Brett,
First of all, thanks for your excellent service. As one has to be careful these days with internet services, you proved there is hope.
The first camp, Little Kwara was a pleasure. Relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff. Rangers knowledgeable and keen to go for customer requests. Accommodation very good. Food reasonable.
Second camp, Chiefs Camp was too much for us. It comes across as a 5 star hotel. At arrival and after all drives one is greeted by an army of staff, needing to pamper you. The game vehicles are washed after each drive and the atmosphere is a little artificial. All of these “unwanted” extras make the price for Chiefs too high, something I would not do again. Food was not good. The chef needs to go on a cooking course, as most of the meat was chewing gum. In comparison with Kwara, this camp was a disappointment (money-worth compared). Game drives were good, good game and good rangers (NB we had a flown in freelancer, an excellent ranger).
Savuti Safari Lodge, was a similar experience to Kwara. Friendly staff and very very good service: food was excellent. Nice cottages. Well worth it.
For all camps, I have to admit that I had done too little homework, thinking that the Delta would be good all the time. But we came at the end of the dry season, where most game had left the Delta, probably gone north. As the wet season hadn’t come yet, the birdlife was also at a season low. Only at Savuti, after a few fat thunder showers, storks and raptors seemed to return in larger numbers.
My next trip should include camps that provide service like Kwara but need to have bird hides, something I missed in all of the camps. The experience nonetheless was fantastic, as I am passionate about the bush. I can also enjoy the bullfrog as it emerges after a rainshower.
Only organisational glitch: at arrival in Maun (15:00) our plane for Kwara had left already: the departure time of our light plane was 13:00, the time we left JHB. We were, however, able to board on a 16:40 plane to Kwara. (Kwando did not book the light air transfers correctly and apologized on the phone to me – Brett)
Peter
