Reviews of safaris to Victoria Falls

"Our first trip to Africa was everything we had hoped and planned for. We had heard a lot about Botswana and its pristine wilderness and wildlife and it certainly lived up to expectations.

At Dinaka in the Central Kalahari we found the landscape, environment and wildlife was quite different to Little Kwara in the Okavango Delta and Lebala further north. This difference is what we had hoped to experience - we didn't want everywhere to be the same and I think we achieved this.

The camps had excellent facilities, the tents were all large and extremely well equipped and the lodges very comfortable. The food was exceptionally good wherever we went and always plentiful. We particularly enjoyed the campfire breakfasts and coffee and sundowners out on the game drives. Good drinking water was always available and we did not encounter one mosquito even in the Delta area!!

We enjoyed the varied activities on offer at each camp as well as the usual day and night game drives. At Dinaka we had the bushwalk and the two visits to the hides overlooking the waterholes - we even enjoyed brunch at the hides. Little Kwara
have the double decker boats and it was a fantastic experience going out into the Delta. Lebala did not offer us any extra activities apart from a bird hide on site, but their unique location and being surrounded by Hippos and Elephants is a bonus!
We would like to return to Botswana after the rainy season to see the tranformation from desert to the lush green landscapes we have heard about. Maybe one day!

We did not have any problems, all flights were on time and we were picked up and taken through the border at Zimbabwe without any hassle. The only thing which annoyed us slightly was that the driver for Wilderness Safaris did not take us straight to Ilala Lodge but made a detour to pick up two staff members who wanted to sell us 'activities' while staying in Vic Falls despite us twice previously saying to the driver we didn't want to arrange anything. It was only after we arrived at the Lodge and explained we were meeting a relative at Vic Falls that they left.

Our two night stay in Zimbabwe was not long enough to do everything we wanted, there seems to be a lot on offer and our impression is that the community there are trying very hard to re-establish the tourism industry. It was certainly busy in Victoria Falls and we saw many different nationalities. We would maybe like to return there one day for a longer holiday if things improve.

The people and all the staff were great wherever we went, always had a smile for us and were helpful friendly and professional.

Overall our trip was an exceptional experience!! Thanks to Expert Africa.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Everything worked out perfectly for our trip so I can't think of any suggestions for improvement- thanks very much to Megan for all her planning, expertise and advice. We would certainly recommend her and Expert Africa to our friends if they are planning a trip to Africa." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 6 on a Botswana safari

"magical experience, thanks to Saskia for all of her sound advice and help with planning our trip.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

keep doing what you are doing, great trip. next time we are Africa bound we will definitely be in touch. Thanks a million" Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"We are fortunate to have travelled to a number of countries in Africa, including several safari destinations, and can honestly say that our recent trip to the Okavango Delta tops them all! Varied and scenic environments, fabulous wildlife sightings (often only possible because off-road driving is permitted), enthusiastic and knowledgable guiding, and the fact there are so few visitors that it sometimes feels like you have the place to yourself - all combine to make this a really wonderful destination.

We wouldn't have changed anything about our trip, so thank you Expert Africa - we're already planning when we might return!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

We honestly can't think of any improvements!

The service and information provided was excellent throughout. Nick was not only really knowledgeable and personable, he made our trip possible by making lots of great recommendations based on our interests and preferences and, despite how late we were in organising our trip (c.3 months before we travelled), managed to find dates and secure bookings at two of the most popular camps in the Delta.

We thought the arrangements were really well organised and the trip was good value for money. We wouldn't hesitate to use Expert Africa again or to recommend you to others." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 6 on a Botswana safari

"Maruska has set the standard for all future travel agents. I cannot recommend her highly enough!

I talked to several travel agents in the US before deciding to work with Maruska. I had called Expert Africa to inquire about the small group trips on the Wild About Africa site. When I started questioning Maruska about the trips, it was immediately clear to me that she was the most knowledgeable agent I had talked to so far.

She efficiently helped me put together my dream trip to Africa, and also helped me to prepare for the trip. Many thanks to her for being unfailingly responsive to my many emails about the practical details of traveling in Africa (money, vaccinations, clothing, etc.).

I'm already looking forward to my next trip to Africa!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

No suggestions, as I felt that the service was outstanding." Read full review: 22 nights in Africa; 6 on a Zambia safari

"Sabina Hekandjo has been absolutely great (perfect). We have had the best holiday." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 17 on a Namibia trip

"We really enjoyed every day of our trip and appreciated the professionalism of Expert Africa and its team. We've been travelling a lot throughout the world and we have always organized our trips ourselves. This was our first attempt to use a travel agency, due to lack of time. We had sought many offers before we decided for Expert Africa and we do not regret.

We had a special vision of what we wanted the trip and accommodations to be and we must say that Sabina managed to find the right components. The highlight being Turnstone Tour to Sandwich Harbour. The most stressful part being the drop off of the car in Kasane.

All in all a wonderful, memorable trip." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip

"Claire Scott helped me plan this safari and she did a fantastic job.

I was very pleased with everything to do with the logistics, the flights, the camps, etc. The transfers went off without a hitch and it was a lot of fun.

When planning another safari, I would definitely use Expert Africa and Claire again." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 6 on a Zimbabwe safari

"The biggest glitch were the transfers. These were sub-contracted so many times that who was coming when was almost always uncertain. Those who were to come did not always know that they were supposed to.

There's no getting around the fact that Vic Falls airport is a pain in the bum. Long delays and a completely unhelpful immigration staff." Read full review: 5 nights in Africa; 5 on a Zimbabwe safari

"Maruska listened to our preferences and designed our perfect trip. Every camp offered something unique. We honestly would not have changed anything -- okay, other than a desire to "magically" transport from the U.S. to Maun and back. ;-)

The camps were a perfect succession from semi-rustic to start and finishing with pure pure luxury." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 10 on a Botswana safari

"It was one of the most memorable holidays we have had. Everything was in line with or better than expectations. I think the key to Expert Africa's success is knowing about all the country's facilities firsthand, and then taking care to understand what the client really wants from the holiday. Because this happened, we had no unpleasant surprises, and may pleasant ones.

The balance of time we spent in each place was perfect, and therefore gave us a wide range of experiences in the time available.

The car hire was a success. I think for the gravel roads, the Nissan X-trail is a must, rather than a saloon, and people should be encouraged to take one. The Budget car we had was not provided with a second spare wheel, as had been booked. The manager was apologetic, but said the wheel he intended to supply was damaged. He then rightly said (as it turned out) that with it being the dry season, with no potholes, and with sensible driving, we should have no problem. In fact we had no tyre problems at all. I think in the dry season a second wheel is perhaps overcautious. Very comfortable car, with plenty of space for both people and luggage.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Hard to think of anything. Just keep visiting places, listen to feedback and ensure you understand what is important for the client (even if he doesn't know himself!)" Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip