Africa: Reviews from our travellers

"We had a very good trip and we are very happy to do it with Expert Africa. All the information that Eleanor gave us before our departure on the camps and the parks were very honest and correct. Maybe more clarification was needed on Mafia Marine park entrance fees, but it was also our mistake.

We were very happy to deal with Eleanor and whole Expert Africa team. Thanks." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 10 on a Tanzania safari

"Key in our overall experience to Tanzania on our first trip to Africa and our first safari was ELEANOR DUNKELS fondly refered to as Ellie by us. We could have chosen just about any company but we went with Expert Africa specifically because of Ellie.

We travel frequently but nothing like this holiday as we were celebrating 3 memorable birthdays. A trip such as this was expensive and extensive from the US and Ellie handled everything for us in not only a professional but a very personal way as well. She answered every single question perfectly and believe me there were many!

Ellie, this trip was taylored to us perfectly. Each stay offered such diversity, excitment, and charm we were entirely enchanted with each and every choice you suggested and help us select. You budgeted our money in all the right places. Keen in planning!

Every single transfer, company, guide, accomadation and parks went off without a single hitch.

Perfect in every way possible from first contact to follow-up to holiday to home!

Tanzania tourist board has just recently began an advertising program on US tv chanels, most specifically CNN.

We would not hesitate to recommend Expert Africa to any of our friends.

Thank you for giving our travel money such great value. Money well spent makes you Expert Africa.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Just wanted to advise specifically about shopping in the Arusha area of Tanzania. Not sure where to note this.

The cultural center outside Arusha town was fantastic in price, extensive merchandise, service and even offer shipping via DHL which has an office on site. Much easier and better priced than one could ever haggle for at other markets. I tried! Allow travelers a few hours to shop after safari bush flights on the way out of the country. This place was truely great." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 11 on a Tanzania safari

"We would have stayed longer if we could.....We have traveled with expert africa before and hopefully we will again." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 12 on a Tanzania safari

"I think we could have done with only 3 locations in Botswana as Chitabe Lediba and Selinda in many ways were quite similar. We will know for next time!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

All went extremely well and efficiently.

Afterwards we spent 2 weeks on our own in South Africa and I felt the difference straight away, in terms of organisation and things going wrong. We had to bribe a policeman to get off a speeding fine, hit a stray tyre on the road, etc etc." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 11 on a Botswana safari

"We had a wonderful time, we loved the isolation, the landscapes, the peace and quiet, the wildlife and the great lodges. We found the driving easy and enjoyable and the people were very friendly and welcoming. Namibia was a perfect destination for us and one that we will return to.

Gwynneth was very helpful making suggestions for accommodation when my preferred, researched ones, were unavailable. I had not realized in my inital dealings with Gwynneth that she was from Namibia though her knowledge and personal experiences should maybe have gven me a clue!! What I was impressed with was Gwynneths 'connection' to my trip - I didn't need to remind her of were we wanted to go or wanted to stay and felt she got a good measure of us and our needs/wants in making the recommendations she did. She also dealt with any query, no matter how minor, with ease and enthusiasm (even though I'm sure I asked some pretty basic and cautionary questions). Gwynneth also dealt with the unfortunate cancellation of Air Namibia flights from London very efficiently and calmly - which helped me not get too worked up about it either.

We would recommend Expert Africa to our friends and hope to travel with you again. One of the great pluses of your service is that you confirm the whole trip prior to any comittment being made by the customer - don't change it!! Loved the travel document wallet too (the little things count)." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip

"We had a wonderful trip despite a few blips, none of which were down to Expert Africa and we have recommended your services very highly to fellow travellers of all nationalities. In most of the camps visited it was lovely that they had taken note of your having informed all camps of the celebratory nature of our trip.

Bearing in mind the importance of transport to travellers in Namibia notice should be taken of our comments re Budget as one of the greatest worries on a trip of this nature is the comfort and reliability of your vehicle.

Namibia remains one of favourite destinations and we shall visit again. This is a wonderful country, totally different to all the others we have visited both in scale and emphasis and the people are wonderfully friendly and genuinely hospitable. We were met with true kindness and enthusiasm including when we travelled a scenic D route ( D2319 on our way to Uis), very much off the beaten track and were met by a steep bank and water filled river. On getting out of the vehicle to determine the water depth and whether we should proceed we were suddenly surrounded by a group of young boys herding cattle upstream who encouraged us to proceed, promising that they would push us out if needs be. It cost us all our biscuits, a little bit of money and lots of laughs. This was typical of our welcome everywhere we travelled.

This was our second trip, but was even more enjoyable as we had decided to take more time to enjoy this wonderful country. The scenery, the scale and the people make this an unparalled destination.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Thank you as always. You make planning the holidays a pleasure and think of absolutely everything even before we do. We know we can follow your recommendations with complete confidence and recommend you to others withour reservation." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 17 on a Namibia trip

"There aren't enough superlatives in the dictionary to describe how good this holiday was. we've never done anything like it before, but sincereley hope we will again, and if we do will come straight back to Expert Africa.

Everything worked like clockwork, the people were friendly and efficient, and we were treated like royalty everywhere we went. Thank you so much.

Suggestions for improvements:

Not really! As close to a perfect holiday as we've ever experienced." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zambia safari

"Overall, this trip fulfilled our wishes.

We got to see a lot of leopards and we returned to one of the best places we've stayed at in Africa - Chiawa." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zambia safari

"Best safari we have ever had.

Suggestions for mprovements:

You probably need to put more emphasis on the point you made about ensuring that US Dollars are post 2001. I ordered mine from my bank via the internet, and although I specified that they nwere needed for Tanzania i was give two $50 Dollar bills which were not accepted. I am taking up the matter with my bank's foreign exchange department. They should know better." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 6 on a Tanzania safari

"We had sought to cover more than most in a 16 day trip, and the combination of road & flights worked really well, so thank you Maruska for putting together such a workable itinerary. It helped that A loves driving and so was more than happy to cover 450km in a day when needed - and the roads were quite okay. Worst bit was a patch on the C12 to Fish River canyon (very bumpy) but other than that we had some fantastic drives, particularly the C13 from Fish River canyon up to Aus - stunning!

Our route was Windhoek-Bagatelle-Fish River Canyon-Aus-Luderitz-Wolwedans-Little Kulala (by car) and then Doro Nawas-Ongava Lodge-Windhoek by plane. It was a throughly enjoyable mixture of hikes, wildlife, dunes, scenic drives and flights. We consider ourselves immensely privileged to have seen Namibia's nature when it wished to reveal itself - be it lion cub, hyena, scorpion, desert elephant, rainbow, lightening... fabulous!

Suggestions for improvements:

Only thing I would have appreciated was a simple guide to birds & wildlife - just a basic booklet of the most likely suspects. I picked up a check-list (no pictures) at Little Kulala, and bought the Etosha guide booklet - but that was our last stop so it was tricky remembering what we'd seen. Couldn't find anything suitable in any of the lodge shops en route and didn't want or need individual books on birds, mammals, reptiles etc" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip