Zambia: reviews from our travellers

"We have all come back with so many lovely memories.

When anyone asks me about our holiday I say that I had such a lovely time and that the experiences exceeded my expectations - and I mean it! I think that it was really the people that made the difference. Everywhere we went we meet people who really wanted us to enjoy our holiday and who went out to there way to make sure we did. We only wish we could have stayed longer!" Read full review: 28 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zambia safari

"I enjoyed this trip enormously and am contemplating returning to a different area of Zambia next year.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

As mentioned on the BA page I was bumped off my booked flight. Luckily I was able to contact Lucy Copson [Ed: at Expert Africa] who pulled out all the stops to come up with a better alternative than was being offered to me by BA. Were it not for her I would have arrived 24 hours late and missed two game drives.

I mentioned to the BA people that I had tried to check-on line about 21 hours before departure but was informed that on-line check-in was not available. They commented that that was because most people have their seats allocated at the time of booking, the inference being that had I done this I would not have been bumped off the flight. I know that BA do provide this facility at an extra charge but it did not occur to me that it was so important. Had I done so I would have been happy to pay the charge.

There will possibly be some merit in you checking if my understanding is correct and, if it is, advising your clients of this option" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zambia safari

"We probably won't go back to Zambia as we prefer Sabi Sand game and, in particular, the frequency and quality of cat sightings. We enjoyed the walking safaris and the water activities a lot.

As noted earlier, Expert Africa information packs should state that women's underwear will not be laundered by the lodges.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Without wishing to go on about this, tell people women's underwear will not be washed at camps in Zambia." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 15 on a Zambia safari

"This trip met and exceeded our expectations. All the arrangements in Africa were perfect, and the selection of where to go and stay made the trip interesting.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

As this was our first trip to Africa, Claire was very helpful in planning our trip." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zambia safari

"We had a fantastic two weeks experiencing wildlife and culture of Zambia and Malawi and we can't wait to return to Africa in the near future!

The highlight was the walking and the smooth organisation made our trip very comfortable and effort free. Little details were very thoughtful, and there was no chance of going hungry!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Perhaps a warning of cold weather in Malawi!" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zambia safari

"This is the second trip we have made with Expert Africa. Staff are helpful, patient and knowledgeable.

I like the fact that we can talk to a member of staff with first hand experience of the lodges we planned to visit.

Both trips we have undertaken have exceeded expectation. This last one was absolutely fantastic. Every detail was taken care of and we didn't have to worry about anything. All we had to do was pack our bags, turn up at the airport and have the time of our lives.

All three camps were exceptional - I do believe that we chose the best. Staff were efficient, friendly and did everything they could to make our stay very enjoyable. Meals were comparable to good city restaurants which is remarkable considering the logistics of getting supplies.

Expert Africa is the only company I have ever come across that gives travellers a card with Staff emergency telephone numbers. This reflects the care that the company takes to ensure that clients have the best possible service. I wouldn't travel to Africa with any other company.

Thanks everyone - we had a wonderful time. We hope to return." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 11 on a Zambia safari

"Unforgettable! Even now we are finding it difficult to assimilate evrything we have seen and done. Everyone at the camps went out of their way to ensure that we enjoyed every aspect of our stay, for example on our way back to Mfuwe we had lunch at Kapani and a room was made available for our use which was much appreciated. Andrew our guide turned our last morning into a special experience instead of just a sad farewell.

Also much appreciated the help given at Lusaka airport on our arrival. Would also recommend a visit to Tribal Textiles, the tour of the workshop was particularly interesting.

To summarise, we both have had the experience of a lifetime and will remember all the lovely people we have met for a very long time." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 11 on a Zambia safari

"The trip overall was quite good. There were a few bumps, but they were resolved without too much trouble. I think the camps in South Luangwa were uniformly excellent, and I got good value for the time of year that I went (June). Lower Zambezi was excellent - I think this is a truly beautiful area for safari. Unfortunately, my game viewing was as good as I would hope, but I can't fault the camp or the guides for that. The river activities provide an great change of pace.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

My only suggestion would be to perhaps provide an alternate way of contacting Expert Africa while traveling. Perhaps, a skype number? I mention this because I had to use my mobile phone to contact Expert Africa during my travel due to a misconnect at JNB, and the roaming charges and long distance charges can add up rather quickly. My mobile phone contract in the US charges me whether I send or receive unlike many European contracts, so I had to pay for every minute used. In retrospect, I probably should have asked to correspond via e-mail since I had free internet access in the South African Airways business class lounge.

Also, it was great that you provided me the contact information in your packet, but it would also be a good idea to provide instructions on who to call and when if anything should go wrong during the trip. It seems like you've got representatives covering all the time zones, but it would be good to identify particular numbers to call for problems." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 14 on a Zambia safari

"Our trip which combined visits to safari camps in Zambia and Zimbabwe was excellent!

This was our second trip to Africa using Expert Africa and we will not hesitate to use them again. Maruska was very helpful, and if she could not answer a specific question, she referred us to Chris. The Expert Africa team really tries to determine your interests and then suggests camps and experiences that will provide you with the best holiday possible!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

I really can't think of anything. You guys know the countries and the camps. I especially appreciate that you are careful about trying to match a camp with a client, since we all bring slightly different expectations along with us." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zimbabwe safari

"We had a wonderful time. Each of Livingstone/Victoria Falls, Tafika lodge and Lusaka had their own different charms.

Tafika lodge is a gem; somewhat expensive but worth it. Zambia is a great place to go and in our experience preferable to better known destinations such as Kenya.

Expert Africa put together a good trip to meet our requirements and in which everything worked out well and hassle-free.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Everything was fine with the service." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zambia safari