Travel reviews by Ms. N from Montana

"At Elsas' I was met with kindness and enthusiasm. Staff members were very accommodating and could anticipate what I needed. The guiding was excellent. He took his time to correctly identify the birds with me and pointed out small details that would differentiate similar birds. I had my own guide and we left early in the morning and returned at 7:00pm in the evening. The packed meals were outstanding. Being a vegetarian, I had at least 2 choices for every part of my packed meals. The presentation was excellent: even when it was pouring rain outside the four wheel drive. I feel that this lodge had the best meals I have had in all my trips to Africa: Philip, the chef created delicious and aesthetically appealing meals each and every time.

My expectations for a safari lodge were more than met. The room was spacious and always clean and comfortable. I had a wonderful thoughtful poem on my bed each evening: food for thought. I could hear the animals in the evening and did not see any other cabins once I was in my lodgings in the evening.

The manager and assistant manager took the time to visit with me and talk about the charity work that the lodge supports. The lodge used environmentally friendly materials every day and tried to lesson their impact on the environment.

My only suggestion would be to not use those juice boxes with the plastic wrap and straws - just put some juice in a glass jar and call it good. Cloth napkins were used and thus very little waste throughout the trip."

"Frances and George were my day long guides at Serian and were full of energy and enthusiasm. They could spot all sorts of animals and birds with clarity. They took their time in correctly identifying the birds and pointed out the tiny details among similar birds. They both shared their bird books with me and discussed the details with me. The two guides shared their family life and were interested in learning about mine. We took breaks during our day long trips to eat and practice yoga. They were so enthusiastic and participated with graciousness. What a fun time we all had. Francis and George and I shared laughter all day long and became good partners in our quest to locate the animals I wished to see. They were respectful of the animals in keeping their distances. The guides and I stayed out from 6:30am until 9:30pm: as you can see, they had unparreled energy and enthusiasm for their love of the land and the animals. We tracked different animals in order to witness kills and chases. We heard lions roaring right next to the car: and cats eating their kills.
George would write down the birds for me in my booklet, while I wrote down the dates and the areas in my bird book. They would stop the car to listen to the crickets and the frogs in the dark of the evenings. They stopped the car to watch the fireflies flit about in the evenings. These guides took the time to enjoy the quietness and the beauty of the environment and made sure that I had time to experience it myself. I am so grateful that I had these two guides sharing their love of their country with me. What a treat. I shall return again: I know because this was already my second time in one year. Thank you everyone at Serian."