Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs M from Kent

"Good idea from Tracy Lederer to start our safari with two nights here after flights from London overnight. Met by our guide, xxx, and our bags were loaded on to the small boat with us. We were taken to the Namibian immigration control, as the boat would be moored on the Namibian side of the Chobe.

Had a wonderful trip to the houseboat that afternoon immediately after leaving immigration, when we saw several types of birds and many animals, including elephants crossing the river. After we had arrived and had a welcome drink and the probable itinerary for the days we would be there, we went off on the small boat for our evening safari. We had morning and afternoon boat safaris the next day, and another on the morning of our third day, when we transferred to the first lodge.

Good to go with another couple, as only 8 people on the boat and some language problems with the other visitors."

"Wonderful welcome at our first 'proper' lodge, and this continued throughout the stay.

Wonderful guide in Baba, who was very informative about the flora and fauna. Baba was very experienced in his work and his expertise enabled us to see so many birds and animals, including many types of antelope, packs of wild dogs, large herds of elephant and buffalo, giraffe, and many others as well. Never seen so many animals together in one place before, and one sundowner was within a huge herd of buffalo!

Saw many lion families, all close to our Jeep. The highlight of the trip, tho one that left us very emotional and sad, was to see a group of lionesses stalk and attack two buffalo, one of which got away. The other didn't but it was bellowing for some while after the lions began eating it alive. It lived for some 35/40 minutes after it had been brought down. Not something that I would like to see again, but an experience that will not be forgotten.

Take your guide's advice on walking the lodge paths, as one morning when Baba arrived to take us to early tea and muffin, we were shown leopard tracks on the paths that we used! Obviously Baba was very happy in his job and he managed to get his love of flora and fauna across to us all. An excellent first lodge."

"Spencer was our guide and PK the tracker here, and they really showed us how to track animals, on one occasion tracking and locating lion after an hour or so, and leopard on another. We did get very close to both animals, particularly the leopard, who had killed a kudu earlier, but she was shy and climbed up a tree and vanished.

Several types of antelope here, elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, giraffe, wart hogs and many other animals, together with fantastic bird life including cori bustard and secretary birds. Travelled up the river/lagoon and saw 38 elephants crossing - wonderful sight. Also many hippo making their presence heard, and beautiful bird life - love the fish eagles. Went to hyena den and saw the mother and her 9 month old cub, very aware of their position and the proximity to a pack of wild dogs. Later on saw an older wild dog nannying the young dogs and seeing a hyena approaching them, with the old dog trying to shepherd them away. He must have called to the remainder of the pack because all of a sudden five or six dogs returned at pace and attacked the hyena and chased it away.

On our last morning we found two lions on huge anthills, lazily viewing the area, and later on a tiny elephant suckling, as well as other animals. During our trip, Spencer had introduced us to his favourite area which he called the 'hidden valley'. We could have been in an English autumn woodland with the white colouring of the trees and the red/brown dry leaves on the ground, except for the many zebra cooling themselves down in this shady area - wonderful."

"We met Anthony off our midday flight, and he took us to the camp, where we were shown our lovely room, and had a late brunch. During our stay here, we saw many birds, elephant, giraffe,monkeys, baboons, zebra, wildebeest and large herds of impala as well as kudu, bushbuck and tsessebe.

Our first sundowner was overlooking a lagoon area with hippo and many birds, and yet another fantastic sunset. Followed a large male leopard for a while, then found two large lions, and then tracked a cheetah to it's kill. Such tremendous viewings in such a short time, and so close to us. Wild dogs at an impala kill with the puppies eating whilst the adults looked on.

Close to our room, shown a bushbaby and a genet in the trees, and on another evening an elephant prevented some of the guests getting to dinner until the staff chased it away. Viewed the hippos and huge crocodiles from our position having coffee, and later on spent some time looking at a female cheetah with her two cubs playing in the open - wonderful. Found the cheetahs again on our short last morning, playing with their kill, and fantastic watching them so close. Driving around and saw many animals, and came behind two lionesses, one very pregnant, both watching tsessebe. Lovely camp and a good guide."

"Whilst we appreciated that we were in a wild part of Africa, the previous camps had provided very acceptable accommodation and food. Unfortunately in this last camp, the food was not of the same quality, we felt that one or two of the staff were rather inconsiderate, and the water servicing on the 'tent' was poor. I did complain and the manager had an attempt at cleaning the water but to no avail.

This was disappointing, as this was our last camp on a wonderful trip. This let the camp down, and the overall standard of the trip, but we should say that the game drives led by TJ and Chester were first class, and that they managed to bring the standard up to a decent overall level, which is the reason that we have scored it as excellent - after all, we were in Botswana to see the animals, not to have five star experience!! However, we feel that you should mention this to the manager at Little Kwara.

TJ was our guide and Chester the tracker, and they were probably the best on our trip. Very few animals on our first drive were close, but came across zebra, wildebeest and lioness, and our first sundowner here was the best sunset yet. Returned to the lioness who had her cubs with her now, and as soon as she called them they ran back immediately. Tracking cheetah and found the large male after an hour or so, and waited for him to settle - lovely to watch him relax and wander beside our jeep. Huge herd of buffalo and coffee by a hippo pool, and later on found another pack of wild dogs, with red lechwe running through the water. Saw a honey badger which was quite unusual, and coffee with hippo and crocodile.

Very hot on our second day, and not far from the camp we saw some tracks. Followed them into a swampy area, where we found a lioness with her recently killed warthog. She was covered in mud from the fight, but fed and then dragged it into a large scrubby bush to hide it from others. Off she went to get her cubs, and we went back for brunch. We returned to the kill later in the afternoon to find the lioness and her cubs had nearly finished off the warthog, with them all laying around clearly full up.

Went on a boat trip to see The Rookery, a bird covered island. Many birds of differing types nesting there, and from the boat's top deck we were on a level with them. Good to go on a boat trip, but needed to cover our faces from the many midges etc. on our return. We saw a large hyena, and were following lion tracks when we spotted a leopard. He was quite nervous, hid in a bush and came out in a rush growling and running away from us. A beautiful sight, and apart from the baboons that had to be chased away from the landing strip, a fitting end to our safari."