Travel reviews by E & D from New Mexico

"The was our first time exploring Botswana in the Green Season and it did not disappoint! The flight to camp from Maun gave us a good view of the landscape and it certainly did not look like a desert. As we drove the short distance from the airstrip to camp, we were thrilled by the lushness of the vegetation, by all the bird songs and sightings, and even crossed paths with a mom and yearling kudu. They obviously felt comfortable being close to camp as we then saw them each day, often meandering down to the waterhole.

Tau Pan Camp sits atop a sand dune and all the tented rooms overlook the plains below out to infinity. The stars at night were brilliant and it was clear two of the three nights. The night it rained was quite wonderful as well and we woke to a fresh and clear morning.

Our guide KB was relaxed and very knowledgeable. Of course one can not count on seeing any particular species of wildlife but we were delighted to have two great sightings of lions, innumerable oryx, springbok, many wildebeest, and even two red hartebeest. Every outing was a pleasure!

The dinners and all the meals were delicious. We especially loved our starter course the first night, a pumpkin soup with the most delicate flavors, accompanied by homemade rolls and fresh butter.

A lovely place to begin our trip. I was inspired by reading "Cry of the Kalahari" in advance of arrival and highly recommend it."

"We wanted to see "the rain down in Africa" and we did at Nxai, with a spectacular thunder and lightning storm and half a day of on/off downpour. It gave one of us the perfect excuse to skip an outing and instead stay in the spacious room and download photos. Four days of outings on our trip had already produced a rich batch of photographs to edit. Happily the rooms at Nxai are more like cabins and there was a nice desk with plenty of electrical outlets to facilitate the activity.

Part of being "on safari" is remembering to relax and enjoy the surroundings and all the wonderful ways the camps are set up to accommodate all tastes. Nxai had a lovely cabinet of books both for reading and browsing - loved that.

Food was delicious, plentiful and creatively presented by a wonderful staff. We loved the singing greeting each night, a feature of Kwando camps.

Wildlife was a bit scarce due to the many newly-filled waterholes, meaning there were no centralized spots that everybody had to come to for a drink. We also learned a new term, the Okavango Rodeo, which describes the rumbling, driving sideways, and jostling about caused by the land cruiser's tortured path along road ways that had been turned into water courses.

We had been prepared for this possibility so were fine with it, and an unusual sighting of a huge bunch of vultures of at least three different species was a thrill. We didn't see what had drawn them in but watched as they spread their wings to dry and hopped about in the larger, dead tree branches. Huge bunches of Zebras and Wildebeests, plus Impalas, was very nice."

"Our EA advisor, Anton Walker, told us to expect good things at Mokete, and boy howdy, we loved this camp, its people and its environs. We understood that the camp had only been open about a year when we arrived but there was no hint of anything but smooth running and excellent sightings. Best of all, we learned that the camp was created in conjunction with the local community of Mababe. A large percentage of the staff comes from the community, thus building the goodwill needed for protection of the array of wildlife that calls the Mababe Depression home.

We arrived from Maun by a helicopter about the size of a large dragonfly. It was way more fun than we anticipated, flying a mere 3500' above the ground, allowing for sightings of Red lechwe, flocks of egrets and storks, and an elephant or three. We were greeted at the helipad by our guide, Timothy, and did a bit of a game drive on the short distance into camp.

The tents are uniquely designed and stylish, with every amenity you could imagine, including a private mini pool set into the edge of the deck. Each tent seemed very private from the next.

Exploring the area with Timothy was outstanding, with many new life birds seen plus old friends. One can never have too many Lilac-Breasted Rollers and a family of Wattled Cranes entertained us while we watched the parents feeding the juvenile who was as big as mom and dad.

Due to the depths of the grasses and amount of water contained in the marshy areas, we could not venture far out into the plains. We could see Tsessebe heads moving through the grass and Eles, Zebras, and Wildebeests came and went. Ditto hyenas. It made us want to return in the dry season when it is possible to follow game trails deep into the interior.

I highly recommend asking for a visit to the village of Mababe. Timothy took us to the school and the head mistress introduced us to the first and seven grade classrooms. The children were very polite and had an impressive curriculum they were following."

"Thapelo, our guide, along with tracker Chris Ketty, did an amazing job of looking for and finding a large group of wild dogs on the hunt, as well as two brother lions. We were especially pleased at spending time with the lions, as they awoke from a nap and proceeded to stretch, yawn, fall back down alongside each other for one more bit of shuteye, and then very casually stroll directly past our Land Cruiser.

This was impressive because we started off for the afternoon drive and almost immediately got caught in a huge downpour. Ponchos were supplied and we ducked into the "waiting area" of the airstrip (three-sided shack) until the worst of it had passed. Then, laughing and tucked into blankets, we continued on for the great thrill of coming upon the boys.

The dogs were also a joy to observe, as two branches of the same pack reunited and some shared bits of an animal that the one group had caught. It took great skill by Thapelo and Chris to keep track of the dogs as they moved through the deep grass, popping up here and there on a termite mound or bit of elevated ground to look about.

We loved hearing the hippos belch and rumble as they strolled past our elevated tent at night from the lagoon, on their way to graze, and all the other familiar sounds that say you are in Africa."

"Shinde was perfect for our slightly longer stay of four days at our last camp in Botswana. We took advantage of its location on a branch of the main channel through the Okavango Delta to do some exploring by boat and mokoro.

Getting to return to the Godwikwe Heronry (visited on our first ever trip to Africa) and find the many different birds still utilizing it was a joy. There were storks, herons of many kinds, darters and cormorants, even a Fish Eagle, and many with eggs or young, even though this was ostensibly winter time. We remained there until almost sunset and had the best light reflecting on the birds - a photographer's paradise.

We joined new friends made in camp on a little fishing expedition and were intrigued by the tigerfish with their seriously sharp teeth (put back to fight another day). The bream that was kept and cooked that night at dinner was of course so delicious, as only truly fresh fish can be.

Sightings here were fabulous, again with a very large family of wild dogs, and the great excitement of seeing a leopard and her cub up a tree during a night drive and then returning the next morning to watch the pair rolling around in the grass and breakfasting on the impala that was stashed in a nearby thicket.

The camp itself is a marvel of treehouse structures and decks, all very Robinson Cruesoe, and an attentive and charming staff. A perfect ending to the best possible 15 days on safari."

"Nicest staff throughout all areas of service, from guys who waited patiently at the airport for me to emerge (bag went missing and I had to fill out reports) to front desk to the wait staff and the guy who took my laundry in the morning after I tried to handwash it, being my only shirt, and it was still wet.

Because I was without my luggage, I canceled the birding I had planned to do the first day and instead treated myself to an aromatherapy massage in the rooftop spa. Well worth it."

"Due to traveling during the covid pandemic, we didn't really know what to expect in the camps. There were fewer visitors and hence less staff but the level of quality was not diminished in any way.

We loved our bush walk with the experienced guides and shared a great drive with Ben Stilet, a local Maasai guide who joined us in our vehicle. Since we had unintentionally strayed a bit off the beaten path on our first game drive (i.e. gotten lost at night in the deep, dark backside of Amboseli), we were happy to invite Ben to go with us the second time out.

We had wonderful viewings of elephants and hippos, sunk up to their bellies in the swampy grasslands, and all the gazelles, buffalos, flamingos, etc one could ever want to see, all backlit by rainbows."

"The setup at Tawi takes full advantage of amazing views of Mt Kilimanjaro when the clouds lift. We enjoyed a lovely rain shower our first afternoon there which cleared the air and put some snow on the peak.

We were somewhat lazy in our time here, doing one game drive in Amboseli, and taking a camel ride around the Kimana Conservancy. The garden at Tawi was so lovely that it was an inducement to sit beside the pool and just relax.

The food was delicious and inventive, with daily menus written on a blackboard. A lot of the food was grown at the lodge."

"We loved our stay at the Treehouse. It was the perfect place to relax at the end of two weeks of safari.

Having seen many wondrous animals and vistas, we were ready for some beach life mixed in with a bit of yoga. The walks to town and to the Crab Shack for a dinner prepared by the local community were great experiences, more down-to-earth than the typical outing in the bush.

We kayaked in the mangroves of Mida Creek, snorkelled in the Marine Reserve, and ate delicious meals both at the Treehouse and out and about. People were friendly and happy to have foreigner visitors returning to their area, which has taken a hard blow from the tourism disruption caused by coronavirus."

"If you really want peace and quiet in Nairobi, a bit of a rare commodity, this place is for you. It is tucked away in a corner of the Karen neighborhood, close to Giraffe Manor and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nairobi orphanage.

The kitchen staff was very kind to prepare a big picnic lunch for us and our guide so we could stay out in Nairobi National Park all day. The style of the property is Colonial, and the public areas include a sitting room with wifi, two dining areas, a living room with a big fireplace, and lovely gardens around the pool."

"I couldn't imagine a more prefect place to spend a few nights in Nairobi.

This gem of an old manor house has a beautiful garden, lovely colonial-style furnishings and just exudes a feeling of graciousness.

The quiet at night was a great treat after many long hours of travel and just in case you woke up forgetting where you were, a troop of some 40 black-faced vervet monkeys clambered across the roof in the morning."

"Because my niece was flying into JKIA at 4am to start our safari that morning, Richard suggested I move to this hotel at the airport to allow L. to have breakfast with me, a shower and brief nap, before setting out at 7am.

Perfect for the above reasons, and also somewhat comforting to my niece due to the very high level of security, especially in light of recent troubles in the business district in Nairobi. The hotel is new and very up-to-standard.

By the way, the buffet offered at dinner and breakfast is not to be missed."

"El Karama (meaning "Answer to a Prayer") was the best surprise of the trip for me because I had the mistaken impression that it would be the roughest of our lodges. If this was true once upon a time it certainly is not the case now. From being greeted with cold washcloths and tasty juice, strolling into the lounge by the sparkling pool, with its walled garden, bird feeders and fab landscape paintings by matriarch Lavinia Grant, to being taken to our banda alongside the Ewaso Nyiro river, all was designed to welcome us home.

Lovii, the manager, would not take no for an answer when we protested he was doing too much for us, and Andrew, our guide, was just the sweetest young man. Being young took nothing away from his expertise, however, and the highlight was his finding an aardwolf.

As is so often the case, the best birding could be done within the perimeter of camp. On my way up to the car to leave, I saw a Cardinal Quelea, a rare bird for this location."

"I doubt you will ever have the experience of walking through the bush and coming upon two full-grown white rhinoceri except here. The rhinos have been hand-reared at Il Ngwesi and live inside a 300-hectare protected sanctuary but that doesn't mean they're not wild. We weren't sure of seeing them and when we did, we stood very still and quiet so as not to frighten them. That might seem silly given the size and strength of a rhinoceros but I am sure they were very concerned, and for good reason.

Visiting Il Ngwesi not only means you help the Maasai community owners of this lodge protect their rhinos, but also promote greater sustainability in the community, balancing the interests of the grazers with the wildlife. The lodge has helped to provide schools, health clinics, and water as result of eco-tourism. This is what is all about.

We had many wonderful walks in the bush with James Olekinyaga as our guide, and big hugs to Marcy and the other staff at the lodge for a very special send off with dances and singing. We loved our visit."

"I could write volumes about our fantastic time at Lewa but will spare you, except to say that if we could only visit one place in Kenya to see the greatest number of birds and animals, to experience expert guiding with true warmth and friendliness, be served the most tasty array of foods prepared fresh from the lodge's own garden, and feel treated to luxury while not being too grossly decadent, this would be it.

Emma and Will Craig and their staff have mastered the art of providing unique and rich experiences tailored to each of their guests' desires."

"We had the great luck of staying at Sarara when Nicky and Tim were hosting. They are old-time Kenyans who know everybody and are so thoughtful and gracious in making sure we were always having fun and being well looked after. Amenities such as tea or coffee brought down to the room before our 7am rides with Lenawalla, or knowing there were kikoy-wrapped towels for use after a splash in the pool overlooking the waterhole below.

Sarara is such an inspiring example in the new model of engaging with the local community to create eco-tourism that benefits everybody. The Samburu staff and guides had such pride in their place to share with us and it was like visiting old friends. The walk to the Singing Wells is a must-do, as is a trip to Reteti, the elephant orphanage."

"Wow, the Samburu people and the Bastards have created the MOST wonderful new camp, truly not-to-be-missed. The hillside setting for the main lodge is backed by the Mathew Range, which you can enjoy gazing up at while floating in the pool, and yet I never could spot the lodge while we out on a game drive. The treehouses are set below the hill, accessed from a raised walkway that takes you by magnificent, huge old trees and under which elephants and other wildlife can pass at night. But you won't probably won't hear any of the happening t because you are going to be so cozy and blissed out by the quiet and dark that you will be deeply asleep.

Robert, our guide, was a total delight and expert in all things natural. On our last morning we scarcely had climbed into the safari truck before he and John, our Namunyak ranger, spotted a pack of wild dogs hunting for breakfast. We waited while they zoomed in and out of sight, until suddenly popping out of the brush right in front of us. Unforgettable!"

"We had 3 very nice days here. There's the wonderful Shire River as the water feature, a variety of habitats to explore on land, a good variety of birds and wildlife and plenty to fill our days. Chris and his staff were fantastic.

The food was, unfortunately, the worst we have had in Africa. Their attempt at gourmet fell flat, and we were actually looking forward to the dry cereal every morning. Too bad, as it made an otherwise lovely stay memorable for the wrong reasons."

"What a great place. We stayed in room #8, its deck overlooking the lagoon, with the sounds, smells and the drama of every animal trying to stay alive. Can't say enough about the guides and staff, and the food was wonderful.

We had a chance to visit the re-forestation project that the school is doing and must take my hat off to all those involved."

"We have a mixed review for this stop on our trip. As an overnight experience, I found the "genuine traditional village experience" to be a bit staged.

Our hosts wanted to make sure we did a few things on the list of activities they offered, which included a must visit to the "traditional healer" (who had converted to Christianity for healing guidance), and sleeping on a rank foam pad with very dirty sheets and eating day old (or three) re-hydrated chicken and pumpkin leaves.

After much insistence I was allowed to visit the school and share some poster art and supplies with the kids, but it's not on their list of activities so it was going a bit against the grain. The villagers were very friendly and the kids allowed us to join their soccer match. Like I mentioned, it was a mixed-bag. One last note, it was the only place on the trip where something personal went missing."

"We stayed here just one night as a transfer stop and loved the place. Beautiful location and wonderful staff.

As I recall there were no guides qualified to do walking safaris at the time we visited. It was good to be back on the Zambezi."

"This camp was right up my alley. The rooms were comfortable yet not pretentious, the staff was friendly without being overly-enthusiastic (which some staff tend to be), and the owner and guide Nick was what I like in a host, answering questions and asking about things he wanted to know about us, but in an honest, genuine exchange.

We love to walk in the bush, and this was the best walk ever. About an hour in, on our way to a wild dog den, we had to do some very quick lateral shuffling to get out of an ele's path, Nick then found the den, we sat down and watched the pack return, the puppies come out and be fed, the vultures come in to join the feasting, just incredible! We had stay as long as we dared, as the light was beginning to fade and we had about 4 km to traverse to get back to the vehicle. It was on the return that we were saw the dust cloud of the buffalo, were mock-charged by a lone female maybe looking for her calf, and heard the hyena very close by.

At this Nick said it was getting dark, we could maybe go on rather than investigate, although we all knew this is what we all wanted to do so, after an nanosecond of consultation we headed into the the thick bush to see what we could see. Nick stopped dead about 30 meters in, turned and said "lion, large male", we turned left and kept moving toward the heart of the activity (maybe another 20-30 meters), stopped and could hear and see a pack of wild dogs on the flank, the buffalo herd was moving off ahead of us, the hyena and lion to our right (or behind). At this point it was agreed that we had used up enough the daylight and needed to move off. 20 minutes later (we must have really been moving along) we were back at the vehicle and on our way to camp.

At no point did we feel in any danger. Nick's astute understanding of the situation and conditions and our ability and willingness to follow ever instruction and stay close together (we are very fit, have walked in the bush through all types of terrain and habitat and hopefully our vulnerabilities and limitations) made this feel we had done something very special, but not an experience for everyone.

Go and spend three days or more at Vundu if you like to walk and canoe. It's the best!"

"We didn't plan this part of our trip as well as we should have. In order to see Hwange in all its wonder you have to be able to either stay in the park or plan to be in the park all day, for several days. The distances are great and ones experience will be limited if you don't give enough time to penetrate this vast park.

The "Painted Dog Conservation" center outside the park was a good place to learn about the wild dogs and their roll in the ecosystem. Very informative.

Ivory Lodge is a nice place, although the car camp which is attached is a bit noisy, and we understand that it is being expanded. It would keep us from going there again as it felt more like a public facility than we were hoping for.

The water hole at the camp was a treat."

"On our approach into the Matoba Hills area we were preparing ourselves for a bit of disappointment, with its dry and seemingly uninviting landscape. This quickly changed to an absolute wonderland of nature's rock sculptures, head-high grasses and stunning vistas.

Our guide, Nduzi Ndlovu, was priceless, although we did figure out on the third and final day that we weren't finding black rhino because he and our accompanying park ranger were afraid to stumble over the often-angry creatures in the bush. Fair enough.

The lodge was spectacular, our room without equal, and the staff was top-notch."

"Wonderful old building and nice staff. The room was a bit noisy at night so ask for one that faces away from the streets.

Good food, and we enjoyed a couple of special cultural events in Bulawayo. Nice town!"

"We loved the simple but classy details of the room (bathrobes, nice soaps, deep tubs, fine linens) and the service was excellent. Staff was very welcoming and on the spot to help with any needs.

I loved that it felt like we were staying in a friend's country home, with the kitchen immediately adjacent to the dining area.

Quiet for being so near to the heart of Windhoek. We only went into Windhoek on our last day but found it to be pleasant and easy to explore - especially the Craft Centre. We happily spent the last of our Namibian dollars there and felt it was very good value."

"We were happily surprized to find that we had been upgraded to the Bush camp due to a large group being booked in at the Main camp. After staying at the Bush Camp we appreciated why the cost is higher but felt it would have been well-worth it.

The guides Albert and Jacques were dedicated to finding us a leopard, we saw three hyenas rolling in a waterhole, photographed a sleepy Spotted Eagle Owl quite close by, and really enjoyed getting to know the other guests at dinner.

Best of all was a stop in at the Africat clinic where annual health checks for the cheetah were being given and we learned more about the lives of this threatened species and all that Africat is doing to protect and promte them."

"Jaap was a delightful guide - relaxed and enthusiastic for the animals and landscapes of Huab. Our favorite part was getting up for an early walk with Jaap, fueled with Rooibus tea and lovely homemade bread, and seeing a Klipspringer silhouetted on a rocky hillside in the first light of the day.

I also found the hot springs to be quite the right thing to visit at the end of the day and loved getting to it via a path cut in the tall grass alongside the bank of the Huab River.

If you are driving yourselves, as we did, it is best to be aware that the road in from the highway is about 30kms. The road is fine but don't be in a hurry - there is much to enjoy in the scenery on the drive."

"Overall we had a wonderful time at Hobatere and would happily visit it again. Tobias and Martin were outstanding guides. We saw eland, giraffes, oryx, zebras, springboks, a pride of lions, bat-earred foxes, jackals, even a zorilla! A lion passed under the treehouse in the middle of the night when we camped out there.

Food was fabulous, even the picnic that we took with us to the treehouse. Sean and Bettina are doing a great job on behalf of the family operation.

Our only beef was with the fact that the treehouse floor and deck railings had been treated with creosote just before we got there, so the smell significantly affected our enjoyment. Apparently the creosote is needed to deter termites but we recommend it is applied in the off-season only!"

"It was utter magic to walk up to the waterhole at the edge of camp to discover 4 adults and 1 baby Black Rhino drinking, their strange shapes reflecting in the black still water at 7:30pm. We returned at the same time the next night and there they were again, only this time very skittish due to the presence of at least 2 lions waiting in the dark just beyond the reach of the floodlights.

We were pleasantly surprized by the good quality of our private suite and despite the large number of guests at the dining hall, had no trouble with either food or service."

"We thought this might be the low point of our trip but instead found Halili to be more than acceptable. There are several good waterholes nearby, in addition to Halali's own, and we enjoyed sharing a beer around the campfire with some Australian visitors that we had met at two of our other stops.

Since we had our own car we explored on our own. One of the best sights was a troop of Banded Mongooses splayed out in the white gravel road, enjoying the reflected heat."

"The best part of Etosha Aoba is the fact that it is in a private park that equals 1/3 the size of Etosha and as of January 2010 no hunting is allowed, which is probably why a big lioness just stood and watched us in our car from about 20 feet away.

We went on the sundowner drive with Sam and highly recommend it. The sunset view over Fischers Pan was quite spectacular, with giraffes chewing on bones and rubbing necks while we enjoyed a cold G+T.

Also be sure to have your camera or sound recording device with you at dinner as the ladies choral group sing a brief song each night in their native Damara language and they are wonderful."

"Going out with Jonas, Hart, David and Kaece to see whatever they might find in the bush was a great experience. They were successful at finding and extracting honey from a tree, they dug up a water root and used its liquid to wash honey from their arms, and made string from a plant called mother-in-law's tongue. They laughed and talked and generously gave us an arrow after demonstrating how it was made.

Estelle and Arno made us feel at home at Nhoma. We were concerned that we might feel like intruders at the San people's camp next door to the lodge but instead found the people were very friendly and warm - the kids especially. Their lives are not easy and it is difficult for them to make a living that is not in conflict with their old ways. We hope that our visit helped at least a bit."

"We thoroughly enjoyed the guides and staff at all the places we stayed but none more so than Bruno Nebe. Bruno grew up in Namibia, the son of a professional hunter, and learned tracking skills from a Bushman.

We booked our stay at Mundulea for our second-to-last stop because we figured by then we would have seen a ton of animals and we would enjoy walking with Bruno just to see what we could see outside the confines of a vehicle. We learned about many different types of thorny acacia, all designed to snag and trip, and how to tell one dung pile from another. Whenever Bruno saw some poop he put it into his pocket until he had 6 samples and then laid them side-by-side under the shade of a marula tree – his outdoor classroom. He showed us how to ID the rhino’s dung by the bits of twigs nipped off at a 45 degree angle that it contained and how another one’s insects parts revealed it to be from a badger.

By the end of 2½ days we felt like we had walked a lot of the 13ooo acres. We never saw Hooker, the last male Black Rhino of the subspecies Bicornis chobensis, nor any of his gal friends. We did see scuff marks where some eland bulls had tussled and we watched a warthog watching us back before he trotted away with his tail pointing skyward. We dodged a swarm of wild honey bees in the mini-Grand Canyon we climbed through and passed by a pile of bones from a Kudu that had probably fallen to his demise.

We were informed and enchanted by Bruno’s knowledge of this special place."

"If you enjoy looking at sunsets over the ocean with flamingos in the foreground, this is the place!

Day trip to dunes and coast (Sandwich Harbour) arranged by Expert Africa:

Worth every minute.

Astonishingly exciting and vivid, but also lovely peaceful moments hiking up the dunes and dabbling our toes in the ocean. Bruno produced a puff adder out of a little clump of bushes and answered our endless questions about the environment/history of the area.We felt lucky to be guided by Bruno, with all his years of experience."

"Just as good at the end as the beginning. We went into Windhoek on our final day and can highly recommend a visit to the Craft Centre."