What our clients say about us.
Updated November '04
Botswana/Zimbabwe/Namibia/South Africa lodge & fly-in safaris
BOTSWANA FLY-IN SAFARI: OCT 2002
"Bert, What can I say? The trip surpassed even our best expectations. Wendy and I most certainly were not ready to come home. The trip was spectacular from beginning to end. Each camp was special in its own right, and the combination of the experience we had at all 3 made for a truly unbelievable experience. Duma Tau was fantastic. The guides, camp, and diversity of activities was wonderful. We had a great experience on the Linyanti River, as a heard of elephants decided to cross no more than 30 yards in front of our boat. Awesome. We were also fortunate enough to spend some time with a large pack of wild dogs, as they made their 1st appearance in 3 months! The accommodations were great, with elephants through camp almost every day and night. Tubu Tree is a special place. Wendy and I were fortunate enough to be the only guests at the camp for our 1st 2 nights. The rooms are spectacular, being elevated at least 10-15 feet off the ground. I had a giraffe come and visit me 1 afternoon as I showered on the outdoor deck. The camp bar and pool are remarkable, with a great view over a vast floodplain. We really didn't see the difference between this "vintage" camp, and the "classic" camps we stayed at. You must see it for yourself, it's beautiful. The diversity of game around Tubu is also great. There are vast herds of plains game that roam the area around the camp. There is nothing like the sight of watching the sun go down with hundreds of animals in view. There are also tons of giraffe in the area, we saw them every day. One morning, our guide (Alson) awoke us early as there had been some activity not far from camp. We could hear the hyenas howling from our room. We arrived to find a group of young male lions that had taken a giraffe, and who were trying to guard it from the aggressive hyenas. As we were watching, the young males suddenly abandoned their meal as 2 huge males appeared from the bush. The males roared into the bush for about 5 minutes as they wanted to let everyone know that this was their turf. Just another day at Tubu...(I won't even mention that we saw a Pangolin on a night drive). You must check it out on your next trip. Duba Plains was an awesome last stop. I know you have been there before, but the experience offered there is special. The struggle for power between the prides of lions, and listening to the guides talk about the lives of every lion we came across is amazing. We also had the opportunity to get involved with a group of lions (Tsaro pride) as they awoke and hunted a buffalo. An awe-inspiring experience. James, our guide, literally had us right in the middle of the action. I'm sure you know by now that Wilderness runs an unbelievable operation. The logistics of everything couldn't have run any smoother, and the camps really could not have been any better. I have no doubt that Wendy and I will again travel to the Delta. It's just a question of when! Thanks for all your help, and let me know what other info I can provide."
Cary Sawyer
BOTSWANA FLY-IN SAFARI & IMPALILA FISHING LODGE - JULY 2002
IMPALILA: The lodge has not changed, comfortable and very much what one expects in these parts. The food was OK, nothing like last year, but again one does not come to Impalila for a culinary experience. The Staff, Simon especially and Connie, were very helpful and wonderfully attentive. Thus the main point, fishing, spectacular as ever and even more. Christian in the 3 1/2 days fishing caught, 20 plus breams, one pink happy one humpback (apparently rare and difficult to catch) and tiger fish galore, lots under 3 Kg, two 3 Kg, one 5 Kg, three 6.2 Kg, three 7.2 kg and one 8.2 Kg. I don't know if Victor's scale works in implements of 0.2 kg, but these are the weights. As for improvements, if you can pass on the message, they need top work on the curio shop. Need more artifacts, curios, pewter, etc, as they have only clothing and not much else. We did have a great time and Christian had lots of fun fishing. (not counting the big ones which always escape!!!).
MOMBO : What can we say?? Mombo is a class apart. Where can you see 35 lions, one fleeting cheetah (very unusual), three leopard, dozens and dozens of elephants, buffalos, zebras, giraffes, impalas, warthogs, three rhinos, hippos by night by the cabin etc. The cabins are their normal luxurious self, wonderful, BK is a great guide with many insights. Sha the new manager is good not Corli class, but no one is, too bad for Little Mombo that Corli has been moved to Mombo. The personal touch, the warmth the making you feels part of the family (it was our fourth visit after all ) are gone. Sha does a good job, but no touch, not like Corli. Too bad little Mombo has lost its soul, it a still a wonderful camp but not the very special place it was. Many many thanks to Wilderness Safari for flying our friend Grant Atkinson ( as he was about to start his leave) to meet us in Mombo and spend two days with us. Grant as a guide is in a class by himself. He is not only a walking encyclopedia of all matters as related to the bush, the animals, insects, plants, birds, soil, geology, history, sky and more, but he has a wonderful sense of humor, has fascinating conversation and is a wonderful friend. That was the best possible returning gift to receive, two days in paradise with Grant.
LITTLE VUMBURA: Upon landing we saw two cheetahs, one magnificent male sable antelope, one elephant, then that evening one great male leopard on a tree, eating a young sable, elephants, dozens of sables, thirteen lions, not to mention the usual red lechwes, impalas, zebras, buffalos etc etc. The guide Obonye a little shy at first warmed up (he is only 26) and became quite interesting full of educational comments. He knows the bush and is a wonderful tracker. The camps managers are great; very ""couleur locale"" just right. The camp is old and needs upgrading ( like Duma Tau). Needs a little luxury, not like Mombo more like Duma Tau or Kwetsani. Fishing was interesting but very amateurish, no special lures, just one kind, no fishing nets, despite Oboney great help and expert knowledge of the waters. The animal viewing was spectacular, not Mombo, but very close. Five Cheetahs the last morning, alone!!!! The managers could not be more helpful, gracious or hospitable. We had a great time and enjoyed every minutes. Just have the camp updated and freshened.
NXAMASERI: A true fishing camp with all the "camp limitation"" Really roughing it !!!! The camp has just been bought by a new owner, and has to be completely upgraded. The camp has been closed for a few weeks, new manager who arrived two days before us, we being the only guests!!! No shampoos in the rooms, no food for sundowner, no juice for breakfast, it is what it is, a camp which has not been opened for a while, with a new manager who has never managed a camp before. It is fun and very, very basic.
The fishing is good, not great, it is not Impalila, but good. One great excitement is to hand feed (my son not me!!!) the fish eagles with the daily catch. Quite an experience!!! Adrian the manager is a great guy, well-meaning and full of enthusiasm. He knows the field well and has a job ahead of him to bring the club to par. The guide Preke was excellent, patient and knowledgeable of the river. There are the ingredients for a great camp, once the accommodations have been updated, the food improved, the entire camp spruced up. The fishing is not Impalila but very challenging and exciting. We had a good time.
SUSSI AND CHUMA:. Excellent choice to end the vacation. Very well appointed, with all luxuries, like full time electricity, heated blankets, working cell phones, decent food (unimaginative) good atmosphere and very little to do. Fishing was extra!!! No real activities except visiting the Falls, BUT a great relaxing two days finishing a wonderful vacation.
Thanks again it was a great vacation. we enjoyed it.
C. Garelli, Connecticut
BOTSWANA FLY-IN SAFARI & SOUTH AFRICA SELF-DRIVE - JUNE 2002
"Now I know that du Plessis is a popular name in South Africa! We saw it quite a few places so you must have a large family (just kidding).
We had a wonderful time, and I wanted to commend you on all the bookings. Wilderness Safaris was topnotch, totally professional, always prompt and waiting for us, extremely courteous, and had excellent staff. We really liked the honeymoon suite accommodations at Pom Pom, especially my bathtub in the tree from which I could soak, sip champagne and watch hippos and birds through the binoculars. A one-time, one-stop piece of heaven. Duba Plains was also quite interesting, but Pom Pom just appealed to me more--maybe it was the leopards strolling through camp, or the fact that there was more water while we were there.
Our only criticism of Wilderness was that they do not have the staff to do walking. The guides have to be licensed for that, and not all of them are. In fact all the guiding staff in the camps seemed to be going on their one-month leave when we arrived, so we were lucky to get in two walks. I saw a lot of wonderful animals from the landrovers, but I would trade those days for even a few hours of walking--there is just no comparing the quality of the time. That said, we had a really wonderful time and I highly recommend the camps. (We could have had one day less at Duba).
The Grace hotels were wonderful, and we were quite "honeymooned" at both hotels, complete with gifts of champagne, rose petals, etc.
The Dolphin trail was really interesting. The Fernery is the first overnight, and the accommodations were new chalets right on a gorge with a beautiful view, stunning landscaping. They served dinner in their "fernery" and as usual, we were the only guests! Very interesting place and a good start. The hike varies from crossing pasture to trail walking in the forest to steep stepping (natural steps) down to the rock at the shoreline and then steep climbing back up on the first day to the second overnight. The accommodations at Misty Mountain, the next stop, were more quotidian, but with the beautiful ocean view right outside the door and the need to soak one's feet, expectations are more easily met. The second day of walking was less steep, and involved switchbacks up and over to Storms River. The accommodations at Tsitsikamma park were a let down though, and the food is really ordinary. On the plus side, it's a good place to do all the laundry before moving on to the next adventure. I think I would have traveled to Nature's Valley and stayed there if we were spending more than one night after the hike. Our guides were young and enthusiastic, and getting the hang of teaching old people like us about the fynbos, which we thoroughly enjoyed. I think anyone that's reasonably fit could do the hike, as it is not long, but has some strenuous pitches. I was happy I had previously worked out on the gym stair stepper and hiked occasionally for recreation, although some of that preparation faded due to sitting in landrovers for 8 days (plus the Blue Train!) and spending several days in the car before going on the hike. I think the Dolphin is a good alternative to the 4-day Otter Trail: shorter, more amenities, especially the Fernery, and you don't have to carry a pack.
We were also solitary travelers at the B&B's on the eastern cape--we were the only ones at Klippe Rivier (a wonderful honeymoon cottage which we really enjoyed) and Riverbend at Addo Park, which we also really enjoyed. We hiked in the Zuurberg reserve, and were served dinner by the fireplace. Saw giraffes nibbling on the hillside at sunset, and enjoyed tromping around in general. The only place we didn't really enjoy was in Knysna, Belvedere Manor. First, it was really cold when we were there and there was no heat other than the small fire in the living room! Although it was quite the large suite, we spent the night at the Oyster festival and later found out about other B&B's in the area that might be good. Compared to the other places we stayed it was more of a family resort, the staff was pretty impersonal. For couples w/o children I recommend finding someplace else in that area unless the client wants to stay for a few days in warm weather and take advantage of water sports.
We spent the last ten days on the coast near Kenton on Sea, then near Grahamstown, then near Tarkastad and hiked a lot of mountains, including Mt Mary and Mt Martha. Oh, and we ate at Bukhara in Capetown--a wonderful Indian restaurant (the hotel driver took us there in a swank black Mercedes).
We met lots of wonderful people and really, really enjoyed our trip. I took the itinerary with me, and several guides/outfitters were quite impressed with it, so I thought I would pass that on. The information was also really helpful to have handy. One thing you might want to tell clients is that it is very easy to get a cell phone in SA--it was no cost with the car, just pay for the phone service (we never had to use it but it was good to have for emergency). Also, we bought phone cards to call to the US and that worked fine. If you have any other questions, give me a call. I'll email some photos after I figure out how to download them.
J. Kelsey, OR.
BOTSWANA AND SOUTH AFRICA: JUNE 2002
"Thought you might like a review of our trip. Terrific! In chronological order:
Flight from Atlanta to Cape Town: I, my son Rob and daughter-in-law Margaret flew coach. We all felt it was one of the most uncomfortable flights we had been on. The plane was jam packed and the leg room was minimal. You could hardly move when the person in front put the seat back. I did not find the service especially gracious. My daughter Jeremy flew from London on BA. She said the seats were comfortable. If I went again, I would try going via London and avoid SAA.
Cape Town: We cannot rave enough about Jill de Kock, our guide, driver, companion-- whatever! She picked us up at the airport on Sunday, guided us Monday and Tuesday and sent us on our way Wednesday. She was terrific and can guide us any time or just accompany us on a trip. Knowledgeable, but even more so, had a great sense of humor and could put up with us wry New Yorkers. She also was quite flexible concerning our wishes which made everything work out quite well. We liked the Victoria and Alfred Hotel-the service was excellent -- and actually preferred it to the other two 4/5 star hotels in the wharf area.
The others were quite nice, but a little too stuffy for us. Also, we liked the location, being near the shopping in case we needed something.
The Cape Peninsula trip and the winelands trip were fine. The bad news for South Africans and the good news for us was that the Rand was so cheap. We had a wonderful dinner at Rozenhof and couldn't believe the total cost for 5 of us was $55.00 (include $1.50 corkage as I had bought wine at Rustenberg).
Victoria Falls: We all loved the Victoria Falls Hotel-a bit of Empire--and were pleased we stayed there rather than elsewhere. The hotel must be hurting as we did not see too many other guests. Obviously, the falls were impressive. We ended up with a 15 minute helicopter ride instead of the 30 minute one as Wilderness switched our departure time to Kasane and the helicopter was delayed due to service. 15 minutes was more than adequate. One night was also perfect.
The Tented Camps: All three were great. And I preferred the order in which you set it up. In meeting other guests who had been at Mombo or Jao, I'm pleased we stayed where we did. Their comments basically were that the rooms were larger-although they didn't spend a lot of time in them-and the food may have been more elegantly presented, but was not better than we had. Certainly didn't appear to justify the extra cost.
Duma Tau: The variety of game was the most diverse of any of the camps and we got lucky the first day to have Cheetahs included. We followed them for a while, but they were not successful in their hunt. Our big disappointment here and at the other camps was that we never saw a Leopard. However, lots of other mammals made up for it including Norman.
While we are not bird people (as I gather you are), my daughter kept track of all the birds and mammals in the Wilderness book. By the end of the trip, she had marked in over 100 species of birds that were actually pointed out. Some were so beautiful that we almost could become bird watchers. The drive we took up the Linyanti was wonderful.
Brandon and Deborah, the camp hosts, were very nice and they ran a good show. The food was fine and included Bobotie. I mention this as I had made it for years in the states and Jill also made it. We are exchanging recipes.
Duba Plains: We became good friends with the Duba Boys, the two male lions who were kings of the closest pride. There are four prides in the area and we had time for two of them. One can't get enough lion pictures including one we have of nine cubs left alone by their parents. We only saw one kill in person, a female lion taking down a red Lechwe, but for some of us that was enough. We did see a number of kills after the event with the lions, hyenas or vultures feasting. It is also amazing to watch the pride organize and start their prowl for a kill. Unlike Duma Tau, there were less variety of species, but lots of lions, cape buffalo, red lechwe, tsessebes, and hyenas. Plenty for the lions to feed on.
There was a change of hosts while we were there, but both sets, Julie & James, Liza & Graham treated us very nicely.
Kwetsani: This was the smallest of the camps, also the newest, and if we had to pick one camp we liked the best, it was here. The hosts were terrific-Sarah and Lee-and because of the smaller size of the camp had more time to be involved with us. I also like the room layout the best.
The first night we were there was my 70th birthday. There was a surprise party for me (and the other two couples at the camp) - requested by Linda as I think you know. They had set up dinner out in the bush. A lovely candle lit table, the bar, the grills and the birthday cake. It was really quite nice and they completely faked me out. Thanks for your help in arranging it.
This camp had more water than the other two and we made the most of it. Our arrival from the plane to the camp was by a 45 minute boat ride which we thoroughly enjoyed. We did the Mokoro thing, went fishing and took the boat ride to a large island which had lots of game and more lions. Luckily, the hippo that prevented some of the Jao staff from getting back to their camp by boat was not around for us.
There were two other particular things that Lee did that were great. The first was our only nature walk. We were getting a bit Land Rover crazy, but obviously, we were not allowed to walk around except at camp due to the risk. [I forgot to mention that at both Duma Tau and Duba Plains, we had to delay going to our rooms on occasion because the elephants were feeding and blocking our way.] Lee is authorized to carry a rifle and was enthusiastic about our request. He really widened our understanding of the ecology as he was so knowledgeable about the flora and fauna. For example, what we would have just walked by, he stopped, pulled out three blades of grass and explained the differences in the species and which were eaten.. We examined the bones remaining from kills and actually ate something from the elephant dung-obviously from inside a seed.
The second was another dinner. When the other two couples left and a new feisty couple arrived, Lee decided he had the right mix for a special dinner. It was on the plain by the pool. An outdoor native dinner with a big fire where we baked our own bread and ate with our fingers. We had a great time.
On arriving in Johannesburg, Linda and I were able to change our SAA flight to go directly to NYC. We were lucky as we had four seats for the two of us as did the people in the row in front. Therefore, we had plenty of room and didn't have to worry about the forward seat coming back. Robs and Margaret, unfortunately, had another cattle car to Atlanta.
That's it. All in all, a great trip. Thanks! If any questions or a need for more detail, let me know.
Martin Smith, New York
Thanks for inquiring about our trip, which was wonderful! Everything went very smoothly, and the people from Wilderness Safaris were terrific about meeting us, escorting us through customs and the airports, and generally easing our way through South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.
We especially enjoyed PomPom and Duma Tau, where the people, service, trackers, and accommodations were first-rate. I think that we would have enjoyed Mashatu more if we had been there first instead of last because of the standards of the other two, but we wouldn't have wished that we hadn't gone there either. Yes, there were a few days when we had second thoughts about getting out of our warm beds into the cold and dark, but it was all well worth it. Do you think that October is generally a good time to go back to Duma Tau - perhaps in conjunction with a trip to the Serengeti and/or Masai Mara? We wouldn't be looking at this year, certainly, but perhaps 2003 or 2004 with a group of friends. We very much appreciate all of your efforts to coordinate our trip, especially on such short notice. And by the way, the Grace is an absolutely marvelous way to end the trip!
L. MacIntosh, MI
BOTSWANA AND SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 2002
Thanks for helping me plan a wonderful trip. Best trip, wildlife viewing was better than anticipated. More action! I had an amazing time and look forward to returning in the near future (within 2 years). Please keep me notified of any specials Wilderness is running, especially ones that include Duba Plains. I had a great time at all the camps, but would rank them in this order: Duba, DumaTau, Kirkman's and Ngala (Tented Camp).
Duba's game viewing was unbelievable, I saw 41 different lions during my 3 night stay. The interaction between lion and buffalo was intense. The only drawback to Duba was the midday flies which were only at that camp. All the other camps were pretty much bug free. James, Jules and Ike were the best hosts out of the 4 camps. All were nice.
Highlights at Duba:
DumaTau was a nice change from Duba and quite a different wildlife experience. DumaTau has lots of Elephants, Giraffes, Zebras, Impalas and lots of good night viewing of different animals such as: Bat-eared fox, serval and genet. Of course I saw some lions and 2 wild dogs as well. The accommodations were probably a little nicer than Duba, but not much.
Highlights at DumaTau:
Kirkman's accommodations weren't as nice as the tented camps, but my wife liked it probably the most due to the heater in the room. The game viewing was fantastic and our guide Jaco was real nice. We got the big 7 certificate.
Highlights at Kirkman's:
Ngala's accommodations were the most luxurious of the 4 camps and the service was outstanding. The game viewing was ok, but not as good as the other 3. If this was my first camp I would have been a little more excited, but with the luck I had at the other 3 camps, the game viewing was good, but not fantastic. There were periods of 30 minutes with no animals. Overall we saw quite a few different animals, but not a lot of interaction between the animals. Our last game drive of our safari we lucked out and stumbled across a den which we thought had 5 month old lion cubs, but it also had 3 one week old baby lion cubs. What a treat and what a way to end a trip.
Highlights at Ngala Tented Camp:
Summary: The game viewing was great. I saw over 70 different lions. Botswana I enjoyed a little more than South Africa. South Africa was a little more commercialized, while at the Botswana camps quite frequently we were the only vehicle at the sightings. I saw pretty much everything I wanted to see (not enough). I would have liked to see more leopards and spend more time with them, but at least I saw 6. I didn't get to see the Black Rhino, caracal or ocelot. I saw lots of birds. I really enjoyed the African fish eagle, lilac breasted rollers, giant hawk eagle, go-away bird, Franklin's, cranes, and the little bee-eater. I saw lots more and have the checklist at home. Also saw, ostrich, nyala, kudu, baboons, vervet monkey, crocodile, wildebeest, zebra, impala, side-striped jackal, waterbuck, bushbuck and more...
Note: One of the families we met at DumaTau saw a Pel's Fishing Owl at Pom Pom
Thanks again,
S. Smith, IL
NAMIBIA, BOTSWANA & THE CAPE - MAY 2002
"Dear Bert, Asa and I wish to thank you for arranging our recent trip. It had to be a 9 or 10 out of 10. We personally wished we had booked more days, but felt obligated to accommodate the wishes of our traveling companions before the trip. Our impressions were as follows:
Botswana was super and the temperature especially good for us this time of year. The staff at Linyanti was the best group we have experienced to date. They had Bonang from the Kings Pool temporarily overseeing the operation and she was wonderful. We were lucky to see a most beautiful, very innocent, young leopard during one of our drives. The elephants were "very naughty" as the guide expressed it. To Asa, it was to the point of becoming scary since so many of the males seemed to be in musth or stressed to judge from the flowing glands. However, it was exciting to have the adrenalin flow! The water was just coming into Pom Pom and we saw it rise every day. This camp is more laid back than the others but is every bit as enjoyable. One of the most fantastic sights there was about 100 wattled cranes feeding along the incoming water. Brian Rode the camp director/guide was top notch and a step above the other guides we have had during the years. An early morning walk with him is a nice experience.
Duba Plains was also pleasant and the tents improved since the time before we were there. The eight little lion cubs we saw two and a half years ago were now hunting buffalo!
We truly enjoyed all the camps and some day hope to visit one or more to finally get a glimpse of the sitatunga "we almost saw" during a boat trip in Linyanti, the cheetah and wild dogs "we almost saw" at Duba and the Pel's Fishing Owl that we "almost saw" at Pom Pom.
The Kleins, FL
BOTSWANA GREEN SEASON SAFARI 2002 - APRIL 2002
"Bert: If we did it again, we would do exactly the same thing, only add another camp. At Duba, of course we immediately saw a lion hunt to the finish; Michael met some birders, and we were "bonded" with our knowledgeable guide. The hosts were particularly intelligent, educated, gracious. I love the tents. Definitely we would do Duba again, even especially "out of season."
We happened to have been the only guests at Jacana, which was a wholly different personalized experience. We would do Jacana again, too. Just as we drove in, we saw two huge black mambas, mating, and from the mokoros we saw the Sitatunga. We had, of course, a great number of assistant guides - one who climbed barefoot around the island trees until he found and led us to a Pel's Fishing Owl. I actually couldn't say goodbye when we left - I was crying with the need to stay longer.
I wish we had added a third camp such as Little Mombo, just to experience the 6-paw. River Club was certainly the place to stay during Zimbabwe's elections, and we did see an unusual number of elephants, quite close, on one of the evening boat rides, and of course it was an elegant place, a refuge from the hot roads, and utterly delightfully friendly hosts, yet I'd probably choose another camp on the Delta, on another trip. We really hated to leave. This was my "trip of a lifetime," and Michael, who has been to Africa over twenty times, was happy with the quality of care and knowledge the hosts and guides offered. Thanks also for recommending Newman's Birds of Southern Africa."
L. Summer, GA.
We've been back from our safari for 2 months, and I thought I'd write and tell you what a wonderful time we had. Everyone in our group of 5 loved Botswana, the camps, and travel arrangements. It was a wonderful country to visit. The people are friendly and proud of Botswana, and there were plenty of animals to see even in the rainy season. We also enjoyed the River Club and Zambia for the Falls and cultural activities. Our favorite camp was Duma Tau, the one you booked for us instead of our first choice, Savuti! It was the perfect place to end the safari. There we saw the most animals, and had a fabulous guide, Peace, assigned to us. We returned with many great photos and memories. I'd love to go back, but if I never can, it was truly the trip of a lifetime!
Thank you for making all the bookings. Congratulations on a job well done."
C. Neifert, IL
BOTSWANA GREEN SEASON SAFARI - MARCH 2002
As advanced seniors, we reasoned that future, major trips are realistically limited. So we asked friends who travel extensively "what is the best trip you've ever taken"? Surprisingly a majority of responses favored Africa. Research of our options, which included Kenya/Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Botswana resulted in our choosing Botswana. Planning began shortly after 9/11 We were aware of the political problems and risks of Zimbabwe, heightened by the March 2002 elections, so favored Botswana due to it's unique stability and felt it would be a less "touristy" experience.
We ran a Person to Person inquiry in ITN asking for comments on several tour operators. This produced 35 replies! Most were very favorable. After checking around a bit, we selected Fish Eagle Safaris of Houston, Texas, (1-800-513-5222), run by Bert Duplessis, an ex-South African, who was able to customize a Botswana only tour whereas most agencies offered combination packages which we did not want. It was a pleasure to deal with an organization where the owner answered the telephone (no menus)! We'd recommend Fish Eagle without hesitation.
Bert put together a 12 day package which included 3 days each at two camps in the Okavango Delta, 4 days at a third, preceded by 1 night at the Grace Hotel in Johannesburg, and ending with 2 nights at the River Club in Zambia near Victoria Falls. He also handled the air on South Africa Airways, Atlanta to Johannesburg, and the local air in Africa. His prices were competitive and the entire process handled flawlessly.
The overseas flight on SAA, Atlanta to Johannesburg, took 14.5 hours. This was tiring but service was good, including better than average meals and complimentary wine and drinks. SAA's daily flights leave at 10:30 am and arrive JNB 8 am the following morning - time change 7 hours from Atlanta. We overnighted at the Grace Hotel, recommended by Fish Eagle, about 30 minutes from the airport, rated one of the top hotels in Africa. Their service and amenities were true to their reputation. This was on a B &B basis for $120 each, expensive but a unique experience. With the attractive exchange rate our roast lamb dinner with appetizer and dessert cost $7.70 U.S.!
The next morning's flight JNB to Maun took about 1½ hours on Air Botswana. Maun is the jumping off point for flights to the various Okavango Delta camps and has boomed in recent years due to the tremendous growth of the safari business. Sefofane Air is used for the short flights between camps, in small aircraft with good views of game from flight altitude of about 1500 feet.
The Okavango Delta floods annually from May through August. September/October are typically dry. The rainy season is November through February. However, the flood comes from the Okavango River originating in Angola in the north. The flood takes four months to reach the Okavango Delta. Hence the delta floods in May. After evaporation roughly end of August, September/October are dry. This is a most unusual phenomenon. Our trip, in March, worked out fine as it fell just after the rainy season but before their winter. It is their fall, so warm, 65-90 degrees, low humidity, few mosquitoes, and many of the game drive tracks which are unusable later due to the flood are drivable in March.
Our first camp was Xigera, known as a permanent water camp, offering game viewing not only from the standard, very rugged and dependable Land Rovers but also from canoe like Mekoros poled by native guides through narrow waterways, and from a motorboat with 55 hp. Mariner which permits traveling a longer distance from camp. At Xigera we saw large breeding elephant herds, giraffes, gemsbok, red lechwe, impala, crocodiles, and baboons, not to mention lots of birds. The camp features raised walkways and elevated platform tents, luxurious with hot and cold water, and ensuite bathrooms, by no means primitive!
During periods of darkness, one is accompanied by a camp guide from tents to central areas. Dining was excellent and the bar was open always and included. Each camp has a management team, often a husband/wife, and you are assigned to a guide who stays with you for your entire stay. All camps we visited are run by Wilderness Safaris, the principal operator in the Okavango. They do a fine job! We'd recommend including Xigera for variety although we saw more game in terms of variety and numbers elsewhere. Capacity at Xigera is about 16. Game drives include occasional pit stops where guides check the nearby foliage for unwanted animals and also "sundowner" stops toward the end of the late day drive, complete with drinks and hors d'oeuvres, served on the savanna, are standard at all camps. The drivers don't drink!
A short flight took us to Duba Plains, smaller, 6 tented units, no raised walkways, but the dining area is on a raised deck overlooking a large plain. Here the game viewing was entirely in Land Rovers, about 4-6 people in each vehicle. Each camp features "plunge pools" to cool off during mid-day. The usual schedule at all camps calls for an early morning game drive from about 6:30 to 10 am, lunch at 11, "R & R" until 4 pm, an elaborate snack then, an afternoon/evening game drive 4:30 to 7:30, with cocktails/dinner at 8 pm.
At Duba we drove further, but saw a greater variety of game, adding lions, Cape Buffalo, kudos, tsessebe, hippo, warthog, jackal, leopard, antelope, and a hyena den, to those seen at Xigera. Since no hunting is permitted in this area, the animals are unafraid of humans. The herds of Cape Buffalo were amazing. We estimated 2000 in one herd which took over an hour to pass before us on the savanna in front of the tents. We also watched a lion kill of a young Cape Buffalo, and observed the pride of about 12 lions devouring the kill just a few feet from our Land Rover, a fascinating experience. Once again, excellent management, guides, accommodations and food.
On to Mombo Camp, considered the ultimate in safari camp luxury. It lived up to its reputation, with gourmet meals, a tent much larger than the others, and game viewing in greater numbers and variety than the other camps also closer to camp. Mombo has 9 units with an added 3 units at adjacent Little Mombo. In addition to the aforementioned animals, repeated at Mombo, our guide found a family of Cheetahs, a family of lions with cubs, and huge zebra herds especially at water holes. We visited two abandoned leopard cubs three times whose mother had apparently been killed. They had been without food for a week. This was a sad situation but it is their policy to let nature take its course. We, and some staff, however, were rooting for a rescue effort where they could be fed until old enough to be released and take care of themselves. We'll always wonder what happened.
In all cases the guides, natives of various parts of Botswana, were incredibly knowledgeable as to all forms of wildlife and the flora and fauna of the area. They also possessed an excellent command of English.
This ended our camp safari segment. We then flew to Kasane, a long hour from Mombo, followed by a short flight to Livingstone in Zambia, where we were met by a Wilderness Safaris rep and driven to the River Club. Peter, the owner, raised in Northern Rhodesia, now part of Zambia, and educated in England, acquired a beautiful property in 1997 on a high bluff overlooking the Zambezi River 12 miles upstream from Victoria Falls. The main building is adorned with beautiful furniture and art work. Accommodations are in open units overlooking the river and affording all amenities, not mention a gorgeous view of the river. Peter is assisted by Clare and meals, overseen by Brett, were outstanding, served either in the formal dining room or, for breakfast and lunch, on the lawn above the river with wine and all the trimmings.
A visit to a nearby game farm with White Rhinos, along with other game, is included as are a late afternoon river trip, an excursion to Victoria Falls which we viewed from the Zambian side, and optionally fishing on the Zambezi which your author tried and caught a 5 pound tiger fish. The falls are spectacular but prepare to get very wet! We spent two nights at the club, three might be better, departing by car to the Victoria Falls Airport, in Zimbabwe, and managed to pass through Zimbabwe unscathed, flying Air Zimbabwe to Johannesburg. Entering Zimbabwe requires payment of a $30 pp Visa charge plus a $20 pp airport departure tax. This can be avoided by returning from Livingstone, Zambia, using a different air service to JNB. We'd recommend considering this alternative.
The return flight to Atlanta on SAA is brutal! Rather than non-stop to Atlanta, they fly south to Cape Town, then stop for refueling at the Verde Islands, taking 21 hours to Atlanta without getting off the plane. Were we to return we'd seriously explore alternatives. This was exhausting, especially being followed by 10 more hours from Atlanta to Portland, Or.
Overall, a fascinating trip and so different from the usual "holiday". All was very efficiently handled by both Fish Eagle Safaris which contracts with Wilderness Safaris for the camp reservations. We'd recommend both. There may be a "premium" charge for Mombo Camp but the River Club appears to be included without surcharge. We'd recommend including Mombo and the River Club however, as both are very special experiences. Should you go in our summer, their winter, prepare for cooler temperatures. We felt that March was in between and just fine. One caution! Be able to climb in and out of the Land Rovers used for game drives. It's a high step up and requires a moderate degree of agility or a strong helping hand!
Charles Cusack, OR
BOTSWANA SAFARI - GREEN SEASON 2002
"Yes, unfortunately we are back! I have it on my list to e-mail you but it's been pretty crazy since we got back. It was WONDERFUL. Thank you so much for putting together the trip, all the arrangements worked like clockwork.
Let me give you a critique of the trip
1. Booking and arranging the
trip -Fantastic, absolutely no complaints at all. I really appreciated the
effort and thought you put into making the itinerary match our needs
2.
Xigera -The birds were wonderful and the guides were very interested in the
birds and showed skilled guiding to find them. The managers of the camp however
were not great (John and Salome). They did an adequate job but after
interacting with other managers we found them to be lacking. The food at Xigera
was a bit like British public school food and at times there was not enough
cooked for the number and appetites of the guests.
3.Mombo -Wow what a
camp! We were very fortunate to have Gregg the manager as our guide as his
parents were visiting and as we were as interested in birds as they were we
shared a jeep. The animals were fantastic lions, leopard elephant etc. etc. (no
cheetah) and the birds were magnificent maybe even better than Xigera. The food
was outstanding and I was made to feel very special by the chef who really put
effort into making gluten free food for me. Some of the other guests however
were a little strange!!!! One family left early as they "had seen everything!"
4.Duba - This camp had a wonderful feel and the reason was due to the
managers James, Lisa (I've just had a mental block on the other ladies name).
They went out of there way to make you feel welcome .The food was not as
'fancy' as at Mombo but was lovely in presentation and taste. The game was
mainly lions and elephants and there was lots of them and we were very close to
them . Unfortunately despite the number of times we told our guide we wanted to
include birds and other unusual creatures in our sightings he would not change
his theme of 'find the lions' and he frequently did this at the expense of
seeing the other fauna and flora and got a little annoyed with us when we kept
asking to stop for us to identify a bird (all the people in the jeep were
birders).
I hope this is helpful for you when you are booking other people We are up for Namibia soon! (we need a great deal!)"
R. Fleissner, ND
CAPE TOWN, VICTORIA FALLS & BOTSWANA - GREEN SEASON 2002
"Dear Bert, I have been remiss in not getting in touch with you to tell you how much we enjoyed our southern Africa trip (Jan 2002). We all three agree it was one of the most pleasant experiences of our lives. The camps were absolutely superb. Management and staff were without exception considerate of our every desire; the kitchen was in the hands of experts and the food was gourmet. Without hesitation, we can and have recommended your good offices as well as that of Wilderness Safaris to our friends and acquaintances who may be contemplating an African vacation. We were particularly impressed with Savuti and Xigera Camps, probably because they were smaller and the staffs seemed more personally involved with the guests. This is not to denigrate Little Mombo. It also was very pleasant and of course the quarters were superb but it just didn't seem to have the intimacy of the other two. We also enjoyed Victoria Falls and the Ilala Lodge. It was a spectacular beginning to our African adventure. Cape Town was beautiful and we were impressed with the tours and the knowledgeable tour guides.
We were met at every step of the way by very considerate and helpful representatives of Wilderness. They provided the transportation as needed and even made arrangements for wheel chair assistance for my wife at the Johannesburg and Cape Town airports. The assistance provided with customs and passport control in each of the three countries was exceptional.
The trip home was long and arduous but was to be expected. Should we visit South Africa again (and we certainly hope we can) we may very well arrange to travel thru London or Paris and then on to Johannesburg after a day or two to break up the long "sit" of the return flight.
I wish to thank you for all your assistance in making and completing the arrangements for our trip. With the one exception noted above, which was beyond your control, everything was handled efficiently and to our complete satisfaction. Your choice of the bush camps couldn't have been better. With the experienced and highly trained guides each camp provided, we saw animals and birds beyond our fondest expectations. You may be assured of our recommendation of you and your agency to anyone contemplating a southern African adventure.
T. Olson, NM
CAPE TOWN, NAMIBIA, BOTSWANA & ZIMBABWE
Arnie and I really enjoyed every minute of our Jan 7 to 25, 2002 camera safari to Southern Africa. We are so glad we found you and Wilderness Safaris in 'International Travel News". Wilderness Safaris persons at every stop gave outstanding service - on time, informative and premier, first class assistance from the time we disembarked in Cape Town until we were let out of the van at Jo'burg Airport at the end of the trip. The managers, guides, food service and other staff at the four safari camps - Sossusvlei, Jao, Dumatau and Makalolo - also rendered continuous premier 1st class service. And the small plane service with Cessnas was superb. We had excellent hotels and food and tours and service at Cape Town, Swakopmund & Victoria Falls. Even the weather cooperated, with only 2 short rains. Our only safari negative is very minor, no roof on the land Rover at Dumatau. Our only travel negative concerns economy class seating in the SAA 747-400 from Atlanta to Cape Town; the seats were extra narrow and leg room was nil. No such problems with the 747-400 from Jo'burg to Atlanta. I think if I went again I would fly Lufthansa to Frankfurt or Munich and then lay over a day and fly Lufthansa or Air Namibia to Windhoek. Many thanks again.
Darrell Bakken & Arnold Viere, IN.
NAMIBIA, BOTSWANA, VICTORIA FALLS & SOUTH AFRICA SAFARI
"Our southern African experience (Sept 2001) has changed me forever. I remain enchanted by the whole experience. Most of all, the people of Wilderness Safaris were wonderful, personable and professional at the same time. Each person was skilled in their specialty, from greeter to camp staff to tracker. Without exception, they did their best to take care of us. It is impossible to fake the personal relationship that we felt. These people did their best to show their country at its best. It was not lost on us.
You and your wife, must share in our gratitude. We described our objectives to you in a general way, and you organized the whole African experience in a way that could not have been better. We are now bitten by the Africa bug, and must return. Both Rob and I had cameras, and we took a video camera as well. We have some fantastic photos and will send you some copies when we get them edited and have a chance to get the better ones reproduced.
For your information, Botswana was my favorite. I loved the people, all of them. The Wilderness Safari folks were exceptional as always. I was pleased to find equally gracious people with less motivation to be pleasant, e.g., border guards, immigration officials, baggage handlers, clerks, etc. Our Kings Pool ranger and tracker (Brooks and Captain) will be dear to me forever. They went out of their way to share everything they knew with us. I learned about animals and the land, but I also developed some insight in the pride that Botswana people have for their country.
Virtually all of our game drives were rewarding and some were truly exciting. I have examples of my definition of exciting. On one occasion, we surprised a male lion. He stared directly at me, 10 to 12 paces away when the guide turns off the ignition. (I later learned this was to avoid the perception that we were prey.)
The rangers and trackers are superb, they clearly understand animal behavior through observation - their habits, their body language, etc. but they are also knowledgeable of scientific facts that characterize an animal. Each ranger was careful to never promise what we might see, they emphasized that we would have to be lucky. It became obvious that luck had a lot to do with the ranger/tracker's skill and experience. Our luck was exceptional!
Andrew, our host for the day in Cape Town was a most pleasant companion and he did an admirable job of showing us the area. It is unfortunate that we did not have more time here, but one cannot do it all. Cape Town is more beautiful than I ever imagined. Cape Point is magnificent -- almost unreal. I loved the botanical garden, even though we raced through.
As I recall, Trevor is the name of the person who took us to Rovos Rail for our Cape Town departure. He said to give his regards to you and Kathy. Rovos is everything that its founder/owner could imagine. I am glad that I had the experience to ride the train in his lifetime. It is clearly his personal passion, and there is no way that heirs or corporate managers could ever match his pride in making every detail perfect. It was a lifetime trip to be remembered.
As you may recall, we used our 50th wedding anniversary as the excuse to make this trip. Well, now we shall have to work on our 51st and Africa again.
Anita & Rob Rollo, TX.
SOUTH AFRICA - 'BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA' FLY-IN SAFARI
Our first experience in South Africa (Oct. 2001) was being met at the airport by a Wilderness Safari representative and transported to Pretoria. Our driver/guide was waiting for us when we arrived and helped us get everything settled at the airport and on our way to the Marvol Manor House for our first nights stay. This was a wonderful place and I would highly recommend it for future guests. Though a little away from the downtown area it is in a marvelous setting. Very comfortable accommodations and a nice restaurant that served excellent meals. (Just a side comment: we couldn't believe the cost of food and wine could possibly be so cheap. Half or less of what things would cost in the U.S. This was true for our entire stay in South Africa.) Our tour around the Pretoria area was very nice. We got to see the Voortrekker Monument, Kruger house and Parliament and other places of historical interest. The young man who took us around Pretoria also picked us up the following morning and transported us back to the airport - and even escorted us through the airport to make sure we got to the right point to catch our flight to Skukuza.
We were met at Skukuza airport by representatives from Kirkman's Kamp who made sure all of our baggage got aboard the vehicle and then transported us to the camp. We were met at reception by Theo., our driver/guide for our two-day stay, who helped us get registered and then settled in our quarters. He would remain with, and take care of, us for the next two days; everything from driving the vehicle on game drives to making sure we were up on time in the mornings and that we were well taken care of at mealtimes. Such personal service is rare and was unexpected. Theo is a very knowledgeable, capable young man who did an excellent job for us. The driver/guides we had contact with are amazing in their ability to spot and track down both animals and plants in the bush. They see and point out things that we would never see on our own. We got to see all of the Big 5 while at Mala Mala plus a lot of other animals. The highlight was following a Leopard at night while it was on a hunt and then see it make a kill of an Impala and proceed to drag it along the ground and then up a tree. (This is the same Leopard that is on the cover of the October issue of National Geographic magazine. Our guide had worked with the photographer who did that cover photo.) We saw this same cat the next two mornings when we were out on game drives. Overall our experience at Kirkman's was excellent. Good food, comfortable accommodations, entertainment provided by a family of wart hogs who ran around the compound a lot of the time we were there, and good game viewing.
When we left Mala Mala we flew out in a small twin engine Piper Apache to Ndumo. This was a great experience for us because both Floyd and I are pilots, and in fact Floyd owned a single engine version of the plane we were flying in to Ndumo. We both gave up active flying some time ago so this was a real thrill for us! We could see things from in the air that were not visible from the ground. The number of lakes we could see surprised us. We had no idea there were this many bodies of water in that part of South Africa. We skirted around the corner where Mozambique juts into South Africa because of air space restrictions, and landed at Ndumo (after buzzing a cow that wandered onto the runway in front of us). Our driver was waiting for us at the end of the landing strip.
Ndumo wilderness camp was marvelous. The setting on the edge of a permanent pan, with elevated wooden walkways and decks made for very good crocodile viewing. There were some very large crocs in the pan and they could be heard at night. The camp had suffered major damage in the flooding in that part of the country a year earlier, but had been completely rebuilt. We saw photos of the floodwaters that had covered a major portion of the campsite. The camp was almost empty on the day we arrived, and we were the only guests there on our second day.
The game viewing was good, but the bird watching was excellent. Our driver/guide, a man named Johnson, was amazing in his ability to spot game and birds. He could imitate birdcalls better than anyone I have ever met could and the birds would frequently answer his calls! At night, after dark when we were returning to camp after enjoying a sun downer on the edge of one of the pans in the area, he was able to spotlight and pick out animals in the bush that we never even saw. This enabled us to see some of the animals that only come out after dark. A great experience, highly recommended. Overall, Ndumo was an excellent choice.
From Ndumo we drove to Rocktail Bay Lodge. An interesting drive in a largely rural farming area. Rocktail Bay Lodge was a nice change of pace from our earlier stops. The camp itself was a neat place in a great location near the ocean. Game viewing was very limited, but our walks through the woods and over the sand dunes to, and along, the beach were great. The ocean weather was typically cloudy with some light rain showers. This camp would be an ideal spot for people who are really avid scuba divers and/or snorkelers, and it was okay for us, but was not the highlight of our trip.
The drive from Rocktail Bay to our next destination - Rorke's Drift and Fugitive's Drift, was quite long, but through some very beautiful, interesting country. Though this area is not heavily populated, the drive through the rolling hills and valleys and occasional village was really quite nice. Good roads, and our driver, Clive, seemed to know the area well and was able to point out areas of historical interest.
Our accommodations at Fugitive's Drift Guest House were very nice, and our host/hostess were marvelous. This is a very interesting old estate that the present owners have worked hard to improve - with good results. The battlefield tours and stories at both Rorke's Drift and Fugitive's Drift were a highlight of our entire trip. The manner in which stories of the battles were told and shown to us was outstanding. This was as good a presentation as any I have ever experienced. I think that few Americans have much knowledge of the history of South Africa and the importance of the Zulu wars, and anyone at all interested in history would surely enjoy visiting these places. The presentation by the two men conducting the tours made you feel as though you were in the battles yourself. Absolutely outstanding! I would highly recommend that this be considered for future visitors to South Africa.
Next stop - Cape Town. We did the normal tourist things including a tour to the tip of the cape and the wine country. The thing that made this different was that it was our own private tour, with just four of us so we could suggest and/or make changes as we went along. Our driver/guide, Leyann Wahl of Wilderness Safaris, was charming, pleasant, and knowledgeable. She was not only with us while we were in the Cape Town area, but also drove us to and picked us up from Bushman's Kloof to return us to Cape Town airport.
Bushman's Kloof was entirely different than any of the other places we visited. Not only was the topography different, the camp was different also. This shouldn't really be called a camp - it is a luxury resort. The accommodations were out of this world. In fact, my wife said when we first walked into our chalet "just what I've always wanted - a large bedroom with an equally large living room, and his and her bathrooms, and no kitchen". Everything, including the turndown service at night, was first class. Food and service matched the quality of the quarters we were living in. Game viewing was different, but not a surprise. Viewing some of the cave drawings was interesting and worthwhile. The wild flowers were okay, but not as spectacular as they might be at another time of year. Some of the birds we saw here were very different than any we saw at our earlier stops. Overall, a very nice place to visit - we would recommend it to future visitors to South Africa.
OVERALL RATING - 5 ***** Excellent trip.
Forrest D. Baribeau CA.
BOTSWANA, ZAMBIA, MALAWI, VICTORIA FALLS & MOCAMBIQUE FLY-IN SAFARI
I have finally found some spare time to write you the letter I promised when Betty and I returned from southern Africa a few weeks ago (Sept. 2000).
The experience was simply marvelous - we could not have asked for a more delightful trip. The safari camps were much more luxurious and comfortable than we had expected, the camp staffs and management were very friendly and helpful, the food was delicious, the small aircraft pilots were skilled and friendly, the game viewing and other sights were spectacular, and the weather was gorgeous. Moreover, everything that was supposed to happen did happen, and on time! There were no people-caused delays - we were met on time in every instance.
In short, the trip was perfect. You and the people in Wilderness Safaris really did your jobs. More specific comments on some of the camps, hotels etc. and some of the highlights of the trip appear below.
Johannesburg:
The Grace Hotel where we stayed upon arrival in South
Africa and after completing the Botswana safari is delightful - new building
but old-fashioned hospitality in a very nice residential section of the city.
The two brothers (Gordon & Derek Erntzen) who operate the van service
between the airport and the hotel were friendly and on time.
Zambia and Malawi:
We think that everyone who visits southern
Africa's game parks should include South Luangwa in Zambia and Liwonde in
Malawi. South Luangwa has all the big game except rhino, and we saw them all
including leopard. Kapani Lodge just outside the park is an excellent camp with
comfortable quarters and dinner under the stars. Mvuu Lodge (really a tented
camp) in Liwonde is also a great place - small (6 or 8 guest capacity) and
cozy. One can get great hippo and elephant sightings here on the Shire River.
Both camps offer night drives with spotlights which we do not care for because
we think such drives are intrusive to the animals, but they do offer the chance
to see nocturnal animals. Staying at the Livingstonia Beach Hotel in Lake
Malawi was a great place to relax and write post cards after the safaris.
Victoria Falls:
The Victoria Falls Hotel deserves its reputation as
one of Africa's great hotels - terrific service, outstanding vistas and great
location. The helicopter ride over the Falls is awesome.
Botswana:
The ten days we spent at Chobe Game Lodge, DumaTau, Little
Mombo and Xigera were spectacular. One must go to all of the areas in order to
experience the totality of northern Botswana as each area is different. Little
Mombo is unbelievably luxurious for a safari camp, and the others are close
behind it. We wish that we had allowed at least 3 more days in northern
Botswana, but at least we now have an excuse to go back again.
The game viewing was outstanding and varied - watching from boats elephant and other animals in and near the water at Chobe, and watching all of the plains and big game from the very comfortable Land Rovers at the other camps plus mokoros at Xigera. Leopard sightings were frequent both in trees and on the ground, and all the other southern African game were seen in abundance. We even saw an aardwolf in daylight! Our guide said that in all the years he had been doing game drives, this was his first aardwolf. The camp staff at each camp gave superb service, and always with a smile and a friendly greeting.
South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique:
Buhala Lodge near Nelspruit
is a gem. The location of the lodge on a hill overlooking the southern border
of Kruger Park is spectacular, as is the lodge itself. Each bedroom is
different in shape and size as well as decor, and there is a large veranda
overlooking the Crocodile River and the Park. We could have spent several more
days there (they offer game drives to the Park).
Swaziland is a beautiful small country, and the Royal Swazi Sun Hotel here is very nice. While I did not play the golf course, it looked to be challenging.
The Polana Hotel in Maputo is quite nice with a spectacular view of the Indian Ocean, and will be even better when the extensive refurbishing now under way is complete. Our room had been refurbished and was very attractive. On the other hand, there is not much to see in Maputo and the people seem to still be recovering from the recent civil strife.
That about sums up our experience. I took about 1500 slides on the trip (and Betty took about 700 prints) and I have been busy trying to fit the slides into about 7 carousels. It is hard to discard good slides even when they are more or less duplicates of other slides, but I am trying.
Many thanks to you and to Wilderness Safaris for putting this trip together and for executing it in such a perfect fashion. I think that the mid-January 2001 Kenya-Tanzania-Zanzibar trip that we are working on with you now is proof of our one hundred per cent satisfaction with Fish Eagle Safaris.
With best regards, John Utts and Betty Soucek, GA.
"Bert, The trip (Nov. 2000) was spectacular - we had a wonderful time. Even though I was in bed for a day in Jao and Kat was feeling a bit ill the day after me, we still had a wonderful time. The camps and their staff were incredible. They were by our sides when we needed and left us alone when we wanted.
Jao was incredible, the guides on the game drives were wonderful. They really knew what they were talking about. I think that this was my favourite camp overall and from what I heard from others, it was theirs as well. I would like to thank both Marlene and Christoph for the wonderful care that they provided me.
Chitabe was a little disappointing, the driver for the game drives wasn't that great, although the rest of the camp staff was wonderful. Since we were getting over the illness, they were happy to pick us up and drive us back to the camp early.
Muchenje was great as well. The camp is beautiful, overlooking Namibia. The staff and guides were great. (We had two flat tires getting from Kasane to Muchenje, but we weren't delayed by much. Our guide Neil was great he was incredibly knowledgeable of the area, and the animals.
River Club was very luxurious, and although I enjoyed myself and Emma was wonderful, I felt like it was a little formal for myself. Don't get me wrong I really enjoyed myself there, but maybe it was the other guests that made me feel as if I didn't belong. They tended to be older couples/friends and they were travelling on the Blue Train or Rovos Rail in more luxury.
Thank you for arranging the extra night in the Grace Hotel. I agree with you that that hotel is incredible. I initially thought it was too formal for my taste, but the staff were very nice, and did everything to make our stay very pleasurable.
The camps were all very different, but I have to say that from our impressions, we would vote for them in the following order from worst to best. Chitabe, River Club, Muchenje, and Jao. Our flight to River Club was piloted by a Canadian from Calgary. He was great. He gave a free flight over the falls and we got some incredible pictures of it from the air. A big thank you to Sefofane.
Again, thank you for arranging our trip. It was the best of our life. If you ever need someone for a recommendation, let me know. I would be happy to give you one."
Gerrard Leach, Canada.
"Enrique and I got back from Africa (Sept. 2000) on Sunday and truly had a WONDERFUL TIME...all the preparation that Enrique did for the past year surely paid off....Everything was perfect. The safari in the three different camps in Botswana was something to behold......These "Tented Camps" were nothing like Girl Scout camp back in the 60's. King Size beds, in-door plumbing.....the only thing that resembled a tent was that the walls were Canvas!!!! Food was great and Animal Viewing was at an all time HIGH!!!!
Can't seem to say enough about our trip to do you justice on all your advice on the camps. They were all so different. Jao, of course being our favorite and Chitabe, best animal viewing. There is NOTHING that we would have changed. Certainly a lovely experience which we will treasure for many years. Thanks for helping make our third Safari so Wonderful!!!!
We will pass the word to other friends that might be interested and have them work with a "Real Professional". Appreciate all your help."
Cordially - Bonnie & Enrique Rosselli, Switzerland
BOTSWANA & ZIMBABWE FLY-IN SAFARI
"Dear Bert, Sorry that it has taken me so long to write to you. You will be happy to hear that we had a great time on our trip. Thanks for all your work on our behalf.
We loved Chikwenya. The hosts, Alison & Mark were very friendly and the accommodations and food were lovely. We often were the only passengers in the vehicle with our guide and on the walk. We also enjoyed canoeing and going on a small boat. Dinners outside under the huge trees with many lighted candles were fabulous. We enjoyed the best experience at a hide all by ourselves for about 2 hours.
The accommodations at Water Wilderness were very unique. We enjoyed sitting on our porch and watching the animals come to the shore to drink, etc. The sunsets on Kariba were beautiful. The camp hosts, Beks & Kirsty were nice. The best activities were on the lake. When we took game drives and walks we didn't see much wild life.
At Linkwasha the camp hosts, Philippa & Martin were very nice and friendly and the food was prepared beautifully. However sometimes the quality of the meat wasn't the greatest. We had a nice guide there and we loved seeing all the elephants, giraffes, and zebras.
The hotels in both Harare and Victoria Falls were nice. The room at Ilala Lodge was nicer than at the Bronte, but the grounds at the Bronte were lovely. Both buffet breakfasts were good, especially at the Ilala. Seeing the falls of course was very nice. At night we organized with Wilderness to go to The Boma Restaurant for dinner and the show. The buffet was interesting, since we got to eat Kudu steak, Warthog, and Ostrich. I even ate a Mopane Worm and received a certificate recognizing my "bravery".
The tent at Lebala was more rustic than at the other camps and it did not have electricity, however it was huge, and had 2 sinks and big bathtub. The food was not quite as good as at the Wilderness Safari camps, but it was good and very plentiful. The camp hosts were a cute young couple who were very friendly. We had a guide and a tracker in the vehicle which was a Toyota and much better than the Landrovers at the Wilderness camps. We saw some fabulous animals which we had not seen previously. First we saw 2 cheetahs over several days. Then we saw a pack of 24 African wild dogs and 10 of them were puppies. We visited them every day for 3 days. They killed 2 impalas 5 minutes before we arrived on the scene and there were several lions eating the impalas and we were told by people in another vehicle that the dogs never even got a bite before the lions moved in. Later we saw the lions leave when the hyenas came. Another day we also saw different lions eating on a giraffe which they had killed 4 days before. The guide there was very good at placing the truck for the best picture angles and the two trucks had the best communications which helped us all locate the best animals to view.
Jao was the loveliest camp and it had the best food. However, we didn't have a very good guide and apparently he was fired after we left. We did not see too much wildlife there, but we did see some male lions and got some good pictures of them. Our ride on the mokoro wasn't too great, possibly because we couldn't understand what the poler was saying. We enjoyed the ride on the speedboat better. The camp hosts, Marlene and Christoph were nice, but not as readily accessible as the hosts in all the other camps.
We've been enjoying talking all about our trip and showing people our pictures. Perhaps someday we can return. The pictures in the beautiful new Wilderness Safaris brochure are really great and those of Namibia really look intriguing to me. Thanks again for everything."
Sincerely, Ned & Gloria Krier, AZ
N. BOTSWANA FLY-IN SAFARI - OCT 2000
"Dear Bert, Our trip to Botswana was fantastic! Everything worked seamlessly, from the pickup at Maun to the drop off from Duma Tau. We loved the whole experience and want to go back.
The three camps were wonderful, and we had outstanding guides: Sam at Xigera, O.B. at Duba Plains, and Pray (the best) at Duma Tau. They were very good at both animals and birds. (I tallied 237 species -155 in Botswana, the rest in Cape Town.)
Your advice to rent a private car for a day at DumaTau was excellent! We were very glad we did because we would otherwise have had to go out with fanatical (and I do mean fanatical) big game watchers who scorned those interested in birds.
In short, I can't thank you enough for devising such a wonderful trip for us. We hated to see it end. Our stay in the Okavango Delta made us truly understand the lure of Africa and the reason that people love it so. I'd be happy to write a fuller testimonial if you'd like, and to talk to anyone about the trip.
Your choice of camps was perfect; each was different, and each offered something special.
All the best, Phyllis Katz, ME
"Thank you very much for all the arrangements on our trip (Sept. 2000) . Everything went like clock work and our experience was fantastic. This was the best trip we ever had . Fell in love with Africa, with the people and with their demeanor. Derek and Gordon were great and very informative. It is wonderful to deal with people that enjoy their job. Our guides were excellent, very knowledgeable and extremely accommodating. We saw just about everything that we wanted to see and then some. Please be advised that we stand ready to be in your reference list and won't hesitate to recommend your company, you and the services that you provide. Once again thank you very much.
Carlos and Regina Vazquez, MI
OKAVANGO & LINYANTI ADVENTURE, BOTSWANA
"Bert--I wanted you to know how fantastic our trip to Botswana (Feb. 2001) was. Wilderness Safaris was great! We loved the Grace Hotel in Johannesburg; I can see why you recommend it over the Michelangelo. Everyone we dealt with from Wilderness Safaris could not have been nicer. Diana Tilden-Davis went with us throughout our safari in Botswana; she is a lovely lady and lots of fun. She helped us so much. I will highly recommend you and Botswana. Everything was fantastic--hope that I will be able to go back to Africa in the next year or two.
Bill Cook, MS
MANA CANOE TRAIL (ZIMBABWE) & FLY-IN SAFARI, BOTSWANA
"We had a spectacular time in Africa (in October)!! Everything was much better than we imagined. From the minute we stepped off the plane in Jo'burg to the time we had to leave again, everything went smoothly. The canoe trip was fabulous and was the highlight of our trip. That was an experience like we've never had before. Andy and Jen, our guides were great. We were the only two on the trip so we got special attention. I wish we could go back and do it again.
The camps in Botswana were wonderful too, each one a little different. All our bush flights were on time and everyone we met, all our guides, pilots, camp managers, etc were awesome. I'm recommending this trip to everyone I know. We handed your cards out to a few people we met in Africa as well. I think you did a spectacular job, Bert, of organizing our trip. Thanks so much."
Sincerely, Beth and Jeff Winke, VA
"All in all, we had a wonderful time (Oct. 2000), with, as you'd expect, the Okavango portion the most incredible. Chitabe Trails was a great homecoming for us; we had such great memories from three years ago when we stayed two days there at the end of our Mopane trip. Unfortunately, this time, for some reason, the wildlife viewing was not up to its usual standards. No one really knew why; just one of those things. That area is so lush and beautiful, you'd think there'd be animals everywhere!
Thanks for recommending Kwetsani. What a terrific, luxurious place. The wildlife drives (we're trying to get away from the term "game" drives) were very fruitful: we saw the first cheetahs in the area this season, we saw lots of lions, as well as the other usual animals, and lots and lots of birds. We did a wonderful mokoro morning as well. And Grant was terrific. We were in luck because one of the guides was away, so Grant was more available than usual, and was able to accompany us on our mokoro outing. He even called in an owl!
Thanks for all your help. As before, I'm perfectly willing to talk about our trips, your excellent assistance, and the great Wilderness Safaris company, to anyone who may be interested. Don't hesitate to give out our phone number or email address."
All the best, Steve Lambros (and Laurie Gerloff), OR
BOTSWANA FLY-IN, VICTORIA FALLS & CAPE TOWN
" We are back home one week after our African trip and are pleased to report that on a scale of 1-10 this experience was a 20! Wilderness Safaris did an excellent job throughout our journey. The Grace Hotel in Jo'burg was the perfect start . Then off to Lesedi which we should have done as a day trip. We thoroughly enjoyed the activities there but the overnight stay a little rough for our tastes. We missed the Grace. Victoria Falls Safari Lodge was a better choice on your part than the Victoria Falls Hotel. That provided a good introduction to the game viewing. The Falls were spectacular and we took a jetboat ride on the upper Zambezi River. Our small plane ride to DumaTau was exciting. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. We saw all the game including wild dogs but no leopard . We had numerous Elephant encounters especially in camp . We had nighttime visits and one of the local residents parked in front of our door blocking our return to the tent. Birds galore. The highlight of the trip was luxurious Mombo which exceeded our expectations. The staff and facilities were outstanding. The game viewing was the best. We saw three different leopards on three different occasions. We didn't want to leave.
Wilderness greeted us in Capetown at 10:30 PM and took us to the Commodore , not quite the Grace but adequate and conveniently located. The sightseeing program worked out just fine including a trip to the top of Table Mt. Thank you for providing your expertise. We really enjoyed the trip but those trans Atlantic flights are a Killer. Keep us on your newsletter list. Someday we hope to see the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti Plains. Bye for now.
Dot and Dan, FL
"Bert, We're back from our (August 2000 Botswana) trip and it was fantastic! Everything went off like clockwork. Wilderness Safaris was amazing in the quality of their camps and attention to detail. We couldn't have asked for better. I will write you a detailed report as soon as I have time. I can't thank you enough for all that you did for us to make this trip so perfect. Everything was as arranged with no glitches. Our seats on the planes were great. All hotels great, food & people great. Couldn't have asked for more. The animal sightings were super- wild dogs, leopards, & everything else. All the girls loved it. We will go back. I'll have to talk to you about suggestions for the next trip to Africa- probably in 3 years. I'll be back with details soon. THANK YOU !!!
Barbara Broomell, NY
NAMIBIA & BOTSWANA FLY-IN SAFARI
"Dear Bert: The trip to Namibia & Botswana (Nov. 1999) couldn't have gone smoother, or been any more pleasant. It was my first trip to southern Africa, and first safari. It was Duane's tenth trip to Africa and her tenth safari as well. She said that her only regret, especially during the visit to Botswana, was that now I'd think that every safari that I'll ever be a part of is going to go as smoothly, and that this abundance and variety of wildlife that was seen is going to be the norm. An example: on our very first trek into the delta after arriving at Mombo Camp, we saw all three cats; cheetah, lion, and leopard!! She was astounded, and related that she hadn't even heard of anyone ever being so fortunate, much less being this lucky herself. She said that now I would be "jaded"... I truly don't mind
We also had a wonderful experience in Namibia. I was surprised at how well "wired" all the different tour operators are. Everyone seems to have internet access as well as email, which made planning our several days of free time at the beginning of the trip almost effortless. We drove our little Mazda and Toyota about fifteen hundred miles...from Windhoek to Swakopmund, from there through Walvis Bay, down to the Namib near Sossusvlei, took a hot-air balloon ride at dawn in the desert. After our visit to Botswana, we returned to Namibia and spent the remainder of our time at Etosha pan. I never grew tired of visiting the various watering holes. Each day at the watering holes was different. Each hour they changed like the seasons. You have given us something to remember for our whole lifetime together. Thank you.
Duane Decker, MO
N. BOTSWANA FLY-IN & MANA CANOE TRAIL
"Thank you for your email. Yes, we are back from a truly excellent vacation. Everything was incredibly well organized and on time, which is no small feat in itself given the number of connections. Our favorite camp was Jao Camp which is really gorgeous, we saw a leopard at Chikwenya and the absolute highlight of the trip was the 3 day canoe trip. Hippos are now at the top of my fear list -- I will lie down with the lions anytime instead.
Wilderness Safaris is a very good outfit with good facilities, especially friendly management and very knowledgeable guides. We also met a lot of nice people from South Africa and that makes me want to make a visit there in the future. Thank you so much for your excellent service. It has been much appreciated and I will be sure to recommend you to anyone I know heading toward Africa."
Vicki Atkins, Beijing
ZIMBABWE FLY-IN SAFARI & MANA CANOE TRAIL
"I just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know how much we enjoyed our trip (August 2000) to Zimbabwe. Everything was as wonderful as you indicated it would be. I did finally get so see my first Leopard in the wild. It was absolutely awesome and thrilling! The camp sites were extraordinary, and the service was wonderful. All of the guides were exceptional; very knowledgeable and very accommodating. Thank you for all of your assistance."
Dee York, FL
BOTSWANA FLY-IN SAFARI, BLUE TRAIN & CAPE TOWN
Hi Bert, yes we are back safe and sound. Another great trip! Loved the new Little Mombo. I told them I was moving in and not moving out! Mombo was the best ever -- the game is so great, and the new camp is just icing on the cake. We also had a great time at Dumatau. Alistair and Megan were managing there, and they are so warm and fun it really makes the camp great. We were talking about the differences in camps, and what a difference the management makes. Jao is lovely, and birding especially is nice there, but there was no cohesive management there -- we never had a clear idea who were our "hosts". So the experience suffers.
The Blue Train was a great experience -- Doug loved it especially. A nice way to relax and see the scenery as you do. Dining was fun, with good wines and food. For me it was a bit slow after all the action, but as I said, Doug loved it and wants to do more. Cape Town is a fantastic city! I didn't realize how spectacular the scenery is there. We had a wonderful visit exploring the waterfront and the downtown art and markets. The Cape Grace was wonderful -- they really treated us like family. To top it off, on our last night we attended a wine dinner at the hotel and I won the grand prize -- two free nights at the hotel any time in the next year! We had just been talking about returning!!
We used a local guide to tour us around the wine country and Cape Point (on separate two days). It worked out great, and he is a plant lover like me so our trip to the garden was really good. Thanks so much for your recommendations. As always, a wonderful trip.
Patricia Sutherland, CA
FLY-IN SAFARI BOTSWANA & SOUTH AFRICA
Bert, I can't say how impressed we were with Wilderness!!!!! Everyone was so helpful, timely and efficient. We just received our photos and are re-living the trip (Fly-in safari to Botswana and South Africa, April 2000). As I'm sure you hear all the time, there are not enough words to describe our experience, particularly the safari-portion. We definitely plan on returning to Africa to experience other portions of the country.
As for Sodwana, our early departure had nothing to do with service. We simply decided that a 5-hour drive + 18 hour plane ride, all on the same day, would wreak havoc on us. So, we thought it best to spend a relaxing evening in Durban right before our departure to the states. We had three great dives at Sodwana, which was amazing in and of itself. Highly recommended. Not a luxurious resort, but the diving was excellent.
Anyway, thank you so much for your valuable assistance in planning this trip!!!!! We've been telling our friends that they must go to Africa and of course, we will only recommend Fish Eagle Safaris!!!!
Thanks, M. Pickett, CA
"Before I rant and rave, we want to thank you for all of your recommendations and bookings. This was our first experience in Africa and feel it was more than we anticipated. We travel at least once a year out of the US and we thought that once we visited Africa, we would have it under our belt, so to speak, and would have no need to return unless business brought us back there. Well we were wrong. We would love to return in the future and experience it again.
For our first experience, I do not know how Mombo can be topped. The camp, the people, the animal experiences, and Wilderness Safaris were all A#1, not to mention the food. I only hope my pictures turn out to be 50% as good as I saw them. Overall, our Mombo experience was very special. It included clearing of lions and giraffes off the airstrip so that we could land, lots of herds of all types of antelopes such as impalas, also zebras, wildebeest, warthogs and birds, birds, birds (we cataloged over 90 types). We experienced a wild dog kill, cheetah cubs trying to climb the front of our Landrover while mom was being chased by two males, watching the leopard stalk the area and a few unsettled male elephants not liking our presence. We also had baboons and kudus visit our tent along with a 2-foot monitor lizard in our bathroom. The endless viewing of animals was surreal to us and it took us some time to get used to the environment and the routine. We said it would be very difficult to beat this setting. The staff was superb from the managers, cooks, and maids. We would return to this camp in a minute.
Sandibe was a different experience. We did not see as much game, compared with the variety and quantity of Mombo, but the architecture of this camp was worth seeing. The food was good, but again, hard to beat Mombo. There was a whole lot less staff here, but all were good and knowledgeable. We had a good mokoro canoe trip and saw over 40 hippo at once. It was quite humbling and scary at the same time.
We were most impressed with the country of Botswana. The people were very happy, unlike Zimbabwe and even South Africa, who are going through a lot of changes. I want to also say how impressed we were with the communication and the way all of the camps worked together to dispatch guest throughout all the camps, no matter who ran them. With the unusual flooding, they did a marvelous job moving everyone around from camps that were open, including the planes that had to get them there.
Again, thank you for all your help. Chuck and Linda Lawrence, IL
"First, thank you very much for arranging the premium seats on the 747 on the way over. They were truly splendid and everyone was wildly happy and comfortable. Botswana exceeded everyone's expectations and certainly mine since I was accustomed only to the routines of the Kruger Park, which I always enjoy the most because of our family all being there together. But Botswana was truly incredible. I think I actually liked the Xudum camp the better of the two though we saw a great amount of game at King's Pool. It was very personal and incredibly comfortable. The tents were just lovely. The new management duo were great and very attentive and had such a good way with the staff. The trips out during the day were great fun and it was extraordinary to see the water of the Okavango Delta rising even in the couple of days we were there.
To me, the light aircraft flights set the trip apart from others that I have done. I really felt a sense of going to a place that was remote. It was amazing to look down on the African terrain stretching away for miles and miles. The boys absolutely loved the whole thing, as did the rest of the group, but their high spirits and excitement in particular were wonderful to see. King's Pool was very exciting too, with the animals almost on top of you all the time. Everyone was astonished, quite enthralled with the luxury and attention we got from what seems like an incredible number of staff there. So many Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans and Zimbabweans working in these camps.
Food everywhere was outstanding and the morning teas and refreshments on the out trips were just great. Everyone was very pleased with the amount of wildlife they saw. The boys got to see a leopard and, along with the rest of us, saw lion, elephant, hippos en masse and also up close. Calvin was so pleased and added lots of birds to his list. He was also pleased that the guides were so interested in and knowledgeable about the bird life. But despite this active interest in birds, I think they kept a good balance of viewing so that the others in our group gained an interest in birds that they hadn't had before. Botswana was definitely worth the expenditure. I was so glad I went there -- it gave so much more of a sense of romantic Africa than I had experienced before.
Vic Falls was great too and the falls were incredible. It was nice that cars and buses couldn't drive to the edge as they can at Niagara. Quite a few braved the white water rafting on the mighty Zambezi river and have certificates to prove it. Not me, however. The shopping was fun, but the level of poverty frightening. No wonder they have all the entry and exit taxes!
It ... was a wonderful trip with no unexpected surprises, just a lot to marvel at. You did a great job for us and you can be sure there will be a lot of recommendations for your efforts. It was a great, entirely unforgettable vacation so thanks for making it happen.
Judy McCarter, TX
"We wanted you to know that the trip you planned for us was the most stress-free we've ever had. We were treated like royalty at virtually every stop. As an example: our plane from Ndumo to Jo'burg was delayed, due to mechanical problems. In its' place, Nelair arranged to have a pilot from Phinda come to pick us up, transport us to Phinda, where a twin-engine plane, complete with pilot AND copilot, was waiting to take us directly to Jo'burg. We were met on the tarmac by a van, which whisked us to the international terminal, and were walked to our gate. Awesome.
We were able to complete the entire trip. Thanks to your message, received at Rocktail Bay, we knew we could probably complete the whole trip. Surgery happened the Tuesday we began our return trip home. Mack's father is now home and doing fairly well, all things considered
It is difficult to decide which place was our favorite, as we enjoyed them all. Botswana was a great addition, and Dumatau was wonderful. The pilot did have a little trouble locating the airstrip, but since I was flying copilot, we let the others blame that on me. We did fly Sefofane's new plane, which is very nice. We saw so much at Dumatau, it was hard to imagine going anywhere else. The staff at Dumatau was truly exceptional, as were the facilities. We met some great people, from all over the world there.
Djuma was our favorite in a number of ways. Our ranger, Bhili, and tracker, Abel, were outstanding. They gave up their free time to take us to their village one morning, where we went to the school, met their families, and had the witch doctor throw the bones for us. We saw SO much! The last morning , all the camp staff went out to find lion for us (the only animal we had not seen there). They radioed a sighting to us, and the lion were magnificent. As we were leaving, the pilot said he had to buzz the runway before landing to clear the lion off!
Rocktail Bay was in a beautiful setting. We were so used to open spaces, it was a little difficult to adjust to more dense foliage, but we managed well. The beach was lovely, and , once again, great people (very few folks from the States, which was very fine for us). We weren't sure if we had the enthusiasm for Ndumo, but once there, we fell in love with that lovely place. The terrain was wonderful, the animals more than we expected (one night we were surrounded by several dozen giraffe on our walk), and the accommodations perfect. The others there were from Denmark, Norway, Germany, and S Africa, and we had a truly exceptional dinner conversation. How nice to know we could fit in!
Our daughter greatly enjoyed her accommodations, separate from parental units, but within reasonable distance to us. Both she and Mack took some exceptional pictures, some of which will be transferred to CD Rom, so that we can share them with friends. We promised to send some back to Djuma, and were impressed with their satellite cameras.
The accommodations in Cape Town were lovely, as was Janice, our guide. At Cape Point, a baboon jumped on our table, inside the restaurant, looking for food. We have a healthy respect for baboons now, and steer clear of them. Table Mountain was awesome. We wish we'd been able to spend a little more time in Vic Falls, as I really liked the Safari Lodge. Next time, we'll spend the two days we originally planned on. Yes, we are hooked. We are thinking Namibia and the Okavango for our next trip, but also would like to return to several of the camps.
If we weren't already looking forward to our next trip, this would be the trip of a lifetime. We owe you our respect, appreciation, and sincere gratitude for everything that you have done. This trip was to celebrate my 50th birthday, to re-establish family ties with our daughter, who had been away at school for the first time, and to visit a place we had perhaps always been a bit afraid to visit. Each goal was accomplished, thanks to you.
We would be very pleased to speak to any clients who have questions concerning a trip such as this, and hope you will feel free to use us as references, should the need arise. Additionally, my sister lives in Houston, and, while we don't visit often, it would be our privilege to take you and your family to dinner if your schedule permits, the next time we're in town. It would be a small way of saying "Thank you" for such a wonderful experience. Our sincere gratitude for your expertise, and your kindness.
Mack, Lorraine and Emily Beers, OH
"Just a short note to let you know how much we enjoyed our trip. Your itinerary and Wilderness Camps lived up to and exceeded our every expectations. A few highlights included tracking a cheetah couple for 2.5 hours, tracking white rhino and lion on foot, and being charged (for real) by a mother elephant. We saw and experienced so many wonderful animal sightings. Please feel free to put us on your list of highly satisfied clients. While we will probably not plan a return visit for several years, please keep us on your mailing list for updates as we definitely plan to return to southern Africa in the future. Again, our compliments to you and Wilderness for giving us such a great experience.
Sincerely, Diana Hendrickson, SC
A bit later than I'd hoped I'm writing to thank you for arranging my absolutely wonderful safari trip in Botswana in March 1999. It was a marvelous adventure, I enjoyed myself and was well taken care of, and everyone back home raves about my photos!
Specific things that worked well were:
All the information that Fish Eagle provided in advance that helped me choose camps and have a sense (without spoiling the surprises) of where I was going. Bert seemed to be right on top of everything, with preliminary reservations in place practically before I'd finished having the thought. I even sent the color brochure about the camps to my 80-year-old mom along with the itinerary so that she could imagine where I was along the way rather than worry about me. I also felt that Bert was available to answer any question, large or trivial, which was reassuring.
As for Wilderness Safaris, I have nothing but praise for all the people who took care of me along the way. The woman who met me in Maun was great about calmly but firmly dealing with my missing luggage problem. My hosts at Duba were charming, friendly, totally kind -- supplied me with clothes, toiletries and tender loving care. They did an excellent job of putting their feet down about getting my long-missing duffel finally delivered to camp. My guide there, Tsile, was enthusiastic, interesting, knowledgeable, patient and full of stories.
Grant Woodrow, at Mombo, is wonderful about introducing guests to one another and mixing in at dinner. I enjoyed his slides one evening, as they gave me more information about the Delta (and made me envious of his opportunities to take pictures!). Then Grant couldn't have been kinder after the monkeys broke into my tent and stole my camera -- he lent me his, with just the promise that I'd leave it with the Wilderness office in Victoria Falls.
At Dumatau, the huts are glorious -- I'd move in permanently if it were possible. Our guide, Alson, was a delight. His pleasure and interest in everything, from skimmers to hippos, made every excursion full of fun and interest. I really appreciated that he wasn't a "big animals only" guy, and would stop to show us trees, flowers, tortoises, and little birds.
The close encounters with lion, kudu and elephants at Chobe were exceptional. It was wonderful to go out on the river. I would say that Chobe Game Lodge was a bit disappointing after the Delta camps -- staff not quite as friendly (probably feeling a bit over-touristed), guests a bit more blasé and not as "into" the wilderness, tap water even more funny colored and foul smelling (I wouldn't wash my hair there).
Victoria Falls is an entirely different experience. I appreciate Bert's recommendations to stay at Ilala, although I found the ground level French doors that didn't close entirely tightly to be a little more disconcerting here than in the bush. I also appreciate Bert's recommendation to see the falls from the air, given the volume of water in the Zambezi. It was an exciting ride and a terrific view. I went to the "culture show," having been warned by a fellow visitor that it would start off a bit slowly but improve -- which it did. I'd recommend that to others.
Again, many thanks to both Fish Eagle Safaris and Wilderness Safaris for arranging a wonderful holiday. Please use whatever parts I've written than you'd like for your own publicity or to answer other travelers' questions.
Virginia (Prinny) Anderson, MA
I've been meaning to tell you what a good trip you planned for us -- but, as you can well imagine, there was sleep deprivation and work-load that took precedence. But, I'm almost caught up with the former, so here I am telling you. Not in order of importance, but rather as things come to mind: when we hit the Meikles Hotel, we were faced with that national industry strike and the hotel was being staffed by the management. Of the existing restaurants, only 1 was operating -- and then only on a buffet basis. They were obviously trying, but not doing too well. But, it was only 1 night! On to Gache-Gache; everything was lovely...the game drivers were efficient and knowledgeable. We even tracked elephants on foot -- and found a couple. It was interesting to see the different ways in which the guide handled the rifle as we got closer and closer. Never did I feel in danger, however.
Makalolo was elegant and was what we thought of as an incomparable experience later was disproven. Victoria Falls was disappointing because of the low water level -- but at least we could see the gorge this way. Water is certainly an uncontrollable force. And, we've seen Niagara, so at least we have an idea of what Vic Falls can be. While at Kings Pool we were hit by that wind storm that brought every bit of dust and dirt into our faces -- but we were not deterred by weather. It was uncomfortable sleeping the first night, but the second night there was the lightning show and rain drops so it was refreshing and did serve to break the heat a bit. Jedibe is the one place we could have skipped. Although the water passages are absolutely gorgeous to see with the reeds and papyrus growing so thickly on each side, there is just not enough to do there. It was too hot (43 c) to do much more than use the pool anyhow, although Michael and I did brave the mokoro ride and nature walk -- where we did glimpse the retreat of 2 Sitatunga antelopes. And, the feeding of the fish eagles was a pleasant sight.
On to Duba Plains which was certainly the absolute highlight of the trip. The camp managers there remembered your having been there a few times. They could not have been more hospitable -- and being in their camp was like being in their home. This is the only place where we were offered a behind the scenes tour -- and that in itself was very interesting. What they can accomplish with velcro, solar power and only a few hours of generator time is truly amazing. All in all, it was a truly memorable experience for all of us. It was physically taxing (climbing into and out of those land rovers and small planes) but well worth it. By 9:30 pm we were anxious to get to sleep so we could get up at 5:30 for the game drive of the morning - and we did!
Would we do it again? You bet! Thank you so much for a trip we will always remember and treasure. What did we see? well, not a cheetah (or a rhino, of course) but so many, many other animals I couldn't list them all. We even saw a puff adder kill a grass snake; a pack of 10 or 12 wild dogs make a kill in the reeds that was probably a baby impala left there by its mother while she went off to feed and devour the thing within 10 minutes; 2 different prides of lions -- one with 3 cubs about 6 wks. old and a zebra kill and the other one with a cape buffalo for dinner. I think I could continue for a few more pages, but you've heard it all before. We are happy that we went; we are very pleased with what we did and saw; but we are also glad to get back home to the convenience of good lighting and not having to live with the same small bag of clothes to wear. Thank you thank you thank you!
Barbara Freeman, CA
"It has taken awhile to reacclimatize to America after our wonderful time in Africa, but we do want you to know we were thrilled with the trip you put together for us, and enjoyed every moment.
Namibia was very interesting, and we all enjoyed our desert experience. Oryx did a fine job for us, and our guide, Toni Tomassi, was first rate. All the places we stayed there were excellent. Toni regretted he wasn't taking us north in Namibia, and in retrospect, as our grandson turned out to be such a pro at traveling, we regretted it too.
Cape Town is a beautiful city, and Janis (last name forgotten), our guide there, was also lovely. The Victoria and Alfred Hotel is first rate and was a luxurious treat. We were very glad we went to Soweto and had a little taste of Johannesburg, although it is a city with a nasty edge (a little like New York).
Both Djuma and Ndumo Camps were excellent. Our guides in both places, Billy in Djuma and Johnson in Ndumo, were smart as whips and full of fun, and we very much enjoyed their company. Lattie, our grandson, just adored the bush, and couldn't get enough of riding on the back of Landrovers.
Rorke's Drift was a special experience for all of us. Dave Rattray could make any story interesting, and he kept us all enthralled. He told us Lattie was the best behaved kid he had ever had, and as that included Prince Harry of Britain, that was quite a compliment. The truth was, the stories he told kept us all so interested the time we spent with Dave just flew.
Simunye was fun, for the first night, but one night there is really enough. To make a long story short, Vincent Sikhakhane announced he would take us to a Zulu wedding on the second day, and after almost 7 hours of off-road driving we managed about 10 minutes at the wedding. Sue Partridge, another wonderful guide, was fit to be tied, but we thought it was amusing. Our companions were all South Africans who were very funny and gave us a lot of insight into the current state of events in South Africa, from their point of view.
All in all, it was an excellent trip which we would recommend to anyone. Thank you very much for all your help in planning the trip for us. It was a wonderful experience.
Sue and Bob Wildermuth, NY
"We're home from our trip and had a fabulous time. We finally arrived in Johannesburg in time to fly to Skukuza and begin our trip. Londolozi was spectacular, and we really enjoyed it. The Garden Route was a bit of a disappointment but the Wine Country, Stellenbosch, Cape of Good Hope and Cape Town more than made up for it. The Cape Grace Hotel was a world class hotel with excellent service and amenities. On to Victoria Falls which were spectacular. The hotel was as you described, although I think they gave us the worst room there. I loved the grand old hotel and the grounds so it was worth the very small crowded room.
Loved Duba Plains. Britt and Cardo are an unusual couple, and we had a great time there. The accommodations were also excellent. Saw some game there but not as much as at Londolozi.
Wilderness Safaris was fine. We had an excellent guide with us by the name of Pam Allan from Tours and Trails in Cape Town. She was intelligent, efficient and I would highly recommend her for anyone who wants a private guide.
As you can see we had an outstanding time and I would be delighted to recommend you to any of my friends who wish to take this trip. Thanks again for your help."
S. Ginsburg, MA.
"Everything on the trip [Botswana fly-in safari, Nov. '98] went like clockwork. Air Botswana people in Johannesburg left my bag off the Maun flight along with bags of nine other people. The Wilderness Safaris representative in Maun took over and two days later my bag was on the plane taking us from Jack's Camp to Sandibe.
Jack's Camp was lots of fun and a guide took just the two of us out to an active Suricate burrow complex and we observed them for over half an hour. We also had a treat when we waited about dusk at a brown hyena den. Three six month old pups came out and walked around waiting for an adult to bring food. This group is being studied by a graduate student so great efforts were made not to disturb the site. We understand that there are only 10 000 or so remaining brown hyena.
A pleasant surprise for us was the vast salt pan area. The history of its origin and the discovery of very early man or pre-man artifacts and prehistoric animal bone fossils is very interesting and is understandably exciting for paleontologists and archaeologists. At our guide's suggestion we separated and searched for about half an hour for stone tools on the surface of the vast pan. We brought our findings back to the Rover and our guide identified the items we had found and explained about them. I had found a perfect 'three-way' tool which he dated at around 250,000 years old. Except for this piece, the other things were replaced on the pan. The guide took the one I found back to add to the exhibit at camp. Scientists are just now getting research under way on the pans for remains of hominoids which may predate any in Africa. It is interesting to learn that development of these pans was such that artifacts and fossils from greatly different periods are found together on the surface. I think Wilderness Safaris and/or Jack's Camp people might do well to publicize the pans more for ecotourism.
Sandibe activities were well organized. One evening we saw two aardwolves near their den. We saw lots of springhares at night. We saw only small groups of zebra, wildebeest and buffalo in various places and three elephants in some tall grass. Paul, or guide, worked hard to find animal activity. He found two female lions watching but not stalking a group of buffalo. We saw no wild dogs. Some people who had just come from Mombo had seen none there either. The only dog sighting we heard about were at Kings Pool. Elephant damage was extreme over all the Sandibe game drive areas. Probably, October to December is not the best time of year to visit Sandibe.
DumaTau was excellent. Saw lots of mammals and birds. Had baboons and warthogs around and under our quarters. We got long close looks at lions at a zebra kill, four cheetahs just walking and lying around, hippos out of the water, elephants, and giraffes. When we were brought to camp from the airstrip, we had to wait in the Rover while the camp manager got an elephant to leave from in front of the reception center. Saw the Dwarf Mongoose, two species of Jackal, Bat-eared Fox, and eight species of antelope. Saw many of the birds we had hoped to see including Hamerkop, Bateleur, Crested Barbet, Paradise Flycatcher, Wattled Crane, Saddlebilled Stork, Crimsonbreasted Shrike, Carmine Bee-eater and Redbilled Woodhoopoe.
All the camps had excellent accommodations and food. The 'half-time' breaks during the drives for drinks and a bite were fun and welcome. All the camps did this. We thank you for your attention to all details and in particular to our specific wishes. It was an excellent tour.
William Dick-Peddie, NM
'We are back from Africa [Botswana - July '98] much enriched by the experience. The trip exceeded our expectations and we are grateful to you for arranging everything. You were quite correct in your thinking about putting Victoria Falls first and Mombo last. It would have been a real let-down to go to the Falls after seeing predators at work close-up. And Mombo was a fitting ending, saving the best animal viewing for last.
Each place had its individual attractions - Chobe Game Lodge with its gorgeous setting and abundance of animals; Kwando Lagoon Camp with its feeling of cozy isolation, great staff and good game viewing; Chitabe Camp with its buildings perched on pilings, the resident elephant and our first sighting of a leopard and; the best of all, Mombo Camp, with its homey, well-worn feel, excellent staff, wonderful food, Grant, the best all-around guide we have encountered and the best variety of game viewing yet. It was a great ending to our trip.
All of your arrangements worked smoothly with nary a hitch. The people of Wilderness Safaris are true professionals. From all eight of our family, thanks for a unique experience. I will recommend you highly to anyone contemplating a safari."
J Jones, VA
'Bill and I had a great time [in South Africa, Botswana, Kenya & Tanzania, July '98]. I can recommend your services without hesitation. Overall, we saw many, many animals including over 36 separate lion sightings, leopard, cheetah, rhino and hundreds of zebra, elephants and impala. We saw lions mating, eating their kill and two lions sitting in a tree. Also saw leopards in tree with their kill. The scenery was spectacular. In South Africa, the Table Bay Hotel was exceptional as was the Plettenberg. We upgraded our rental car from a Nissan Sentra to a Toyota Camry since we are both large guys. All of the accommodations in all five countries we visited were excellent. Of the safari camps, Mala Mala and Little Governor's Camp provided truly great game-viewing experiences as well as fine food and service. We were switched from the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge to the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge which turned out to be a real plus. It was fantastic! In Tarangire, they could not accommodate us at the Kikoti Tented Camp because of the roads so they set up a private mobile camp for the two of us with four support staff including our guide/driver. It was a great experience. By the way, Air Zimbabwe was excellent on our flights from Vic Falls to Nairobi.
Again, I wish to thank you for arranging a great trip. Bill and I are both thinking about a return trip. We will let you know. If you or your clients have any specific questions, please do not hesitate to call on me.
D. DePoto, CA
'We've just got back from one of the best holidays [South Africa and Namibia, Dec/Jan 1998] we've ever had. Everything went absolutely fine & we'd like to thank you and Wilderness Safaris for making it all possible.
The Brass Bell in Kalk Bay was really fine and we were glad, having taken the seafood platter that we didn't take the starter course first, there was so much ! Also came across, by accident, the marvelous restaurant at Boschendal, which you should really recommend to future visitors (make sure they book, though). All the accommodation was first class, with the exception of 5th Avenue in Port Elizabeth where we were put in a smallish room with an even smaller bathroom. It would have been nicer to have had one of their suites.
All in all, a wonderful holiday, and you may use me as a reference if you get any more inquiries from this side of the pond.
I. Barnett, Switzerland
"Just thought I'd drop you a note to say again how appreciative we are of the fabulous trip [Oct. '97] you helped put together for the two of us. We were amazed at how smoothly everything went and even the marathon 30 hour trip from Maun to Seattle went off without a hitch. The camps were excellent and the level of service and professional attitude was outstanding.
Leopard Rock was a hit! Absolutely beautiful setting and we had fun on the golf course. Again, excellent service. No problems at all with the car rental. We could have packed with less than 25 pounds! Since laundry was done daily, we could have had fewer changes of clothes and underwear. And, flashlights were always provided as well as mosquito coils and even insect repellent... also shampoos, lotions, etc. We took about 18 rolls of film and have some good shots. Saw the elephants swim at Chobe (from the boat) and saw many Fish Eagles!"
Paul & Carole Steadman, WA
"Our April/May '97 trip was absolutely superb: 100% perfect. Thank you very much for arranging it. The camps were wonderful and the people were great. My husband is a reluctant traveler but he really enjoyed Southern Africa! The weather was ideal, too. I thought the order of going from Jedibe to Mombo and then to Kings Pool in Botswana worked very well. The Ilala Lodge in Victoria Falls was a good suggestion: we appreciated its intimacy.
We had many adventures and lots of excellent sightings, and were lucky enough to find leopards twice. On one occasion I got some great photographs when some young leopards came right up to our vehicle. The Skeleton Coast fly-in safari in Namibia was wonderful: we loved Sossusvlei and the dunes. It was everything we had anticipated and more.
Marcia Feltheimer, NY
"This is a short note of appreciation, for the splendid manner in which you had made the arrangements during our recent (May '96) trip to Africa. From the camps you had chosen and the itinerary that you had planned, to the selection of Wilderness Safaris and the places of accommodation, all were to our taste and delight.
The two weeks we spent visiting South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe rank among the best times we had spent during any of our vacations that we can remember. The entire staff of Wilderness Safaris were very professional, knowledgeable and cordial. The game was plentiful and the viewing was to our satisfaction. The accommodation, even in the rustic setting, was to say the least, luxurious. The food was excellent and plentiful. The total credit for putting together such a package, customized to our taste and convenience goes to you. We are already raving about the great time we had to all who care to listen and we will continue to recommend your services in the most superlative terms, to anyone who is planning a visit to the African continent."
Dr. V. Menon, TX
"We had a great trip and want to thank you again for your very sound advice and guidance. Chobe was FANTASTIC. It exceeded what I saw in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania 25 years ago. One afternoon game run turned up probably 150-200 elephants crossing from island to mainland in the forefront while 20 yards away, a similar number of Cape buffalo were doing the same, some simultaneously, some minutes later. Moremi also had a substantial amount of game, but less than Chobe, particularly elephants and the big stuff."
Joe Opperman., CA
"I want to thank you immensely for the effort you put into arranging [our] trip to South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe in May '96. I wish to commend you for the excellent care you have taken in making sure that every step of this trip was very well organized. We had a wonderful stay: the tour guides were extremely pleasant, we did not have a problem with transportation and we were met promptly at every port of entry by the tour guides. We had such a wonderful time that we would like to go back to Africa again soon. The route that you had planne