Travel reviews by LDB from Vancouver
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
2
Lodges stayed in
6
Excursions taken
3
My May - June 2022 trip
Botswana and 1 other country between 24 May 2022 and 13 Jun 2022
"This was my fourth trip to Africa, but my first to Botswana, and it was the most rewarding. Sightings in three of the five camps visited were incredible - cheetahs, leopards, pairs of mating lions, mating hippos, and fighting giraffes and impalas. As a solo and older traveler, I really appreciated the friendliness, hospitality and inclusiveness shown by the Botswana people.
Overall the accommodation was excellent, as was the food and service, and the guiding generally exceptional. Having had multiple hip surgeries, I was so grateful my agent Maruska Adye-Rowe had done an excellent job in securing accommodation close to the main lodges, and preferential seating on the game drives. Maruska not only rearranged my whole schedule due to the pandemic, but also remained on top of my itinerary noting the cancellation my British Airways homeward flight from Victoria Falls, and arranging and paying for a new flight from Livingstone. The flight arrangements from camp to camp, and the transfers by Wild Horizons between Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia were absolutely seamless.
Sadly I did not see any wild dogs on this trip, and elephant sightings were few, even at Chobe Elephant Camp. However, I was compensated by many "up close and personal" encounters with other animals, and thrilled at the huge variety of birds.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Both Maruska and Chris McIntyre were always available to answer any questions or concerns I had about this trip, and could not have been more helpful.
In hindsight, I wish I had probed for more information in terms of the manner in which the various camps operated, and also about the weather conditions. Being overly concerned about my luggage weight, I did not pack adequately for the very cold morning drives and huge swings in temperature. The camp schedules were also quite grueling for me - starting at 5:00 a.m. and going until after supper with very minimal "siesta breaks" in the hottest part of the day. However, I took some downtime at Okuti, where I also found a heavy fleecy jacket, and got my second wind!
Many thanks to you both for making this trip so memorable!"
Overall the accommodation was excellent, as was the food and service, and the guiding generally exceptional. Having had multiple hip surgeries, I was so grateful my agent Maruska Adye-Rowe had done an excellent job in securing accommodation close to the main lodges, and preferential seating on the game drives. Maruska not only rearranged my whole schedule due to the pandemic, but also remained on top of my itinerary noting the cancellation my British Airways homeward flight from Victoria Falls, and arranging and paying for a new flight from Livingstone. The flight arrangements from camp to camp, and the transfers by Wild Horizons between Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia were absolutely seamless.
Sadly I did not see any wild dogs on this trip, and elephant sightings were few, even at Chobe Elephant Camp. However, I was compensated by many "up close and personal" encounters with other animals, and thrilled at the huge variety of birds.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Both Maruska and Chris McIntyre were always available to answer any questions or concerns I had about this trip, and could not have been more helpful.
In hindsight, I wish I had probed for more information in terms of the manner in which the various camps operated, and also about the weather conditions. Being overly concerned about my luggage weight, I did not pack adequately for the very cold morning drives and huge swings in temperature. The camp schedules were also quite grueling for me - starting at 5:00 a.m. and going until after supper with very minimal "siesta breaks" in the hottest part of the day. However, I took some downtime at Okuti, where I also found a heavy fleecy jacket, and got my second wind!
Many thanks to you both for making this trip so memorable!"
Arranged By Maruska AdyeRowe
Savute Safari Lodge
"Savute Safari Lodge review"
3 nights
Arrived
26 May 2022
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Buffalo
1 sighting
Cheetah
2 sightings
Elephant
3 sightings
Giraffe
4 sightings
Leopard
1 sighting
Lion
4 sightings
Roan antelope
1 sighting
Wildebeest
2 sightings
Zebra
3 sightings
Lagoon Camp
"Lagoon Camp review"
3 nights
Arrived
29 May 2022
"Lovely large suite overlooking the lagoon and situated close to the lodge. Hippos were rather noisy at night, and recent droppings by my balcony indicated elephant were passing close by while I slept.
Breakfast was held around the campfire before we headed out on the morning drives, and as Lagoon was on a private reserve vehicles were able to return later in the afternoon enabling potential nocturnal sightings.
Guiding by GI, and Tracker, John, was excellent. I experienced two great leopard encounters and saw a tremendous variety of birds. The young, energetic, and service-oriented management team - Victor, Beano and Kay made every effort to ensure one's stay was a memorable one.
The only disappointment at Lagoon Camp was the lack of wild dog sightings. When I booked this trip back in 2019, I was assured wild dogs would definitely be evident at this camp."
Breakfast was held around the campfire before we headed out on the morning drives, and as Lagoon was on a private reserve vehicles were able to return later in the afternoon enabling potential nocturnal sightings.
Guiding by GI, and Tracker, John, was excellent. I experienced two great leopard encounters and saw a tremendous variety of birds. The young, energetic, and service-oriented management team - Victor, Beano and Kay made every effort to ensure one's stay was a memorable one.
The only disappointment at Lagoon Camp was the lack of wild dog sightings. When I booked this trip back in 2019, I was assured wild dogs would definitely be evident at this camp."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Buffalo
1 sighting
Elephant
3 sightings
Giraffe
3 sightings
Hippo
3 sightings
Leopard
2 sightings
Sable antelope
1 sighting
Spotted Hyena
1 sighting
Wildebeest
2 sightings
Zebra
2 sightings
Okuti
"Okuti review"
3 nights
Arrived
1 Jun 2022
"My cabin, Bee-Eater, was cozy and had easy access to the lodge. The young, hard-working management team made every effort to make my stay comfortable. Manager, Ace, provided exceptional service in working with Expert Africa to rearrange a cancelled flight and transfers to Zambia at the end of my trip.
Very good guiding by Cautious, but I was upset on my first afternoon not to have been "cautioned" that there would be no pit stop on the afternoon cruise, necessitating a painful and rushed return to camp instead of "sundowners on the water."
The food at dinner was poor, but perhaps the chef was unable to give meats such as lamb shank and oxtail the long, low heat, slow cook needed to make them tender.
Wildlife sightings were good. One highlight was to see hippos mating, and another to witness a leopard stalking an impala. Happily the impala won out to live another day!"
Very good guiding by Cautious, but I was upset on my first afternoon not to have been "cautioned" that there would be no pit stop on the afternoon cruise, necessitating a painful and rushed return to camp instead of "sundowners on the water."
The food at dinner was poor, but perhaps the chef was unable to give meats such as lamb shank and oxtail the long, low heat, slow cook needed to make them tender.
Wildlife sightings were good. One highlight was to see hippos mating, and another to witness a leopard stalking an impala. Happily the impala won out to live another day!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Poor
Facilities
Good
Sightings report
Buffalo
2 sightings
Elephant
4 sightings
Giraffe
3 sightings
Hippo
4 sightings
Lion
2 sightings
Spotted Hyena
2 sightings
Wildebeest
2 sightings
Zebra
1 sighting
Shinde Camp
"Shinde Camp review"
3 nights
Arrived
4 Jun 2022
"Shinde provided very comfortable accommodation, excellent food and service.
I was unhappy with management's choice of guest pairing for game drives and requested a change which was kindly accommodated, however, this meant I had to sacrifice a couple of game drives.
Sightings were not exceptional, but my guide, Salani, was excellent, and a couple of night drives were particularly special."
I was unhappy with management's choice of guest pairing for game drives and requested a change which was kindly accommodated, however, this meant I had to sacrifice a couple of game drives.
Sightings were not exceptional, but my guide, Salani, was excellent, and a couple of night drives were particularly special."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Elephant
1 sighting
Giraffe
1 sighting
Lion
1 sighting
Spotted Hyena
3 sightings
Wildebeest
1 sighting
Zebra
1 sighting
Chobe Elephant Camp
"Chobe Elephant Camp review"
2 nights
Arrived
7 Jun 2022
"Disappointing accommodation at Chobe Elephant Camp - rather dingy and poorly lit, although management had given me the most accessible suite close to the main lodge.
Service was poor, possibly because Manager, Moss, was running the camp alone with very few support staff. However, the guiding by Emmax was excellent, and my companions and I were thrilled to witness the fights between two male giraffes, and later between two male impalas on our all-day game drive.
Although there was only "one" buffalo sighting, that sighting involved hundreds of buffalo, streaming down to Chobe River to drink. I was also pleasantly surprised at the lack of other vehicles in evidence on our game drives.
The main disappointment at Chobe Elephant Camp was the lack of elephants. There were many, many giraffe, but my expectation of getting my elephant "fix" with hundreds of elephants was not realized."
Service was poor, possibly because Manager, Moss, was running the camp alone with very few support staff. However, the guiding by Emmax was excellent, and my companions and I were thrilled to witness the fights between two male giraffes, and later between two male impalas on our all-day game drive.
Although there was only "one" buffalo sighting, that sighting involved hundreds of buffalo, streaming down to Chobe River to drink. I was also pleasantly surprised at the lack of other vehicles in evidence on our game drives.
The main disappointment at Chobe Elephant Camp was the lack of elephants. There were many, many giraffe, but my expectation of getting my elephant "fix" with hundreds of elephants was not realized."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Poor
Activities
Good
Rooms
Poor
Food
Average
Facilities
Average
Sightings report
Buffalo
1 sighting
Elephant
1 sighting
Giraffe
2 sightings
Hippo
1 sighting
Lion
1 sighting
Zebra
1 sighting
Ilala Lodge
"Ilala Lodge review"
3 nights
Arrived
9 Jun 2022
"On arrival at Ilala Lodge, found that my assigned room on the ground floor necessitated negotiating numerous steep, and for my condition, dangerous stairs.
Immediately expressing my concerns to the Front Desk, the team graciously found another room on the first floor with easy access to the dining room and other facilities.
The Front Desk staff were also very helpful in arranging a private guide for my morning 3km guided tour of Victoria Falls, and assisting with arrangements at Livingstone Airport, Zambia.
My housekeeper, Patricia, was a gem."
Immediately expressing my concerns to the Front Desk, the team graciously found another room on the first floor with easy access to the dining room and other facilities.
The Front Desk staff were also very helpful in arranging a private guide for my morning 3km guided tour of Victoria Falls, and assisting with arrangements at Livingstone Airport, Zambia.
My housekeeper, Patricia, was a gem."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Sightings report
Elephant
4 sightings
Ra-Ikane River Cruise
"Ra-Ikane River Cruise review"
10 Jun 2022 • All-day excursion
A very pleasant couple of hours on the water.
Not a great deal of sightings, but knowledgeable guide and the service was good.
Not a great deal of sightings, but knowledgeable guide and the service was good.
Guided tour of Victoria Falls
"Guided tour of Victoria Falls review"
10 Jun 2022 • All-day excursion
Peter, one of the Front Desk staff at Ilala Hotel, had kindly contacted the organizers of this tour to arrange a private guide, as I was unsure I would be able to handle the complete walk, and did not want to spoil the experience for other guests.
More Blessing was a considerate and informative guide, and although we were joined by another couple part-way through, the experience, albeit at my slower pace, was most rewarding.
More Blessing was a considerate and informative guide, and although we were joined by another couple part-way through, the experience, albeit at my slower pace, was most rewarding.
Excellent
Helicopter Flight - Zimbabwe
"Helicopter Flight - Zimbabwe review"
11 Jun 2022 • Morning excursion
Excellent experience, and the best way to really see the Falls in all their glory and which complemented the views gained on the walking tour the previous day.
The short (12-13 minute) flight was sufficient for my needs.
The short (12-13 minute) flight was sufficient for my needs.
Excellent
Every game drive provided fresh delight with large variety of mammal and bird species, and surpassed all expectations in terms of cheetah and lion. Multiple sightings of mating lions, and watching a male and female lion fight for possession of a warthog kill were particular highlights.
Excellent guiding by KT, and the management team - ET, Boi and Gorata provided a very friendly, hospitable and inclusive atmosphere."