I. Machin 15th – 25th February
Hi Dave
We had a wonderful trip to South Africa despite the weather being against us.
Tuningi Safari Lodge in Madikwe – a great place, all the rangers and staff were very good
Cape Town – everything went exactly to plan
Cape Cadogan Hotel is very good and has a very nice restaurant.
Sulieman from Wilderness Touring is very good – he has been guiding in Cape Town for 18 years and everybody seemed
to know him.
He was punctual and knew exactly which order to visit the attractions to get the most out of it.
The weather was perfect for Table Mountain so great views.
Franschhoek – again all went to plan
Country House Hotel is very good and also has a very good restaurant.
Thank you so much for organising the trip for us – we shall certainly bear your company in mind should we wish to do a similar trip in the future.
And will also recommend you to our friends.
Kind regards.
K. Vorontsova 11th – 18th February
Hi Sam,
Overall, the trip was amazing. Very well organised, lodges were great. Laba Laba has an exceptional customer service. Our guide James from Laba Laba was fantastic. We’ve seen all the animals. They made our stay really special.
Thank you very much for organising it so well!
I. Etheridge 6th – 13th February
Hi Dave,
We had a terrific holiday with some great sightings.
Both the Central and Southern Serengeti delivered an unforgettable holiday. The change between the two was a great suggestion.
It was a shame that the middle flight from Seronera to Ndutu did not happen and so that road journey was an experience that some guests may have found too arduous, but it worked out better for us than many others in the camps.
In terms of game viewing, we very much got into the migratory herds and had many great sightings across the board.
In terms of highlights:-
- Caracal on two occasions walking along the road passing the vehicle at 2 metres in broad daylight and full visibility.
- On the last day a pride of 22 lions, 12 lions and 4 lions making that 38 lion for the day
- Two lions mating (which is apparently unusual to see)
- Three Cheetah immediately after killing a zebra
- Fantastic close sightings of elephants
- Leopard two days running.
- A Grants Gazelle take its first steps
- We had two full days on the Ngorogoro and Serongeti Plains where we encountered wall to wall Wildebeest and ZebraIn terms of photos and videos we are not the greatest photographers, but have about a 1000 to sort through and so may be some time!!Thank you for everything you did, the camps and overall experience have been ten out of ten.
P. Pavlidou 5th – 15th February
Hello Ted
Yes, we are back
As mentioned we had a really wonderful time
The program was quite demanding ( departing almost every day at 04:30 and walking long distances in the forest or the bais and the swamp, kayaking , night drives and boat safari) Really enjoyed it as the environment is unique
Not many big animals, really have to look for them.
The experience with gorillas was amazing but photography very difficult as they are very active and not allowed to get very close
Humid, hot and lots of insects (some of them impressive in color and shape)
The lodges are beautiful and different to each other. The rooms authentic and nice aesthetics providing all necessary comforts,
The most impressive thing (apart from the environment) that made the difference was the vast knowledge of the guides that up lifted the experience to a different level. The same guide accompanies you to all the lodges
We were lucky to get the head of guides Josh, who has been in Congo for two years and is leaving the place the next two months to go back to South Africa
The logistics excellent with no delays , we felt safe and taken good care of
Apart from Africa you are developing also in other destinations? I would be interested in Galapagos if you have any suggestions.
J. Glenn 2nd – 17th February
Hi Dave,
Thank you so much for planning such a fabulous trip. We were fortunate to have good weather the entire trip.
First, I want to mention how much I appreciate the representatives who met us and guided us through customs and to our drivers. My husband gets anxious when traveling in unfamiliar areas so it takes a lot of pressure off of me when we are met by local representatives.
The Palacina hotel in Nairobi was very charming and the staff were friendly and helpful. The driver was nice enough and took us to a lovely lunch spot after visiting the giraffe center, Kobe tough beads and leather and the Karen Blixen Museum.
We loved Lewa Safari camp. Collins and Linda were very present and manage a very well run camp. The food was delicious, we especially enjoyed lunch by the pool watching the many beautiful birds. Our guide, Mike was knowledgeable and capable.
Tortilis camp was also lovely although not as tightly run as Lewa. I got my best picture here – with an iPhone no less, of a big tusker elephant in front of Kilimanjaro. I’ll send it to you. Both Elewana camps prepared a special breakfast in the bush one morning and a cocktail party with a view one evening which were both just lovely. We had a very magical last day because we saw a mama leopard with 3 large babies lazing in the sun about dusk. After having a turn to watch and photograph them, Patrick parked under a tree with a view of Kilimanjaro and poured us each a glass of wine.
We loved Ubuntu and our guide, Festo, was a bundle of energy and fun. Although the food at Ubuntu is not nearly as good as the 2 Elewana camps, it was our favorite camp. We loved the bonfires and group dinners every night which provided the opportunity to meet and get to know other travelers and camp staff. We were fortunate to be there for a birthday party which was one of the highlights of the trip. It was an energy filled festivity in which most of the staff (maybe all of the staff) participated.
The great migration was just starting and I could not believe all the zebras and wildebeests! Also, the Serengeti is so massive and beautiful.
Thanks again for planning this wonderful adventure for us. FYI. I did recommend Africa Odyssey to several travelers we met on the trip.
J. Scobie 31st January – 12th February
Thanks Sam we had a brilliant trip, everything went very well and my mum loved it.
Many thanks.
C. Wang 30th January – 7th February
Hi Dave,
It was an incredibly amazing trip, everything ran so smoothly and we were well looked after by the guides and staff from different lodges.
Upon arrival at Karibu, we received a warm welcome from Kevin and a detailed briefing was given later on. Karibu is one of my favourite incity accommodations, it’s surrounded by lush gardens, attracting many different species of birds, guests would never get bored while sitting in the garden.
For the chimps trek in Kibale, visitors were a little more than what I expected. Chimps were slightly more active on the ground during the morning’s trek. The property, Primate Lodge was at prime location of the park, which was wonderful. Besides, I personally liked the open and natural setup of the main area！
The Golden Monkey trek is particularly a bonus to us (many thanks for your recommendation!). Similar body size to Chinese snub-nosed monkeys, these monkeys are charming and photogenic. The gorilla trek in Mgahinga was awesomeas well, we saw 3 silverbacks in close distance.
Back to Bwindi, we finally met Nkuringo family (14 gorillas). The family has 2 silverbacks and they both are the sons of Rafiki. Another family we saw is called Posho, a big family of 17, including several adorable babies just above 1-year old.
Overall the trip is exceptional and we do enjoy every minute of it. Thanks much for the arrangement.
C. Fleming 10th – 16th January
Sam,
The safari was amazing! Well done! Asilia is a total class act. Highlands was great and then olakira was even better thanks to the staff. Happy to share more when we get home. Probably the best hospitality experience either of has had. They sang and danced for us at dinner to celebrate! Made hand- made cards! And the guides were both first class.
After two days on the beach in Zanzibar we head home tonight – a great honeymoon vacation!
C. Marhsall 10th – 31st January
Hi Sam,
Thanks for the email.
NO holiday blues here and lots of amazing memories.
The holiday delivered on just about every level and was really excellent.
Every piece was in place from your side of things.
Some feedback for you:
If we accept that safari camps must be judged on both inside and outside the camp, then RRA Dinare has to come first. The animal sightings were crazy, including:
*The wild dogs I was passionate about seeing
*Four cheetah brothers hunting together
*A huge pack of lions hunting giraffe
*A honey badger
We also had the camp to ourself which was lovely and Mark/Mike were great guides.
Lagoon would come last of the three, owing to the worst animal sightings. It is probably the best run camp and the nicest food. The lady who runs it is excellent (Bonnie). Not sure about 6 people in a truck though.
Four Rivers would come in the middle. Great animal sightings, including leopard and hyena as requested. Food sketchier than the other two. Lovely guide Clifford.
Overall it was an awesome safari experience, even better in animal sightings than the Masai Mara. The camps may be a notch down from Kitcheche but they are very nice.
The weather was wild and big and enjoyable. We saw bits of everything. The landscape was very green and we had no trouble seeing the game, including a pair of aardwolves.
The helicopter trip was a huge hit. Sara’s surprise/excitement was a joy to see.
All the little flights were fun and efficient.
Zimbabwe was almost rained off. We loved the guides who drove us around and the hotel was great. They upgraded us to the presidential villa which was amazing. Sadly we did not make the Zambezi river trip as it was too wet. The Falls were great though.
Namibia was wonderful. The self-drive on gravel roads may not be for everyone. We enjoyed it once we worked out how to start the car. Perhaps we could have spoken about getting a manual car. Still it was exciting albeit long. We made it through the scary pass and enjoyed apple pie in Solitaire (a great memory).
Namib Outpost was amazing. What a place. Very few guests which again was nice. Wonderful outing to the dunes and Big Daddy. Great guide Jason and great waiting staff. Sleeping outdoors was a great memory.
AsDunas was lovely. So well run and organised. Had it to ourselves for the last few days. Great staff. Nice food. Beach is good and interesting. Local town looks pretty drab.
The hotel in Joburg was fine.
Menzies was quite helpful. South Africa very easy to get in and out of.
I think you arranged us a trip we will never forget and that has to be good value for money.
Thank you, Sam.
I have some ideas for 2026 but Sara will kill me if I start talking about them now!