Moonstroll Vantage Expeditions
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Member Of:
- HATAB, BOGA & BTO
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $250 to $400 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
FR
Email Jennifer Jones | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Moonstroll went above and beyond to create our perfect family safari experience.
This is a small local company that managed to combine being very professional with great communication from Monametsi, with a very personal and customised approach.
We were a group of two families travelling together with teenage kids and we all had a wonderful, authentic bush experience. We were looked after by an amazing team who setup the very comfortable tents and cooked fabulous meals over a campfire. ( Somewhow Gothata managed to cook fresh bread each day and even managed to whip up a chocolate cake for my daughter's birthday!)
We had Ben as our guide who was incredibly knowledgeable about everything from birds and insects to the big five. He had great tracking skills and managed to find everything from a huge pack of lions and hyena fighting over a kill to a wild dog den with puppies, cheetah, leopard etc.
He also went above and beyond to adapt to our needs, including finding medication for one of our party and collecting one of our party a day late after her flights were delayed from Europe.
I highly recommend this company if you want to experience camping in the wilds of Botswana.
AT
Email Stefan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A perfect safari experience
I booked a safari to Moremi and Khwai with Moonstroll for me and my teenage son. Their service was absolutely perfect. Our luggage did not arrive with us, which gave us some worries because we were missing essential equipment, but Moonstroll made up for it: They took us to a supermarket and a clothes store, gave us blankets instead of our missing warm clothes, and a torch. Our guide Frank impressed us with his off-road driving skills, tracking skills and deep knowledge about any single animal and plant we encountered; he even knew the German names of many of them. The meals prepared by our cook were delicious. 100% recommendation.
CH
Email Simon | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding Camping Safari (10-Day: The Okavango Delta & Chobe Adventure Trail)
We are absolutely lucky to have booked our safari with Moonstroll. What did us led to such a good review? Oh, there were many things and I want just to mention the most outstanding events, otherwise you would need to read a whole book.
We arrived happily at the airport of Maun, not so our baggage. As our 10 days safari (10-Day: The Okavango Delta & Chobe Adventure Trail) started already early in the morning of the next day, the manager of Moonstroll (his name is Monametsi) tried to figure out where our baggage is and to get it. We were so happy to hear in the second day that our baggage has arrived at the airport, that Monametsi will get it and bring it to us. Most things for the safari were in there. What we heard that if you have not a direct flight to Maun baggage is often delayed and it is advised to haven an extra day in Maun before a tour starts.
My wife and I had four people caring for us during the camping safari.
First of all, there was Ben who was our guide and driver. We were amazed how he was able to spot even small animals from far away. Without him, we would have missed most of them. In the sand, he also read footprints of animals and we followed them. Or he listened to birds’ voices or saw them flying and knew what other animals must be close nearby. Also Ben’s driving skills on sandy slopes were exceptional.
Then there was Gothata our chef. It was miraculous what meals she prepared on the fire. We expected to get simple meals but were surprised by a big variety of tasty meals.
Finally, there were Kennedy and Gaety. The gave all support that is needed for such a safari as put-up tents, helping in the kitchen, find firewood, and lots more.
Most of the time, all four work together as one team for safaris trips. You see this as they are working hand in hand, knowing each other very well and there is relaxing atmosphere.
Also the safari infrastructure was ways better than expected. We had a tent where you could stand upright and where was enough space for the luggage. For a shower, we always got warm water. The 4x4 safari vehicle was big enough, made for rough slope conditions and granted an almost 360-degree angle view for spotting animals.
All this we enjoyed as a private tour for a really fair price. Thank you so much for all the extraordinary experiences.
Not a bad option if he is paying a guide and others satisfactory salaries. At least I would repeat!
Four of us went on an 8-day tour with 4 people to 4 people, for a total of 8 people (the number of people supporting you has to do with the amount of tips you pay). (The number of support people has to do with the amount of tips paid. Also, the psychological hurdle of sending SWIFT money to a tour company for the first time may be high. The excitement of the tour depends on the skill of the guide and the food depends on the seasoning of the cook, and we were very fortunate with our guide and cook. We were very lucky with our guide and cook, and of course with the tour company. It gets cold at night, so a warm jacket and warm pants are a must. I would also recommend having a large battery and a battery operated battery for emergencies.
Email Susan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A truly wonderful and memorable experience.
I joined my sister's and a friend's family for a 10 day camping safari across Botswana with Moonstroll safaris, and it was a truly fabulous experience. My sister did most of the organising so I can't comment too much on that aspect but they were fantastically helpful to me. I foolishly left myself a very tight transfer time in Johannesburg and missed my flight to Kasane to start the trip. Monametsi and his team went out of their way to help me catch up and join the trip a day late (after I had to take a circuitous route through Victoria Falls). They even rearranged the river cruise for me on the next day to make sure I didn't miss out.
The camping trip itself was great, with comfortable camp beds and tents and really great food, courtesy of Otata. It was quite amazing what Otata could cook up on a camp fire, including a birthday cake for my niece! All the people supporting the trip were warm and friendly, making everyone feel relaxed.
I really enjoyed being immersed within the African bush, with the sounds and smells of the animals all around you adding a certain frisson to getting up in the night for the toilet.
The game viewing itself was truly spectacular. I have been lucky enough to go on many safaris/game drives in my life and this was without doubt one of the best. My first view of wild dog as they set out for a hunting trip was a particular highlight for me. Both our guides were extremely knowledgeable, not just about the larger animals but about all of the local flora and fauna, and their love for their surroundings was evident. Ben in particular was outstanding, knowing exactly how and when to impart information and when to allow us to just sit and enjoy the sights around us. He is the best guide I have ever experienced - friendly, well organised and enthusiastic but also a calm and restful presence.
I wondered before the trip whether I would find 10 days too much, but I would quite happily have stayed for twice as long. Overall, a great experience with memories that I will treasure.
DE
Email Peter and Karin | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Simply excellent
We wanted to combine a 7-day safari from Maun to Kasane with a trip to Victoria Falls. And we had to arrange all this while already on the road elsewhere in Africa with limited access to Email and Internet. Despite that rather restricted prior communication, Moonstroll got it all arranged. They found a very good balance between prearrangements based on their experience and flexibility to adapt to our wishes.
Especially the choice of the camp sites was brilliant. Watching wild dogs chasing a waterbuck while sitting at the breakfast table at early light certain is a lot of good fate, but the prerequiste simply is, to set up the camp at such special locations.
And they gave us this team: The guide, the cook, the helping hand. We had the luck to have Elicious as our guide - always trying to give us the perfect experience. And Didi as "chef de cuisine" - we certainly did not lose weight in those days...
We wanted to see wild dogs - Elicious found a pack with puppies on our first day.
Seeing a leopard roosting up in a tree, was fascinating for us. He kept on searching until he found that one leopard in Savuti stalking a steenbock - and managed to follow it, so we were really close all the way. Since it´s not always that spectacular, it was a real bonus, that Elicious certainly is also one of the best bird experts in the region. With all those birds around, even the noon breaks turned out to be a really exciting wildlife experience.
Exploring Kruger, Etoscha and other parks in self-drive safaris really was a great experience for us.
This Moremi/Chobe tour clearly showed us, how much more you can find, if you are doing with a really dedicated and experienced guide.
So big big thanks to the team for giving us that perfect wildlife experience.
Email Mark Cowne | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Moonstroll were incredibly helpful and professional
My wife, son and I recently undertook a 15-day safari with Moonstroll. We can only recommend them and their safari team highly.
We are from Southern Africa and have spend a substantial amount of time in the bush and were looking for a real 'back to nature' camping experience in the wilds.
Moonstroll certainly delivered.
The trip was all undertaken in an open game viewing vehicle which was possibly not the most comfortable vehicle to travel hundreds of kilometers on the main roads to get to our destination but was truly excellent when we arrived at the various locations and reserves. At one point, traveling through the Makgadikgadi reserve we became quite bogged down in very soft sand and were very grateful that we did have a good, off-road focussed, 4x4 to pull us out.
Our trip started with a drive of almost 250 km to the Makgadikgadi Pans to the East of Maun. Most of it on tar roads but the last 50 km on sand tracks. We spent one night in the amazing moonscape of the dry salt pans. The annual rains were just starting and within months the pans will fill and the flamingoes return.
The following day we left early and drove to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. A very long and laborious drive of over 14 hours on bumpy, difficult sand roads through the Makgadikgadi game reserve. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to make the gate and had to camp outside the reserve. There was an immense thunderstorm. The following morning we traveled on to our actual campsite (a further 3 hours) where we spent that night. The next day we left and drove back many hours to Maun where we overnighted on our way to the Makoro camp in the swamp.
Whilst in Maun we requested a meeting with the owner of Moonstroll as our itinerary driving times were far in excess of those that were shown in our itinerary. We felt that, whilst it was wonderful to see such a lot of Botswana, we were spending most of our trip in transfers rather than in the bush. We still had the Mokoro night then 2 nights at Chobe, 2 nights at Khwai, 2 nights at Savuti and 2 nights at Moremi. We realized that, based on our experience so far we would drive a whole day to get somewhere and arrive late at night followed by a day of game driving (excellent) stay that night and leave again early the next day. It was all travel. So, we requested they change the campsite bookings (not easy for them) to give us 4 nights Savuti and 4 nights Khwai.
It was the right decision. Moonstroll made it happen and we are grateful that they did.
The balance of our trip was far more relaxed. It gave us time to be in the bush and photograph the birds and animals we came to see.
The Mokoro island night was fun and elephants came and visited us in our tented camp.
Khwai was possibly the highlight as the rains had started and the river and flood plains already filling. The animal and bird diversity and density were incredible.
Savuti was incredible in its own, drier, rockier way too.
We highly commend Ben, our amazing guide and super bird identifier, and his team, Gothata (a fabulous chef), Kennedy and Gaeti (our camp builders and helpers). Monametsi, the company owner, was great and did everything possible to accommodate our every need. They were all fantastic. We would not hesitate to go with them again. In fact, we will . . . . .
NL
Email Casper Bake | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
This tour made our 6 weeks trip
Ben, our guide , was the basis of the success. He knew all the small paths to find the animals and had many stories about there behavior. Camping in the bush was fantastic. An out of africa experience.
The top of out 6 weeks tour!
Email Hercules | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
December 2022 trip Okavango Delta amd Moremi
We travelled with Moonstroll Vantage Expeditions during December 2022. We first use them to book Makoro trip into the Okavango Delta. They soon proof to be reliable, on time and very knowlegable about the local area with friendly staff that was most hospitable. We loved their service so much we used them to take us in to the Moremi the following day as well and once again they delivered making our two days with them most memorable. Just love their work and if you looking for a great experience and affordable price you will not be disappointed.
A dream
Our experience was everything we had dreamed of.
Moonstroll was amazing and accomodating from start to finish, creating a safari that fit our needs.
Ben, our guide was super knowledgeable and taught us so much about all the wildlife. He was an experienced and talented tracker and managed to find Lions every day on our 4day safari, we even saw a leopard. Ben was great company and shared great stories around the dinner table.
The chef was super talented with all the amazing meals she could cook over the fire, the food was amazing.
I will definitely go on another safari with Moonstroll in the future and would highly recommend them.