Travel reviews by Ms J. from London
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
3
Lodges stayed in
6
Excursions taken
0
My Sep 2018 trip
Botswana and 2 other countries between 20 Sep 2018 and 14 Oct 2018
"The trip worked perfectly so thank you Expert Africa for organising."
Sable Alley
"Sable Alley review"
2 nights
Arrived
22 Sep 2018
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Skybeds
"Interesting stay at Skybeds"
1 night
Arrived
24 Sep 2018
"It was quite far to travel from Sable Alley but we had an excellent game drive on the way back. It was fun to be in a camp just for three couples.
I enjoyed seeing the elephants walk through the camp at about 2am but everyone else missed it as they were asleep. Unless you are going to stay up then there is not much point going to the camp in my opinion. The waterhole is not lit so it is difficult to see the animals from the Skybeds.
Our guide did kindly drive us down to the waterhole so we could view at night.
Our hosts did go to bed after our dinner so we weren't able to get coffees and after dinner drinks"
I enjoyed seeing the elephants walk through the camp at about 2am but everyone else missed it as they were asleep. Unless you are going to stay up then there is not much point going to the camp in my opinion. The waterhole is not lit so it is difficult to see the animals from the Skybeds.
Our guide did kindly drive us down to the waterhole so we could view at night.
Our hosts did go to bed after our dinner so we weren't able to get coffees and after dinner drinks"
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Average
Activities
Average
Rooms
Good
Food
Average
Facilities
Average
Shinde Camp
"Shinde Camp review"
3 nights
Arrived
25 Sep 2018
"Shinde Camp was the highlight of the trip.
The staff were wonderful, so friends and engaging. Their singing was wonderful. The camp is on the edge of the Okavango Delta so we had excellent trips in a mokoro and on the motor boat.
The guide, Sam, was also excellent and very informative. I felt quite safe when he took us on a walking safari and also a night safari.
Can't recommend this camp highly enough"
The staff were wonderful, so friends and engaging. Their singing was wonderful. The camp is on the edge of the Okavango Delta so we had excellent trips in a mokoro and on the motor boat.
The guide, Sam, was also excellent and very informative. I felt quite safe when he took us on a walking safari and also a night safari.
Can't recommend this camp highly enough"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Muchenje Safari Lodge
"Muchenje Safari Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
28 Sep 2018
"This lodge wasn't as good as the other two.
I thought I had been told it had it's own jetty but this was not the case so we had to travel for an hour in order to have a boat trip on the Chobe River. However, this boat trip was excellent with a tasty lunch and we also had a great game drive on the way back.
But the rooms of the lodge were not up to the standard we expected as we did have a rat in the room which laid its droppings, particularly off putting was one next to my head when I awoke in the morning. We have been on other safaris and this was the first time we had animals in the rooms. When we told the staff they acted surprise but I heard other people complaining about the same issue and actually had it sitting on the cupboard when she returned to the room."
I thought I had been told it had it's own jetty but this was not the case so we had to travel for an hour in order to have a boat trip on the Chobe River. However, this boat trip was excellent with a tasty lunch and we also had a great game drive on the way back.
But the rooms of the lodge were not up to the standard we expected as we did have a rat in the room which laid its droppings, particularly off putting was one next to my head when I awoke in the morning. We have been on other safaris and this was the first time we had animals in the rooms. When we told the staff they acted surprise but I heard other people complaining about the same issue and actually had it sitting on the cupboard when she returned to the room."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Average
Service
Average
Activities
Good
Rooms
Poor
Food
Average
Facilities
Average
Feedback response
We were very sorry to hear of wildlife in the rooms at Muchenje. Especially for a lodge which on the whole gets fantastic reviews. Muchenje responded to Ms J’s feedback explaining the issue with the tree rats mentioning It is indeed not acceptable for clients to find a rat in the room, but occasionally they do get in. It’s been a terrible they put treatments down but prefer more humane methods, however over the past month or so their managers have had to dose heavily with poison. Obviously this has a side effect of endangering other wildlife, owls, genets etc which they try and avoid. They have also stressed this is not the common sewer rat, as they really do live up in the trees, sometimes the roofs unless we can move them
With regards to the boating, the low water the new boat station at Ihaha is seasonal and will be operational when the rains pick water levels up. This normally occurs in February, so until then the river trip (which is indeed ‘excellent’) will be part of the original tried and tested full day game drive
With regards to the boating, the low water the new boat station at Ihaha is seasonal and will be operational when the rains pick water levels up. This normally occurs in February, so until then the river trip (which is indeed ‘excellent’) will be part of the original tried and tested full day game drive
Victoria Falls Hotel
"Victoria Falls Hotel review"
3 nights
Arrived
30 Sep 2018
"We enjoyed the Victoria Falls Hotel which was not run down at all as I had read.
It is situation in a handy location for the activities. However, we were told we needed a taxi to see the Falls but they are only about a 10 to 15 minute walk away. From the hotel you can see the spray but not the Falls.
We took the River Boat sunset cruise and the Steam Train evening, both were excellent. I also went in Devil's Pool which was in Zambia so necessitated crossing the boarder, but worth it.
The only downside to the Hotel is the helicopters constantly whirling overhead but this would apply whichever hotel one stayed in."
It is situation in a handy location for the activities. However, we were told we needed a taxi to see the Falls but they are only about a 10 to 15 minute walk away. From the hotel you can see the spray but not the Falls.
We took the River Boat sunset cruise and the Steam Train evening, both were excellent. I also went in Devil's Pool which was in Zambia so necessitated crossing the boarder, but worth it.
The only downside to the Hotel is the helicopters constantly whirling overhead but this would apply whichever hotel one stayed in."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Doro Nawas
"Doro Nawas review"
2 nights
Arrived
12 Oct 2018
"Enjoyed this stay but it was not as luxurious as the brochure makes out.
The rooms are quite cold at night (although we were there in a cold spell) and I didn't attempt to roll my bed out under the stars. We had an excellent evening meal out amongst the rocks which they lit up with dozens of candles. The swimming pool was too cold to venture in.
We had a good safari in the morning seeing Desert adapted elephants and a visit to a local village."
The rooms are quite cold at night (although we were there in a cold spell) and I didn't attempt to roll my bed out under the stars. We had an excellent evening meal out amongst the rocks which they lit up with dozens of candles. The swimming pool was too cold to venture in.
We had a good safari in the morning seeing Desert adapted elephants and a visit to a local village."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Average
Activities
Good
Rooms
Average
Food
Good
Facilities
Average
We liked the lodge, it was clean and the rooms were lovely situated around the waterhole. The guide was very informative.
We spent one night at Skybeds which I am glad we did but would not revisit. As the waterhole there is not lit is was difficult to see the animals although I did have a magical hour watching the elephants move through the camp at 2am.
We also had an excellent game drive back from Skybeds"