Outstanding Safari experience!
Returning guests Rich and Mark spent an amazing month on safari in Southern Africa! They had the most Outstanding Safari experince, visiting Hwange and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and the greater Kruger reserves of Sabi Sand and Klaserie before heading to Cape Town.
Below is a copy of their wonderful feedback posted to Safari Bookings:
I cannot find the words necessary to explain how outstanding our second safari experience has been. Originally, our agent at Sun Safaris was Celeste. She went above and beyond to make our choices of safari camps come true. She also gave us multiple options to fit our budget as well. It was unfortunate that she had relocated. This is not a negative, it is just a statement of fact. That was when we met Michelle. Michelle picked up right where Celeste left off and completed and followed through with all of the plans that we had previously discussed. In the end, we added more time to our safari because Michelle was able to help us save a few dollars by booking our own flights. This gave us the ability to stay one week longer for a total of 31 days.
About four weeks before departure, Michelle emailed me to tell me that tone of our camps had moved as part of a renovation. This had us very concerned because it was one of the highest priced camps and their location was renowned for their elephant viewing. So hearing that they had moved made us really uneasy. Michelle spent hours and multiple phone calls and emails to make sure that we were going to receive the experience we were promised. Michelle even reached out to the head of marketing (Shelley, from African Bush Camps) and had her email me directly. Between Michelle and Shelley, they were able to make us understand that the experience would be exactly the same. Shelly from African Bush Camps made it a point to meet us upon our arrival and to make sure that we did not have any qualms going into camp. She also spent the last day in camp with us and make sure that our experience was all that was promised. I would have never expected this kind of customer (family) service from any company here in the United States, but this is how business is done in southern Africa. Their word is their bond, and to that they are very true! Our experience was amazing and at all times were made to feel like family and not just a random guest. So a huge thank you to Michelle and Shelley for all that you did to make our safari experience the over the moon experience that it was!
I would like to give a little feedback on each of the hotels and camps that we stayed at. Each one had its own unique attributes. I can honestly say, that at no time were we ever unhappy with any of our accommodations. None of my feedback has any bearing on the game viewing at any of the lodges. Nature shows herself on her own terms and no game lodge can guarantee viewing.
-The MetCourt at Emperor’s Palace – It is a nicely appointed and centrally located hotel. It has a great morning breakfast and a nice bar to relax at in the evening. The rooms are very quiet and comfortable. It is a great value for the cost.–Ilala Lodge – We were fortunate enough to have a room in the older section of the hotel. All of these rooms are on the ground level and the catering facilities are upstairs. The room opened on to a green space where the elephants, monkeys, and warthogs would walk right up to our patio doors. This was a bonus. The hotel also had a great breakfast service included. One of our most favorite aspects of the hotel was the patio pool bar. We are not big drinkers, but the bar served a lovely pot of coffee with Amarula in the afternoon and evening! The staff was very friendly and welcoming. Because we were there for an overnight and then later two nights, we got to know the staff and when we returned, they wanted to see our pictures and hear about our adventures. They were so warm and inviting. The location of the hotel was ideal for us. We were close to the falls without being right on top of them. We had a short walk to the commerce center of Victoria Falls as well.
–Somalisa, Hwange – By far, without a doubt, the best safari camp experience we have had! To begin, the camp is located on a remarkable piece of property in Hwange. It was a two hour drive from the main camp. It was worth every minute of drive (there was excellent game viewing on the way as well). The tents are all canvas mounted on elevated platforms. It had a great outdoor bathroom (with running water and flushing toilets of course). It also had a great bucket shower system that I was initially concerned about. It turns out that is was awesome! It was just like any home or hotel shower, except the ceiling to the shower is the wide open sky and the elephants were walking by while you showered. It did get quite cold at night and in the morning. Our tent had a propane heater that was turned on for us before bed and at wake up time. It was more than adequate. Now for the guides and the staff……there are not enough kind words that I can use to praise them. From the moment our guide picked us up, right up to the time we were returned to the main camp transfer, we were made to feel like part of their family. In the bush, the staff treats one another like their family, and we knew that from our previous experience. We never expected to be invited into that family. It was great to be able to be part of all of their lives. I also really liked how the camp supported local communities by selling their products. I purchased some beautiful hand sewn items for gifts. I knew that my money was supporting a greater cause than just a curio shop. Thank you, thank you, and thank you for our amazing experience. We WILL be back SOON!
Chobe Elephant Camp, Botswana – This camp was set up a bit different than others we had stayed at before. The main lodge is a little more modern safari chic. The lodge and staff were very accommodating and friendly. Our guide was extremely knowledgable and was more than willing to stop and observe any animal that we were interested in as well as showing us the smaller animals and plants that we would have otherwise missed. The food was OUTSTANDING! The chalets were spread out a bit from the main lodge which was very nice. The chalets are very spacious and clean. We had an amazing view of the valley from our front porch. We also enjoyed the outdoor shower as well. In order to get into the national park, there was a bit of a road transfer each day, but again a leisurely drive. The camp also provided us with a boat tour on the second afternoon. That was amazing to view the land and animals from a different angle. I know that I said that the game viewing does not impact my rating of the lodge….I do need to take a moment and tell you about a very unique experience. While on the boat tour, we were able to sit for half an hour and watched a small family of elephants win across the river! It was an experience that I will not soon forget! Thank you!
Hippo Hollow – This was just a quick overnight stay for us. We needed a place to overnight so we could get into our next camp. The property is gorgeous and the staff was very friendly and attentive. As I said, we arrived late in the day and did not participate in any game activities. We did enjoy a wonderful dinner at the lodge restaurant. They were very helpful with their advise on the menu with my gluten allergy. The food and service were top notch. The rooms were very comfortable and clean. The complimentary breakfast was very satisfying. We transferred out the next morning. It was a great rest stop on our way to our next camp.
Umkumbe – This was a lodge that we stayed in two years ago. The lodge has expanded since we were there last. The accommodations were very comfortable just as we had remembered. The view from the deck/pool area was great. You never knew what would come walking past while you were relaxing. The chalets all have nice little patios on the front. It was a great area to relax in the sun in the afternoon. The game rangers were adequate. They tended to be very predictable in where they drove. With that being said, on a morning drive, many people slept in and we only had three of us on the vehicle. We ended up spending two hours observing a giraffe give birth. It is definitely one of the top ten experiences in my life! There was excellent viewing but sometimes it was rushed. The chef was excellent. He had great gluten free options for me at every meal. Last time we were there, we met the owners and her parents. It turns out her parents were there again and we did get to speak with them again. The owners were there, but did not interact the same way they did last time.
Africa on Foot – This was the other camp that we stayed in two years ago. The camp was exactly as we remembered it. It is very comfortable and relaxed in every way. The staff was very welcoming and attentive. The guides were good and the tracker Enoch is even more outstanding than two years ago. He was one of the main reasons we returned. Enoch and his brother in law, Isaac from nThambo managed to track a pack of wild dogs for us. That was a huge bonus for us! The main reason for returning was to spend time in the Buffle Dam Tree House. It was worth the wait! THANK YOU! The afternoons in the tree house right by the camp was wonderful for an afternoon muse or nap in the queen sized bed on the second platform. The food was always well prepared! Our favorite meal was the bush braie. It was stunning to pull up to the candle light setting! We also really enjoyed interacting with the guests from the other camp. It was a mesmerizing night under the stars! I really like the addition of the curio. There are very good quality items at reasonable prices. I wanted a safari logo shirt and they did not have my size. So the manager and I worked out a way to ship one to me now that they are in stock. Thank you for turning me on to Cape Velvet! Now I need to figure out how to get it here in the USA. Overall, this was another amazing stay! Thank you to all that make the camp as special as it is!
nThambo – AMAZING! The elevated tented accommodations were beautiful. The view was breath taking. The layout of the tent was spacious and the bathroom was very well appointed. We had a monkey or baboon visit our tent while we were out. I left a protein bar in my open bag. It was totally my fault. We did not have any other instances of animals in the tent. The main lodge was very comfortable and spacious. We had a couple of warm afternoons that allowed us to lounge by the pool and soak up some vitamin D. BONUS! The staff was top notch all of the way. The food was some of the finest we had during our entire safari. Our guide Isaac is one of the main reasons we went to nThambo. His love of the bush and his tracking skills were the finest we have come across. He also has a great personality to go along with his skills.
nDzuti – A quaint manor house setting that has a gorgeous view. We had two of the four rooms in the guest house. The rooms are HUGE and the bathroom is equally spacious. The owners are also the guides. They were very welcoming and interesting to be around. They were very knowledgeable! They also had so many great stories of their 30 plus years of experience shared around the camp fire. They had just added a new patio and bar that added to the ambiance. The owners warned us that we may not have as much game viewing that we had at other lodges due to their drought. Again, I do not rate a lodge based on game viewing. It turns out that we had outstanding viewing. The camp is not a traditional camp that has strict time frames for meals and game drives. We were able to sleep a little later in the morning and still had three full hours of drives. Then in the afternoon, if the tracker would come and take us out for an extra mid day drive if there was something of interest. Then we did a typical evening drive as well. I have to say that we had our BEST sundowner at the dam with hippos playing and other large animals drinking. It was such a peaceful hour that will be very hard to recreate. We really enjoyed having the extra time sitting and observing that we did not always have at other camps.
Cape Town Hollows Hotel – This place has a very special place in our hearts. This is where we got married two years prior. It is a centrally located hotel that allows you to be in the center of all of the action within minutes or just quietly relax you’re your mountain view. The hotel has since undergone a major renovation. The rooms are a little brighter and have very new comfortable furniture. The views are still panoramic and unobstructed! The view from the room is worth the 17 hour flight! The restaurant has also been rebranded. It is a nice intimate setting. We enjoyed sitting in the back by the fireplace at the high tops by the bar. The food was very flavorful and the portions were more than ample. The wine list and bar seem to be expanded from our last stay. The prices are still very affordable as well. I especially enjoy an evening coffee by the windows before bed. The breakfast buffet was outstanding every morning. It was great to see some of the same faces at the hotel when we checked in. The service was outstanding like last stay. Although there were many changes to the hotel, it still remains an inviting boutique hotel in Cape Town. It is where we will when we return. It is like a home away from home!
