Reviews of safaris to Matobo National Park

"This was my third African safari adventure and – aside from the fact that I still have not crossed the Aardvark, Pangolin or Pel's Fishing Owl off my "must see" list – the trip exceeded my expectations in many ways. I liked the wide range and variety of camps and the mixture of air and road transfers, even if two of the latter were, to put it mildly, arduous. I don't regret having experienced the long drive from Amalinda to Somalisa or the one from Mkulumadzi to Pumulani, but I wouldn't want to do either of them again.

I'm happy I returned to Zimbabwe and Zambia – two outstanding wildlife countries with exceptionally skilled guides – and I very much enjoyed my introduction to Malawi. The Majete Wildlife Reserve is still in its infancy but holds great promise, and I found Lake Malawi breathtaking to look at and fascinating to explore.

Working with the Expert Africa team – and particularly with Freddie Sutton – to plan my month-long itinerary was great fun and very rewarding. Freddie is experienced, knowledgeable, patient and, above all, flexible. He responded quickly to all of my requests for changes and updates, and he always found an attractive alternative where one was needed. Even when a slight glitch arose during my time away, he immediately resolved it and all went well." Read full review: 38 nights in Africa; 11 on a Zimbabwe safari

"Overall we enjoyed our safari very much. The encounters with wildlife were more extensive and intimate than we had experienced before. Birdlife was superb.

We were surprised at the high number of elephants in Hwange, but it was explained by the guides that there are very few permanent, natural water sources and those that are there are mainly man-made. They are maintained and water is pumped permanently which means the elephants do not need to migrate to Botswana during the dry season but can stay in Zimbabwe year round and are breeding very prolifically.

Seeing white rhinos in the wild was fantastic and the reason we chose to visit Zimbabwe so we weren't disappointed.

All 3 camps were very comfortable in their own ways and all very different from each other. it was a pleasure to stay at each of them. Ilala Lodge was a wonderful start to our holiday.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

It may be a good idea to recommend at least 3 nights at Amalinda if visitors would like to see cave paintings and visit World's End. We hadn't realised we wouldn't have time to do both." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zimbabwe safari

"We are so pleased that we chose to go to Zimbabwe.

We really enjoyed our short stay in Victoria Falls and then Hwange National Park proved to be a really excellent safari location, where we saw all the wildlife we hoped to see, and appreciated the professionalism of the guides." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 13 on a Zimbabwe safari

"The whole experience from the flights to camps was second to none.

We always have a wonderful time in Africa. We would not consider a beach holiday again.

Keep up the good work Expert Africa and a special thank you to Claire Scott for all the help she gives when arranging out holidays.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Just keep up the good work. Thank you." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zimbabwe safari

"Another very well organised trip with Expert Africa.

Freddie responded well to our request to select camps primarily for the quality of their guides. The camps were all of high quality and each had unique experiences, and great, knowledgable and experienced guides.

It is pleasing to see each camp supporting their local communities and doing their best to protect the wildlife and prevention of poaching. Clearly they are managing despite the current political and economic crises facing the country and are well worth supporting.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

We like the fact that we can chat to your reps and you make suggestions to help us choose camps and locations based on our past experiences with you and don’t simply refer us to your website or brochures so the trip is truly tailored to our wishes." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 15 on a Zimbabwe safari

"It was a most rewarding experience. I lived in the country many years ago and was gratified to see that no matter what difficulties they face, the people are as welcoming and open and friendly as I remember. There are definitely challenges ahead, but I hope that there will be a gradual improvement in the economy. To this end, I would encourage tourists to visit the whole of Zimbabwe, and not just the outer northwest corner. The Eastern Highlands are indescribably beautiful, as are the Matobo Hills, Great Zimbabwe and the Zambezi Valley.

I suppose the unexpected thing about our trip was that apart from a delightful train journey which gave us double the travel time we had paid for, things actually do work. There were unavoidable delays from time to time, but there were no glitches in the arrangements made for local transfers or accommodation.

All in all it was a wonderful three weeks, and my thanks to EA for their excellent service.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

No improvements possible on the service we received from both Freddie and Claire.
We were picky and difficult and not altogether consistent, and they managed us brilliantly, thanks so much." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 16 on a Zimbabwe safari

"Our first time using a travel company. It went very well.

There was not one issue which says a lot considering all the different places we traveled to." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zimbabwe safari

"What made this trip so special was its diverse nature.

Our itinerary was a balance between adventure (self-drive in Botswana and the Caprivi Strip); land- and water-based game and bird viewing; history and culture. All of this using accommodation ranging from the rustic to the luxurious. We always felt comfortable, even in Zimbabwe which was really the wild card.

We would have no hesitation in returning there (though not driving) or recommending it to others. It is a country with great tourism potential which one day will be allowed to flourish." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zimbabwe safari

"Visiting Africa was an experience unlike any other. We saw and learned a lot. We are already talking about our next visit and seeing gorillas will be on the itinerary.

Everything came off without a hitch. All transfers were on time and uneventful. (Except when the plane at Mana Pools started rolling backwards with no one in it. We were able to stop the plane about ten feet from the pick up vehicle, avoiding a collision.)

I will not hesitate to recommend Expert Africa." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zimbabwe safari

"Great experience, the whole trip was very well organised and I have already recommended you to friends.

The team member who helped us was Nick Hobbs but I had to select someone below and he isn't named so I also had contact with James." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 12 on a Zimbabwe safari