Travel reviews by The B Family from America

"This was a very convenient and clean place to stay for one night before flying to Maun and then onto the camps.

It allowed us to start the trip rested."

"Pom Pom Camp welcomes you as part of their family from the moment you arrive. The camp managers and staff go out of their way to make you feel at home & this atmosphere carried over to those of us who were visiting. The communal dining, sitting around the fire morning and night, and the special group sundowner all led to a fun spirit of camaraderie.

The location of the tents right by the lagoon is incredible. You could spend all day on your porch watching wildlife and not be disappointed. We even had some amazing sightings by moonlight, peaking out the front tent flaps in the middle of the night. Hippos came out of the water to munch on the grass in front of the tents and a lion went wandering by. You need to use the latches on the tent to keep out the baboons, but seeing the baboons scurrying over and under the tents is wonderful entertainment.

Pom Pom Camp uses a guide and tracker, which we very much enjoyed. Ryder and Sam were a great team, and we appreciated how Ryder went out of his way to make each game drive different and memorable. One of the highlights was watching a pack of 14 wild dogs prepare to go hunting by first circling the den of puppies, then checking on the pups before leaving them with the two mothers while the rest of the pack hunted. Because Ryder encouraged us to go out a little earlier than usual in the afternoon, we were able to watch everything unfold, from the alpha male deciding when the afternoon siesta ended all the way to racing with the wild dogs on the hunt itself. Those couple of hours were some of the most memorable of the entire safari trip!

Sightings overall were fabulous -- for example, cheetahs, 4 lionesses on a hunt and the speedy warthog that escaped them, a mother leopard and her cub eating an impala they'd pulled up into the branches of a sausage tree, elephants pulling branches from trees, giraffes, hyena, zebra, and a honey badger.

We were also treated to a surprise dinner on my birthday, and the hand-carved hippo I received as a gift is a treasured keepsake of the lagoon views and the special place that is Pom Pom Camp."

"Little Sable is a small camp out in the middle of unspoiled natural beauty and wildlife, and yet the amenities are updated and modern, including wifi in both the main area and the tents. For the most part, we preferred being 'disconnected' while on safari, but it turned out to be nice having this camp in the middle of our trip and to be able to check in back home. The beds were comfortable, the showers hot -- love having the outdoor shower! Not only was the food amazing, but the chefs were conscientious about food allergies and sensitivities. The thermos of hot water we were given in the evening was still hot enough in the morning for coffee in the tent.

The morning of our arrival, one member of our party had gotten ill the night before. Being sick while on safari is scary, but Little Sable proved to be a good place to have this happen. Not only were the managers attentive to any medical needs we might have, they were ready to call a doctor immediately if anything got worse, and the chefs prepared special food to help with the recovery. They contacted Expert Africa so that everyone was in the loop, which further added to our sense of being looked after. Furthermore, we had a helicopter flight as an add-on to our itinerary at Little Sable, and the managers scheduled it so the sick person had time to recover and go on that adventure. Fortunately, the recovery time was quick, but I cannot say enough about the care we received from the management and staff. Thank you!

Our guide, Johnson, was full of knowledge about everything and anything -- from the smallest bird to the movements of the different lion prides in and around the area. We saw incredible numbers of hippos, giraffes, elephants, zebra, wildebeest, red lechwe, impala, etc. Leopards and lions were big highlights. We saw a variety of leopards (including one with a kill and one on a hunt). During the day, we saw a pride of lions led by 2 females and, in another location, we saw two adult males. We learned that the 2 males were a threat to the young adults in the female-led pride. Hours later, during our night drive, that threat became reality right in front of us! When the pride was feasting on a kill, the 2 older males attacked. Hearing the noise of a lion battle in the dark was something to remember! We saw one of the older male lions sneaking up on the group and then watched as the other lions scattered, the hyenas hovering around the edge, watching to see if they could benefit. (We were a bit relieved to learn the female-led pride had all escaped and run far away ... but the reasons for such battles were also explained. It is inspiring to listen to the guides & really understand what's happening.)

One thing I would note about Little Sable is that the camp is about an hour drive from the airstrip. This is not a pro or con, just something to be aware of, as the other camps we went to were much closer to an airstrip."

"Elephants everywhere! This included a large herd with young of all sizes who walked past the end of camp and ate from those bushes every afternoon during our siesta time. We were in the last two tents and watching the elephants in the afternoon was fabulous. Our first evening at Lebala, our fabulous guide and tracker, Myazie and Joe, led us to another elephant herd digging roots from the dry ground. Watching the moms teach the babies how to dig the roots while dust swirled in the air and the sun set on the horizon is one of the many experiences at Lebala that felt almost too perfect to be real.

We also had many incredible lion sightings, including a female with 2 cubs, two young adult males, and an older male with an injured paw crossing a river. Other animals included ostrich, a pair of hyena pups, cheetah, white-tailed mongoose, bat-eared fox, aardwolf, eland, steenbok, wildcat, baboons, scrub hare, kudu, tseseebe, spring hare, yellow mongoose, black-backed jackal, and some incredible owls, including the giant eagle owl and the pearl-spotted owlet.

We enjoyed having the combination of the experienced guide and the tracker/guide-in-training. Both Myazie and Joe made our experience unforgettable. They constantly looked at the ground and then led us to something amazing. Their love of the environment and the wildlife was evident, as was their enthusiasm for sharing Botswana with us. We felt this same enthusiasm and pride of country from the Lebala managers and, indeed, the entire staff. The managers were attentive to every detail & always available if you needed anything.

At Lebala, you eat family style, and we appreciated having the guides and managers eat with us and teach us about their lives, the camps, and the country. The food was excellent all day long. One member of our party has a severe food allergy & another has quite a few food sensitivities. Both were handled wonderfully. Thank you!

The tents are huge. They are also colder and a bit less private than many other camps because of the mesh instead of canvas that covers some of the sides. However, we knew this ahead of time and found no difficulty staying warm. Especially since we were given hot water bottle "bush babies" at night to put in the bed. Wonderful!

Lebala was the most isolated of the camps we stayed at. This gave you the real feel of being away from everything, as we often did not see another vehicle while out on a game drive. The area has an incredible variety of terrain, from the marshes, to open land, to wooded areas, to a flowing river. We saw it all.

On our final morning at Lebala, we awoke to roaring lions ... lots of roaring, right on the edge of camp. By mid-morning, our guide and tracker had followed the paw prints of two young male lions. They'd just gotten old enough to be kicked out of the pride. Time for their independence! The tracking told us that the two brothers had opted to stay together, which meant they'd do so for life, eventually establishing their own pride together. Before having to go to the airstrip and leave, we also found the older males of the pride, resting after fulfilling their duty to chase off the younger ones. They were sunning themselves on top of a mound, literally the kings of their world. To me, they symbolize the rugged beauty that is Lebala."

"The late check-out costs are minimal, so we opted to spend the day relaxing at City Lodge before catching our evening flight.

The breakfast and lunch options were plentiful."