Reviews of trips to Johannesburg

"This was our first trip to Botswana and we hope it won't be our last. The quantity and variety of animals and birds was simply amazing.

The camps we visited and their staff were all first class. Having both a guide and a tracker (a feature of Kwando safaris) worked very well - and they were more than happy to educate us when tracking the big cats. They were able to spot and identify animals and birds from a long way away (how do they do that!).

Our thanks to Amanda for recommending the camps we stayed in. They were excellent choices - all a little different from each other but all at the consistently high standard of guiding, accommodation, and food and drink.

We would be very happy to return to Lagoon, Splash and Rra Dinare and would recommend all three most highly.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

This is only the second time we've used Expert Africa, and on both occasions have found the company to be excellent.

We identified only one area for improvement - more for the safari company than Expert Africa - and that is to try to allocate people to safari jeeps based on their interests rather than just their arrival date. We realise this might prove difficult, but it is an area we feel merits a review." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 10 on a Botswana safari

"Another fantastic trip to Zambia! All of the connections went smoothly. I had been to all of the camps except Shoebill Island before, many times, so I knew I would be happy there. This was my fist visit to Bangweulu Wetlands, and quite surprised as to the uniqueness of the area's landscape and land use. I was happy to have been able to see a shoebill in the wild and to visit the African Parks Shoebill Program." Read full review: 22 nights in Africa; 19 on a Zambia safari

"This was the most amazing trip. We saw so much wildlife the highlights being the cheetah the sable and the baby elephant giraffe hippo and lion cubs. We experienced being very close to lions and a little too close to elephants. My only disappointment was not seeing the wild dogs but they had moved out of the area and also not seeing a leopard. Our guides did everything they could to find the leopard and we did spend time tracking but if they don’t want to be found then no amount of searching will get that sighting." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari

"We had the most amazing family holiday - so many unforgettable moments. Maruska was efficient and helpful from the planning stages through to the completion of our journey. She stepped up to help immensely when our bags had been lost between Kilimanjaro and Joburg Airports. She stepped in and got the Wilderness Safari folks to help follow up with the airport and airlines which was a huge relief for us as we were "off grid" for several days following their loss and felt very stressed about what to do next. Overall - we were thrilled with our time in Africa and thank Expert Africa team for helping to plan such a great trip.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Converting NZD to USD to pay for the trip was daunting - felt hugely expensive. Yes, we requested and planned a high end experience and were aware of the costs, but we definitely felt a big hit to the wallet. When you factor in that we were also giving healthy tips (as suggested, and we felt like with the great service we should do at least the "minimum") on top of the high room rate at each camp ... we felt it even more. Next time we might consider a mix of high vs medium range camps to save some money. Again, not to take away from an incredible trip planned together with Maruska ... thanks" Read full review: 33 nights in Africa; 6 on a Botswana safari

"Our safari in Botswana was incredible from start to finish. Maruska really listened to my initial inquiries, helped us figure out if Botswana was the right destination for us, and then worked to find three different camps that would give us a variety of experiences and locales. I felt like Maruska understood what we were looking for in the trip & personalized her recommendations. That made all the difference!

From the moment we landed at the Maun airport until the moment we returned there, someone was always watching out for us. When one member of our party became ill, the camp contacted Maruska. With Expert Africa on our side, we knew we were in good hands. Fortunately, he recovered quickly, but it was worth every penny to know Expert Africa would have taken care of us if things had gone differently.

Meanwhile, the Botswana safari was everything we hoped for and more. Despite everything going on in the wilderness, because there are not many people, there is a serenity to the experience -- a pace of taking what comes next, of being immersed in the balance of nature's day-to-day existence. We awoke to lions roaring, watched a mother leopard supervise her cub, followed wild dogs on a hunt, shared a watering hole with herd after herd of elephants, and so much more. But it's the overall experience that has stayed with me the most -- just the being there, a visitor is another world.

Thank you to Expert Africa and Maruska for an incredible trip!

I've already recommended Expert Africa and Maruska to two friends! Thank you so much for everything." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 7 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

"Sabina was an excellent agent. Everything she recommended was excellent and just as described." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"This was the BEST trip of our lives.

It was everything we had hoped for and more. So many memories and new experiences.

Maruska met and exceeded our brief, and we can't thank her enough for her time, suggestions and recommendations." Read full review: 23 nights in Africa; 11 on a Botswana safari

"We had a magical trip to Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe side), Okavango delta in Botswana and self-drive in Namibia.

We usually self-organise our trips around the globe, but having Expert Africa extensive, efficient and reliable support was a massive plus for our multi-country trip. It was extremely pleasant to feel really on holiday, with almost everything taken care of.

Locations and all accomodations but one were magical: beautifully set, very kind and helpful staff very often going an extra mile, extremely comfortable, quiet and relaxing, with amazing landscapes and/or wildlife to discover and admire.

A massive thank you to ExpertAfrica team and all partners involved!" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 5 on a Namibia trip

"I loved my trip. It really was the journey of a lifetime. It helped me a great deal to have the advice and support of Tom at Expert Africa in planning my trip, which was a fairly complex process as I was combining work and leisure for some of the time. Everything went smoothly and to schedule and I had no problems, which was amazing considering that I was away five weeks (everything except a cancelled flight home, but the airline dealt with that).


The places I stayed were well chosen and I enjoyed them all in different ways. I especially loved Fish River Lodge and the canyon there. I was lucky enough to meet the owners and to talk with them about their interesting plans to extend their conservation work in the area.


The only aspect of my journey that was different to what I expected and a bit more challenging was the driving. I did not have any problems, although I covered about 1,500 miles driving solo, but it is not easy driving on dirt roads (they are described as gravel roads but this is not really accurate). The car hire company and the Bradt guide recommend not driving above 70kph on dirt roads but that is not practicable over long distances and I think this advice should be revised. Nobody else was travelling at those speeds. If I had driven that slowly on certain days a 5-hour journey would have turned into an 8-hour journey, which presents a different kind of risk. I would recommend driving at the national speed limit, which is what I did, meaning that I was driving safely at 80-90 kph on those dirt roads. I think a frank discussion of what driving in Namibia realistically entails would have been useful, but this is a minor point!

Namibia is a beautiful country, for me part of its attraction is its remoteness and the opportunity to be alone in open spaces, but I also had encounters with Namibians of many different backgrounds, all of which were positive and interesting. I have brought home many happy memories and would love to return one day. Thank you, Tom, for making it happen." Read full review: 35 nights in Africa; 19 on a Namibia trip