Botswana: reviews from our travellers

"Our trip was excellent! It has soared to number 1 on our list of holidays taken. First safari for us and it exceeded expectations and our expectations were high!

Two different camp experiences but both fantastic and happy we experienced both. We were well cared for the entire trip and really there was nothing for us to do but enjoy ourselves.

Thank you to Tracy for her expertise in planning a fantastic trip of a lifetime!" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 6 on a Botswana safari

"We had a great time in Botswana, again!!

Despite us leaving the decision until almost too late (September 2023 for a June 2024 trip), Lucy Copson managed to arrange a wonderful range of camps in the Okavango for us. She managed to book the last available accommodation at the camps despite recovering from a major operation, for which we are immensely grateful.

Lucy has been unfailingly helpful and effective in arranging and communicating with us, despite her illness in the leadup to this 2024 trip. She was equally helpful and effective during the rapidly-changing Covid requirements in the planning and leadup to the 2022 trip.

Our travel documents arrived on time, both times, and had a lot of reassuring details about managing health, travel and other possible difficulties while on safari. We have never needed them, but were very glad to have the details and know that backup plans were in place.

The Expert Africa website is an excellent resource, especially for those of us who like to read about where we are going in great detail. The toll-free number has been a great resource for urgent questions when email is inadequate.

We would recommend Expert Africa and Lucy Copson without hesitation to our friends, and are dreaming already of another safari somewhere in Africa!" Read full review: 22 nights in Africa; 12 on a Botswana safari

"Overall we were very pleased with our trip and had an amazing experience. Maruska was extremely helpful and responsive in both planning the trip and in addressing any questions that came up during our trip. She was very patient and thoughtful in answering every question, no matter how minor, and helped craft an itinerary that ended up being exactly what we were looking for." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 11 on a Botswana safari

"Overall the trip was great and very organized. Maruska was great to deal with, really listened to us and gave good suggestions. I liked the itinerary she sent us shortly before we left that gave lots of details about exactly what was happening. There were a few glitches during the trip (canceled flight, driver showed up late) and we had to reach out to Expert Africa on an emergency basis and they were very responsive.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
I would not return to the lodges that we stayed in in Zimbabwe, we didn't have a great experience there. There was a mix up with Khulu Bush Camp and our departure time was moved back and we were never told, that ended up being a very long day and we would have preferred to fly. Two of our travel days were very long and we never got to eat lunch, it was not clear from the itinerary how long they would be. Our Mack Air flights ended up having multiple stops that we weren't aware of, it would have been nice to have more information about those flights." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zimbabwe safari

"We absolutely loved our Botswana safari. The organization was flawless and everything went smoothly and without a glitch.

The combination of the 4 camps worked to make it possible to see everything we'd hoped to see, with each giving us unique and wonderful moments. We really appreciated the trackers at the Kwando camps.

Our guides at Lagoon (Spencer/Gee) and Camp Kalahari (KG) were great, very dedicated. We could tell that for them, guiding and wildlife sightings were a passion, not just a job. As photographers themselves, both Spencer and KG knew how to position the vehicled perfectly, too.

Our guide/tracker team at Lebala (Thabo/KB) were very good, but needed a bit of prodding before they gave us their best effort - but boy, did they come through with the leopard!

We were least impressed with Rogers/Chris at Kwara. Instead of really tracking predators on their own, they took us on 'scenic' drives, showing us the animals that happend to cross our path. Rogers also managed to get us stuck in sand on our first night drive on the way back to camp. After unsuccessfully trying for at least 30 minutes, he had to call the camp for help and we had to be towed out. However, once sightings were called in by other guides, he turned into a combination race driver/hunter and managed to get us to sightings of lions, a cheetah and best of all, Wild dogs - once tracking a pack of three through dense bush and the same evening, a pack of 3 feeding just before the light went.

The helicopter transfers were comfortable and very enjoyable, done in helicopters that seated just 4 including the pilot. Interesting fact: Since there was no room for our luggage, our bags got their own helicopter flights! As soon as we were dropped of at the camps, the pilots flew back, picked up the bags and brought them to us.

We were also very, very glad we had private vehicles for all our game drives, as it allowed my Mum to sit up front in the passenger seat and my Dad in the 1st row." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 10 on a Botswana safari

"Our overall experience was exceptional. Every single part of it!

Maruska took the time to understand what we were looking for and did an unbelievable job putting it all together. From the lodges, to the itinerary, to the little things it was all amazing.

On the flight home our whole family declared they wouldn't have changed a thing. I don't think there is any higher praise." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 9 on a Botswana safari

"Magic.

Thank you so much also for helping deal with the bag panic at the start of the trip, we don't know who was ultimately responsible for getting it to us but thank you to the Expert Africa team, Maggie at Natural Selection in Maun, and Noli and Teo at Camp Kalahari.

Special poo poo to British Airways for landing us 2 hours late and causing the mess in the first place." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 9 on a Botswana safari

"The whole trip ran very smoothly.
Sometimes pre-trip communication could have been more prompt." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 11 on a Botswana safari

"We visited 3 different camps in 9 days (3 at each camp). Since we had no knowledge of what areas to visit in Botswana, Megan from Expert Africa was extremely helpful. The arrangements were perfect with no hassles at all. Little Machaba, Savute Under Canvas and Pelo Camp had great locations, excellent staff and very nice facilities (considering their locations).

We've seen volcanos up close in Iceland and we thought that was our favorite vacation memory until we visited Botswana and saw the amazing African birds and wildlife. I think that a return trip may be forthcoming in a couple of years or so!" Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 9 on a Botswana safari

"Our 10 days in Botswana was better than we could have imagined.

We went just before the high season and it was very dry, but in our four day stay at Splash camp, we could see the difference as the floods started to arrive. There were many highlights and this trip has created lasting memories.

The friendliness of everyone we met was amazing, they work long days but were always smiling and wanting to help." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 10 on a Botswana safari