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
US
Email Roxann | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Not truthful about the length of time from one camp to another. No sanitary hand washing facilities
The description of the length of time from one camp to another was totally inaccurate. Instead of the 3-31/2 hours it advertised, it was more like 8-10 because we were hauling a trailer with all our camping gear. We got stuck and no adequate rescue equipment had been packed. Not had any sanitary handwashing facilities been packed, resulting in 2 of us contracting norovirus and being very sick for half of the safari. Stay away from this company.
Reply from Moonstroll Vantage Expeditions
Posted on Oct 24, 2024Ordinarily we will have no problem with this review if it was given in good faith and if it reflected the true nature of events as they unfolded during our 7-Day safari with Roxann and friends in September 2024.
Norovirus
Our guests for the September 2024, 7-Day safari are three (3) elderly ladies who are retired nurses. Apparently, each one of them has a pre-existing health problem which they conveniently did not mention at the time of their quote request and consequently booking confirmation. The office came to know about these medical health problems on the first day of their safari when they were leaving for Moremi Game Reserve.
When our guide went to pick up our 3 guests from Maun Lodge in the morning on the day the safari started, the ladies told him that one of their friends was not well. She was having some stomach problems and as a result was experiencing some episodes of diarrhea. Upon learning this our guide informed the ladies that he will make strategic stops along the way to Moremi. He also told her that she is free to stop him at any time if she feels like she needs to use the "bathroom".
The first strategic stop that our guide made was at the Kaziikini Concession to allow our guest to use the bathroom facilities found in this private concession. Thereafter, they proceeded to Moremi whereupon he stopped again to allow the guest to use the bathroom facilities located at Moremi's South Gate before going all the way to their wilderness camp in the Xakanaxa area inside Moremi Game Reserve.
It is worth noting that our guest was having this stomach problem before arriving in Maun to spend the night at Maun Lodge, before we picked them up in the morning to start their safari, before reaching Moremi Game Reserve to spend the first night of their safari vacation, before reaching the Khwai Concession and before moving into Savuti. We would also like to point out that one of the ladies did not experience any stomach problems at all from the moment they were picked up from Maun Lodge to go on a wilderness camping experience in Moremi, Khwai & Savuti. Interestingly, she was eating the same meals prepared on the same pots, using the same ingredients and by the same safari chef-a chef known for her strict hygiene standards during our mobile safaris.
Can anyone therefore, without doubt, accuse Moonstroll Safaris of preparing food that was not hygienic during this 7-Day safari? Lest we forget, our entire staff did not experience diarrhea throughout the entire duration of the safari. These included the safari chef, the guide & 2 camp assistants. By the way, they were eating the same food the guests were having during the safari, prepared by the same safari chef!
Hand Sanitizers
We are also being accused of not providing hand sanitizers and as a result our guests ended up contracting the norovirus! We want to believe that our guests, BEING RETIRED NURSES, know that hand-washing is the best method to prevent norovirus. That one should use hand sanitizers in addition to washing their hands! It is in this regard therefore, that we want to point out that there is always more than enough LIQUID SOAP in all of our safaris which can be used precisely for washing your hands!
Vehicle getting stuck in thick Sands
Every mobile safari operator (luxury, mid-range or budget) knows that every safari carries the risk of tire punctures, getting stuck, mechanical breakdowns, etc. This is why we make sure that every safari vehicle is equipped with spare tyres, high-lift jacks, tow ropes, spades, etc. So, getting stuck in the thick sands and spending some time freeing the vehicle from these thick sands, is not unique to Moonstroll Safaris. It happens, although unpleasant!, to even the best of us.
Time spent moving between wilderness camps
Our itineraries give approximate driving times (i.e., if you are to drive straight from one camp to the next without stopping) between wilderness camps used during our safaris. It is very IMPORTANT to remember that you are on a safari! Therefore, the time you spend watching game, the time you spend photographing the African landscapes, marveling at the African sunrises and sunsets, enjoying your breakfast in the bush or having a picnic lunch in the bush, and stopping to stretch your legs, all add to the time you are going to take to reach your next camp during a moving day.
Thank you