Zimbabwe: reviews from our travellers

"This trip was the middle portion of a longer African holiday which we planned ourselves.

We were delighted with the personal touch and attention to detail that Maruska provided. We had enough information from telephone calls, emails, books by Bradt and your web site to approach this section of our trip with confidence. We did not have to do the planning and make reservations as Maruska, arranged everything. We made some accommodation changes a few days before we left for our holiday and a last minute reversal on our Car Hire, (which involved a new company and an eventual refund) and were relieved at how efficiently those changes were handled.

Maruska's response of making sure we were first and foremost satisfied with our itinerary and happy with all arrangements was most refreshing and reassuring.

We have spoken very highly about your service with friends and family highlighting the ethos of your company. Thank you for everything. Marg and Phil Crosby-Jones" Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 7 on a Namibia trip

"The trip was a big success. Everything worked as planned. Expert Africa was shown to be knowledgeable and competent. I would now recommend them without hesitation, and will in fact do so to individuals who might be good prospects for something similar.

My only period of trepidation occurred after I had transferred a vast amount of money to Expert Africa prior to the trip, and had received no assurance or proof that everything was on the up and up. I don't know what the solution is, but maybe you might consider some sort of escrow or something to reassure new customers that they had not been scammed. I know that I was worried for a few days and actually made some telephone calls to your competitors to make sure that you were for real. You will be happy to know that you passed the test." Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 6 on a Botswana safari

"Our Africa trip was brilliant - a trip of a lifetime. We thouroughly enjoyed the experience meeting all our expectations.

Everything ran smoothly without problems.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Carry on the good work.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend your company to others wanting a similar Africa experience. Thank you very much!!" Read full review: 22 nights in Africa; 6 on a Botswana safari

"When booking a safari for the first time you really have to rely on a good travel service. We felt that Maruska understood our priorities and budget and prepared a good itinerary.

The choice of facilities was perfect. The ground transportation between airports and lodges all went smoothly and the rides were comfortable. The description of the itinerary from Victoria Falls to Botswana was slightly inaccurate but it was actually easier than described (no river crossing between Zimbabwe and Botswana) so that was fine.

It was great how the drivers also helped navigate the exit and entry processes and we never felt unsure about what to do. The itinerary allowed for an independent visit but with the logistics all covered, which was just what we wanted.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
A more detailed brochure with photos of the properties and description of services would have been nice in advance, just to whet our appetite for the experience. I felt a little unsure about what it would really be like, but fortunately everything was great." Read full review: 6 nights in Africa; 3 on a Botswana safari

"Great trip, well planned and executed." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 10 on a Botswana safari

"We had a really lovely holiday , different from what we normally have . Many thanks to expert Africa ." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zimbabwe safari

"A memorable experience which fulfilled all of our expectations. Having visited Africa 25 years ago we were always keen to return and it did not disappoint!

We will return again! A great family holiday." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip

"The trip was well organised and met our expectations. Claire has arranged a number of trips for us over the years and this was to the usual high standard.

We arranged our own flights and the ground arrangements worked well with this. It did appear that the transfer from the Hide back to the airport may have cut it a bit fine, however it worked out well in the end.

The only other observation I would make is that this time of year (mid November) does seem to be the time when travel trade reps are on familiarisation trips and this can change the dynamic in the lodges. Something perhaps that customers need to be aware of." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zimbabwe safari

"This was our third trip with Expert Africa, again we were very happy with everything provided by them.

Our initial delay was out of Expert Africa's control.

However, the help provided by Tracy was excellent - starting with late night texts and emails then further phone calls. She arranged alternative accommodation and kept us informed.

Wilderness Safari staff at Windhoek airport, especially Priscilla, were exceptionally helpful in dealing with our car hire problems, then escorting us to our accomodation in Windhoek - Bidvest delayed us so long that it was dark before we left the airport.

Priscilla then ensured that our late arriving luggage was sent on to us." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip

"We had an outstanding trip with so many memories of stunning landscapes and wildlife that we will never forget. Both fully lived up to our hopes and expectations. We did find the driving in Namibia to be gruelling at times due to the condition of the mainly gravel roads and the necessity to drive relatively slowly, making for some long journeys - in particular the journey between Swakopmund and Twylfontein.

Our itinerary in Namibia took us to a variety of places and experiences that were all very different from each other, and each worth the visit. In Botswana it was mainly about the wildlife, though we also enjoyed the beautiful setting of the Okavenga Delta and meeting lots of Botswanans, who without exception were friendly and welcoming.

Finally, except for not getting the type of vehicle we were expecting (though Bidvest & Tracy from Expert Africa did contact us to offer to change, which we decided against) every aspect of the organisation of the trip went without a hitch. We were also impressed that the company paid the difference in flight prices between Windhoek & Maun after Air Namibia cancelled all these flights from the beginning of November and we had to be rebooked onto SA Airways." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip