Reviews of safaris to Kwando-Linyanti area

"A terrific holiday! We had some amazing experiences and met some lovely people.

We booked a great holiday to Namibia with Tracy Lederer in 2010 and she was the natural choice when we were planning a trip to Botswana. Thank you Tracy for your patience and invaluable help.

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I think the feedback should have a category 'Very Good'. It is too big a jump to go from 'Good' to 'Excellent'." Read full review: 34 nights in Africa; 24 on a Botswana safari

"Botswana is definitely the premier destination for wildlife safaris. Having been to Tanzania, Namibia and South Africa, I felt Botswana had the most to offer although the former holidays were great in their own right.

The camps were, on the whole, well run and the staff hospitable and friendly. The guides were passionate and knowledgeable - always keen to answer questions and reveal the secrets of their country. We not only learned a great deal about the wildlife but also the traditions of the people and how the country has benefited from the flourishing tourist industry. Other struggling African nations could learn a great deal from the shining example posed by Botswana.

We had a fantastic time and hope to return at some point in the future, Expert Africa's recommendations and organising skills were spot on. Flights, pick ups, drop offs etc etc all went like a dream, so well done to Megan and her team. These things don't happen without a lot of work going on behind the scenes.

One negative point, perhaps worth mentioning, is that we were told it would be difficult to book the holiday as late as January as the good camps would be full. As it turned out, none of the camps were anything like full, and Duba Plains, probably the best camp we stayed in, was half empty for two of the three nights we stayed there. I know that travel companies want you to book early but it did not suit us on this occasion to do so.

Another useful service Expert Africa could offer, as some other companies do, is a breakdown of the costs of each camp. This would allow the client to compare like with like and assess, at least in a cost sense, the quality of individual camps.

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Just keep doing what you do. I can think of nothing to criticise in the organisation of the holiday. Obviously, very expensive but a lot of the tourist cash does filter back to the people of Botswana which is vital in maintaining the passion and commitment of guides and staff.

It would help to receive some feedback from Expert Africa re my observations and comments above. We did not receive any feedback to our comments regarding a previous holiday in Tanzania. Perhaps a phone call discussion with Megan would be a useful way of showing that our feedback was valued." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 13 on a Botswana safari

"We had a simply amazing vacation. Perfect balance between true bush experience (mobile safari) and luxurious african safari. We saw something different in each park/concession and therefore felt that every "stop" was worth it.

We could not have dreamt of a better trip to Botswana." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari

"The trip exceeded our expectations. The choice and order of camps was strategic and well thought out.

We liked the variation of geographies and saw an extremely wide range of game - some at very close range. We felt very attended to with our special requests always taken into account.

Expert Africa did an excellent job helping us plan this trip - thanks to Megan." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 8 on a Botswana safari

"See comments below." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 8 on a Botswana safari

"The trip was fabulous.

We were too tired in Cape Town to fully appreciate and enjoy it. Then having to get to a 6am flight to Windhoek, really kept us from getting fully adjusted. I did not appreciate the distances we had to cover in Namibia and the slow going (with no place for rest stops) on the gravel roads. We loved everything we saw in Namibia, and I have no regrets. I just wish we had more opportunity for catching our breath or down time!

Botswana is special - everything is easy. Wilderness Safaris do an amazing job, down to helping us check our luggage as we were departing from Maun. All their staff are charming and helpful. I am ready to go again - next time, other Wilderness lodges!" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 8 on a Namibia trip

"Overall, enjoyable. If it had been our first trip it might have disappointed in terms of game viewing. However, as always, the camp staff made the stays in both camps pleasurable. Alkso, we were lucky in that most fellow guests were amenable.

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See our comments above about the transfer Selinda/Maun/Jack's. I'm not sure this could have been foreseen, but it did mean we spent most of that day travelling. Our guide sat at the airstrip for Jack's for nearly 2 hours waiting for us (he didn't complain!)

Our international flights, which you arranged, all went according to plans. But the 26 hours of travelling from Jack's to Edinburgh proved somewhat tiring - more to do with our age than anything else.

Thank you for a well organised trip." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 6 on a Botswana safari

"Outstanding trip choice of camps recommended by Expert Africa was perfectly balanced and gave a wonderful broad overview of the Delta.

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Difficult to see how our trip could have been better." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 11 on a Botswana safari

"This was to be the trip of a lifetime. It was something I had dreamed of since I was about 7 years old, and hours went into planning and information gathering. We looked at other travel companies, famous and expensive ones. Expert Africa had the most informative website that seemed unbiased. As long as the expectations are clear in advance, there are only positive experiences.

Maruska, the Expert who booked our trip gave all of the information that I requested, which was extensive! Maruska was patient and gave us the benefit of having spent years in Botswana. She was empathic, realizing that not having been there before, I was not certain what precautions were needed. She assuaged my fears with accurate information and patience. She explained all aspects of the travel and elicited confidence. She accommodated a very custom tailored, complicated itinerary, and was indefatigable! I must say that all of her hard work paid off for us. The Botswana experience was far better than I could have hoped or imagined. Everything was perfect would be an understatement. The trip was beyond my wildest dreams.

Bostwana is a spectacular part of the world. The ecosystems are unique, the beauty is unreal, the wildlife was up close and the people are the loveliest of all.

Our trip was wonderful in every way. The people who lived and worked at the camps were filled with humor and kindness, and loved a good surprise. I would like to thank every one.

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Please keep doing exactly what you do!" Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 14 on a Botswana safari

"A wonderful experience. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Maruska.

Your very professional website attracted me in the first place. (I am in the software business.)

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

None that I can think of just now." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 10 on a Namibia trip