Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing two packs of wild dogs was amazing and spotting lions lazing at the side of a main road was very special. Listening to the sounds of the night and trying to pick out the different animal calls was spectacular.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam our group leader was very god well organised and was always there when you need him, Mello,s cooking was outstanding . Sten our Botswana guide tried his best but the lectures on geology and were not the best, it was difficult for him has Moremi was completely devoid of any wild life so he was trying to keep us interested.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The drives are long and uncomfortable, pack light for the truck and take lip balm and a scarf. We went in October it was very hot you wil not need a sleeping bag just a liner wil do. Go with an open mind and you will love it the people are friendly and the scenery is stunning only surpassed by the amazing wild life in Chobi and savuti. The Victoria falls were fantastic you will be ther for two night so take the opportunity to explore and try local fare, I recommend Mopani worms at the Boma, check it out it's amazing .

Suggestions

The last minute change to our itinerary was very disappointing. We di not camp in the salt pans, we were told on arrival that there was a problem with the road and we would be camping in a public campsite instead. the campsite was in Nata wich meant a longer than expected drive in a very cramped and uncomfortable truck. once in the camp we were taken on a short drive to a lake to watch the sunset , very nice but not what we were expecting . We were expecting a night wild camping in the salt pans not watching a sunset with about 15 other trucks nowhere near the salt pans. Why could we not camp on the salt pans and why were we not told of the change before we departed on the trip?

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the wild dogs (we saw two packs) in Savuti and a leopard in the Khwai concession. Also the birds - a good pair of binoculars is an absolute must.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam was excellent - very well organised and a good companion in the evenings round the camp fire. Stan (driver and wildlife guide) could read the behaviour of the animals well and, most of the time, moved the vehicle around so we all got a good view. Unfortunately, we saw very little wildlife in Moremi which was a great shame as it was the last two days - we stayed in the North East of the park and didn't drive to the west at all. Mello (awesome cook) and Paul made up the crew - they'd nearly always erected the tents by the time we arrived in camp.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Inexpensive Laundry opportunities at the Maun campsite and in Victoria Falls if you don't fancy doing your own. Take lots of wet wipes for the nights spent bush camping particularly when the bush shower isn't available (normally the first of the two nights in each bush camp). A silk or cotton liner for your sleeping bag is sensible - it started off very warm most nights but did cool down. Spare batteries for the torch, even a second torch. I got bad heat rash - antisan is a must. Swimming costume for the decent pool at the Maun campsite. Chobe river cruise is a must. Make the most of the visits to the supermarkets and liquor store - the Savanna cider is very drinkable.

Suggestions

Adventure tours in Victoria Falls do NOT accept MasterCard. Visa cards are subject to a 3% surcharge so worth finding out in advance from your bank if it would be cheaper to get the money from an ATM to pay for any optional activities or take enough dollars.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many.. Probably the Wild dogs sighting for me..

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was a great guy!! Helpful, Organised, Knowledgable. Although a bit on the quiet and invisible side at times.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Great trip! I'd recommend it to anyone!! Just try and go with EIGHT or fewer people in the group! Also, Be prepared for the second guides "Colouring book chats" in the middle of a game drive?! GRR...Apple Blossom, Dirt, Poo, History, Bushes, Leaves, Grass, Geology, Ants, Air etc, etc...... chats He likes to test you too, So read up or else!! Because remember people... "What you see is what you get!!!" ;) ;)

Suggestions

Take Sweets for the long journeys. There is ample laundry chances, so no need to take loads of clothes. You will need some thing to cover your face with on a couple of the drives, It is like hot air sky diving with the air in your face :) Also..We found Moremi almost devoid of ANY wildlife at all at times?? (including birds or anything!) So keep an open mind and enjoy the termite mounds! :p

Most Inspirational Moment

I have managed to limit it to three lifetime memories :- 1) The flight over the delta, in particular watching the elephants swimming/wadding in the water between islands. 2) Watching a pride of lions (thirteen including five cubs) that we had met the previous day, kill a warthog then walk towards us and drink next to our vehicle, before crossing the water and lying down to rest while the cubs played. 3)Seeing a pack of three Wild Dogs that we spent hours watching without any other cars as we found them ourselves.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam looked after the group throughout our trip and took good care of us, especially dealing with health and currency problems that a couple of people in our group had. However, I was particularly impressed with our Botswana driver/guide in the parks, Kenny, who had a fantastic level of knowledge about the wildlife that he happily shared with us. He also had an almost a sixth sense and knew exactly how the wildlife was going to behave and therefore the best place to position our vehicle. At one point there was a tiny dot of a leopard on top of a hill. He told us that, as it was getting warmer, the leopard would come down and cross the road to the brush opposite. Almost to order it did walking a couple of feet from the truck! He also had the patience of a saint and somehow managed to please everybody making sure that all group members had at the opportunity to get a good view of the wildlife. I also feel that I need to sing the praise of Mello and Paul who fed us and made sure that our every need was catered for. I felt very spoilt getting up one morning and realising that they had even refilled the hand washing water so that it was clean and warm before the group was up and heading to the toilets... luxury. Somehow Mello also managed to produce great grub using little more than a pot and campfire. In particular one of our group had a birthday and he produced a fabulous cake for her.

Advice for Potential Travellers

A few items that I am glad that I took include:- 1) not only a head torch but also small torch that I hung from the centre of the tent roof and lit up the whole space. 2) antiseptic hand wash and biodegradable toilet roll (for those times you have to nip behind a tree) 3) small first aid kit - plasters, antihistamine tablets, Paracetomal/Asprin, antiseptic cream and insect repellent 4) 4)South Africain phone charger for cameras, phones 5) Walk boots and flipflops 6) I took a really cheap pillow and it was heaven! 7) A sarong was really useful when traveling to prevent sun burn and also to wrap around your head to protect from dust. 8) I took some thermal pjs to sleep in as it did get really cold on some nights Things that I forgot and wished I had taken were .. a biro (several in fact to fill in all the different forms required for Visa entries etc; a washing line and pegs so that I was able to wash and more importantly dry my clothes on a regular basis. Also it is difficult to imagine how cold it was for the first hour on a morning drive before the sun comes up - I would of sold my soul for a light fleecy pair of gloves, hat, scarf and top! I had no pride and wore socks on my hands at this point. They do give you a blanket but that really wasn't enough for me! I decided that having travelled to Africa I was gong to embrace every opportunity and when an additional activity was offered do it. The small plane delta flight from Maun was fantastic DO IT! The helicopter flight over the Victoria Falls was exciting but I personally felt the short trip was enough as the longer one did not get you any closer. Some of the group had wanted to go on the 'Walking with Lions' excursion and it was fully booked - so if you want to do this I suggest you prebook to avoid disappointment. I enjoyed the short walk across the Victoria Falls Bridge to Zimbabwe to see the falls from the other side, you can get a bridge pass to do this. I also enjoyed the dinner cruise in the evening on river however as our transport was very late there was limit to the amount of wildlife we spotted before it was dark! The cruise dinner was also quite short and just as we were all relaxed and the wine was flowing it was over. When we returned to Botswana the Chobe River Cruise was fabulous value for money- again DO NOT MISS IT! I was astounded at the amount of wild life that we saw over a quite small distance. The highlight here for me were the herds of elephants mud bathing and crossing to the other islands.

Suggestions

If you are debating whether to book the trip .. just do it! The more you put into the experience the more you will get out. Although the brochure does state 'full service' camping meaning that tents are erected, beds put up etc and nothing is expected of you. It is quite fun and a lot quicker to all muck in.

Most Inspirational Moment

The programme was very well structured with plenty of variety and highlights throughout the tour: mokoro rides and game walks in the Okavango Delta, surreal salt pans, exciting Victoria Falls with so many activities to choose, fantastic game in Chobe (the sunset river cruise is an absolute must) and yet more game in Savuti and Moremi with contrasting landscapes. I loved the wild camping: sitting round a campfire, eating and chatting with new friends and watching wildlife stroll by - pure magic!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our crew was fantastic: Sam, our leader, is a lovely man and kept us organised and informed; Stanley, our guide and driver though the national reserves, shared his amazing knowledge; Mello and Paul ran clean and happy camps wherever we stayed and cooked delicious suppers; Mello's campfire-baked bread was simply delicious!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Botswana is a desert - be prepared for a lot of dust. Pack baby wipes, moisturing cream and lipsalve. My most treasured possession was a long chiffon scarf that I could wrap round my head and face. Be prepared to get very grubby. You need to wear safari-coloured clothes but everything ends up dust coloured. Pack a travel plug for washing laundry at the public campsites. Pack spare batteries and cards for your camera, then pack some more! There are few opportunities to recharge, the inverter in the truck was very slow and a long queue wanting to use it. My camera charges with a USB cable and I was able to use an adaptor in the cigarette lighter. Some of the drives are very long on poor roads. It's not for everyone, but I found there was always something to look at and I loved it.

Suggestions

I read Gordon's review about camping in Savuti and I would like to add my own comment. I understand the campsites are allocated by HATAB and are moved around periodically to allow the terrain to regenerate. Our camp was out on the ZweiZwei pans, quite a long distance from the Savuti Marsh, however we saw as much game on the drives to and from the campsite as we saw on the marsh itself. We camped in a beautiful spot close to a pan (waterhole) and were visited each evening by herds of elephant, hippo and a noisy hyena; one elephant practically walked through the camp! Because of the distance, morning and evening game drives were impractical so Sam arranged one much longer drive, spending much of the day on the marsh. Don't worry about timing - we spotted our first lions in the midday heat. If you want to be central, book into a game lodge or public campsite; if you want to experience the magic of wild camping, this holiday is for you!

Most Inspirational Moment

Helicopter over Vic Falls Seeing wild dogs

Thoughts on Group Leader

WE had two guides and two helpers. One excellent and the other did not seem to really do much except sit in the passenger seat of the Toyota. Most trips only have one guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for a lot of time in=on the road and this limits the number game viewing opportunities.

Suggestions

The camp at Savuti was completely inappropriate for game viewing. It was 1 1/2 hours away from the River/marsh in Mopani scrub. Thus we could not get sunset game viewing at Savuti. There was game around the camp but only elephant and buffalo and the thick Mopani scrub mad viewing difficult for anything else. It should have been made clear in the brochure that the camp at Savuti was a considerable distance along a bad road form the main area. (It should be noted that one of our party was whipped in the face by a brach while travelling along this road, fortunately it missed her eye.) This resulted in loss of two evening's game viewing. Fortunately one guide was great and maximised the time we did have for viewing.

Most Inspirational Moment

We have some wonderful memories, not only of the wild animals, but also the stars at night, the sunsets, and good fun around the camp fires. I really enjoyed the wild camping, despite not being an enthusiastic camper - the tents and equipment made it all very comfortable. Mellow's cooking was excellent - including for those on special diets. The Victoria Falls are stunning. Note that white water rafting on the Zambezi is not for the faint-hearted!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Wynand, was knowledgeable, helpful and organised everything very well. Our local guide, Stanley, was excellent - passionate and knowledgeable about his country, its geology, vegetation and wildlife. He went the extra mile to give us a great experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

My advice to other travellers would be: go, you won't regret it! We went in July/August, the dry season, so lots of sand. Wet wipes useful, as is hand gel. Cold at night and early morning - do take warm clothes, hat, gloves, for those early morning game drives on open-sided truck (great for viewing). I found a pair of waterproof sandals useful for swims in the delta, and for bush shower. Pair of binoculars each essential. You can buy snacks for journeys when you get there, don't bother packing any. And you can get Botswana currency when you arrive at Maun.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hearing the family group in the delta sing us a traditional welcome song around. The camp fire it was unforgettable

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was amazing completely unflappable always chirpy and was very amusing and he was very happy to spend time with us as individuals

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a warmer sleeping bag than I did- I did not take the advice seriously and was very grateful of the blanket provided by exodus

Suggestions

Keep a diary and always be respectful and ask permission to photograph people and their homes

Most Inspirational Moment

Highlights for me included: the mokoro ride (total zen experience); the surreal moonscape of the pan; Chobe river cruise (highest concentration of game I've ever seen); wild dogs in Moremi (including several pups); sitting on the edge of Victoria Falls in the Devil's Pool (an extra only available at the end of dry season but if you like thrills it was incredible).

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam is a terrific leader - very organized and calm with a great sense of humour. Mello is a tireless camp assistant and between them the food was great!

Advice for Potential Travellers

In September is it very hot and very dry and sand is EVERYWHERE. Big package of wet wipes saved my sanity as I could at least clean my feet before bed. I tossed the cot and used two mattresses and was very comfortable sleeping the entire trip. An open mind is the best accessory you can have on any group adventure.

Suggestions

Lowlight for me was: the campsite in Savuti at the end of dry season was too far from anything alive

Most Inspirational Moment

Riding in the mokoros through the Okavango Delta, watching a lion cub playing with the pride oblivious to us watching him, wild camping - lying in my tent hearing lions and elephants near by and racing through the park in our 4x4 trying to find out what the lions were up to to name but a few.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam was a wonderful tour leader, he was well organised at all times and made the trip a truly memorable experience. He was kind and friendly and very knowledgeable. He was happy to answer my numerous questions at any time.Joseph our Botswana guide knew the country and it's wildlife inside out, he and Sam had eagle eyes for spotting the wildlife and Joseph was also an excellent driver on challenging roads. He was patient and kind and happy to share his stories and knowledge.Meelo was the camp assistant - he was a wonderful cook and worked hard setting up and taking down camp.Waco also deserves a mention - he was the lead guide of the "polers" when we went into the Delta. He was a brilliant ambassador for the tribe and the project to give them ownership of their conservancy. He was passionate about the wildlife and local environment and shared his knowledge with us. His team were very welcoming and made the Delta visit a real highlight.As a team they all worked together well and made the trip a great success.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go - this is a fantastic trip to get off the beaten track and camp in the wilderness.Be prepared for long drives on dusty, rutted roads but keep your eyes open as you never know when you might spot an elephant or a leopard!November can be the start of the rainy season so an umbrella is useful for the heavy downpours. If you want to avoid the rain go a bit earlier in the year. We had a few big storms but were lucky with the timings.

Suggestions

It was an unforgettable holiday and I will definitely go back to Botswana one day.