CA
Email Karen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Botswana provided an authentic safari experience.
Botswana was a wonderful experience both for Safari and visiting the country. We had 2 nights in the Okavango delta, comfort camping. It was exceptional for wildlife, scenery, accommodations, food, transportation and our guide. We really enjoyed the bush walks. The next part of our trip involved travelling into Moremi and Savute parks. All was good until our guide destroyed two vehicles. The vehicles were old to begin with but he got one stuck in the mud. There was no radio, no shovel and no tow rope. We got saved by another guide but the vehicle didn’t work well after that. A second vehicle was brought in and it had issues but would have been ok if our guide hadn’t run out of petrol. After that it lost power and backfired regularly, never exceeding 20 km/hr. Everything went off the rails after that. My advise is make sure your tour operator has decent vehicles. We still loved Botswana and would go back. Compared to Kruger, Kruger seemed like a amusement park with too many self drives and too many people without respect for animals.
US
Email Paul Mark Oakley | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
There is nothing in the world like the Okavango!!!
This trip was so well put together and worked seamlessly even though we had quite a few internal flights to get to the different camps. The accommodations were marvelous and the food was fantastic. Just make sure you bring some warm gear in July because driving in an open vehicle in the morning can chill you to the bone. If there is just one regret it would be that there were no Rhinos anywhere in the Okavango or Savuti areas but we saw everything else and the bird life is absolutely phenomenal. I was born and grew up in Zimbabwe and I have seen some great safari destinations from Kenya to Kruger, but nothing can compare to the Okavango!!!
Knowledgeable guide, chef and assistant were able to find so many interesting things for us!
Wildlife was great, food was plentiful and tasty, and accommodations better than I would expect for the remoteness of the area. We were comfortable and well cared for. Guides (1 for each part of the trip) knew the areas very well and passed on their knowledge all along the way. I learned a lot and saw a lot.
NZ
Email Nikki | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wildtracks Eco Lodge
We felt very spoiled at Wildtracks, the staff were amazing, all of them! The setting in the bush in Botswana was just beautiful, we loved our venture into Chobe and enjoyed the lovely waterhole on site. The accommodation was spectacular, truly lovely, and the food was also really good, especially the breakfasts!
US
Email Judith | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
AVOID MOONSTROLL VANTAGE. Our family had a poor experience.
From the beginning the Moonstroll communication was poor so I wish I had cancelled. We did a 5-day, 4-night camping safari but cut it short by a day and asked them to just take us to Chobe to a hotel.
We had a late start in the morning, no breakfast at the Staymore Hotel which was booked through Moonstroll and a freezing cold ride with no blankets in safari truck. No lunch that day except for what we had purchased.
The worst part was no satellite phone for the guide (who was excellent and tried to manage Moonstroll’s sloppy planning )our truck with supplies, tents, food, etc. broke
down and we had no way of knowing where they were. We were at a campsite in Savuti with nothing , just by a fire until our guide found another camp for us and we felt like refugees. The sun was setting. We had just spotted a leopard and there I was, a grandma with my family and my dream Safari a nightmare. They did finally show up and set things up quickly but the horrible
insecurity made me sick. We had to loan money to the guide for some fees, very unprofessional. Moonstroll had not told our guide we had paid for Mekoro canoe trip and he had to hastily fit it in, and it was also done as the sun was setting.
Fortunately we did have an excellent guide who did his best and tried to make us feel secure but being in the bush like this, even for a short time, was horrible. The food was great and the tents, etc very nice.
I did send an email to Monametsi after the safari several times and got no response. As I said, do not use this company and I wonder if safaribookings even vets the companies they recommend. This was my fifth safari and I wanted to have an unforgettable outing, paid for by me. My family could not believe I chose Moonstroll. Thankful for Gibson, our wonderful guide who was very stressed out.
Email Clarissa Schaffers | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An Amazing experience of NOTE!! WOW, WOW, WOW !!
Where do I start? We stayed at the Maun Cresta hotel. stunning verby !! comfortable rooms and friendly staff. the food was excellent!! Yum yum.
Mark was our tour guide and what a nice guy. he fetched us at 07:10 the Sunday morning. We were running late and he was patiently waiting for us. The drive to the Okavango was an epic one. A cold morning, but Mark made sure we were covered by providing us with blankets to keep us warm.
When we got there, it was a picture perfect setting!! Our guide on the Delta was Matthew. a great guy, very knowledgeable, and well spoken. the weather was perfect.
OMW what an experience on a Mokoro. it felt so save and so relaxing. the ladies that steered the canoe did it with so much grace and style. loved every minute of it !! we got to see Hippo's, elephants, giraffe's, some beautiful birdlife and flowers. all of this was the highlight of my trip. I was on the Okavango Delta with a Mokoro!! say what??? YES, with a Mokoro, can you believe it ! an experience of a lifetime. Memories for LIFE!!
DE
Email Couple | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
2 days safari Moreni game reserve
We booked the tour with Mervelous. They have been very helpful and answered very quickly to our emails. We decided to do an overnight stay in the Moremi Game Reserve. We were supposed to be picked up at the hotel at 6 am at the first day but we were picked up at 8 am. They promised us to trop us off at the hotel the next day by 5 pm so we would have a long day at the game reserve. Unfortunately we had to leave the park at 11am according to the park rules. So actually we had to half day safaris and would not call it a two days game drive. But except of that the tour was amazing. We were by ourselves with a team of 3. They were all very nice, helpful and it was interesting to talk to them at the evening on the fire of our campsite. Everything was affectionately arranged from the dinner table to the tent. The food was delicious we even had some lunch on our way back to Maun. Our guide Gibson did a great job. He was so focused to show us lions, what he did in the end. From him we learned a lot about the animals and the nature of Botswana. We enjoyed our tour very much.
NL
Email C.D Tjan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great Safari but not in every places , SAVUTI are for us The Best for Lions and Killing !
Wild life is Chobe at that time we are there ( 12 of June 2019 ) the animals are not so many and Cats we don't see , well many Elephants.
The rest of our Safari at Moremi , Sable Aley and Linyanthi ...it's many elephants , but the cats you must looking for them and some times are not that easy , because of the very thick bushes.
For us if we are favourite of the Big Cats ...exspecialy the Lions we like more SAVUTI ...as this place grear for Lions and Killing elephants !
KENYA and TANZANIA - are for us still The Best for Wild Life , and the p[rices for the accomodations are not so high as in Botswana !
US
Email David & Anne | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The experience was exceptional!
The highlight was our guide Phillimon Kamogelo of Walking Stick Tours. He was knowledgeable, professional, and respectful. His eye for wildlife was magnificent, and the camping accommodations he provided us were quite comfortable. We travelled during the dry season, so the animals were plentiful at waterways, and the temperature was moderate. Our experience at the Nxai Salt Pan was unique! We enjoyed traditional African cuisine at our safari campsite and other accommodations. We especially liked the Old Bridge Backpackers and the Gweta Lodge.
Email Helena Santos | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Gems of the river and land
The experience was fantastic, we had a great guide. Everything went smoothly, including the frontiers. The river cruise is incredible, and well worth it. The land game drive not so much, we saw only impalas and elephants. But out guide was fantastic and tried to go as close as safety allowed and we were able to be very near the elephants.
The lunch was a buffet at a fantastic hotel, the food was delicious. The only thing is that we didn't have enough time to eat calmly, because time was short...
I totally recommend, although the price is very inflated (all Victoria Falls trips and area are, so, there's no other option)
