Reviews of safaris to Okavango Delta Safari Reserves
1004 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Okavango Delta.
Mr & Mrs T
Hants
"An exciting return to nature"
I visited Botswana and 1 other country between 27 Feb 2012 and 6 Mar 2012
"A an exceptional wild animal experience, but the accommodation was very basic.
Our luggage guardian at Johannesburg was helpful and efficient and prompt.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
We regret not having considered including the Victoria Falls in our itinerary and it was not logistically possible to amend that once in Botswana. However we would have responded to prompting from Expert Africa for this additional option." Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari
Our luggage guardian at Johannesburg was helpful and efficient and prompt.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
We regret not having considered including the Victoria Falls in our itinerary and it was not logistically possible to amend that once in Botswana. However we would have responded to prompting from Expert Africa for this additional option." Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Good
Mrs C & Dr M
Oxford
""
I visited Botswana and 1 other country between 15 Feb 2012 and 23 Feb 2012
"This trip was a very good experience indeed. Having been relatively undecided about where to go etc we were helped to choose very rewarding destinations and despite the fact that we were in the middle of Africa and could have been quite confused everywhere, and I mean everywhere, we went there was a representative of the Expert Africa team on hand to let us know that they knew where we were going even if we didn't!
We were assisted through visa points, on and off planes of all sizes, met at airports, ferried to our camps and hotels and always by charming, well-informed guides very patient with elderly people!" Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 5 on a Botswana safari
We were assisted through visa points, on and off planes of all sizes, met at airports, ferried to our camps and hotels and always by charming, well-informed guides very patient with elderly people!" Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 5 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Ms A
Nashville
"Vince and Annette in Africa-# 2."
I visited Botswana and 3 other countries between 20 Dec 2011 and 14 Jan 2012
"I think overall we liked Tanzania and Zanzibar better than Botswana and the Seychelles. However, it is like comparing apples to oranges. We have been fortunate in that we have been to Africa before and it is hard not to compare trips. Definitely flying from camp to camp is the way to go.
I think we must have just lucked our with our 1 and only guide in Tanzania, because we just loved him and we were with him for 10 days. If only we could have had ALL of the staff @ Lebala with us for the entire trip. Unfortunately that makes such a big difference, the people you share your time with.
As far as the safari/animal encounters it was great. In Botswana you see far less numbers of animals, but you are able to get much closer and with much fewer fellow tourists around. The part of the trip that we both liked the least was the Seychelles. To many transfers and to many quick overnight stays. The flights times did not make anything easy. We would get in to late the 1st night and then have to leave at the crack of dawn the following morning, missing meals, etc. Or we would get in too early to check in and would have to hang out in the common area for hours until our room was ready. Conveniently breakfast was always over and it wasn't time for lunch. I don't eat much @ 6 am while heading out the door for yet another shuttle/ferry or plane trip.
I know that Air Seychelles REALLY messed up our itinerary, and I think it would have been much better before all the changes. It certainly is beautiful there." Read full review: 25 nights in Africa; 10 on a Botswana safari
I think we must have just lucked our with our 1 and only guide in Tanzania, because we just loved him and we were with him for 10 days. If only we could have had ALL of the staff @ Lebala with us for the entire trip. Unfortunately that makes such a big difference, the people you share your time with.
As far as the safari/animal encounters it was great. In Botswana you see far less numbers of animals, but you are able to get much closer and with much fewer fellow tourists around. The part of the trip that we both liked the least was the Seychelles. To many transfers and to many quick overnight stays. The flights times did not make anything easy. We would get in to late the 1st night and then have to leave at the crack of dawn the following morning, missing meals, etc. Or we would get in too early to check in and would have to hang out in the common area for hours until our room was ready. Conveniently breakfast was always over and it wasn't time for lunch. I don't eat much @ 6 am while heading out the door for yet another shuttle/ferry or plane trip.
I know that Air Seychelles REALLY messed up our itinerary, and I think it would have been much better before all the changes. It certainly is beautiful there." Read full review: 25 nights in Africa; 10 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Average
Mr E
Canada
"Our Trip Feedback"
I visited Botswana between 6 Dec 2011 and 18 Dec 2011
"It was spectacular. I am still amazed by the wildlife and the environment in general. Everything worked as planned which reflects very favourably on your services (within reason each camp was a rather different ecosystem, all connections worked as planned incl the transfer to Vic Falls, no abundance of other travelers and every camp was in a stunning setting).
I had some reservations about visiting this time of year (it was originally anticipated for October), but it appears we saw every species that can somewhat reasonably be expected; and more than one sighting for almost all of them. We did have rain in Botswana, but all in all we were not much affected by it: at Kwara they installed roofs on the Land Cruisers after one really wet game drive; at Nxai Pan there was rain during one game drive and the roads were really gutted and muddy but both were OK, at Lebala we got really wet once (no roof) and really lucky on a few other drives. [Not sure if the amount of rain we encountered was typical, or whether we hit a relatively dry spell; we encountered no rain in Namibia which is having a late start to the rainy season this year].
Even on our subsequent travel in Etosha (and elsewhere in Namibia) we saw incredible amounts and variety of wildlife, including rhinos, leopard, aardwolf and hyena. (Here we had to do our own guiding and tracking though ;-)
Thank you for your services and input. I have recommended you.
Suggestions for improvements:
Satellite phones might have come in handy with Profile Safari's plane mishap/crash in Etosha as well. [Nothing to do with you or us, but it happened when we were there]." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 12 on a Botswana safari
I had some reservations about visiting this time of year (it was originally anticipated for October), but it appears we saw every species that can somewhat reasonably be expected; and more than one sighting for almost all of them. We did have rain in Botswana, but all in all we were not much affected by it: at Kwara they installed roofs on the Land Cruisers after one really wet game drive; at Nxai Pan there was rain during one game drive and the roads were really gutted and muddy but both were OK, at Lebala we got really wet once (no roof) and really lucky on a few other drives. [Not sure if the amount of rain we encountered was typical, or whether we hit a relatively dry spell; we encountered no rain in Namibia which is having a late start to the rainy season this year].
Even on our subsequent travel in Etosha (and elsewhere in Namibia) we saw incredible amounts and variety of wildlife, including rhinos, leopard, aardwolf and hyena. (Here we had to do our own guiding and tracking though ;-)
Thank you for your services and input. I have recommended you.
Suggestions for improvements:
Satellite phones might have come in handy with Profile Safari's plane mishap/crash in Etosha as well. [Nothing to do with you or us, but it happened when we were there]." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 12 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Dr T
Suffolk
"A great visit to Botswana"
I visited Botswana between 25 Nov 2011 and 11 Dec 2011
"I was really lucky as my week in South Africa was great and I had a wonderful time in Botswana, all the arrangements worked really well except the one hiccup with Air Botswana and although it was annoying it wasnt a disaster.
All the moves worked well, except Air Botswana routed us via Kasane from Maun to Joburg adding 2hrs - it was lucky I had a 4hr stopover at Joburg or I would have had a mad panic making the London flight- not your fault but worth knowing!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Just keep it going until my next time !" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 4 on a Botswana safari
All the moves worked well, except Air Botswana routed us via Kasane from Maun to Joburg adding 2hrs - it was lucky I had a 4hr stopover at Joburg or I would have had a mad panic making the London flight- not your fault but worth knowing!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Just keep it going until my next time !" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 4 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Ms C
Orkney
"Botswanna - a wonderful experience"
I visited Botswana between 17 Nov 2011 and 27 Nov 2011
"This was an amazing trip. The quality and variety of the safaris was excellent. We saw 35 different species of mammals and 223 different bird species over the nine days.
We really liked the way that our trip took us from Chobe in the north and then south into different places in the Okavango Delta and all had different habitats. This meant we had the opportunity to see different species as well as different landscapes. All the people we met were friendly and welcoming.
We both want to go back to Botswanna and to visit other places in Africa. This was a very special holiday for me as I was very ill last year and this trip was something to aim for to help me get through the difficult times. It was well worth it.
Thank you.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Nothing to add here." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Botswana safari
We really liked the way that our trip took us from Chobe in the north and then south into different places in the Okavango Delta and all had different habitats. This meant we had the opportunity to see different species as well as different landscapes. All the people we met were friendly and welcoming.
We both want to go back to Botswanna and to visit other places in Africa. This was a very special holiday for me as I was very ill last year and this trip was something to aim for to help me get through the difficult times. It was well worth it.
Thank you.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Nothing to add here." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs C
Shropshire
"Great Safari"
I visited Botswana between 15 Nov 2011 and 28 Nov 2011
"Overall we had a wonderful time with Xaranna Camp probably being the best.
The flight times on our return journey left a bit to be desired due to a number of reasons none of which could be attributed to Expert Africa.
It was &Beyond that changed our flights for us and their staff should be commended for the swift action they took to avoid us missing our connection to London.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
No - you are doing an excellent job - carry on Expert Africa." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 12 on a Botswana safari
The flight times on our return journey left a bit to be desired due to a number of reasons none of which could be attributed to Expert Africa.
It was &Beyond that changed our flights for us and their staff should be commended for the swift action they took to avoid us missing our connection to London.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
No - you are doing an excellent job - carry on Expert Africa." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 12 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Dr R & Mrs C
France
"We had a very good holiday"
I visited Botswana and 1 other country between 10 Nov 2011 and 20 Nov 2011
"Our holiday as a whole was unforgettable. Tracey and Megan both arranged everything very well and we were able to see and do a great deal in quite a short trip, with plenty of variety.
We loved flying in smaIl planes and crossing the Zambezi by boat. It was a pity that our last camp was a bit of a let down but we did have some wonderful game viewing experiences there and it was situated in a beautiful area.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
We would quite like to have more information about the actual costs of staing at different camps, so that we could make more informed decisions about how we want to budget for our holidays." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari
We loved flying in smaIl planes and crossing the Zambezi by boat. It was a pity that our last camp was a bit of a let down but we did have some wonderful game viewing experiences there and it was situated in a beautiful area.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
We would quite like to have more information about the actual costs of staing at different camps, so that we could make more informed decisions about how we want to budget for our holidays." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
D & S
Shenfield Essex
"Wonderful Botswana!"
I visited Botswana between 10 Nov 2011 and 23 Nov 2011
"This trip was our secong in Botswana and we enjoyed it just as much as the first.
There were a few minor hiccups, but this is the middle of a very large country and overall, the accommodation, service, food and staff were excellent. Wilderness Safaris really do have the whole thing under brilliant control and we always recommend them - and Expert Africa - to anyone who is thinking of travelling to Africa. We would not think of using anyone else. Thank you once again for making our stay wonderful!!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
No! Just keep up the good work!" Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 12 on a Botswana safari
There were a few minor hiccups, but this is the middle of a very large country and overall, the accommodation, service, food and staff were excellent. Wilderness Safaris really do have the whole thing under brilliant control and we always recommend them - and Expert Africa - to anyone who is thinking of travelling to Africa. We would not think of using anyone else. Thank you once again for making our stay wonderful!!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
No! Just keep up the good work!" Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 12 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs V
Jersey
"A variety of experiences!"
I visited South Africa and 2 other countries between 10 Nov 2011 and 5 Dec 2011
"Time flew past all too quickly! South Africa as expected, although cooler than we would have wished - the electric blankets in Hermanus were most welcome! Botswana, undoubtedly depends on when you visit as far as game viewings are concerned, but based on our experiences we would not return having had better viewing experiences in South Africa, Tanzania and Naminia.
Victoria Falls - the only real problem on our trip. We planned our stay there to include a visit to Zambia, as there is a railway museum in Livingstone we wanted to see. In Botswana there were varying answers as to what Visas would be required. We travelled from Kasane to Victoria Falls with Wilderness.
At the Kazungula Border Post the driver gave us forms to complete and asked for US$ 55 visa fee from each of us. At the immigration counter I asked what Visa we would require as we wished to spend a day in Zambia, and was advised a dual entry Visa. I asked for a dual entry Visa and the Immigration clerk advised I could not have one. I asked why and he replied that such Visas were only issued at his discretion and his discretion was not to give us one. Reasoning did not help and I asked for the head of Immigration - he was at lunch but we waited for his return. I explained the issue, his clerk in the background was laughing throughout, but he said as we by now had the single entry Visa stuck in our passports he could not cancel them. He did however offer to sell us, in addition, dual entry Visas at a cost of US$ 80 each, or whatever. We declined.
I assume that this journey from Kasane to Victoria Falls is operated quite frequently. The driver of the Minibus ( on this occasion Big Boy) should be better informed on the options available beforehand so that such problems do not arise.
Regrettably, this finished our trip on a disappointing note." Read full review: 25 nights in Africa; 13 on a South Africa trip
Victoria Falls - the only real problem on our trip. We planned our stay there to include a visit to Zambia, as there is a railway museum in Livingstone we wanted to see. In Botswana there were varying answers as to what Visas would be required. We travelled from Kasane to Victoria Falls with Wilderness.
At the Kazungula Border Post the driver gave us forms to complete and asked for US$ 55 visa fee from each of us. At the immigration counter I asked what Visa we would require as we wished to spend a day in Zambia, and was advised a dual entry Visa. I asked for a dual entry Visa and the Immigration clerk advised I could not have one. I asked why and he replied that such Visas were only issued at his discretion and his discretion was not to give us one. Reasoning did not help and I asked for the head of Immigration - he was at lunch but we waited for his return. I explained the issue, his clerk in the background was laughing throughout, but he said as we by now had the single entry Visa stuck in our passports he could not cancel them. He did however offer to sell us, in addition, dual entry Visas at a cost of US$ 80 each, or whatever. We declined.
I assume that this journey from Kasane to Victoria Falls is operated quite frequently. The driver of the Minibus ( on this occasion Big Boy) should be better informed on the options available beforehand so that such problems do not arise.
Regrettably, this finished our trip on a disappointing note." Read full review: 25 nights in Africa; 13 on a South Africa trip
Overall trip
Excellent
1004
reviews of Okavango Delta by travellers since August 2007
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