Hi Liselle.
Question: does the taking of over 6,000 photographs give any indication of our enjoyment level?
In a word; fantastic!
The air and ground schedule was well supported by Wilderness Safaris, the camps were very good (more of that later) and Rovos Rail was superb, culminating in being greeted by Rohan Vos on arrival in Pretoria. All of us put on weight, which could be considered another good sign.
We were met on arrival at Maun by a Wilderness Safaris representative and only had to wait some 30-40 minutes before being shown to our light aircraft. Met on arrival by the driver from Camp Banoka and on route to the camp, he detoured “so show us a different way to the entrance”, whereupon we came a pride of 3 lions. What a great reception. This was to set the scene as we saw a pride of 8 lions on both the next two days. Very comfortable and with great hospitality. The only issues with Banoka were that their water bore pump had broken down and they installed a noisy temporary one under the swimming pool deck. Not conducive to a quiet cocktail on the deck; and we felt their meals were not very “inventive”; a bit ordinary given the high quality of the rest of the camp.
We couldn’t land at Camp Okavango, as their airfield was under water. So we got dropped at an airstrip close by and taken to the camp in a flat bottomed boat. 40 minutes motor-boating the Delta. What a way to arrive! Warmly greeted on arrival; given the briefing and almost immediately went out again looking for hippo. The hospitality and meals were superb. The walking safari was great, even if we didn’t get to see so many different type of animal. The only thing against Camp Okavango is that it is in need of some tender loving care. The rooms were a bit worn and although we reported a cupboard door that refused steadfastly to close, it was not repaired in the time we where there.
Vic Falls: what can you say? Ilala Lodge was great. We saw 2 hippos in the garden the first night and literally ran into 2 elephants in the main street on way to Mama Africa’s on the 2nd. Truly awesome. Took the helicopter ride over the Falls and high tea at Vic Falls Hotel just to cap off the visit.
And Rovos Rail! Not enough words to describe the trip. Everything was 5-star. Meals, service, comfort of rooms, really top class.
Our engine broke down in Botswana and due to the late arrival of the train into Pretoria, we missed out on the Museum Tour. That was no-one’s fault though.
So all in all, a great experience; well organised; everything ran like clockwork. If only we could have taken 16 days instead of 8, but then we’d have looked like those elephants in Vic Falls I fear.
And the photos? Yes: we had 3 DSLR’s and 2 video cameras. A total of just over 6,000 photos and about 3 hours of video. Now to sort, edit and create the next Oscar-awarded documentary.
Many, many thanks for your efforts in putting together a truly unforgettable holiday.
I must admit being a bit sceptical of anything working well in Africa (having lived on this continent for 10 years), but I was very pleasantly surprised with the level of service, the seamless transport arrangements and the quality of the operators. Well done to all!
Cheers…Phil
Client stayed at : Banoka , Camp Okavango , Ilala Lodge and Rovos Rail
