Michelle’s clients enjoyed an incredible safari to Botswana, and combined it with a coastal trip to Cape Town and the winelands. They explored the game-rich areas of the Savuti in the Chobe National Park and the ever popular Moremi Game Reserve in the pristine Okavango Delta. Both areas offer the best of land based and water based safaris. They took a trip out to the whale watching town of Hermanus to try spot the marine 5 and ended their African adventure with a relaxing holiday in Stellenbosch, the wine capital of the Cape! Michelle crafted the perfect Botswana to Cape Town itinerary.
Here is their feedback:
Michelle,
I have left a 5-star review on Safari Bookings.
We are all still flabbergasted by the experiences we had in Africa and we all want to return. I have attached just a handful of the many amazing photos we took. We saw the Hyena family within 15 minutes of landing at Sango camp on the first stop of our safari. The woman in the next picture is DK, she was our Guide at Sango and she was terrific. We felt blessed to spend time with her and to have a female guide. We never saw another female guide, the rest of the time on safari! We came across the two young male cheetahs on our very last morning game drive at Savuti. The elephant greeted me about 7 am in the morning at Oddballs, as she began grazing on a small tree growing less than a meter from the toilet I was sitting on! The final picture is an Eland hanging out at the Cape of Good Hope!
During the time at the three camps, we saw four of the big five, no Rhinos, and just about every other animal that we could imagine. The three different topographies of the camps were great, as we were able to see different animals in different types of settings.
Chronologically here are our impressions:
Peermont Mondior, Johannesburg – A good place to stay if you need to be near the airport. Breakfast was very good, and the hotel staff was helpful.
Sango Camp, Khwai River– Our overall favourite camp! Everything from our fabulous guide, D.K., to the great staff, campfire gatherings and delicious meals, Sango was thoroughly enjoyable. We would, however, suggest that when guests are leaving late morning, there is still time for an early morning game drive on the way to the airstrip!
Oddball’s Enclave, Moremi Game Reserve – The Mokoro rides gave us the opportunity to get a different perspective of the animals we were viewing (crocodile, hippos, Cape buffalo), as well as the chance to be quieter, and less-invasive than Jeep drives offer. The comfortable accommodations, helpful staff, and the other guests made it feel like an extension of home.
Camp Savuti, Chobe – Game viewing at Chobe is hard to beat. Aside from rhino, we saw every animal we wanted to see! The camp itself, however, left a little to be desired. The weather was hot and the temperatures inside the tents during the day reached about 110 degrees, making it impossible to sleep during the day. We went on late afternoon game drives thoroughly exhausted and collapsed after dinner when it was cooler. Rather than make any apologies, the manager, P-Man, acted as though nothing was wrong. It was an unfortunate end to an otherwise amazing stay in Botswana. We would not highly recommend this camp.
Cape Milner Hotel, Cape Town – It was well-located for those of us who don’t mind walking. It was a good distance away from the V&A Waterfront, but we didn’t spend much time in that area anyway. The breakfast was substantial and very good, and the staff was helpful. We drove down to the Cape of Good Hope one day and it was a highlight of our trip, absolutely spectacular scenery!
Schulphoek House, Hermanus – if you have a car (which you probably need in Hermanus unless you are staying right in town), then stay here. The amazing views at Schulphoek House are breathtakingly beautiful, and there is a lovely nature walk along the rocky coast right outside your door. With the manager, Heidi at the helm, the service is unsurpassed with made-to-order breakfast and rides a local restaurant for dinner. The whale watching boat trip we took was amazing, although Valerie got very seasick.
Spier Hotel, Stellenbosch – I am sure there are many amazing places to stay in Stellenbosch, but what sets the Spier Hotel apart is their commitment to local art. There is much to do on grounds, but one of the best things is walking around and viewing the art collection, and visiting the mosaic centre. There we met Marsha, a master mosaicist who spent time sharing her techniques and love for her art form. It made our stay very special. Pop into the gift shop for some unique South-African-made gifts.
Thank you again from the four of us, we know we could not have had such an amazing time without your help and guidance,
Alan
Here are the images from their safari :
