Travel reviews by Mrs P from Alderley Edge

"Excellent birdwatching opportunities, none of big 5 seen.

Accommodation very comfortable and food good. On the last evening we were treated to a private table and had a musical introduction to the meal and a celebration cake. That was a lovely gesture.

We would have rated the camp average to good had it not been for the following:

Our guide Ken drove over a log on the path and it flew up and hit me on the forehead. It bled profusely and thanks to the advice of a fellow Italian guest ice was applied and after cleaning the wound with Betadine liquid the guide put a bandage on it. When we returned to the camp the management team had little idea of how to proceed. The wound had stopped bleeding and they applied some Betadine cream to some gauze which they assured me would prevent the dressing sticking and bandaged it again. The only plasters that were available were finger sized strips which were too small.

In the late afternoon we went back to remove the bandage. The gauze had stuck to the wound and in removing it it bled again. The Italian guest came to help and had a colloidal silver spray which he expertly used to stop the bleeding. Being concerned as it was a head injury we would have liked some medical advice from a trained person but the camp seemed unable/unwilling to provide this.

That evening Bruce contacted Expert Africa by email as we could not contact our insurers for lack of phone signal. Then the next day the camp management were in touch with a doctor who asked them to measure my blood pressure. They were unfamiliar with the equipment and only got a reading with the help of another of the Italian guests! The staff should be better trained in first aid and should have access to better resources."

"We have wonderful memories from this camp. The staff worked harder than anywhere else we visited to make every guest's experience special. The bush dinner was spectacular and Shaun's method of under-chair heating a triumph!

Meals were varied and very well cooked: vegetables not overcooked, meat perfectly judged. The room was spacious, the bed super comfy.
There were several children in the camp and they seemed to be having a wonderful time despite the lack of technology!

Our guide was skilled at manoeuvring in to good positions for close views of the wildlife. The presence of so many other vehicles does detract a little from the experience but is not within the camp's control At times we felt our guide stayed too long at a sighting. Even our fellow guests who were avid photographers had had enough on one occasion and told the guide we were ready to move on. His reply that he was"doing something" i.e. adjusting his camera, did not endear him to us!

Thoroughly enjoyed the mokoro trip.

The manager, Elcke, is a superb hostess. She went to considerable lengths to arrange a trauma nurse to fly in to check the injury I received in an accident at the previous camp at a time which didn't interfere with my day's activities. Her energy seemed boundless and I was in awe of her ability to look after all the guests and staff. Machaba does indeed seem like a family!"

"Although the least luxurious of the 6 camps we visited the accommodation was comfortable and the food good.

We had wonderful sightings of cheetah and cubs, jackals and, best of all, a wild dog. She had become separated from her hunting partner and was plaintively calling to re-establish contact.

Our guide, Josiah, and tracker, Gomms, were friendly and knowledgeable. Gomms made an excellent gin and tonic!"

"Very spacious, comfortable accommodation with far more natural light than most we stayed in. The bath however is a bit of style over substance - it takes ages to fill, the water is gritty and being by the large open mesh window it is draughty. The shower on the other hand was wonderful with really good water pressure.

This was where we had the most impressive sighting of the holiday: a pride of 7 lions bringing down a buffalo from a herd that had gone to the water to drink. The flurries of action followed by standoffs where the protective tightly grouped buffalo stood motionless encircled by the equally still lions made more dramatic the sudden charge by the buffalo pursued by the lions, one of which managed to cling on to the hind quarters of one buffalo. That allowed the other lions to target that injured animal. It took some time for the buffalo to give up struggling and then the lions could enjoy their meal.

Our guide Hobbs seemed rather withdrawn at first but later at communal meal times he was good company."

"Landscape here was a complete contrast as it was very dry. The wildlife was varied with outstanding views of a leopard coming to the area of the channel that retained a little moisture and fishing out barely alive catfish. As birdwatchers we enjoyed the different species found here.

Our guide, Baba, was the most charismatic of all we had met. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of flora and fauna even to the point of knowing in advance which page in the bird guide the latest sighting was on! Bruce enjoyed reading Baba's plant guide books and we learnt more from him about the culture and lifestyle of the delta residents than from anyone else.

The camp was extremely well managed and the staff always interacted fully with visitors at the communal dinners. The manager Setch led by example, always taking an active part in making our stay an enjoyable social experience.

The food in all the camps was of a good quality and here it was on a par with Machaba in being excellent."

"This was the only camp where we were offered tea and coffee to be brought to our room at the wake up call which made the 5.30 am start more enjoyable.

The camp is usually approached by boat which differentiates it from the other camps we stayed at. It was also the only camp where we had the jeep and guide to ourselves. This allowed us to spend one entire drive birdwatching with our guide Koops. Although I had been impressed by the guides at every camp being willing to address everyone's wish list and therefore give photographers their opportunities without ignoring our interest in birds, this was a treat for us.

I was also impressed by the way that if an interesting sighting was made e.g. a wild dog pack devouring a kill, guests were transferred in to other jeeps to minimise the number of vehicles.

The meals were extremely well presented and cooked. The cakes and ice creams were outstanding. It was the only camp where you ordered your main dinner dish in advance and it was served to you. In all the other camps the main dishes were served buffet style which I liked as it allowed me to try a little of everything, however it also encouraged over-indulgence!

But we will never forget our last evening when we returned to our room to find the verandah decorated with lights and messages wishing us a happy 46th wedding anniversary. A table was set ready for us to enjoy our dinner. This continued in the bedroom where towels had been twisted into amazing shapes and leaves used to spell out greetings. We spent so long trying to get flash to work on our cameras that it was only later that we went into the bathroom to find a bubble bath waiting for us with a bottle of bubbly to share! What a lovely experience!

The staff here, led by a good management team, were focused on making their guests stay as enjoyable as possible, and provided an excellent conclusion to our very special holiday."