Gondwana Tours & Safaris on safari in the Okavango
Gondwana Tours & Safaris
- Offices In:
-
United Kingdom
Portugal
Germany
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2008)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $1,200 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Superb service, awesome expertise and a fantastic tour - highly recommended!
Me and my wife went on a trip to Victoria Falls, the Chobe River, Linyanti Swamps, the Okavango Delta and the Makgadikgadi Pans earlier this year and the memories of that fantastic trip and still fresh and overwhelming. By writing this short review we would like to thank Steffi and Mark of Gondwana Tours & Safaris for making this journey of our lifetime possible.
Steffi, Mark and their team did an incredible job from our very first chat on the phone until we departed back to Germany. The planning took a few months and Steffi was patient and professional in every single moment. We could always contact her at any time - regardless how minor our questions seemed to be. Her knowledge about every region and every single camp was almost unbelievable. It gave us a very pleasant feeling to deal with somebody that has actually seen all the places personally and who was able to let us know about even the smallest details.
The final itinerary was eventually just perfect regarding our time, budget and personal desires. If ever a trip deserved the word "tailor-made" it was ours planned by Steffi.
Our Safari was absolutely stunning from the first day to the last, everything went smoothly and well, all the transfers worked out perfectly, all the camps were amazing, we had unforgettable game drives and simply the time of our lifes. Steffi, Mark and their team were available 24h for us during the trip - which we used when we had a little language barrier with one of the camp managers. We called Steffi quite late in the evening and she kindly helped us by translating on the phone.
Gondwana Tours & Safaris is a fantastic operator with personal service and outstanding knowledge. They truly are Africa experts and we can only recommend them to anybody who wants to experience an amazing African holiday.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Highly efficient service and a well-planned trip
My husband and I recently enjoyed a trip to the Okavango Delta and Linyanti regions with Maun based Gondwana Tours & Safaris. In all it was a very well managed trip that followed a very well-thought-out itinerary, thanks to Mark Hathaway. Communication was always quick and responsive during the planning process, and information given was accurate and well-considered. This gave us huge confidence in the company and that everything would go as planned, which it most certainly did. No hiccups at all and we specifically appreciated the personal touch of being met at Maun airport both on the inward and outward journeys. We felt our individual trip objectives as seasoned bush-travellers were fully taken onboard and communicated onward to the camps we visited. As a result we had a fantastic and personalised few days in Botswana and would readily return, utilising the excellent support of Gondwana tours. Highly recommend!
Email Ally | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The perfect honeymoon!
We're used to making up holidays as we go along, and doing things on more of a budget, however after deciding to go to the Okavango Delta for our Honeymoon decided to let someone else organise it and allow ourselves to totally relax. Mark at Gondwana was incredibly helpful from day 1, allowing us to repeatedly alter his suggested itinerary and answering all our questions while we did so.
Mark met us personally at Maun airport (with a bottle of fizz!) which was hugely appreciated, and from then on we didn't need to think about a thing. All the transfers were on time and comfortable - especially a specially requested morning flight into the Delta, and the accommodation was perfect, especially Pom Pom which was incredible! We're so glad we used Gondwana and had the most amazing and relaxing honeymoon as a result!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The very best of Africa
Five years ago I booked a trip with Steffi to visit the Okavango Delta. I did not know Steffi at the time, the service and the detail put into planning the trip was very good, and I was not disappointed. It was superb. This year myself and two other family members wanted to visit Chobe so I wanted to book with Steffi and Gondwana Tours . It was Steffi who recommended that we spend the three nights we had on one of the Ichobezi houseboats, as we would be able to see the bird life and animals at the water’s edge whilst gently journeying along the river . It was an excellent choice, and a privilege for us to be on the river viewing so many wonderful creatures in the tranquillity and sheer beauty of this most magical of Mother Nature's havens, the Caprivi.
Steffi was aware that one of the family members was a very mobile and active 85 year old and this was always at the forefront of any recommendation made , the care and attention given on the boat too was exceptional.
If it is TV and music you want, then this is not the holiday for you, but if you want to enjoy the serenity and the sounds of this part of Africa , we would highly recommend a few nights on one of the fantastic houseboats. Steffi and her team put their clients first, the word “no” just does not feature, absolutely everything we asked to do was arranged for us, with so much care and kindness.
Thank you Steffi, this was one of our best trips ever!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Botswana Safari with Gondwana Tours and Safaris
I booked a holiday for 2 weeks across different camps in Botswana with Gondwana Tours and Safaris. Mark Hathaway was very professional and knew the area very well so could recommend based on what I said I would like to do. Mark kept in regular email contact and we Skyped a few times to get the arrangements just right. I have now returned having had an amazing holiday where I saw 62 lions over a 14 day period and 3 leopards who were not elusive at all. Thank you Mark for booking me such a fabulous holiday.
Great safari organizers!
We have been to Botswana two times in three years. Both trips have been organized by Mark Hathaway at Gondwana. Mark is very knowledgeable, thorough, reliable and a pleasure to work with. His recommendations have been stellar, and both trips were superb. He has a wonderful knowledge of camps and area, and a very good sense ov values. We will use Gondwana again.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic holiday organised by professional agents!
Botswana is a beautiful country, rich in culture and wildlife. We experienced some of the most amazing sightings in the delta and stayed at one of the most professionally run lodges I have ever experienced in Africa. This was all thanks to Gondwana Tours and Safaris who put together our itinerary for us. They were equipped with all the knowledge of the activities and accommodation provided in the area to make the best choices for our holiday! They were so professional and responded to all my queries immediately. I thoroughly enjoyed working with them and would highly recommend Mark and his team!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Gondwana Tours & Safaris is the best travel agency we have worked with. Cannot go wrong with them
We had no idea where or when in Africa we wanted to go for our first safari. Thanks to Gondwana Tours & Safaris they made it so much easier for us to decide. They helped us so much in making decisions on which camps to go to and what other areas that would be also good to visit while we were there. We went to two camps, Victoria Falls and Cape Town. Little Vumbra was our first camp. The Guide and game viewing was excellent. The camp staff made you feel at home and the food was also excellent. Selinda was our second camp. The guide and game viewing were very good, especially if you love elephants. The staff was very accommodating and the food was the best we had anywhere. Both camps were clean, spacious rooms and in beautiful settings. This was one of our dream vacations and Gondwana Tours and Safaris made it come true. We could never thank them enough. We would highly recommend them to everyone.
Email Kate | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent personalised service for a holiday of a lifetime.
I was booking a holiday of a lifetime - spending a lot of money and wanting the best experience for it. I am based in the UK and it was great to have Skype calls to discuss exactly what we wanted to do and listen to recommendations and alternatives. Mark pulled together several options and followed up with details schedules over email. The final document included all sorts of tips and useful points to be suitably prepared for the reality of getting stuff done in Africa.
Mark and Janet met us at the airport in Maun on arrival to do a final check (and rescued me when a car I had been loaned decided to "die"). I had a last minute addition to make on the schedule which they were happy to get sorted for me.
Overall I was very happy to work with Gondwana Tours & Safaris. The accommodation was perfect, the transport went smoothly, the Safari Guides at each of the lodges were incredibly knowledgeable and we had a fantastic time. Now I have 1500 photos of the amazing wildlife and scenery of Botswana to edit so I will be reliving this holiday for some time to come. Many thanks to all at Gondwana Tours & Safari.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Botswana Safaries
I had a very good experience with Gondwana tours who listened to our requests of what we were looking for and put together a great itinerary for us. The camps in the Delta and Chobe were excellent and the whole experience met our expectations and more. Prior and during our trip they gave us a clear programme and other general travel advice and were very friendly. A great holiday.