Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs L from London
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
2
Lodges stayed in
3
Excursions taken
0
Trip of a lifetime was all we dreamed of!
Botswana and 1 other country between 25 May 2024 and 5 Jun 2024
We had an unfortunate experience at one camp - perhaps it was just bad luck - and have delivered our feedback on this separately, for which Anton really listened to and understood our concerns.
Setting this camp side, our overall safari was incredibly good value for money, with all of our rooms extremely comfortable / luxurious, well fed and watered, and most importantly all of the wildlife sightings that we hoped to see. It will be a lot of fun going through our 1,500+ photos!! We will continue to rave in particular about Mma Dinare for years to come - cheetahs, leopard, hyena cubs, wild dogs, lions galore - amazing guide/tracker - just WOW!
Please do consider Expert Africa for your safari needs. They clearly have strong relationships with the camps we visited and we felt well looked after from our first enquiry through to detailed follow-up on our return home.
I am sure that we will be return clients for our next Africa adventures!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Not a suggestion but just an additional thank you to Anton. So grateful for all his support - all enquiries, big and small, were met with expertise and willingness to help.
Highly recommend him to anyone considering a Botswana safari!"
Arranged By Anton Walker
![Batonka Guest Lodge](/images/background-image/15423d3d31154df5bc0669806af186ec.jpg)
Batonka Guest Lodge
"Batonka - comfortable lodge for your VF stay"
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Elephant
1 sighting
![Chobe Elephant Camp](/images/background-image/07db0e832b874c9c806785fb5803129b.jpg)
Chobe Elephant Camp
"Chobe Elephant Camp - beautiful scenery "
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!"
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Buffalo
Many sightings
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Elephant
Many sightings
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Giraffe
Many sightings
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Hippo
Many sightings
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Leopard
1 sighting
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Lion
1 sighting
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Wildebeest
1 sighting
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Zebra
Many sightings
![Mma Dinare](/images/background-image/f353a1d238554fb2bc04b89fbf96f1b5.jpg)
Mma Dinare
"Mma Dinare - the crown jewel of our safari"
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!"
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Buffalo
Many sightings
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Cheetah
1 sighting
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Elephant
Many sightings
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Giraffe
Many sightings
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Hippo
Many sightings
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Leopard
1 sighting
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Lion
Many sightings
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Spotted Hyena
Many sightings
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Wild dog
1 sighting
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Wildebeest
Many sightings
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Zebra
Many sightings
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!"