Africa: Reviews from our travellers

"Your link up with Wilderness Safaris works very well. Everything ran incredibly smoothly and taxis and planes were always where they were meant to be and when. We all enjoyed the trip enormously.

If we go down to Fish River Canyon next year we would not go back to Canon Lodge (which we would never recommend) and would like to try somewhere else.

Well done Sabina for your help and patience in organizing the trip - much appreciated." Read full review: 5 nights in Africa; 3 on a Namibia trip

"On the whole this was an awesome and eyeopening trip. It was an experience not to be missed.

like all holidays there were elements that we might have done differently had we known then what we know now.. . we did try to read up as much as possible beforehand and read between the lines as well. and of course everybody's expectations are so different. I would have loved to have stayed in lots more places on the safari and experience all the different styles and types of lodges, and scenery.

overall it was a great holiday." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zanzibar holiday

"We had a great trip. Everything worked very smoothly.

Four days at each Safari lodge was probably about right (although we were sorry to leave on both occasions) Fundu was lovely, and a day in Stone Town was a great way to bring the trip to a close.

What pulled it all together so well were the people who looked after us. The European managers seemed to be doing a great job and the Tanzanian staff - chefs, waiters, guides, escorts - were without exception attentive, charming and ever willing to do anything to make our holiday more enjoyable.

Suggestions for improvement:

None. We think you guys do a pretty good job" Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 16 on a Tanzania safari

"We would have no hesitation in recommending Expert Africa to our friends.
This was the trip of a lifetime.

Suggestions for improvements:

None whatever!" Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari

"Excellent in every respect.

The trip was superbly organised and a lot of care was taken by Sabina to ensure it matched up to our expectations.

The country is amazing and varied with excellent ecologically aware accommodation everywhere which is a pleasure to stay in.

Suggestions for improvements:

Cannot think of a single thing. We'll be back to you next year for another trip." Read full review: 6 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"It was a varied and interesting trip that we throughly enjoyed. The level of detailed planning from expert Africa was one of the keys to the success of this trip. They really did construct the holiday very much with our needs in mind. Also the quality of their ground arrangements meant that any small glitches never became a problem.

Suggestions for improvement:

We thought everything was well handled and the key was the level of local knowledge by the staff at Expert Africa. This I believe is very important." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zanzibar holiday

"Our second visit to Namibia and a wonderful prelude to the longer trip planned for 2009. It was great to revisit some areas (though in different accommodation) and try some new places. Okonjima was in easy reach of the airport, even though we flew BA via Jo'burg and didn't arrive at Windhoek until 2pm. We met many people who regretted spending their first night in Windhoek rather than venturing further, but also some who were exhausted on arrival and just wanted a sleep - it has to be a personal decision.

Damaraland had been beautiful in the dry season but after the rains it was stunning with river beds full of flowers - and even some water!

After much debate in the UK we decided when in Namibia to drive the Skeleton Coast road (after taking local advice) and had no problems at all - it was a fascinating, though long, drive and we're really glad we did it; however we probably wouldn't choose to do it again. Local advice is crucial if you want to do this drive.

We saw no rain at all - apparently it had all come early this year.

Thanks to Tracy, Sabina and Chris for their help in organising the trip at pretty short notice - think they surprised themselves in finding availabilities!" Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 8 on a Namibia trip

"We were very happy with our trip.

Suggestions for improvements:

It is always joyful and useful to talk to someone who knows so much about the country we were going to. The suggestions we got from you were excactly what we wanted, therefore we are very happy with our trip and are looking forward to doing it again, maybe Katawi nex time." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari

"Overall we had a fantastic trip. It was everything I was hoping for and more. To see the animals living freely in their natural habitat was simply wonderful. Lake Manze was a great camp and perfect if you want to experience just a taste of a safari. We stayed for 4 days which was actually plenty of time to see all the animals and go on all the different drives.

We were glad we could recover at Mchanga Beach lodge though because being on safari can be quite tiring. It was nice to just sleep, eat and relax for a few days before heading home.

I only have one criticism of Lake Manze. When we arrived at 6.30am we had just flown overnight from London to Dar El Salaam. We didn't really sleep on the plane so were very tired when we finally reached Selous National park at 10 am. Instead of being taken directly to the camp we were told we had to wait until 12 noon to also collect another couple. They therefore took us (and another couple who were with us) on a short game drive before we drove back to the airstrip to wait for the other couple. In that time they could easily have taken us back to camp but obviously decided not to (probably to save petrol?)

By 12 noon we were all starving and then it was another hour to Lake Manze. By the time we arrived at Lake Manze I was far too hot and we were both really burnt. (We both had to stay totally covered up for the whole time we were at camp.) I also ended up feeling quite ill and had to lie down for the rest of the afternoon. I missed out on the late afternoon champagne reception at the Lake and also went to bed early that night which was New Year's Eve. Now I am not totally blaming this incident for the fact I felt so ill in the afternoon. However on top of the lack of sleep and the fact I had a cold, I do feel that waiting around so long before getting back to camp was the "last straw." In the future I really think they should get the guests back to the camp as soon as possible so they can rest and freshen up.

In terms of using Expert Africa - I found them to be excellent. It never occurred to me to arrange such a trip over the internet and the phone but it wasn't a problem at all. I think the website is superb and the independent reviews really give you a good idea of which trips to do and where to stay to suit your budget. I made a number of calls to the team and Ellie answered all my questions thoroughly. It was also really nice to chat through my trip with her when we got back. It was clear she is committed to making sure my feedback is relayed back so that future experiences can be even better.

I did a lot of research when looking into this trip and I can assure you that in my experience Expert Africa offered us the best trip at the best price compared to many other companies." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 4 on a Tanzania safari

"Probably my best ever holiday and must return to see the places in the dry season for a different experience." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari