This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more

Skip to main content

Talk to an expert 1-800-242-2434 Lines open now

User menu

Traveller reviews

Travel reviews by Mr L & Mrs O from PA, USA

Review Distribution

Excellent
Good
Average
Poor
Terrible

Total number of trips

2

Countries visited

3

Lodges stayed in

12

Excursions taken

2

Our second great Expert Africa safari

Rwanda and 2 other countries between 5 Feb 2017 and 24 Feb 2017

Trip rating: Excellent
"Thank you again, Maruska. Everything went absolutely perfectly, exactly according to plan. We just could not have asked for more, truly a trip of a lifetime. We especially loved Primate Safaris in Rwanda and our guide Sura."

Arranged By Maruska AdyeRowe


Hotel des Mille Collines

Hotel des Mille Collines

"Quiet Stay Downtown"

1 night Arrived 5 Feb 2017
"Very good choice in downtown Kigali. Good food and wonderful staff, convenient location downtown. We especially enjoyed breakfast on the terrace."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

"Home in the Mountains"

5 nights Arrived 6 Feb 2017
"The only reason not to give this hotel an excellent rating was the slippery shower, a small detail but my wife slipped and fell. Luckily only her pride was injured, though she was a bit sore the next day. Other than that, the food was wonderful, a mix of local and international fare and the staff was super. We would return here without hesitation.

Whilst at Gorilla Mountain Lodge these guests did a morning trek in search of Golden Monkeys; here's what they said about it:
Easy hike and a good way to aclimate oneself to the altitude. We were pleasantly surprised as to how close the monkeys got.

They also did three Gorilla treks; and here's what they said about those:
For anyone who loves animals and the outdoors, this is a must at least once in your life. We did three treks and it kept getting better each day. Day 1 was the Isabukuru Group, a med level hike of 2.5 hours. After 45 minutes with the Silverback, heavy rain and hail began and we eventually called it quits, though it was still a wonderful experience. Day 2 was the Agashya Group, an easy 1 hour hike in the beautiful sunshine where we were rewarded with great views of the Silverback. Day 3 was the Hirwa Group, another mid level 2 hour hike. This group with its playful youngsters was wonderful beyond words."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Golden Monkey Trekking

Golden Monkey Trekking

"Gorilla Warmup"

7 Feb 2017 • Morning excursion

Easy hike and a good way to aclimate oneself to the altitude. We were pleasantly surprised as to how close the monkeys got.
Gorilla Trekking Safari

Gorilla Trekking Safari

"Unique and Fantastic"

8 Feb 2017 • Morning excursion

For anyone who loves animals and the outdoors, this is a must at least once in your life. We did three treks and it kept getting better each day. Day 1 was the Isabukuru Group, a med level hike of 2.5 hours. After 45 minutes with the Silverback, heavy rain and hail began and we eventually called it quits, though it was still a wonderful experience. Day 2 was the Agashya Group, an easy 1 hour hike in the beautiful sunshine where we were rewarded with great views of the Silverback. Day 3 was the Hirwa Group, another mid level 2 hour hike. This group with its playful youngsters was wonderful beyond words.
Excellent
City Lodge OR Tambo

City Lodge OR Tambo

"Convenient City Lodge"

1 night Arrived 11 Feb 2017
"Convenient, clean and with a good breakfast."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Chitabe Lediba

Chitabe Lediba

"Second Great Experience at Chitabe Lediba"

3 nights Arrived 12 Feb 2017
"You simply can't find a better camp. This was our second stay here, this time during the rainy season and it was just as fabulous. Great game viewing, a surprise bush lunch and dinner in the boma. Great leopard sightings, wild dogs and more."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Tau Pan Camp

Tau Pan Camp

"Wonderful Kalahari"

3 nights Arrived 15 Feb 2017
"Botswana had fortunately received large amounts of rain and the Kalahari was in full bloom and beautiful. Tau Pan in the CKGR is a wonderful, unique location with great guides and superb service. Our guide Vasco was fantastic, typical of Kwando Safaris. Game viewing in the pans was good, though don't expect wildlife numbers like the delta. The only detail to be aware of is the day trip to Deception Valley is a long, long day and it may not be necessary to do the entire trip."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
City Lodge OR Tambo

City Lodge OR Tambo

"Clean & Convenient"

1 night Arrived 18 Feb 2017
"Would stay here again on a quick layover."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Image alt

Tswalu (Not currently featured by Expert Africa)

"Tswalu is Amazing"

4 nights Arrived 19 Feb 2017
"When you arrive at Tswalu Kalahari, you are instructed....."ANYTHING that you need or want, please let us know." And they truly mean it. Lunch and dinner is served when you want it, based on your game drives. Every guest or group has their own guide and tracker. The "huts" are huge and beautiful. We had a romantic dinner brought to us one night and served on our veranda. And the desert game is prolific. We are already planning our return."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent

The Trip of a Lifetime

Botswana and 1 other country between 13 Sep 2013 and 29 Sep 2013

Trip rating: Excellent
"Maruska, thank you so much for all your work and patience too!!! Everything went perfectly. There were no hiccups or problems of any kind.

The game viewing was better than I had hoped as we were lucky enough to see lion, leopard and cheetah at all three camps! Though observing the dogs was not a high priority for us, it turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. Eleven nights at three camps was perfect as we departed content but fatigued too!!!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Just keep doing what you are doing and give Maruska a raise!!!"

Arranged By Maruska AdyeRowe


Acorn House

Acorn House

"Your home away from home in Cape Town"

5 nights Arrived 13 Sep 2013
"No detail is too small for the staff at Acorn House...Everything is done to make your stay wonderful, from day trip ideas to restaurant reservations to knowing your favorite breakfast to the small touches in your room....the list goes on.

We especially loved the quiet neighborhood, yet you are five minutes from downtown. I can't imagine that there is a better place to stay in Cape Town."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Lagoon Camp

Lagoon Camp

"Dogs vs. Sables at Lagoon"

4 nights Arrived 18 Sep 2013
"Our first camp on our first ever safari on our first day in Botswana, we were lucky enough to observe the Lagoon pack in action. The first evening, they were unsuccessful with a warthog though they had recently eaten and their effort was half-hearted. The next day, things were more serious when they surrounded two sable antelope and the fight was on. The sables were able to drive off the dogs, who later came upon an elephant carcass where they would stay for the next three days. That same morning the dogs had driven a large male leopard up a tree for everyone's enjoyment.

We can't say enough about our guide and tracker, Carlos and Aaron. When they received word from Lebala that the Cheetah brothers were headed our way, off we sped to track them. I admit to having my doubts, but after several hours off road with Aaron periodically disappearing in the bush, there they were. My jaw hit the floor of the jeep!

The camp is lovely, the food great, the staff wonderful. We were in the last tent, which meant hippos, elephants and an occasional buffalo were our neighbors."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Chitabe Lediba

Chitabe Lediba

"Home of the Leopard"

3 nights Arrived 22 Sep 2013
"In three days we were fortunate enough to see three leopards, all wonderfully positioned for great photography. Chitabe seems to have the best game densities of the three camps that we visited.

The staff is incredible, the food outstanding. One night they served dinner in the "boma" and the following night it was dinner around the pool. We loved the fact that it is a small camp.

Our guide, Gordon was great fun and "Flame", who was doing his guide training, added another set of eyes and a sunny personality. The only negative, and not a huge one, was the afternoon helicopter sightseeing flights from the nearly soccer field. No one in camp, not the guests nor the guides nor the staff, was happy with this as it was beyond their control. It wouldn't preclude us from returning but it takes away the tranquility of the area, it makes resting in the afternoon next to impossible and certainly must affect the wildlife."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Little Kwara

Little Kwara (Not currently featured by Expert Africa)

"Little Kwara review"

4 nights Arrived 25 Sep 2013
"Once again, Kwando Safaris didn't disappoint.

We loved the guide and tracker set-up. Mothusi and Chester were a pleasure to spend four days with. And once again we were out tracking a pair of cheetahs. This time I was not surprised when Chester returned to the vehicle and told us that they were "close". Sure enough, ten minutes later there they were, lounging on a termite mound.....outstanding!!! Half the fun was observing the trackers work. Mothusi was also a wealth of knowledge about bird life in the delta. Another wonderful and friendly camp."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
City Lodge OR Tambo

City Lodge OR Tambo

"Perfect Place to Rest"

1 night Arrived 29 Sep 2013
"After eleven days, we must admit to being slightly fatigued and the City Lodge fit our needs perfectly. Convenient, clean, quiet, it was a good place to rest before our flight home. For a reasonable fee, we were allowed to stay in our room until 6 PM.

The restaurant was good, the service friendly. The only downside is that we were headed home instead of back to Botswana!!"
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Facilities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good

Login to Expert Africa

Sign in with password

Sign in with email link


New to Expert Africa? Create an account

Forgotten your details?

It's free & quick to set up

  • Save your wish-list
  • Send us an enquiry
  • Pay online for your trip
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Give us feedback on your trip
  • Full site benefits of the site

Need some help? Talk to our team