Reviews of safaris to Moremi Game Reserve
299 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Moremi.
"My Jun 2016 trip"
Although we never imagined we would need to contact Maruska or Expert African on our trip, a surprise, unfortunate medical emergency caused Maruska to be contacted by our private guide Andrew Harkness. She immediately emailed me, expressing her sincere concerns and willingness to help in any way possible. She expediently helped me with the documentation of the cancelled portion of our trip, and all of her follow up communication has demonstrated her exceptional professionalism and her personal touch. We highly recommend her services and would use her again in a heartbeat!
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We think you have a sterling operation, which we will recommend to everyone we know who is considering a trip to Africa. Thank you Chris McIntyre for your guide books and for heading this superlative travel service!" Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip
"Five Stars for Expert Africa"
For your adventurist guest, when staying in Victoria falls, take a rafting trip on the Zambezi river and don't forget to do the Gorge swing if you don't have a heart condition! Botswana may be more expensive that other African countries for you Safari, but if you are concerned about the well being of the local people, we have been told that your money actually goes to free health care and education for their people. The Zero tolerance for poaching by the government appears to be working.
Its a very special place and without recommendations from Maruska Adye of Expert Africa, we would have never known what we were missing.
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You need to update the info on laundry. There is no limits on what they wash. Shinde, Okuti and Muchenjie all provided flash lights and had plenty of medical supplies. No need to supplement this when trying to keep baggage to a minimum. Trip itinerary was flawless. All of the connections to and from camps, while "open" went off like clock work.
Thanks Again Maruska!" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 8 on a Botswana safari
"Southern Africa"
Zambia and Botswana in particular were great countries and loved getting to know some of the people we met. Had picked camps with a good chance of lion activity but were not lucky in that regard. Did feel at Vumbura that other jeeps seemed to be having a better experience and that our driver - who was lovely - was low down in the pecking order and perhaps being directed to the quieter areas of the reserve.
Didn't help that for the last 3 or 4 drives we had a community overseer on our trips who didn't speak to us really and it cast a bit of an atmosphere. We actually preferred Machaba which was not what I was expecting! Have passed your brochure to my boss as I can't fault your end of things." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 6 on a Botswana safari
"Botswana"
"Family Trip to the Delta and VicFalls"
Though we 'saw' a sleeping lion in Kruger, we saw a whole pride of lions walk by our car in Chobe. Thought we 'saw' a leopard in Kruger, we saw a leopard in a tree trying to protect a kill from hyenas underneath. We loved the sounds of the Delta - the natural heartbeat of birds and frogs and so on that greeted us every morning and night. We loved the service of our lodges -- we felt very taken care of.
Mostly, I really appreciated that all the logistics were so smooth -- the pick-ups (and, in particular, border transfers) were on time and professional. The shuttle services (Wilderness safaris, African Odyssey, etc) were excellent. Having meals and inclusive private safaris added to the trip cost, of course, but were essential for traveling with a family and making it care-free.
Our favorite part of the trip was assuredly Machaba Camp -- my youngest son (age 3) hit it off with our guide (Moreri) and we are still missing him! Mostly, they were so accommodating with times and meals, that we relaxed into our vacation in a very real way. Thanks for making all these logistics so smooth!!!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Honestly, it was excellent and I would recommend your services again -- worth the pennies to have all those logistics sorted out. We had a great time!
I might just add two small things - I might have missed the part about Ilala being in USD, and USD prices. Since we were coming from South Africa, this obviously seemed more pricey to us than we were expecting (and the only part of our trip that was not all-inclusive) and we could only get USD from the ATMs. Not a huge problem, but might be good to have included that in the trip info (perhaps I missed it - if so, sorry).
Also, we were essentially bribed at the VFAirport...the guys asked us if we wanted to upgrade to business class for $200 and when I agreed, he said it had to be in cash. Ugh -- by this point, he had already booked the tickets so we had no real choice, but it was clear I was not going to be getting a receipt for that one. I am sure he saw our American passports. I felt very duped, but since everyone else had been so honest and helpful our entire trip (and since the VFA airport is so beautifully new and professional!), this took me by surprise. Folks should be on the lookout for scams like this (especially as Americans).
Otherwise, super duper trip!!! Happy to answer any other questions." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 5 on a Botswana safari
"Thanks for organising such a Great holiday."
"Excellent trip - all ran to plan"
At Xakanaxa airstrip (which incidentally is a new runway positioned a little further from the camps than the 'old' strip) we were very pleasantly surprised to see Banda, our requested guide for Camp Xakanaxa where has been based since last January, albeit we were due at Camp Moremi first. Apparently in agreement with the D&DS marketing manager (regret don't know his name and was not aware he was the South African chap who wished us well as he leaving for the plane we arrived on) we were allocated Banda for the whole of our 5 night stay on an exclusive basis. This is an amazing example of D&DS customer service for which we are truly grateful. If you are aware of the chap's name please let me know and I will send a thank-you e-mail. Thanks should also be extended to all the D&DS staff including Setch and staff at Suvute and Albert (who was 'care-taking' between Moremi and Xakanaxa) and all the staff.
We will undoubtedly return to Nkwali, Savute and delta camps again - don't know when. However in future we will try to avoid Jo'burg airport if only due to the totally inefficient and unfriendly staff at passport control. It takes ages to be processed. Never enough staff on duty. As you maybe aware, there are 2 sections, one deals with SA residents, the other all non-SA passengers.
There are some 25 (maybe more) passport control booths on the non-SA section. Less than half were being manned on our first arrival and only 7 when we arrived form Maun. Coupled with the delays occurring to some families, presumably associated with the recently introduced regulations and paperwork required for people travelling with children, the delays are totally unacceptable. We were directed to stand in a queue behind a family which we were already aware had processing problems and had to wait 20 minutes while they continued to try and resolve without any apparent success so we asked to move and were eventually directed to stand in another queue. There is no efficient management system in place, it's a shambles.
It is not surprising that Lusaka airport is building a new terminal (by the Chinese!) and Maun wants to expand so that passengers can fly direct rather than via Jo'burg which attracts so much criticism. BA used to fly direct to Lusaka but apparently no more. We met people who flew with Emirates via Dubai so for the future it's worth considering another carrier. There may be others." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 10 on a Botswana safari
"Wonderful holiday"
"A special holiday"
"Another unforgettable trip to Botswana"
We visited different landscapes an environments, saw so many and different species including 3 times wild dogs, 11 different(!) leopards, lions, many and even rare antelopes, probably thousand elephants and finally a pangolin (not to forget about 120 different bird species in total !!!)
We met again so many friendly and helpful people and were happy to join celebrations of Day of Independence.
We will come back to Africa! This trip was our third one with Expert Africa and again everything worked perfect!
Many thanks to wonderful Megan who was so helpful in planing this trip with us and never got tired to answer all our (many!) questions.
Her organisation was perfect and we definitely will plan our next trip to Africa with this very special and knowledgeable agency again!
Thanks again and all the very best to all of you!!!" Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 15 on a Botswana safari
Where to stay in Moremi
Our suggestions for safari camps in Moremi Game Reserve
Private Mobile
The Botswana Private Mobile Safari has no fixed location; it's exclusive to your group and comes with a top professional guide. Expect comfortable camping, great food, and a superb wildlife experience wherever you decide to go.
Machaba Camp
Overlooking the Khwai River to Moremi Game Reserve beyond, the classic Machaba Camp combines comfort with excellent game viewing.
Xigera Safari Lodge
Located deep in Botswana's Okavango Delta, Xigera Camp normally focuses on mokoro excursions and motorboat trips, with 4WD game drives when water levels permit.
Xakanaxa
Xakanaxa Camp is a well-established traditional camp beside a huge lagoon within the Moremi Game Reserve, with access to some superb game viewing.
Khwai Lediba
Khwai Lediba offers a traditional African safari experience, with very comfortable tented accommodation, in a fantastic game area north of the Moremi Game Reserve.
Sable Alley
Smart, independent and well-run, Sable Alley overlooks a beautiful, hippo-filled lagoon within the diverse Khwai Private Reserve.
Okuti
With an innovative design and good service, Okuti Camp offers game drives and boat trips in a beautiful, game-rich part of Moremi Game Reserve.
Mombo Camp
Mombo is one of Botswana's most exclusive safari camps, set in a beautiful, remote location within the Moremi Game Reserve and with exceptional game densities.
Little Machaba
Overlooking the Khwai River and Moremi Game Reserve beyond, Little Machaba is a classically designed camp with very comfortable tents in a great game-viewing area.
Chief's Camp
Chief's Camp is situated on Chief's Island, within the Okavango Delta's Moremi Game Reserve. Experience one of Botswana's top game-viewing areas by 4WD and mokoro.
Hyena Pan
Fairly rustic, and relatively inexpensive, Hyena Pan overlooks a natural waterhole that attracts an almost constant parade of animals.
Skybeds
Situated in a private reserve close to Moremi Game Reserve, Skybeds offers a simple yet wonderful opportunity to sleep under the stars and watch wildlife from your bed.
Camp Moremi
In one of the best locations for game viewing in Botswana, Camp Moremi sits at the tip of the Mopane Tongue, overlooking Xakanaxa Lagoon.
Little Mombo
One of Botswana's top safari camps, Little Mombo stands on the north side of Chief's Island, in the heart of the Okavango Delta's Moremi Game Reserve.
Little Sable
Little Sable camp is located in the Khwai Private Reserve – which borders the Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe
Tuludi
Tuludi is a brand new luxury camp, within the Khwai Private Reserve, built on a site under giant leadwood trees and overlooking the Okavango Delta floodplains.
Sango Safari Camp
Sango offers comfortable tented accommodation, without some of the frills often found in Botswana's camps, with an area that's scenic and gets excellent, consistent game sightings.
Mokete Camp
New for July 2023, Mokete has 9 luxurious tents, raised on platforms above the surrounding bush and offers an experience of the Kalahari Wilderness.
Khwai River Lodge
Khwai River Lodge is a luxurious and well-equipped safari camp, on the northern edge of Moremi Game Reserve. This area isn't exclusive, but it is beautiful and has excellent game.
Khwai Leadwood
Khwai Leadwood is a luxurious lodge located in the heart of the Khwai Community Concession, offering guests exceptional service, stunning scenery, and unforgettable wildlife experiences.
Monachira
A new lodge in Moremi Game Reserve, with a focus on water-based activities, the family-friendly Monachira will be opening in May 2025.
Tawana
An exclusive new lodge on the banks of the Gomoti River, Tawana has just eight very spacious suites.
