Reviews of trips to Livingstone & Victoria Falls

"If only I could forget the missing luggage!

However this does not distract from the experience as a whole, which was outstanding. We are not weathy people, we have worked hard and spent the money on a unique experience that will give us many happy memories for the rest of our lives.

I would repeat the trip without hesitation. Thanks to all staff at Expert Africa and at Kwando.

Suggestions for improvements:

No. A great company to deal with. First class service.

(Make it cheaper next time please - but I'm bound to say that)." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari

"we think the publicity for zambia raises the expectation of seeing leopards too high. the four of us have been on quite a number of safaris but even so we expected to see leopard when of course it is very much in the lap of the gods and we were unlucky." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 12 on a Zambia safari

"Rating would have been very satisfactory if Chris hadn't been ill for 4 days. However the 2 camps concerned were very attentive." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 12 on a Zambia safari

"We were impressed with the organisation and genuinely friendly welcome from everyone we met in Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe.

Well done to the teams at Expert Africa, Kwando Safari & Wilderness Safaris. Everything went perfectly from the moment we left London to our return 10 days later. We jsut wish we could have stayed longer!

Suggestions for improvements:

Keep up the good work.

This was our first organised trip (we're normally spur of the moment backpackers) but we didn't feel constrained by having everything laid on. This holiday was a total VIP experience and fabulous from start to finish. Thank you." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 6 on a Botswana safari

"We have had another wonderful holiday – our third trip to Namibia, and at least 9th with Expert Africa – but things could have been better.

Our feedback reflects what we have come to expect from Expert Africa – a minimum 4-paw grading for everything – therefore 5 paws are very hard to achieve and reflect something exceptional.

We were very annoyed by the cancellation of the direct Air Namibia flights; this caused us significant inconvenience. We met so many people who shared our views – from fellow travellers to lodge owners to guides – everybody was unhappy about it. Having been forced to fly via Frankfurt we thought Frankfurt airport was very poor – lack of signage, few shops, little seating and even a mouse in the Business Class lounge. Toilets were dirty. The process will make us think twice before going back to Namibia.

However........ arriving at Windhoek in the morning we found the drive up to Etosha no problem – there were 2 of us to share the driving and we stopped off for shopping and lunch on the way – we definitely prefer to get straight on the road rather than spending a night in Windhoek and effectively wasting a day. We'd recommend buying a Namibian SIM for your mobile at the airport (took 5 mins and cost around £10) – others tend not to work, even with Global Roaming enabled – and we did use it when we discovered we'd left Ghaub with the room key in a pocket!

We'd always thought the road signs on the B1 warning of warthogs rather amusing but we saw dozens on the side of the road this time! Our trip was mostly on tar roads this time, which is great in some ways but they can be very straight and boring – in particular the roads through the Caprivi. We were glad we had booked a 4X2 vehicle for driving some of the tracks in Etosha and Mahango – no need for 4x4 at this time of year.

We were so pleased we were doing a one-way trip; we met many people who had found the driving tiring and were not looking forward to the drive back to Windhoek from the Caprivi. We had tried to slow things down and space them out so that most of our drives were less than 4 hours and, where possible, we spent at least 2 nights in accommodation. This gave us the chance to take advantage of the activities on offer and relax (eg at Hakusembe).

Many lodges do not provide drinking water (or at cost) so we suggest buying a 5 litre bottle in a supermarket (about N$15) and taking it with you.

We would happily repeat our holiday and revisit any of our accommodation with the exception of Namutoni – no way!

Suggestions for improvements:

We have travelled with EA so many times it must be a recommendation in itself! We did do some market testing on this trip and found competitors more expensive. We're already organised for next summer's trip.

However, on rare occasions accuracy of quotations is somewhat sacrificed in the interests of getting them to clients quickly. This is obviously partly due to the complexity of trips but can be frustrating." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip

"one of the most memorable holidays we have had

Suggestions for improvements:

The service you provided was excellent" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 8 on a Botswana safari

"will go back. best holiday i ever made with the whole family" Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari

"Anna was extremely knowledgeable and very efficient in organising our trip. She dealt very patiently with all our queries and requests and clearly knew Zambia inside out. As a result our whole holiday went like clockwork. We would definitely be very happy to recommend Expert Africa and Anna Devereux-Baker to anyone planning a trip to Africa and we will certainly use them for our next Africam adventure.

Suggestions for improvements:

None" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zambia safari

"These comments actually cover the time when we were 'on our own' in Zambia. First, we rented a 4x4 from Limohire that we drove to my daughter's village (she is a Peace Corps volunteer) in a village called Chisebwa about 15km from the Great North Road at an intersection about 50km southwest of Serenje. We also used it to visit some farmers my daughter is working with and to visit Kundalila Falls. Those experiences were off paved roads but were on fairly good single lane trails/roads.

Based on the Guide book I must admit I was fairly concerned about driving in Zambia, and seriously considered the use of a driver. However, I found the roads to be in excellent condition, except for the Great North Road north of the turnoff to Mansa, at which point one had to carefully watch for potholes. I realize the Guide book does need to be cautious (and certainly I never considered any serious off-track adventures) but it ended up being quite a bit easier to get around than I originally expected.

Second, I emailed three car rental agencies in Zambia (Limohire (who responded immediately), Livingstone 4x4 Hire (who also responded immediately but had no vehicles), and Voyagers (who never responded). So I went with Limohire. The cost for a Nissan Safari was $140/day (500km) plus fuel. We handled everything by email and, when in Zambia, by phone, and I was completely satisfied (in other words we never met in person). He did not accept credit cards so I had to wire transfer half the rental fee as deposit before the trip, and then pay the remainder plus a $1000 deposit when I received the car at the airport upon arrival. Hans, the owner, is an honest individual. Because of logistical problems I had to leave the vehicle for him to pick it up at Pioneer Camp (without getting back my deposit) so he arranged for one of his employees to meet us at the airport upon our return from Livingstone, and he was there with our deposit. Were I to visit Zambia again (and I may since my daughter may extend for another year) I would definitely do business with Hans.

Finally, just a couple comments regarding the Guide. The Sweetwater Guesthouse near Mkushi is 'no more'. The owner, Vernon Cantlay (not sure about spelling) is the father of friends of my daughter and we happened to meet him at a barbecue when we were there. He continues to own and farm the property but does not run a guesthouse any more. Also, you might want to consider checking out the Shaolom Takeaway as a funky, friendly little cafe in Mkushi. I understand the Peace Corps volunteers like it because it serves more chicken with its nshima than other cafes/restaurants in town. By the way, we enjoyed our meal there!" Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zambia safari

"Zambia surpassed all expectations.

I wanted to go back to Zambia where I grew up and give my family a positive snapshot of the country. The Victoria Falls is indeed a natural wonder of the world and the helicopter flight along the gorges was thrilling.

Robin Pope Safaris were exceptional to the point that nothing else measured up! We saw all the game we had hoped to see and discovered the magnificent birds of Southern Africa. It was a pleasure to be in the company of such wonderful guides and staff.

My husband and youngest daughter are now converts to river fishing, having enjoyed it so much on the "Mighty Zambezi!"

Mozambique, Bazuruto Island was disappointing because of the activity staff's failure to engage with us. I would not recommend the resort to people who are not going to sunbathe all day." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zambia safari