Africa: Reviews from our travellers

"This trip was a long time coming. I have been on safari several times and once before to Botswana My companions were newbie safari goers so it was really interesting seeing how they responded to the different locations and wildlife.

From the beginning in Windhoek to end at Stanley's camp our trip exceeded expectation. The only hiccup was in Swakopmund due to the weather and a health issue that was efficiently dealt with at a local Medical Clinic. Neither of these were in any way related to the organization of the trip by Tracy our brilliant Expert Africa organizational wizard.

The highlights of the Namibian section of the trip were Andersson's camp in the Ongava Reserve beside Etosha National Park. It was a true privilege to be so close to wild White Rhino. All three of us are keen photographers so the hide beside the watering hole was fantastic for capturing closeups of the visiting wildlife, including numerous birds. The second was Sesriem and the visit to Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. We stayed at the Hoodia camp, outside the gates to the park which meant we were unable to see the sunrise at the dunes, however watching the changing light on the dunes as the sun rose was still a fantastic experience. This location was also one of the best for astrophotography - no light pollution, no airplane light trails and clear Milky Way shots over the surrounding mountains.

Next was Victoria Falls, we experienced two evenings of torrential rain and thunderstorms, which was very unusual. We still took some great shots of rainbows in the mist of the Falls and went on an early morning river cruise - a fantastic experience. When visiting the falls make sure you have good rain gear (you can hire some from the local pedlars at the gates to the Falls) you will get soaked when the Falls are in full flood - we had 90% capacity and the viewing points above #8 were like being in a shower.

Botswana was all about wildlife and lived up to it's reputation we saw all of the big 5 several times and had fantastic sightings of leopard and at Stanley's watched a pride of lions prepare for an impala hunt. We missed the event as we had to leave for the airstrip - it's impossible to predict what wildlife will do but it was a great way to end our last day on safari.

In the circumstances of this trip I think Tracy did a brilliant job of juggling bookings that had initially been made in 2019 to work in 2022. The only glitches we had were due to the companies Expert Africa work with and most probably due to the speed with which travel ramped back up after the pandemic." Read full review: 24 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip

"We really enjoyed our Namibian self drive trip, lovely variety of lodges, experiences, scenery . Driving the Caprivi Strip had always been on our wish list . Its very different to other parts of Namibia and we would really recommend it.

Sabina advised us at all points and made the trip work so well. Leaving the hire car in Katima Mulilo rather than taking it across the border into Botswana was such a good suggestion . We were met by a driver and driven across border to Kasane.

Our three nights at Selinda Explorer Camp on the eastern edge of the Delta were magical. It was a fitting end to a fantastic three weeks. We nipped into Zimbabwe to seeThe Victoria Falls which were in full flood so looking and sounding magnificent.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Because we trust Expert Africa and wouldn't book with anyone else I can't really say if its good value for money. Same with the other questions really - I'm not comparing them with anyone else.

We will be back in touch soon to book another trip ." Read full review: 22 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"We had a great trip to Seychelles. This is our first overseas travel since Covid started. It was postponed from initially scheduled for December 2021 - thanks to Megan for contacting hotels and ground operators that makes it very smooth.

We enjoyed our stay at both accommodations in Mahe and Praslin and all the transfer logistics are very well organized. I felt our stay at Praslin was a little short and I wish we can have time to visit La Digue, hopefully we can revisit again.

We had 2 scary moments during this trip (no fault of Expert Africa). I got verbal abuse from the owner of Anse Soleil restaurant on a day we explored Mahe on our own. Apparently I parked my car at a place where they do not allow, he kept giving me verbal abuse even though I apologized and told him that we will leave immediately. Found out later on reviews and from Katerina (Le Sans Souci) experience with her family that this guy is very bad and may have mental problem.

The other scary moment was when our rental car got struck in the sand in the parking space near Anse Lazio. Luckily, the local people (3 of them) were so nice that they helped us for almost 30 minutes until we can get our car back on track.

Overall, we had a great trip and thanks to your excellent services and thoughtful advice and arrangement throughout." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 8 on a Seychelles holiday

"Our trip was fabulous from start to finish.

Extremely impressed with Expert Africa and the service we received from Lucy." Read full review: 27 nights in Africa; 11 on a Seychelles holiday

"This was our second visit to Namibia, and while our original booking was July 2020 which would have had more animals around waterholes, we still loved the animals we saw and saw a huge variety. We loved just about every minute of our trip. The lodges were varied with varied experiences.

Thanks to the team for rearranging our trip on more than one occasion due to Covid!" Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip

"Because of Covid, the trip had to be rescheduled twice and this was done very willingly and very efficiently. The advice given about choosing the itinerary was superb and comprehensive. The recommendations for Sandibe Safari Lodge and Thorntree River Lodge were inspired for our purposes.

The particular selection of the five lodges gave us the breath and variety we sought having been to Africa four times previously. We were most appreciative for the advice and assurance we were given concerning Covid and the attending requirements. All transfers were made seamlessly with any assistance required.

This trip was the best yet.

Of course the animals are always there for you to find them, but the quality and variety of the lodges has risen considerably over the years and the local wine and food offerings have improved immensely. Good guiding is almost a given and the natural friendliness, charm and grace of the local people are such a plus to any safari.

Expert Africa's knowledge, experience, efficiency and reliability in making arrangements and accommodating your interests makes a great experience all the more remarkable. We owe a great big thank you to Lucy!" Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 9 on a Botswana safari

"All plans worked seamlessly. Tracy again excelled in organising my trip.

I was very lucky to see lots of cheetahs, especially as the park had had so much rain making the grass very long/high. Due to fires giraffes had moved from their normal area. In fact it should be noted that research data often does not apply when you get there. Talk to other visitors to get up to date information.

Any rain happened overnight. It was cool in some mornings but overall was still hot during the day, late 20's to early 30's.

The roads are frequently regraded, but still some can be quite corrugated due to volume of traffic. Note that because Mata Mata has one road in and out there are less options for viewing.

Ideally travel with at least one other person to aid spotting! Driving, spotting and guessing where animals are going and trying to photograph the animals is intense.

As with any safari the longer you stay in an area the more chance to see animals. A lot of spotting is pure luck.

Really enjoyed the trip, loads of birds as well as cats. Surprised to see so many hartebeests.

South Africans are very friendly, and most wave to you as you pass." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 12 on a South Africa trip

"Our trip was very well organised. We had to shift it twice due to Covid and were only able to travel two years later than planned.

It had rained in February, which made the desert bloom, but also meant some animals had anything options to drink and were not necessarly at the waterholes.

We saw more animals than listed linked to the lodges, since we visited Etosha and saw lions there e.g. Also saw animals along the road while driving outside parks. Saw many special birds. Everything was pleasant and beautiful. Very relaxing.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

No everything was perfect. Staff with an open ear for questions and a lot of empathy.

Highly recommended." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 21 on a Namibia trip

"We have to send a HUGE thank you to Tracy Lederer for her incredible work on putting this trip together and gently guiding us to find the courage to step out of our lockdown comfort zones to finally go to Botswana! All her recommendations were fabulous and all 8 of us had a really amazing time.

Tracy's input goes way beyond anything we could hope to expect, and her tireless enthusiasm and friendliness pays off big time. She is immensely knowledgable about every camp and quite a magician when it comes to satisfying everyone's hopes and desires for the trip.

Thanks Tracy and thank you Expert Africa. We've travelled with you 3 times now and are already looking forward to planning our fourth!" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 13 on a Botswana safari

"Our holiday is best summed up by a travel rep we met on Safari who looked at out itinerary and commented that it "was very clever indeed".

It yielded most of what Botswana can offer on the wild life front in varied locations each with their own characteristics of flora, faurna and animals in some of the best lodges that Botswana offers. We were a very lucky couple and many thanks to Expert Africa.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Nearly 3 years in the making with changes and cancellations and a host of really helpful suggestions from Expert Africa who showed great patience with us..............is there anything more to suggest.... NO.

Thanks Expert Africa.............you are all stars." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 12 on a Botswana safari