Zimbabwe and Botswana safari of a lifetime – Client Feedback

Zimbabwe and Botswana Safari Feedback

We received feedback from Natasha’s guests, Joanne, David, Diane and Tom! Natasha sent them on a Zimbabwe and Botswana safari. Destinations visited were Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and to Chobe National Park and Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana. We always value feedback from guests, and we really enjoyed reading Joanne’s comments on their safari of a lifetime.

Hello Natasha –

 

Here’s my over-due trip report.  Tom and Diane might want to respond separately, but I think we are all in agreement that it was  the “trip of a lifetime”!

 

Your itinerary worked flawlessly – absolutely no hiccups anywhere!

 

Here’s our take on each of the camps:

• Davison’s Camp:  It was our favorite of the 3.  The staff, location, ambiance, guide (Brian), food, comfort, etc. could not have been better.  Brian was personable, knowledgeable and took the time to explain interesting facts about each of the animals we encountered.  The staff was young and enthusiastic, professional and so accommodating.  We loved the lodge furnishings ….perfect!  Food was delicious.  Great animal sightings!  After 3 days, we were sad to leave.

• Muchenje Safari Lodge:  It was #3 on our list, surprising as it was the most expensive of the 3.  But we wanted to try a slightly higher end camp, so it was our choice.  We found that we didn’t need the “extras” that they provided.  Our “cabin” was well appointed and comfortable, but didn’t seem as “authentic” to the location as our tented “cabins”.  The lodge felt a bit more commercial, but was still  enjoyable.  Our guide, Synak, was good and we learned quickly the right guide can make or break the safari experience.  He did not disappoint.  We visited a local school and were very moved by the experience. (Fortunately, we were prepared with some supplies to donate.)  That cultural experience I would not want to miss!
• Sango Safari Lodge:  #2  Very nice camp, although not quite up to Davison’s in terms of ambiance, but still no complaints.  Our guide, DT, was on the same level as Brian and went out of his way to make each of our drives was exciting and productive.  The staff, food, location, animal sightings, etc. were all great.  We had some of our most amazing animal sightings at this camp.  Again, DT was an outstanding guide!!

Other:

• Johannesburg:  Mondior at Emperor’s Palace:  We really liked this property.  On our walks, we checked out the other hotels in the complex, and found that for the minimal additional rate, the Mondior was a great choice.  If you haven’t visited these hotels personally, I highly recommend the Mondior.   The best restaurant in the Food Court:  TRIBES.
• Victoria Falls: Ilala Lodge:  What a beautiful hotel!  Perfect location, just loved it.  We walked across the bridge, did the walk opposite the falls (the park entrance), and took the dinner cruise aboard the Zambezi Explorer “Reflections” boat.  It was an excellent choice.
• Cape Town:  The Waterfront Village apartment that we rented was excellent.  Being at the V&A Waterfront provided a great, safe place to walk, shop and eat.  We hired a guide, John Farthing  for two days:  the wine country tour and the Cape Peninsula tour.  We lucked out on the weather the day we arrived and we had sun for 4 days.  We taxied to Table Mountain and Kirstenbosch Garden and skipped the bus tours.  Perfect.  Cape Town is a spectacularly beautiful city and the entire area is just stunning.  Hope we can return.

All of your transportation arrangements for us were flawless.  Excellent pilots, no late or delayed flights, even the weather cooperated the entire trip.

 

Re the animals:  the only one we missed was the Rhino.  But the leopard, cheetah and wild dog sightings more than made up for it.   The birds were too numerous to list…beautiful!

 

 

Our two river “safaris” were excellent.

 

Overall, I’d say that the experience exceeded our expectations.  The feeling one gets from being in that special, sacred place that belongs to the animals is difficult to describe.  As a travel writer said it so perfectly:  “The reason people come to Africa is to witness, in full color, a primordial landscape relatively unmarred by civilization.”  Another important element of this trip was meeting the local villagers who help to staff the camps.  They are hard-working and dedicated to their jobs, sacrificing time spent with their families.  Their homes, villages, lifestyles are something that we cannot imagine but have great respect for.  This trip was truly an education on so many levels for all of us.

 

Lastly, we all want to thank you, Natasha, for working so hard with us to put together this fantastic itinerary!  If there is a place to provide a review of Sun Safaris, let me know and we will be happy to submit one.

I’ll attach a couple of pictures, but will send a link later to an “album”, after I’ve put that together.

With thanks again to you and Brett,

Joanne, David, Diane and Tom

 

P.S.  If there is another Africa trip in our future, you’ll be the ones to plan it!