Travel reviews by Mr E from Oxfordshire

"We didn't receive any details from Machenji Lodge on pick up details for our departure from Victoria Falls. The evening before I asked the hotel if a message had been received. None had been received. Wilderness Safari's agent had left for the day and were not contactable. The hotel advised that I would need to go to the desk in the morning at 7.30. I was there but no one else arrived and it was gone 8 before I was given any information. This uncertainty was unsettling as our itinerary noted that the pick up was to be from the airport!.Better liaison between the Muchenji / Wilderness Safaris and the hotel should be improved."

"The overall impression is that the management and staff at the Lodge are poor communicators, e.g.
1 They failed to contact us at Victoria Falls to advise pick up time and transfer arrangements.
2 It depended on which member of staff you asked as to the arrangements for activities, in particular starting times
3 We were not told that an early morning walk would take place and we only found out after speaking to other guests. We then had to 'persuade' the management at the lodge that we could join the small group.

The location of the Lodge is over 50km from Kasane where the most interesting activity on the river took place. This is where I seemed to have taken more photographs than anywhere else on the trip. The variety of wildlife was amazing and on the river didn't see other boats with visitors.

The driving related activities all involved long drives, e.g. over 1 1/2 hours each way, from the lodge to Kasane in open vehicles. Warm clothes were certainly needed in the morning and evening. It didn't help that the vehicle brokedown on the way back (gearbox problems), which curtailed our game drive through the park, albeit just after seeing a leopard.

If the river activities at Kasane are included in the itinerary then I would not recommend staying so far from the town. This is also reinforced by the need to return to Kasane on the day of departure for flights. We spent disproportionate periods of time travelling between locations rather than enjoying the environment and wildlife."

"In my view this was the best lodge we stay at for both the quality of the guide and tracker, and the interesting environment and wildlife. The accommodation was really good quality.

Besides seeing abundant elephant, antelope, hippo and co we were fortunate enough to have good sightings of leopard, wild dogs, jackel, mongooses, civet and genet. Our guide was particularly interested in birdlife which was abundant."

"The unexpected experience of finding ourselves the only guests with 8 members of staff to look after us was at times overwhelming. We'd expected other guests, up to 4 more, but this is not the policy of Footsteps. Two guests at a time is their norm.

The release from game drives in vehicles by just walking through the environment, including accompaning giraffes on their evening stroll, was wonderful. The Mokoro trip was equally memorable. However the highlight has to be Oscar the visiting 40 year old bull elephant. He disrupted our attempts at showering by forcing us to retreat into the tent. It's wonderful having an elephant so close to you that you can hear the swish of his tail and almost count the number of eyelashes.

However he also joined us for breakfast and promptly ate my wifes fruit, knocking condiments, tea and containers off the table. The camp manager was not happy and final the guide was throwing table mats at him to move him away. Our guide assured us that this was a one off visit and that they will now have to devise strategies to discourage him in future.

He so delayed us that we nearly missed our connecting flight to Kwara."

"Whilst the accommodation is not of the quality of Little Kwara the quality of the guiding and the experience is not affected.

Besides again seeing abundant elephant, antelope, hippo and co we were fortunate enough to have good sightings of wild dogs, jackel, mongooses, cheetah and even a distant sighting of a honey badger. The guide and tracker went to great lengths to meet our request for cheetah and lion hich they succeeded in meeting.

We've deceided that we should get up earlier because we missed wild dogs hunting an impala in sight of the camp. The impala escaped into the lake only to be killed by one of the resident crocodiles, all within view of some of the guests. We also go to bed too early as one evening whilsts guests were sitting round the camp fire one of the elephants joined them forcing them to stay up even longer drinking their delicious Amarula!"

"Thank you, we had a great time!"