Travel reviews by Family A from Scarborough

My Sep 2018 trip

On this trip, I visited Botswana, Namibia, South Africa & Zimbabwe between 5-Sep-2018 and 2-Oct-2018 and I travelled with 1 other person.

This was our third trip with Expert Africa and our biggest. I had planned this trip over a couple of years to celebrate my retirement and was not disappointed.

I would change a few things, with hindsight.

Erongo deserves at least two nights. Trust me.
Zimbabwe was a challenge. Getting in took ages. We did not feel at all welcome. I would advise staying in Zambia and travelling in to see the Falls.

As a general rule, lodges where you are able to go off road are better. The exception this rule is Chobe, just because of the scale of the wildlife experience that you are exposed to.
In future (God willing), I would transit through Jo'burg faster.

See you in a coupe of years, God willing.

I would be tempted by a lodge with perhaps more water based activities in the delta.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

No.
Keep doing what you are doing.

I stayed at and have reviewed:

Place	Overall rating
The Residence 6-Sep-2018 review: The Residence review	Good
Olive Grove, Namibia 8-Sep-2018 review: Olive Grove review	Good
Cornerstone Guesthouse, Namibia 9-Sep-2018 review: Cornerstone Guesthouse review	Excellent
Erongo Wilderness Lodge, Namibia 12-Sep-2018 review: Erongo Wilderness Lodge review	Excellent
Okaukuejo Camp, Namibia 13-Sep-2018 review: Okaukuejo Camp review	Good
Mushara Bush Camp, Namibia 16-Sep-2018 review: Mushara Bush Camp review	Excellent
Olive Grove, Namibia 17-Sep-2018 review: Olive Grove review	Good
Muchenje Safari Lodge, Botswana 18-Sep-2018 review: Muchenje Safari Lodge review	Excellent
Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp, Botswana 21-Sep-2018 review: Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp review	Excellent
Sandibe Safari Lodge, Botswana 24-Sep-2018 review: Sandibe Safari Lodge review	Excellent
Victoria Falls Hotel, Zimbabwe 27-Sep-2018 review: Victoria Falls Hotel review	Good
InterContinental O.R. Tambo, South Africa 30-Sep-2018 review: InterContinental O.R. Tambo review	Excellent

My Sep 2016 trip

On this trip, I visited South Africa between 24-Sep-2016 and 14-Oct-2016 and I travelled with 1 other person.

The best safari we have ever had. Great accommodation. Planning our 2018 trip now.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

No. Keep doing what you are doing and I will be back

I stayed at and have reviewed:

Place	Overall rating
InterContinental O.R. Tambo, South Africa 24-Sep-2016 review: InterContinental O.R. Tambo review	Excellent
Londolozi Founders Camp 25-Sep-2016 review: Londolozi Founders Camp review	Excellent
Ocean Eleven, South Africa 4-Oct-2016 review: Ocean Eleven review	Excellent
The Last Word Franschhoek, South Africa 7-Oct-2016 review: The Last Word Franschhoek review	Excellent
Victoria & Alfred Hotel, South Africa 10-Oct-2016 review: Victoria & Alfred Hotel review	Excellent

Namibia holiday

On this trip, I visited Namibia between 6-Aug-2010 and 23-Aug-2010 and I travelled with 5 other people.

This was an adventure, not a holiday. 3000km of amazement.

The distances and the challenges of the roads were greater than I expected. The sheer scale of the country amazed us. The contrast between so many different areas meant that it was like having several different holidays in one. We have travelled in Kenya and South Africa in the past and apart from Windhoek, felt completely safe.

Kayaking with Cape fur seals, the balloon flight and tracking leopards were really top ten experiences. Tracking the desert adapted elephants was also very special.

Etosha was difficult to get a handle on because it is so vast. We had a fabulous leopard sighting where a big male leopard had taken to some shade under the solar panel that was powering the water pump for the waterhole. It eventually rolled off the platform and started stalking an impala but did not complete the attack and then we had to leave.

Lodge staff were very helpful especially at Doro Nawas and Okonjima. I cannot recommend Okonjima enough. It was fabulous.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

You could be a little more honest about the distances involved. If I had been fully aware of the 300km I was going to do I might I have tweaked it a bit. In truth, I cannot complain and will be happy to use you again for our next trip to Tanzania in 2012........!

Feedback response

Namibia is a vast country and sometimes there are long drives between lodges. We encourage our travellers to take regular breaks when driving and not to try to drive too far in one day. For reference, the distances and driving times involved are listed on page 17 of our brochure.

I stayed at and have reviewed:

Place	Overall rating
Elegant Guesthouse, Namibia 7-Aug-2010 review: Welcome start to trip at Elegant Guesthouse	Good
Kulala Desert Lodge, Namibia 8-Aug-2010 review: Kulala Desert Lodge	Excellent
Cornerstone Guesthouse, Namibia 10-Aug-2010 review: Cornerstone Guesthouse	Excellent
Doro Nawas, Namibia 13-Aug-2010 review: Doro Nawas	Good
Anderssons Camp, Namibia (this camp has since closed) 15-Aug-2010 review: Anderssons Camp	Good
Mushara Bush Camp, Namibia 17-Aug-2010 review: Mushara Bush Camp	Excellent
Okonjima Villa, Namibia 19-Aug-2010 review: Okonjima Villa	Excellent