Walking Stick Travel & Tours
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Tour Types:
- Budget camping tours where clients assist with camp chores
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $350 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Peter Smith | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very well organised, professional and customer focused
My wife and went on the Walking Stick Travel & Tours 11 day Safari through the Okavango, Moremi, Khwai, Savuti & Chobe in September 2022. Our contact was Philimon and all our bookings were done via email with him. We travelled in one Land Cruiser (with trailer) with the Walking Stick Team of Elliot (Guide & Driver), Joe (Chef) and Kia (general support). Everything was well organised and the Team were such great fun to be with that we were sad the trip had to come to an end after the 11 days. The meals were varied and tasty, the game drives were very informative and interesting and we saw pretty much everything except Rhino during our game drives. During the drives we saw Cheetahs hunting, a leopard with a kill that had it stolen by hyenas, lions with their kill and many other sightings. The tents were very comfortable with shower and toilet in an enclosed area out the back of the tent. Warm water was brought to us every morning for our hand basin and shower. It was a great experience to lie at night in the tent listening to the sounds of the African bush before going to sleep. Afternoon game drives were always ended with a G&T and snacks around the fire followed by dinner near the campfire. All in all it was a fantastic experience and exceeded expectations. If you want to experience the real Africa with a great team and feel safe, then don't hesitate to book with Philimon and his team at Walking Stick Travel & Tours
DE
Email Hans&Rosi | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Unforgettable days on our camping safari in Botswana with many highlights and beautiful memories
In April 2023 my wife and I were finaly able to go on the 11-day safari with Walking Stick Travel & Tours that we had already booked in 2019. Due to Covid 19, earlier travel had not been possible. Philimon had kindly held our booking until then. It is especially worth mentioning that there was no price increase in the following 3 years. Our special thanks for this!
Our journey now took us through the parks Moremi, Khwai, Savuti and Chobe. We were accompanied by a team of 3: Wago as guide and driver, Josiah as cook and KB for setting up tents and other helps. Everything was well organised and the team made our stay very pleasant with a lot of enthusiasm and helpfulness. The meals were varied and very delicious. The game drives were very informative and interesting. We profited greatly from the knowledge that Wago always knew in advance what, for example, leopards or lions were planning to do next. Once we were able to follow a leopard on its hunt for about 1 1/2 hours. All the other drivers had lost the hunt long ago. In the end, however, the hunt was unsuccessful.
On the game drives we saw nearly all the animals of Botswana. In Khwai there were the most leopards to be seen, even in the dark, because night drives are allowed there. We were able to watch a family of lions feeding on a prey for a long time.
The tents were very comfortable with shower and toilet in a separate area at the back of the tent. Hot water for our sink and shower was brought to us at any time of the day on request. It was very exciting at first and great to listen to the sounds of the night. Not seldom hyenas and jackals sneaked around our tent, sometimes very noisily.
A nice end to the day was a G&T after each afternoon game drive, followed by dinner. Around the campfire we discussed the day's events and plans for the next day.
This was now our third stay in Botswana. Once again it was a very successful stay with many exciting and adventurous moments. We can really recommend Walking Stick Travel &Tours.
ES
Email Enrique Eusebio | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An excellent and surprising safari
An excellent safari. Visiting these natural places while camping is marvelous due to the close contact with nature. The entire team has been very professional and has always been attentive to any detail. We have traveled a group of 16 friends and every afternoon when we arrived at the different camps the tents were ready, the fire lit and the Gin Tonic and the beers prepared. During the trip, the guides have always been very attentive to show us the animals and things of interest that we found. The stay in the delta and the rides in mokoros were very very pleasant. Barrier-free camps in the middle of nature provide a very surprising feeling of adventure. The journeys between the different camping areas are a bit long but they are interesting because you can constantly see different animals and landscapes. It is a highly recommended trip with this excellent organization and a very professional team.
Email Milo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A once in a lifetime trip with a few issues...
We had a 13 day tour with walking stick tours in August of 2023. Botswana itself is an incredible country with some of the friendliest people, and some of the most incredible wildlife we’d encountered anywhere. All 5 of us highly recommend a trip to the country for safari. Unfortunately our experience of walking stick tours was less stellar.
I’ll start with the good (of which there is plenty) :
- The food that Jo & team prepared for us was absolutely incredible, better than we had In restaurants elsewhere, and all cooked over an open fire! The team were always friendly and happy to help with any requests, we had beer and wine at dinner and no shortage of clean bottled water. We were really well taken care of at camp the entire 2 week trip.
- Prior to the trip communication was good and we were picked up at the airport.
- We had a great guide, Wago. He spoke very good English and had excellent knowledge of the flora & fauna of Botswana. We had a lovely time getting to know him and he got us some truly amazing wildlife sightings.
- Onto the sightings generally, we had great views of lion, leopard, cheetah, even an early morning wild dog sighting - really special.
The negatives:
- Our vehicle (named desert honey badger) was in a constant state of disrepair. We broke down several times every single day, the brakes on the car weren’t functional, and we had to veer off road at points when vehicles approached along the same stretch of road. We were repeatedly told that the car was being replaced or fixed but the issues persisted for the entire trip. This impacted our game viewing and massively impacted our travel time, by the end of the trip we were taken in an alternate vehicle, but this was far too little and much too late.
- Communication on the trip itself was poor, the issues with the vehicle and what was (or in fact wasn’t) being done was never properly communicated to us. We were misled daily about getting the vehicle repaired or replaced, but this never happened. We’ve been on safari before and know how ad-hoc things are sometimes, but this was a step beyond.
- In an attempt to make up for the constant issues with the vehicle we were offered a “complimentary” trip to Victoria falls in place of a game drive as our vehicle wasn’t functional. This was in fact not complimentary, and we paid $500+ for the day ourselves.
Since our trip we have reached out to Phillimon to open a dialogue with no intent for compensation, but we have been ignored. We absolutely loved Botswana and can’t recommend it enough as a safari destination, but we’d recommend you go with another operator instead of walking stick.
Reply from Walking Stick Travel & Tours
Posted on Oct 3, 2023Thank you for taking the time to share your good and bad experiences on your recent 13 day tour. We're sorry to hear that your visit wasn't up to your expectations. We take all feedback seriously, and we appreciate your honest feedback.
We apologize for any inconvenience or frustration you may have experienced. We also acknowledge the fact that the vehicle you were travelling in was in a constant state of disrepair.
However, the vehicle broke down once, not several times every single day. In Khwai (Day 7), the break fluid pipe had to be replaced, but the vehicle did not break down. The guide contacted headquarters in Maun to report the problem. A vehicle was then dispatched from Maun to Khwai to deliver a brand new break fluid pipe and two cans of break fluid. The repairs were done immediately at the campsite. This did not impact on any game viewing activities or travel time.
On day 11, in the Chobe National Park your vehicle broke down. In approximately 15 minutes, the vehicle following you - also our game viewing vehicle carrying 2 clients (a couple) arrived at the spot. You then joined them in their vehicle and continued your journey to Chobe Riverfront. Again, this did not impact on any game viewing activities or travel time.
You contacted me later that evening to lodge a complaint. I did apologize but you felt that an apology was not enough. You also mentioned that you did not want to travel in the same vehicle (named desert honey badger) again - even if it had been repaired. I then offered you a different vehicle to take you for a Victoria Falls day trip (still part of your 13 day itinerary), the following day, and you accepted.
Unfortunately you did not inform me that you were charged border fees and entrance fees at Victoria Falls, amounting to $500. VISAS and border fees are not included in our package prices, but I would have been more that happy to refund you the fees you paid to see the falls.
We did apologize to you in a follow up email we sent you at the end of your tour. So your attempts to open a dialogue with me have not been ignored. I also responded to this review, directly to you, on the 29th September but I have not heard from you.