Africa: Reviews from our travellers

"Our fourth trip to Africa with Expert Africa was another memorable adventure.

Expert Africa has always done an excellent job putting together workable itineraries that meet our (sometimes particular) travel goals. For this trip they had to deal with the vicissitudes of COVID testing requirements as well. The result was a wonderful sequence of adventures across beautiful Zimbabwe and Tanzania and was everything we hoped it would be.

Many thanks to our friends at Expert Africa.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

No suggestions" Read full review: 24 nights in Africa; 12 on a Tanzania safari

"We have been planning this trip for three years, and one of things we wanted to experience was the wild, remote and old part of Africa. That is the main reason we chose to go to the Selous, Ruaha and these camps. We accomplished our goal.

There is so much more to see and experience here than just the mammals. The Bao Bab and Tooth Brush trees... the Agama lizards, Puff Adder, Black Spitting Cobra and African Butterflies all prove that. I added 124 new bird species to my life list which I am quite proud of.

This was a trip during the Covid-19 age and yes, we had to put forth a little extra effort to get the PCR testing done in order to get to Tanzania and then back home, but we felt it was worth it. My wife and I for the most part felt like we were the only guests there. Some nights, we were the only guests in the camp. Most of the time we were the only car there watching lions. Very few other visitors were there while we were and it was nice and intimate. I'm sure the camps would like to have more visitors though.

All in all, it was a great trip and we can't wait to do it again." Read full review: 25 nights in Africa; 20 on a Tanzania safari

"Amazing trip" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip

"I think that this was one of my very best holidays I ever had.

Walking safari was something new to me (actually safari as a whole was new to me) and it has surpassed all my expectations. I am convinced that this is the very best way to visit the bush, much much better than driving.

You do see less wildlife, especially the predators seem difficult to meet on a walk, but you learn so much more and each encounter is just so much more emotional.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Not really. I just want to emphasize how important my relationship with Lucy (at Expert Africa) was in the preparation. She has just been fantastic, solving all problems which were being created by constant changes to my flights because of the airlines.

Had it not been for Lucy being so helpful, I may have given up travelling this year and postponed my trip to 2022 or 2023." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zambia safari

"I credit Claire Scott for having listened carefully to our wishes and replying with a spot on proposal that fully addressed the wishes of all family members. I had given her "any place in Africa with great wildlife, good service and some days to relax, while being able to pull out on short notice if Covid required it".

Planning was unpredictable but offered the opportunity to see places on short notice that were normally booked out, and we settled on Kenya, the classical safari location, in a country that is well organized and has good control over Covid.

We benefited from Claire's wealth of experience that saved us weeks of finding places ourselves (if we found them), and she stayed fully engaged at all times. It was key for us that Expert Africa offered a peace of mind guarantee relating to the pandemic." Read full review: 51 nights in Africa; 14 on a Kenya safari

"The most adventure filled experience of our lives.

In particular our driver Festo was a highlight.

Jessica did an amazing job working with us and we are so appreciative.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Everyone did a great job with communication." Read full review: 28 nights in Africa; 12 on a Tanzania safari

"The trip was amazing! Though it was initially an extension, this turned out to be the most magical portion of the trip. Everything from start to finish was executed perfectly, and Megan was so helpful when problems in our flight schedules would arise. We had so much anxiety about our trip not going as planned given the ongoing pandemic and the ever-changing rules, but our concerns were washed away with how carefully and thoroughly everything cared for on all levels at all times. On the ground, we were particularly impressed by Tours Africa's involvement in our ground transfers in Lusaka as well as our fly-in covid testing at LZNP." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zambia safari

"Our long awaited (and postponed and covid-adjusted) Namibia trip was a very special experience. We are so grateful to Maruska for her help and advice in making some difficult decisions.

We loved the country, the roads (after all the gravel roads we found the tar roads very boring:), the different landscapes and we were very grateful to drive nearly 3000 km without any car trouble, not even a puncture!

We enjoyed the famous dunes, the deserts, the Cape Cross seals, the beautiful town Swakopmund , the rock engravings, the flamingo's at Walvis Bay, the water holes at Etosha, the memorial museum in Windhoek.

What would be our highlight in all of these? Probably the dunes, as that is something so unique to this area. Next Etosha's animals stand out in their numbers, compared to what we are used to in South Africa.
To have over a hundred springbok, zebra, wildebeest together with smaller groups of ostrich, elephant, oryx and giraffe all at one water hole is absolutely amazing.

Thank you Maruska, for sorting out all the accommodation, planning the trip as a whole, making helpful suggestions, postponing all the accommodations and adjusting again to include covid test on the way back. It made all the difference!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

No idea, to be honest. Just very happy we were able to travel with your guidance and suggestions.

Also the knowledge that if something went wrong we would be able to receive all the help we might need. That was very reassuring.

Thank you again." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"Covid made this trip a real challenge to plan and coordinate. We had international flights that cancelled, countries that closed, then opened, then closed again. There were a few points where we weren't at all sure it would go off.

I believe that if it had not been for the knowledge and attention that Maruska and Expert Africa provided, we would not have made it.

Everything went like clockwork.

The covid testing added a few days to the trip but it was well worth it." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 11 on a Botswana safari

"Travelling to Africa at the time of Covid was a challenge. We were pretty sure about our target camps and were delighted with our choices. But none of this would have been possible without having been supported all way long by Megan.

Zambian entry rules changed literally 3 times in 3 months and especially twice in the 2 weeks prior departure. Megan kept daily contact with camps always leaving the option to cancel and get fully refunded till last possible moment. What was determining for our choice to fly in, was the direct contact I could have with Dave, their local handling agent who described honestly and openly how things were happening locally. The openness of the whole team how they would deal with forced quarantaine, border closing or airline flight suspension was the decisive factor.

Expert Africa and their local Zambian contacts have earned our outmost trust and respect. Special mention to Dave at Lusaka airport who had spontaneously printed all latest entry rules in our home country which facilitated with airline and immigration agents.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Can't wait to use your services for our next trip to Africa!

A special note as well to mention the opportunity to speak to EA staff Expert in Zambia who gave us his personal opinion on a series of camps so we could confront our wishes vs his own experience.

Also thank you to Chris himself [Ed: Expert's MD] who did not hesitate to answer email himself when Megan was out of office even for a couple of days only." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 13 on a Zambia safari