Reviews

Sort By: Date Most Helpful 11-20 of 21 Reviews
Heta   –  
South Africa ZA
Visited: April 2018 Reviewed: May 28, 2018

Email Heta  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Beautiful camping and hiking trip with affordable pricing
5/5

Xaa Safaris Mokoro trip was very well organized, even I made my bookings in very last minute. Xaa Safari personel considered very well my wishes. They helped me to organize everything and feel welcomed in Maun even beyound the main camping trip. My camping and walking safari trip was truly beautiful experience.

Christo Viljoen   –  
South Africa ZA
Visited: August 2017 Reviewed: Sep 1, 2017

Email Christo Viljoen

A Privilege to be entertained
5/5

Hi Gape
Thank you again for letting Johan and me on the trip with your other
customers.
It was such an amazing experience, specially to see the agility of the
crocodile sailing into the river> We knew you and your family only for 2 hours but you left such a
lasting impression in our life's
May you be blessed with all your entrepreneural talent and please keep on touching peoples life's
Greetings for SP, what a great guy
Kindest Regards,
Christo Viljoen
Corporate Executive: Strategic Projects

Laura   –  
Belgium BE
Visited: July 2024 Reviewed: Nov 13, 2024

Email Laura  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

An amazing safari with a wonderful team, it exceeded all our expectations!
5/5

I highly recommend Xaa Safaris and the “10-day classic safari tour with Victoria Falls” we went on with them in July. They were very responsive and more than happy to adapt the program to suit our wishes, and the team was really professional, attentive and gave their everything to ensure we had a great time. Our first stop was Victoria Falls, where we stayed at Pamarah Lodge (I really recommend it!) and had a couple of days to discover the area. The Falls were breathtaking, we had a go at bungee-jumping and we enjoyed cruising along the Zambezi river at sunset.

They then took us to Botswana, to begin the safari part of our trip, which was a once in a lifetime experience. We camped for 6 nights, first in Savuti, then in Khwai and finally in the Okavango Delta. Each area was very different, Savuti was quite arid, Khwai was much lusher and the Delta was a maze of canals. The tents were roomy and well set-up, with ensuite bathrooms, and you felt safe and cosy in your bed while hearing the lions roar outside at night. With that and the delicious food prepared by Kempo, we felt we were staying at a 5-star hotel, only better! Kempo’s food was excellent – tasty and varied, and it was all the more impressive for being cooked on a woodfire. I still remember the warm bread rolls, fresh out of the “oven”. Kenny and KB completed the logistics team and were really welcoming and professional. The camp was always set up when we arrived, they welcomed us with a smile, a nice chat and some warm water, and did a great job of anticipating and accommodating all our needs and wants.

The first 4 days of the safari we had the luck of having Titi as our guide. He was really knowledgeable, friendly and made sure to adapt the program of the day to our rhythm. Aside from driving around with him during the day, we also enjoyed great long conversations with him and with Gape at dinner time and around the fire. We had a great time getting to know them, learning about Botswana and talking about many different things.

Thanks to Titi, we learned a lot about the fauna and the flora of the areas we visited. Furthermore, he was very respectful of animals, he didn’t harass them and gave them their space, but we were still able to see many animals from up close. We were lucky enough to see a lion and a lioness sleeping under some bushes, only a couple of meters away, as well as a leopard, who was preparing to hunt. Thanks to his perseverance in tracking animals, we also saw a group of hyenas and another group of African wild painted dogs, both with cubs. Elephants, hippos, giraffes, buffalo, impalas, steenbok, zebras, coyotes, pumbas... and loads of birds, including the lilac breasted roller, the African jacana, the “go-away” bird… - it would be a long list if we wanted to name all the animals we saw. We did not only see animals during our drives, but also while we were at camp. We woke up to discover hyena tracks by our tents, an elephant passed by while we were having breakfast, we said our good-nights with many eyes looking at us in the dark (from a herd of zebras)…

We then switched the jeep for mokoros, and went off into the canals of the Okavango Delta with our mokoro guides, Freddy and Luke. Here we were also very lucky to have knowledgeable and friendly guides who showed us around, made sure we avoided the hippos and crocodiles and helped us discover the wonders of the Delta, by boat and on foot. It was such a calm and restful experience to glide silently on the water, in between the reeds. It was also great to be able to walk around with our guides and discover the area in a different way.

We then sadly had to part ways with the team of Xaa safaris, who dropped us off at Maun to continue our journey. We hadn’t known what to expect, as it was our first safari, but it surpassed our expectations. It was a definite luxury to have such a lovely and professional team taking care of the 4 of us and it was worth every penny. We would like to thank you all and we hope to see you again !

Raul   –  
Botswana BW
Visited: April 2024 Reviewed: May 16, 2024

Email Raul  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Excellent Xaa Safari Experience.
5/5

I embarked on a five-day journey, they picked me up from Kasene and proceeding to Savuti, where I explored rock paintings and encountered abundant birdlife and wildlife. The food, tents, and vehicles were all superb, and our ranger was an excellent storyteller. This guy receptor had a knack for humor in storytelling.

Derek WU   –  
China CN
Visited: September 2023 Reviewed: Sep 24, 2023

Email Derek WU  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

We exceeding all our expectations! We saw many aspects of Botswana’s amazing flora and fauna .
5/5

My wife and I travelled as a private tour on a 6 day tour in Okavango Delta ,starting at Maun, through Khwai Concession, Mababe Gate and Savuti National Park, the safari itself was absolutely amazing –

Xaa Safaris provided fabulous service from start to finish. After explaining what I was looking for in a safari trip, and my approximate budget, I receivedcorresponding quotation quickly. In additional, due to issues with airlines (Air Botswana temporarily canceled our flight without warning), we had to communicate with Xaa Safaris and modify the itinerary repeatedly. The owner, Mrs Nobantu, was very patient and efficient in helping us solve everything. We got a private vehicle for 6 days, Our tour guides & driver Range were patient, knowledgeable and planned each safari carefully. Range is the best safari guide we could have imagined – he has a huge knowledge on so many aspects of the safari animals and nature, and his great experience and patience in searching also for the rare animals made us see essentially almost of them!!!
We were fortunate to have spectacular views of the delta for a couple of days. Savuti National Park was magical in its own way with animals wandering past mornings and evenings elephants enjoying their happiness and tranquility by the pond. Kenny and his support team also made a lot effort, They provided us with clean and hygienic food and beverage. While we left camp and started tracking animals, they’d begun to disassemble the tents and equipment, then transported to the new campsite. When we got back to the new camping site at night, everything had been rearranged already... The tents the portable toilet, up to the bucket showers – were nice and convenient.
Our animal sightings also included many elephants, lions , cheetahs, wild dogs, impalas, hippopotamus, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest crocodiles to name a few and many different birds,, and even we saw a hyena in the evening of the last day. We exceeding all our expectations! We saw many aspects of Botswana’s amazing flora and fauna and experienced it.
Communication with Xaa Safaris was extremely friendly and efficient, without complications.

Ryan Wilkinson   –  
Canada CA
Visited: August 2023 Reviewed: Sep 6, 2023

Email Ryan Wilkinson  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Wonderful memories and experiences on well run safari
5/5

Our family (2 adults and an 8 yr old) had a wonderful 9 day safari with Xaa Safaries staring in Victoria Falls for 2 days and Botswana for 7 days. We were immediately met at the Airport and transported to an incredible lodge in Vic Falls (Pamarah Lodge) which had beautiful rooms, garden space nad excellent food. There was a little lack of detail on scheduling over the two days but this did get sorted out and I attribute this to the fact that in Zimbabwe it was an outsourced tour operator as Xaa operates in Botswana. That said our Sunset cruise, Vic Falls tour and time there in general was fantastic. On arrival in Botswana we connected with our guide and safari crew. Everyone was professional, kind and went out of their way to make our experience incredible. Our guide was very knowledgeable and engaging about wildlife adn we were able to see amazing amounts of animals including multiple leaopards, lions, wild dogs, antelope, elephants, etc. Our cook Amos was incredibly kind and engaging and prepared amazing food over the open fire. With each meal being very tasty. We completed game drives in Savuti and Moremi and overnight makoro trip in the delta, with all being incredible and memorable destinations. As noted, they were professional, generally well organized and the cost of the safari was very competitive relative to other quotes that I received in planning the trip. We would not hesitate to recommend Xaa Safaris to friends and family based on our experiences and a very big thank you to Xaa Safaris for a wonderful trip.

Yolanda Lozano   –  
Spain ES
Visited: August 2023 Reviewed: Aug 16, 2023

Email Yolanda Lozano  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Excellent service, excellent experience
5/5

Everything was excellent: organization of the tour, description, value for money, personnel (guide, main organiser, local organiser in Maun, cook, assistants during tour). The tour itself was wonderful, we saw plenty of animals, we were excellently treated, and everything exceeded our expectations.

Matthijs   –  
Netherlands NL
Visited: December 2022 Reviewed: Dec 12, 2022

Email Matthijs  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Unforgettable Chobe River Front, Savuti area and Khwai Concession mobile camping safari
5/5

This safari is one I will never forget. The Botswana scenery and wildlife we experienced in Chobe and the Khwai Concession was amazing. Everything was already green after the first rains. But we didn't have any rain during the trip at all. The green trees, bush and grass made the experience even more delightful. And we still saw huge amounts of wildlife. I really fell in love with the birdlife on this trip too. In just 4 days we saw many lions, leopards on a kill, large herds of elephants, a big variety of birds, hippos, crocs and even painted dogs! And much much more like the beautiful lechwe, many young animals too and the national bird of Botswana the corey bustard. This place is unique on earth.

Our guide, Ranger, was amazing. He really knew what he was talking about. He was a good driver which showed while navigating difficult roads carefully and his approach to wildlife. I've been on quite a few safaris and I can safely say this guy is on top of his game.

The team of Xaa also provided much better tents then I expected, which were large and airy. The addition of a private bathroom was excellent. Our chef really knew what she was doing too. She turned out lovely food in camp every single time. It's amazing how the friendly staff move this full camp and set it up in all new locations deep in the bush every time. Just jump out of the well built Toyota Land Cruiser after an amazing day on safari and grab a cold drink. Take a seat in your private camp under the Botswana sky where the Xaa team takes good care of you. You can't get a better bush experience and still enjoy comfort like this, I think.

On our last night all travel companions gathered around the campfire. We had created so many memories in only four days together, it made me feel very thankful. We shared memories and stories by the fire. Xaa means fire, so a very fitting end.

Wouter Vergeer   –  
Netherlands NL
Visited: December 2022 Reviewed: Dec 9, 2022

Email Wouter Vergeer  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Excellent and comfortable mobile camping safari
5/5

We just returned from a mobile camping safari in Chobe National Park and the Khwai Concession which borders Moremi Game Reserve and the Okavango Delta. Being one of the SafariBookings team members I have been privileged to go on quite a few safaris already but this trip was one of my best bush experiences so far. It was the beginning of the wet season but we hardly had any rain. Afternoon temperatures were quite high during the first couple of days, but we were either in the open vehicle while driving and cooled by the wind or in the camp, where we could relax and enjoy cold drinks in a glass with ice. The heat turned out to be quite doable and the nice thing about this time of year was that temperatures during the morning and evening/night time were lovely (unlike in July/August when it gets really cold at night and during the morning).

The scenery was beautiful and green and we saw so much wildlife. An abundance of antelope species, big herds of elephant and buffalo, giraffe, hippo, lion multiple times, two leopards and even four painted dogs on the last day, which was a real treat as encountering those magnificent creatures is quite rare. In addition it was the season where the migratory birds were there and the birding was spectacular. We kept track of the bird species and ended up ticking more than 110 bird species, including beautiful birds of prey and impressive looking storks and egrets. It truly felt like paradise.

Our guide, Ranger, was very knowledgeable about both the animals, birds and trees. He really made our trip. The mobile camping was a lot more comfortable than we expected. Tents were large Meru style tents in which you could comfortably stand and move around. They felt like small hotel rooms in the middle of the wilderness. What a great experience and we felt much closer to the bush when compared to staying in a lodge or a larger tented camp. The mess/lounge tent was also great and the food they served was delicious. The camp staff were great people and took care of all the camp chores, including moving the entire camp to the next location. Quite impressive.

It was a great experience which I am going to remember for a long time.

mario   –  
Botswana BW
Visited: July 2018 Reviewed: Dec 13, 2019

Email mario  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Three days Okavango Trip
5/5

Excellent organised trip, with many activities, bush walk, mokoro boat trips, as well as nice dinners

Average User Rating
4.7/5
Rating Breakdown
  • 5 star 21
  • 4 star 1
  • 3 star 0
  • 2 star 1
  • 1 star 1
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