J. Broadbent, USA. 2015.
Little Makalolo was fantastic from start to finish.
With an adrenalin stopping intermission when I went on a bush walk with two guides, so just the three of us. Two km from the game vehicle, we watch an ostrich shoot past at full speed with a lioness hot on her tail.
After the excitement of that one thinks, uh-oh, lions hunt in a pride. We grouped together on a low termite mound and, sure enough, fifteen lions came stalking with their sights clearly on us.
Talk about heart thumping, magical and scary all rolled into one! They were stalking and hiding in the long grass, so my photos are not so good, especially as I had a wide-angle lens on for close-up work. They got to about 10 m when I looked behind to see the lioness had missed out on the ostrich and was stalking us from the rear!
As they approached closer we separated further so they could see we were not a kudu or ostrich, and they started to settle down and lose interest. Once we knew where all the pride where, we slowly moved off in the other direction to leave them. A definite highlight and enlightening and humbling to be so close and totally in the domain of an apex predator.
This was actually Cecil’s pride too, though as you know he was sadly killed a few weeks earlier by poachers.
Great to have such quality guides in those moments! A unique experience for them too.
The lodge was one of the best I have stayed at, the team where a lot of fun and nothing was too much trouble for them.
Game viewing was of a high standard with big herds of buffalo and elephant, but also a wide variety of other wildlife. I got many great photos, especially of raptors, and a rare shot of an aardwolf.
Really everything from meeting at the airport, where I literally received VIP treatment, called forward out the queue and fast-tracked through immigration; to the flight to the lodge, accommodation, food, game viewing and departure was top quality. I left Zimbabwe with many warm memories.
Pleased for you to publish this or provide something in a format you prefer.
Cheers
Regards
S Broadbent
Christie, USA. 2015.
We had such a wonderful time thank you. The service at Kilindi and Siwandu was second to none. They did everything they could to make it special for us.
The location of the Baraza was lovely, however the service was very impersonal and unhelpful at times. We wanted to have supper in our room one evening and there was a tray charge, also on our last night we requested a table outside which they weren’t able to accommodate for us. They told us that housekeeping had lost the keys to our room and so had to borrow ours, which made us feel a bit nervous at night, being quite exposed on the beachfront.
We are looking to go to South America this year and so will be in touch with your colleagues!
Very best
N Christie
Jenkinson, UK. 2015.
We had an amazing holiday – everything worked like clockwork. This was our first safari, but definitely not the last. Siwandu camp was incredible, from our hosts, the fabulous food and not forgetting the animals! Mwagusi was so much better in terms of the number and variety of animals we saw – the only downside was the food, which was very basic. Our hotel in Zanzibar was outstanding and gave us a relaxing week after the full on schedule of the safari. We both agreed that this was the best holiday we have ever had and we’ve had plenty of good ones. So a big thank you to you all at Africa Odyssey!
Best wishes
G and A Jenkinson
Tennent, USA. 2015.
Thanks for your email and we are delighted to be able to say that our trip to Tafika and Old Mondoro proved to be a great success and our best safari yet.
At Tafika we found both John and Carol Coppinger and Brian delightful hosts and the game viewing was outstanding (the most leopards we have ever seen!) but the highlight for us has to be the Chikoko walking trails where we were lucky enough to be on our own with an outstanding guide and guard who made those four days a really memorable experience. Both Tafika camp and the bushcamps on the walking trails were very comfortable and welcoming. For us, it was lovely to be in a small owner run camp where you truly felt a guest rather than simply a paying customer in a “commercial” operation. Out of 5, this has to be 5.
Having thought Tafika was the ultimate, we found that Old Mondoro even surpassed this. Everything was perfect, from the accommodation to the charming camp manager, Ryan, who ensured that everyone had an opportunity to do whatever activity they wanted, whenever it suited. A wonderfully small intimate camp that is very comfortable but still with a bush feel. Basically, all incredibly well organised with outstanding and friendly guides and, as at Tafika, fantatstic game viewing (lots of leopards again). Out of 5, this has to be 6!!
As for the future, we certainly are considering going back but this time with Remote Safaris to their North Luangwa camp followed, of course, by Old Mondoro but we will give it a year’s break. For 2016 we are considering Burma and will certainly be looking at your Asia website.
Thanks again for Ted’s advice in organising our trip to Zambia and we may well be in touch in the future.
Best wishes
J and D Tennent
S. Grossman, Switzerland. 2015.
HI there. Lake Manze I think I would give it a 4.5 out of 5. The camp was great, standard better than we had expected (it was simple but not THAT simple). Very clean and well kept. Everybody in the staff extremely service oriented and nice. The location at the border of the lake is beautiful and just the right place in a vast areas such as Selous where being near to the water means more animals. The no fence situation is well managed and we were not at all afraid even with a teenage son with us. The food was very good and plentiful – I am a vegetable lover and enjoyed the variety offered on veggies. The prices for drinks are absolutely ok. The manager couple are very good hosts which helped to get the conversation going at the dinner table. Shaun welcomes all guests every day whenever they come home from a trip, which is quite something -.
The only criticism is that we had changing guides during our four night stay (3-4 in total) which was not optimal and we would have loved a guide who would have brought a bit more to the table in terms of introducing us to the big and small wonders on the way. This could be well addressed by more training (ENGLISH!). I have to note however that we have done quite a number of safaris so far and hence have established a certain benchmark in terms of guides. The driver was a very good spotter and helped us find a lot of nice scenes. He even tried to find the wild dogs for our son although we all knew it is hopeless, but just to give it another try – and we learned a lot out of this search process about “how to find animals”.
We have already recommended the camp further and will continue to do so. It is ideal for people who put priority on game viewing and do not mind lack of luxury (although even what we had is luxury compared to residential living standards…) What we really appreciated is the early start in the morning at 6.30 for a long gameviewing tour up to 12./12.30 and again a short drive 16.30-18.30 which really gives enough time to just sit and watch and which also enabled us to explore different habitats in the vast Selous area. We had a car for ourselves for the whole time which we felt was a great asset and advantage (we have never had this so far). It allowed us to remain with “scenes” as long as we wanted and not just checkboxing the big five –
All in all a great experience for the whole family – we will return!
S Grossmann
T Canals, USA. 2015.
My apologies for the delayed response. The trip was fantastic. We thoroughly enjoyed our time on Safari and in Zanzibar, and could not have asked for a better honeymoon. My rating for the lodges would be
Machweo: 5/5 (Great dinner, view, and helpful staff)
Oliver’s Camp: 5/5 (I think this was our favorite camp. The accomodations were excellent.)
Ngorongoro Farmhouse: 4/5 (Beautiful grounds, only drawback was we had a few people try to solicit tips out of us slightly abrasively)
Alex Walker’s Syrian Camp: 4.5/5 (Amazing staff and accomodations, got a little hot during some of the days in the tents)
Ras Nungwi: 5/5 (Incredible beach views, food, and accomodations)
Let me know if I can provide any more detailed feedback, and we will certainly keep Africa Odyssey in mind for future trips that we take.
Kind Regards,
T Canals
K. Belyanchikove, UK. 2015.
Sure, I was going to drop a line anyway! First, thanks very much to Tom and your team for organising the trip and everything. The safari was amazing, better than what we expected (and compared to what I’ve seen in Namibia before for example) – got to see the river crossing, crocodiles, hippos, lots of elephants, giraffes, many many lions with cubs, cheetahs, also with cubs, and even leopard on one occasion. So, great!
I would probably give all 3 main lodges 5stars, but faru faru really stood out in terms of attention to detail, variation and quality of food and accommodation. I think we had the order in which we stayed at the lodges perfect – starting with coffee lodge for one night, which was ok, moving to SUC, which definitely had its charm in the tented setting, then the luxurious faru faru and finally the sasakwa, where you get a much bigger “house” with a dipping pool etc and more facilities, which is nice to have at the end to relax a bit more.
The only thing we would have changed is we felt maybe 3 nights at faru faru and 3 at sasakwa was a bit much – not because we got bored of safari by that point, but because it was pretty much the same safari for the entire week at the same reserve. So we saw the same prides and animals throughout the time. I think we didn’t realise just how close the two lodges were and that the entertainment was also going to overlap, for example because of that we had two nights of barbecue with local dancing show etc. There were a few little things (like we had lots of dead bugs and insects both in faru faru and sasakwa, which the staff for some reason did not pick up when cleaning) but nothing major or worth drawing much attention to.
Overall, we’d definitely recommend our trip and your company as well. I think flying on the little planes is not for the fainthearted (especially through a serious downpour!), but the quality of accommodation, service and food (and of course safari) pleasantly surprised us. It was great, thanks very much.
A. Gold, UK. 2015.
We had the most fantastic trip. Botswana was amazing and your recommendations of Kwara and Lagoon were great. We loved the fact they both had trackers and guides and we could drive off road – indeed the highlight of our holiday was waking up at 5am every morning and tracking down cats. Whilst Kwara was rustic and charming, Lagoon was luxurious and wonderful. Being next to the river to see elephants and hippos cross over whilst having a shower was a special experience.
Mozambique and Azura was incredible and having your own private pool yet being on the beach was great. The food was particularly good and our helper for the week, Pedro, was a legend. Always smiling and happy.
Ted – thanks so much for helping organise the bes trip of our lives. In particular your safari recommendations were perfect for what we were looking for. I’d recommend you to everyone.
S. Cole, UK. 2015.
Thanks for your email addressed to Julian – but as the chief holiday planner I am replying! You’ll be pleased to hear that we had a fabulous trip and everything went exactly to plan.
To summarise briefly, the two camps exceeded our expectations for different reasons. Siwandu is in a lovely location, beautifully organised, has excellent food, delightful staff and every comfort thoughtfully taken care of. Mwagusi’s location was stunning and the way the camp integrated with it’s environment was perfect. Neither camp disappointed us in any way although the food at Mwagusi was not as good ( but the dinner setting in the river bed was fun!) but we felt very relaxed and at peace there. Our guides in both places were charming and very knowledgeable.
We were amazed by all the wildlife and saw everything we hoped to see except for a leopard which eluded us despite a long search in Ruaha! Our photos and memories are brilliant!
Breezes was extremely comfortable, the food was great and it was a beautiful place to relax. We did the reef walk, snorkelled and went on the Spice Tour but sadly didn’t have time for a visit to Stonetown.
All flights thankfully went smoothly but another time I would definitely avoid the lengthy journey home (about 28 hours door to door).
We absolutely loved Tanzania (I had lived there until I was 3 years old but, of course, have no real memories) and are already planning a repeat of the safari experience, although we might consider investigating Botswana next time, just for a change.
Please give my thanks to Dave for his help and guidance in planning and booking this wonderful holiday.
Regards
T. Bertram, USA. 2015.
It was truly the trip of a lifetime. It met all of our expectations and in fact exceeded them. We wanted an atypical safari trip without a large number of people and safari vehicles everywhere and that is exactly what we experienced. It was just the three of us all day on safari and boating trips and it was very rare to see even one other safari vehicle. It was perfect! Our stay in Zanzibar was equally rewarding. All of the arrangments and accomodations were excellent and we were met and transported from every flight to our safari camps and hotels like clockwork. Words cannot really describe our experiences on this adventure. As a former wildlife biologist and an avid photographer it was nothing short of an dream come true and an incredible trip for me. My wife and daughter thoroughly enjoyed it too. It will be very hard to top this adventure. We plan to continue taking adventure trips and are thinking about taking a trip to Borneo, the Philippines or South America. I plan to check into you sister companies soon.
You did a great job helping us plan this adventure! Thank you!
Sincerely,
T Bertram & family
C. Taylor, UK. 2015.
I have been meaning to email you now that we are home, but work has taken over again 😉
We had the most incredible trip. It surpassed my expectations in every way, we got so close to the animals and all the staff we met were so friendly knowledgable and welcoming. The serian camp was great – lovely staff and our guide was the best! He went out of his way to make sure we got close to everything especially the big cats. The only minor criticism at this camp was the food – as although perfectly fine taste wise it was fully English/western food and one day they served us Yorkshire pudding!!!! We had really wanted to sample traditional African food and we were never offered this despite finding out that they made traditional food for all the Tanzanian staff so we were disappointed about that. However overall here we had a great time and it was real safari feel – the private game drives really made the difference. I would give this camp 4 out of 5 stars if had to rate it.
The second place we stayed was Bushtops. Wow what can I say!!!! This place is truly out of this world and from the moment we arrived we were treated like royalty – we felt like our honeymoon had properly started here as the place is beyond luxury! We actually loved this place so much, that having seen so much safari at the previous camp serian, we only went on one short game drive at Bushtops as wanted to relax and enjoy the environment there. I’m sure the staff thought we were mad!! But the pool, the ‘tent’ (you can’t really call it a tent but still) and the complimentary massages were divine. Bless them they even made me mojitos every day despite clearly having never heard of them!! The food here was amazing – we were offered a la carte menu and so every day we had traditional local cuisine – proper African food which was exactly what we wanted to try. We really can’t fault this place. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven!! 5 stars doesn’t even do it justice, it is the most amazing place I have ever been.
I just wanted to also thank your colleague Dave Fuller who helped organise this trip for us, over a year ago now, and before we were even engaged. He was so helpful and advised us every step of the way, even with details of what to do when our international flights were messed around with at the last minute. Found the process daunting at first as it’s such a big holiday and large amount of money to spend with so much choice of locations etc, but Dave made it seem pretty simple in the end, so please thank him.
Your company has been great and we will recommend you to others. If we can ever afford to go on safari again then we wouldn’t hesitate to use you guys again.
All our massive thanks,
C&N Taylor
C. Rutherford, UK. 2015.
We saw all the main species (huge number of animals in total) in the Serengeti except leopard and rhino. One of the best experiences was seeing a cheetah with her 2 cubs resting under a tree then we saw her recent kill (small gazelle, not eaten at all) about 50 mtrs away which one of the cubs wandered over to try to eat, soon to be helped by the mother to break into it. We were perhaps 10 mtrs from them. Plenty of the remains of other ‘kills’ in the food chain.
2 of 3 of us who went to Selous saw a leopard plus cub on the day of arrival. There were lots of giraffe and a nice family of lions including an amorous couple, cubs and more on the way etc. Once again no rhino. Of course in Siwandu we got out on the water a couple of times, very near to crocs and saw lots of hippo but if I had to chose one location it would be the Serengeti where there were just more animals in larger numbers and of course the ‘crossings’.
Both park camps were 5 star. Kimondo, being semi mobile was a little less luxurious (bucket shower etc) but very comfortable. Siwandu was more like having a large 4 star hotel room with canvas sides and a fabulous location. Staff in both were excellent. Nice surprise in Kimondo was the sunset drinks and in Siwandu the lunch on the boat and the complementary wine from Africa Odyssey (THANK YOU). I would rate Ras Nungui 4.5 stars – the lack of sea swimming and a rather tired bathroom (in our cottage) plus a small problem with room towels causing the slight downgrade.
Thank you once again for a very memorable holiday.
Best regards,
C.Rutherford
B. Tettelbach, USA. 2015.
Hi George, We’re safely back from our Tanzania trip that you helped plan. What an amazing experience that my wife and I will never forget!!! I wanted to provide you with some feedback for your edification and use with other clients:
Coastal Aviation transfers – all transfers showed up on time and were very professional. They helped remove a lot of the stress from getting from point A to point B. (although the traffic in Dar was stressful enough!!!)
Lake Manze – absolutely superb all around! Our guide and driver were wonderful and we got to know them quite well. Shaun and Melinda (Mellie) took over the camp management about a month ago. They’re from South Africa and have extensive experience managing game preserve camps throughout Africa. They are both delightful and made sure our stay was pleasant. Dinner outdoors with twin bonfires and the Masai warriors protecting us was a wonderful experience and gave us a chance to get to know Shaun and Mellie, as well as the other guests. The animals were sensational with elephants, baboons, and giraffes sauntering through our camp every day. This was the perfect camp for us!
Zanzibar Palace Hotel – what a great recommendation. The property was lovely and our room was spectacular. The food was excellent. Yelle Kraemer took over as the manager a couple of months ago. He’s from the Netherlands and was most pleasant and helpful. He bought us a beer on July 4th to celebrate our Independence Day and arranged a walking tour and spice plantation tour for us.
Pemba Eco-lodge – This was booked on our own, but was worth visiting. The lodge is reached by an hour drive from the airport to a fishing village, where you’re transported by motor boat for a 20 minute ride to the lodge beach at high tide (at low tide you can’t access the lodge directly and have to walk or take an ox-cart for 15 minutes to the lodge.) The bungalows are very spacious and are set back a bit from the beach. Activities include reef walking, snorkeling, and kayaking. My wife indulged in a massage and we visited the local village and were greeted by about 50-60 children all smiling and singing at the sight of us. For those clients wishing to really get off the grid, we strongly recommend they consider a stay at Pemba eco-lodge. The only drawback was that there was no bottled water. We had to drink the “filtered” water and both were stricken with severe bouts of diarrhea requiring medication. For those less adventurous clients, they may be better suited to a stay on the north shore of Zanzibar.
Hotel Slipway – This was a very nice hotel. We took advantage of their delicious breakfasts, the local shops, the on-premise ATM, and the on-premise grocery store. The staff was very friendly and made us feel most welcome.
In summary, we plan to return to Tanzania in the future and will definitely use Africa Odyssey to plan our trip. Many thanks for all you did to arrange a truly outstanding vacation.
Anthony, USA. 2015.
We had a tremendous time on our honeymoon and really owe Africa Odyssey a great deal of thanks. I contacted you all out of the blue to help plan this trip and you were extremely helpful from the get-go. My agent, Dave Fueller, was always very responsive and knowledgeable, and helped me plan the perfect trip for our time frame, interests, and budget. Once on the trip, we were blown away by the amazing wildlife and had smooth transfers during each leg of our journey. The hotels which we ended up using were wonderful as well. Especially the Asilia Tented amp where we had the plesure of spending 4 nights. Thanks for all your help.
Wheaton, UK. 2015.
We had a fantastic trip and all the arrangements ran smoothly – we had someone to meet us at each destination and everyone was really friendly and helpful. Thanks to Dave and colleagues for planning a really memorable honeymoon for us.
Rose, USA. 2015.
We had an extraordinary time. The trip could not have been better.
We loved Ngala Tented Camp. They were real tents, so I was happy, and they were also truly luxurious. We loved the warm atmosphere — the staff made it feel very cozy and family-style. We loved the food (in fact, we largely thought the meals were better than at Singita), and the simple style — the chalk board menus, the choice of two appetizers and entrees at each meal — matched with very high quality. We found the staff to be very genuine in their care of guests. The entire experience felt very authentic. We saw marvelous animals. The only area that could have been improved was the quality of wines included in the lodging rate — the rosé was fine, but the reds and whites were not equal to the rest of the food and atmosphere. Net, 4.5 stars out of 5.
When we left Ngala we truly wondered how another camp could be better. And then we arrived at Singita. Singita is truly breathtaking physically. The main lodge, the setting on the river, the decor. All incredible. Of course, seeing a herd of elephant in front of the lodge in the river when you arrive is quite a way to start a stay. We found everything at Singita to feel almost hyper-real — over the top, incredible, gorgeous. All of that is very good, though we also did feel in aggregate that it was a less authentic experience than at Ngala — more managed and curated rather than wild and natural. From an animal viewing experience, Singita had much larger groups of animals — probably due to the greater water availability — and was a much lusher environment. The staff attention was very detailed — we received personalized menus for our diet needs, excellent wine selections and detailed tasting notes. One important highlight of the visit was the Saturday night braai in the boma. The staff chorus performed traditional songs and dances. Perhaps because they were “amateur” performers, their pride and love of their music and heritage was incredible, and gave the evening a sense of authenticity rather than tourism. Net, 5 stars out of 5 as an overall experience, but it felt less “real” than Ngala.
We truly loved both camps, and I would (and have) highly recommended both to many friends. We have also been sharing your company’s info, so you may hear from other New Yorkers in the future. Flying between the camps was definitely the way to go — some of the other Ngala guests took vans between camps.
We thought this would be a once in a lifetime trip, but started talking about going again with our children on the second day.
Thank you so much for all your help. Your careful listening and thoughtful suggestions really resulted in the best possible itinerary for us.
Cowell, UK. 2015.
We had a fantastic holiday thank you!
All the arrangements and transfers worked very well indeed. There was one slight “lack of communication” between the Zambesi Sun Hotel and Muchenge Lodge in organising the travel arrangements the evening before. We were not sure which company was actually responsible for co-ordinating the overall transfer. This took a while to resolve and we were concerned at the time but I think the actual communication link to Muchenge Lodge was down for a while. Otherwise, the arrangements were faultless and we were handed over from one very polite and helpful courier to another.
Both Muchenge Lodge and Kwara Camp were excellent. It is difficult to fault either but I would like to give Kwara a slightly higher rating because of the game driving arrangements and quality of the guide. So, perhaps 5 star for Kwara and 41/2 star for Muchange. The friendliness, helpfulness and courtesy of the staff and the level of service was wonderful in both places.
Whilst the game viewing is not purely about numbers you might be interested to know that at Muchenge we saw a total of 17 species of animals, 42 species of birds and 2 species of reptiles. For Kwara, the corresponding numbers were 22, 40 and 1. The quality of game viewing was better at Kwara mainly because of the ability of the guides to go “off piste” in the concession and to physically track down game rather than having to stick to defined tracks in a National Park as in Muchenge/Chobe. The highlight at Muchenge was the boat trip on the river and ability to get so close to the wildlife. It is difficult to pick out a highlight for Kwara because there were so many memorable encounters with wildlife and a wonderful atmosphere.
Hope this helps and thanks again for organising a superb experience for us.
Stamatis, USA. 2015.
Quite frankly, we cannot have asked for a better experience. We put a lot faith in an organization we knew absolutely nothing about, and your company and the chosen properties performance can only be given the highest of ratings. A sincere thank you for not only providing what you said you would, but exceeding any and all expectations we had before our trip.
Rigby, UK. 2015.
The trip was absolutely fantastic-everything ran smoothly and we could not have wished for anything else
Both Lodges were superb. Little Kwara 4.5 out of 5, but the game was 5 out of 5. Lebala was 5 out of 5 but the game was 4 out of 5
We wouldn’t have changed a thing and expect to safari again (in Botswana) in the next few years
Thanks for all your help.
Holowaychuk, USA. 2015.
Good afternoon Ted,
Randy and I want to thank you so much for helping to plan our extraordinary trip to Africa. All aspects of our trip were amazing from the falls in Zambia and everything the team at Toya Leya had to offer right thru to our Garden Route drive. The accommodation you picked along the route were amazing. (Robertson Small, Rosenhof and Plettenberg Park Hotel).
We were in awe of our camps in Botswana and the wonderful staff & guides! We met other travel agents at these camps who thought our agent did a great job putting the experiences of our 3 camps together.
Wilderness was a very professional company which made all our transfers, transportation and camp experiences seamless. We were also very impressed with their attention to conservation of animals and the amount of support they give to local villages.
We found you and the staff at Africa Odyssey were prompt to answer our questions during our booking process as well as dealing with the car issue we had in CapeTown. We did however find having vouchers for the car and Garden Route hotels would have been an asset. It would have saved time for us as well as the companies we were dealing with.
Thank you again for making our trip so amazing and we will definitely be in touch for our next trip.
Blom, NL. 2015.
We indeed had a fabulous time in Botswana! It was different from all the other places we have been to in Africa so far. Our boys saw their first cheetah and that was definitely a highlight! It seems already so long ago but I will try to give you some feedback. It is hard to compare our Botswana trip with the other places we have been to in Africa because they have all been so different. The one thing that was definitely the best that we have experienced so far was the guiding/tracking in especially Lebala and Lagoon camp.
Some general remarks:
In all Kwando lodges, all meals are eaten together with all the guests and the guides. Even though most of the guests and guides are interesting people sometimes it can be hard work to make conversation. I would have preferred to also have some meals with only my own family. I liked how it was organised in Jongomero where lunches were eaten together with all guests and dinner was a family thing. Also what we really liked in Siwandu and Jongomero was the way they set up the dinner table in a different spot every night and the breakfast and lunches in the bush were lovely too. In the Kwando camps dinner and lunch were always at the same table.
The guiding in the Kwando camps we thought was excellent, especially when the tracker was really good at doing his job. Our guides and trackers in Lagoon and Lebala were very knowledgeable. The guides would strictly follow the 3 cars-at-a- view policy and that was good (but luckily there were not more then 3 cars in the concessions most of the time). Compared to our safaris in Zambia and Tanzania I think the guiding was really superb here.
The food was the same quality in all the Kwando camps, it was good but never really special.
The swimming pools were small but worked great for the boys (and for us!) to cool off.
Nxai Pan:
A good place to start our trip. The tracks we could drive were limited, no off road driving here and we had to be back in camp before dark. Our guide was Tabo. The friendly tracker Obi took us on the little nature walk in the camp and told us many things about the Bushman culture. I felt they could do more with the cultural experience.
Little Kwara:
Beautiful setting, our guide was a bit grumpy and not engaged with us (and then it is hard work to have lunch and dinner with him as well…) and the tracker was a lovely young man but he was rather unexperienced (TG and Tbone).
Lebala:
Great guide and tracker (Bali and TT). Great sense of humour, very knowledgeable. They seemed just as keen as we were to find that leopard (and we did find it!!)!
Lagoon:
This was our favourite camp! The location was great, the guide and tracker were very nice and we had some great sightings (Matt and .. ). It was great to spend our last days in Botswana with these wonderful people.
In Lagoon camp we had the family room and 1 double room. Having the additional double room was not really necessary because the family room could easily have fitted all 5 of us . The campmanager told us that this family room can be booked for 5 people. This is probably good to know for you because families can save some money this way.
Jo’burg:
On our last day we arrived in Joburg (from Kasane) around 4pm. We took the shuttle to the Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperors and checked in 1 double room to spend the time until our flight left to Amsterdam at 11.45 pm. This way we could take a shower, the boys went for a swim and we had a nice last dinner in the hotel restaurant. It would be nice if this was included in the package because it is a relaxing way to end the holiday.
Chris M, USA. 2015.
These guys are the real deal. Not only was our trip absolutely seamless from start to finish and perfectly planned, it far exceeded our expectations and those of our friends who have taken similar trips in the past. We will definitely be using them again in the future.
D Bate, UK. 2015.
Hi Ed,
We had a truly marvelous time. Thank you so much for everything.
The highlight was certainly everything Andbeyond! The Zanzibar resort was lovely too, but diving wasn’t great, so only did one day, although not too much of an issue as the resort was nice so we just relaxed.
We would be happy to use your services again and will be sure to recommend also.
Thanks,
D
Macey, Canada. 2015.
Hi Ed,
Thank you for reminding me ro write a review!! I had every intention of dropping you guys a note when we got back. With over 3500 pictures to sort through, I lost sight of it. What a wonderful vacation. I want to thank you all (especially Dave) for organizing such a fantastic, well organized, well executed trip. I couldn’t believe how smoothly things went from beginning to end. Everything happened exactly as it was outlined in our itinerary which eliminated any worry or stress around the logistics and left us with time and energy to take in the beauty and wonder of the places we saw. The trip exceeded our expectations in every way. The accommodations were perfect and the people were lovely. We enjoyed every minute.
Thank you and we would certainly recommend you to others looking to book their next great adventure.
The Maceys
Rodden, UK. 2015.
Ed – just a quick note to thank you for arranging a most fantastic holiday for us. Not only was each individual location wonderful, but the sequencing was perfect, with the safari experience starting off magnificent, rising to sensational, and terminating in unbelievable.
Did get the migration at Serian – not the full works, cos rainy season was late in, but still awesome.
Far too many highlights, but if I had to choose, was probably at Faru Faru (with the greatest guide in the world, Ray, who was clearly raised by a pride of Lions) – we tracked a pride for a couple of days – two males; three lionesses and 7 cubs, including 4 that were maybe 3 months old; getting as close to them as I am to this keyboard. Then again, the two leopards were pretty special.
And then, when we got to Mnemba and assumed that the wildlife was done with, we saw 60 baby turtles emerge from their nest, and get down into the sea.
Did I mention the three groups of cheetahs?
You get the picture
Tanzania and Tanzanians are superb.
Next on the list – Rwanda or Uganda for grillers; and Botswana
Thanks a million
Leuenberger, Switzerland. 2015.
Dear Tom
My parents are back from Africa. They had a wonderful time: saw a lot (!) of animals (even wildebeest giving birth) and the people in the lodges were very friendly and professional. They particularly liked it in the mobile camp – it was like a big family my dad said. Their guide in the Serengeti (I think his name was David) was very good and very knowledgeable. On Zanzibar they caught the sunburn of their lifes while snorkling (beginner mistake if you ask me) but they were still happy to have seen dolphins and a lot of other fish! They also visited stone town. My dad loved the small planes (my mum not so much), he even managed to sit in the cockpit on the way back from Zanzibar.
So, thank you very much Tom, everything was well organized, thought through and very well executed. There was nothing to worry about. I’ll be in touch if I finally get to go to Africa myself one day.
Best wishes,
Larissa
Kerwin/Brukoff, USA. 2015.
Ed,
We returned from Tanzania yesterday. Our two week holiday was amazing. Your recommendations were spot on. All transfers went without a hitch. We were guided by two superb guides: Albert guided us through Lake Manyara and the Ngorogoro Crater. Masha guided us in the Southern Serengeti while staying at Alex Walker’s Serian. The accommodations recommended and booked by you were perfect and each quite different from one another. Thank you for convincing us to stay with Alex Walker’s Serian tented camp. Alex provides an experience that we will never forget. Machweo provided a welcome retreat after a hard day of travel. The Coffee Plantation Lodge is beautiful. Ras Katani’s setting on the Indian Ocean could not be more beautiful and the staff more helpful. Our suite up the hill had an amazing view and was completely private. All four of the accommodations have staff that immediately made us feel at home and like a part of their family. We saw amazing animals and met other adventurous travelers who will become life-long friends. We will happily and enthusiastically recommend you and African Odyssey to our friends and family and we look forward to working with you in planning our next African adventure. Thank you!
A Kerwin and B Brukoff
Phelps, UK. 2015.
We had a great time.
The itinerary was well planned and suited our timeframe well. We were very happy with the whole experience and quality of accommodation/guides/food etc.
The one area that could be improved (but not sure what you can do about it) was having to wait at Nairobi airport for 6 hours for our flight back with BA. We were travelling business class but no lounge available and the airport was awful – seems there was no air-conditioning.
Apart from that – no problems.
Maitland, Canada. 2015.
We were very impressed with the transfers, the accommodations and the staff working at the lodges and with the email communications with Ted.
We would thoroughly recommend using Africa Odyssey and I think the message we’d want to convey is that in Africa – you shouldn’t have anything up to chance. I personally chose your site because I wanted your expertise in planing these trips and we wanted a hassle-free experience.
If you guys could have only planned the rest of our holiday!
Gruselle, UK. 2015.
We had an excellent trip – all went well on our arrival in Dar es Salaam; there is a Coastal office just outside International arrivals who were happy to transport us to the Domestic departures. I should perhaps mention that other groups on our flight from NBO were expected (the Coastal rep had a sign up for them!).
Good flight into Sand Rivers camp where we were met by the deputy manager. Camp just as wonderful as when we were last there in 2004! Great food and our 2 Guides – Joel and Hamza – were great. Did a morning walking safari with Hamza which was interesting although Game was sparse!
We knew before we left the UK that poaching had been rife in the Selous – particularly of Elephant – but we were shocked to discover that Hunting Licences are still issued by the Government – even for Ellies! We only saw them once – a small herd of 8 which rushed into dense bush as soon as our vehicle came into view. We did spot Leopard, Lion and Lioness, Warthog etc but the highlight of one game drive was WILD DOGS!!! Having spent 2 whole days chasing around Botswana looking for them a year ago we were delighted to find them on this trip.
While in Nairobi we visited the Elephant Orphanage which really is a must if your clients have a spare hour – 11am to 12 noon daily!!
L. Ford, USA. 2015.
Hi Dave, Ed and Ted
It was amazing the best experience ever!!!!
words cant describe I loved every minute of it was fabulous I didn’t want to leave 🙁
I cant thank you all enough for all the work and patience you all had with our ups and downs about being able to go!!!
I don’t have a penny to my name now but it was so worth it. I love Africa it such an wonderful place.
My birthday was so out of this world from 5am in the morning getting up to fly into the Serengeti to going to bed listen to the lions calling each other a memory that will stay with me forever. not forgot my birthday cake and all of the staff sing for me!!!!
Asilla where an amazing company second to none. Professional experienced and went more than the extra mile to make the holiday special, next job is writing a top marks Trip Advisor feedback for them!.
Is there somewhere I can send feedback for yourselves on your website. I darnt go onto it as I will be wanting to look at other trips to go back to Tanzania that I cant afford !!!!
A big thank you to u guys your the best.
