia. The people, animals, landscape etc. After our tour fell through with Jules Verne we were a bit apprehensive but you were so helpful and reassuring and we felt that we could manage the Self Drive. [Ed: these travellers booked a trip to Africa with a tour operator, which fell through. Then they came to us, to help them swiftly create a trip!]

We found some of the gravel roads in the Namib/Naukluft area poor - particularly the D854 where we had a puncture. Hot and heavy work changing the wheel but we managed it. Puncture No 2 outside Walvis Bay was changed rapidly by a farmer and his son. We should have liked longer but our main holiday was in the Cape. We liked the feeling of frienliness and confidence in the people which must come with their independence. Enjoyed doing our own thing particularly in Etosha - 3 nights wqs just right." Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 8 on a Namibia trip

"We are not normally prone to superlatives but can safely say that every aspect of our trip from the moment we first contacted Expert Africa exceeded all our expectaions, and by a considerable margin. This truly was a trip of a lifetime for us and something that we will never forget.

We could not possibly have contemplated this without the expert advice, guidance and assistance from Expert Africa.

Suggestions for improvements:

Perhaps it is actually a good thing but If anything, your brochure probably undersold the camps and lodges that we visited. They were far better than we had expected them to be." Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari

"Our trip was a really great experience and we enjoyed everything we did. A good mix of a holiday. Well planned and it worked well.

All the arrangements worked perfectly some turning out better than expected.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

NO!!!!!!!" Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"We would like to thank Lucy Copson for helping put together such a wonderful experience.

The choice of camps suited us perfectly." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 9 on a Botswana safari

"We were impressed with the organisation and genuinely friendly welcome from everyone we met in Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe.

Well done to the teams at Expert Africa, Kwando Safari & Wilderness Safaris. Everything went perfectly from the moment we left London to our return 10 days later. We jsut wish we could have stayed longer!

Suggestions for improvements:

Keep up the good work.

This was our first organised trip (we're normally spur of the moment backpackers) but we didn't feel constrained by having everything laid on. This holiday was a total VIP experience and fabulous from start to finish. Thank you." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 6 on a Botswana safari

"The places we stayed were all we hoped they would be and more.

The Z-Hotel and its location may not be everyone preference, especially for those seeking a more isolated, santatised type "Maldives" experience. For my Wife and I it was a perfect change to the "Maldives" type experience as we travelled to the Maldives last September.

The Safari was simply amazing on all levels !!

We would not have changed anything ... although at a push knowing what I know now I may have opted for an alternate hotel in Dar es Salaam for the last night." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zanzibar holiday