Reviews of safaris to Victoria Falls
We have always listened to our travellers, and now you can learn from them also. Below are links to feedback from recent trips - these are their views, not ours! See what they think of us, and about our trips to Africa:
Mr & Mrs E
Disley
"our may/june trip 2014"
I visited Botswana and 1 other country between 30 May 2014 and 14 Jun 2014
"everything I'd hoped and dreamed of and more
there were few problems, mostly related to transfers, e.g. we spent an hour at kasane airport looking for our transfer and were about to phone when someone turned to take us to the border; and you can't control the weather which sent us and the wildlife looking for warmer shelter
it was worthwhile thinking about, planning and researching for 3 years, going with an open mind not a tick-list
We've never ever been so well looked after, still in shock having to think, plan and take care of ourselves and others
have already recommended your services to others we met on the trip, we really appreciate the time and patience you have shown, I would do it again but I know Richard has a long list of places to visit before we repeat. thank you so much
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
I think you are doing all you can, a pity you can't sort out airport security" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 10 on a Botswana safari
there were few problems, mostly related to transfers, e.g. we spent an hour at kasane airport looking for our transfer and were about to phone when someone turned to take us to the border; and you can't control the weather which sent us and the wildlife looking for warmer shelter
it was worthwhile thinking about, planning and researching for 3 years, going with an open mind not a tick-list
We've never ever been so well looked after, still in shock having to think, plan and take care of ourselves and others
have already recommended your services to others we met on the trip, we really appreciate the time and patience you have shown, I would do it again but I know Richard has a long list of places to visit before we repeat. thank you so much
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
I think you are doing all you can, a pity you can't sort out airport security" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 10 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr R
Somerset
"My May 2014 trip"
I visited Zimbabwe and 1 other country between 23 May 2014 and 2 Jun 2014
"Thanks to Claire. Claire provided us with the holiday we asked for and it went without a hitch.
As we went through our itinerary we came to understand the background work and knowledge she had put in to our holiday from the connecting flights, boarder crossing to the plane seating and hotel room overlooking the Victoria falls bridge.
She has first hand knowledge and had suggested the Livingstone instead of the Zambezi Sun and she was right I was wrong. Only those of us that have experienced how Africa operates will understand fully how all those involved made this holiday so memorable thanks again Claire.
Bob and Ann Gallop" Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zimbabwe safari
As we went through our itinerary we came to understand the background work and knowledge she had put in to our holiday from the connecting flights, boarder crossing to the plane seating and hotel room overlooking the Victoria falls bridge.
She has first hand knowledge and had suggested the Livingstone instead of the Zambezi Sun and she was right I was wrong. Only those of us that have experienced how Africa operates will understand fully how all those involved made this holiday so memorable thanks again Claire.
Bob and Ann Gallop" Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zimbabwe safari
Overall trip
Excellent
The M & N party
UK
"Drive via SA/ Namiba/Botswana/Victoria Falls"
I visited Namibia and 2 other countries between 14 May 2014 and 19 Jun 2014
"We thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic experience which embraced amazing scenery, warm welcomes and wonderful wildlife.
You are quite right, this was exciting but not intrepid! We felt that the organisation by Expert Africa was outstanding. We feared we might be out of our comfort zone but the attention to detail and full pre-trip information helped us overcome any concerns we had.
All in all we had a truly outstanding exciting and memorable trip. Thank you so much for all your hard work.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Only make the comments form easier to navigate." Read full review: 36 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip
You are quite right, this was exciting but not intrepid! We felt that the organisation by Expert Africa was outstanding. We feared we might be out of our comfort zone but the attention to detail and full pre-trip information helped us overcome any concerns we had.
All in all we had a truly outstanding exciting and memorable trip. Thank you so much for all your hard work.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Only make the comments form easier to navigate." Read full review: 36 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip
Overall trip
Excellent
Ms H
USA
"Our May 2014 Family Reunion"
I visited Botswana and 1 other country between 3 May 2014 and 14 May 2014
"Incredible, extraordinary, exciting, unbelievably memorable experience we will always cherish as a family!
Maruska did a fabulous job of getting it all together with not a great deal of time. She got back with us in a very timely manner which especially helped given the time constraints and the fact that we were dealing with 6 adults with different job schedules and on different continents.
She was professional and very knowledgeable.
We would definitely recommend Expert Africa and hope to come back to Botswana some day.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Had we started at Okuti we might have felt differently about the experience. It was so different from Tubu Tree. Obviously one has to work with availability but it might be good, if possible, to use a formula of the least desirable camp first. Being our first safari, we also were not anticipating such a big difference between the private and public reserve experiences. One positive consequence was that Okuti really made us appreciate our time at Tubu Tree and Labala and allowed us to see subtle differences which none the less made a huge difference in the atmosphere and experience." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 9 on a Botswana safari
Maruska did a fabulous job of getting it all together with not a great deal of time. She got back with us in a very timely manner which especially helped given the time constraints and the fact that we were dealing with 6 adults with different job schedules and on different continents.
She was professional and very knowledgeable.
We would definitely recommend Expert Africa and hope to come back to Botswana some day.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Had we started at Okuti we might have felt differently about the experience. It was so different from Tubu Tree. Obviously one has to work with availability but it might be good, if possible, to use a formula of the least desirable camp first. Being our first safari, we also were not anticipating such a big difference between the private and public reserve experiences. One positive consequence was that Okuti really made us appreciate our time at Tubu Tree and Labala and allowed us to see subtle differences which none the less made a huge difference in the atmosphere and experience." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 9 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs S
Hampshire
"My Apr 2014 trip"
I visited Botswana and 2 other countries between 13 Apr 2014 and 28 Apr 2014
"Superb advice from Nick in the UK office, no request or question too small. Wonderful trip put together for us, paying great attention to our wishes for animal sightings, our requirements as 6 people traveling together and our request for small groups and individual attention. Loved all the choices and had a really superb time.
Would travel with Expert Africa again and also recommend.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Not really.
A couple of issues came up for the friends we were traveling with (Mack Air) - but as Ian and I weren't on that plane we've left it to them to report what happened. As advised very clearly by you before we left, they reported what had happened straight away to the camp manager and the problem was dealt with right away and to everyone's satisfaction. Altogether a very clear process in booking and very clear guidelines for what to do if things aren't right along the way.
Many thanks indeed for a tremendous trip." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 6 on a Botswana safari
Would travel with Expert Africa again and also recommend.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Not really.
A couple of issues came up for the friends we were traveling with (Mack Air) - but as Ian and I weren't on that plane we've left it to them to report what happened. As advised very clearly by you before we left, they reported what had happened straight away to the camp manager and the problem was dealt with right away and to everyone's satisfaction. Altogether a very clear process in booking and very clear guidelines for what to do if things aren't right along the way.
Many thanks indeed for a tremendous trip." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 6 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mrs S
Denver
"Holiday in Africa"
I visited Zimbabwe between 6 Apr 2014 and 10 Apr 2014
"I emailed several safari companies; Expert Africa responded immediately which impressed me. Each time I emailed or called, Nick gave me the information I requested. He was professional and courteous which I appreciated.
Expert Africa is a dependable company that provides the information one needs to make a decision about such an experience. I would highly recommend this business.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Our guide at Camp Hwange asked us to wear clothing that would blend in with the bush--tans, browns, greens. No bright colors or white. It would have been helpful to know that before leaving home so we would have had the proper clothing. You might add this bit of information in your guidelines." Read full review: 4 nights in Africa; 4 on a Zimbabwe safari
Expert Africa is a dependable company that provides the information one needs to make a decision about such an experience. I would highly recommend this business.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Our guide at Camp Hwange asked us to wear clothing that would blend in with the bush--tans, browns, greens. No bright colors or white. It would have been helpful to know that before leaving home so we would have had the proper clothing. You might add this bit of information in your guidelines." Read full review: 4 nights in Africa; 4 on a Zimbabwe safari
Overall trip
Excellent
The A family
Florida
"April 2014 in Zimbabwe"
I visited Zimbabwe and 1 other country between 1 Apr 2014 and 10 Apr 2014
"Our trip was wonderful. It was certainly one that we will remember forever.
We do hope to return to Zimbabwe someday, in particular to safari at the Hide.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
We were very happy with Expert Africa. There were a couple times when we couldn't reach Claire because she had gone away, but someone else was kind enough to step in and handle our issues right away.
Any issues we had leading up to the trip, during or after, were handled right away. Everyone we worked with was friendly, knowledgable and very eager to help.
I would certainly use Expert Africa again and recommend them to friends.
Also, not included on this questionnaire, Expert Africa set up ground transfers for us. A long drive from Vic Falls to Hwange and Hwange to Bulawayo, and both of those companies were great as well. Clean vehicles, safe, professional and friendly." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 5 on a Zimbabwe safari
We do hope to return to Zimbabwe someday, in particular to safari at the Hide.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
We were very happy with Expert Africa. There were a couple times when we couldn't reach Claire because she had gone away, but someone else was kind enough to step in and handle our issues right away.
Any issues we had leading up to the trip, during or after, were handled right away. Everyone we worked with was friendly, knowledgable and very eager to help.
I would certainly use Expert Africa again and recommend them to friends.
Also, not included on this questionnaire, Expert Africa set up ground transfers for us. A long drive from Vic Falls to Hwange and Hwange to Bulawayo, and both of those companies were great as well. Clean vehicles, safe, professional and friendly." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 5 on a Zimbabwe safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs C
Wokingham
"My Mar 2014 trip"
I visited Namibia and 2 other countries between 20 Mar 2014 and 8 Apr 2014
"We enjoyed the whole trip but there were some low spots to go with the many highlights.
We know that when we undertake a holiday like this it can be a bit of an adventure and thats part of the attraction.
Expert Africa could help with a slightly more detailed itinerary giving key directions where there are difficult spots to negotiate." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip
We know that when we undertake a holiday like this it can be a bit of an adventure and thats part of the attraction.
Expert Africa could help with a slightly more detailed itinerary giving key directions where there are difficult spots to negotiate." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip
Overall trip
Good
Mr C & Mrs H
Canada
"My Feb 2014 trip"
I visited Botswana and 1 other country between 27 Feb 2014 and 8 Mar 2014
"In a word, the trip was superb - and Maruska Adye had a lot to do with it.
It's important, we think, to compliment Maruska on every aspect of her work with us. From the time we first contacted Expert Africa by email, to the phone conversations we had, to the numerous questions we sent - Maruska's responses were quick (ridiculously quick in some cases - we couldn't believe how attentive she was) and always helpful. We felt all along - and our trip was two years in the making - that we were being treated not simply as faceless clients, but as individuals with preferences and ideas that were worthwhile and needed to be dealt with. Maruska's suggestions always seemed to relate directly to the information we'd forwarded to her. She actually seemed to be thinking about OUR TRIP, not her needs.
One of the things that was most helpful for us was that her description of each of the camps we stayed at in our email correspondence before we left was very accurate. So we had a sense both of what the accommodation and feel of the camp would be, and a good idea of what we were likely to see in each of the concessions.
The organization of flights, transfers, etc. was flawless. Every time somebody was supposed to be somewhere to pick us up they were there. Every time a plane was supposed to arrive for a flight (and there were four of those) it was there ready to go. The drivers and pilots were all friendly and helpful. The most complicated little maneuver, the drive from Kasane to Victoria Falls with the border crossing from Botswana to Zimbabwe, was handled expertly by the drivers on both sides." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari
It's important, we think, to compliment Maruska on every aspect of her work with us. From the time we first contacted Expert Africa by email, to the phone conversations we had, to the numerous questions we sent - Maruska's responses were quick (ridiculously quick in some cases - we couldn't believe how attentive she was) and always helpful. We felt all along - and our trip was two years in the making - that we were being treated not simply as faceless clients, but as individuals with preferences and ideas that were worthwhile and needed to be dealt with. Maruska's suggestions always seemed to relate directly to the information we'd forwarded to her. She actually seemed to be thinking about OUR TRIP, not her needs.
One of the things that was most helpful for us was that her description of each of the camps we stayed at in our email correspondence before we left was very accurate. So we had a sense both of what the accommodation and feel of the camp would be, and a good idea of what we were likely to see in each of the concessions.
The organization of flights, transfers, etc. was flawless. Every time somebody was supposed to be somewhere to pick us up they were there. Every time a plane was supposed to arrive for a flight (and there were four of those) it was there ready to go. The drivers and pilots were all friendly and helpful. The most complicated little maneuver, the drive from Kasane to Victoria Falls with the border crossing from Botswana to Zimbabwe, was handled expertly by the drivers on both sides." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr B & Ms C
Vancouver
"My Feb 2014 trip"
I visited Botswana and 1 other country between 27 Feb 2014 and 8 Mar 2014
"Overall we had a great trip. Camps were well run. Staff were sensitive to our needs and preferences. They were also flexible enough to divide our group into different activities to match the preferences within our party. For example, on one occasion four of us went out on the boat fishing while two were taken on a guided walk to study the medicinal uses of the flora.
There was sometimes the sense of being over programmed and not given enough time to ourselves.
We very much enjoyed our walking safaris and could have done more of those.
In conclusion the trip was excellent and no small thanks to Expert Africa and Maruska in particular for helping to organize this trip. Maruska was extremely patient, diligent and made sure that she understood what we were looking for. Nothing was too much for her. She is also very personable and pleasant. Thank you Maruska and Expert Africa" Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari
There was sometimes the sense of being over programmed and not given enough time to ourselves.
We very much enjoyed our walking safaris and could have done more of those.
In conclusion the trip was excellent and no small thanks to Expert Africa and Maruska in particular for helping to organize this trip. Maruska was extremely patient, diligent and made sure that she understood what we were looking for. Nothing was too much for her. She is also very personable and pleasant. Thank you Maruska and Expert Africa" Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
516
reviews of Victoria Falls by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
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Where to stay in Victoria Falls
Our suggestions for safari camps in Victoria Falls
Ilala Lodge
Exceptionally well located between the Victoria Falls and the town of the same name, Ilala Lodge has comfortable rooms, a friendly atmosphere & great food.
Victoria Falls Hotel
With its unique setting, authentic style and excellent service, the Victoria Falls is one of the world’s most iconic hotels.
Batonka Guest Lodge
Small, comfortable and in lovely gardens, Batonka Guest Lodge is a perfect base for exploring the Victoria Falls away from the bustle of the town.
Victoria Falls Lodge
High on a plateau a short distance outside Victoria Falls Town, the comfortable Victoria Falls Safari Lodge overlooks its own waterhole.
Sprayview Hotel
In close proximity to both the town and the Victoria Falls themselves, Sprayview is a value-for-money hotel in a convenient location.
The Elephant Camp
The Elephant Camp is a luxury tented camp in its own private concession within Victoria Falls National Park, just 15-minute's drive town.
Victoria Falls Club
Just outside of Victoria Falls Town, Victoria Falls Safari Club offers an exclusive, relaxing and luxurious base to explore the area.
Old Drift Lodge
A lovely addition to the options in Victoria Falls, the stylish Old Drift has a great location in Zimbabwe's Zambezi National Park, with a range of activities.
Gorges Lodge
Gorges Lodge has spectacular views from its perch on the edge of the Batoka Gorge. Although it is out of town it isn't too far from the main attractions.
Palm River
Palm River Hotel offers a high-quality stay in a picturesque location on the banks of the Zambezi, with excellent food and a shuttle to the Victoria Falls.
Little Gorges
Set high above the Zambezi River, Little Gorges Tented Lodge is a tranquil spot to watch black eagles and from which to visit the Victoria Falls.
Zambezi Sands
Zambezi Sands is a stylish new camp with a range of activities on a remote stretch of the Zambezi River.
Pioneers
Located a five-minute drive from the buzz of Victoria Falls town, the mid-size Pioneers offers a relaxing stay in one of Zimbabwe's most iconic destinations.
Matetsi River Lodge
Situated in the private Matetsi Reserve, Matetsi River Lodge offers luxury suites, game drives and river activities within reach of the Victoria Falls.
Victoria Falls Suites
Just out of the town, Victoria Falls Safari Suites offers an exclusive, relaxing and luxurious base from which to explore.
Mpala Jena
In Zambezi National Park, Mpala Jena offers a luxurious but eco-friendly experience, within easy access of the Victoria Falls.
528 Victoria Falls
528 Victoria Falls is a charming, owner-run, boutique B&B in a leafy suburb of Victoria Falls town, offering an oasis of calm in an often-busy location.
Matetsi River House
Situated in the Private Matetsi Reserve Matetsi River House offers families and small groups privacy, game drives and access to the falls.
