Safari Specialists take pride in creating extraordinary safaris throughout Botswana and beyond. Read what our travellers have to say about their safari experiences in 2025 — their stories are the best testament to the care, knowledge, and passion we bring to every journey.

August 2025

Jermaine – Moela, Sango, Chobe Elephant Camp

I loved my experiences at all three camps, but Moela was my favourite.  It greatly exceeded my expectations and I had a strong emotional connection to the place.  It helped that zebras are probably my favourite animal and we saw thousands and thousands, and I had extra long game drives with no other guests in the vehicle.  I’m tremendously thankful to Lister, Kevin and the entire staff there.  The rewilding history of that property made it more gratifying for me to see so many animals there.  Besides the huge herds of zebra and other plains game and huge elephant bulls, my favourite sighting there were two large eagle owls (I told Lister I had never seen owls and he found some that same day!).

My experience at Sango was also tremendous and exceeded my expectations.  I was not prepared for how beautiful that area is.  In my 3 days there, I saw lions feeding on a domestic dog in the village at night, lions chasing buffalo, lions on a zebra kill with a hyena on the scene, cheetah brothers two separate days, hyenas and cubs at their den, a wild dog pack with their 8 puppies (my favourite sighting there!), and a leopard on a warthog kill.  I even saw two wattled cranes, which I really wanted to see.  I must emphasize how incredibly good the food is at Bush Ways properties!  Sango and Chobe Elephant Lodge had some of the best food I ever tasted!

My time at Chobe was also amazing.  I saw lions and leopards.  An unsuspecting leopard stumbled upon us on foot while we were having lunch in the park by the river.  It was a tense moment but unforgettable.  My favorite sighting there was seeing so many giraffes up close, which is one of my favourite animals.  Chobe Elephant Lodge is significantly bigger than Sango and Moela, and I realized I very clearly prefer smaller lodges/camps.  The customer service doesn’t quite have the personal touch of the other two places although still excellent.

July 2025

Deborah and Catherine – Planet Baobab, Oddballs, Mma Tsebe, Chobe Elephant Camp – It was UNBELIEVABLE! 

TT, we really had the best time, everything was perfect, the camps, the organization, the people. We wanted to stay for much longer!!

I think the itinerary that way was perfect, as opposed to the very initial planning which would have started at Chobe and ended at Planet Baobab. This way, we got to do the walking safaris first and then we couldn’t wait to see the animals from much closer when we got to Mma Tsebe camp. This camp was our highlight by the way, special thanks to our guide Major, he really did such a great job, he was wonderful. All the guides were perfect too, of course.

We did have a slight inconvenience-I had 300 US dollars in cash which I intended to use for tips, but there were some points I left the cash unattended in my bag and when I went to tip the staff and the guide: my cash was gone there is no way to know when I lost/had stolen the money. I know I shouldn’t have left my wallet unattended of course, but I just wanted to let you know so that in the future these things don’t happen again.

Anyways, this didn’t ruin our safari, we still had an amazing time, we are so lucky to have experienced all of this and we are recommending Botswana to everyone we know in Luxembourg!!

Kelly and Robert – Victoria Falls Hotel, Chobe Game Lodge, Savute Safari Lodge, Camp Moremi, Leroo La Tau – Our hopes and dreams were met and then some.

Hi Erica! We have returned home safely and had an experience of a lifetime. Thank you for all your help and for the little gifts we were given by your representative at the airport. The entire experience was flawless. Our hand was held every step of the way and we are beyond impressed with what a well oiled machine is in place. It’s truly a triumph that this kind experience is possible given all the logistics.

Arjun & Colleen – Camp Kalahari, Camp Moremi, Savute Safari Lodge, Ilala Lodge – I appreciate you making the effort to personally welcome us to Botswana!

Hi TT, thanks for arranging a wonderful trip. We thoroughly enjoyed each area and truly experienced  the contrast of the various regions – Okavango Delta vs Makgadikgadi Salt Pans vs Savuti!!  The highlight was seeing the  wild dogs hunt and the Marsh pride!!! Seeing the Marsh pride has been on my “bucket list”.

The hospitality in all the camps was excellent and so was the food and room. Colleen had a great birthday – she enjoyed the cake both at Savuti and then at Vic falls!!!

Once again, thanks for setting this amazing trip for us!!!

June 2025

Kelly, David, Madeleine & Damien – Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Chobe Bakwena, Moremi Crossings, Pom Pom – The only thing I would change about this place would have been to add an extra day to Pom Pom!

Thank you Bronwyn for crafting such a wonderful safari for us!  We are just now coming down from the high of our safari. We had such high expectations and the safari met and exceeded those expectations! Although we read quite a bit and watched several documentaries, we really had no idea what to expect. Now that we have done our first safari, I think we understand things a bit more and would actually change very little. That said, I did want to provide you with a few of our thoughts.

First, I loved the start at Vic Falls Safari Lodge. We really needed those couple days to relax/adjust to the time zone. We enjoyed the falls and appreciated staying outside of town where we could see a bit of nature.

Chobe Bakwena was probably the nicest place we stayed — although not my favourite (see below), but we loved this lodge. I could see that driving to the park would get tiresome if you were here for a long time, however it didn’t bother us. The lodge is beautiful and the food was amazing! I really think this was a good way to start the safari.

Then we moved to Moremi Crossing. Overall, we loved it but this would be the one thing I would maybe change in the future. First, since they can only take small planes into Moremi Crossing, we had a pretty long flight in a small plane. Both the kids got sick which made the ride a bit tough although they felt better within a few minutes of landing. We were over that quickly but I think the bigger issue was the camp is actually much larger than we expected. They apparently use the old Gunn’s camp for extra space for groups so they cater to large groups. When we were there, they had one group of 18 departing and another group coming in. This is in addition to ‘regular’ guests like us. It definitely changed the feel of the camp in comparison to Bakwena and later Pom Pom. That said, we really like the setting, the team and the sightings we had there.

Finally we stayed at Pom Pom which we all agreed was by far our favourite! I loved the small size, the lagoon was amazing, the staff was wonderful, the food delicious, etc. We had great sightings everywhere but here we had lions, leopards with cubs, and the dogs in addition to so much more. I know they are planning to rebuild the camp soon and I can’t imagine why – it is perfect as it is! And, they have a big runway! We were all so happy to see the big Mack Air plane when we had to leave Pom Pom.

Sabine and Bernhard – Camp Moremi and Savute Safari Lodge 

We had incredible wildlife sightings with plenty predators. Thank you to Nadine and the SS team for the organization, all went beautifully smooth (again!).

Patrick – Little Vumbura, Savuti Camp, Chitabe – Thank you again for opening the wonderfully wild side of Botswana to me.

Hi Erica! I can’t easily describe what an amazing experience this has been so far. I absolutely look forward to chatting with you detail regarding my amazing safari experience!

Chiara and Mustafa – Selinda Explorers, Setari Camp, Letaka Safaris Northern Highlights, Thamalakane River Lodge – as travellers and as professionals in the tourism industry, the service provided by Safari Specialists was excellent,

As we had the chance to tell Lorato in person, we are absolutely thrilled with our experience in Botswana and completely satisfied with the services provided by Safari Specialists.

Regarding the accommodation, I can confirm that we truly loved Selinda Explorers, both in terms of the wildlife sightings and the overall level of service. The attention and care we received from the entire team throughout our stay was outstanding, and the culinary experience was worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant. At Selinda, we had some of the best sightings of the entire trip: we spent two and a half hours with a stunning female leopard, observed a pride of lions feasting on a hippo for several consecutive days, and during our last game drive, we were lucky enough to come across a small pack of wild dogs. Also unforgettable was the brunch organized in the middle of the bush, overlooking elephants drinking at a waterhole. Our guide (Stitch) was always very accommodating and flexible with the schedule, allowing us to spend plenty of time observing the animals. This was also possible because we were the only guests for 2 out of the 4 nights and always had private game drives.

Setari Camp is definitely simpler and more low-key, but we appreciated the comfort of the tent and the overall convivial atmosphere during meals, so it turned out to be the perfect match with Selinda, especially considering the different landscape and the water-based activities. The close encounters with wild dogs on two consecutive days, including their spectacular river crossing just a few meters in front of us, made our stay truly special. The only aspect we appreciated less was the guiding service, and we were a bit disappointed by the “cultural tour” of the village on Jedibe Island, which was just a short 10-minute walk through the village with very minimal explanations from the mokoro poler. The guide did not accompany us during this “cultural tour,” and in general, during the boat excursions, explanations were quite limited, often just naming animals or birds without further context. One exception was the nature walk, which we did on the camp’s island, where we received more in-depth explanations, especially about the flora.

The mobile camping week with Letaka Safaris was excellent. We greatly appreciated the over twenty years of experience of Benjamin, our guide, as well as the outstanding work of the entire camp team, who took impeccable care of us, especially considering the challenges of operating in the middle of nature. The sightings were less spectacular compared to the previous week, and in general, the experiences with animals were a bit less “intimate” since there were often several other vehicles present, both in Moremi and Mababe. Of course, we were aware that Moremi would be more crowded, as it’s accessible to self-drivers, but honestly, we expected less “traffic” in Mababe. In terms of wildlife, Mababe fell a bit short of our expectations, although we did enjoy several encounters with the resident wild dog pack, including seeing their den and pups. Our impressions of Moremi and Mababe are no doubt influenced by the fact that during the first week we were fortunate to have incredible sightings within private reserves, experienced almost entirely on our own, so it’s all very subjective. And we are also well aware that the trip was structured in the best possible way based on the fixed dates of the mobile camping and the remaining availability of the camps during our time frame, so we understand that arranging the mobile camping first and then the private concession experience was not an option. Regardless of the sightings, we loved the mobile camping without internet and with a stronger connection to nature.

Thamalakane River Lodge was a good stopover before our return flight, and we appreciated the comfort of the room and the kindness and helpfulness of all the staff. One thing to note: the rondavels have an upper portion of the facade that is partially open, so the room temperature during the colder winter months is really chilly, especially at night and early in the morning. We would have preferred a fully enclosed and warmer room, especially after the camping week, even if it meant giving up the pleasant location outside town. However, in warmer seasons, I think Thamalakane River Lodge is perfect to start or end a trip in Botswana.

In conclusion, we are extremely happy and satisfied with our trip. I truly appreciated all your suggestions and guidance during the planning phase, which clearly reflect your extensive experience in Botswana, your direct knowledge of the region, and your evident professionalism.

Regina and Suzi – Chongwe River Camp, Kafunta River Lodge, Toka Leya Camp

Everything went smoothly all the time and all the way. Not once an issue with a flight or a connection. Every single one of them was on time. All lodges and their staff were great. Even though it was the eve of Susi’s birthday, Chongwe River Camp brought out a birthday cake for Susi and they sang and danced for her. One of the waiters even came up with a slick ruse to make sure that I had my cell phone on me to record everything. (He had promised to share a recipe with me and declared it would be best if he typed it into my phone. 😂) Almost the same procedure at Kafunta on Susi’s actual birthday.

Toka Leya was great, right next to the entrance to the national park (fun fact, our room was closer to the ranger station / picnic area of the park than the main area of the lodge) and I also preferred that Toka Leya is doing the boat cruises downstream where it gets very calm and one can approach the animals closely just by floating slowly. We had a wonderful time with the rhinos, the rangers were willing to let us stay a bit longer. Four rhinos were lying in a circle on the ground and he made a comment about maybe seeing them get up and sure enough, one after the other got up, so that after a while we had five rhinos standing and walking around in front of us. Yes, five. Unbeknownst to us, there was a juvenile in the middle of that circle. It was actually to first one to get up and nudge its mom as it wanted to nurse. A great sighting!  I really enjoyed the Royal Livingstone Express train. I just have a thing for trains and to be transported into a long-gone era was great. The time on the bridge was rather short, I’m guessing due to the fact that we were there close to winter solstice, so the sun was just about to set when we got there. Afterwards, the train pulled off the bridge and stopped more or less in the middle of nowhere between the bridge and Livingstone. That’s where we had the dinner which was excellent.

To summarize: It was another wonderful African safari. No safari is ever alike and this one was special by the low animal density (in Mosi-oa-Tunya as well), but it was likewise special as we had a great number of absolutely spectacular sightings: that calm elephant bull so very close by, looking into the throat of a crocodile where I was amazed about my own courage (how close I was willing to be, albeit on the boat, but still…), the cats, swifts in their nest along the Chongwe River. Or the wild dogs that we saw, but most others didn’t. A pack of 14 was hiding / relaxing in a huge bush and it just so happened that our car was ideally positioned when 7 of them made an appearance and we actually did get to see them! I have also never seen as many water monitor lizards as on this trip, including two making babies. 😉

As for the lodges, they were all great and I couldn’t pick a favourite. I know the staff are all very hospitable towards all their guests and treat them like royalty, but it really did feel like they managed to top that and go above and beyond to accommodate us.

We would both like to thank you very much for putting this safari together for us. It goes without saying that without you, we wouldn’t have these lovely memories now.

Frank, Nikki, Woods, Sue, Lloyd, Trinka, Pam & Mary – Victoria Falls Hotel, Savuti Camp (WS), Chitabe Main, Kanana, Duba Explorers – picking a favourite is a pointless exercise, all created great memories. 

Thank you for arranging our trip. Everything came off like clockwork, just as you had planned.

Victoria Falls – The visit here was terrific.  I was expecting mist, and got a “downpour” instead, but it was fine. The experience was well worth getting a drenching. Both guides (Lucky & Keegan) were terrific and, in my opinion, seeing both sides was absolutely worth it. I would only suggest that you tell people to expect huge volumes of water pouring down on them so they should wear flip-flops or other shoes that will dry quickly. I wore a pair of shoes that took days to dry, and I hadn’t packed accordingly.

The Victoria Falls Hotel itself was very comfortable and very well run. The restaurants were quite good, the bar and lounge had an excellent selection of South African wines and other spirits, and the staff was efficient and very police. As a bonus to a lingual moron such as myself, everyone spoke impeccable English. Of course, that turned out to be true for the entire trip.

Transfer to Kasane, Botswana Airport – This went very smoothly and was incredibly easy. The drivers on each side of the border were knowledgeable, well-practiced, and did a great job. At first, I was confused by the fact that we were being transferred by car since there obviously is an airport in Vic Falls. However, after running through the complications in my mind of the international transfer / flight cost / lost time at airport, it all made sense.  I should mention that all flights on Wilderness Air and Mack Air were great.

Wilderness Savuti Camp – We were greeted at the airport by our guides, Pro and Kevin. Both proved to be very able. As just one example, immediately after being picked up, they took us to see the first lions of the trip. The camp itself was very comfortable, the food was terrific, and staff very professional.Savuti had the largest herds – most elephants, most hippos, most of almost everything. That was my favourite part of this camp – the sheer numbers of animals.

Chitabe –  I was surprised by how luxurious it was. Not that it’s a bad thing, but it was very “resort” like. No complaints, just a surprise. Again the guides were great. We saw the most interesting animal encounters here, such as a leopard in a tree after a kill, hyenas feasting on a kill they had taken from lions, a cheetah chasing a steenbok, and the like. Remarkable sightings. That was the best part of this camp.

Kanana – This camp was my personal favourite. It had the right balance of comfort, great staff, terrific food, and sightings. We took a “safari walk” here, which was a great experience. We saw few animals (I think that was planned) but learned a lot about tracking, habits, habitat, and the like. Truly a wonderful experience.

Duba Explorers Camp – This camp was the most primitive. The water in the shower was the colour of pond water, there was no elevated walk-way between tents, the accommodations were the oldest, there were minor problems/ issues. All of that didn’t matter. The staff were so warm and welcoming that all of the minor issues faded from view. Plus, they found us rhinos. That was the only camp to do so.

May 2025

Keith & Steve – Nxai Pan, Deception Valley Lodge, Xaro Lodge, Karangoma, Mma Tsebe, Savute Under Canvas, Chobe Elephant Camp, Pioneers Vic Falls – Explore with Safari Specialists. You will not be disappointed!

Erica and her team are first-class. I would not hesitate in recommending her for tailor-made trips to Botswana’s parks and highlights. I ask a lot of questions before deciding on matters. Nothing was too much trouble. Erica answered them all fully and helpfully before I embarked on this 24-day trip. Her knowledge of the country and its accommodation is first-class and we enjoyed a varied diet of lodges, ranging from the relatively luxurious (why would you go all that way to see animals and yet just get pampered in a too-luxurious place?) to a basic mobile camp (which turned out to be one of the best experiences of the trip!).

Monty, Christine, Kathleen, Janice, James – Splash, Rra Dinare, Lagoon, Chobe Savanna Safari Feedback – Thanks for everything we had a great time in Botswana.

From Monty – Erica, I just wanted to send you a quick thank you for all your help with our recent trip to Botswana. It worked out really well and is certainly one of the trips of my life, the lodges were all amazing and the staff incredible.
I also wanted to thank you for helping to arrange for my Tiger Fish flies to get to me, I really appreciated it. The fishing didn’t turn out to be that great but I had nice morning on the river giving it a go.

From Janice – Guiding was best at Lagoon with Spencer and Six and such a pretty spot on the water, Rra Dinare was very well managed  and we found it wild and charming, (most of our party chose either Lagoon or Dinare as fav camps) and at Splash we had some great sightings although we found TJ to be a bit unpredictable in his interactions with us  (at times friendly and nice other times abrupt – but he was very knowledgeable and we had an excellent friendly  tracker here Gammes which made up for it). We also liked Chobe Savannah – lovely grounds and staff, but I have to say that the (Namibian) visa thing would put us off recommending the camp.

I really liked the lodges and was happy with the Kwando concessions and wildlife- very good value. Very good food as well. Personally I do not like to have to dine with the guides all the time as especially when you are in a family group one is not able to visit with your group- focus being on the guide. I like the focus on safari/ getting out early and staying  out longer if we wanted.

Another point of interest.  I expected cold but it was even colder than I thought. It wouldn’t put me off but others we ran into were not prepared at all !

Lisa – Moremi Crossing Safari Feedback – What a wonderful place, the people were kind and made everything special. 

Nicky, we are safely home and thinking longingly of our wonderful trip your beautiful country. Thank you again for all you did to make our trip so wonderful, everything went off without a hitch and we had a great time at Moremi Crossing! What a wonderful place, the people were kind and made everything special. Thank you for everything!

Lynn and James – Setari, Shangana Mobile Camping in Moremi, Khwai and Savute, Chobe Bakwena, Pioneers Vic Falls Safari Feedback – we still miss the smell of the wild sage and basil early in the mornings…

Thank you Bronwyn. we had a fantastic ‘trip of a lifetime’.  We couldn’t be happier with your recommendations for different locations and the experiences we had at each.  We still miss the smell of the wild sage and basil early in the mornings while driving through the fields and watching the animals at sunsets.  Our favourite experience was the mobile camping as you are out with the animals night and day.  We can’t say enough good things about our guide Master.  We asked all kinds of questions on plants, animal behaviour, bird calls, birds, animals, local culture, medicinal plants and he was willing to tell us about his knowledge from experiences with bushmen. His tracking and finding animals was amazing. He knew everything we asked and was a wealth of knowledge.  We received the recipe for the seed crackers from Shangana and Lynn is working on our 2nd batch as I write this.  Thanks again for getting it for us.

As far as our (keto) dietary requirements, Setari wasn’t expecting it, but made it work after a day, Mobile camping was great, Bakwena had no idea of our diet and tried, and the boat cruise had one menu and had no options to change it.  We do want to say the team on our mobile camping made our anniversary very special, so we would like to recognize that.

Victoria Falls was amazing along with the elephant encounter and the helicopter ride.  We were able to spend the late morning on the Zimbabwe side of the falls, and then walked to the Zambia side and spent the afternoon there.  That was capped to a nice meal at the overlook café.  All the Wild Horizons pickup and drop offs went great.  We were glad we finished up there vs. starting there.

Our favourite experience was having an elephant charge us at Setari (we were safe in the boat and the elephant was in the reeds), but certainly enjoyed the big cats (lions, leopard, and cheetah), and the wild dogs.  We saw packs of 5, 12, and 13 and got to see their social behaviour waking up to go on a hunt.  We even followed them on a hunt until they got in the heavy brush.

All our transfers and communications about the times went great, so thank you for doing a good job! Thanks again for working with us for almost two years, but we got it done and had a memorable trip.

Catherine, Darrin (x2), Halie, Andrew – Delta Camp, MmaTsebe, Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge, Chobe Elephant Camp, Palm River Hotel Safari Feedback – The Botswana people were so kind, friendly and welcoming! 

Thank you! Thank you Nicky! This was by far the best family vacation I’ve ever had and the trip far exceeded my very high expectations!

We enjoyed the schedule you planned for us. The lodges were perfect and logistics between each were simple and efficient.

Some of us loved Delta Camp the best while the others loved Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge the best. MmaTsebe was a close second favourite for each of us knowing that Chobe Elephant Camp didn’t get a fair evaluation since our stay there was so short…  In all we really had the best times at each camp/lodge.  The accommodation level was perfect for us – not too rustic, nor too luxurious.  The animals we saw – amazing – we even saw a leopard at Chobe! The food… incredible! The Botswana people were so kind, friendly and welcoming!

I really do hope to visit your beautiful country again! I will definitely recommend Safari Specialists when I am asked about our trip. Thank you for the best trip!

April 2025

Katie & Gillian – Kanana, Xugana Safari Feedback  – both of the camps were absolutely wonderful, but we truly fell in love with Kanana. 

Bronwyn, thank you, we had the most wonderful time.

Both of the camps were absolutely wonderful, but we truly fell in love with Kanana and Xugana was amazing, the camp was beautiful, we had it almost to ourselves.

All the transfers worked perfectly. No rhinos, but everything else we saw was magnificent. Hopefully we will visit again one day soon

Gaby, Andrea, John, Stefanie  – self drive and fly in safari: York Lodge, Lodge at the Ancient City, Romelda, Big Cave Camp, Banff Lodge, Somalisa Camp, Zambezi Expeditions, Kanga Camp Safari Feedback – all in all we’ve had a great holiday!

Nicky, a big THANK YOU to you for organizing this trip for us. We’ve had a fabulous time and thoroughly enjoyed our time in Zimbabwe. Most of the itinerary worked absolutely perfect, except the car pick up by Europcar in Bulawayo, which you’ve already resolved (not your error), thank you.

The only lodge we were not happy with was the Lodge at the Ancient City. It had a desolate feel to it. It is quite run down. The York Lodge in Harare is a great place to stay. Romelda was nice, but unfortunately we were quite unlucky with the weather there (2 days of rainfall almost around the clock). The African Bush Camps (Somalisa, Zambezi Expeditions and Kanga) are just great, the people are so friendly and caring, and the service they provide is outstanding.

So, all in all we’ve had a great holiday 🙂

March 2025 

Aurelia, Joshua & Asta – Maun Waterfront, Mma Dinare, Chobe Elephant Camp, Phezulu Guest Lodge – We absolutely loved our trip! Africa was amazing, and I can see why people want to keep going back. We plan to! 

Everything on the trip went off without a hitch and Botswana was the highlight of our trip. I left a piece of my heart there. The people are just so open and welcoming. I have never experienced that same friendliness elsewhere, and I’ve been to quite a few places.

Can I tell you that we absolutely LOVED Mma Dinare! The staff there were amazing. Our guide was so wonderful, we really connected with Edwin. The food was incredible, we loved our little tent, and it truly felt like family for the 3 nights we were there. That camp was the true highlight. I would highly recommend the private concession experience to future guests because of the ability to go off-road and get closer to the animals. The limit of 3 vehicles was always respected, and I appreciated that as well, you wouldn’t want 8 – 10 vehicles surrounding the animals, it doesn’t feel right. I also appreciated that Kwando works with the local community, and they have a community grant structure through the land lease to Kwando, which helps support their livelihoods. It seems to work, and the locals who work at the camp seem to approve/ buy into the idea of the structure because it creates economic growth for communities while preserving lands for wildlife.

We also loved seeing Chobe, our guide was fantastic, it was just a different experience because we didn’t do the off-roading like we could in a private concession. But the park is MASSIVE. It’s exceptional in that regard because of the size of the herds here. We had great sightings there, and we were very lucky all around to have gone to both camps. What enhanced our experience was that we met another family at Chobe Elephant Camp that we recognized from Rra Dinare (we met them when our vehicles were side by side, they had a child the same age as ours) and we were able to tour with them on one of the days. We opted for a river tour together and saw a lot of hippos.

Victoria Falls – our lodge was wonderful! We did the guided tour of Vic Falls natural area, and we got so wet. It was incredible how powerful the falls were! My daughter did not appreciate it as much, she was near tears by the end. So much for natural wonders with a kid!

Thank you so so so much again Erica. We had a magnificent time and have created life-long memories.

Raphaëlle & Robert – Tau Pan, Rra Dinare, 4 Rivers, Lagoon, Muchenje Safari Lodge, Ilala Lodge, Verney’s Camp – The staff at each camp were all courteous, smiling, and genuinely wanted us to have the best experience.

We had a wonderful time in Botswana and Zimbabwe. It was definitely the place where we saw the most animals in Southern Africa. As you know, we’ve been on many safaris before my Dad and I, so we feel very lucky to have had so many encounters.

Each camp were great and had something unique but our 2 favourite camps were 4 Rivers and Verney’s: 4Rivers Camp is the newest camp I believe, and it shows. The food was great, with a lot of variety for lunch, which we really appreciated. The rooms were extra clean, and we had the opportunity to stay in the family room, which was a big plus!  Verney’s, which we know is not part of Kwando, was also one of our favourite places. At this camp, we truly felt immersed in nature. It definitely had the best view of all the camps . Our tent was right in front of the waterhole. There weren’t many tourists there; we were only 4 or 6 in total, which created a calm atmosphere and a deeper connection to the bush.

One of the highlights of the trip was the people we met.  The guides (and trackers at Kwando) were always professional and knowledgeable — we remember each guide and tracker we had!!  Also, the Kwando rule of not having too many vehicles at the same sighting was a game changer for us. They informed us about the rule of a maximum of three vehicles, and we really liked this approach — even though most of the time, we were the only vehicle. I guess that’s one of the big advantages of coming during the green season 🙂  Weather was good- a bit cool in Tau pan but nothing else to say. We had 2 episodes of rain but only for an hour or so.

The only thing we would do differently if we were to go again would be to alternate between Kwando camps and other camps. The reason is that, while we enjoy being with others and connecting, we didn’t realize that all meals would be in a single table setting, with everyone eating together all the time for lunch and dinner. Don’t get us wrong — it was nice — but we would have appreciated the option of having a separate table for lunch or dinner once in a while. We didn’t notice it as much during our stay, but we noticed it more when we arrived at llala Lodge and Verney’s and while discussing our trip upon return.

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you very much for organizing this trip, Erica. We really appreciated your advice and the planning of the entire journey. Everything was very well organized. We will definitely recommend you to others! 🙂

Victoria & Sam – Ilala Lodge, Mma Dinare, Kwara Safari Feedback –  we saw so much within our first 24 hours in the Okavango, overall 4 leopards, 4 cheetahs, 3 lions and cubs and many elephants!

Thank you Erica, we had a fabulous time on our trip and the safari was fantastic. We would love to do it again, perhaps in the winter season to see the contrast with the green season!

The sightings at Mma Dinare were exceptional – we saw so much within our first 24 hours, overall 4 leopards, 4 cheetahs, 3 lions and cubs and many elephants! Kwara game viewing was slightly slower but we had some fabulous lion cub sightings, lion/lionesses and leopard. In a way, having to work harder to see the animals makes it even more exciting when you do!!  The accommodation at both camps was also exceptional – the fan was a little annoying in the tent hitting the mosquito net, but this issue was only minor. All the staff were excellent and gave us gifts for our honeymoon and surprised us with private dinners in our tents.

Thank you for all your advice and help with the trip. You and the team were excellent and hopefully we will be back booking with you for another safari soon!

Laura & Scott – Kadizora, Kanana, Camp Kalahari Safari Feedback – Botswana definitely stole my heart.

We’ve been back from Botswana for a few days now and I miss it terribly! We had a fabulous trip. Everything went so smoothly.

Kadizora – Great place to start with but definitely glad it didn’t follow Kanana or Kalahari because it would have been a let down. The main areas are nicely furnished, food was good, however, the tents could definitely use some love. There were some gaps where bugs got in (friends we made stayed in the luxury tent and seemed to have a similar experience). Mosquito net would have been tremendously helpful…. Our guide, Navas, was super impressive at tracking and we were able to do both the mokoro and boat ride AND we saw an aardwolf!!

Kanana – Renovations were gorgeous,  I had no idea the entire camp would be brand new. The staff had a great attention to detail – we were so moved during one of the dinners that we were nearly in tears. We loved our guide, Cautious. The rooms were beautiful and had wildlife right at our window (literally). Would definitely use Ker and Downey again – this was our favourite camp.

Camp Kalahari – Generally well-structured camp, the rooms were simple but classic and well-kept (no bugs!) and they had a nice attention to detail. They recognized our anniversary with a private dinner on our last night which was really lovely. Our guide, Dee, was also incredibly smart and a great tracker – also cool to meet a woman in the field. And the meerkats definitely met or exceeded my expectations. The stars in the pan were like nothing I’ve ever seen.

My husband might need some convincing but I’m already thinking about how we can make our way back next year! Thanks for your help Erica in putting the trip together and suggesting Kanana. Botswana definitely stole my heart.

Jane – Moela, Pom Pom Safari Feedback – the pan opposite baobabs was stunning

Moela is stunning property – I loved it and the staff were so nice. David, the owner, is a real character with lots of ideas for conservation.  As you mentioned, due to weather the zebra hadn’t come as close as Moela. I was taken to Nxai pan twice where we found a few hundred zebra! The pan opposite baobabs was stunning. It was 3 hours each way so not for the faint hearted. The San tribe morning was great – collected, cooked and ate a beetle, tried to make ostrich egg beads AND I even tried to rescue a vulture! Sadly he was taken to the vets but died.

Pom Pom was spectacular – scenery beautiful as so lush. I had 8 leopard sightings in the 4 days and met some lovely people too.

Kathy, Wayne, Carmen & Don – Rra Dinare, Kwara, Ngoma Safari Lodge, Old Drift Victoria Falls Safari Feedback – Safari Specialists did an excellent job, we saw a total of 43 lions and hundreds of elephants!

TT, it was great meeting you in person in Maun, we  had an absolutely amazing time! Safari Specialists did an outstanding job with our plans and trip. It was so easy transferring from one camp to another and every transfer was on time!

We saw a total of 43 lions and hundreds of elephants (my favourite, especially those with babies). Giraffes and zebras were beautiful as well. And, all the baboons, very entertaining.

We loved all of the camps and each had their own experiences to offer. The guides and trackers were fantastic and all of the staff at each camp were so friendly and fun! We loved the singing and dancing the workers would do for us at dinner. And, all of the food was wonderful! There’s not one meal that we were not happy with. I think we all ate too much!!

At Rra Dinare, Edwin the guide was quite entertaining and had a great fun personality (he liked to photo bomb some of our pictures….LOL). Play was a great tracker as well! They even put flowers and champagne in our room for our 47th wedding anniversary. What a nice surprise!  I think the camp we found the most entertaining was at Kwara with Mr. T as our Guide and Mike as our tracker. Mr. T loved taking the Land Cruisers through the woods, running over bushes and small trees to find certain animals. It was definitely fun!

Victoria Falls was beautiful and the Old Drift “tents” were so comfortable and it was nice having individual pools. Our guide, Pressure, was very good and did a great job taking us on the tour of Victoria Falls. The next day we took a helicopter ride over the Falls. Expensive for 12 minutes but beautiful.

Safari Specialists did an excellent job for us and I’d definitely recommend them to anyone thinking about traveling to Botswana and Zimbabwe. Everything worked out perfectly. Thanks so much and maybe one day we will return!

Annika and Niklas – Ilala Lodge, Chobe Elephant Camp, Letaka Mobile Safari, Thamalakane River Lodge Safari Feedback – We have to come back, it was soooo awesome.

We want to say a BIG THANK YOU to you! Everybody was very kind, everything was so beautiful!
We had an amazing first time in Africa and will never forget this trip. It was PERFECT and we are soooo happy. You are an organisation talent, thank you so much. We felt in love with Botswana and we had so much luck.
We have to come back, it was soooo awesome. You cannot imagine how much we appreciate this trip. Thank you, Erica!

February 2025

Chris – Moremi Crossing, 4 Rivers Safari Feedback – I doubt this will be the last you have heard from me!

Just wanted to say thanks so much Nadine for your help in arranging my trip. I had a great time and saw (almost) everything I wanted to. Highlight was the wild dog on my very last morning. The lodges were great (though way and above my needs!) and all the staff were so friendly. Thanks to Totho for meeting me at the airport – super helpful. Maun has obviously changed considerably since my last visit and I hope to arrange another trip, as there are two things I would have loved to have seen in the delta area – leopard and a chameleon!!! I doubt this will be the last you have heard from me!

Ruth, Eilin & Aileen – Savute Safari Lodge, 4 Rivers, Lagoon Safari Feedback – Thank you for organizing a wonderful safari…again! 

Hi Nadine! Thank you for organizing a wonderful safari…again!  A selection of photos from our safari (@ruth.wildlife) and feedback:

Savute Safari Lodge, Savute – I would stay here again and recommend it to others.

• Accommodation – everything was clean, well maintained and decorated, and clearly recently upgraded. Fantastic all around, both the main area, dining, and tents.
• Guide – Conrad is easily one of the best safari guides I’ve ever had. He was so professional, educated, and proactive about appealing to everyone’s interests – birds, flora and fauna, among other wildlife.
• Service – Staff is well trained, professional, exude confidence, and interact well with guests. They were able to socialize with us with meaningful conversations. You can see they’ve been very well trained.

4Rivers, Okavango Delta – I would stay here again and recommend it to others but manage their expectations.

• Accommodation – Wonderful, I love the big open rooms. The walk to the rooms can be long but we were in the first two tents closest to the main area.
• Guide – We really enjoyed our guide Clifford and tracker, James. They work well together as a team. We really enjoyed the mokoro ride and the picnic lunch was a nice surprise.
• Service – There is a clear difference in quality of service between 4 Rivers and Savute, the Kwando staff are not as polished in their service – too many people standing around watching, and when you ask a question (which direction is sunset, what time is dinner, when is the curio shop open), they often did not have an answer.   The bathrooms in the main area were not cleaned frequently enough given the number of guests.

Lagoon, Linyanti – this camp has so much potential because of its location and wide open space, the guides and game viewing are great – big cats, wild dogs, and birdlife, but I would not stay here again unless there is a significant remodel and update, it needs a lot of TLC

• Accommodation – the tents were run down rooms, no decoration, looked like just random pieces of furniture thrown together, really lacking in storage and organization – no hooks to hang towels or clothes, limited number of shelves yet so much wasted and unused space. The water in the bathrooms was smelly and the safe had to be replaced.
• Food – Overall food did not look particularly appetizing like Savute and 4Rivers, breakfast and lunch were good enough.
• Service – I feel that Kwando staff are well intended – they want to do the right thing but have not been trained properly in hospitality. They lack confidence and professionalism.
• Guide – George was an excellent guide, along with our tracker, John. We tracked wild dogs for three game drives and had a blast. They were on a mission and taught us a lot along the way.

As a side note – Kwando did address many of these concerns, adding additional hooks and luggage racks and acknowledging that, as an older camp, Lagoon receives regular maintenance and refurbishment and may not compare favourably when paired with two relatively new/ or recently upgraded camps (4 Rivers and Savute Safari Lodge).

 December 2024/January 2025 

Nicole – Nxai Pan, Gomoti Plains, Camp Moremi, Savute Safari Lodge, Ngoma Safari Lodge Safari Feedback – Everything worked perfectly and the people and places … well again… perfect!

Thanks for your email. It was an amazing trip! Everything worked perfectly and the people and places … well again… perfect! I already left a review on google about your agency. You did a fantastic job and it was really worth every $$. I will definitely recommend your agency to everyone who is thinking about going to Botswana!  Here are some cute animal images I took on my Botswana trip:-)

Nick & Eta – Mashatu

Bronwyn, just got back to Washington.  Had a nice stay although LOT of rain so missed a couple of game drives and some were in the rain ; we got moved out of Tuli Safari Lodge after one night as management were concerned that the Limpopo would break its banks and flood the camp, though we really liked this camp. We spent one night in Euphorbia which was a nice experience although neither of us would elect to stay there — no sense of the African bush.  Eta liked Mashatu; I was less enthusiastic and frankly prefer the delta.

Zuzana & Martin – Pioneers Vic Falls, Ngoma Safari Lodge, Rra Dinare – This was truly a trip we will never forget and hope to come back one day to Botswana again.

We want to express our sincere thanks for the trip that you organized for us. The places we stayed in were all amazing, welcoming and beautiful. Pioneers Victoria Falls was even better than expected based on the pictures and your advice with the smaller boat on Zambezi was also the right choice. Ngoma Safari Lodge in Chobe our absolute favourite with a knowledgeable guide and the lodge’s attention to details in all parts of their operation made us feel like being at home.

I also wanted to say that although Rra Dinare is a simpler camp, we really liked this camp, its layout, the raised deck and the comfortable tent with the view and night concert of frogs, in an absolutely beautiful area! We felt safe there and didn’t miss any fence, quite the opposite, enjoyed the different smaller animals taking shelter around and on top of our tent. What has perhaps put it to the last on our list of three places we stayed at, is the food. When we arrived, there was a group of 8 people who we were sharing the dinner table with, so I wouldn’t say the camp was full.  There was quite little main course meat per person and some guests were left with bits and pieces. There was no refill of the main course, just plenty of sides. Same thing happened earlier for afternoon snack, no sandwiches left for us who came last. Once the big group left, the amount of food was sufficient but not with a big variety especially for breakfast.  Although I also have to add that they made lactose free cake alternatives specifically for me, that I appreciated very much.

This was truly a trip we will never forget and hope to come back one day to Botswana again.

Thomas  – Jock Safari Lodge, Kruger – our ranger did a great job, we could take incredible pictures and capture the fantastic wildlife experience.

Bronwyn, our stay at Jock Safari Lodge and all the game drives were a unique and unforgettable experience. It was raining almost every day, which made the beautiful landscape looking like the garden of Eden., i.e., greener than green. Of course sometimes it was rather challenging the find the animals in the high grass, but our ranger did a great job. We could take incredible pictures and capture the fantastic wildlife experience.

However on our departure day it was heavily raining non-stop, already during the night. We left the lodge on time to the Skukuza Airport, however, about 6 km before the airport the river and the only access bridge were completely flooded!  We had to return to the lodge and extend our stay by one more day. The flight back to Cape Town was automatically re-booked to the next day and the extra night was covered by our travel insurance. But this extra day made our stay and experience even more memorable.

Thank you again for all the arrangements and we will be happy to return to you if we plan to repeat the safari experience or travel to your region.

Amelia & Matt – Pioneers Vic Falls, Chobe Elephant Camp, Pom Pom, Splash Safari Feedback – It was truly one of the best experiences of our lives!

Hi Erica, We’ve been back for a while now and are still thinking and talking about what an amazing experience we had in Africa. Thank you SO MUCH for all of your support throughout the process and for planning such an amazing trip for us. It was truly one of the best experiences of our lives! We hope to come back as soon as we can.  Sending our best wishes for 2025 and much gratitude!

Cameron & Julianne – Machaba, Karangoma, Chobe Elephant Camp Safari Feedback – We had great sightings in every location, though most consistent and plentiful in Chobe

Thanks, Bronwyn! We had a fantastic time, and several times commented on how smoothly everything was organized. Everything was seamless, on time, and totally easy to manage. Whether that is you or the camps, or all of you working together, it was impressive!  Each camp had its strengths. We had great sightings in every location, though most consistent and plentiful in Chobe. My favourite guides were at Chobe and Karangoma (and special praise for those guys because of the difficult circumstances of a new area they were learning, plus the rainy season – we saw the fewest animals at Karangoma, but I thought the landscape was the most beautiful of all the locations and I appreciated the guides using all their skills to track the animals).

For the camps themselves, I think our consensus was that Machaba was our favourite, though for me Karangoma was a close second – they have a few growing pains to work out as a new camp, but I really enjoyed the aesthetic and the raised wooden flooring, which felt less tent-like, and I really enjoyed the helicopter ride there. Machaba was beautiful, they upgraded us to huge family tents, and it is more mature in its operations and details, like providing a kids’ activity pack for my son and nice water bottles for everyone.

Chobe Elephant Camp as a camp was probably my least favourite; the rooms were nice, but far from the lodge. We had a couple logistics issues. One, although there was a strong wifi signal in the public areas, when we asked for the password, we were told the wifi wasn’t working. Two, I blew the emergency horn one night several times when I was bitten by a millipede (luckily as it turned out, the non-poisonous kind, but at the time I wasn’t so sure!) and no one responded. It was a stormy night, but Julianne and my son even went to the lodge seeking help and there was no one around. That didn’t feel so safe. That said, Chobe was still a pleasant stay! And all three of the camps had great food and kind people.

And again…SO well-organized it really made the trip very easy. I have already recommended people travel to Botswana and will certainly send them your way.

Anais & Jose Honeymoon – Shongwe Oasis, Somalisa, Ngoma Safari Lodge, Lagoon, Splash, Atzaro Okavango Safari Feedback – thank you for crafting such a special honeymoon safari for us, it surpassed all expectations.

Once again Erica, thank you for crafting such a special honeymoon safari for us, it surpassed all expectations and we were already expecting the best trip of our lives! We are already fantasizing about our next safari with you and Botswana! We had so many highlights but here are some of the ones that are top of mind for me right now:

Shongwe Oasis, Victoria Falls

The sunset cruise, it ended up feeling like a safari which was unexpected! Dusty Road restaurant for some local food. Obviously, seeing the falls up close in the national park

Somalisa Camp, Hwange

Plane landing surrounded by elephants on the airstrip. Lions under our tent and seeing them around camp on the first day. Our guide, Bheki, wonderful person. Walking safari and getting close to a bull elephant. Waterhole viewing hut surrounded by elephants

Far away savannah to see a big lion pride and large wildebeest herd. Surprise private dinner on the last night. A black mamba sighting. Overall service of the staff, everyone was wonderful and made us feel at home

Ngoma Safari Lodge, Chobe

The food was incredible at Ngoma, the rooms very comfortable too. They also surprised us on the second day with champagne and treats. Boat safari, got to see about 200 elephants coming to the river. Short but exciting wild dog hunt on the last morning

Lagoon Camp, Linyanti

Loved the lodge and how wild it felt, the sound of hippos so close was exciting as well as seeing them come out at sunset to graze. We could spot so many animals just from the room’s deck. The density of wildlife here was incredible, the best of the whole trip. Huge herds of antelope everywhere we looked. Predators were elusive at first but we got to see a large hyena hunting at night for a quick second and tracked a leopard which we got to follow for about an hour and gave us some of the best pictures of the trip. Fishing and cooking our catch for dinner

Splash, Okavango Delta 

Wild dog chase for about 7 minutes and 3km, the most memorable encounter of the trip! The plane ride arriving here crossing the wild landscape. Mokoro excursion. Landscapes of the Delta in general, so beautiful out there

Atzaro, Okavango Delta 

Our guide, Mighty, was an incredible tracker. Managed to track, leopard, cheetah, and lion pretty much all in one day. We learned so much from him. The game driving off-roading was very fun too, amazing that we never got stuck. The room was above and beyond any expectation. The service (especially Percy) was the best we’ve ever experienced at any hotel. Spa treatment at the hotel and private dinner on the last night was very special. Helicopter ride in and out of the lodge was spectacular. Rainy afternoon were we got to enjoy the room, the sounds of the bush, and the cool temperature.