Reviews of safaris to Okavango Delta Safari Reserves
1011 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Okavango Delta.
Mr S & Ms C
NL
"Well done Expert Africa"
I visited Botswana and 1 other country between 24 Aug 2009 and 3 Sep 2009
"We were impressed with the organisation and genuinely friendly welcome from everyone we met in Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe.
Well done to the teams at Expert Africa, Kwando Safari & Wilderness Safaris. Everything went perfectly from the moment we left London to our return 10 days later. We jsut wish we could have stayed longer!
Suggestions for improvements:
Keep up the good work.
This was our first organised trip (we're normally spur of the moment backpackers) but we didn't feel constrained by having everything laid on. This holiday was a total VIP experience and fabulous from start to finish. Thank you." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 6 on a Botswana safari
Well done to the teams at Expert Africa, Kwando Safari & Wilderness Safaris. Everything went perfectly from the moment we left London to our return 10 days later. We jsut wish we could have stayed longer!
Suggestions for improvements:
Keep up the good work.
This was our first organised trip (we're normally spur of the moment backpackers) but we didn't feel constrained by having everything laid on. This holiday was a total VIP experience and fabulous from start to finish. Thank you." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 6 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
H family
London
"overall"
I visited Botswana and 1 other country between 12 Aug 2009 and 24 Aug 2009
"one of the most memorable holidays we have had
Suggestions for improvements:
The service you provided was excellent" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 8 on a Botswana safari
Suggestions for improvements:
The service you provided was excellent" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 8 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
The R family
Berks
""
I visited Botswana and 1 other country between 6 Aug 2009 and 17 Aug 2009
"will go back. best holiday i ever made with the whole family"
Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mrs & Mr P
Essex
"Another wonderful trip"
I visited Botswana and 2 other countries between 3 Aug 2009 and 23 Aug 2009
"Another fabulous trip to Africa, we can't wait to go back
One thing we did notice however, was that, while the standard of guiding remains generally very good, there seem now to be some guides who are doing the job just to make enough money to be able to fund other business/life plans. As a result we encountered one or two without the old passion/feel for the job. While their knowledge was probably very good, it was in a bit of a textbook style and seemed to lack an empathy with the animals/environment.
Possibly because the good rains had meant animals were more dispersed and therefore a bit more difficult to find, there seemed to be a lot of racing around trying to find things without stopping to evaluate the surroundings and potential. I also felt that there was a bit more harrassing animals by changing position to let people get a different shot rather than just sitting quietly to observe, again perhaps because of the perceived need to move on to try to find something else. Also because there were possibly fewer 'opportunities to view' there tended to be several vehicles at each sighting.
Suggestions for improvements:
Difficult to think of anything Expert Africa could do better. We are always delighted with the service and have recommended you to lots of friends.
It would have been helpful to have seen the questionnaire before we went so that we could make notes on relevant points as we went along. After three weeks and lots of locations it is a bit difficult to remember precise details for" Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari
One thing we did notice however, was that, while the standard of guiding remains generally very good, there seem now to be some guides who are doing the job just to make enough money to be able to fund other business/life plans. As a result we encountered one or two without the old passion/feel for the job. While their knowledge was probably very good, it was in a bit of a textbook style and seemed to lack an empathy with the animals/environment.
Possibly because the good rains had meant animals were more dispersed and therefore a bit more difficult to find, there seemed to be a lot of racing around trying to find things without stopping to evaluate the surroundings and potential. I also felt that there was a bit more harrassing animals by changing position to let people get a different shot rather than just sitting quietly to observe, again perhaps because of the perceived need to move on to try to find something else. Also because there were possibly fewer 'opportunities to view' there tended to be several vehicles at each sighting.
Suggestions for improvements:
Difficult to think of anything Expert Africa could do better. We are always delighted with the service and have recommended you to lots of friends.
It would have been helpful to have seen the questionnaire before we went so that we could make notes on relevant points as we went along. After three weeks and lots of locations it is a bit difficult to remember precise details for" Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Ms W & Mr M
LA
"Overall Trip Evaluation"
I visited Botswana between 21 Jul 2009 and 30 Jul 2009
"Susannah assisted us in planning our trip and helped point us in the direction of camps that fit our needs. Chris was also very helpful in answering our questions about appropriate photography equipment. We also appreciated Lucy's help with our last-minute questions.
This resulted in an experience that we will remember for the rest of our lives.
Suggestions for improvement:
We were originally booked on a morning flight from Maun to Johannesburg on our last day in Botswana, but we were on the stand-by list for the mid-afternoon flight that day. Shortly after we booked our trip, seats opened up on the afternoon flight and our booking was changed accordingly. Because we were scheduled on an 8am flight from Mapula to Maun, we think our changed booking was not updated with either Mack Air or Mapula Lodge. However, the connecting flight was pushed back and we were able to enjoy our morning game drive. That minor hiccup is our only suggestion for improvement, but it did not detract from our wonderful experience overall.
We would definitely recommend Expert Africa to our friends and family.
For the photographers amongst our travellers, these travellers also observed, by email after their trip:
We just returned from our trip to Botswana yesterday. What an amazing experience! We were only there for 8 days, but I can't count the number of impressions we collected on the way.
I just wanted to follow up with you regarding the discussion we had regarding lens selection. Per your advice, the 100-400 lens was definitely the right way to go. The extra zoom came in very handy -- the majority of my pictures were taken in the >200 mm range -- and bumping the ISO was usually enough to deal with the low light situations. Tellingly, one of the guests we rode with at Kwando had both the 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 and the 70-200 f/2.8 lenses, and he didn't use the latter at all during the 3 days we spent together on game drives.
Your advice on the flash was also good. Too bad I pulled my clip-on flash at the last moment due to weight concerns and the mistaken belief that I wouldn't be able to use it on animals at night. I later learned that it would not have bothered animals with night vision, and it would have come in handy on two occasions (you were also right about this). But we'll still have the memories.
Thanks again for your help. My girlfriend and I absolutely loved it in Africa and are already thinking of doing a trip to Uganda in two years. We'll keep in touch.
- - - - - - -
Oh, by the way, I highly recommend online lens rentals for people who only want such expensive lenses to use every once in a while. It cost me about $160 for a three week rental, and the lens was insured in case anything happened to is (easing my mind very much). Based on a friend's recommendation, I used www.lensrentals.com [Ed: this is a US-based company], and I think they have similar services in the UK.
I think a lot of amateur photographers would love the opportunity to go on safari with such an incredible lens without having to invest over $1500 in something they will not be able to use very often. You can really tell the difference between my pictures and my girlfriend's pictures (she used my entry-level zoom)." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari
This resulted in an experience that we will remember for the rest of our lives.
Suggestions for improvement:
We were originally booked on a morning flight from Maun to Johannesburg on our last day in Botswana, but we were on the stand-by list for the mid-afternoon flight that day. Shortly after we booked our trip, seats opened up on the afternoon flight and our booking was changed accordingly. Because we were scheduled on an 8am flight from Mapula to Maun, we think our changed booking was not updated with either Mack Air or Mapula Lodge. However, the connecting flight was pushed back and we were able to enjoy our morning game drive. That minor hiccup is our only suggestion for improvement, but it did not detract from our wonderful experience overall.
We would definitely recommend Expert Africa to our friends and family.
For the photographers amongst our travellers, these travellers also observed, by email after their trip:
We just returned from our trip to Botswana yesterday. What an amazing experience! We were only there for 8 days, but I can't count the number of impressions we collected on the way.
I just wanted to follow up with you regarding the discussion we had regarding lens selection. Per your advice, the 100-400 lens was definitely the right way to go. The extra zoom came in very handy -- the majority of my pictures were taken in the >200 mm range -- and bumping the ISO was usually enough to deal with the low light situations. Tellingly, one of the guests we rode with at Kwando had both the 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 and the 70-200 f/2.8 lenses, and he didn't use the latter at all during the 3 days we spent together on game drives.
Your advice on the flash was also good. Too bad I pulled my clip-on flash at the last moment due to weight concerns and the mistaken belief that I wouldn't be able to use it on animals at night. I later learned that it would not have bothered animals with night vision, and it would have come in handy on two occasions (you were also right about this). But we'll still have the memories.
Thanks again for your help. My girlfriend and I absolutely loved it in Africa and are already thinking of doing a trip to Uganda in two years. We'll keep in touch.
- - - - - - -
Oh, by the way, I highly recommend online lens rentals for people who only want such expensive lenses to use every once in a while. It cost me about $160 for a three week rental, and the lens was insured in case anything happened to is (easing my mind very much). Based on a friend's recommendation, I used www.lensrentals.com [Ed: this is a US-based company], and I think they have similar services in the UK.
I think a lot of amateur photographers would love the opportunity to go on safari with such an incredible lens without having to invest over $1500 in something they will not be able to use very often. You can really tell the difference between my pictures and my girlfriend's pictures (she used my entry-level zoom)." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr D & Ms B
Toronto
"Kudos to Expert Africa and Susannah Mumford"
I visited Botswana between 1 Jul 2009 and 16 Jul 2009
"We will return to Africa.
Very impressed and pleased by Expert Africa service -timely, courteous, knowledgeable (expecially about the selection of camps), well-organised.
Suggestions for improvements:
We were very satisfied. Well done, and thank you." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 13 on a Botswana safari
Very impressed and pleased by Expert Africa service -timely, courteous, knowledgeable (expecially about the selection of camps), well-organised.
Suggestions for improvements:
We were very satisfied. Well done, and thank you." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 13 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs K
Virginia
"Overall"
I visited Botswana between 30 Jun 2009 and 10 Jul 2009
"Just one comment. I would not particularly recommend the guest house we stayed in for one night at Johannesburg. We felt the dinner was a rip-off and the accommodations were only acceptable. The transportation to and from the airport, however, worked very well indeed.
Suggestions for improvement:
When we go again, which we plan to do, we will certainly contact you guys. [Ed: this means Expert Africa!]
Everthing was very well organized and all went smoothly." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Botswana safari
Suggestions for improvement:
When we go again, which we plan to do, we will certainly contact you guys. [Ed: this means Expert Africa!]
Everthing was very well organized and all went smoothly." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs E
Lund
""
I visited Botswana between 27 Jun 2009 and 9 Jul 2009
"It was excellent 12 days to remember. it is very private and wild. it´s our 5 safari Tanzania, Namibia and 2 South Africa. it´s a pity you don´t have a Ocean and wine.
Wine is a big interest so next year the whole family 10 persons go to South Africa. But I and my husband are going back to Mombo for the animals and Zarafa for the location." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 10 on a Botswana safari
Wine is a big interest so next year the whole family 10 persons go to South Africa. But I and my husband are going back to Mombo for the animals and Zarafa for the location." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 10 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Ms W & Ms B
Alaska
"Overall trip review"
I visited Namibia and 1 other country between 26 Jun 2009 and 16 Jul 2009
"We didn't know what to expect on our trip and what a wonderful experience we had. Maruska did a fantasic job creating an itinerary that matched our interests and our budget. We enjoyed all of our accommodations, tours, etc...throughout our trip. We had the added challenge of a nine hour time difference but this was never an issue.
Maruska always answered any questions we had with a very detailed email response and promptly called whenever we'd set up a time/day to talk by phone. We appreciated the detailed information and the inclusion of the Bradt Namibia guide. The Bradt Namibia guide we found to be even more helpful once we were on our trip, reading it regularly as we made our way from place to place. The descriptions and information was very helpful, the "notes for travelers" were extremely helpful as well.
We felt so well prepared for this trip from all the information Expert Africa provided us, there were no surprises and things unfolded seamlessly.
The reviews on your web site were helpful to us as it provided us with information, insight in regards to what we could expect. We like that they are unfiltered and when Expert Africa would comment/respond to a review that was less than favorable. We really hope our reviews will be helpful to other travelers and are sorry it has taken us so long.
The recommended length of stay was helpful and we felt accurate based on our experiences. The length of stay for most of the places we stayed was 2 nights and we wondered if that would feel too quick, however, we felt very satisfied as we went from place to place. We felt like we'd experienced the activities and seen as much as we could within out stay. While we enjoyed all of our accommodations if we were to highlight some it would be Onguma Tented Camp, Etendka Camp, Khwai Tented Camp, and Mapula Lodge. Onguma and Mapula were definitely luxury experiences were are not necessarily accustomed to, however, we enjoyed them completely - we appreciated the simplicity of Etendka and Khwai.
We are already planning on another visit to Southern Africa and we would readily work with Maruska and Expert Africa again!
Suggestions to help improve trips and service:
The only thing we might do different was a 2WD car with more clearance. Many of the roads we traveled on weren't much different than roads we drive in Alaska, however, in Alaska we have a 4WD vehicle with more clearance than what we had. So, driving on some of the roads in a 2WD vehicle was different for us. We understand that because of our trip budget we pretty much had to go with the car we had and things really did work out well. However, if someone can afford it we believe a 2 wheel drive vehicle is sufficient for the self-drive we did in Namibia but having one with more clearance than an economy sedan would be better." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip
Maruska always answered any questions we had with a very detailed email response and promptly called whenever we'd set up a time/day to talk by phone. We appreciated the detailed information and the inclusion of the Bradt Namibia guide. The Bradt Namibia guide we found to be even more helpful once we were on our trip, reading it regularly as we made our way from place to place. The descriptions and information was very helpful, the "notes for travelers" were extremely helpful as well.
We felt so well prepared for this trip from all the information Expert Africa provided us, there were no surprises and things unfolded seamlessly.
The reviews on your web site were helpful to us as it provided us with information, insight in regards to what we could expect. We like that they are unfiltered and when Expert Africa would comment/respond to a review that was less than favorable. We really hope our reviews will be helpful to other travelers and are sorry it has taken us so long.
The recommended length of stay was helpful and we felt accurate based on our experiences. The length of stay for most of the places we stayed was 2 nights and we wondered if that would feel too quick, however, we felt very satisfied as we went from place to place. We felt like we'd experienced the activities and seen as much as we could within out stay. While we enjoyed all of our accommodations if we were to highlight some it would be Onguma Tented Camp, Etendka Camp, Khwai Tented Camp, and Mapula Lodge. Onguma and Mapula were definitely luxury experiences were are not necessarily accustomed to, however, we enjoyed them completely - we appreciated the simplicity of Etendka and Khwai.
We are already planning on another visit to Southern Africa and we would readily work with Maruska and Expert Africa again!
Suggestions to help improve trips and service:
The only thing we might do different was a 2WD car with more clearance. Many of the roads we traveled on weren't much different than roads we drive in Alaska, however, in Alaska we have a 4WD vehicle with more clearance than what we had. So, driving on some of the roads in a 2WD vehicle was different for us. We understand that because of our trip budget we pretty much had to go with the car we had and things really did work out well. However, if someone can afford it we believe a 2 wheel drive vehicle is sufficient for the self-drive we did in Namibia but having one with more clearance than an economy sedan would be better." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs W
Devon
"A Wonderful Experience"
I visited Botswana between 21 Jun 2009 and 2 Jul 2009
"We have had a wonderful holiday"
Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 9 on a Botswana safari
Overall trip
Excellent
1011
reviews of Okavango Delta by travellers since August 2007
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