Celeste le Roux prepared an unforgettable trip for her guest Eileen Schlemback and friends who stayed at David Livingstone Safari Lodge & Spa, Flatdogs Camp , Kumbali Country Lodge and Danforth Lodge. Eileen Schlemback had the following client feedback to share:
“Celeste,
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping to create an experience of a lifetime for all of us. Every aspect of our trip to Africa was awesome. We hated like hell to leave and come back to the routine of everyday life. But, “all good things…..”
I included you in copies of email that I sent to the lodges where we stayed in southern Africa. That will give you an idea of how much we enjoyed every one of the locations. However, I replied to David Livingstone Lodge online, so you won’t see that. When we arrived at David Livingstone Lodge, we were so impressed with our surroundings – everyone kept saying, “good choice!!”….and it certainly was. The lodge is beautiful, in a serene setting on the Zambezi. It was even better than we could have imagined. We also spent some time in the town of Livingstone, including having lunch and dinner in town, and did some shopping, which was very enjoyable. Our cab driver told us that George W. Bush and his wife stayed at The David Livingstone Lodge a couple of weeks prior to our stay. I believe he was there to dedicate a branch of a hospital (or something like that). I asked the cabbie if he meant to say The Royal Livingstone, but he said, no, Mr. Bush wanted to stay at David Livingstone.
Victoria Falls was amazing. Our “big adventure” of the trip was to fly above the falls in a microlyte – which my brother-in-law jokingly referred to as a riding lawnmower with wings. LOL! I don’t have words to explain how exhilarating that was. Walking through the paths at Victoria Falls was breathtaking. It was really cool seeing the baboons up close frolicking in the trees near the pathways.
The safari was great! Every day we went on a morning safari, then a night safari. On the day we left Flatdogs, we had some time, so our guide took us on a morning walking safari. We saw lots of animals up close. One day, we were standing outside of our tents looking at elephants across the river. My daughter said, “Mom, maybe we should get a little further away.” I said, “It’s okay, the elephants are way across the river.” She said, “Mom, look to your right.” When I did, I saw a herd of about a dozen elephants approaching on the beach, very close to where we stood. They proceeded to cross the river right in front of us. It’s amazing how quiet a herd of elephants can be, that I didn’t even hear them approach. That was awesome to see.
Before driving to Lake Malawi, we visited the location where Brooke lives in Malawi. We met her neighbours, and one friend and neighbour made us dinner. We also met some people she works with. That definitely was a highlight of our trip.
I would have to say that everything exceeded our expectations. I get excited just reminiscing about the trip. We all wished we had more time. Maybe when I retire, if I can afford it, a lengthier vacation will be possible. I’d love to see Cape Town.
My daughter, Brooke, is still in Malawi. Right after we left, she and her friends Rosemary and Lauren traveled backpack style throughout northern Malawi. Brooke is scheduled to come home in April 2014. If her service is extended for a special project, she’ll still come home in April for a month, then go back to Malawi for another 6 months.
It’s amazing how fast the year of planning went, and even more amazing how fast the vacation went. I was lucky to have found you and Sun Safaris to help me plan this trip. I am so appreciative of your quick response to all of my questions and emails (and I realize there were many). You are a credit to your profession. When I get around to selecting some pictures of the trip (out of the 1,500 or so pictures that were taken), I’ll send them to you.
Again, I can’t thank you enough, Celeste. I wish you a lifetime of happiness, and continued success in your career. Please keep in touch.
Thanks,
Eileen Schlemback”
