BE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Enjoyable and affordable way to enjoy a safari in the Zambian bush
Our family of four (two adults and kids aged 15 and 12) did a 6 day safari to Kafue with Adventure Purists in August 2018.
We're not usually campers, but the high cost of accommodation in Zambia is beyond our budget, so this was the only affordable option.
Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the camping proved to be. The tents are in good condition, and having the use of a collapsible stretcher bed (which comes with a mattress) rather than sleeping on the ground makes all the difference in terms of comfort. We brought our own sleeping bags and pillows, but these can also be hired from the company (as they take up a lot of luggage space). You are expected to help with erecting and dismantling the tents, but this isn't an onerous task and the kids in particular thought that it was great fun.
The camp sites we stayed at were well laid out, with good communal bathrooms and flush toilet facilities. The bathrooms were kept clean, and there was always hot water and toilet paper available (not always a given). There's no escaping the fact that it's a nuisance to have to trek to the bathroom if you need to go to the toilet in the night, but that's the nature of camping (rather than 'glamping' with en suite bathroom facilities) and for this reason, you should be sure to pack a torch - one of the torches mounted on a headband is ideal.
The food was standard bush catering, with generous portions and some degree of choice with the picnic-style breakfasts and lunches. As the vehicle is equipped with a fridge, the staff were able to buy and store fresh meat and vegetables en route, and it was nice to see that there was very little use of canned food. The highlight was a braai (BBQ), with some of the best steak I've ever eaten. All the cooking and washing up is done by the staff.
Water and fruit juice is included in the price, but soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are for your own account, and you'll be given an opportunity to buy these before you leave town.
The driver/guide and cook were friendly, helpful and competent, and the driver was safe and cautious. The vehicle was extremely comfortable, and as it pulls a trailer (which is where the tents, catering equipment and luggage is stored), there's lots of space. The vehicle has windows that can be removed, which maximises your game viewing and photographic opportunities. There are also power sockets in the vehicle so that you can charge important items like camera batteries (be sure to bring your own chargers).
If you're considering this tour, then I would strongly recommend that you pack a selection of clothes with long sleeves and trousers. Usually you'd think that you'll only need these in the bush after sunset to minimise the risk of mosquito bites, but Kafue is tsetse fly territory, and those critters are huge, tenacious and pack a painful bite.
Finally, make the most of the experience and the memories by bringing the best camera equipment you can afford - yu won't regret it.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful!
About a month before departure we booked a 3-day/2-night safari which was budget friendly (searched through safaribookings.com, then paid a deposit through PayPal). Hilary (owner) was always available by email and definitely flexible with our requests.
We visited the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater and were able to see every animal including the elusive leopard, but unfortunately not the few rhinos (still very lucky)!
Our tour guide Johnson and partner/chef Philipo were more than accommodating and we were happy to have such a duo!
For our very first safari we could not be more pleased and would recommend this company to anyone.
Asante sana!
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience and fantastic guide
I went with 3 friends to the 5 days "Gorillas and wildlife safari tour".
Moses, our guide and driver was really amazing and super kind. We really had fun with him. We felt safe during the road trip and he provided a lot of interesting info and useful advise to us during the whole trip duration. He is incredible at spotting wildlife (lions, birds, etc...) and you can see he really wants to provide the best possible services and experience to his guests.
The trekking with Gorillas was absolutely amazing, a true once in your life experience.
The lodges in Bwindi and Queen Elisabeth National Park were really great, with stunning views over the nature.
The tour is super well organized and Gorilla Bookings is definitely a company I can recommend.
Don't hesitate, you can trust them and you will have an amazing tour!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A great tour operator that was a pleasure to deal with.
We used Safari Online to put together a mid-range Botswana trip for a group of four going to three different camps and then onto Vic Falls. We asked several operators to provide options (through this great safari bookings website) and Walter Kohrs from Safari Online was easily the most responsive and quickest to provide different but realistic options and at good prices. In the end it was a no brainer to go with Safari Online. Walter always responded to my queries quickly, with honest and valuable responses that were clear and made sense. From our perspective he tailored a good mix of places for both our budget and standard of facilities that suited us perfectly, with enough information and links to help us make our decisions. In the end each camp was different and had different aspects and strengths that made each unique. We loved it.
CZ
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very easy
We booked our holiday via Holiday Dealers, and everything went very smooth and quick. Chris came to greet us at an airport in Nairobi, in camp they already had all information. Our stay was very pleasant! I can definitely recommend this agency to others.
CH
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wow! Awesome service and a tour to match.
I was most impressed that Jako, from Discover Africa, took the time to call me to discuss what we wanted and expected from our tour. My partner had been to Botswana twice before and so I wanted to go somewhere he had not been. I had some ideas but with Jako's help we came up with a super package. The booking itself was easy, all questions were answered promptly, great communication throughout the entire procedure.
The trip itself was superb, everything we wanted, expected and a whole lot more. All pickups went to plan, the lodges were outstanding, the guides at the lodges were professional, organised and did their best to show us what we wanted. We wanted 3 completely different destinations and that's what we got. Jako's suggestions were spot on. We loved Leroo La Tau & Camp Xakanaxa. Both camps were small with amazingly friendly and genuine staff, we had great animal sightings at both and they were very different camps & locations. The whole tour exceeded our expectations.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great service ,nice arrangement,excellent sights
Everything is great,enjoy our stay in Kenya,especially our guide David,amazing,definitely recommend hom and inclusive holiday company
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Visit to Gombe Stream National Park
We spent three days and two nights at Gombe Stream National Park. It was a thrilling visit, as we got to see the Central Community of chimpanzees and hiked many trails in the park. The visit was during the dry season, so we had to hunt for the chimpanzees but viewing them was excellent with the reduced vegetation. We stayed in the lodge built for Goodall's son. It was very comfortable and close to everything. The food was wonderful, fish right from the lake. Our guide was very knowledgeable and capable. I would like to visit again. I would plan to stay at least two days to ensure seeing chimpanzees.
Experience level: 2-5 safaris
excellent knowledge and personal service
Botswana was excellent - what a safari
The travel and accomodation in SA well organised and good quality
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Custom tour that fulfilled expectation and beyond!
Professional, personal and extremely well curated according to budget. We came to Hone to Africa looking for a mid-range expense private tour of Uganda and Tanzania for 9-days. Elias put together an itinerary that enabled us to see everything we wanted and more, in an instant, with pricing that was under budget and accomodation options that were really nice and quite unique. It almost seemed too good to be true. But Home to Africa delivered even more once the safari began. Karim was our guide, an ex-history teacher and animal enthusiast, we got to know uganda better than an encyclopaedia with him. He was amazing, informative, very well organised, kept us informed of our movements and simply made the trip a joy. Elias kept in constant contact to ensure we were travelling well too. I was expecting good for the budget we had booked on, but we got AAA excellent. Highly recommended.