Zambezi Safari Testimonials

Hi Liz,

We had a great time. My parents are back home and I will be in south Africa till next month. 

We enjoyed everything and we have recommended to our family and friends. The guide Musa who took us to the Victoria Falls was excellent. 

Everything was on time and organized. 

Hospitality amongst the boat ride was golden! 

I look forward to booking with you again! 

Thanks 

Ramya 

Hi Fi,

Here we are back in Sydney going through our photos from our travels reminiscing how it was “the best holiday ever.” 

Truly when we booked the safaris it was mainly because we were visiting our son in S. Sudan and it seemed the ideal opportunity to do a Safari

Where do I start. As you claimed all three camps were different which gave us three different experiences. We were not let down at any stage of our travels.  The company and all their staff and crew were amazing and so very dependable.

The order of the camps were perfect. We felt that the last camp in the Mara would have been confronting (unfenced grounds, night sounds very CLOSE) if we had not had some prior exposure to Safari life and African animals .

Each camp was very accommodating, absolutely amazing staff and all drivers and guides were so skilled as well as being such wonderful people. The food at each lodge was first class. It certainly has been an amazing experience, plus we were fortunate to see all the Big 5 and some++++. 

Fi, we are certainly recommending our travels to others.  When it is convenient would you please be able to email a break down of the costs of our trip as this will enable friends/family to seriously consider how they should manage their plans and at what expense .

We thank you for arranging such an unforgettable Safari experience. You were amazing particularly as we gave you such short notice.

Kind Regards ,

Joan & Graham C

Ang, Trish

Thanks for the message. Both camps were great.  Kanana had the better range of activities, Okuti probably had the more interesting building with great ambiance.  

The camps were beautiful.  I have traditionally done walks with small tents to overnight in, but I could get used to the luxury of upmarket camps.  However I missed the exercise of walking, and eventually persuaded Kanana staff that I wanted to walk even though it was only for a couple of hours in the end.  You can get very fat and lazy eating 3 meals, and going on a boat or safari vehicle.

My next trip will be a mix of hiking , and then a few days of luxury at the end, either Botswana or Namibia.

Thank you for your professional advice,

Regards

Moira

Hey Mark,

Sorry it took so long to respond, it feels like we have been going since our return.  The trip was awesome and, in particular, Blue Footprints was spectacular!  We loved it there and highly recommend it, you found a gem there!  So many good things to see and do and Kymba and I had an absolute blast.  Check out our facebook photos, there are some amazing ones!  FYI, both Kymba and I felt Zimbabwe was the best country, people-wise.  As before, it seemed like everyone we met that we liked was from Zim!

Hope all is well in England and we look forward to hearing about your potential trip when it starts to come together.

Ron

Hello Mark 

We're now back in Melbourne after having a great time in Zimbabwe. All the arrangements you made worked really well - thanks very much to you and your colleagues for getting it all in place. Your recommendations on where to stay were very solid and the whole party (ages 14 to 73!) were happy with our choices. The only sad news is that Steve Edwards of Musango had a heart attack the day after we left but apparently is now on the mend after treatment in Jo'burg.

Thanks 

Nick

Hi Trish

We had the most fantastic time - everything went very well indeed and we just loved Zambia and the Bushcamps  - the Islands of Siankaba was fabulous too - everything we would highly recommend to others ( and have )  just wonderful ...We also upgraded at the airport to business class flat beds to fly there which was a good use of money as  we did then sleep most of the way and were ready to hit the road when we got to Lusaka ... the only disappointment was Pioneer Camp ... but it was only the one night so we managed !

As you can tell we loved it all so much we are keen to start planning next adventures ... 

Looking forward to hearing from you at some point and again many thanks for putting together such a wonderful trip

Amanda and Hadrian

Hello Liz!

Thank you so much!

I am VERY VERY MUCH satisfied with your services.

You made it so easy for me. 

Everything went PERFECT! The drivers from Silver tours are friendly and professional, very much impressed with their services.

David Livingstone Lodge was amazing - the Zambian Hospitality is extraordinary! 

Thanks for the card and the souvenir at Ilala Lodge, I appreciate it very much, we had a great time there aswell.

That souvenirs goes for 10US$ at the border - but I will never sell mine!

I would definitely recommend you guys to anyone who needs help to plan a fantastic holiday:-)

Thank you so much

Narine

Dear Fi

We had a wonderfully exciting and memorable trip and very much enjoyed both parts of the holiday – firstly revisiting Paddy’s old school, seeing the real Kenya and meeting some lovely local people.

Then secondly going on safari, where we were spoilt rotten! Sosian exceeded our expectations. Annabelle and Steve were very attentive hosts and all the staff were cheerful, helpful and very knowledgeable about the wildlife;  it was  a privilege to share their passion.

Our room was most comfortable with welcome touches such as hot water bottles and  the food and drink was delicious and plentiful.

All the extra activities such as brunches by the river, sundowners on the rocks, jumping off waterfalls and tubing, joining in with Samburu dancers on New Year’s Eve were great fun and we had lots of laughs. 

The only thing that didn’t seem to work so well was the fly camping, partly because it was very cold at night. Paddy camped out but, because I wasn’t feeling well and Annabelle and Steve kindly offered me their spare bed, I didn’t in the end, which I have to admit was a bit of a relief. 

Thank you very much for putting the holiday together for us, we had a wonderful time and are determined to return when funds allow!

Kind regards

Sarah W

Hi Chris, 

Sorry it's taken so long to give you feedback from our trip to Zimbabwe!

We took the plunge to visit Zimbabwe this September, after hearing great reviews!

Wow! We are glad we did, Zambezi travel put an amazing tour together, which really showed off the best of this country. 

From the splendour of Victoria falls, to the only place in the world where four countries meet, then on to the fabulous Hwange National park and finally if that's not enough, on to the famous lake Kariba, which is twice the size of Wales!

Zimbabwe is an amazing country, which offers so much!

We were so impressed with Zambezi travel, we have booked again to use them, this time to Botswana!

Just like to say, thanks to Chris and the team, it was faultless! 

Tony + Helen R

Hi Jackie

This is just to say that thanks, everyhitng went well and I had a wonderful time in Botswana and Zambia (plus a day trip to Zimbabwe).

Incidentally there’s no day pass rate for a Visa to get into Zimbabwe for a day to visit their side of the Falls, you have to buy a normal single entry Visa. This was $30 for Aussie and Swiss citizens, $55 for me as a British National and $75 for a Canadian. Hard luck if you’re from Angola – they have to pay $100!

It was a super trip all in all and Bushways were very good indeed. The standard of meals produced in those conditions was really excellent. Also, we were VERY lucky with the rain, it never rained at a vital moment and it seemed to follow us around, missing us most of the time.

With the weather since I got back here, I wonder why on earth did I come back?

Kind regards – Chris S

Dear Liz

Happy New Year and thank you for your lovely email.

I am really sorry for delay with replying I actually just got home yesterday so back to work today and getting things sorted.  

The safari with your company and all the help has left us with life long memories and for me personally was a dream coming true the best experiences of a life time were the Walking with Lions tour they are just an amazing company and the close interaction with the lions was just awesome no words can describe the experience.  My mum was able to interact with them just as much as we did and the thrill of it was unimaginable 

Everything was handled very professionally and absolutely on time no delays extremely professional and we would definitely be recommending your company to anyone who asks us for any tips on a similar plan … rest assured.

You are more than happy to use our feedback on your website, and if you need more details of our experiences I can send you more as trust me can go on and on and on about it … J 

I will let you know if I have any friends interested in the news letter in the near future or will forward them the ones that I receive from you J

Thank you once again for helping us make this holiday one of the most memorable for our lives.

Kind Regards

Reena 

Good Morning Liz,

Yes we are back home safely - looking out at a frost covered landscape and imagining Lake Kariba instead.

All went very smoothly with your arrangements. Jackie at Hornbill was fantastic and looked after us wonderfully, shame we did not have more time to be spoilt there! We were also fortunate to see a gate open on the dam too.

Spurwing was good - the warnings on Trip Advisor were unfounded. The mosquitoes and the heat were both intense there - but I believe they had a big storm the day after we left so timed that right.

Vic Falls Hotel was magnificent - as was the 6 course dinner. Bit hectic doing the Falls walk followed by the cruise - managed to arrange horse riding and canoeing for Katherine and I on the second day. Whilst quietly drifting and canoeing down the river a crocodile decided to try jumping into the canoe - swiftly knocked off by the guide with his paddle, the only damage being a spilt Gin and Tonic.

Will have to return at low water for my white water rafting trip - it might be safer than the canoeing.

The flight back to Harare was direct - there was one other passenger who flew to and from Vic Falls for the day - managing to do the walk and gorge swing during the stop over.

It was so good to have a chance to drop in and see you after all our emails. You have such a great view too!

Plenty of memories and over 1000 pictures to go through. If you would like any specific feedback let me know, you are free to use it.

We will, of course, recommend you to anyone considering a trip.

Hope to see you again soon

Regards 

David, Katherine and Gill. 

Dear Delene,

We had the most wonderful time in Zambia at Victoria Falls, though the time there was too short. Thorntree River Lodge right on the river bank was fantastic, the setting superb and the service excellent. Our elephant safari, walk with lions and flight over the Falls were highlights. 

All of the arrangements went like clockwork and a big thank you to Delene at Zambezi Safari and Travel who organised everything so well. We hope to visit Africa again soon and will certainly make contact with you again for assistance with our arrangements.

I do want to say thank you though for all of the work you did on our behalf it all went really well and we had a wonderful time.  Africa is a fantastic place to visit and that was our third trip.  We really hope we can come back again soon.  Our friends that came with us are also hooked now and plan visiting again in 2013.  

The elephant safari was terrific and we have a lovely video as a momento.

Kind regards

Fiona

We had a wonderfully exciting and memorable trip and very much enjoyed both parts of the holiday firstly revisiting Paddy’s old school, seeing the real Kenya and meeting some lovely local people.
 
Then secondly going on safari, where we were spoilt rotten! Sosian exceeded our expectations. Annabelle and Steve were very attentive hosts and all the staff were cheerful, helpful and very knowledgeable about the wildlife;  it was  a privilege to share their passion.

Thank you very much for putting the holiday together for us, we had a wonderful time and are determined to return when funds allow!

Sarah
BLR22

Had an absolutely wonderful time. Best part was the feeling that you were with us every step of the way, even though 1000's of miles away. The transfers were seamless, hotels well chosen, the camps terrific, and Malawi unique.
 
Jerry and Myra

FLR14

I just wanted to say thanks for organising such a great trip for us. The horse riding was wonderful - perfect horses which were sprightly yet calm at the same time and the guides (particularly Essiah) were fantastic. We felt very safe and well looked after - and love Old Ursula.

I just wanted to drop you a note to thank you for your work in putting our safari in Tanzania together.

IT WAS AMAZING!

We saw very large crossings of the Mara by the wildebeest for 3 straight days, after Ken, our guide, said that his previous guests had waited for 3 days for the big herd to cross and they never did.

Then we spent an hour in Loliondo surrounded by a pride of 14 lions so close I felt I could reach out and touch them.

Importantly, everyone we came in contact with at the camps were so eager to please us and enjoyable to be with. And our guides, Jacob and Ken, were outstanding. We parted like old friends.

Now all we have our the memories ... and over 3,000 pictures. I've attached 4 of my favorites.

Thanks again.
John & Aileen Sanders

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the email. We had a fantastic holiday which went very smoothly and much too fast.

Waterberry Lodge in Zambia was a lovely place to start - very relaxing, professionally run and a beautiful spot. I really enjoyed the rafting with SafPar - a very professional operation and truly a day to remember!

We also loved Ivory Lodge, Hwange, Zimbabwe. We stayed in one of the new rooms which was very well decked out. If you're booking for other guests I'd recommend trying for one of these ones. It's worth noting that it was under (excellent) temporary management while we were there with a new management couple starting within a few weeks. Hopefully, they will maintain the same high standards!

Hopefully, we can get back there one day...

Best wishes,

Richard 

After a very successful trip we have just negotiated the nightmare that is Euston when all trains are cancelled!

We could not praise the staff at Chobe Safari Lodge, Botswana highly enough and we had a great time. All the guides were very well informed and went out of their way to ensure we had a good time. Good mix of activities and we managed to squeeze an Namibian village trip as an extra. Mike stopped for a leopard even when it was already past gate closing time and almost dark as he had hung around hoping that we might get a closer view of lions.  Richard seemed a bit dour but worked his socks off on our fishing trip casting for our two kids who were rewarded by catching 3 fish. Standard of accomodation was extremely good although bunks were a bit creaky. Food and restaurant service was excellent - stir fry always generated a bit of a queue which was a problem if you were trying to eat together. . Zambezi Sun also offered exceptional service in a fabulous location. Trip to devils pool was not possible because water levels were too high but the Jacuzzi pool provided a good fun alternative.Tranfers worked like clockwork. Flights very good. No problems with immigration in Zambia and no Yellow fever requested on return. Staff at Spray View in Vic Falls worked very hard to please and rooms were clean. Place felt a bit deserted. Breakfast was fine. We ate out at Mama Africa and had the best fish on the trip. Changed our day canoe safari as kids were tired and wanted an elephant ride - which was fine. Maybe would not prearrange so many trips as it seemed quite easy to oragnise as you went along. It was quite sobering to see the poverty on the streets and realise how protected we were in the luxury of the lodges.

Weather patterns bit unpredictable - our 4 wheel drive in S.Africa came in handy in the snow and we had a lovely few days in Cape Town to round things off. Will be back... one day.

Leon was great, more than great - he was exactly what we hoped to get in a guide. Extremely knowledgeable about the African bush (and actually as it turns out, a lot of other things as well), very tied to the country and the land. We learnt a lot and got a lot out of being with him. I would absolutely go with him on another walking safari again - even if as he told us, we're just funding his hobby.

And as for Lorrie's - we grew genuinely attached to Lorrie and Clive and George. Missed them actually when we left. They were great - the best introduction to Zimbabwe we could have hoped for and they were very warm and funny and extremely helpful from the start.

Thanks again for all your help Liz, you handled our queries perfectly and your recommendations were spot on for us. I could go on and on - but in short, we had a really good time. I came away with great admiration for the people we've met there and we were enriched by our time with them.

Our month in Africa was highlighted by our time in Victoria Falls. Liz and Chris of Zambezi Travel worked with us personally and put together exactly what we wanted in our adventure travel. They were personal, friendly, helpful and very professional.

The highlight of our entire trip was our 4 days on horseback with Zambezi Horse Safaris.  The horses were fantastic and our guides, Josiah and Shelton were the best - knowledgable, patient, kind and joyful. Allison, the owner, arranged our days and our lodging to be interesting and comfortable. The entire experience was exciting, stimulating and fun. We recommend this experience whole heartedly!

Dear Jackie

Thank you for your email.  We had a super time and really enjoyed ourselves.  The Islands of Siankaba was a lovely lodge and the food was excellent.  They took us out in a dug out boat for our evening drinks one night which was fun.  (gorgeous sunsets!).  We also visited the school and village adjacent to the camp which was very interesting.  It was great to meet the teacher and children.  

We thoroughly enjoyed South Luangwa National Park / Bushcamps.  The accommodation was extremely comfortable and again the food was superb.  The guides who took us out for the safari walks and drives were wonderful and so knowledgeable!  We even saw 4 leopards.  I would have been pleased to see one, so 4 was an added bonus.  

We had an extremely memorable trip and have lots of great photos.  We didn't want to come home!

Thank you for booking our trip and for your suggestions/planning our itinerary.  

Best wishes, Sarah 

I just wanted to pass on a compliment. My fiancé and I are thrilled with the effort and attention Fi gave us. From not knowing anything about us and whether we were serious about booking a trip, Fi handled our flip floping and questions gracefully and with determination to plan us the perfect honeymoon, within our budget. All through tedious email, I might add. We cannot wait for this dream trip of a lifetime all because of her work. (Tanzania and Zanzibar)

Ari

Dear Fi

My holiday report!!

As you know we love Alfijiri as we were going back again after 3 months. I think the main thing is you can say that the service is second to none. We asked for Martin again and this time they also gave us Jofhrey who was also wonderful. I cannot speak highly enough of them. Having a mother with so much wrong with her including throat cancer and not very good mobility it was so much appreciated all the help that we had with her. Nothing was too much trouble and they had patience in the bucket load. Martin even put a chair in my mother’s bathroom as he remembered from last time. 

The food was also really good  and they went out of their way to serve things for my mother at any time she asked.

We loved Marika last time and we all said that she was the perfect host. Everything was done with so much energy and a friendly helpfulness. We were gutted to hear that this time she would not be there and we would have Fabrizio as our host. Well, he was charming!!! He put up with us 4 girls and even had supper with us 2 nights and kept us entertained with lots of stories.

Lake Naivasha

John, our guide. He could not have been better. He had a wonderful sense of humour and came out with so much interesting information. We had a really interesting tour round the flower farm and a lovely bush breakfast by the lake. 

You Fi were wonderful as usual! I am worried that if I say exactly how wonderful you might get too big headed! You kept me calm with the normal dramas that I have with the rest of the family when I try and arrange a trip and you never give up trying a million different ways to find us flights. You let me waffle on when I was in a panic with having booked it only just over a week before we went. Most of all you know what we need as a family and that is the biggest thing. It is also the reason that we keep going to Kenya! Thank you millions and fingers crossed that we get to go again soon.

Lots of love from you BEST clients (we have booked 4 trips in under a year!)

Karenza

Delene,

We arrived home safely and had a wonderfull time.

The service through Zambezi Safari was excellent.  The reservation process went smoothly.  The check in at our destination went without a hitch and they were expecting us, (Waterfront, Zambia).  We felt very welcome throughout our stay.  It was a pleasure working through Zambezi Safari and Travel Co

Thanks for your great work. 

Hi Delene, 

We are safely back home after a wonderful holiday! Thanks once again for your excellent service. Your driver was more than in time to pick us up (in Kariba, Zimbabwe) and took us through the border and safely to Lusaka without any hicc-ups. 

Warm African greetings.

Karin and family 

Delene,

We would like to thank you for all the trouble you went through assisting my mom with our surprise!

It was an incredible time. There is so much unimaginable beauty at the Victoia Falls, a weekend is surely not enough and the Elephant Safari were truly breathtaking, amazing and a whole lot of other words I do not know.

We would love to receive your monthly letter and will definitively contact  you with our next trip.

Thank you once again for everything. You truly helped us make it an unforgettable trip.

Danie & Anel Cronje

Dear Delene,

I have just returned from Africa and am happy to advise that all the travel arrangements I made with your company, ie. elephant encounter and walk with lions, (in Zimbabwe), went very well with no problems at all. Staff were friendly and informative.

Cheers 

Glen

Hi Delene

We had an amazing time. everything was really well organised and I have to say the trip is probably one of the best organised that I have ever done and I have done lots of trips all over the world. The guides were fantastic extremely knowledgeable and made the trip all the more enjoyable. I was very impressed by the food which was balanced and tasty despite being in the bush the whole trip. I would highly recomend the Tamarind canoe safaris.

Tina 

Hi Delene,

''This was my second trip on the lovely Elephant ride in Zambia ,we love to see them all every year. And although my UK friend and I let her son and daughter in-law ride our favorite, magnificent Bop we loved Chavanuka and Marula just as much!''

Yours Sincerely

Mrs M

Dear Delene,

Thanks for following up. Yes, we made it home safely and we had enjoyed a wonderful trip to Africa. 

The tours booked with you worked out perfectly, everybody was on time, the schedule was met, staff was very friendly and concerned about our well-being and we enjoyed the tours very very much. For me personally the Chobe tour was more impressive due to the high amount of animals seen, however the Zambezi Canoe tour was a real experience as well which I would not want to miss.

Thanks for your support. Unfortunately there is nothing planned for the next future as we first need to earn the money therefore :o)

Best regards,

Katharina

Delene,

We would like to thank you for all the trouble you went through assisting my mom with our surprise!

It was an incredible time. There is so much unimaginable beauty at the Victoria Falls, a weekend is surely not enough and the Elephant Safari were truly breathtaking, amazing.....

We would love to receive your monthly letter and will definitively contact  you with our next trip.

Thank you once again for everything. You truly helped us make it an unforgettable trip.

Danie & Anel Cronje

We had an absolutely fantastic time in Tanzania. The vehicle we hired more than lived up to expectations and I can safely say they thought of everything with regards to the equipment and supplies included. I would thoroughly recommend this to anybody travelling to Tanzania.

Hi Liz,

Hope all is well that side!

I just wanted to let you know that we had a blast on our trip to Chobe and Nata! Because of all your arrangements we had a wonderful time and I just wanted to thank you for all the effort with our bookings and everything along with that! I will definitely let you know when we will be booking another safari with you! Hopefully in the near future!

Thanks again for everything!

Hi Fi,

Thanks a lot for your help, the gamedrive were amazing, we enjoyed our trip.

Everything was fantastic!!

Our driver, Omani, was fantastic too!

What beautiful memories !

Nice to meet you on the web!

(Kenya)

Hello Liz,

We had a wonderful and memorable trip to Zimbabwe. Your arrangements were impeccable and everything went off like clockwork. As you know this is our 2nd trip with you and I continue to be impressed with how smoothly it goes. We have come to love Africa and it won't be long before we schedule another trip. The safari lodges we stayed in are great and we were overwhelmed by their hospitality.

Best wishes

Venkat

Hi Jackie,

I am well and have returned home safely. In fact, I was upgraded to 1st Class for my flight home to Kuala Lumpur from Johannesburg. It was a real treat.

I enjoyed my time in Victoria Falls and the 1-day trip to Livingstone. I am happy with the services provided by Victoria Falls Safari Lodge and the other suppliers. There was only a slight inconvenience. Other than that, my time in Victoria Falls and Livingstone was great. It leaves me with fond memories. I will definitely recommend Zambezi Safari & Travel to people who intend to visit Africa.

Outlook Lodge in Johannesburg was nice; comfortable, cosy and with good service. It is recommendable. 

Hurray! I reached Uhuru Peak, (Tanzania), with much difficulty though. My main challenge was the cold, especially during summit day. My hands and feet were freezing, between 3:00 to 6:00 am. We stopped twice, to try warming my hands. 

Just like you, I cried during my time at the summit. I did not shout "Hurray" or "Allelujah"; I just cried. My thoughts were many: the fulfilment of a long-cherished dream, it was difficult getting to the peak, I am standing on the roof of Africa, how privileged to be standing on Uhuru peak, the summit is just majestic, "How great Thou art", this is the reason I came to Africa, etc.

Thanks & regards,

Nancy 

Hi Liz,

Thanks for the follow up, we took a few extra days and stayed in Europe.

It was a great trip and your efforts were very appreciated. Everything worked out perfectly, transfers, lodging etc, couldn't have had a better time really.  It was a great trip and as I said the work you did for us was very appreciated. I'd have no problems recommending you or Zambezi to prospective travellers. You let us know what was required and I knew you'd reply very quickly to any questions. 

In Namibia, the walk was quite awkward, I know this doesn't really pertain to you but perhaps to future travellers.  We were alone on the trip, I expected to pay for goods, that was fine. It was hard because there were essentially 15 people selling the same wares and we felt they wanted us to buy something from all of them. We ended up spending about $30 for two items so I got the feeling they wanted more, we simply didn't bring enough cash with us. Other than that the trip was really good and none of the above reflects poorly on you, I simply would've felt better if there were more people or at least the villagers were prepared for the smaller  number.

Africa certainly left a very positive impression on both of us, it was actually odd coming back to Canada and seeing so few people smiling and enjoying themselvs the way the African's did... I ended up doing the bungee jump at Victoria Falls so I'm quite proud of myself. Hopefully I'll find myself there again in the near future.

Again, thanks very much for your hardwork and as I said, I'd have no problems refering you or Zambezi to anyone who's interested in a trip.

~Adam

Dear Chris,

Thank you for your help to plan our Zimbabwe vacation.  We returned a few days ago and had a fabulous time, in large part thanks to you.  Everything that you helped with in planning our trip went without a hitch.  Our flawless plans were a vacationer's dream come true !!!  We were so pleased with the flight arrangements you secured for us from Harare to Mana Pools and then on to Vic Falls. 

We loved Ruchomechi and were thrilled to have Kevin as our private guide. (He sends his regards to you.  Well, actually he mentioned some phrase I was supposed to pass onto you - but I forgot it.)  There are so many special parts of the the camp and the safari experience - enough great memories to last a lifetime.   The only dissappointment was that there are no giraffe's in Mana Pools and that it was difficult to track down most of the big cats in Ruchomechi's concession.  But the vast quantity of elephants and hippos certainly made up for the lack of these other species.

The Victoria Falls Hotel was a gem and we were really glad that we stayed there.  Though it's a bit old (especially compared to the Ilala Lodge), we decided that there were many things about the hotel which made it a better choice for us.  For example, we like old, historic places; we also loved having a delicious breakfast each morning on the terrace, and we were pleased to view the falls from the hotel grounds.  

Please feel free to use me as a reference if you have other clients who need reassurance about what they are investing in when they work through you and Zambezi Safaris.

Best regards,

Ann Laaff

Dear Chris,

Please find below our impressions of our Zambia holiday

Johannesburg: We found the Safari Club to be very comfortable in the garden cottages. Nice lounge and honesty bar. Food was fine, thought a bit expensive but it is Joburg. Was met at airport OK and delivered back there the following morning without any hitches.

Lusaka: Met at airport by your handling agent and escorted through Immigration and Customs. Trouble free. Met up with Edmund Farmer who flew us up to Kasanka NP. Good flight up but took 2 hours due to wind.

Kasanka NP: Met at airstrip and driven to camp. Met up with Ernst and Bastian + Rhoda. Accommodation in Rondawel was comfortable and clean. Lighting basic battery power but was adequate. Hot showers delivered by bucket but they were fine!!! Food was very good, cooked in an old wood burning stove. Basic facilities but it is a “wilderness” camp and should not be changed. Our guide “Webby” was very good.

Shoebill Island: Even more basic than Kasanka NP but it is what it is and that is how it should stay. NO electricity at all except 1 light in dining room. Food cooked on an old wood burning stove but was good. Staff were very friendly and helpful. “Webby” came with us from Kasanka as there appeared to be a shortage of guides at Shoebill. Accommodation was in a bamboo-sided building covered by a thatch roof (not a tent as in itinerary). Comfortable and clean. Showers by buckets of hot water. Good selection of drinks and wine. Saw the Shoebill at close range which was the objective, plus several other Endemic species. Large numbers of fishermen there who liked loud music. They didn’t bother the birds though.

Flight to Mfuwe: Brad flew us down (Edmund Farmer busy) in 70 minutes.

Mfuwe Lodge: Met at airport and driven to Mfuwe Lodge. Extremely nice accommodation (we were upgraded to a house), very friendly staff and great food. Great facilities all round. Our guide “James” was superb. I got a morning with him just birding for free (had to give a donation to the Conservation Fund). Really enjoyed the SECA play on the last night performed by local people. We did really well for game viewing – 8 lions, 3 cubs, 2 leopards + all the usual giraffe, elephant, etc. Comfortable game viewing vehicles. Met some nice people.

Flight to Lusaka: Good flight down with ProFlight. Met at airport and helped with check-in for SAA to JHB (didn’t expect that).

Overall opinion: We thought that this was a very good itinerary for what we wanted, good birding throughout and game viewing at Mfuwe. Might not suit those only looking for the “Big 5”. Apart from the journey from Kasanka to Shoebill (we said this was an experience not to be repeated), everything else was exact to the letter which is what we like.

Make sure that people are aware that no electricity at Shoebill so to charge up their batteries previously. Quite cold in mornings so a woolly fleece with long sleeves is an absolute necessity.

Kind Regards.

Mike G 

Dear Liz

Everything went like clockwork!! Thank you for organising our trip - we can recommend Zambezi Safari & Safari Co. Ltd to any prospective travellers 

From when we arrived at Vic Falls Airport to be met by a smiling Harrison from Dabula Safaris - always on time for our next transfer and catering to our every small request.

The Victoria Falls Hotel - as anticipated - excellent accommodation, good food restaurants and attentive service; Victoria Falls - spectacular and breathtaking as ever; our day trip down to Chobe - an event not to be missed; elephants galore and hippos on the verge of the river as we drifted down in our little dinghy, (we were exclusive - apparently just missed the heavy tourist season later in June / July - an ideal time to go!)

And then to Hwange to The Hide with their pleasant safari accommodation, friendly hospitality, old world courtesy and  game drives and game walks to savour the sights of all the wildlife in the bushveldt.

with kind regards

David

Dear Liz

Thank you for your email.  We had a fantastic trip to Zimbabwe and would very much like to thank you and your colleagues for your assistance in organising everything.

Despite the various changes to the flight times, we were extremely impressed with your efforts to contact us and ensure we knew what was going on.  We were the only people flying to Lake Kariba on that day so we ended up having the plane to ourselves and the pilots were really friendly – it was an exciting ride over the beautiful lake!  On the return journey, we had the same pilots and as they were collecting some other guests from the beautiful lodge at Bumi, they asked if we would like to go along for the ride!  We had a drink at the bar in Bumi Hills overlooking the lake shore and the elephants and even spotted a member of the cat family from the runway when we took off back to Harare!  It was all very exciting and certainly added to the whole trip experience.

Spurwing was beautiful and we really enjoyed our time there.  We took full advantage of the activities and did walks, game drives and boat rides.  The food was excellent and waking up with a view of the Lake each day was just magical, not to mention all the amazing wildlife that is so close by.  

All the transfers were easy and we enjoyed the tour of Kariba dam on the last day so thank you for suggesting it.  Once again, your organisation was seamless and we will definitely recommend your services to any friends, family etc that are considering a trip to Africa.  I hope we get the chance to go again in the next couple of years so we will make sure to give you a call!

With many thanks and kind regards

(Kariba, Victoria Falls, Hwange and Cape Town)

Hey Liz 

We had and absolute fabulous time...

So glad you were there to help us with the up's and down's

Thanks again for your help and organistion, it was fantastic. Not sure if we could have done it on our own to be honest.

Thanks again, 

Hi Liz,

It was a fantastic experience and exceeded all our expectations.  Our guide Bono Lunga was superb and he and his team made the safari very special.  They looked after our every need and were excellent companions in the bush. Bono's understanding of the animals allowed us a very privileged close up view of big game like hippos, buffalo and elephants.  His knowledge of birds, trees and everything in the reserve is absolutely first class. 

Nelson's cuisine was superb, really incredible if you think that he was doing it over a fire with one or two pots. He churned out scones biscuits and all sorts of delicious lunches and dinners including evening snacks.   After a long day on the Zambezi we would arrive to find our camp immaculately set up and reveled in our hot showers followed by cold gin and tonics. We could not fault them on anything as they have perfected this form of safari and what a joy it is to participate!!!! Natureways  owners ought to be proud of Bono, Cloud and team.

The flights to Kariba and Mana Pools were prompt and the schedule operated faultlessly.  We enjoyed Carribea bay.

Best

Charles

Hi Fi,

I just wanted to follow up and tell you that we had a really great experience at Cottars, (Kenya). I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a quality and thrilling experience. The staff were absolutely wonderful, the accommodations outstanding, and food just delicious.  We've been on a couple safaris of this nature before, and this was a highlight.

Thank you for suggesting it and making the arrangements. We hope to get a group together to visit in August 2013. I think we already have 8 interested!!

Warm regards, and hope all is well with you,

Linda

May 2011

All went remarkably well. From transfers, hotel pickups, personable guides to attentive hospitality at the camp the whole experience was outstanding. Very fortunate for us that we were the only guests at the time in Davison Camp.  The staff did a superb job in communicating, sharing stories, greetings before and back from safari days and dining with us.  

We for sure will plan another safari to Africa with the addition of our adult children joining us.

Hey there Mark.

I had an outstanding trip.  I was very impressed by all elements of the vacation that you put together, the hotel, the activities and all the staff members in between.  

I really liked the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge quite a lot.  The restaurant's food was top notch, and I loved the restaurant and bar's view over the watering hole.  The pool was also one of my favorites.  

The day trip to Chobe in Botswana was probably the highlight of my stay.  All of the staff members made the transfers over the border and to the different elements of the trip exceptional.  The others on my tour that day were pretty dull, but that's certainly beyond anyone's control.

I will be sure to keep your information handy to pass on to others who might be traveling to the region.

Jeff   

Hello

After more than 6 years working together with Jackie Pearson in "tailored programs" of different groups and around many destination such as Namibia, Zambia , Zimbabwe ,Botswana and Tanzania, it's my pleasure to say just a few words :

Professional; seriousness and reliability make you one of the best agent that I know .

Thank you for all that you give us.

See you,

Ido Shapira

Israel

Dear Jackie,

We all spent really unforgettable days in Zimbabwe and Botswana thanks to your organization and arrangement. This was my first trip to this area of Africa and I was positively astonished by both the abundances of programs and sights, as well as the level of accommodations and transfers. 

Many thanks to you, and I will return, for sure (and I will contact you in a due course)

Regards,

Tibor

Hi Jackie,

You are absolutely right, the boys are back in town…

In general the trip was fantastic for all of us, and especially for the most of the group because it was their first trip to Africa.

I have been to Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa several times in the previous years, therefore it was also interesting for me to compare Zimbabwe and Botswana to the countries mentioned earlier from several point of views.

Best regards,

Robert

(This is their third trip with us and are booking fourth trip for 2012 to Central Africa.)

Hello Jackie!

Just thought I would drop you a line to say thank you for all your work in making our latest holiday so brilliant.  We loved Africa soooo much more this time than last - probably not having to worry about kids helped.

Please pass on our thanks also to those in Tanzania - once again their service, guides etc were perfect.  We hoped to be able to return again next year but I think it will probably be 2012 now, due to work commitments.  

Our guide, Godwin, at the Serengetti Camp was really great - as were the other guides we spoke to in the camp (we even met our last guide, Halifa, from 4 years ago there and he remembered us!).  They really do enjoy  their work and their knowledge was so good.

Please keep us informed if Uganda/Rwanda operator open any more camps - they were also really good (especially in Rwanda and we hope to return there again).  

We will be updating our website at the weekend with the new photos of the climb (and maybe my first real leopard sighting) to prove we really did get up there!

O - and Faru Faru, what can I say............

Thanks again 

Debbie

Hello Jackie

Thank you so much for all your hard work. We had a fabulous time in Zimbabwe. The road transfer from Lusaka to Chirundu worked well. The Wilderness representative sorted everything out for us at the border. It would have been pretty daunting otherwise - especially the return journey.

The boat transfer to Ruckomechi is also a good way to arrive in our opinion.

Ruckomechi has a great position on the river although not being actually in Mana Pools, it is quite a small area for game viewing.  

The variety on offer at Ruckomechi is good in that one can walk, game drive and go out on the pontoon boat which is great for viewing bird life.

The canoe trail was a brilliant experience especially since we were only a small party of 5 plus the two guides Henry and Matthew who were absolutely lovely. 

I've had someone on Trip Advisor ask me both about your company and the canoe trail and have given glowing accounts of both. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend you.

Once again, thank you for all your work on this and I shall send you a couple of photos in due course.

I hope your preparation for Kili is going well. It's not long now.

Best wishes

Barbara

Dear Jackie

We arrived back yesterday after a splendid trip. Thank you so much for arranging it and for choosing such an excellent itinerary. Everything went smoothly and it was really most enjoyable.

We felt it was well worth while to see the Victoria Falls. The  water was low on the Zambia side but the view in Zimbabwe was spectacular. We enjoyed too a sunset trip down the Zambesi keeping well away from the rapids!

So thank you again for making it so effortless for us and for your expert input.

Kindest regards

Barbara 

Hi Mark

We are back home. We had a great time with Lorrie, Clive and George. 

Wonderful people, helpful, good food and fun to be with. 

I really hope to get back to them some day.

Daniel  

Dear Mark, 

We thoroughly enjoyed the Zims leg of our journey - thanks.  It all went really well and Little Makolo was superb.  The Elephant ride was great the girls loved it and Enoch who was in charge of it, very kindly let us walk along with them.    

With kind regards

Jim Stewart

Hi Mark

Being in Victoria Falls was excellent. I really appreciate your service.

I hope I can visit Africa again! I don´t have any comment about our trip, I will recommend your service to my relatives. 

Kind regards 

Juan Manuel Morales A.

Hi Mark, 

I wanted to send a quick thank you for coordinating our canoe trip along the Zambezi.  Astrid and I had an amazing time. The experience is one that will stick with us forever.  

All the best,

Vicki

Mark,

...We have been pining away for Zimbabwe since we arrived back in the United States.  

First and foremost, I want to thank you and Jackie for suggesting and putting together such an incredible trip.  We enjoyed every aspect of it immensely, and between walking in Hwange, experiencing game safaris in Chobe, and completing our 8 day canoe down the Zambezi, we really felt as if we experienced the wide variety of activities that we imagined.   Without knowing us, you matched our desires to a tailor made holiday - that is no easy task, so thank you for listening and tolerating our endless questions.

Again, I want to stress the amazing vacation you designed for us.  We are so very happy with your service and I would recommend you to anyone travelling in the area.  I am already plotting my next vacation to Africa, as I am hoping to go Uganda and work my way South again next year.

Many, many thanks!

Joe

Hi Mark,

Feedback all very positive. We had a fantastic time, all the transfers and logistics went very smoothly which can make or break a trip like this. Victoria falls was exciting and beautiful all at the same time. The rafting was definitely a highlight – a rush a minute with some very testing rapids but at no point did we feel in any real danger or unsafe.

‘Little Mak’ was everything I’d hoped it would be and more. The staff there really deserve high praise, they went out of their way to look after us and, in my case particularly, made an important event go without a hitch. It was difficult for me to make the arrangements for the proposal as Bec was almost always with me but a quick word with Shayne at an opportune moment was all it took. Without further prompting from me they then arranged some wine in the hide and even a romantic meal for two by the swimming pool once the deal was done! 

Our guides, Booley and Sibs also deserve a mention. They really made the excursions exciting, informative and fun – walking through the bush with lions roaring on both sides of you really tests your faith in people!

Cheers,

Dan

Hi Mark 

Just wanted to let you know that Ruckomechi and the Mana Canoe Trail were amazing. The MCT is for me simply the best safari experience. I am wondering what I will do next!

The transfer was excellent; the staff was so friendly and professional. It is said that Zimbabweans are the kindest people in Africa, I now believe it's true.

We were also very lucky in terms of sightseeings. We saw, for instance, Wild dogs killing a young baboon.

I am already thinking about visiting Zimbabwe and doing the MCT again, and I am thinking about combining Hwange and Mana. 

Kind Regards 

Damien

Hi Trish 

Just to let you know, we had a great time. The guide was great, he showed us more wildlife than I ever expected, even lined vehicle up so that we had best photographic lighting.

Nomad, the camps and lodges were fantastic.  We were amazed at Onsea House - loved it (fixed us gourmet dinner at midnight) and Plantation Lodge, (gorgeous setting) as well as camps.   

Loved all the stops, everything fit together, went off without a hitch.

I've wanted to do a safari since the age of 8 ( am now 60) .  The trip exceeded my expectations.

 Thank you.

 Jake Cooley

Trish

I promised to send you a report of our very satisfactory Kenya safari. I thought that I would just write a few words about each camp and Kiwayu but as I started writing, it started to turn into more of a dairy of each day. As we have had a number of people ask us about what we did and what we saw, I then started to think about adding photos to show what we had seen and, at the moment, I have just finished the first draft. This of course is not what you wanting so I have rather got behind in giving you my feed back.

The whole trip was perfect with variety between the camps and activities, and everything running like clockwork. Alex and Dianna at Ol Pejeta, Steve and Annabelle at Sosian, Jonathon and DuDu (Deborah) at Rekero, and George at Kiwayu, were perfect. Wonderful people who looked after us fantastically.

I will be in touch later and, once again, thank you and all of your team for a wonderful adventure.

Tony

Hi Trish

We had a marvellous time. Thank you so much for all your efforts. We had a great trip. 

Fondly

Sheri

Dear Trish,

Ted and I wish to thank-you very much for arranging our flights and safari. We have had a great holiday and many new memories for our old age.

Ted and Evelyn travelled to Kasanka National Park, Shiwa N'gandu, South Luangwa National Park and the Lower Zambezi River in Zambia.

We did indeed have a most amazing adventure and unique experience. We feel so privileged to have had this opportunity of seeing and living in, albeit for a short period of time, what must be one of Africa's greatest wildernesses Botswana! As I spend time now reflecting on what we have experienced, I find it so difficult put into words how I feel and and tell others about our safari. As you know, photographs, although wonderful to have, can only show limited images. They cannot show the beauty of the stars in the African night sky, the simple joy of chatting around the campfire after watching the most spectacular sunsets, or the wonderful sounds of the bush, from the rumbling of elephant and roaring of lion close by to the beautiful sound of a scops owl perched in a nearby tree. It is also difficult to express the excitement of knowing that lions had passed through the camp during the night and seeing their tracks close to your tent!

I am sure that this will not be our last trip to Africa. As someone said to me - it gets under your skin! Indeed leaving Botswana, in particular, was very emotiional for me. 

Some of the more exotic projects Trish has been involved in, include large scale arrangements for amateur astronomists to visit the lower Zambezi river in 2001 to see the total solar eclipse. Taking place just a year after the political crisis in Zimbabwe began in earnst, this was a tricky challenge!

Kenya was wonderful so a huge thank you from both of us for organising such a fantastic trip and also arranging for our bottle of bubbly at Offbeat Mara, was such a lovely gesture and we certainly enjoyed it on our first sundowners!

The whole trip was amazing, I think Offbeat was our favourite, the camp was perfect so luxurious and they literally thought of everything - I loved the hot water bottle although I did frighten myself half to death the first night I got into bed as it was the last thing we were expecting in Africa!

The people that looked after the camp were brilliant and we were fortunate to have two fantastic English speaking masi guys from who we learnt a huge amount - they seemed to ask us plenty of questions about the 'western way' so we certainly felt it worked both ways which was exactly what we were looking for - and they also didn't mind us mucking in, which again made me feel a lot more comfortable. We felt very fortunate to have exclusive private guiding throughout the whole trip, this was wonderful for us but I appreciate that this was due to lack of tourism which seems such a shame, the media really does not help in these situations - the whole area seemed empty with vast amounts of game due to the freak weather bring they out - such a shame.

Sosian was certainly a completely different experience - again the place was practically empty which meant we had the beautiful Italian villa - it certainly made it difficult to leave for camping - but glad we experienced it - we managed two nights under the stars in the most amazing open air set up I have ever seen - very comfortable and so unique, the outdoor showers were amazing. We cut short the last night due to tummy bugs but it wasn't a hardship as we had a huge four poster and 15 acre bathroom awaiting us at the ranch!!

The camping was fantastic, walking quite taxing due to the heat but well worth it, a completely different experience to Masi as you were obviously having to hunt down the game which made it all the more exciting when you did see it - we also had some particularly interesting experiences with an Elephant herd when we were snoozing at lunch and also again when in a truck, quite interesting to see how differently they behave when they are not used to humans like the masi Mara! Thankfully we all survived but with great stories to tell, the herd obviously get bigger every time we tell it - I think I am up to running away from at least 75 ellies now grown from 25!!
The knowledge the guides have was fantastic we were lucky in both places that they specialised in Birds as this was a particular interest for us and I had great fun with a checklist provided by sosian.

Actually Offbeat did ask if there was any suggestions we had to offer, we couldn't think of anything when we left as everything was so perfect, but a checklist booklet with all the species to be found might be a good idea, I certainly found it really fun ticking it all off, it became quite a game.

Lamu was beautiful, definitely good for recharging our batteries but was glad we only stayed a few days as could go stir crazy - but that is just us, useless at sitting still!! The owners were really good fun and again the staff out of this world.

In terms of food, 14 out of 10 I didn't quite expect such amazing cuisine I looked forward to every meal - thankfully the tummy bug I picked up has shed any excess weight I put on as I was convinced I would be at least 7 pounds heavier as who eats a huge breakfast followed by 2 course lunch and 4 course dinner every day!! I felt like the queen - strictly back to muesli twice a day and boring old pasta!!!

I am sorry I am not much of a travel writer so my rendition is not very good, but I would be happy to chat on the phone if you would like anything further, there is so many memories I only wish I was good at putting them on paper!

Once again thank you for the trip of a lifetime - worth every penny and the balloon ride was brilliant he loved it - (Incidentally I got a Nintendo DS!!!)
Take Care
Claire

September 2008

We have been back for awhile and I apologize for not replying to your email sooner but it seems everyday has been overloaded with "things" that needed to be attended to.

That said, we want to tell you how delighted we were with everything you put together for us. The accommodations were great and the transfers very dependable, comfortable and timely. We thoroughly enjoyed Waterberry lodge and loved the staff! Everyone was kind and attentive. The food was absolutely fabulous!!!! Natasha and Richard were very accommodating and we had the real pleasure of meeting Tessa who has a lovely way about her with such a delightful personality ! We bragged about you to her !

We can't thank you enough for being so responsive to our needs - especially with such short notice. It couldn't have been better if we'd planned it months ahead. We had had a few offers returned to my email requests, but no one was as personable and as attentive as you. And, no one acted like they could make it work at that "late date" and "on our budget". The fact that you called us personally on the phone made us feel very comfortable with your advice. We have not one complaint and can say that everything went exactly as you promised. Chobe Lodge was also excellent and it was a nice contrast with Waterberry.

There is so much more I could say because it was thrilling to be there and have everything arranged so thoughtfully. Being so far away from home it gave us confidence to know we had chosen such a great person to arrange this travel. If you ever need a testimony please allow us to give you the credit you deserve!!!

Thank you, Thank you !!!!

Most Sincerely, Bob and Sheri Fitzpatrick

July 2008

Hi Mark, 

We have just arrived from Mauritius last Thursday and today, it's our second working day, so you can imagine that we're not very happy now;)

Our honeymoon was fantastic, we loved every moment of it; we loved South Africa, Zambia and Mauritius. We've never been in Africa before, and now we fell in love with it. We'll came back as soon as we can and I'm sure you will assist us again.

I must say, that the most beautiful part of our trip was the visit to Zambia, and it was surely because of the complete pack of activities that you recommended and reserved to us.

So, as you can see, we're really satisfied with your work. Thank you very much and if we return to Africa (I'm sure we will), we will contact with you.

Kind regards,

ANA

I had a fabulous time.

Robert the guide was a gem and looked after me very well and i had a great time seeing gorillas, chimps and golden monkeys. What a lovely country so green adn friendly - i will forward a few pics for you.

All in all a superb experience, thank-you!

Best regards

John

October 2008

Dear Trish

We had a fantastic time - Rwanda is a beautiful country and the people are lovely...very warm and welcoming. Our guide, Paul Ruganitwali, was excellent. He had a lot of knowledge, so it was great to talk to him. We really fell in love with the place and will definitely go back.
 
We were with group 13 - there were 21 gorillas in the family but we saw about 10 of them. The one female had a 3 month old baby, which was just the cutest thing ever. There were 3 other youngsters in the group who were very playful - just like naughty little kids.
 
I've attached some photos for you to have a look at. Thanks again for organising a fantastic trip for us.
 
Regards
 
Daryl

Hi Jools,
 
We are now back from our Zambia experience. Just wanted to say thank you for all the stuff you sorted for us in Livingstone. We had a great time and really enjoyed all the activities.

Regards,
Beccy

Jools,

Thanks for the concerns. In short, we had a splendid time, and found the place very much to our liking. Great accommodation - very quiet. If I wrack my brains for a criticism, there are two small things:

The service of Zambezi Safari was pleasant, helpful and efficient, something I cannot say from a South African competitor through which we originally tried to book the same accommodation.

Hope this is helpful,

Best regards,
Rolf

Dear Jools,

Thanks again for your work in setting up our trip. We had a great visit. Our guide was particularly helpful. 

David Johnson

Jools,

Happy New Year to you. I want to tell you what a great experience we had while in Zambia. Thorntree was beautiful and they bent over backwards to be helpful.

Again, many thanks and kind regards.

Paul Adams

Hi Jools,

Just a short note to let you know that everything worked out perfectly!! We had an amazing time on safari. Excellent camps. We are currently in Cape Town on the business portion of our trip so sending pictures is not possible. When we get home I'll send you some pictures of our wonderful adventure.

Signing out for now,
Patty :-)

Hi Jools,

We indeed did have the most fantastic time, sorry to take so long getting back to you with feedback. The rafting was something else!!!!! I'm glad I baled out after seeing the video from the day I don't think they would have gone either if they'd seen it first!! Grade 5 rapids which looked amazing- I took the helicopter flight over the falls instead.

Your 2 hotels were superb-- Windhoek - Rivensdale - suited us perfectly - super people, very clean and every facility, Namatubis was equally super - fantastic food, very comfortable and a good distance from Etosha. We only stayed 2 nights as the drive to Sosussvlei (amazing 'tents') was too far for 1 day so we split the journey by staying in Heitsbay and having a most superb dune experience on 4x4 quads in Walvis Bay en route Skeleton Coast was such a contrast.

Thank you all for your help with our bookings.

Regards
Hazel

Dear Jools,

We had the most amazing holiday and were more than satisfied with absolutely every aspect of it. The Bush Camp Company were brilliant, the hospitality at each camp was personal and tailored to what we wanted. We were very impressed by all our guides who were exceptionally knowledgeable and quick to identify the areas we were most interested in learning about, above all they were so much fun. The camps were certainly luxury with impeccable service and delicious food, we couldn't believe how such gourmet meals were cooked in such a basic kitchen and tiny oven!

We were really there to see the animals and saw so many - several sightings of leopard and lions (male, female and cubs), and so many elephants, warthogs, giraffes, hippos, genets, hyenas, elephant shrews, impalas, buffalos, crocodiles, zebra, bush hares, puku, kudu, antelope, bushbucks, civets, baboons, the list goes on…  We were even lucky enough to spot a pack of seven wild dogs, twice.

Victoria Falls were spectacular and our riding safari was a great way to get even closer to the animals. The Lion Encounter was truly the highlight of our trip - getting up close to the cubs was the perfect end to one of our best family holidays.

Thank you very much for all your help in putting our trip together. Special thanks to our hosts Ed and Rob, and to our guides Peter, Mishek, Manda and James (not sure if you heard but the Tomsetts are quite a family when it comes to travels and they were all great in going along with our mishaps!)

Kind regards,
Tracy

Dear Julian

Have now arrived back from our holidays in Zambia and South Africa.

We had a wonderful experience at the Victoria Falls, the helicopter flight meeting and indeed exceeding expectations.  Apart from a slight mix up in pick-up time from our hotel when we had to make a telephone call and wait for about 45 mins all other arrangements went very smoothly. The helicopter company were excellent. And the flight carried out most efficiently.

We do indeed have very happy memories of the experience. Thank you for making the arrangements for us.

Pat and Derek Madeley

Jools,

We had a fantastic time. You were extremely helpful and patient answering all the questions I sent you. Sorry I had soooo many. The Thorntree Lodge was relaxed and the setting was beautiful. I sat on the patio outside of my room and enjoyed the sights and sounds of nature. The friendly and attentive staff at the hotel made our stay very pleasant. Victor, a hotel staff member, was very helpful and always prompt. He even arranged for us to go on a rhino trek and we got within a few meters of two huge rhinos...AMAZING!!!! I was able to take the microlight flight, and my sister and cousin took the helicopter over Victoria Falls. We have fantastic pictures and fond memories of the trip. You are a gem and the travel arrangements went off without a hitch. All pick ups and drop offs were on schedule.

Thank you again for all your help.  We had a glorious time.

Vicki Richardson

Hi Chris and Jools,

I am sorry I have taken so long to write and thank you both, but my laptop decided to expire as soon as I reached Lusaka and I have only just managed to get an alternative computer up and running once more.

Wow, what a fantastic camp Kuyenda turned out to be. Thank you both so very much for suggesting it and organising it all. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay there and I really loved being able to walk twice a day out in the bush after two months of very little exercise in Botswana. The only down side to life in Africa seems to me to be that the food is so very good and yet up until the Luangwa, I had little opportunity to walk any of it off!! I had a great time, saw a magnificent leopard which timed its appearance to perfection just as Phil said that he thought one might stroll across the track at any moment! Phil and Ed looked after me extremely well and I was amazed that they kept the camp open with only one guest in it - me! What a treat.

Thank you, too, Jools, for sorting out the hotel in Lusaka with Tricia. The hotel that day was struggling with their computer system and there were quite a few of us trying to get away to catch flights, so your help was very welcome and much appreciated.

I hope your trip to Zambia went well, Chris. How you can live in wet, rainy Devon instead of Africa, I don't quite understand! You must all be mad.

Many thanks again.
Kind regards,
Belinda

Hey Jools

Well I have just been home for about four hours from my trip.......as I had been to London and Jo'burg...but I wanted to drop you a line to say thanks ever so much for my trip to Zambia it was great ...amazing...wow...the accommodation and meals were fantastic and also the way the whole booked tours went was smooth....all that was part of this did a great job I loved it...will be booking again this time with the kids as my daughter is green with envy about it all!!...Thanks again for your patience with me and booking it all...will look you up for part two!!! Hahahahaha!

Cathy

Good afternoon Chris

The holiday was amazing. Walking and staying within the bush is certainly
very different from driving and lodging.

I think that it brings you closer to your surroundings. You have time to
contemplate and appreciate.

Both Julie and I enjoyed every minute of it. We were so please with each and everyone of the camps we visited. The hospitality was exceptional. Everyone was so friendly and the guides were brilliant. Julie and I particularly enjoyed our trips out with Phil B and Freya. We were amazed by the way they just knew what was round the corner or what ever question you asked they could answer. What we also liked was the fact that both guides would allow us to sit for a while and just watch and experience the wildlife, this was something we really wanted to do.

Manda and Gilbert were also excellent and from all we learnt so much,
especially about the different tracks and droppings.

There must be a cure for tsetse fly!!!!, both Julie and I were bitten alive
and reacted to each and everyone one of them. Our special thanks go to Colin Pattern-Smith for the recommendation of 'Bot Cream'.

Over the 10 days we took over 976 pictures we are slowly going through each one, picking out the best. We had some amazing sightings.

(A particularly large Bull Elephant paid Julie and I a visited during a
night at Kuyenda! Its strange how safe you feel behind your mozi net!)
Thank you for your recommendations. The itinery was perfect. Bilimungwe is ideal for the first location as it slowly brings you into your surroundings
without to much culture shock.

We would like to return during the Green Season. Which month would you
recommend?

PS. Just an after thought; Whilst all the Guides and Staff looked part of
there surroundings and looked as though they belonged there, (uniform), we feel that the BushCamp (younger) Managers should follow suit. You could not distinguish them from visitors, particularly at Mfuwe Lodge. This could actually be a safety issue in some circumstances.

One of the best.

Thanks again hope to speak to you again.
Regards
Phil

Dear John,

Firstly, thank you for the message awaiting us upon our return and for the lovely hippo in the box which was also here when we walked in the door. We were very touched.

We are not sure exactly what feedback you would like but here goes:

Everything about our trip went superbly. There were no hitches and absolutely no problems at all.

As we had made all of our plans with you, we were a little confused by who Nomad was in the list of contacts but assumed that all would become clear when we got to Tanzania. And indeed it did. We did not realize previously (probably oversight on our part) that you actually acted as an agent and then reserved through a ground company. Well they are, as obviously you know, an outstanding organization. They simply did not miss a beat. From the meeting/greeting person at the airport, to the outstanding service in each and every hotel or camp site, to the wonderfully well-educated and informed guides, they provided the very best of service, care and knowledge.

As you know, the quality of service, food, accommodation at the camps is impeccable. We only wished that we could have stayed even longer in each of those camp locations. However, the most important person is the guide and we could not have been luckier. Our guide Halifa, in the Ndutu, Loliondo, Ngorogoro and Lake Manyara was quite simply outstanding. He took us off the beaten path, he was a superb "spotter", and we even managed to get the praise of "good spot" from him on a number of occasions towards the end of our week with him. He taught us a lot not only about the relationships between the animals and the environment but also about Tanzania, its strengths and its huge problems. We had the most wonderful conversations during our breakfast picnics and lunch picnics. We were not interested in amassing a tally of animals and birds but to our surprise when we looked at our list at the end of the week we were surprised, as was Halifa, that we had observed some 31 different animals and 78 birds!
It was very important to us that we had as our guide a native Tanzanian who was doing what we have done in our lives, the very best job he could do with a real sense of a love of that job as expressed in his connections with the land, the animals and that he by doing this work would be able to offer his children opportunities that he did not have.

Needless to say, we were sad when he took us to the airstrip at Lake Manyara and stayed until we were airborne. As he said I cannot leave until you are gone because what would you do if the plane did not leave? What would we have done indeed but seen it as an excuse to stay longer!

Although not huge fans of small planes we did enjoy the views that lower altitudes provide. However, there was a little bit of nail biting on the 4 seater from Dar to Selous. It was great - but certainly smaller than we had anticipated. Perhaps it was the fact the the pilot was clearly taking a test and had a senior examiner beside him that both made us nervous and secure, knowing that there was a second set of controls!!! Great fun!

The Selous was a very different experience and the Rufiji was running quite fast and higher than expected for the time of year because of more rain than usual. Again, our guide Maasa was excellent. He was a walking encyclopaedia on zoology, botany, ornithology and geology. He was totally professional and again a most interesting person. We thoroughly enjoyed our first night at Selous as the only guests, Ross was away, and so we had a wonderful dinner with superb conversation with Maasa and Hamxe (spelling not sure) who is going to managing the new camp. They were excellent conversationalists and we covered so many topics. We felt so privileged to have that opportunity. The game drives and the river safari were wonderful and our walking safari on one afternoon, (yes with Ernest in the front with the loaded rifle) was the best surprise when we reached the top of the hill and there set out was the bar and the gins and tonic facing the river one way and the sunset the other. We all enjoyed great laughter at our surprise.

So... although initially disappointed about Lamu, we had a lovely time in Zanzibar and thank you for pulling that together so fast. The Beit El Chai was wonderful and we had fun exploring Stonetown. The two days on the beach were an excellent way to reflect on our visit and to get ready to come back (which we did not want to do).

You mentioned that you were going to Uganda and to Rwanda and so we will give you some feedback on Rwanda. As you know we went there first and did not want to leave there either. It is a most interesting place. Not as developed in tourism as Tanzania, but with lots more to offer than the gorillas. We went to see the gorillas and it was a really amazing experience and so we heartily recommend that people do go. However, it is a beautiful country - superb hilly terrain. The people are very kind and very interesting. Quite quiet and we sometimes were wondering what they were thinking about. The genocide memorial in Kigali is outstanding and puts an historical perspective on what happened - although it is still beyond us how neighbours killed neighbours, friends etc. It was important for the survivors to know that the world remembers and that they are not alone. We visited schools, a hospital as well going out to Kibuye on Lake Kivu and Butare. We also visited the Akagera game park which was interesting but not as much game as Serengeti. However, worth going to. The Lodge was very nice. The hotel we stayed in Kigali BeauSejours was lovely.
We would certainly recommend the country. It is small and very doable  - we used local taxi buses to get to the other towns and got to meet the people. Our French was OK but our Kinyarwandan virtually non existent except for a few essential words. The country is very poor and is teaming with NGOs and Church groups. Kigali is bustling and easy to get around in.

If you have any specific questions, we would be happy to answer them if we can.

So - don't know if this is the type of feedback you are looking for but we think that you can sense that this was a not just a wonderful trip but also an incredibly important experience for first-timers to Africa. There is no doubt in our minds that we will want to go back - to where and how will have to be thought about.

Thank you to you and to everyone in your office and the Nomad office who made it such a memorable trip. We will write a separate letter to Nomad to thank them and most importantly to tell them how magnificent our guides were.

All the best

Eleanor and Diane

It is my last morning and the sun is about to rise. I am sitting in front of my tent and looking over the Chada Plains. A lone bull elephant is slowly moving across the plains. He stops at an old elephant skull and his trunk goes down and then he raises his trunk high above his head and makes a slow circle. He then moves on towards the tree line on the far side...............
 
Hi John
 
KATAVI - THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY
 
THE GOOD
 
We were met by Mohammed at the airport and all the logistical arrangements by your company were faultless. The Coffee Lodge was good and River Trees very special. The flight arrangements were flawless and we were always just looked after - thanks.
 
We just had the most awesome time imaginable. The camp was just great, the staff amazing and the guides brilliant. Chada's setting is wonderful and the views over the plains are great because there are always animals of some sort to be seen. We had elephants in the camp and even walked past as we were sitting at the fire and once around the tents at night. We also had visits from hippo and hyena.
 
Game drives were something else - elephants, lions, buffalo, leopard, Lichtenstein Hartebeest, hyena, civet, genet, roan antelope etc etc and wonderful birds.  We saw lions kill a baby hartebeest (a scarce buck) but unfortunately did not kill it immediately but tore it apart alive which was very ugly to experience and again showed how cruel life can be. More than a thousand hippos in one pool was just crazy and the largest crocs I have ever seen. Baby lions left under a low palm tree while mommy was out hunting was fantastic. David and Silvano are great guides and Silvano has built-in binoculars! Never seen so many African Fish Eagles! The tsetse flies took a liking to the men but fortunately the ladies escaped mostly unscathed.  Only one of us, Sieg, got reaction from the bites but for the rest of us it was just sore and then OK.  Not nearly as bad as we thought.
 
Food at Chada was beautiful, well served, tasty and lots of it. Could not believe they can produce such food in the Wilderness! Showers were fine and generally the camp well run and efficient. We had a great time, drank a lot of Gin and joked and laughed a lot. Great being with old friends and again brought home to me how precious friends are and how one must always try to be as unselfish and accommodating so that all can enjoy. Richard and Anna were helpful and friendly and contributed to our enjoyment in no uncertain way. Understand Richard is leaving which is sad as he is a dedicated wildlife preserver.
 
Great time!

THE BAD (NOT REALLY)
 
If I have to highlight minor gripes which all of us shared they are:
 
The very smelly toilet and then in the same tent as the basin. To brush your teeth in that stink just is not good. We suggested they move the basin unit into the tent with the beds and have the toilet alone and then also next to the shower so you don't have to go through to shower. The ideal is to get eco-toilets of which there are now many on the market which are not chemical at all. Next season?
 
The major problem we had was the lack of ice in any sort of quantity - perhaps we as South African are used to excessive amounts but we hardly got more than one small piece per drink. An ice machine can produce vast quantities in one day and one small dedicated deep freeze can produce and store lots of ice. Just some thoughts.
 
THE UGLY
 
The ugly is just very ugly.  Katavi is a reserve under siege. There is very obviously VERY SERIOUS Poaching going on. I hardly saw an elephant with tusks, and saw only small breeding herds with no matriarch being led by small female elephants. I saw some very skittish elephant behaviour and Chada Plains are littered with skulls of elephants with obvious signs that tusks had been hacked out. The largest herd of buffalo was about 600 to 800, nowhere near the 3000 and 5000 I heard about. Some buffalos showed obvious stress when the vehicle approached which shows me that the vehicles are a threat - there is obvious poaching off vehicles. There were also too many small groups and here I don't include the lone bulls (dagha boys).
 
I am very very concerned and the type of people I saw in official vehicles gave me serious thought that these officials (and their shady passengers) are involved in the poaching - these are just observations as I have no proof. Also there are just too many vehicle tracks going off into the bush and just too much vehicular activity after dark.
 
Ii is extremely difficult to make official complaints without proof except the large number of elephant skulls lying about, but I believe correspondence from tour operators like yourself and certainly Nomad Safaris should take it up with authorities higher up. Everybody at Chada is aware of the poaching so it is not my imagination. My questions were prompted by my observations. Kitasunga Plains appears to have less of a problem and there the animals are calmer and less edgy.
 
Katavi must be saved now and not later!
 
John, I must congratulate you for perfect arrangements and Nomad for a great adventure - I speak for all of us when I say we have an unforgettable experience and enjoyed the trip. There is no doubt that I will use you for future trips.
 
Thank you very much
 
Kind Regards
 
Vincent Moore and friends

..as the lone bull elephant disappears into the trees I cannot but help to wonder will I ever see you again or will you just be another skull on the plains?

Hi John,

Sorry not to have been in touch re the Tanzania trip. It was beyond any expectation we had on all fronts. The Nomad team at each camp went way above and beyond. The wildlife experiences still eclipsed anything that Nomad could do for us… which is saying something - we are hooked and will definitely recommend you to any interested friends etc.

We have a bunch of pics – I’ll forward some once our other PC is up and running again. Thanks again for making it our most memorable travel experience to date.

Regards,

Ben and Sally Breen

To Whom It May Concern:

We have just completed a truly wonderful safari with Nomad arranged for us by Zambezi Safari Travel Company. We understand from John Berry who worked with us on our trip that Lulu Sem was the pivotal player in working with John on our trip. It was flawlessly organized and every detail was meticulously accounted for. We want to thank Lulu for her work in making this happen. We also wanted to say that the staff at each of our tented locations was friendly, professional and attentive to every detail. The chefs are simply amazing and certainly produce better food than anything that comes out of our kitchens.

We especially want to write to say that the two guides that were assigned to us during our trips in the Serengeti and Selous were excellent.

Halifa Sulemani was quite simply outstanding. From the moment that we met him at Ndutu Airstrip, he was so attentive to all the aspects of the safari experience in which we were interested. His knowledge of the animals, plants and birds in the areas in which we traveled with him was impeccable. His ability to put aside his own views of different areas, in order that we had each and every experience possible and could then make our own decisions was remarkable. His clear love of that beautiful land and all of its inhabitants and his sense of stewardship for each of the parks and areas that we visited was clearly evident. His understanding of human psychology is excellent and after only a few hours with us, he read well what we wanted out of this experience and engaged with us in that quest with humour, energy and pure joy. We not only enjoyed wonderful conversations about the animals, birds and plants but also discussion about the economic, social and political issues facing Tanzania. We really appreciated those conversations and his willingness to engage with us in them, as we were concerned that the safari experience would prevent us from gaining a better understanding of Tanzania and that was very important to us. As retired school principals and teachers, we were very interested in the education system in Tanzania and we engaged in some lively conversations about the differences between Canada and Tanzania as well hearing some of the real issues which Tanzania faces in education. His generosity in sharing his perspectives was a real highlight for us. He seemed to have a “maverick” quality which enabled him to take us off the beaten path so often and to find something new, to experience something new, something different or something memorable. We shall long remember those wonderful bush picnics and the stimulating conversations as well as the amazing animals that he seemed to spot out of nowhere. His attention to ensuring that our total experience on safari was an excellent one, far exceeded our own expectations. He is an exceptional guide and a wonderfully kind and generous person. You are indeed fortunate to have such an employee.

We were very sad to say goodbye to Halifa at the Lake Manyara Airstrip as after only eight days it felt like saying goodbye to a good friend.

Upon arrival at the Kibu airstrip in Selous, were greeted warmly by Masaa Kayiakon. From the moment that introductions were completed, he provided us with an incredible volume of detailed information on the zoology, ornithology and geology of the Selous. He is a self-confessed bird lover and very patiently waited whilst we, amateur photographers tried to get a Carmine bee eater in flight. His depth of knowledge was amazing. He too, ensured that our experiences in the Selous were wonderful. His working relationship with a fellow guide (whose name, we think, is Harrebert) illustrated superb team-work and we felt very lucky indeed to have both of these very knowledgeable young men along on both our river and walking safaris. On our first night at Sand River, we were the only guests and had the most remarkable and memorable dinner, one that we feel so privileged to have had, with Masaa and Hamze (not sure of spelling) in which we talked about Tanzania, families, guiding, tourism and, of course, Selous. Again, it was very important to us to go beyond the actual safari itself in our exchanges. Masaa is not only a very intelligent young man but also a wonderful thinker. Again, as he drove us to Kiba, we were very sad to say goodbye.

We have to conclude that your hiring practices and training programmes are excellent and that you work hard at ensuring that you have superb guides. Your practice of having guides mingle with guests at pre-dinner gatherings, and at the table is a wonderful one. Do not let that one go! Similarly the greetings and farewells of the entire camp team were important to us, and we hope to them. None of such events happen without tremendous work on the part of each member of a staff, and it speaks highly of your sense of equity and collaboration that you enable your guests to acknowledge the participation of each staff member. We also know, having worked in management in the service sector, that one hears of complaints routinely and rarely of the “good” things. Hence, we felt that we had to not only tell you that our safari was excellent in every way – transportation and connections, accommodation, food and drinks, service in each and every location but also to specifically praise the work of our guides without whom, while all the other aspects may be first class, our safari would not have been the enriching and outstanding experience that it was. We also know that you need to hear about excellent employees. We hope that you will have the opportunity to pass on to both of these gentlemen, our sincere thanks.

For us, this was a trip of a lifetime and although it was our first time in Africa, we hope that it will not be our only one. We will be looking in our travel guides etc for more visibility for Tanzania as it has so much to offer.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and all the very best for you company and your employees in the future.

Yours sincerely,
Eleanor Moore and Diane Goudie

Hi John
I arrived back from overseas yesterday after 5 weeks in Africa. I thought I would wait til I got back to provide the feedback as internet services in Ethiopia were a bit dodgy. Sometimes took up to 40 minutes to send one email. You forget quickly how it was.

Our Tanzania trip was great. All of the on ground arrangements worked smoothly and we totally enjoyed the Safari and the Zanzibar leg. We particularly want to acknowledge George the guide and driver. We enjoyed his company which was a bonus on top of his knowledge and attention to our needs. He takes a lot of pleasure in what he does and we were impressed with his striving to learn when his considerable capacity to answer questions fell short. The other staff were also excellent and the camping was for us a great way to do it. Being a family of four doing our own thing meant we did not feel so much on the tourist train. The only regret I had was that we couldn’t spend more time in Tanzania (girls had to get back to Uni).

Thank you for your help with planning and booking the trip. We would ask that you let the company on the ground know we were also pleased with their services.

Lyla and family   

Hi John,

Thanks, Katavi was great - lots of animals, and the lions were active, Manie was excellent, Ruaha was a bit slow -but they said the number of buffs [and hence the other animals] had fallen up to 90% over the last 10 yrs due to the water supply in summer falling dramatically.

Thanks for recommending Katavi.

Regards,
Craig.

Thought I'd send you a few lines to let you know about our trip to Zimbabwe. The whole show was very well organised and all transfers etc ran like clockwork. When Mike contacted you initially he told you that we were allergic to too many people and we'd prefer to be on our own as much as possible and that was exactly what we got, perfect.

Hi Chris,

Sorry I've been a while in replying. The holiday was absolutely superb. The only snag was the Visa charges which I wasn't aware of.

Here are my ratings (just for fun)

Mfuwe Lodge:

Accommodation and lodge 8/10

Service and staff 7/10

Food 6/10 (pleasant/average, but only 3 candles per 7 or so people made finding things on the plate quite hard!)

Schedule of day 7/10 (fixed)

Quality of game viewing in April 10/10 (amazing!)

Guides 9/10

Total 78%

Kasaka River Lodge

Accommodation and lodge 10/10 (stunning place, the website doesn't do this place justice)

Service and staff 10/10 (absolutely without fault. Really lovely hosts)

Food 8/10 (the odd thing was truly unpleasant, the rest was worthy of a fine restaraunt. Chef a character too!)

Schedule of day 10/10 (flexible start times and choice of activity.... a relaxing safari)

Quality of game viewing in April 5/10 (dense undergrowth made spotting hard, but amazing leopard and lion sightings)

Guides 9/10

Total 87%

I think we'll speak again next year !

Paul Jones

Vicky Hope

Hi John,

Katavi was very good. The camp is great. My guide seemed a bit burned out. He knew a lot but gave quite a few one word answers to questions. I was with a British couple who were very nice, but perhaps plucked his nerves. Who knows? Nomad has a stellar reputation so expectations are high. We were not able to do any walks at all because the only armed scout was out on a 5 day walking safari the entire time. That was a bit of a disappointment because it is one of the parks where walking is allowed. I realize that being an active person I will seek out trips with some physical movement. Being in the land rover all day is hard. All in all had I had a really good trip and I am very glad I went.

I went to Selous about a month ago and had a fabulous time! I did a walking safari with Nomad for 4 nights; it was just me and my guide (and a trainee scout). We saw a Rhino - up close and personal. My Selous guide – Rem - has got to be one of the best in the business. He was awesome.

I do want to canoe and will before I leave Tanzania (15 months left). In December I think I am going to Jordan to hike in Wadi Rum and visit Petra.

I am always looking for 3-5 day (ie quick) trips from Moshi. Keep me in
mind!

Thanks for your help
Jean

I couldn't possibly fault the trip in anyway Chris, straight from the word go everything was organised, flights and transfers were my biggest worry but everything just fell into place. Terry and Shona are wonderful people and great hosts. Terry's knowledge of the bush made it all the more enjoyable, anything we asked he was able to answer and the tracking with him was great. The Somalisa camp was an amazing experience, one I won't forget.

The outside camping with was a totally different experience, the walking part was most enjoyable and we didn't go with the attitude that we wanted to see everything. We just walked and saw what we saw, the animals in there natural state unaware we were even there sometimes was awe inspiring.

Next with Steve Edwards, again I can't fault it. A great guy with a good personality and was so much fun to be around. The canoeing and the white water rafting totally brilliant, I could go into so much more information on all our experiences but I'd be writing for ages, especially since I can only type with 2 fingers I'd be here all night. Lol.

It's the best holiday I've had in a very long time and won't be forgotten. Thanks for all the help and organising this amazing trip for us.

P.S Any chance you could move Zimbabwe a bit closer to the UK, long trip but well worth it. Thanks again.

Hi,

Thank you so much, I can honestly say it was wonderful. Everyone enjoyed themselves and it all ran very smoothly. I have had such positive feedback regarding the venue and the people there are so warm and friendly. It was all a very positive experience and superb.

I cannot thank you enough for all you efforts in making it a wonderful experience.

Thanks

Leigh

Governors' was great as was the whole experience. I managed to get the
return flight put back to 5pm which made all the difference. Thanks for
all your help. We will certainly be in touch if we go again.

Regards,
John

July 2008

Well as you know we are back in the UK now which is very depressing as we had an absolultely fantastic holiday - I think it was actually one of my best trips I've ever had to Africa!!!! Both myself and Bruce want to say thank you so much for arranging such an amazing trip for us - it was absolutely perfect.

Uganda was absolutely stunning and it was very strange to see such a green African country as we are used to going to places like Namibia/Botswana which are obviously very dry. Our driver George was fantastic - both in terms of driving skills and general knowledge about everywhere we visited and Uganda in general and he definitely made our holiday into the fantastic trip it was.

Rwanda was a big highlight for me as it has been one of my lifelong dreams to go and see the mountain gorillas. I couldn't believe how close we got to them and also how peaceful and gentle they were. The big silverback was only about 4 metres from us and it was the most incredible experience I have ever had. We were also really lucky to see a 5 day old baby (that the guides didn't tell us about in advance as they didn't think we'd see it!!). The mother just sat beside the path holding the baby and it was almost as if she was showing it off to us all as we walked past!!!

After a sad farewell to George in Uganda we were met by our driver in Tanzania - another George!!! Again he was absolutely fantastic and we had real good fun with him and the other guest on our safari Lizette. We absolutely loved the authentic camping trip that we did and the other 3 guys who went ahead and set up camp and cooked for us (Du Du, Hamza and Mushi) were brilliant. After seeing so many programmes on TV about Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti it was absolutely incredible to be there.

We were really sad to say goodbye to George as he made our trip absolutely fabulous - he had a great sense of humour and we laughed our way round Tanzania.

A HUGE thanks again for arranging such a fantastic trip for us - all the places we stayed were amazing and all the people we met were really friendly and eager to help us out.

Julian

Good morning Julian. I want to thank you for the awesome safari experience you put together for Vanessa and me. The whole experience far exceeded our expectations and have been spreading the word to everyone who asks about our trip. It was a shame we never met - but came so close! Thank you again Julian, hope we do business again, please put me in your contacts list to follow up occasionally, right now I don't plan a trip but in the near future you never know!

They were all so charming and the staff unbelievably good at providing a 'pampered' experience. Loved it.

Rebecca

I just wanted to 'report' back from my trip to Zambia in early June and let you know how wonderful everything was - in the true sense of the word. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and were impressed with how well everything was organised - a fantastic experience! I can certainly recommend your organisation and your expertise. The bushcamps I found very impressive indeed - I didn't expect such luxury and such good food and the game drives and the walks were thoroughly enjoyable and the 'experience' of Dean MacGregor was a bonus...! We thought that Ollie and Dean were a good team at Kapamba. We certainly saw a lot of animals including a lion kill (which I cried all the way through, sentimental old me), the camps were small so there weren't too many people and not too many trucks either - ideal! We also enjoyed Livingstone and went on a river cruise on the mighty Zambezi and went to the Victoria Falls - out of this world!

Hi Delene

Many thanks for asking - we had an excellent time. I have put some comments below, please feel free to use anything you wish:

Zambezi Cruise

We were certainly not disappointed that we were not on the larger African Queen. We boarded a much smaller craft with a very small party of people and the benefits were soon apparent. The Barman/Guide on the cruise was excellent and did not miss a trick – he knew the likely areas where we would find some animals and being a small and very manoeuvrable boat, we were able to take advantage of getting in close to see 4 bachelor bull elephants out for a night’s fun in the river, lots of hippos and a couple of crocodiles. As soon as the guide spotted that the elephants had decided to swim across the river, a quick 180 degree turn and a bit of speed enabled us to get a close up of this wonderful spectacle. For those of us from the UK, it did look a bit like some of the old ‘Loch Ness Monster’ pictures. The buffet was good and guide introduced us to the locally brewed Mosi beer – very much to our taste! Of course the ending of the trip was the wonderful sunset and being a small party we passed cameras around to take pictures – there will be several couples around the world with pictures to treasure. My favourite picture has to be the lead elephant tumbling down the bank into the river.

Elephant Back Safari

My Wife’s dream was to ride an elephant and this adventure fulfilled that dream to perfection. Right from the initial safety briefing we were made to feel welcome and as with the Cruise, the numbers were just right. The path taken could obviously not be too long, but they had chosen a very varied terrain. The banks down into the water made the ride much more exciting that just being on the flat. When asked if we wanted to go across the deep water – where you have to bring you feet up like a jockey – we immediately volunteered along with another couple from the USA. We thought about the elephants swimming across the Zambezi the night before with just their trunks and a couple of humps protruding out of the water – but who cares, it was bound to be safe. It was great fun – there were even Hippos in the water we crossed!

The chap riding at the front of the elephant was incredibly knowledgeable and spoke 15 languages – we only tested him on two!

To make it even better, the whole experience was available on DVD, which since being home, we have played several times. We even researched the South African music on the DVD and have now become fans of Johnny Clegg and Savuka (formally Juluka).

30-Minute Helicopter Flight

The weather on the morning we were booked to fly was poor and the helicopters were grounded. We could not ‘go up’ in the afternoon (when the weather improved) as we were booked on the elephant back safari. No worries though – Zambezi Safari and Travel sorted out a flight for us early on the day we returned to the UK. The Royal Livingstone even bent the checkout rules to allow us to take advantage of the new Helicopter flight time. It was unbelievable and we recommend the longer time as the pilot takes you down the gorge between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Whilst you also need to see Victoria Falls at ground level, you simply must see it from the air as well – just to see the shear size of the delta and the vast expanse of the falls – after all it is one of the Natural Wonders of the World. Whilst we did not see it when the water covers the entire width of the falls, it is a sight not to be missed.

You might only visit Livingstone once in your life – so do as much as you can. We would have enjoyed a few extra days to do white water rafting and walk over to the Zimbabwe side, but we made good use of the time we had.   

Many thanks for your help Delene.

Regards
Dave

Hello Delene
 
I am sorry that I have been in contact since my return but it has been a mad house.
We would like to thank you very much for the wonderful Helo ride and the walk with the lions was just magnificent.
They were two of the highlights of our trip.
Once again thank you for making our stay in Africa a dream come true.
 
Yours
 
Jenny and Maureen

Dear Delene:

Thank you for your follow up. The tour to Victoria Falls was one of the greatest experience/adventure of my life. First start with the African Rainbow hotel where I stayed for 4 nights. The service was flawless and the evening buffet was tasty with a good range of food choices. Then the elephant safari. Honestly I didn't feel particularly excited after the ride.
But after a day or two everytime I think about it, it was great. The helicopter ride was more than superb and the white water rafting, my Words!
I have never played anythig like it! We fell in the water twice, drank about 500ml of Zambezi river everytime, and it felt awesome. I am definitely gona take my friends there next time, so see you soon.

Thank you for your service!

Te Wei Chao

Dear Liz,

Apologies for the delay in our response but we have only just returned from South Africa.

I really can't express how happy we were with our experiences with you and Char personally, Zambezi Safari and Travel and Muchenje Lodge. Thank you so much for your prompt replies, and fantastic organisation of our trip. Everything went absolutely to plan, and the lodge was even better than hoped for - we were lucky enough to see wild dog, leopard, lion, kudu, roan, giraffe, hippo, buffalo and of course the highlight, absolutely hundreds of elephants up close and personal. My family and friends who travelled out to visit us from Australia and the UK had the most amazing time - it was their first trip to Africa and they all left promising to return - in fact not even wanting to leave! My husband and I have been on safari before, as we live in Zambia, but we were even amazed at how many animals we were able to see, the amazing service from all the staff members and wonderful atmosphere at Muchenje, and how well all of you at Zambezi Safari and Travel coordinated our trip. We will definitely keep in touch and will be using your company for any future safaris!

Liz, thanks again for all your hard work and please let me know if I can give you any more references or information on Muchenje for your website or newsletter.

Cheers,

Regan and Chucky

After returning from Africa and our daughter's wedding I finally have time to tell you about our trip. I wanted to thank you for the wonderful plans made for us at the camps. We thoroughly enjoyed the beauty, accomodations, food, and staff at the camps. It was more luxurious than expected for sure.

All in all we would recommend your company very highly. Thanks for all your helpfulness in planning our trip. We are hooked on Africa and plan to return someday.

Dear Julian

A very big thank you for organizing the trip. The staff at both the rafting and quadbiking were of the finest calibre and everyone had a thoroughly cracking time, so my regards to yourself and the chaps in Livingstone! It was in fact my stag do, (which I curiously ended up organising as I've been to the Livingstone and Waterfront numerous times as my now wife is half Zambian) and we had an awesome time. Following rafting and quadbiking, 20 blokes descended upon Ngoma Zanga ate heartily and ran riot on the dance floor.

Finally I think you organised a safari for Nick Cain and Rebecca Hodgkinson, two of our party who I gather had a pretty amazing time.

Thanks once again

with kind regards

Duncan Napier

Hi Jools

The trip was a huge success. Everything was perfect. Even the weather cooperated. Thanks for all your hard work. It was greatly appreciated!

Karolyn

Dear Julian,

Just a note to say thank you for organising our safari in Botswana at so
little notice and with such great success. Never has part of a holiday been
so simple! Needless to say I'm now hooked on Africa.

Thanks again
Rebecca Hodgkinson and Nick Cain.

Hi John,

Zambia was great. Could have stayed there another month. Are you related to Phil Berry? We saw him briefly during a game drive.

All three lodges were very good, it turns out. The rusticity at Old Mondoro was balanced by the super friendly John and Lana.

I think I slightly preferred Lower Zambezi because of the water activities.

For driving, Old Mondoro and Bilimugwe turned out to be much better than Chiawa which had really too bumpy roads and where the bush was still very dense. Moreover Chiawa's guides were not as friendly as those at Bili or Old Mondoro.

Best wishes,

Fabien

We got back a couple of days ago after a brilliant time in Paris, Venice, Tuscany and London - great weather wherever we went and far too much good food and wine. It was all such a contrast to Gabon, but I can assure you, we are already boring the living daylights out of everyone about our amazing holiday!