Client Feedback

Read below some of the great feedback we have had from our clients!

Honeymoon—South Africa (Kruger Park) & Mauritius

Duration—15 Nights

Hi Stuart,

Sorry its taken so long to contact you! Didn’t realise how quickly time’s passed! Just wanted to thank you for a wonderful honeymoon!

Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge was amazing, the people very friendly and the service was more than 1st class. All the connections went smoothly! We saw elephants, lions, leopards, zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, wild buffaloes, rhinos, wild dogs, a macaw, kudus, impalas, springboks, etc. The Mandleve suite was simply breathtaking, we were mightily impressed. Thanks for picking that suite for us, the swimming pool and outdoor shower added to the luxury of the suite.

In Jo’burg, the Michelangelo was nice and comfortable, the attached Shopping mall was great and Nelson Mandela square was buzzing!

Belle Mare Plage in Mauritius was the ultimate experience in complete relaxation! The serenity and decor of the place was stunning, our room was huge and with an excellent view of the sea! Thanks for picking the best room for us! The staff were very friendly and we also used their free boating services!

We are extremely pleased we booked our honeymoon with you and would recommend everyone to do the same!

Thank for once again for a wonderful time. We are most grateful.

Best regards
Jenifer and Brian

South Africa – Kruger Park (Sabi Sabi), The Blue Train, Cape Town & Cape Winelands

Duration – 2 weeks

Stuart,

The trip was great! The places we stayed were beautiful and exactly what we were looking for – service was outstanding, as was the food and drink! Tanya was extremely helpful – very responsive and accommodating, which made the trip very easy.

Overall, we could not have been much happier with the experience, so thank you both!!

Best,
Ben

Botswana—Okavango Delta, Savuti/Linyanti
Zambia—Victoria Falls
Namibia—Eastern Caprivi

Duration—11 Nights

Dear Stuart,

Thanks once again for arranging such a fantastic adventure in Africa, we had a marvellous time. Your choices of locations and lodges/camps were superb. Each one offered a different atmosphere and experience. The whole trip went without a hitch and we were met promptly at every stage of the journey. The whole experience exceeded our expectations. We have really found it hard to settle back into our normal way of life.

Thank you also for all your helpful tips and advice and especially for your patience in answering all our idiot questions! Your enthusiasm and passion for Africa has certainly been inspiring.

As discussed over the phone we are happy to provide the following feedback regarding the lodges/camps:

Savute Safari Lodge
The lodge managers, Craig and Janine, were very welcoming and created a family atmosphere in the lodge. We particularly appreciated Janine giving us a bottle of wine to celebrate our special anniversary. All the staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful. A special mention must go to our guide Gwist who looked after us very well and always worked hard to enable us to experience good sightings during the game drives. He had a good sense of humour and was extremely polite.

Camp Moremi
We had our most memorable animal sightings here – lions mating and stalking buffalo, having our ‘sundowners’ next to a pride of lions. Our guide Moruti must take all the credit for ensuring we had the best sightings possible. We appreciated his keen sense of humour and professionalism, especially when the elephant did not want to let us in to the camp upon our arrival. Lance and Kirsty, the camp managers, were very pleasant hosts and we particularly found Kirsty to have a ‘bubbly’ personality. We were overwhelmed to find a celebratory bottle of wine on ice in our room, together with a note, to wish us a happy anniversary. This was a surprise as we had not mentioned anything about our anniversary to them. Kirsty’s anecdotes about camp life kept us amused as we sat around the Boma.

Xugana Island Lodge
The location was idyllic and we had a beautiful lagoon-fronted room. We particularly liked the welcome message written in leaves on the bed and also enjoyed the African bedtime stories that we found left to read upon our return at night. Lets, our guide, was excellent and very knowledgeable. He took a group of us star-gazing after dinner one evening, which proved to be fun and enlightening. We particularly enjoyed the walking safaris led by Lets. The lodge managers Lizil and Mark were very friendly and easy going. The helped create a relaxed atmosphere in the lodge.

Chobe Savanna Lodge
Once again we had an excellent river view from our room. Everyone was friendly, especially John, the assistant manager. Our guide Desmond, was excellent and very helpful. We enjoyed his humour and infectious laugh. We appreciated seeing him getting involved playing the drums when we visited the local village. The hosts, Johann and Anja made us feel very welcome and we enjoyed many an interesting chat with them. The food needs a special mention here, as we thought the selection and portions were exceptional.
We did miss the Boma to sit around after dinner.

Zambezi Sun Hotel
We feared this might be slightly disappointing and less personal after the incredible stays in the Safari Lodges. We also thought it might be too ‘touristy’ but were very pleasantly surprised to find we were mistaken. The hotel complex was spotlessly clean and we were centrally positioned overlooking the pool. The complex was much quieter than we had imagined and all the staff were efficient, friendly and helpful. We found the choice and standard of food to be excellent. It was of course ideally situated for easy exploration of Victoria Falls.

As you may have assumed, we had an amazing time, thanks to you. We hope to re-visit Africa sometime in the future. In the meantime we have some fantastic photographs to keep our treasured memories alive. Thank you so much Stuart, once again and we will definitely bring our photographs up to show you once they are sorted and mounted in albums.

Kind Regards

Joy & John

South Africa Honeymoon – Kruger Park (Sabi Sands) & Mauritius

Duration – 2 weeks

Hello Stuart,

Thanks for all you did to get us such a perfect honeymoon. I can understand your reluctance to “guarantee” a leopard siting but you were spot-on with the location – in our six days we saw five different leopards, some on several occasions and the pinacle being parked next to the tree that two of them climbed to dispute ownership of an unfortunate water buck.

Everything was phenomenal and we’re so pleased you showed us the Boulder Suite at Chitwa Chitwa despite it being out of the price range we gave you. It was worth every penny extra, I spent a good hour on the private deck just watching hippos bobbing in the watering hole which also got the giraffes, zebras, elephants and buffalos at one point or another.

Le Cannonier was also perfect.

I’m sure our photos will entice friends to look you up and we’re likely to do the same in the future. Feel free to forward this email in whole or part.

All the best and all our thanks -

Steve & Louise

Botswana—Okavango Delta, Savuti/Linyanti & Victoria Falls

Duration—10 Days

Hey guys just a quick thanks for organizing the trip of a life time. Kwetsani Camp was amazing and I loved the Mokoros. Little Vumbura was also a real treat—what an intimate camp and we really felt spoiled there, the game viewing at Little Vum was out of this world (never knew you could get so close to a leopard without being on the menu).

Well Little Vumbura only prepared us for Selinda Camp. I now believe you that Lion take down elephant in this part (didn’t actually see it myself but judging from how big the prides are—like 30 cats, they do make a fearsome army).

Absolutely loved Royal Livingstone as well, it was nice to finish off the safari 5 star style and I really enjoyed having drinks right on the mighty Zambezi River.

Thanks Again,

Dave

Tanzania—Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Zanzibar

Duration—2 Weeks

Thanks for organizing such an awesome vacation. We have totally fallen in love with Africa and cannot wait to head out on Safari again, maybe we will take your advice and visit Katavi as that seems to be the place to go. The Serenegti was everything I imagined it to be and more. Serengeti Safari Camp was fantastic and in the perfect position to view the migration, the food was excellent and we were treated like royalty.

Gibbs Farm was also an excellent option for the Crater and we were sure to arrive at the gates of the Crater at the crack of dawn—wow! what a place, I have to head back there again!

Breezes was also great and nice and relaxing after the rigours of a safari.

So just a quick thanks for everything, we really appreciate your efficiency and professionalism in organizing such a great trip. We will be in touch soon to plan next years safari.

Kind Regards,

Steve

South Africa Honeymoon – Cape Town, Western Cape, Kruger (Sabi Sands, Timbavati)

Duration – 2 weeks

Hi Stuart

Sorry I have been meaning to contact you but time just goes.

We had a fab time everywhere we went. Definitely were not ready to
come back – the trip went far too quickly.

Primi Sea Castle – the people were great especially Byron – very
entertaining and the room was great – we had a birds eye view of the
sea front (even from the jacuzzi). Food was fab in Cape Town and so
affordable paying in GBP.

Franschoek was very quaint – a really nice break in the country
side. The accommodation and food there could not be faulted. We had
the best Lamb and Creme Brulee in the world in the restaurant there.

Gomo Gomo and Elephant Plains were both excellent – we could not
believe how lucky we were with our sightings.

The Lodge at Elephant plains was outstanding – the staff at both were
great – could not be faulted.

We saw the big 5 on numerous occasions. The Rhino’s proved to be the
most elusive and then we saw three. We had some brilliant lion and
leopard sightings at both places – a pride of 6 females lions had
just arrived at Elephant Plains. We got up close and personal
(unbelievably close sometimes) with all the animals. Didnt need
binoculars much. We have enough photos to bore a small town to death.

We would definitely go back – we have recommended Africa Uncovered
and the Lodges to several people since we returned (one we know has
made contact already with you as far as we are aware).

Thanks to Tanya and to you so much for all your help and when we plan
our next trip to Africa (hopefully soon) I will be in touch. Do you
arrange trips to Mozambique?

Regards

Elaine & Andy

Tanzania—Selous Game Reserve & Zanzibar

Duration—2 Weeks

Hi Stuart,

I wanted to drop you a quite note to say “Thank you very much!” for organising our honeymoon. Caroline and I had a fantastic time and we were very lucky weather too by all accounts (not that we saw any news about the freak rains whilst out there!). I fear were going to be boring friends and family with the 600 odd photos and 2 hours of video we took though!

Thanks again,
Jonathan and Caroline

Botswana—Okavango Delta, Savuti (Linyanti Wildlife Reserve), Chobe
Zambia—Victoria Falls

Duration – 2 weeks

Hey Stuart,

Simply awesome! Everything went like clock work and the safari in Botswana was beyond our wildest dreams. On our first day we saw 2 huge male lions, cheetah, wild dog, Giraffe, Buffalo and Elephant, simply amazing and it only got better from there.

The Delta was so peaceful and scenic and you were right, the Savuti is not for the faint hearted, we saw countless elephant and a lion kill and viewing elephant from the hide just outside camp is a moment that will live long in the memory. I will send over the pics as soon as we have them developed, I think I took over 1000 photos. The Vic Falls was also a sight to behold and we got absolutely drenched in the process.

Thanks once again for your meticulous planning and having us met as soon as we were off the plane it made us feel really secure. I am now hooked on Africa and so is Clare so I will definitely be back to go see those Duba Boys that you were telling me about.

Take Care!

Matt

Honeymoon—Kenya—Masai Mara, Amboseli, Manda Bay

Duration—10 Days

Hi Stuart, we’ve had an amazing time in Kenya!
Thank you so much for arranging everything for our honeymoon in Kenya. The first night spent at the norfolk hotel was great. The next day, we were driven to wilson airport for our flight to the amboselli national park & tortillis camp. When we reached the park, we almost had to turn back as the pilot couldn’t find the airstrip due to low-lying clouds. Thankfully the clouds dissapeared after 30 minutes or so, which meant we got to see a lot of the park from the plane. Once we landed, we were picked up by our guide who turned out to be an excellent guide. We could not say enough praises for him. His name is Eric and we’d recommend him to anyone. He was the right person for us. He could understand everything we said & asked, and he cracked a few jokes every now and then which made the safari even more fun for us. On arrival at the camp we were welcomed by the owners, Bart & Mary, which I thought was kind of them to do so. Everything we needed to know about the camp was explained to us on arrival, and we felt that everyone there was friendly & informal. We received a complimentary sparkling wine to go with our dinner and we thought that was very thoughtful of them. We also had a bush breakfast & sun-downer drinks. Overall, the combination of our amazing guide, the camp staff & the numerous wild animals that we saw made our first safari very memorable.

Our second safari was is Masai Mara staying at the Governor’s Il Moran’s camp. Having spent the past 4 days in amboselli, we were very surprised at how different the landscaped were in Masai mara. On arrival at the camp, we were blown away at how pretty and green it was. The view onto the mara river was amazing. We were very impressed the first time we saw our tent. It was huge and very luxurious, and the bathroom was impressive as well! We also found a complimentary sparkling wine waiting for us in the tent at the end of one game drive. The had arranged some leaves on the bed in the shape of a heart, which was very sweet. The food here was great. We had different cuisines every day except for breakfast. I think the highlight of our stay here was when a male elephant decided to come into camp on our first night and camped right next to our tent.

Our next stop was Manda Bay. It was amazing and we had our own private little beach in front of our shack. I thought the resort looked better than in the photos, especially the shack.

Thank you again for arranging the honeymoon for us. It wouldn’t have been the same if we did it ourselves.

Regards,

Joy

Namibia—Etosha National Park, Damaraland, Swakopmund, Sossusvlei.
South Africa—Cape Town

Duration – 2.5 Weeks

Hey Stuart

Fantastic – the whole thing – just wonderful! Thank you so much for all you arranged for us, it went like a dream.

The safari with the chaps was really fun and extremely interesting. Mandy and I had a real blast and it was so great to be with
Em and Claire in the bush etc…. Really amazing – clearly words are
failing me. Just a heartfelt thankyou.

Cape Town Hollow was perfect and we all took advantage of the spa, the
shopping, the waterfront, Kirstenbosch, Camps Bay, cavendish Square, etc,
etc..

So next time I feel like an African adventure, you know where I will come. Thanks again for all your help and efficiency.

Kind regards

Angy

Tanzania Honeymoon—Tarangire National Park, Serengeti & Pemba (Zanzibar)

Duration – 2 Weeks

Stuart,

Sorry to take so long to reply. Life and work have been fairly frantic since getting back from holiday!
Just to say a big thank you for arranging such a fantastic itinerary for us. We had a really amazing time. Exactly as we wanted.

Tarangire was really special. Accommodation absolutely wonderful and excellent game driver. The park was something else. Very nice and uncrowded. Lots of wildlife. Olakira was very nice. Very different to the others. Very friendly staff. Food was really fantastic here. Friendly place with lots of meeting other people. Serengeti much busier than tarangire but still enjoyed very much.

Fundu lagoon was absolutely amazing. Exactly our cup of tea. Very luxurious. Incredibly friendly, great food, amazing diving. It was a really beautiful spot. All transfers and flights very good. We would certainly go back. Unfortunately we won’t get a chance for some time I imagine.

Thanks once again.
Jessica

South Africa—Madikwe Game Reserve, Cape Town, Western Cape Winelands & Hermanus.

Duration – 2 Weeks

Hi Stuart

Just a short note to say that the service we received from Tanya and everyone else at Africa Uncovered was truely outstanding. The arrangements were perfect and the way in which Tanya kept in touch with us was excellent. Thank you all so much for helping to make our holiday such a memorable experience.

Kind Regards
Julie

South Africa—Timbavati Reserve & Sabi Sands

Duration – 1 Week

Hi Stuart

Well, we’re back in the land of the living! We had an incredible stay from the time we set foot in Jo’burg to the time we left Durban. Suffice to say we met up with everyone we wanted to see, spent a long weekend at the Drakensburg, went motor racing at Kilarney, had two days at Hermanus with the whales but best of all were the two game lodges that you organized for us.

Gomo Gomo – well, what can Derek and I say! It was absolutely all that we hoped it would be. Simple and rustic, very aware of the eco situation plus situated perfectly by the river. Not being an enclosed camp made it an all the more interesting a place to stay. Choosing the tented accommodation was the right thing to do for the time of year. The night sounds were great, especially the hippos wondering around and plunging back into the water. One evening on our return from our game drive we found a small herd of buffalo within feet of our tent’s decking. I must say I was pleased to have the ranger with us at that point! Then there were the three elephants who decided to join us one lunch time not to forget the warthogs, buck and the birds fishing on the river. We just loved it. We had Jacques as our Ranger. He was doing his 6 months at a camp after his year at college. Very good with us all and had a terrific knowledge. Not afraid to ask Andries, our tracker, questions if he was unsure of something. Andries was also excellent and pointed out so much to us. We were so well looked after, too, by the camp staff. Believe it or not even the mosquetos didn’t bite! But then they were out of season . . . Our pick-up at the hotel and transport to Elephant Plains was well organized too.

As to the game at Gomo Gomo . . . well did, we or didn’t we see that one very special creature? YES, four different leopards. The first time I was so close to tears. It was perfect. The amount of game we saw out on the drives was staggering. The only words to describe what we saw are “totally spoilt”! We had a wonderful “soap opera” with a pride of lions! All very exciting when three young (3–4 yr olds) lions killed a buffalo – understand it was unusual their age. The Pride Lion, when he went to assert himself and take his share of the meat, was beaten up by the youngsters. We saw him literally licking his wounds! His two lionesses and 5 cubs (one, only 3 months old – two, a year old – two, eighteen months old) hadn’t fed for a long time and were all looking painfully thin. In fact when we returned home I expected to hear some of cubs had died but it didn’t happen. Anyway the lion and lionesses tried to drive off the youngsters but the cubs got in the way so again the lion was beaten off while the lionesses took the cubs out of harm’s way. It was so exciting that on our return home we had to email Gomo Gomo to find out what happened in the end!. Of course, we saw the Big Five but also lots more – masses of types of buck, there were dwarf mongooses, giraffe, warthog, eagles, hyena, vultures and a mass of wonderful coloured and very different types of birds like rollers, hornbills and franklins – you name it and we probably saw it. Our elephant encounters were very special too. There were some quite big herds at both camps and there were a lot of littlelies with them, frolicking around making utter fools of themselves. We just loved watching them. When it was time to go we just hated leaving.

Next came Elephant Plains. The vegetation here was quite different, mainly thorn trees and scrub (Gomo being maparni forest). We again saw so much game – all of the ones we saw at the other camp but with wildebeest added in. In fact, one morning we saw all the Big Five in about 3 hrs! Unbelievable. Here we saw a leopard kill up a tree and watched the leopard feed. A delicate act of balancing on a thin branch where the buck was hooked in the V of two branches. Hyena hung around for the bits that fell. Also saw five lions – all males – at a giraffe kill. Oh yes! Something else we’ve never seen, hyena pups at their den. The smallest little things, fluff balls but they still looked like miniatures of their parents despite all the excess hair. Again we left feeling we wanted more. We were so lucky as normally you don’t see as much as we did. It was exceptional and completely stunned the SA folk when we told them as even they had never had sightings of so much game, or the variety, as we had.

Regards
Moira ( and of course Derek)

South Africa—Kruger Park, Cape Town & Garden Route
Zambia—Victoria Falls

Duration – 2 Weeks

Hi Tanya

Its been a couple of weeks since we returned from Africa and we still havent gotten over the trip and keep reminding ourselves how fantastic everything was.

We wanted to thank you for all your efforts in putting togather the fantastic package and guiding us through the stay. Your responsiveness and abilty to help us thro the journey is much appreciated.

Thanks once again and we look forward to another africa trip soon

Cheers
Krishna and Anu

South Africa—Kruger Park

Hi Stuart,

We had an amazing time, South Africa is a fascinating country and the people are great. With regards to Gomo Gomo, we were not disappointed. The accommodation, staff and facilities were fantastic. There is a real personal touch to the lodge and we felt welcomed and relaxed during our stay. The game drives and bush walks were exciting and a real adventure. Just what we were looking for. I would recommend this lodge to anyone wanting to really see some animals close up and feel like they are part of the African bush. Little touches such as turning the bed down at night and chocolates on the pillow made the lodge more than just somewhere to sleep. Thanks for the recommendation and we will certainly pass it on to others!

Many thanks
Helen

Tanzania—Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, Loliondo & Serengeti

Duration—9 Nights

Hi Stuart

Everything was absolutely fantastic!

The camps were great with friendly staff, excellent food and all the comforts of home. In terms of wildlife, I think we saw everything there was to see and even a few things we’d never even heard of.

Our guide Felix was wonderful and knowledgeable.

Thanks again for everything Stuart.

June

South Africa—Kruger Park (Sabi Sabi)
Mozambique – Benguerra Island
Zambia—Victoria Falls

Duration—2 weeks

Hi Tanya,

The safari was wonderful. Thank you. We both enjoyed it very much.
The rest of the trip was great as well.
Azura is a highly recommended place, the place is beautiful and the staff is amazing.
Thanks.

Michael

Namibia—Sossusvlei, Wolwedans (NamibRand Nature Reserve), Chobe Savanna
Botswana—Okavango Delta & Savuti
Zambia—Victoria Falls

Desert Homestead, Namibia (1 night)
The resort is 350kms and about a 5 hour drive on unmade roads – a 4×4 is pretty essential – from Windhoek Airport. The drive is straightforward and well signed. Located a short distance outside the Sossusvlei National Park, the Desert Homestead has bungalow style accommodation. Food is served in the main lounge area, and although a fixed menu, was very good.

We only stayed one night, and in the morning did an early excursion with our guide, Alex, to the very impressive sand dunes of the Sossusvlei National Park. These are fabulous to see at sunrise – the contrast between the red sand and the black shadow is awe-inspiring. Later, we attempted the climb to the top of Big Daddy – at least one of our group made it! The oldest!

Wolvedans Private Camp, Namibia (2 nights)
Situated in the heart of NamibRand Nature Reserve, just south of Sossusvlei, Wolvedans was an 1.5 hour drive from Desert Homestead. The Private Camp is a fabulous site, away from the main camp and offering completely private accommodation for 2 couples. Each bedroom can be fully open to the outside, and there is something quite special about waking up to the sunrise, and seeing Oryx wander passed the room. As well as the bedrooms, Private Camp has a lounge & dining area, and kitchen, where our chef, Ursula, prepared our breakfast and dinner for the 4 of us.

The evening of our arrival we went on an afternoon safari with our guide, Charlton. The ride in an open Land-Rover took in the various wildlife, including Oryx, Springbok, Mongeese and distant Zebra. The scenery is remarkable – dunes covered in grass and mountains in the distance. At the end of the drive, we stopped to watch the sunset whilst supping a G & T! Magical.

On the first morning we had breakfast at 08:00, and then out for a safari at 09:00. Again lots of Oryx and Springboks, as well as Ostrich. There were lots of birds including a Goshawk Eagle. One amazing sight was of the nest of the Sociable Weaver Bird – the nest is a community of up to 50 birds! Lunch was in the desert – miles from anyone or anything.
A relaxing late afternoon was interupted by heavy rain – apparently the first for 21 months. Spectacular storm – but we were comfortable inside the buildings. We were then back on the road to Windhoek – 430kms and about 7 hours. As we left Wolvedans, we saw Black-backed Jackals and Bat-eared Foxes.

Xugana Lodge, Okavango Delta, Botswana (2 nights)
Located in the heart of the Okavango Delta, Xugana Lodge can only be accessed by light aircraft (40 minute flight) and then boat. The Lodge is located on the edge of Xugana Lagoon, which the outside eating area overlooks. The accommodation was once again excellent. On arrival, our guide, Lets, took us on a canoe safari, in traditional designed flat-bottomed canoes. This was a great way to see the flora and birdlife at the edge of the lagoons. After this, we were taken by power-boat to the edge of another lagoon to watch the spectacular sunset, again supping a G & T.

Arriving at the Lodge, we had time for a quick freshen up before meeting the staff and other guests at the open bar before dinner. Dinner is served at a large table on the deck that overlooks the lagoon. Food was very good – Ostrich on the first night! Our wake-up call was at 05:30, breakfast at 06:00 and then out in the boat to get to Chiefs Island for a Walking Safari. This was excellent, a great way to see wildlife. On the safari we saw lots of birds, various deer, Warthogs, Baboons and Elephants – in fact we got very close to a male Elephant! A particular highlight was getting up close to an Eagle Owl.

After lunch, a relaxing afternoon was followed by a trip to the Hippo Pool. On the ride to the pool we saw Fish Eagles and a Crocodile laying partially submerged at the rivers edge. The Hippo Pool has 6–7 families, with a family comprising between 5 and 20 Hippos. So plenty to see, lots of “hippo yawning” and splashing! – fabulous sight with the setting sun reflecting off the water. Sunset back at the edge of the Xugana Lagoon and sampled some bullrush – once correctly stripped tastes a bit like coconut milk! On our final morning, we transferred by boat to Moremi Camp – it is about 3 hours, with a changeover from one guide to another at the halfway mark. Not much to see on the first half of the ride, although we did spot a Crocodile that was too quick to be photographed!

Camp Moremi, Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana (2 nights)
Located in the eastern part of the Okavango Delta, within the Moremi Game Reserve, Camp Moremi offers both water and road based safaris. Wildlife was abundant. Accommodation and food were again excellent. Our new guide is Moretti, and he took us the next 1.5 hours to Camp Moremi. Almost immediately we set off we got a close-up of 2 young male elephants at the rivers edge. Near the camp itself is a large Stork “Nursery” – dozens of different kinds of stork – very noisy! After afternoon tea, it was out for a Road Safari in an open Land-Cruiser. Our guide was excellent, and we got to see lots of wildlife, Impalas, Baboons, Zebra and then Giraffe – what an amazingly graceful creature they are when you see them in the wild. We arrived at a recent Lion Kill – the 2 females who had killed the buffalo were laying nearby. One got up and started eating at the carcass – sticking it’s head right inside the belly of the buffalo! Gory but stunning to watch. And of course the surrounding trees were full of Vultures.

As we drove we came across a female elephant with a very young calf – Moretti estimated it at 2 weeks old! Sunset was by a large pool, surrounded by Impala and Baboons!
Before dinner, as we sat enjoying a beer, the staff choir surprised us with a few native songs and dance – a nice start to the evening! Once again the food was excellent. Our second morning was another early start and out on a Road Safari – it was very quiet to start with, our first sighting was another Giraffe. At a small watering hole we saw small Crocodiles and a family of Zebra, with a very young one. Our next sighting was Wilderbeest – such ungainly looking creatures!, then Kudu.

A radio call told us a Leopard had been spotted so we headed off in the hope of seeing it. And we did – it was sat in a tree watching distant prey. A beautiful creature and such a treat to see it close up and in the wild! Then we heard about a Cheetah nearby – we arrived just to see it disappearing, great to see but no time to photograph. On our afternoon drive we went to see if the Cheetah had returned to its kill – only to see it disappearing into the distance again! The kill itself was covered in Vultures – all 4 local sorts were there, fighting like a bunch of unruly children! A Harrier and Martial Eagle also looked on waiting to join the fray.

On the track again, saw a Leopard Turtle, and then a mother Lion with a young male and female. Then Waterbuck – a strange looking deer. Our last call was at a Hippo Pool – 30/40 hippos in the water and a couple of Crocodiles on the banks! After dinner as we walked back to our cabins, we saw a very small owl – called a Scops Owl. Our final morning saw another early start, but more wildlife this morning. Almost immediately saw 2 Giraffe, and then we spotted 2 male Lions laying near a watering hole looking at various prey!
Lots of Zebra about, and Wilderbeest. Excellent view of a Woodland Kingfisher – very pretty and colourful! After lunch we headed for the airstrip for our light aircraft flight (25 minutes) to Savute.

Savute Safari Lodge, Botswana (3 nights)
Located in the south of Chobe National Park, the Savute Safari Lodge has a viewing platform used for breakfast and brunch that overlooks a series of watering holes that attract various wildlife at differing times of the day. Evening meal is served inside. Accommodation was first class and food excellent. The Lodges we were in also overlooked the watering holes, and during the day they were regularly visited by Elephants. On the drive from the airstrip to the Lodge, we saw a large procession of Elephants heading for a watering hole – a most spectacular sight. As we watched, Elephants were approaching within a metre of the vehicle.

At tea-time, we met our guide, Qwynn. On the afternoon safari we went and saw some very old bushman paintings. Very little wildlife to be seen, but a very spectacular sunset ended the day. Sitting at the viewing platform after dinner, lots of Elephants to be seen and the roaring of Lions in the distance. Morning saw us up at 05:30, breakfast at 06:00 and then on the way by 06:30. A radio call announced that a small pack of Wild Dogs had been spotted, and so a quick drive followed to get to see these elusive animals. They are strange looking things – quite scrawny and not that threatening looking, but allegedly savage (they can and will attack Leopards). They are apparently under threat of extinction. On the rest of our drive we saw Kudu, Roan Deer and Striped Mongeese. At lunch, saw lots of Yellow Beaked Kites, and a Scorpion and small snake made an appearance on the viewing platform as well!

We travelled along an area called the Stolen River – which had been a river until about 18 years ago, when the platelets deep in the ground had moved and lifted the ground by 18 metres, causing the river to run dry. On the marsh areas we saw hordes of Zebra, Wilderbeest and Impala – the start of a migration at the beginning of the wet season. There were lots of tracks – Leopard and Lion but because the large number of prey available to them, they proved very elusive.

At dinner we were treated to another local choir. After dinner, at the viewing platform, a couple of jackals appeared but were chased off by the Elephants, and then later a male Leopard made an appearance but did not get to the water hole because of the Elephants. On the return to the Lodge, we were greeted by a pair of Porcupines on their nightly wander! Next morning, up at 05:30 as usual. Whilst getting ready for breakfast, heard and then saw 2 Lions – a male and a female that made there way across the watering hole making lots of roaring noise. A truly amazing sight! On the Safari Ride we continued to see lots of tracks, but no luck with seeing any Leopards. Again lots of Zebras and later in the day we saw our first Buffalo.

On our final morning we saw Mongeese, lots of birds and Giraffe, as well as another Eagle Owl. Then late morning, it was off to the airstrip for our 20 minute flight to Kasane, where we transferred by truck and then boat to Chobe Savannah Lodge, having gone first through Immigration back into Namibia.

Chobe Savannah Lodge, Namibia (2 nights)
Located on the banks of the Chobe River, on the Namibian side and only accessible by boat, the Lodge is a wonderfully relaxing and interesting place. The Managers at the Lodge particularly stood out for their knowledge and interest in the local environment, as well as their hospitality. The accommodation was once again excellent, and food exceptional.

As we rode along the river to the Lodge, the banks on both sides were lined with hundreds, possibly thousands of elephants – only video can give any scale to this. For 15–20 minutes as we sped along, we passed Elephants shoulder to shoulder along the banks. Apparently this only happens very occasionally and is at the start of the rainy season – when food is plentiful in the bush but there is no water. The Elephants were also swimming the river – actually swimming and using their trunks as snorkels! The Chobe River does not dry up, and varies in depth from 1 to 4 metres.

The Afternoon River Safari, led by our guide, Gibson, was a leisurely trip – but very interesting and informative, and gave us chance to see lots of birds, including the magnificent African Fish Eagle, as well as Crocodile. The Elephants by this time had all gone! We watched the sunset from the boat – with our usual G & T, and saw 8 Giraffe on the banks silhouetted by the sunset – very evocative!

On our first morning, breakfast was a more leisurely 08:00. We went on a boat trip to a local village, one of several that the Lodge has helped at some time by collecting tips from guests. It was an ordinary working village, and they are working to raise money to buy a boat and outboard engine for medical emergencies. So far they have raised enough to purchase the boat, and are now fund raising for the engine. The money comes from sale of local produce – carvings, etc and the tips given at the Lodge by guests. The guide at the village was a pleasant young man who explained a lot about the village and life in Namibia. At the end of the trip we were treated to some local songs and dances. Very interesting trip.

On the way to the village we had seen a large Crocodile – about 2.5metres long, although apparently they can grow much larger! It was laying on the bank on top of its nest, and so was not moving far. On the Afternoon River Safari we saw a number of Crocodiles, but the highlight was seeing a Fish Eagle take a big fish from the river – it just flew across, dipped down and carried on with a fish in its talons. We then headed up river and saw a number of Hippos, and then further up a large herd of Buffalo. Again there were lots of Elephants about, but not like the previous afternoon! Another spectacular sunset rounded off the trip.
At breakfast the next morning, we were called down to the boat jetty – there were Hippos out of the water on the opposite bank – the first we had seen! What a way to end our visit to Chobe Savannah Lodge, and our Safari Holiday! And so off to Victoria Falls.

On the boat ride back to Kasane we saw more Elephants and Crocodiles.

Thanks

Andrea, Tony, Carol & Martin