Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs L from London

"So happy we decided to start our trip in Victoria Falls at Batonka Guest Lodge. It's a very quick drive from the airport and set just slightly outside of the town centre. A taxi from Batonka to practically anywhere (town, VF national park, etc.) is just $7.

The grounds of Batonka are immaculately manicured and we thoroughly enjoyed unwinding by the pool enjoying the sunshine. Our pool view room was very well appointed with a large super king bed, comfortable seating, and a large bathroom with all the required amenities.

We found breakfast plentiful - a continental spread of fruits, pastries, cereals, yogurt, etc. and a made to order hot food menu with good variety. We were satisfied all three mornings. The staff were happy to deliver drinks and sandwiches to the poolside and we found the entire stay a relaxing way to begin our holiday.

Batonka should also be commended for their staff who were all pleasant, helpful, and keen to ensure the we enjoyed all aspects of our visit to Victoria Falls.

Highly recommend!"

"We had a wonderful stay at Chobe Elephant Camp and would recommend to travellers who are looking for large volume wildlife sightings matched with the comfort and amenities of a well-appointed camp.

Because Chobe National Park requires guides to stay on the agreed roads / paths, you cannot 'track' animals into the bush in the ways you might do in a private concession. However, we were treated to amazing swathes of elephants, giraffes, buffalo, hippos, baboons, and a mother lion with 3 cubs during our various drives. Because we stayed for 2 nights we were also treated to a river cruise down the Chobe which was a unique way to see the wildlife, including a close up viewing of a elephant making his way across the river. Our guide Gabriel was really fantastic and made it a great experience in our shared game drives. He knew that all 4 passengers were keen to see a leopard and so used his expertise and experience to ensure we managed a sighting just before sunset on the last evening game drive.

Regarding the camp itself, we found the facilities most enjoyable - in the shared areas, a beautiful fire pit for night sky viewing, a lovely pool and viewing deck with a lookout over the plains, a well-stocked open-bar, and lots of comfortable seating for family style meals. Our only comment about food is that dinners could have been more plentiful - we felt that very small portions were provided at the buffet and there were no opportunities offered for seconds.

The chalets themselves are built with a unique sand bag and plaster method, which meant we were sufficiently cool in the day and warm at night. The rooms were well appointed with large beds, ceiling fan / AC unit / mosquito net, and the bathrooms were so fun with both an indoor and outdoor shower (an experience not to be missed). Camp management were very active and visible and the guides were all friendly and communicating together in the park to ensure the best viewing spots were shared for everyone from Chobe Elephant Camp.

Two nights was sufficient for our stay and we would definitely recommend this camp to fellow travellers!"

"Mma Dinare was the crown jewel of our safari in Botswana. We really can't rate it highly enough! We arrived after the evening drive had already set off but were immediately linked up with our guide & tracker and taken to see a pack of 5 cheetahs and a leopard with a fresh kudu kill.

We found the tented chalets at Mma well appointed in a more 'rustic' style - yet still extremely comfortable. There is only an outdoor shower, which was a bit chilly in the cooler June mornings - however it was the perfect spot to get oneself awake and ready for the morning's drive!

The food and beverage was fantastic - well-stocked open bar with plenty of soft drinks, spirits, wines, etc. And the food was SO good - we had a chef behind the grill serving up freshly cooked steaks, wonderful veg, delicious brunches on return from mornings out, etc. We love the afternoon high tea offering before setting off on the evening drive.

The entire atmosphere of the camp was thoroughly enjoyable and we felt that camp management REALLY cared about the experience we were having. For example, we had an issue regarding a walking safari that we weren't keen on and management quickly sorted out an alternative arrangement that got us out on the morning drive. This makes all the difference, ensuring you have the safari holiday activities that you really wish for.

Lastly, we want to recommend to all travellers the unique experience at Mma Dinare of having a guide and a tracker. We were thrilled with Alco (guide) & Play (tracker) and the sightings they helped make happen - not only the cheetahs & leopard - but also a pack of spotted hyenas at their den with all the cubs out suckling at sunset, a large park of 20+ wild dogs, and their amazing pursuit of a male lion who had been gone from the concession for almost a week but returned on our last morning. They really understood what we wanted to see and worked hard to make it happen.

We even snuck in a viewing of 9 lionesses / cubs just before we headed to the airstrip. This is a very unique part of the Mma Dinare offering and again makes all the difference to the traveller experience.

This was our favourite camp from our trip and we just can't recommend it enough!"