Travel reviews by Mr H & Ms C from Ruislip

"The bumph says 'Spectacular sunloungers' and indeed they are! Overlooking the channel and seeing non stop elephant visitors.

Very friendly staff, easy going guide who was determined to find lions for us and did, good food, excellent accommodation."

"Our feedback to Chief's was that it has some very good things going for it but also some poor points.

The highlights were seeing a leopard very close to, the mokoro ride and the elephant rubbing up against the tent.

The low points were not being collected from our room for breakfast (the excuse being the guide didn't think we were awake), not being offered a cooked breakfast or tea or coffee, being delayed by another person who wanted to film the sunrise and no-one answering the radio when assistance was needed in relation to the elephant.

In hindsight we wondered whether our departure for the morning drive was being deliberately delayed to enable the woman employed by Amex to make a video of the safari in Botswana to finish her filming of the sunrise. If this is the case, it is a good example of poor customer service. Trouble is it tainted our view of not only the camp but also the guide."

"There should be a super excellent category for Baines Camp. It was superb.

The staff were very friendly and helpful, the accommodation was excellent, we slept out under the stars each night and on our return from the afternoon drive on the last day bubble baths with bubbly wine had been set up for us. We could not fault it.

On top of which the guide was the best. Marvellous sense of humour, very knowledgeable, and giving us a talk on termite hills while the plane waiting to take us away was sitting on the runway will remain with me for a long time.

This was also the camp with the largest selection of activities - mokoro, speed boat ride, walking with elephants, bush walk plus usual game drives. This was by far the best camp on the trip."

"We had spent 12 nights at 4 different locations in Botswana before flying into the Kalahari. It was so desolate we all thought it was time to go home.

After 3 nights at this camp we could have stayed for several more days. Because it is so desolate you can see for miles like the honey badger digging for scorpions all day long, the cheetah walking on and on mewing and crying, the pregnant lioness getting very grumpy with her companions.

Although not 5 star luxury this was possibly the camp with the easiest going, friendliest staff virtually all of whose names we knew after 3 nights. Our guide, Godfrey, was wonderful. Very knowledgeable and with a marvellous sense of humour. Loved it."