Travel reviews by Mr and Mrs SA from Norfolk

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Emerald time in Africa every time

On this trip, I visited Zambia between 17-Feb-2018 and 5-Mar-2018 and I travelled with 1 other person.

We might have been lucky with the weather, ie a dry Jan/Feb had reduced the grass growth, and our first week was mainly sunny with the second much more expected cloud and thunder storms late afternoon. However we saw as much if not more game and birds than we could have hoped for in the dry season.
The RPS lodges do offer "that extra bit" to guests and from excellent meals, personal issues sorted, and individual attention. A number of our drives were just the two of us and on the walks they were cleverly arranged that some could drop out early and be taken back to camp. We were very happy to walk for four hours which was not to every ones taste.
My, we were sad to go home.

I stayed at and have reviewed:

Place	Overall rating
Luangwa River Camp, Zambia 18-Feb-2018 review: Luangwa River Camp review	Excellent
Nsefu, Zambia 23-Feb-2018 review: Nsefu review	Excellent
Nkwali, Zambia 27-Feb-2018 review: Nkwali review	Excellent

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Malawi Holiday 2016

On this trip, I visited Malawi between 26-Sep-2016 and 10-Oct-2016 and I travelled with 1 other person.

Great holiday in that Pam knew what to expect.

The last two Lodges might have disappointed others who expected more and had researched less.

Malawi was disturbingly poverty stricken and food aid was obvious everywhere.

Lake Malawi is dropping alarmingly and one good rainy season will not be enough to restore the lake. What happens to the tourist business if the lake drops another metre from the September 2016 level does not bear thinking about.

I stayed at and have reviewed:

Place	Overall rating
Mvuu Wilderness Lodge, Malawi 27-Sep-2016 review: A five star Lodge for accommodation & Game	Excellent
Pumulani, Malawi 1-Oct-2016 review: Excellent but not as advertised	Excellent
Tongole Wilderness Lodge, Malawi 6-Oct-2016 review: Tongole Magic River Lodge	Excellent

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Mega holiday.......again!

On this trip, I visited Botswana, Namibia & Zambia between 21-Oct-2015 and 9-Nov-2015 and I travelled with 1 other person.

Well done Expert Africa you live up to your name again,, thanks

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

OK since Peter is writing the review he would comment about the quotation! Not the cheapest of holidays however worth every penny and Expert Africa ensured that our money bought what Pamela wanted.

Peter was surprised and more than pleased that so much of this holiday was just a few guests.........or even just the two of us.

I think Expert Africa spoilt us and the next time we go on Safari will expect a vehicle and guide to ourselves. The one day we had to go on safari on a full vehicle neither of us enjoyed the experience half as much as our other drives. Getting old perhaps but we like to stop and watch ants or ducks parading.

Perhaps a highlight was walking in Mundulea and coming across a baby hog that was dying due to a Leopard bite. Cai's comment that he could smell a Leopard and that perhaps we should move on reminds me I must go.

Thanks for an excellent holiday, see you at the Travel Show perhaps.

I stayed at and have reviewed:

Place	Overall rating
River Crossing, Namibia 22-Oct-2015 review: A nice motel lodge	Good
Mundulea Reserve, Namibia 23-Oct-2015 review: Brilliant for walkers and outdoor people	Excellent
Hakusembe River Lodge, Namibia 27-Oct-2015 review: A smart lodge motel	Good
Ndhovu Safari Lodge, Namibia 28-Oct-2015 review: Super river location lodge motel	Excellent
Nxamaseri Lodge, Botswana 30-Oct-2015 review: Moved to another lodge due to fire	Excellent
Lianshulu Lodge, Namibia 1-Nov-2015 review: Good safaris each time land & water	Excellent
Chobe Princesses, Botswana 4-Nov-2015 review: A novel African experience not to be missed	Excellent
Royal Livingstone Hotel, Zambia 6-Nov-2015 review: A Hotel as it should be	Excellent

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My April 2014 trip

On this trip, I visited Botswana & Zambia between 6-Apr-2014 and 20-Apr-2014 and I travelled with 1 other person.

Nick was straight back to us on the text when he knew we would be late and showed great forethought in reserving us a room at the Airport Hotel. The A380 had a lot of passengers who missed their flights and the hotel soon became fully booked.

As a comment if Expert Africa has customers who are "time rich" as we are [though not necessarily "cash rich" ] it might be a good idea to suggest a day's stopover after a long-haul flight. Because we had to stay over a day we started our holiday fit and refreshed and enjoyed it all. If we had arrived at Nxia Pan Camp as planned I think we would have been exhausted and it could have taken a few days to recover............the tourist schedule for retirees is pretty demanding !

I stayed at and have reviewed:

Place	Overall rating
Nxai Pan Camp, Botswana 7-Apr-2014 review: Nxai Pan was just great!	Excellent
Tubu Tree Camp, Botswana 10-Apr-2014 review: Tuba Tree Camp a MUST if you can.	Excellent
Little Vumbura, Botswana 13-Apr-2014 review: Little Vumbura review	Excellent
Royal Livingstone Hotel, Zambia 16-Apr-2014 review: Royal Livingstone Hotel..THE Falls Hotel	Excellent

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Seychelles

On this trip, I visited Seychelles between 18-Feb-2013 and 5-Mar-2013 and I travelled with 1 other person.

What a very nice place to go holidaying.................but you know this already.

On their flights with Etihad, they commented:

We hate long haul and this experience was refreshingly not too bad.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Just for the record leaving luggage at Mahe Airport cost us 10 EURO a DAY!
Our one bag for our trip to Bird Island would have paid to a few days car hire!!
The airline said that they would have stored our bag for free [excluding the tip]

I stayed at and have reviewed:

Place	Overall rating
Coco de Mer Hotel, Seychelles 19-Feb-2013 review: They do not get better than this hotel!	Excellent
Bird Island Lodge, Seychelles 25-Feb-2013 review: Heaven comes no nicer	Excellent
Hilton Northolme Resort & Spa, Seychelles 1-Mar-2013 review: A Hilton as one would expect.	Average

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Namibia was all we hoped for ..and more.

On this trip, I visited Namibia between 8-Sep-2012 and 29-Sep-2012 and I travelled with 1 other person.

Namibia is dry!
Namibia is one of the friendliest place you could ask to holiday.
Namibia has some of the best game viewing one could hope for.

I stayed at and have reviewed:

Place	Overall rating
Haus Sonneneck, Namibia 9-Sep-2012 review: Haus Sonneneck review	Good
Central Lodge, Namibia 10-Sep-2012 review: Comfortaable	Good
Fish River Lodge, Namibia 11-Sep-2012 review: Mega Place everyone should stay here!	Excellent
Dabis Guest Farm, Namibia 14-Sep-2012 review: Excellent hosts on a most interesting farm	Excellent
Desert Homestead, Namibia 15-Sep-2012 review: This was a bit	Excellent
Bullsport Guest Farm, Namibia 17-Sep-2012 review: Another interesting stay	Excellent
Beach Lodge, Namibia 19-Sep-2012 review: Very nice hotel	Excellent
Doro Nawas, Namibia 21-Sep-2012 review: Amazing Tribal Hotel	Excellent
Okaukuejo Camp, Namibia 23-Sep-2012 review: Fantastic Place	Excellent
Halali Camp, Namibia 25-Sep-2012 review: The Right place to be to see the Park.	Excellent
Erongo Wilderness Lodge, Namibia 27-Sep-2012 review: A real little find	Excellent

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Zanzibar another holiday we will not forget

On this trip, I visited Tanzania & Zanzibar between 6-Mar-2010 and 21-Mar-2010 and I travelled with 1 other person.

Well organised and just what we wanted.
Actually it was 2 weeks of 5 star treatment in 5 Star locations.

While we were rather concerned that the BA return flight would be cancelled we had to phone your office and tell them we were at risk. In the end all was well.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Second holiday with Expert Africa and again you came up trumps........though I suspect that my wife had a lot of input as well!

I stayed at and have reviewed:

Place	Overall rating
Pole Pole, Tanzania 7-Mar-2010 review: Pole Pole review	Excellent
Matemwe Lodge, Zanzibar 11-Mar-2010 review: Another unforgetable experience	Excellent
Chumbe Island Lodge, Zanzibar 16-Mar-2010 review: A lodge full of character	Excellent
Beyt al Salaam, Zanzibar 19-Mar-2010 review: A nice place to stay is Beyt al Chai	Excellent

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Amazing bang for your bucks!

On this trip, I visited Zambia between 3-Oct-2008 and 16-Oct-2008 and I travelled with 1 other person.

I have run out of ways of saying excellent............we cried all the way home on British Airways flight.

Suggestions for improvement:

I hope that Tafika's recipe of giving the best, not spoiling the dish by overloading the camps, and charging a price that gives them the return they want is the right one for the future.

A costly holiday no doubt; but cheap at the price !

I stayed at and have reviewed:

Place	Overall rating
Tafika, Zambia 4-Oct-2008 review: The Tafika experience is hard to beat..do it!	Excellent
Chikoko Tree Camp, Zambia 6-Oct-2008 review: A room with a view, and what a view.	Excellent
Crocodile Bushcamp, Zambia 8-Oct-2008 review: Waterhole magic from your window	Excellent
Tafika, Zambia 10-Oct-2008 review: We came back and nearly stayed for ever	Excellent
Mwaleshi Camp, Zambia 12-Oct-2008 review: A wilder bushcamp experience	Excellent
Taj Pamodzi Hotel, Zambia 15-Oct-2008 review: Back to earth with a bump	Average