Reviews of Splash Camp

"This is the second time that I have stayed at the new Splash Camp. Last time in the Enclave, this time in the main camp.

For game viewing and stunning variety of landscape there are few to compare with the Kwara concession. We virtually fell over predators every day. We also had a sighting of three lesser seen of the antelope (Sable, Roan, and Eland) all in a line at the edge of a flood area.

The staff are delightful, especially the new manager Rene. He is full of energy and enthusiasm, and a great addition to the team. He has taken over from Charles, who is moving to the renovated Kwara Camp. The guides and trackers are polite, considerate and knowledgable.

My one caveat is that it can be a long walk to your room. The camp is in a crescent. The main area is in the middle. We were in room 12, which was a brisk 5 minute walk along a winding sandy path." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana

"This was our final camp of four, and was unfortunately a disappointing one.

We chose the Okavango Delta for its water experience and while the water activities were still offered, the landscape was parched as this was the second year of drought. The view from the lodge and rooms was dull, dry and flat, a stark contrast to the lively visual excitement of our other camps.

We experienced poor staff interaction/knowledge here: maybe it was cultural but there was little warmth, enthusiasm, or initiative. This is a very large camp, holding up to 28 people, and I’m sure that creates a challenge to staff appropriately. We were disheartened by the tepid environment and the quality of the guides/trackers considering the price point, the well-known Kwando brand and our previous camps.

There was a bar cabinet, but no bartender. Meals were in one long table that can hold 28 guests plus guides. And yet they only had 2 salt/pepper shakers (and two butters and two water jugs) for the whole table! Unlike other camps, we did not get personalized water bottles—they provided glass bottles--and you had to pick up your own bush baby for the night.

Our room was modern, with an attached sitting area, good shelving in the bathroom area, a small deck (though the room is clearly designed to have a longer deck). It was the only camp without universal plugs or USB ports. And they never changed our towels over four nights. As cold as it was, they could have drawn the exterior canvas awnings over the screens to provide more shelter, but they didn’t. We were surprised by what seemed to be unfiltered water that came out yellow and weak. Splash did not seem focused on sustainability as the showers emptied straight onto the ground beneath the chalet. Somalisa, by comparison, has an entire system to recycle “grey water” for the watering hole.

Dining was good and they did well with our requests for no vinegar, mayonnaise or mustard, setting aside special plates for us. Breakfast was porridge, toast, muffins, cereal sitting around the fire pit. Most lunches/dinners were buffets with a starter soup and dessert. Tea was very good with yummy desserts.

The staff seemed dispirited and passive. While some greeted us, others did not. They often spoke to each other in their native tongue while guests were standing there, which felt uncomfortable. It seemed as if they had never been taught about hospitality and customer care.

One night there was a boma dinner. It was very cold. Splash is the only camp of four that didn’t had blankets on the chairs for a boma. I asked for one and was given a disbelieving look and questioned about what camps in Botswana provided blankets. They finally brought two (one for me and one for my daughter) but it was done very begrudgingly.

There was a persistent attitude at Splash of “that’s how it’s done in Botswana”, with requests outside of that standard viewed as annoying and demanding—which is obviously unacceptable at that price point. Notably, our first guide boasted of Botswana as “high cost, low volume,” with apparent disregard for value. We chatted with many guests who were fans of Kwando, and they also said this staff was not quite up to par despite this being Kwando’s premiere lodge.

We struggled with our first guide. We found him to be ponderous, unengaged, uncommunicative. He really liked lecturing AT us: we learned his first aspiration was to be a teacher and we were shocked to hear he’s been a guide for 14 years. During a sundowner, where we could hear another jeep laughing nearby, he attempted to give us a review of Botswana history, with many uncertain dates and details. On the morning of the second day, he was rushing us to see mating lions and slammed into a huge rut that nearly tossed me out, jarring my back so badly it made me nauseous. I was in tears and feared it was serious. Fortunately it wasn’t. My daughter got hit by a branch that almost hit her eye.

We were placed with a group of four travellers with whom we could not build rapport. Since they were seated in the front, we took the third row, where I had comfortably ridden in our other three camps. But this jeep had two large coolers at the base of the third row so you had nowhere for your feet, making it awkward and a little precarious as you weren’t quite stable. One time, I noticed they shoved one cooler under the second row, which helped a lot. But when I asked them to do it again, they were resistant (“this is a bigger cooler; it won’t fit”) instead of eager to please.

Upon our arrival, Charles had (a little reluctantly) developed a plan to give us another guide for a day to do a game walk and a cruise. That plan changed because there was a cheetah on the hunt and we chose to forego the private guide. After the jarring drive, Charles was very attentive and supportive, and provided us another guide for our last day and morning. This made a huge difference.

David was so much friendlier and enthusiastic—he was one of the few who introduced himself to us at the beginning with warmth. Our final days were immensely better: even though we had three flat tires in one day! (Another example of inferior services: I asked my fellow guests who wanted to use my hand sanitizer and David said he did—it was provided in all the other camps!)

The game was pretty good though we never saw a leopard. The best part for us was being around a large pack of rare, endangered painted dogs, including seeing a dozen pups emerge from the den and frolic and feed. We had a nice sunset boat cruise in a channel (very few animals nearby but hippos and an enormous crocodile), and a nice mokoro canoe outing around a pond.

Splash is the only camp in which we felt a little unsafe. There is only a dirt walkway between spread-out chalets, with minimal lighting. At least twice, guests couldn’t get to their rooms in the evening as elephants were all about (this happened to us!). Staff had no weapons and our guide told us about helplessly running away from baboons the day before. While we were walked to our rooms at night, we were unescorted in the wee hours to breakfast, when it was just as dark and unlit as at night, and when lions, hyenas and elephants had just been walking through camp.

(Interesting note: their guides had to work harder and longer than in other camps. They wakened guests, ate with guests, and accompanied guests back to their rooms at night. Other camps had other staff to walk guest, and guides did not always dine with their guests, which is a nice break for everyone.)

Compared to Anabezi in Zambia, which was the same price point, Anabezi was a 10 and Splash a 4.

In conclusion: This Botswana safari was not worth the time, money and frustration." See all these reviews: 6n in Zambia; 4n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe

"A newly established camp with very comfortable rooms. All staff, guides and trackers were so friendly and hospitable and the food was amazing.

Game viewing was superb and we were privileged to see a pack of wild dogs at their den and 10 puppies - these are very endangered animals facing extinction, so it was great to see them. Mr T and Matt were great at knowing exactly where to find the wildlife.

Amazing to hear an elephant eating the tree outside our room in the middle of the night." See all these reviews: 17n in Kenya; 9n in Zimbabwe; 6n in Tanzania; 5n in Botswana; 5n in Zambia

"Excellent experience all round, our favourite camp of our trip.

We had an outstanding guide and tracker, T J and Mike. They tracked down animals with their knowledge and expertise, and showed great delight when finding one (a cheetah). They were knowledgeable and very helpful. T J was less jovial than some guides, but he more than made up for this by his knowledge - giving us tutorials in the field!

Again the accommodation, food, welcome and site were all excellent. I enjoyed being able to see zebra, wildebeest and wart hogs whilst taking an outside shower!

We also enjoyed a boat ride, and canoe ride (mocorro) and a helicopter ride (a surprise gift from our children!).

We saw one cheetah four times (2 at night), multiple lion sightings, two packs of wild dogs (4 and 8 adults) the first with three baby pups, and a small group of hyenas on our last morning!" See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana

"Splash camp is a brand new safari camp. It has a very smart, modern safari feel, which was very much to our liking. The rooms were very beautiful and comfortable, as were the communal areas.

We enjoyed some excellent game viewing safaris. Special sightings included a cheetah, Mr Special, that we followed as obliged us by posing for photo's, a pack of Wild Dogs, and three separate lion sightings." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana

"A very attractive, new camp which was well thought-out and stylishly designed. The staff were hard-working and burst into song and dance on several occasions, including the camp's 1st birthday.

Our guide, David, was excellent and enthusiastic, supported by our tracker, Goums. They worked well with the other guides to find as much wildlife for us as possible. We enjoyed our boat trip and sun-downer on the water (and our other sun-downers!).

Not on your wildlife list: we saw an aardwolf, a spring hare, two wild cats and three spotted hyenas on our night drives; also steenbock, tsessebe, reedbuck, side-striped and black-backed jackals, and a verreaux owl during the day. we saw a huge herd of buffalo, which was most impressive." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe

"It was a long drive from the airstrip but the game viewing en route to and from camp was good and staff were very flexible in fitting in with timing.

Cabins in camp were widely spaced which meant privacy but a long walk if you were in the farthest cabins." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana

"This camp has everything you could wish for!

Guide (Mr T) and tracker worked very well as a team and were very focused on finding what we were interested in - cats and dogs!

Nocturnal sighting was excellent too (unlike other camps). Highlight was following a pack of 8 wild dogs hunting a buffalo calf and seeing 2 lionesses with 6 cubs feeding on a kudu carcass." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana

"We saw some great sightings of Lions including a cute cub and a cheetah but generally didn't seem to be as much game as in Chobe.

Really enjoyed the boat tour and canoes. Are guide could have been friendlier." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe

"Great profusion and variety of wildlife especially zebra in a great variety of lovely landscapes. Huge variety of bird life. Great waterhole in front of the camp. wild dogs visited the camp and made a kill in front of the waterhole but was at night.Saw a cheetah hunting,stalking and capturing and ostrich. Elephants drinking, playing and grazing right in front of the lodge.

This camp is quite large, and some cabins have limited view of the waterhole and are quite a hike to the dining area. More guests mean that it wasn't always possible to talk to all the guests, so not as intimate and friendly as the other camps we stayed at (Lagoon and Tau Pan). Mokoro experience very controlled, but boat cruise to the lagoon compensated. Modern decor and new cabins lack the luxury feel of thatched roof, dark rich timber and leather furniture, but not here to stay in the room.

The safaris were wonderful." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe