May 2009
Back to reality - just arrived home late last night and wanted to drop you a note to say thanks for all - really appreciated all the planning and help that went into our trip being a success !!  and it was !!!  IT WAS AMAZING.  Also just great to know there was some back-up support through you, Island Safari and Wild Horizons. Oddballs was a particular hit though we did in hindsight need more time at all camps (Chobe Safari Lodge and Meno a Kwena)!!! 
Thanks and will recommend your company. 
Best,
Fiona McGuinness

 

May 2009
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on our recent trip.
During the period from our initial enquiry to our departure your staff, especially Mandy, were most helpful, and when, at the very start of our trip we had a potential disaster, the British Airways staff at Heathrow and your staff saved our holiday. Despite having to celebrate my 70th Birthday in T5 at Heathrow the rest of our trip went like clockwork.
Arriving 24 hours late at Jo'burg proved no problem and the transfer there and all subsequent transfers went smoothly.
We do not usually stay in smart hotels, preferring more modest establishments, without air conditioning, one gets acclimatised quicker ! But the Zambezi Sun's proximity to the falls was a bonus.
The Chobe Safari Lodge was a delightful place, we both enjoyed our stay, We were however disappointed that our river and 4X4 safaris were not on a private basis. One of our 4 x 4 trips was nearly ruined by our being grouped with a crowed of boisterous and noisy Americans who seemed to have no real interest in viewing the game.
As for Oddballs, what a magical experience, especially the two nights on the Mokoro Trail. My wife and I are no strangers to wild camping and we found having a sit down toilet with a cover hilarious, but I suppose rich folk are used to this sort of luxury!  Tracking lions through the long grass on foot was great and I personally had implicit trust in our guide, Jackson, despite his gallows humour ! It was an experience we will always remember.
Meno a Kweno was also a wonderful place. Unfortunately due to the recent rainfall there was less game to be seen but the camp itself was superb. Then, after dinner on our last night in Botswana, the kitchen and waiting staff joined forces to sing Happy Birthday to Bryan, carrying a birthday cake around the table and then entertaining  us with songs and dances, I was very moved. A wonderful end to a super trip,
Thank you and all your staff,
Regards,
Bryan and Marcelle Davies.  

 

May 2009
We are completely satisfied with your work. Everything went well without any problem. A job well done. Congratulations to Cara.

Vote from 1 to 10

The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour. Very, very excelent. Full satisfied. Bravi!

The transfers you had. 10

Your stay at Outlook Lodge 7

Your Blyde River Canyon Tour 10

Your stay at Arathusa Safari Lodge 9

Your stay at Zambezi Sun Resort Hotel 10

Your stay at Chobe Safari Lodge 9

Your stay at Gunn's Camp 10
Ugo anr Maria Margini

 

May 2009
Island Safari were amazing. Mandy fast to respond and very helpful. Xakanaxa ­ great lodge, friendly staff. The temporary lady running the camp was a little odd and unfriendly at times. Nice accommodation. Pity the game viewing was not excellent and too close to the community camp ground. Pompom ­ accommodation not quite as nice as Xakanaxa - game viewing superb! Great staff. Lodge not as nice as Xakanaxa.
Finn Behnken

 

May 2009
All I can say is that everything was perfect!!  Everyone that we met was very very nice.  And we all had a fantastic vacation.  It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience.
 
Thanks again for all of your help getting us organized.
Karen Nuzie

 

May 2009
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour.
Could not possibly have had better service. Mandy was simply outstanding: knowledgeable, patient, endlessly willing to go back to the drawing board and come up with innovative options.
The transfers you had.
Went like clockwork
Your stay at Delta Camp
Wonderful setting, helpful staff. Camp getting a bit tired in appearance, needs a spruce up. Amazed that there was no first aid kit in the camp -- couldn't even get a plaster or Savlon for one of our clients with a splinter. Taught us a lesson, though, never to leave our kit behind.
Your stay at Khwai River Lodge
Rodgers was an exceptionally good bush guide. This was the favourite camp for our clients because of its low-key luxury and attentive staff.
Your stay at Chobe Game Lodge
Too crowded, but adequate.

Hope that is helpful.
Cheers
William Saunderson-Meyer

 

May 2009
I wanted to send you a mail to thank you so much for putting together a truly memorable and amazing vacation for us.  We were met at the airport by Niko from NatureFriends and he had everything we needed to get to where we were going and was great to talk to to get the lay of the land.  Our accommodations were amazing (@ Okaukuejo, our room was some 50 ft from the wwatering hole in room #1!), the staff friendly and helpful, and the food was great!  We were able to see 4 of the Big Five including several separate run-ins with leopards, even in areas not known for them.
It was a truly enjoyable vacation and I'm recommending going through your company to other friends I have visiting the southern part of Africa.
Thanks again so much!
Stacie Benton

 

May 2009
Our travel in Namibia is one of the best we've ever done. It has been a magical and unique experience.
The organization of our trip was perfect and Nature Friend Safari is a solid partner.
We have been surprised by the very high quality of hospitality in the different lodges and by the staff's kindness.

Regarding the lodges, here are our comments and some precisions regarding the level of services provided, as there were some mistakes in the detailed program :
The Safari Club SA : close to the airport, comfortable. B&B
Your stay at Okonjima Bush Camp : Very nice place located in a beautiful background. Spacious and very comfortable rooms. Full board
Your stay at Onguma Tented Camp : Maybe my favourite one! Pure luxury in the middle of nowhere, very refined decoration. Wonderful view on the permanent show of the animals coming to the water hole. Delicious welcome. Fully inclusive
Your stay at Ongava Lodge : Nice but a very classical lodge, lacking a bit of charm. spacious and nice rooms. Rather poor level of service at the restaurant, and once you have been given to a table, you keep it till the end ! In our case, it was one of the worse ! I should have listened to Mandy's advices and chosen the tented camp which seems to offer a better quality. Full board
Your stay at Mowani Mountain Camp : Very nice place located in an extraordinary area. Very nice and comfortable tents, offering a marvellous view on the mountains and the valleys. Full board
Your stay at Swakopmund Guesthouse : to be forgotten ! As many other tourists we met during our tour, we think that Swakopmund doesn't present a big interest. it's typically a german town and that's all ! The room at the Guesthouse was comfortable and clean but very simple and located close to a very noisy road. We didn't like it at all!
Your stay at Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge : Excellent lodge, well located, with a very high level of service. Very spacious suites offering air conditioning, minibar, inside and outside shower... We have also appreciated the possibility of watching the sky at night with the powerful telescope of the lodge.A very nice place. Fully inclusive, including laundry
Your stay at Wolwedans Dunes Lodge : an exceptional lodge lost in the middle of nowhere. Very comfortable tents. Very attentive staff. We have appreciated to have the possibility of having a private dinner with many candles ! good guide. An unforgettable experience ! fully inclusive, excluding laundry

 

Regarding the payments in Namibia, I advice you to recommend to your clients to take enough cash because if Visa card is in theory accepted everywhere, it doesn't work most of the time !

Thank you for this marvellous trip and many thanks to Mandy for her precious help.
Kind regards,
Anne Scotet

 

 

May 2009
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour.
The booking process was very smooth and Cara was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Her recommendations were perfect.
The transfers you had.
Tranfers were very smooth and all staff very helpful.
Your stay at Delta Camp
Stay was wonderful. Lena and the whole team were fantastic. The treehouse was great. Food was excellent and the staff made us feel right at home.
Your stay at Mapula Lodge
We had a fantastic time. Loved the lodge and all the staff. Dicks and Simon were very good and found us leopard and wild dog! What more could we ask for?! Doctor made our stay lots of fun. Food was good and the rooms very nice.
At both lodges we were particularly impressed with all the staff who were very helpful, knowledgeable and made our stay very memorable.
Thanks for recommending the above lodges.
Bhavya Rajani

 

May 2009
A few comments below and attached is an email from my Patricia to your Patricia which accurately summarises our views. All in all the holiday was excellent, very well organised. Two areas for improvement for South Africa are the Premier train (which Patricia has already commented) and Jo’burg airport which despite lots of money being spent over the last few years remains a source of frustration for me (I have been in and out of Jo’burg 1-2 times per month for the last 3 years). The facilities have been improved but the systems are inefficient and the people unfriendly and unhelpful; not your responsibilities but if the opportunity arises your may wish to pass on my comments.
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour. Excellent
The transfers you had. Great, everything on schedule, everything worked.
Your stay at Metcourt Laurel Hotel Good
Your stay at Muchenje Safari Lodge Covered in Patricia’s email; we were happy.
Your stay at Xakanaxa Camp Covered in Patricia’s email; very happy.
Your stay at De Waterkant Village Very good quality accommodation and location. For Aussies, the multiple levels of security became frustrating. I was expecting and have experienced this but my family had not experienced this before. It would be helpful for non SA visitors to have this explained and the reasons why.
Your stay at Premier Classe Boring; but that is a personal issue. The quality of food and general standard of train facilities was below expectation. I will not be recommending.

Kind regards,
Robert Rigo
 

 

May 2009
I have only good things to say about our experience. Correspondence was mostly in a timely manner, transfers were all on time and easy and our experience at Oddballs was magnificent.
 
Thanks for everything and for following up.
Jeremy Alberga

 

May 2009
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour.
Excellent staff however I feel that your payment method could be improved, it was time consuming and difficult to make the payment and involved various faxes etc
The transfers you had.
Of the highest standard, thanks you
Your stay at Muchenje Safari Lodge
Excellent hosts and standards of accommodation – the food was fine although not what I would call sumptuous
Your stay at Delta Camp
Superb and the food was definitely sumptuous! The guides were fab as was everything. I do think however that you may wish to warn travelers that the sleeping quarters are exposed to the elements i.e. have no fixed windows or doors. This was not a problem for us but did cause slight consternation with a couple of other guests
 
Overall, a wonderful trip with excellent service, accommodation and everything. I have already recommended you to two other friends thinking of a similar trip!
 
Thank you once again
Dr Lesley K Holdsworth

 

May 2009
Thank you for your e-mail.  I'm more than happy to provide feedback, in fact I was planning to do so. 
 
We had a wonderful time - everything went smoothly with the exception of our Air Botswana flight from Jo'burg to Maun but these things happen and of course had nothing to do with Island Safari.
 
working through your headings:
 
From the moment I made a tentative enquiry about a trip to Botswana right up until the day we left the service I've received from Island Safari.com has been excellent and in particular Alison - to whom I've copied my reply  - has been absolutely brilliant.  We chose to go with Island Safari because of Alison's helpfulness in drawing up an itinerary and from the moment we agreed to go ahead with the booking everything has run really really smoothly.  No problem was insurmountable and I really felt I was being treated as an individual.  I wouldn't hesitate to use Island Safari again (although I might have to sell a kidney before we can go again!) nor would I hesitate in recommending Island Safari to others.
 
Transfers worked really really well apart from the delay in leaving Jo'burg with Air Botswana and the slightly hair raising experience of having to return back to Jo'burg after 30 mins because of mechanical problems with very old jet Aitr Botswana had charterered because their own plane had mechanical problems.  But all the transfers to, from and between  camps went without a hitch and clearly the camps and Delta air were in close contact.
 
Deception Valley Lodge was good - accomodation was excellent as was the food. We had a great time although I think the stay would have been even more special if we had had the lead guide rather than the number 2 (the main guy whose name I've forgotten drove us to and from the airstrip and in that short time he seemed more engaged particularly with the kids that Douw who looked after us). 
 
Delta Camp was sublime, the best of the three and is truly a very special place.  The lodge manager, his team and our wonderful guides Mat and Gently made the Delta come alive.  Accomodation was excellent and the Makoro/walking activities were simply fantastic.  Would leap at the chance of going back.
 
Finally Mapula was also excellent.  Doctor and his team were so welcoming and our guide Josiah was excellent.  Wonderful setting, great accomodation and excellent game viewing  (bizarrely another family staying at Mapula were disappointed with what they saw - I've no idea what they were expecting but we saw as much if not more than we were expecting)
 
So in summary, faultless service which delivered us the best holiday we've had.  Thank you Alison and all the team.
 
Many many thanks and I really hope to come back to you in the not to distant future to plan our return to Delta camp, Mapula and a trip to the Makadikadi pans.
 
with very best wishes
Simon Stannard

 

May 2009
Oh my gosh!! I can't believe time has gone by so fast and I have not yet told you what a fantastic trip Cara arranged for us.  Please apologize to Cara for me.

We were completely satisfied with just about everything any dissatisfied minutes have been forgotten.  It was a wonderful trip.  Cara really knew her stuff because we started in Deception Valley at DVLodge where there are not many animals this time of year (we more than made up for that when we saw a leopard very close).  And they surely made up for lack of big game with lots of birds, the best food of the trip, luxurious accommodations, and wonderful hosts.  Then on to Oddballs, a horse of a different color, perfect for us with their laid back atmosphere, proximity to amazing wildlife in hippos and crocs, camping, and mekoro experience extraordinaire.  Cara asked what we liked and my answers of camping and hiking for 5 days were completely fulfilled in Oddballs exp.  The food was simple yet adventurous with lovely lamb chops, nice array of vegies, simple and lovely.  There were more chances for close encounters; also plenty of bird life and more game.  As we moved farther north so did our animal encounters and Muchenje Lodge did not disappoint.  We saw elephants galore along with giraffes, buffalo, hippos, many antelope, and on and on.  The Chobe is an awesome park!  On to Chundukwa.  This is a lovely out of the way place very hospitable and suffering from the extreme heights of the Zambezi River, but they carried on ever so gracefully.  The food here was also superb; the managers (or owners? - Peter and Orla were away but their young assistant, Xanthe, was very helpful with everything, even helping my husband track down a very small piece of equipment he left back at Muchenje and delivering it to him the next day!  The rest of the staff here is also very personable, just as attentive and unobtrusive as Deception Valley Lodge, which I rate extremely well.  The scenery from the rooms was fantastic our bedroom opened up to the river and the view was spectacular.  The guide, who drove us around at Chudukwa was also exceptional, I'm embarrassed not to remember his name, he was most congenial giving us good history of Livingstone and ease of movement in and around the falls and the town.  His was a memorable day even if I cannot recall his name (please don't tell him).  All of the travel was timely and efficient, from biplanes to autos.  And everyone appeared to care and be considerate.  Marina's Guest House is out of the way in Maun, but an excellent choice.  Very comfortable, clean, and personable.  It was a relaxing and exciting trip of a lifetime.  I felt there were sufficient activities and for the price tag I don't believe we could have done any cheaper had we tried it piece meal and I was saved a world of trouble and had the beauty and experience of Cara's knowledge to guide us.  Thank you very much for a well done job.    
High recommendations from very satisfied customers.
Best Regards,
Susan Fairfield King
 

 

April 2009
Our overall experience was brilliant.  We very much appreciated the meet and greet at J'burg, particularly because of the obnoxious official who told us our changed flights were only standby tickets initially!!! Your helper was brilliant, please thank her. The service from you was excellent and the transfers the same, always on time, effortless and very helpful.  Chobe safari Lodge was also excellent overall.  The one criticism was the impossible expectation of doing the river cruise on the afternoon of arrival, since it left as we arrived (3:30pm) and we were early having had our flight to Livingston moved up by half an hour.  However, a replacement tour was put in place, to a Namibian village for 2 hours which we did find interesting.  The Safari Lodge was very good.
 
The Zambezi Sun Hotel was very good, but did seem surprisingly expensive in comparison with Chobe and S Africa.  However, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and our only regret was that we could not do white-water rafting (water levels too high) and the elephant back safari was fully booked.  I should have taken your advice and booked it earlier through you.  This needs pushing although everything else was available for booking on arrival.
 
Very impressed with the Safari Club SA, would stop there again, very handy for the airport and lovely people. 
The Chilli Pepper Lodge was an experience!  Enjoyed our stay but one night was sufficient for our needs.  The rooms are lovely and the food good.  A different side of African hospitality to any other we experienced.
 
Tanda Tula was just the best.  Nothing to critisise at all and we really did not want to leave.  A fabulous experience.
 
Once again, thank you for all your help, particularly Mandy in the office.
 
Yours sincerely 
Kevin Harley

 

April 2009
Thank you for your email.  I am more than happy to provide the feedback as requested.

Taking each in turn.

Island Safari
I was assisted by Alison who was absolutely fabulous.  She was diligent, friendly, replied in a timely and courteous manner.  On top of that she was very helpful and generally a pleasure to do business with.  When I have mentioned to people our trip to Namibia I have mentioned Island Safari and how good they were in arranging what was a first class holiday.  I will do so going forward as well.  Overall I am very impressed with Island Safari.  I was also impressed that we were met at the airport where a representative outlined the route we would be following and provided us with a nice little keep sake in the form of a booklet with the places we were to visit and providing directions on how to get there.  All very good and impressive and came in handy on our tour.

One small anal point on the "trip advice" section in the booklet.  It specifies that the speed limits on the gravel roads is 60-70km an hour and then in another section advices people to drive at 80km an hour on gravel roads.  Nothing to get excited about, but as a lawyer....

Hotel Heimitzburg
An impressive hotel with attentive staff.  We had to wait a bit for our room to be ready, but then we did arrive in Windhoek pretty early so that is to be understood.  It was just after our wedding celebrations so it would have been nice to have been able to establish ourselves early.  Not a big deal really.

Bagatelle
Impressive (this will be a word that gets used a lot in this email), really loved it.  The rooms were excellent and made us feel very homely.  The staff were all very attentive and friendly and the tour guide knowledgeable.  Had a wonderful time here.  Good food as well.

Kulala Wilderness Camp
Another impressive location with lovely rooms.  I thought the person who met us was over-friendly and it came across as a bit false.  This was reinforced when her apparent friendly demeanour to us would change very drastically when speaking with some of the more junior staff in Afrikaans which was, in my view, done in a very master/ servant manner.  She probably didn't realise I could understand Afrikaans as I have lived in the UK for the last ten years and my wife is very obviously English.  In the big scheme of things it didn't effect our enjoyment, but at the time it did annoy me to see an African lady treating a person of San heritage in a deaming manner.

The activities they provided were fantastic and our trip to the dead lake and the dunes was for me a personal highlight.  Our tour guide here was great and fun to be with and taught us some interesting facts about the desert and how life survives it.  This was great, because on our previous sundowner drive it appeared that our guide perhaps wasn't that knowledgeable.  There are two instances which spring to mind.  The guide constantly made the comment that the Namib desert is considered to be the oldest in the world.  I asked how this was known, which was perhaps a somewhat complicated question for a tour guide and I can well imagine that biologists or scientists or whoever undertakes these kind of studies would probably struggle to explain it in a clear and succinct manner, but the guide's reply was somewhat amusing.  It went along the lines of, "well there was this gentlemen from Europe in the 1800's who had been everywhere around the world and he said this was the oldest desert in the world."  Now I am no expert and to be honest whether it is or isn't is not going to keep me up at night, but clearly that answer was complete nonsense.  It did strike me though, that as a guide if you are going to make a comment like that repeatedly then a more realistic answer should be forthcoming. I am pretty sure you can google it.  The other instance was when driving at night the guide hit a bird.  It was clear that it was a bird, even I could tell that and the fluttering of feathers was certainly a dead give away.  When one of the other guests asked what it was, the reply came, "It is a bird".   Well done Sherlock.  But I don't mean to be negative about the guide, these are just two small points worth noting and generally he was excellent and a decent fellow.

Swakopmund
We arrived during Easter and was informed that the "city" was ram-packed.  If this was the case I would be interested to see what the "city" looks like when it is deserted.  The guesthouse was great and the staff very friendly and happy to assist with booking restaurants and recommending activities.  Looking back, perhaps an extra stay here would have been nice as many of the activities pretty much took up the whole day so we were somewhat limited as to what we could do.  As we had just come from the desert we didn't do the sand boarding or quad biking but went for the dolphin cruise which was a lovely day out even if the guide threatened to beat up a seal.  I know Canadians have this down pact, but the thought of a guide beating up a seal with his fists was somewhat amusing in an absurd way.  It would have been nice to have had an extra day here though to partake in some additional activities,

Mowani Desert Camp
This was great.  Again the staff were very friendly and attentive and the settings were great.  Accommodation was spectacular.  The bushman paintings and engravings are truly impressive and our guide was brilliant.

Ongava Lodge
The WOW factor.  Sundowners with rhinos.  Check.  Dining with rhinos.  Check.  Fantastic place.

Onguma
The WOW factor again.  Sit on your stoep and watch the springboks, the wildebeest, the oryx, the zebras and the wart hogs live their lives in front of you.  They took great care of us and gave us a beautiful night to remember,  We came back to our house, to find a bubble bath waiting for us, a complimentary bottle of champagne chilling in an ice box and a table set for two with the chef at our beck and call and an attentive waiter.  After dinner the staff came and sang some traditional African songs which was very special, they were likewise impressed when i joined the singing.  We will never forget that night, pure bliss.

Okanjima
Beautiful settings and lovely accommodation with a great tour guide.  The only downer here was that this was our last night in Namibia and we had to share a table with six other people on tour, who all sort of kept to themselves.  This was annoying as they knew it was our honeymoon (even gave us a complimentary bottle of bubbles) and yet we were stuck on this table while the only table for two was given to two brothers from Canada.  I thought that this could have been better handled by the lodge.  In fairness I understand they had a memorial service for the owners fiance who had recently passed away and they were very apologetic about the eating arrangements which is fine, but I think the logic of placing a honeymoon couple on a table of eight while giving the only two seater to two brothers could have been thought through with a slightly clearer vision.  That said it didn't spoil the place for us.

All in all we had a fabulous time and would highly recommend the trip you arranged for us to anyone who was interested and would furthermore certainly utilise Island Safari for any future trips we plan to undertake in Southern Africa.

I hope you find this useful.

Kind regards
Andrew McIntosh

 

April 2009
With regard to your request for feedback from our trip to South Africa, Botswana and Zambia, please find our response.
 
1.       All the transfers were always exact in time. Friendly people took good care of us.
2.       Our stay at the Safari Club was OK.
3.       Mombo Camp was the best game viewing. Good food, accommodation was fantastic and information excellent.
The ranger gave us so much of his knowledge about, not only animals but also history, geology, geography and of
Botswana today. One evening we also had a lecture about the Rhino program and what is going on to prevent poaching.
4.       Xudum was also very good. Most interesting here were all the boat excursions. We were taken care of in a very personal way.
5.       Khwai River Lodge was not as personal as Mombo and Xudum but everything was OK. Most of the guests were Americans and
       as we understood they visited other camps in the same chain and comparing different experiences, rather than talk about what was
       seen today. Not so good game viewing as in Mombo and Xudum.
6.       The Royal Livingstone Hotel is a most excellent hotel. Everything was top quality.
7.       We did not stay at the Tongabezi lodge. It some other guests and the dates were also wrong.
 
Regards/Robert /Ulla-Britt Kvist

 

April 2009
We had a wonderful time at Chiefs camp. The service I received from Elize with booking and help with organising our trip was fantastic and I will definitely recommend Island Safari to my friends.
 
Our transfers were also handled professionally and we had no problems what so ever with anything.
 
Chiefs camp was lovely the only thing missing was a bath, it would have been nice to have a lovely long relaxing soak in the tub.
The staff were all well trained, friendly, welcoming and helpful, our ranger Rex was fantastic and his knowledge superb.
The food was outstanding and there was always a good variety available.
All in all we had a memorable experience and are definitely looking forward to visiting the Okavango again next year,  when it is in flood
Regards
Sonja Scott

 

April 2009
You have requested a report on our experience. Perhaps I should at the outset state that we never usually use tour companies but prefer to make our own arrangements! We particularly wished to stayed at the Victoria Falls Hotel to celebrate our Golden Wedding. There was a problem contacting the Hotel direct and in searching the web I found Island Safari firm. It was a pleasure to deal with them for they were, competent, direct and honest in their recommendations.
The air fares to VF had previously been arranged by myself and Island Safari were willing to work within my schedule.
We were collected from the airport by a coach, even though we were the only occupants. We were taken to the offices at the VF township. We thought this was completely unnecessary - and was only done to impress on us the services that they could provide. We would have much preferred to have been taken direct to the Hotel for we were up early that morning to fly from Capetown via Joburg. We had already been informed of all the available activities but as we are in our mid seventies we were not really interested. We just wished to enjoy the ambiance of the Falls Hotel. We inquired at the Hotel about a trip to Livingstone - and they promptly arranged this.

The trip to Botswana game Lodge at Muchenje was well recommended and the transfer efficiently organised. With so much water and flooding it is not the best time to see game; but we saw much especially on the river trip.

The pick up for the return flight was punctual and efficient. We wish to thank all your team for a successful vacation. Especially Michelle in Pretoria, with whom we dealt.

We will certainly consider Island Safari again. Perhaps in a couple of years time. We may wish to travel Joburg and down the Garden Route to Capetown. A journey we undertook in 1962 (from Lusaka).

With best wishes
David Gompels

 

April 2009
Thank you very much for organising our tour. We had a super time. The service we received from Island Safari.com was excellent in all respects. I would recommend your company to all.
 
The transfers were very efficient and the pilots were all superb.
 
We slightly disappointed with the management at Sandibe Camp. Unfortunately when we arrived, there had been no manager running the Camp as they had been on leave. Obviously the relief management team had allowed things to slip slightly. We only had water for one day out of the three days we were there. They  had a problem with their pump. I asked for water to be delivered to the room twice so that we could wash. I was given 3 small bottles finally. Luckily, the guide was excellent. In fact, Gee was excellent. If it had not been for Gee, we would have been disappointed. He made up for the lack of water. He was definitely the best guide we had during the whole holiday. No complaints there. He was funny, charming, knowledgeable and fantastic with the children. Incredible in fact!
 
Shinde Camp was superb. The management team were excellent. Accommodation and food was first class. The best camp of all. The managers were always there to greet us in the morning. Obviously liked by the whole staff and the guides were always with us at all meals. We liked this. Our guide Adam was lovely. Super sense of humour. He was not well at the time but this did not stop him. Always there to help. The overall experience at Shinde was fantastic. Would definitely go back. No complaints at all. Thoroughly recommend it.
 
Our experience at Savute Elephant Camp was disappointing due to the Manager, Ashley. We rarely saw her. When we did, she was aloof, cold and distant. I don't think she smiled once. She made us feel unwelcome and, despite telling us when we first arrived that there had been many cancellations this year, made us feel as though she would have preferred us to have cancelled our trip. It was obvious that she had no rapport with the staff. She was never there for meal times. The accommodation was excellent though. One staff member in particular was excellent. His name was John and he was always prepared to help. Always had a smile and was charming. Food was excellent. It was just a shame that Ashley was so distant and unwelcoming. After Shinde Camp where the Managers were always around, she was a disappointment. We would be very reluctant to use Orient Express again after this experience. Ker & Downey will be our first choice when we go again.
 
Thanks again.
 
Your sincerely
Kate Compton

 

April 2009
Everything was great.
On my last stop in Zambia had to stay at a different place due to flooding.
I was especially impressed with the skeleton coast safari.
Very professional and well organized.
Thanks
Ted Halkusis

 

April 2009
Overall, I am very satisfied with your service and your choice of Lodges! This was one of the best trips of my life and I am definitely going back some day! I have already recommended Island-safari to friends, co-workers and family! I gave you 10 out of 10 on all categories! J
 
 
Elize, Thank you for all you help! J
  
Kind Regards
Sylvia Dilhani Arnesen

 

April 2009
I found the experience to be great!  It can be difficult arranging travel long distance, but Cara made it easy.  A secure on-line payment system, or participation in PayPal, might have made the payment experience a little quicker and easier.

Marc's treehouse experience was a fairy tale! As I girl visiting Disneyland I always enjoyed the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse and Marc's allowed me to "live the dream."  The rooms and the nightlit paths were magical, the food was filling and tasty, the safari guides really went out of their way to please (and worked very hard, from 7 a.m. to well past 9 p.m., visiting with us and answering our questions) and the hospitality was warm and welcoming.  I would do this trip at least once a year as a retreat if Marc's was closer to Louisiana.

Thanks for a great time.
Nancy Montoya . 

 

April 2009
Thank you very very much for your full of support and help!
They satisfied and enjoyed a lot!
It was pretty nice experience as thir honny moon!
We look forward to cooperate with you in the future, again!
 
Best regards,
Kawasaki

 

April 2009
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour.
The service was wonderful. Patricia was an invaluable link(being able to call her in Sydney) and she had really good knowledge of Namibia and Botswana to answer our queries. We had to do all the booking in a short week before we left due to another tour of Madagascar being abandonned, so we were relieved and surprised that it could all be arranged so quickly. All aspects of our tour went according to plan without any glitches. We were met and looked after at every juncture.
The transfers you had.
As above...all completely satisfactory. Small aircraft all arrived on time and were able to manage our bags and the arrangements for different groups of people. Landings on the dirt runways were a "hoot" and were always managed capably by the pilots.
Your stay at Pom Pom Camp
Pom Pom was a most delightful setting with friendly, efficient staff (extremely competent guides) and amazing animal meetings. One of these meetings was with an elephant feeding less than 10 feet from the entrance to our tent! Patricia said we wouldn't want to leave Pom Pom and she was quite right. I will go back with my husband in the not too distant future. Food was first class and plentiful as was the drink. Your stay at Elephant Valley Lodge
Elephant Valley was different in that it was a National park and the animals were roaming in large herds which was different to other experiences with elephants and hippos. The Lodge was very attractive, food was good but we dealt with too many staff and didn't really connect with any one staff member (Pom Pom assigned guides to us). There were no problems but it was more impersonal. The boat cruise was lovely, most enjoyable...a highlight of the stay.   One driver, was in my opinion, quite reckless. I mentioned this to a person who seemed to be in charge but with all the different personel , I don't really know if any action was taken. I went on  at least 8 game drives during my time in Namibia and Botswana and found the drivers so competent that it was a surprise to find a young man (trying to impress the teenage girls in the truck) who was behaving in such a stupid manner.  
On the whole, our tour was superb and trouble free. It was a most enjoyable experience that will provide wonderful memories. Thank you for the efficiency and excellent organisation which made the tour such a success.
Jill McKeon

 

April 2009
We (me, my husband, my son and my father Vladimir) are very satisfied about the organisation of our tour in Zambia and Botswana. The service we received during the tour was perfect, also the transfers and our stay in Zambia sun hotel (Chundukwa river lodge was inundated) and Chobe safari lodge.
 
Thank you very much and best regards,
Petia DIMITROVA

 

April 2009
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour.  EXCELLENT!
The transfers you had. EXCELLENT!
Your stay at Chundukwa River Lodge  EXCELLENT!
Your stay at Chobe Safari Lodge EXCELLENT!

I am looking forfard for having new awesome adventures with you!
Vlad Dimitrov

 

April 2009
The service from Island-Safari.com staff was excellent and the transfers worked without a hitch. Nobody was interested in the vouchers you had issued to us.
We enjoyed the Mapula lodge very much. The staff were very keen and the guide was expert. The food was amateurish, but edible. We would go there again.
Xakanaxa was well-run and the food good, but geared more for first-time overseas guests than for those, such as we, who have been to the bush many times.
 
Regards
Robert Charlton

 

April 2009
We were very pleased with both the service from Louise at Island Safari and the Elephant Plains Lodge. We would recommend your service and the lodge very highly.
Judi & Herb Pitch

 

April 2009
We were very satisfied with the camps, Patricia choose for us. The best service was given at Deception Valley Lodge, followed by Kwara. However the guides at the lodges were splendid, so we have nothing to complain about.
Bo Netterstrøm

 

April 2009
Hi Claudia, just wanted to drop you a line and say thank you for organising the safari for my son Axel and I. And especially the organising part. It went like clockwork. Everyone was where you said they’d be, exactly when you said they’d be there. The tent safari camps were terrific, the locations awesome and the guides were amazing. 
A couple of special mentions, Chippie, who looked after us in Xakanaxa, was so clever at finding game, we saw things that no-one else did, including (Cheetah and Leopard!). And his assistant, Option was just so friendly and fun to be with. Also, the manager of Xanthia and the owner Peter, at Chukundunga (pls excuse my spelling) in Zambia  did a mighty job to look after us. Unfortunately, all their chalets were underwater due to flooding, but when we arrived they had set up a camp for us and, after offering us the option of staying at another hotel in town, really made an effort to ensure we had a great time. What an effort under the circumstances!
Also, Mock, our guide in Chobe was very professional and a mine of information.
Anyway, thanks again. I am amazed that anyone could managed to do all this on the three days notice we gave.
I would not hesitate to recommend your services.
Danny Searle

 

April 2009
Service was excellent from Island Safari
 
The Pezula Resort Hotel was excellent, and was just as expected of a 5 star resort. We had a fabulous time
Many thanks
Daniel Prince

April 2009
My experience in working with Island-Safari.com was terrific and I cannot thank you enough for helping me arrange a very memorable trip to Victoria Falls for my husband's 50th birthday.  Mandy was a pleasure to work with - one of the nicest agents I've ever worked with, in fact!  Pleasant and friendly and she did her absolute best to make sure that nothing fell through the cracks.  Many thanks to Mandy!

Transfers to and from Tongabezi were arranged very well.  Our flight from Lusaka was a bit late, but Mike patiently waited at the airport to pick us up.  And he dropped us off with time available for us to catch our flight back to Lusaka.  The entire staff at Tongabezi was very attentive even though I'm quite sure they were worried as hell about the rising Zambezi River.  We had not one personal butler, but two (Alvin and Nature), who looked after us flawlessly.  The food was fantastic.  My husband and I had to go on a week-long diet after our return!  Mike and Victor made our canoeing and fishing trips safe, memorable and fun.

I'm already working on our trip next year to the Okavango and the Kalahari.  I will be sure to contact you again and seek your assistance in arranging that trip.

All the best,
Alisha Ryu

 

April 2009
We arrived back from the 3 week trip to SA, Botswana, Vic Falls, Milan and Amsterdam last night.
It was absolutely perfect! All reservations and organisation in Southern Africa was 100%, and thanks to Patricia for arranging another great trip for us.
Patricia, we saw 3 cheetahs kill an impala, and the robbery of the impala by 4 hyenas. We also saw a black backed jackal make a kill on a mouse!!
I absolutely loved Kwara Camp. Next trip I would want to go back there! But please don`t pass this info to everyone, or we will not be able to get accomodation when we want it.
Patricia, the caretakers at Xakanaxa have moved on. Apparently Flo had a serious problem with an aneurism and is in hospital in JHB.
Thanks once again, it was the best game reserve trip I have ever done.
Cheers,
Doug Eglington

 

April 2009
Jammer ek kom nou eers terug na jou toe, maar sedert ek terug gekom het was dit egter baie dol aan hierdie kant!
 
Baie dankie vir die puik diens, dit was voorwaar 'n voorreg om met julle besigheid te doen! Die reëlings het alles seepglad verloop en ons het GEEN probleme gehad nie.
 
Al die "transfers" het goed verloop, al wat egter 'n bekommernis was, was by die doeanne tussen Zambië en Botswana waar hulle ons meer as 'n uur laat staan het voordat iemand bereid was om 'n bribe te betaal voordat hulle ons tussen die 1000 trokke ingedruk het!
 
Chobe Lodge was uitstekend, die diens flink en vriendelik en die kos heerlik en genoeg. Die probleempies wat wel ontstaan het is gou-gou opgelos en uitgesorteer.
Almal het egter gesê dat hulle hul vrouens volgende keer gaan saamneem om te bederf en te wys hoe mooi dit is en waar ons was.
 
Philip Whelman en Len Hatting het gevra ek moet net weereens dankie sê dat hulle ander persone in hul plek kon stuur. Len se pa het die hart operasie oorleef en sterk goed aan by die huis.
 
Julle is 'n puik span! WELL DONE!!!
Ek glo André Laubscher sal jul meer kan vertel van die "eier "storie... ha-ha!!
Baie dankie weereens!
Marulha groete
Giep Joubert

 

April 2009
The whole trip was extremely well organised, thank you. Comments are below..........

The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour. FIRST CLASS THROUGHOUT 

The transfers you had. : EXCELLENT, ALL WENT ACCORDING TO PLAN WITH NO HICCUPS - THE ONLY COMMENT IS THAT HAD WE BEEN ADVISED TO GET A DUAL ENTRY VISA FOR ZIM, WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED PAYING TWICE FOR A SINGLE ENTRY (WE HAD TO RENTER ZIM TO CATCH OUR RETURN FLIGHT FROM VIC FALLS)

Your stay at Ilala Lodge : EXCELLENT ACCOMMODATION, STRUGGLING WITH THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD BUT THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE

Your stay at Ichobezi Houseboats : FIRST CLASS, EXCEPTIONAL STAFF, GREAT ACCOMMODATION, GREAT FOOD, VALUE FOR MONEY

Simon Penney

 

March 2009
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour. - EXCELLENT
The transfers you had. - EXCELLENT
Your stay at The Safari Club SA - EXCELLENT VAUE
Your stay at Macatoo Camp - EXCELLENT
Your stay at Indaba Hotel - VERY GOOD APART FROM THEY TRIED TO CHARGE US FOR USING AN IRON!
Jane Williams

 

March 2009
I was extremely pleased with Verona – she was very helpful and did a GREAT job.  Thanks.
The transfers were perfect.
The stay at The Royal Livingstone Hotel was fab – I just didn’t get my bag off the BA flight – not your fault!
 
So, a big thank you for a great trip.
Regards
Greta Meyer

 

March 2009
It is with great pleasure that I respond to the request below.  In fact, Island Safari beat me to the punch as I was getting ready to write you regarding Michelle's performance if not for my travel schedule the last few days.   

Usually correspondence of this nature is used to complain about the service one has received and to outline demands to have it corrected immediately.  However, this is not the case regarding my experience with Island Safari.  My wife and I were extremely pleased with every aspect of our trip from start to finish.  We had absolutely no issues with the aspects of our trip handled by Island Safari.  The lodges were excellent recommendations, the game park activities well planned, the transfers were seamless, but more importantly my interactions with Michelle were extremely easy and enjoyable to be perfectly honest.

This trip was entirely last minute and I approached Island Safari (Michelle) with only 2 days notice before our planned departure date.  Although we are American, we live/work in Kenya just to give you a bit of background.  I had tried booking aspects of our trip myself but ran into great difficulty.  Michelle made it seem easy.  Because of the late notice with which we provided her, we had to begin our holiday trip without all aspects of our trip finalized yet.  I'll be honest, I was nervous about this as I was fearful that some aspects of the trip would fall through and I'd end up stranded somewhere.    However, this is where Michelle's personality came into play.  She has a very reassuring demeanor - one that exudes the confidence any customer would want to see.  She assured me that the trip would be a success and that she would remain in constant communication with me whether via email or mobile phone during my layovers and first phase of my trip so that I was aware of the latest updates.  Not once did she fail to do this.  No small feat really when trying to meet my naturally very demanding business personality. 

By the end of the first phase of our trip, the logistics of the rest of our trip was finalized and paid for.    The only issue we did have was with my wife's flight from Zimbabwe to Namibia.  Her flight was canceled and no one at the airport seemed to have any idea as to when she would be able to travel to Namibia.  Given the political situation in Zimbabwe, I was not happy about her being stranded alone there (I was in Zambia and not with her for this leg of the trip).  However, it is extremely important to note that this was not the fault of Michelle nor Island Safari.  In fact, Michelle was a huge help yet again.  I contacted her on behalf of my wife to see if she could work her connections and get us more information than what my wife was getting on the ground in Zimbabwe.  Michelle did just this and made sure to keep my wife in the loop with the latest developments.   

It should now be clear to management at Island Safari why I am extremely pleased with the service I received for our latest trip but more importantly why Michelle should be appropriately recognized for her tremendous efforts.  I hope that management at Island Safari will take this letter as seriously as I took it while writing it and commend Michelle for her hard work.    Since I have plans to do more extensive traveling in Africa next year during the period of the World Cup, I will be sure to contact Island Safari once again.   
With pleasure,  
Marcello Rios

 

March 2009
everything was Ok in Zambia. The hotel was perfect, the transfers with Brilliant (the driver) were wonderfull (she is really great) and the process with the staff during the booking was correct. In generally, we are quite satisfied with everything in our adventure in Victoria Falls.

Regards,
OLGA SOLANILLA

 

March 2009
I would particularly like to thank Mandy for all her personalized help with my many questions, and also for organizing our day at the Cradle of Humankind at short notice.  This was a great day, and our guide Clive (?) was fantastic. 

All of our transfers went very smoothly, they were all there on time to greet us and were up to speed with our needs.
 
We loved the Safari Club and found it a great entrance to Africa and a good homely place to rest up between safaris and the mania of Sun City.  The dinner provided was wonderful and we felt right at home there.
 
The Zambezi sun was a big hotel and was well run.   Our only problem there was the rain!
 
Chobe Safari Lodge was a great place to stay.  There was some confusion there about the number of activities we had paid for – your itinerary had 5, or 6 if we did 2 instead of going to Victoria Falls for a day.  They had only allowed for 5, but finally agreed that 6 were possible.  However, the flight to Pom Pom camp on our last day left at 10.00, so we were unable to do an activity that morning.  It was also not made clear to us that we needed to book our transfer to the airport, but fortunately we had allowed plenty of time for this.
 
Pom Pom camp was the highlight – the staff in the camp were very friendly and the trackers and mokoro polers were really expert.  The informal atmosphere was great and I have never been so well fed!  We were very sad to leave.  The flights in and out were fine, and our transfer back to the Safari Club was good, with the guide helping us to find atms etc.
 
All in all we had a wonderful time and everything went very well.  Most large mammals have been spotted, and many birds. Once we have saved up enough, we will be back to Africa!  I would certainly recommend Island safari as a booking agency for any others looking to travel in Africa.
 
Thanks again
 
Kathy Haas

 

March 2009
First got back from South africa last night. It was a wonderful trip and the part that Island Safari and Inyati played in it  was top notch. Your attention, problem solving etc. were invaluable. We thank you very much.
Zvi and Lorraine Gastwirt

 

March 2009
We chose Island Safari because we had heard from friends that it worked out fine. We are very pleased we did everything worked out much better than we could have thought of ourselves. Everyone was helpful kind and friendly. The days at Okuti we felt as king queen and prince it could not have been better there is no words enough for the exitement pleasure we felt during those two days. The transfer flight back to Maun was fantastic and the pilot Stefan made our son Axel wanting to become a pilot.
Hope to see you again sometime
Kaysa, Bosse and Axel Bergqvist

 

March 2009
Having received several astronomically expensive quotes for our honeymoon from several UK-based tour operators we stumbled across the Island Safari website while looking to see if we could book the hotels and transfers independently. From the first enquiry made we had the best customer service I have ever experienced from any company.

Our Island Safari representative Ali created an initial itinerary that suited our requirements perfectly and was always available and more than willing to make adjustments as and when necessary (such as switching accommodation from Victoria Falls to Livingstone for the first night of our holiday which was achieved in under one hour from the request). She booked many of the internal transfers for us, and where we had made our own internal transfer arrangements also helped us with this process, contacting for example our hotel on Benguerra Island Mozambique to ensure we would have a boat transfer to the island following the collapse of a local air transfer company and calling us at our hotel to reassure us that all arrangements were in order. The other members of Island Safari staff we
dealt with were also very efficient and the option to pay in Euros saved us a lot of difficulties and expense which would have arisen in converting money.

All of the lodges and hotels we stayed in were without exception fantastic.
As we were travelling the day after our wedding we opted to visit the Victoria Falls for one night to relax and ease our way into the holiday.
The Royal Livingstone was a lovely relaxing start to our two weeks and the transfers from the airport to the hotel and then from the hotel to our accommodation in Botswana the next day were seamless. Ali had recommended three nights in Chobe National Park at the Muchenje Safari Lodge followed by three night in the Okavango delta at the Mapula Lodge for the safari element of the honeymoon.

Muchenje sits above an escarpment and provides views to the horizon of the Caprivi strip in Namibia on which literally thousands of Zebra and antelope were graze. The lodge provides two game drives per day and also offers a walking safari, a river cruise and a night drive, all of which we took advantage of and which were universally excellent. The river cruise was perhaps the highlight as we slowly made our way along the Chobe, watching as Elephants came down to the river to drink and finishing with lunch by a hippo pool.

The transfer to Mapula was by light aircraft which provided for some breathtaking game watching above the delta. Mapula Lodge is situated next to a large permanent hippo pool which begins a few feet from the front of the suites and on which Mokoro trips are available. As it is in a private concession the game drives at Mapula are not constrained by camp opening times so there is never a 'rush for the gate' and the guides are able to follow animals wherever their tracks may lead. This, coupled with the fact that on all game drives we had a tracker as well as a tracker/driver, meant that we were able to see a wider variety of animals, including a large wild dog pack, and a pride of feeding lions on the same drive extended drive.
Food and accommodation was, like at Muchenje, of a very high quality and wewere well looked after by all staff.

Following the safari we transferred to Johannesburg for one night before flying to Benguerra Lodge in Mozambique, staying at the D'Oreale Grande hotel by the airport to recharge our batteries overnight. We had planned on taking a trip into Johannesburg to visit old haunts as we both lived in the city for a period five years ago but unfortunately the flight times made this impossible. The D'Oreale Grande was perfect for a short overnight stay, although those who are not familiar with the South Africa 'casino culture' may find the atmosphere of the hotel complex a little strange.

Benguerra Lodge was our final destination on the honeymoon and was incredibly luxurious and relaxing. It took some time to get used to having a butler who looked after our every need but once we got into the flow of the lodge we enjoyed a wonderfully romantic week. Some websites reviews have mentioned that the food at Benguerra is not up to standard but we thought it was of a very high quality, whether dining at the main lodge or having a private meal at our own Casita (brand new buildings with private dining area and plunge pool). As part of the standard package we were able to go snorkelling and enjoy a cast away picnic, and also paid for an island horseride and massage package which while expensive were definitely worth the money.

Overall every individual we had contact with throughout the honeymoon, whether connected with Island Safari, the transfer companies, or the Lodges and Hotels, treat us like royalty and made the honeymoon an experience we will never forget. Special thanks again must go to Ali for all her work before and during the honeymoon to ensure everything ran like clockwork.
Handing over thousands of pounds, euros or dollars to a company over the internet was daunting but there was no need for any worries and I would recommend Island Safari to anyone who is looking to visit Southern Africa.

We have travelled independently in South Africa and Namibia before this trip but for a similar price booking with Island Safari can remove all the stress of independent travel for those on a tight timescale. There is a reason why all the reviews on the Island Safari website are glowing, this is a very special company that deserves all the plaudits it gets."
Philip Trotter

 

March 2009
The servide we received was excellent. It was a pleasure to hander our trip with your company. Congratulations.
Alberto Benet

 

March 2009
I'd be happy to provide feedback - thank you for asking.  We had a wonderful trip.  I am extremely grateful to Island Safari for assisting me in sorting out my options and narrowing them down to Sabi Sabi Little Bush as it is all quite overwhelming to do from so far away.  Cara was very responsive to my questions and knowledgeable about what options would best match our needs and interests.  We found Island Safari to be great to work with and would recommend your services highly.
 
I can't imagine having a better experience than that which we had at Sabi Sabi Little Bush Camp.  The setting is small and personal.  We took a brief ride to Bush Lodge and, although that is a beautiful place, we were so glad to have stayed at Little Bush as it is a bit more rustic.  We were completely satisfied with our game drives - seeing "the big 5" and more - so many beautiful birds, lots of very young animals (including a giraffe that was less than a month old), and gorgeous scenery.  What really made Little Bush an amazing experience is the staff.  Dallas, Michelle and Riley and all of the wait staff were incredibly warm and welcoming.  Chedrick, the chef, makes the best bread I've ever had and puts together fabulous meals that include wild game.  One of the nights my husband and I were the only guests in the camp.  The staff surprised us by putting together a nice private meal on the deck of our bungalo while we were out on our ride.  They were so excited to surprise us and took great pleasure in our having a pleasant experience.  Our guide, Mike, and tracker, Rondy, were unbeatable.  Mike is so passionate about his work and has so much fun doing it!  He has a fascination about the ecosystems that support the animals, which added such depth to our understanding and experience.  He gets as excited about a snake crossing a road as a giraffe feeding with his mother.  We learned so much about every aspect of the bush from his naturalist perspective.  In many ways, I had as much fun during his lesson on constellations one night and on our bush walk learning about grasses and termite mounds as I did looking at wild animals!  Rondy was much more quiet, and always on the lookout for leopards, lions, or birds.  We had such a terrific time and would very much encourage anyone to go there - and to request Mike as their guide.
 
The Federal Air experience was generally good.  Staff were professional and flights left and arrived on time.  We did have one suitcase damaged with a small hole.  We were misinformed as to how to report this, so it did not get reported as we ran out of time. 
 
Thank you so much for your role in making our trip so memorable.
 
Gina Brimner

 

March 2009
Everything was 5 star thank you
Regards
Rouwhorst and Louw party

 

March 2009
Everything was extrordinary/excellent, with particular appreciation and thanks to Brilliant, a wonderful organizer, guide and companion.  
Peyton Hodges

 

March 2009
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour.  EXCELLENT

The transfers you had.  EXCELLENT

Your stay at Impalila Island Lodge  EXCELLENT

Your stay at Kwara Camp  EXCELLENT

 

 

March 2009
My three visitors thoroughly enjoyed their stay at Okuti. Mrs. Bergquist remarked that it was the best part of their eight day trip in northern Botswana. (She enjoyed the other camps too, but Okuti was best). She thought the camp was luxurious and relaxing. Her nine year old son enjoyed theswimming pool. The game viewing at Xaxanaka was fantastic (including leopard) as always.

Regards,

Teddy Egner

 

March 2009
(a)      The service we received from Alison at your company was super and could not be faulted. She was so helpful and full of
   information and advice. 
 
(b)       The transfer were many and very good.  We felt a bit lost in the beginning being picked up (just the two of us) by strange people
    and passed from one to the other, but they were all very nice and put us at our ease telling us all about their countries.
 
(c)        Our Stay at Muchenje was out of this world and the owners were the most friendly welcoming people. Our accommodation, food and
    everything was superb.  We loved every minute and met such lovely people.   Our guide was also super.
 
(d)      Xakanaxa as heaven on earth.  My husband completely fell in love with it and did not want to leave.  We had a marvellous time there as well
And the food was five star.  The black lady Lettie who was the Manager for the time was most charming and friendly and full of knowledge. Our guide was top class and although we are quite experienced game people, he taught us so much.
 
We are thinking of planning a drive yourself trip to Namibia in maybe two years time and will definitely ask you to assist us to plan same and stay good value places.
 
Margaret Amdur

 

February 2009
I apologise for my delay in getting back to you with my feedback,

1) The service my husband received from Island-Safari.com especially from Kara Lloyd during the booking process was second to none, her knowledge on the area was tremendous, offering the most helpful advise. She helped to devise the most amazing honeymoon for us of which we had several transfers and stayed in numerous lodges, however the whole trip was seamless thanks to the professionalism of Kara.  My husband sought advise from several other travel companies, however Kara's advice was superior to anyone else that he contacted. We cannot thank her enough.
 
2) The transfers were seamless, there was minimum time spent in airports and maximum time spent enjoying ourselves.

3) Nottens Bush Camp was the most delightful lodge and a wonderful start to the honeymoon, they catered to our every need (including medicine when I fell ill from the malaria tablets), the place was truly sensational with the family and staff members being so hospitable and welcoming, words cannot truly express how fantastic our stay was at Nottens. Thomas our ranger knew the bush intimately and his knowledge was endless on the animals, flora & fauna.  The minute we arrived at the lodge everything was taken care of and we did not have to plan another thing for our 4 day stay.  The rooms were decorated with style and class, the limited electricity went unnoticed whilst making the lodge romantic and magical.  The food was delicious, plentiful and always creative.  Dinners varied from an intimate dinner for 2 on our balcony, to an outside BBQ lit with tikki lights and a roaring fire for 7, to a full banquet for 24 which started with a surprise ceremony from
 the shangaan tribe.  As soon as we left Nottens we missed it and all its staff, a true testament to itself.  Nottens was a true delight and I hope to be able to visit again soon.

4) Moholoholo Forest Camp was the most atrocious place we have ever visited, not merely for its accommodation but rather for the ranger David, he was rude,rude,rude, uninterested, and answered my questions on the bush drive with disgruntled responses, I'm sure he was knowledgeable however this was never portrayed.  At dinner (which was delicious) my husband was talking to David (as he had chosen to sit with the small group) however he was more interested in reading his e-mails on his blackberry than to listen to what Anthony had to say (this was extremely rude).  The game park resembled more of a zoo than a reserve.  My best moment at Moholoholo was leaving.

   
5) Summerfields River Lodge, what can I say about Summerfields except that it was an oasis, an undiscovered piece of heaven the only fault was that we didn't stay long enough.  The staff were extremely attentive, the tented rooms on the river were sensational, with the roses being refreshed twice daily being the most beautiful finishing touch.  The lodge was furnished to the utmost taste, the food was divine and our every whim was catered to. 
    
6) Marlin Lodge was disappointing, the food was terrible, the soup had separated, the menu was uninventive, lacking flavor and variety.  The chef lacked enthusiasm and passion and spent most of the time outside of the kitchen of which you could tell in his food.  When we expressed our thoughts regarding the food to the staff we were just brushed off.  Staff were slow and in general there was something missing from the resort.
   
7) Azura Lodge was the ultimate in luxury, the service (our butler Isaias in particular) was impeccable, the chef catered specifically to Anthony's Gluten free dietary requirements and nothing was too much trouble for the staff at Azura.  The room was beautiful and everything about the resort was pure indulgence. 

I hope this information is useful.

Kind Regards
Sarah Weinberg

 

February 2009
Thanks for this follow up. This was our second tour organised with island safari and it was very good again.
 
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour :
Louise made good proposals and was reactive to our requests. We had no problem with bookings etc. Everything was perfectly done.
We would recommend Island Safari to anybody and we'll definitely go through Island Safari if we go again in the region.
 
The transfers you had
The contact at CPT airport was on time and very helpful. The guide in cape town (Andy Rice from Eco Tours) was very nice
 
Your stay at Ocean View Guesthouse :
Good location roomy and comfortable
 
Your stay at The Thorntree
Excellent stay. Everything was perfect
 
Your stay at Room with a View :
Very warm welcome, the room had a great view and we feel like home
 
Your stay at Augusta de Mist
Very nice guest house with a lot of style
 
Your stay at Spier Hotel :
Good place to end our tour, we had a very pleasant stay and used activities such Eagle encounter and Cheeta center
 
 
The 2 little things I can see is not directly related to Island Safari :
- Budget Car rental debited the additional driver and it was included in the voucher. But the amount is not really significant.
- The process to get the GPS device in VodaShop at the airport was a bit painful as they asked for a credit card with a validity date higher than 04/2009 ! My two credit cards validity was end of february so it took a while with negotiation to get the GPS...
 
Otherwise, we had a fantastic tour and great holydays.
Thank you again. Good job !
 
Regards,
Alexandre Millet

 

 

February 2009
The booking service was fine and perfect.
My clients (Grosse-Braukmann x5) did enjoy their stay at VFA Safari Lodge very much. They said the rooms, service,
friendliness of staff, food – all in all was absolutely fantastic. To top it all, elephamts were at the
waterhole on the night of their arrival.
Well done .
Thanks and best regards
Elke

 

February 2009
I have just received the feedback from my client :
Very pleasant stay.
Of course the transfers are long but they knew it.
They loved the chalets at Chobe Savannah Lodge.
Very friendly staff, very good guide and as they were the only clients of
the lodge, they had fabulous safari experiences.
Perfect.

Thanks for all and best regards.

Jean Yves.

 

February 2009
Oh it has been already an eternity since we've been on holiday... Time passes so quickly and actually I wanted to write you sooner... You have asked about a feedback of your trip to Botswana. So finaly here it is.
 
 We have been fully satisfied abour the service we received from Island-Safari. We have always been informed on time if
   there have been changes.
 
 Odballs has been a great experience. We have been warmly welcomed by all the staff members and felt like at home.
   Food has been delicous and they also provided us special vegetarian food. Our guides were very kind and they had
   a good knowledge about the region, fauna and flora. The only point that has been a bit disapointing was, that we
   could not go out with the mokoro as there was no water. Should you have clients going to the Okavango delta in
   November tell them, that there might be not enough water for mokor tours. Walking safaris are very interesting, but we
   went into the delta for the mokoro tours. 
 
 Cresta Riley's Hotel was just perfect. It's downtown of Maun so you can go by foot anywhere you want. The staff is very
   friendly, the rooms are clean and they have a nice swimmingpool.
 
Hope this is what you needed to know. Sorry for the delay.
Have a good week-end.
Warm regards from cold Switzerland
Nicole Rahle

 

February 2009
Everything first class thank you. The Royal Livingstone was excellent and we were delighted with our stay. Your transfer team were also really good. Thanks for an excellent trip.
Chris Hales

 

February 2009
It was a wonderful holiday and my sincere thanks to all at Island Safari for organising such a wonderful experience for Cheryl and I
 
Patricia was FANTASTIC
 
She was always friendly, always available and we had total confidence in the advice she gave us
 
Being met at Joburg after our flight plans had changed was the icing on the cake and the transfer staff who helped us along each leg of the journey were all of the highest calibre
 
Zambezi Sun was lovely and the breakfast at the Royal Livingston was a nice surprise.
 
If I had any complaint about Zambezi Sun it was that I was not over impressed with the smorgasbord dinner but, then my wife tells me I am never totally happy with type of food
 
Before commenting on the specific camps and lodges let me say that the guides and trackers from each of the four venues were unbelievable
 
I still do not know how they spotted wildlife I could not see even with the binoculars and I have never met a more helpful, friendly and knowledgeable bunch of people
 
They made each day fascinating even on the rare occasion when the non bird wildlife played hard to see and we were never bored nor disappointed on a safari
 
Also, the food at each venue was excellent with perhaps Muchenje falling a little behind the others on its evening meal but, this was because they chose to offer home cooked style meals rather than restaurant fare
 
Muchenje was simply the best possible start I could have had to safari camps or lodges
 
Not only was it a superb lodge with wonderful staff and management Chobe produced so many animals I almost got tired of taking photos ( almost )
 
I went to Africa to see wildlife and having seen so many at Chobe it would not have mattered if we struggled to see wildlife at the other camps
 
 
Kwara was a nice contrast to Muchenje and again the staff were great and the wildlife a plenty
 
Xakanaxa was different again and the facility and staff fabulous
 
If I had one minor  criticism of Xakanaxa it would be the stories told by the manager who felt the more he told us about bad experiences the more excited we would be about doing safari’s
 
Unfortunately after a while I turned off and chose to sit elsewhere the next night
 
Deception Valley, in my opinion,  was the best facility and had the finest food of all  four venues and our guide worked extremely hard to overcome our disappointment at not seeing much game during our stay
 
But, heck it was the last lodge, we told game would be difficult to see ( I just wonder how much more we would have seen if we had come at the preferred time of the year ) and if we were into bird watching Deception Valley would have left the others for dead
 
Every day was a new experience
 
Every corner seemed to through up a new sighting
 
It was so good I am coming back and bringing friends with me
 
The following is my assessment of each venue but, because each venue offered it own unique experience,  I feel uncomfortable giving one place a higher mark than the other
 
Thank you for the holiday of a lifetime and a collection of memories which will entertain my family and friends for many nights to come
 
Kind Regards
Ian Howell
 
                                       Accomodation    Other Facilities      Wild Life Sightings   Staff   Management   Meals  Guides and Trackers   Overall Experience  
 
Muchenje                                9                        9                               10                8           10               7                10                           10
 
Kwara                                     9                        7                               9                 8           10               8                10                            9
 
Xakanaxa                               9                         8                               9                 7            8                9                10                            9
 
Deception Valley                    10                       10                               6                 8          10               10               10                            8                                                                                    

 

February 2009
It was a fantastic holiday thank you!

1. The service from Michelle of Island Safari was excellent and she accommodated all my last minute changes with fast feedback and detailed information.  She also arranged a great adventure according to my budget.  Very good!

2. The transfers were all on time however there was one that was exceptional.  I believe the company you may have contracted with for the transfers (East something) from Hoetspirit to Kwa Mbili Game Lodge from Kwa Mbili Game Lodge to Arathusa Safari Lodge and from Arathusa Safari Lodge to Hoetspirit.  I believe they sub contracted this to another company.  This company was called Clifford I believe and I will try to pass you the details as I took his name card.  Clifford was excellent, a very friendly person with pleasant conversations, always arrived early, happy to stop upon request if we saw things of interest, he had a new and comfortable vehicle and I would strongly recommend you try to book with him directly.  As I said I will dig out the details and send to you for your consideration.

3. Our stay at Kwa Mbili Game Lodge was very nice.  The safari's were also fantastic (we saw 4 of the big 5 minus the leopard but made up for it by seeing cheetahs and hyienas), the tent room we stayed in was comfortable and the people friendly.  The only grumble I would have is that they don't have a menu for food in the day and the meals in the evening are fixed with only one option so if you don't like it then they do not really help to provide an alternative (my wife doesn't like lamb so the most they could substitute with was a fried egg).  So if recommending people you may want to go into detail about what they like or particularly what they don't like so the resort can prepare in advance.  One option for dinner (although very tasty) is a little poor.  Having said that... that was only one grumble and the rest of the stay was great!!  Oh ... No TV and no aircon in our tent were other points to note!

4. Our stay at Arathusa Safari Lodge was very also excellent.  The rooms were great and very big and comfortable.  The resort area was great and the game drive excellent (we saw the big five here and many many leopards!!).  A great destination!  Would recommend to anyone.

5. Safari Club was ok.  Friendly people.  No complaints and a convenient stop over place.

6. Royal Livingstone was an excellent hotel.  One gripe: For a posh hotel we left sunglasses in the bar area that were stolen probably by staff :S

7. Le Victoria in Mauritius was also very nice. Great pool!

I hope that helps....

Regards,
Richard Craggs

 

February 2009
The safari trip was a wonderful experience, we saw the Big 5s!
Your service from booking (especially w/ car’s help) to transfer is great
Arathusa Safari Lodge is wonderful place to stay
We had a great Ranger (Ryan) and a great tracker (Morris)
We will surely recommend our friends to use Island-safari.com
Regards,
Maria Sze

 

February 2009
Quick feedback on our trip

First of all thanks to Louise, it was superbly organized! Well done!

Chiefs Camps
Botswana is probably our best game drive experience in terms of authenticity, natural landscape.
Lodge comfort very good, staff very friendly,always good attention, so great ranger!funny and extremely knowledgeable

Royal Malewane
Of course this is the perfect luxurious suite we had, even though starting to get a bit "oldish" and may-be too "snobish" for us as a family. Spa treatment very good. Fantastic game drive and professionalism of Tracker and Ranger, great lansdcape. Food a bit too sophisticated. However, the bush brunch was exceptional!

Somerfields
Unlucky it rained the 2 days, humidity high. The lodges are very comfortable and natural. However very close river noise was significant as the flow was high linked to rains.

Mateya
Incredible location, fantastic lodges! The impression to be at home, with all these pieces of antiques from Africa.
The staff is so nice, food great,organization is perfect.
Trips between lodges
Plane and pilot very good, well organized, on time.

Thanks again,

Sorry for the delay in reply, I was so busy I did not have time for the feedback earlier!

I will liaise with Louise as my wife and I want to go for 10 days in April in Cape town then Sea Safari Lodges in the area

Regards
Francis Cukierman

 

 

 

February 2009
Thanks we had agreat time. All the arrangements were great. The staff at transfer were all very helpful and things went without a hitch.
 
I feel I must mention things about Little Kwara. It was very good the staff were great and knowledgable with the exception of the relief manager Jeff who tired to pretend he knew more than he did. He was somewhat out of date and we could see some problems developing between him and the staff, due to his attitude.
 
The real concern was they do not offer walks or Mokorro trips this time of year because of lack of water and too high grass, yet they were meant to have been available. There is only one boat between Kwara and Little Kwara, with a maximum capacity of 6. If both camps are full with 26 people it is difficult to satisfy everyone. In addition Little Kwara do not have use of the boat any morning, which is a little unfortunate!
 
We had agreat time but these little things, especially the boat problem, I foresee could cause greater problems
unless it is marketted correctly?

Thanks for a great trip and all your help, which was first class.
Sue and Colin Speller

 

February 2009
We really enjoyed our stay at Macatoo camp.  We had a very nice vacation and the riding was excellent.  We were pleased with the friendliness and professionalism of the staff and the guides. Not to mention the quality and selection of horses available.  
 
As for island-safari.com services, we were very happy with it.  Everything was well organized and all our enquiries and/or worries were promply answered.  Thanks very much to Mandy for all her help.  The transfer at Maun airport was well organized. 
 
The only comment we could add, and which was actually discussed amongst the other guests is that in most of the all riding itinaries about Macatoo there is a mention about a "fly" camp during the week (weather permitted) but at the camp we were told that they never do it during "this" season. So we all felt that the brochures are somewhat misleading and should have mentionned more accuratly the period the fly camp is possible.
 
All in all, we had a great time and are thinking to return sometime in the flood season. By then we should be more experienced riders with less probablility to fall of our horses (hopefully).
 
Best regards,
Johan and Antonia De Schepper

 

February 2009
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour
Service was good, we believe Claudia has done a great job in finding the type of holiday  and lodges we were looking for. Also, the order in which we visited the camps was perfect.
The I-S contact at Johannesburg Int. was on time, helped us with questions The transfers you had. Transfers by car (to Meno a Kwena) and by plane were on time and of good quality.
Your stay at Meno A Kwena Tented Camp Meno was a great start. The campsite is beautiful, the staff friendly and David and Jeff gave us all the information and attention we needed.
Your stay at Mapula Lodge Mapula was perfect. Dudu and her staff (especially our guides Dix and John, who could find any animal that left a trace behind) were very friendly. The camp is very clean, and the food and safari great.
Your stay at Sandibe Safari Lodge Sandibe was also a perfect choice, with fantastic food, and great guides (Gee and Mr Hamole). Thank you very much for this great holiday!
 
Kind regards,
Robbert and Melanie van Baal

 

January 2009
I would be very happy to provide feedback on our recent tour to Africa.
The service we received both during booking with Mandy and during our tour was excellent. She worked with us until we were totally satisfied with our arrangements and costs. She couldn’t have been more helpful or knowledgeable. We didn’t really need any help during the tour, as things went very well.
The transfers we had all went smoothly, more so than we anticipated.
Our stay at Chundukwa River Lodge was very pleasant. The food was good, the people were very nice, friendly, and accommodating. The Lodge was clean and the staff excellent.
Our stay at Mapula Lodge was also quite fine. Again both the food and the staff were excellent. My only suggestion to them was to keep the generator on during ‘siesta’ so guests could actually get a nap with the fan blowing. It was almost impossible to sleep during the day without the fan blowing, as the air was quite hot and still. The schedule was quite rigorous, rising at 5am and not getting back to bed until 10:30-11:00pm, so the need for a mid-day nap was high.
Our stay at Meno A Kwena Tented Camp was also wonderful. There has been a change since the website information was updated, so the staff at your facilities might want to know that the river, which hasn’t run for 15 years is now running. The pumped watering holes are no longer the only water around, attracting fewer animals to view from the tents themselves. This wasn’t a problem, but, as mentioned the information needs to be updated.
 
We have no complaints, and had a wonderful trip. We would definitely suggest your company to others who would like to take similar trips in the future.
 
Linda Bealessio and family

 

Janaury 2009
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour.
Mandy was brilliant the help and advice she gave was invaluable - from last time we knew how quickly we would receive replies but I think this time if possible they were even quicker! We had so many questions and she went way beyond what we could have reasonably expected in getting the answers. As we had no need to contact Island Safari's during our tour I can not comment on that part of the question.
The transfers you had.
Always on time - even when we were hoping the plane would forget us (when we had to leave Mapula) it arrived  as scheduled!
 
Your stay at Meno A Kwena Tented Camp
 
This camp is certainly different and would not appeal to everyone. I can see that in the dry season when the waterholes in front of camp are packed with wildlife 24 hours a day it would be a good spot to sit and relax and maybe read a book for a couple of days. Once the wildlife has begun the migration you have a long journey to reach either of the national parks, even with a very early start by the time you reach the NP's most animals have decided it's siesta time.
 
The only wildlife left around camp while we were there was the lions - lying in bed at night listening to them roaring close by  is something special & then in the morning when you look at the tracks and see how close...........

Your stay at Savute Safari Lodge
We had a wonderful time here. The staff, especially Ben our guide, went out of the way to make our stay here memorable. The food and accommodation were excellent and we had some fantastic sightings as well.

Your stay at Mapula Lodge
This has to be the best lodge we have ever been to - all of the staff are so welcoming we felt like part of the family when we had to leave. Our guide and tracker, Doctor & Simon (plus Matt & Johan on our first day) were phenomenal, so much enthusiasm, passion and willingness to share their knowledge, we could not have wished for better guiding and they were so flexible giving in to my requests for very, very early starts! I am still not sure who was more excited when we found the wild dogs - them or us. A magical place.

Your stay at Kwara Camp
Having stayed at Kwara before we were really looking forward to our time there on this trip but we could not have been more disappointed. In fairness we did see the cheetahs and lots of lions plus a great deal of general game but until the management of this camp changes we will not be returning.
 
Your stay at Sandibe Safari Lodge
We were made more than welcome here, the setting, accommodation and food were all first class. As the camp was not full they were able to be very flexible and we were able to arrange early starts. Again we had some terrific sightings especially leopard and elephant.
 
We did have a wonderful holiday and had some absolutely stunning encounters with Botswana's wildlife, which was in no small part due to Mandy. It was us that wanted to return to Kwara as we had enjoyed it so much before, rather than on Mandy's recommendation.
 
We are already discussing our next trip to Africa and will be contacting Mandy again nearer the time.
 
Regards
Sue Pearmain & Sue Harvey

 

Janaury 2009
We were very pleased with the transfers and the service from island safari. The Zambezi Sun Resort hotel was good however the prices charged for food snd drink is much to high. The quality of the food is average. Hence my dissatisifaction with this particular aspect.
Brst wishes.
Thomas Garavan

 

January 2009
I can't thank you and all the Island-safari staff enough for the whole experience!  I would love to give you some constructive criticism but it is very hard to think of anything!  The booking process was very efficient, the transfers were quick and informative, and the Royal Livingstone very comfortable.  I may have missed it in your literature but if it not already there it would be nice to include the fact that cash (US dollars) will be needed for any excursions from the hotel.  There is a bank nearby but having the cash in advance would save the trip.  This however, is a very minor point in an otherwise amazing experience.
 
Thanks again
Mike Smith

 

January 2009
Happy new year ! I'm really sorry I did not come back to you earlier (altough I meant to...). Our trip was absolutely AWESOME. Everything went fine : planes and transfers on time, perfect weather ( and it was pouring rain for 2 days in a row just before we arrived).
We loved Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, both location and building just create this sort of magic feeling. Wonderful !
Something we did at Vic Falls : we walked through the border, and visited the zambian side as well. It's just a 2 km walk, with magnificent views, and we found the other side is quite different, so it's great to see both sides. I'm surprised none of my friends ever recommended that. And we were able to have the helicopter flight (just the adults). Perfect stay then.
Now Muchenje : nice lodge in a beautiful location. We liked the fact that it is small and very friendly. The managers (especially the woman) is so helpful anf thoughtful !
Good ranger, we were quite lucky with game, and the landscape at this time of the year is gorgeous, so different from winter time. When we compare the pictures, it's amazing. Of course it was a treat to have our own safari car (and a brand new one), and be just the 10 of us.
On new year's Eve, we were spoiled with the most beautiful sunset, african dances around the fire, and a very nice meal.
So in a word, I would recommend the exact same trip to anyone asking me about Botswana !
Thanks a lot Michelle for putting that together, I think Muchenje was definitely the good choice.

Thanks again, I will talk to you for our next trip. We're thinking of Madagascar for the month of June, is it something you do ?
 
Best regards.
Fabienne Borel

 

January 2009
We wanted to thank you for having suggested Macatoo Camp for our vacation.  We had a wonderfull week there with lots of excitments.  We were very impressed by the camp and the horses.  We were lucky not to have some rain and could ride every day.  We had the chance to see some games and ride with some giraffes and zebras.  We would gladly go back sometimes when the delta is flooded to experience riding in the water.
 
With many thanks,
Antonia and Johan de Schepper

 

January 2009
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour. Excellent. Very prompt responses on e mail and when we spoke Alison was extremely informative. We had a flight with Zambian airways changed and then cancelled and we received messages and subsequent support in both instances via communications left with lodge staff.
The transfers you had. All transfers were good. We were met at Joburg on the way in and transferred to the correct terminal effectively. There was a small amount of confusion transferring from Xakanaxa to chiefs. The lodge thought that the airstrip was still functional even though our itinery stated it wouldn’t be and therefore we would require a boat transfer. This meant that we had a rushed departure by boat to Kwala airstrip. We had to wait a small amount of time on arrival at Kasane for the transfer to Islands of Siankaba which was a little worrying as we were unsure whether anybody would turn up!
Your stay at Xakanaxa Camp Excellent, food excellent, staff and guide very good
Your stay at Chief's Camp Excellent, food, accommodation, staff and guides very good.
Your stay at Islands of Siankaba Excellent on all factors!

Hope this helps,
Kirsty Ensor

 

January 2009
I am happy to provide this. Same as with our first booking with you some years ago we have been very satisfied with you and your staff. We didn't have any contact during our tour though.. Madikwe was an exellent place to stay and we enjoyed the hospitality of & beyond. Although we have to complain about the treatment of an issue we had with the laundry service. As there have been some clothes missing.
The transfer was well organised and went smooth as expected.

We would be interested in information about wedding celebration in south africa and are wondering if you could provide us with some base information and material (potential lodges etc).

Thx
Ilko Thun

 

January 2009
It’s a pleasure to be able to give feedback.
 
Firstly – the service I received from Louise throughout the process was excellent. She spared no effort in finding just the right safari for us. Always polite and helpful, and knowledgeable.
 
Secondly – having noted the frequent ‘budget’ comments regarding our safari, I have to say that we were very very happy with the quality and quantity of food and beverages and the accommodation was absolutely fine.  The only comment we made to the lodge at Marula was that the mosquito nets could have been bigger. Other than that minor quibble, the chalet was basic but perfectly functional, kept clean and supplied. The safari was led by a very pleasant and experienced guide and we managed to see all that we had hoped for.
 
All-in-all, a superb experience from start to finish; and our thanks and appreciation to Louise in particular.
 
Kind regards
Don Moir

 

January 2009
I couldn't recommend Island Safari more highly. The whole trip went without a hitch! Patricia was extremely helpful with answering queries and doing the bookings. When we got to Botswana, everything was booked and all transfers organised.

By the way, in Botswana, we stayed at Oddballs in the Okavanga Delta, then at Muchenje in Chobe.  National Park.

Oddballs is a small permanent tented site that you reach by light plane from Maun or Kasane. It was a magical experience! There are no cars. All safaris are on foot or by mokoro (local dug out canoes). There is nothing more peaceful than floating along a small river channel through the reeds! We did long safari walks each day and saw an unbelievable number of animals - elephant, impala, zebra, etc. As we were on foot, we were also able to appreciate the smaller animals, such as butterflies, frogs and small patterned turtles, as well as the different flowers. Our guide was a local man and he would find the animals through looking for animal tracks and droppings. He was always sensitive to safety and keeping downwind and a safe distance from the animals, although close enough to take photos! It was a completely natural experience. Oddballs would not suit everyone as the toilet facilities are shared, and you are sleeping in 2 man tents on raised wooden platforms. The lounge and dining area are a huge wooden structure open sided at the front overlooking a pond with hippos and a gorgeous outlook. The food is very good. Don’t drink the water even though it is filtered, as my kids got sick! Also, you need to be fairly fit as the walking safaris take up to 3 hours.

Muchenje is a more luxurious safari lodge where you stay in individual thatched huts similar on the outside to those you see in local villages, however completely luxurious inside, with netted beds, a large bathroom, hairdryer, toiletries, mosquito repellant provided, etc. All meals and drinks, including alcohol, are included. Safaris are in comfortable, brand new, open sided safari jeeps. The day long safari was wonderful including a river trip on the river between Botswana and Namibia, where we saw many birds, hippos, crocodiles, as well as land animals such as a huge herd of elephants, buffalo and giraffe on the sides of the river. Being in a car, you get much closer to the animals, and cover more ground than a walking safari, although it is more bumpy and noisy and not as natural. The food was good.

I was worried as January is the wet season and they say there are not as many animals. We had virtually no rain, although it was wet underfoot on the walks, so spare shoes and pants would be a good idea. We also saw many, many animals, including lion.

A tip is to take money in small US notes for tipping. We tipped the guides and the hotel staff through the manager. Also the transfer to Muchenje from Livingstone is by 2 cars and a boat, so we also tipped the drivers. Souvenirs at markets can also be bought in US dollars. There is nothing to buy at either Oddballs or Muchenje, but there are markets in Livingstone although I found baskets and wooden items relatively expensive.
Rosemary Webber

 

 

January 2009
I want to thank Island Safari and particulary Cara Lloyd for organizing such a wonderful trip for us!!!! Everything was scheduled very well and we felt safe and welcomed in Namibia. We found that your coleagues from Nature Friends were flexible and mindful about our needs. Our pilot was very kind and tried to make our trip as comfortable as possible. In summary we felt at all moment that we were receiving a special treatment from everyone.
 
In relation to the hotels in South Africa:
Mont Rochelle was superb!!!! the staff, the room, the food. It could not be more perfect.
Oceans Eleven was a really nice place. Both rooms where we stayed were beautiful and the service they offered was great.
About the Graywood Hotel, we did not like the hotel, nor the service. Since you booked all those wonderful hotels/ guesthouses for us both in Namibia and South Africa we felt a huge difference when we arrived to the Graywood. We strongly suggest that you try to find other guesthouses in Knysna that might not be next to the waterfront, but can be very charm and can offer a better service to the guest than the Graywood.
 
Once again, thanks to Cara and Island Safari for making this trip unforgettable for us!!!
Kind regards
Lorena and Javier Rodriguez

 

January 2009
On behalf of Rudolf Graf I am pleased to answer your questions:
 
1. The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour.
The booking service at any time was excellent, always received prompt answer and help on a competent level..
 
2. The transfers you had
Transfers always on time, even at the Zambian Boarder!
 
3. Your stay at D'Oreale Grande Hotel
Grand D'Oreale is a great place, nice restaurants und as a part of the emperors casino place in a  nice location as well as close to the airport.
 
4. Your stay at Xakanaxa Camp
5. Your stay at Pom Pom Camp
6. Your stay at Lebala Camp
7. Your stay at Muchenje Safari Lodge
These camps are all about the same top level. Super! Since Lebala is rebuilt this one is most comfortable furnished. Among these four camps Pom Pom was a little bit under the high quality level - these probably since at that time there was a change of management ongoing.
 
People were always friendly, good food, perfect camp drives.
 
8. Your stay at Rovos Rail
Rovos Rail as they say is the most luxury train in the world - we can only say this is true! Absolutey super service - best comfort - delicious food - nice people - all you dream of comes true. Its worth to join this journey with Rovos Rail.
 
9. Your stay at The Commodore Hotel
Commodore Hotel is top located next to the Waterfront, so you even can walk (5 Minutes). Also this hotel was satisfying in any kind. 
 
10. Your stay at Schulphoek Guesthouse
Shulphoek Guesthouse is a small, private Guesthouse, one really feels at home. Located next to the coast it gives a perfect view of wales watching. The management is top - very friendly and competent in all kind of matters and they have probably the best cook of the coast. They also have a wunderful wine celler were you choose the wine you to join your meal.  Hermanus is a perfect place to stay, not to far away from Winelands as Stellenbosch and Franschoek and not to far away for coastal drives, seeing the inland, etc.
 
 
To summarize, we were very happy with your recommendations and arrangements and well be happy to travel another time with your company. Thanks so much!  A special thank to Elize who was in charge of our arrangements.
 
Best regards
Christine Rascher and Rudolf Graf
 

 

January 2009
I don't normally respond to these things but as Ali, who I believe handled all the traffic, was absolutely first rate I am.
 
As we drove ourselves from Jo'burg there were no transfers while the Chobe Safari Lodge was known to us from 2001 and met, if not exceeded our expectations. We would go there again given a chance.
 
The game drive and boat trips were as expected (again we'd done these in 2001) the new things, the private boat trip was very good indeed with a guide who tailored what he showed to what we wanted to see while the thing about which we knew least, the Namibian village walk, was excellent, a very rewarding experience and we were very glad we'd done it.
 
Yours sincerely
Frank Wagstaff

 

January 2009
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour.
Mandy was Outstanding! I expect that I was not an easy customer. I was planning a once in a lifetime trip for my family to a part of the world I had limited knowledge. The itinerary needed customization to meet my needs. My questions were endless and Mandy always promptly and professionally responded resulting in a wonderful experience.
 
The transfers you had.
I remember thinking on my flight from the USA to Johannesburg that I had just wired significant money to a travel agent on the other side of the world I had never met and had no personal recommendation. The plan was that I was to be met on Christmas Eve at the airport and receive important information and airline tickets. Was I naive? Much to my delight, after we cleared customs and walked through the doors to the arrival area- my very first sight was a sign with my family name and all the required information and documents. Personal transfers were all on time and courteous.
 
My only complaint was with British Airways. We were originally scheduled to fly from Livingston to Jberg at 1PM. About two weeks before we left, this was changed to 2:45 PM - no problem. However, when we were in Zambia,  the hosts at Chundukwa River Lodge informed us that the same flight had left at 1 PM and recently stranded a couple of their guests. When BA airlines was contacted- they said that flight is scheduled for 2:45 PM, but it might leave early- so you need to get there by 11 AM. On the day of the flight our driver stopped by the airport at 11 AM to obtain the final departure. We were again told that it was scheduled for 2:45 PM, but it might leave at 1 PM. If we were not there and ready to go at 1 PM - our problem. When I said I thought it was odd they can not provide a specific departure time they responded that it was low season and I should feel lucky there was any flight at all. Poor customer service for an international airline. Consequently, we waited at the airport starting at 11 AM (flight left at 4 PM).
 
Your stay at Pom Pom Camp
Very personal and beautiful lodge. Every guest treated like you were staying in someone's personal home. Food delicious and guides very engaging and knowledgeable. In retrospect, only concern was lack of sighting of large game related to the time of year of our visit. However, this was our first safari experience so just seeing the flowers, birds, and smaller animals was wonderful.
 
Your stay at Elephant Valley Lodge
Very comfortable with serious emphasis on game drives and boat trips. Our guide was very knowledgeable and while we essentially went to the same location each day (Chobe National Park), what we saw varied dramatically. Hugh herds of elephants, hippos, lions- we loved it. Nothing gets your families attention (especially with older children) than being charge by an elephant.
 
Your stay at Chundukwa River Lodge
This was our biggest surprise. In my mind I pictured a rustic hut. We stayed at the Chundu House which was beautiful, near the river, and had its own private splash pool. Meals were included and we expected we would go to a dinning hall. However, a cook and staff came to our house and made meals and served us on our back deck. Wonderful family bonding. We loved our visit to the nearby village of one of the local staff. Owners were friendly and helpful to plan the details of our stay. My family loved our side trip to "Devil's Pool" at Victoria Falls.
 
Your stay at Waterfront Village Apartments
A bit of culture shock arriving in Cape Town after Botswana and Zambia. While the apartments were large and attractive we had some aggravations. Apartment has massive security. I guess typical for Cape Town but shockingly different from Boston. We arrived at night and while someone walked us to our apartment with appropriate keys and security cards. However, no one showed us how to get out of the apartment. So for an hour felt somewhat like we were in a really beautiful prison. We had several minor issues that took a while to get resolved (key not working, satellite TV not working, no instructions for washing machine, telephone not working). When we complained, some initial run around as apartment is privately owned so front desk had limited ability to respond to our concerns. However, eventually everything worked out.
 
We had no security problems while actually in Cape Town. However, a week later after returning home, I was contacted by my bank. Somehow, someone had copied my ATM card and was busy making purchases in Cape Town while I was home in Boston. Be careful. Someone must have copied my numbers when I used an ATM machine.
Stephen Etkind 

 

January 2009
We enjoyed our stay very much in need and Brillian, our escort, gave us absolutely first class service. She was polits, attentive and gave me a fantastic( and wet) tour of the falls.
 
The royal Livingstone Hotel was a in a fantastic location, but I have to say that the prices of food were about the most expensive I have ever experienced in the world . They make London look cheap and people will just not pay them. We feel we are being totally ripped off and they will not get foreign visitors coming back.
 
Having said that, I have absolutely no complaints about the service I received from Island Safaris.
 
Kind regards,
John Nelson

 

January 2009
Good afternoon,
 
I am pleased to inform you that everything was excellent.
 
With kind regards.
 
Joze Colaric

 

January 2009
Our experience was great Everything went well except for the difficulty with visiting Zambia No one (including the Zambian embassy in the UK) could tell us whether or not we needed a visa  so we didn’t go to the Royal Livingstone We did however visit the falls as a day trip from Chobe We organized that on our own with the hotel and thought we were going to Zambia only to realize we were entering Zimbabwe  Despite our fears of cholera etc we went for a few ours to Vic falls and enjoyed it
Botswana was great People were polite effective efficient on time etc Chobe game lodge and Khwai were great If I would have done something differently it would have been to arrange to go to Savuti instead because at this time of the year it’s a better place to see animals So in December I would recommend you send your clients there
Overall it was a fantastic trip and we thank you for it
Evangelia Razi

 

Janaury 2009
Rated below from 0-10, 10 being the best.
 
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour.   (9  - Mandy was excellent)
The transfers you had. (10, except the driver from Zim boarder to the Kasane airport, he really was not very friendly)
Your stay at Victoria Falls Hotel  (9 – great hotel and fantastic staff)
Your stay at Savute under Canvas (10 – amazing experience and perfect staff)
Your stay at Sandibe Safari Lodge (9 – very enjoyable and nice to have WiFi)
Your stay at Sun City Cabanas Hotel  (6- did not really like Sun City and this hotel was very low-grade, did not even have room service)
 
 
Best regards,
Lyle French

 

January 2009
We would like to thank you for helping us to plan & book our Safari at Chitwa Chitwa Game Reserve.  It was an experience to remember & we would highly recommend Chitwa Chitwa as a game reserve to visit.
From the start, Natasha met us at the airport & delivered us to the hotel.  Then she gave us a quick bit of knowledge about South African customs that all tourist should have beforehand & don't -- driving, parking, tipping, eating, shopping, what to expect in general from most, & that South Africans like a smile & a smile in return.
At Chitwa Chitwa we lacked for nothing & the hospitality that everyone gave was very special indeed.  They made us feel as if we were part of their family.  The guide (Ranger Dean) & his tracker (Surprise) were superb.  They shared their wealth of knowledge, experience, & wonderful humor with all of us.  It was a pleasure to be on the safari's with them.  The accommodations were perfect.
This was a fantastic start to a spectacular vacation in South Africa!
Thank you & Safari Club,
Jim & Willie Stephenitch

 

January 2009
I sent a message to Mandy to say how much we enjoyed our holiday. The lodges were all different and a welcome combination of activities.
Xakanaxa was superb in all respects and a lovely place to spend Christmas. Our guide Ollie was very good indeed and spotted things we could never have seen ourselves.

The transfer to Little Kwara was very interesting - by boat.  Our guide Hobbs and tracker Kenneth did the most amazing things and really enjoyed charging through the grass and thicket in search of hunting cheetahs and mating lions!

Mapula lodge was in many ways the most attractive in location and the mocoro ride was absolutely amazing. We also liked having the chance to walk in the bush. Our one reservation here was the food which, whilst we are not foodies, encouraged us to eat very lightly!! It was New year - a tiny celebration would have seemed appropriate.

In all very contented holiday makers.
Lorna Tollett

 

January 2009
Service from Staff
 
If I have to rate Liouse out of ten I will give her a nine out of ten, her service was excellent. All relevant information was provided in time. I booked in without hussles.
 
Zambezi Sun
 
The two minutes work to the falls did the trick. Staff friendly. Rooms out of this world. Activity centre was very helpful.  I have enjoyed every minute at the hotel, apart for the baboons, but I understand is in a national park.
 
I will definitely use you in future and recommend you to my friends. In fact I will make use of your service for our planned trip to Zanzibar we are three couples.
 
Wishing you a productive and successful 2009
Bennie Jakobs
 

 

January 2009
Thank you for the message requesting feedback from our trip. 
 
1)        The service were received from Island-Safari.com was excellent … after I called to follow-up with an email enquiry.  I initially clicked on a link in the website to request a quotation for our trip but did not receive any response in a 48 hour period.  I then called the number in South Africa and from that point on received excellent service.  I believe Nigel indicated that no message was received from my attempt to use the website.  I have been particularly pleased with the service Mandy has provided and continues to provide.  I inadvertently left a wallet at Xakanaxa Camp and this was later found by the staff.  I have been in email contact with Mandy about this issue and she has been very helpful.
2)        Our air transfers using Delta were also very good.  Each transfer was flown by Stefan and he did an excellent job.  We especially appreciated his dressing in a Santa suit on Christmas morning for our first transfer.  Stefan was quite friendly and a skilled pilot.
3)        Our stay at Xakanaxa Camp was delightful.  We had Water as our guide.  Our daughter summed up our experience with Water by saying that he was the best of all our guides.  He was quite relaxed and very knowledgeable.  We especially appreciated his sense of humor.  As for the accommodations and the other service, everything was excellent.  The food especially was very tasty.  We would certainly recommend this camp to anyone who is considering a safari in the Delta and would strongly recommend Water as a guide.
4)        Our stay at Deception Valley was also wonderful.  The contrast between the landscapes of Deception Valley and the Moremi Game Reserve was exactly what we wanted to see and though the game viewing was more difficult to achieve, our experience was excellent.  We enjoyed talking with our guide Adriaan, who was also the camp manager.  He was very knowledgeable but expressed his admiration for the tracking skills of the Naru guides he employed at the camp.  As he and our tracker Xhuto were seeking game, he explained what he was seeing and a bit about how to track.  The accommodation was very good; the only possible improvement would be to have standing fans in the rooms for the middle of the day.  Our room had a ceiling fan but the mosquito netting prevented the air circulation from reaching the beds.  The food was excellent.  Despite the difficulty in finding animals, we had some excellent sightings.  I appreciated how difficult it was to find the animals since this demonstrates how important tracking skills are.  The highlight of the stay, though, was the afternoon walk with the Naru (Bushmen) guides.  These two men clearly enjoyed telling of the skills of their forefathers and really provided both an educational and entertaining walk.  Again, we would highly recommend this safari camp to anyone who is considering it.
 
As you can see, we had an excellent experience. 
 
I want to make one additional comment about Adriaan at Deception Valley.  In our time talking with him, I appreciated his attitude of trying to make the visit special for everyone who comes to the camp.  For our family, this trip was something made possible by my sabbatical visit to the University of Botswana and the extra income I earned from this temporary position.  We are unlikely to be able to afford this type of trip again for quite awhile.  Adriaan’s approach recognized the importance of making our stay as enjoyable as possible and for this I am very grateful.
 
Best regards,
Richard Stockbridge

 

Janaury 2009
Everything was excellent in all three of your catagories. We had two iffy weather days but even this did not detract from the relaxation and enjoyment of the week at Bazaruto Lodge.
 
I was hoping to catch a nice kingfish but it was my daughter who stole the show with a 30 kg whopper caught off the beach at the sand spit.
 
Thanks for all your organization.
 
Kind regards,
Roy McLintock

 

January 2009
I would be pleased to provide some feedback.
 
When we were planning our trip several months ago, we spoke to three travel agents but Island-Safari (specifically Cara in Cape Town) provided the speediest response, clear information, excellent suggestions and all the help we could possibly have wanted.  You also quoted us a slightly lower price for broadly the same holiday.  It was very easy to choose you!
 
I don’t think Cara ever turns her PC off!  She always replied almost immediately to all my questions, silly or otherwise.  However, she really earned her keep when the lodge that we had booked in Mozambique (Azura Retreat on Benguerra Island) burned down 3 days before we were due to fly out.  Within hours she had identified and provisionally booked the best available nearby accommodation in 2 other lodges and discussed with us both via email and on the telephone the choice of one of them or other possibilities (such as going to a different destination).  She did this whilst also rearranging several other couples who were due to go to the same lodge either for their honeymoons or for Christmas!  We couldn’t have had better service!
 
All the transfers were smooth and efficient.  There was someone waiting for us with a board showing our names as we got off every flight, to whisk us to our destination.
 
We had stayed at Ngala Main Camp twice before, so we knew how good the game viewing is, but were keen to try the Tented Camp.  We would thoroughly recommend it.  The “tents” are very spacious and luxurious.  There are only 6 tents so it feels private and exclusive.  The service is excellent, the food superb, and the guides knowledgeable and enthusiastic.  A very sophisticated place.
 
After Azura burned down, we had the choice between Marlin and Indigo Bay (Benguerra Lodge was full).  We chose Marlin because it was smaller (17 chalets).  We were there a couple of weeks before Christmas so it was quite quiet.  In fact only 4 chalets were occupied on some nights.  There is an excellent management team (who outnumbered the guests on those nights), plus dozens of friendly staff.  So whatever we wanted was instantly provided.  We stayed in one of the Executive Suites (number 8) which was palatial and beautifully furnished with a huge veranda as well as two private sitting areas on and above the beach.  Everything was immaculately cared for and maintained.  One night the drought broke and we had torrential rain which overflowed the drain in the outside shower and flooded the chalet itself.  The maids mopped everything dry, changed all the rugs, and by 10am you would never have known that there had been a problem.  The food was excellent, although it was rather rich and there was a lot of it – it was very difficult to resist the temptation!  We are not divers but the dive school was very well equipped and the small fleet of boats was available for trips, particularly an excellent snorkel trip to the reef.  We were impressed by the support that the lodge provides to the local community, helping to rebuild the school after the cyclone, and slowly increasing the number of local artifacts sold in the shop.  Not quite as sophisticated as Ngala or as Azura would have been, but excellent and very enjoyable.
 
All-in-all a superb holiday with first class service from Island-Safari.
 
Yours sincerely
Hilary Everett

 

January 2009
Dear Melissa,
 
We had a wonderful trip to your South Africa, Victoria Falls , Chobe and Okavanga Delta.  Thanks to Alison our reservations were very easy to make and handled competently.  It was so easy working with email.  I did worry about working with your company from afar at the start.  Alison gave us a trip that we all enjoyed making the tours, airline tickets and safari arrangements.
 
I would recommend a dryer season due to too many shrubs blocking the animals.  The water holes were many and I did not see the leapard and cheetah.  The transfers were on time for all connections.
 

Elephant Valley Lodge and Mapula Lodge were very comfortable and the food was great.  The tour guides and staff were very caring and helpful.  To name a few, Mox and Patrick at Elephant Valley Lodge and Doctor and Dicks at Mapula.
 
Thank you for having a company that can work with all incoming tourist.  We had a great trip.
Wendy Ching
 

January 2009
These comments are in response to your feedback request:
 
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour.
Mandy provided excellent service during the booking process.  She was fast to respond and very knowledgable.
The transfers you had.
The transfers went smoothly.  It's really nice to have someone waiting after arriving; Natasha was excellent and very helpful!
Your stay at Mondior Concorde Hotel The Mondior was very nice and comfortable.
Your stay at Xakanaxa Camp: Xakanaxa was wonderful.  The accomodation was lovely; the food was very good as well.  The game viewing was very good - our guide went the extra mile to please us.
Your stay at Kwara Camp We had the best game viewing for the entire trip at Kwara.  Our guides, David and Alfred, were fantastic.  They were unbelievably knowledgable and professional - we were very impressed with them both.  As for the accomodation, we found the camp to be just mediocre.  The facility was dark and dreary; our own tent/room seemed old and the rugs were worn and dirty.  The managers seemed out of their element and though they were friendly, we got the feeling they weren't really as professional as they should be.  This camp needs to be renovated.  If it weren't for the fantastic game viewing, we would have been very disappointed. 
Your stay at Xudum Delta Lodge Xudum was definitely the most beautiful of all the camps we visited.  It was a very welcome change after Kwara.  The rooms and food were 5 stars!  The staff was fantastic as well.  However, the game viewing was poor.  We didn't find out until later that this camp was previously used for hunting, so the animals were very scarce.  Had we not had the great game viewing at Kwara, we would have again been very disappointed.  This lodge should not be recommended for game viewing.   
Hope this helps.  
Cheers,
Ellen & Kevin Roland

 

January 2009
We have been very pleased with the our stay at Shishangeni Game Lodge both for service and food and for game driving. Unfortunately the weather was  very bad and that of course limited the possibility of of the lodge, for example swimming pool.
Cinzia Colombo

 

Janaury 2009
Working with Island Safari was very satisfying. We got good prices and excellent service from Cara Loyd. The transfers, the Fallstaff, Viva Safari, and booking process were all excellent. We had an amazing time!

Viva safari could improve the quality of their evening meals, but I suppose that is not your responsibility!
 
Let me know if you need anything else,
 
Blessings,
Maurice Fernandez

 

January 2009
We had an incredible time on our trip.  Everything with respect to the the arrangements went like clock work, and all of the places we stayed exceeded our expectations.  Thank-you very much to your company, particularly Patricia, for arranging a wonderful trip for us.
Specific answers to your questions below.
Lyn Partington
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour.            as summarized above, excellent
The transfers you had.            excellent
Your stay at The Safari Club SA            good, although we changed our second night to the Casino instead which was better
Your stay at Kwara Camp            excellent, particularly the staff and the honeymoon surprise that they set up for us
Your stay at Delta Camp            excellent
Your stay at Muchenje Safari Lodge            good, although the safari experience in Choobe was not as good due to the restrictions of the national park
Your stay at Chundukwa River Lodge            excellent
Your stay at Benguerra Island Lodge            this well and truly exceeded our expectations. Benguerra Lodge was incredibly beautiful, and the hospitality/service there was first class

 

January 2009
We absolutely loved our trip and have no complaints at all. The care we received was excellent. The transfers were handled so efficiently. Tongabezi was a wonderful place and the people there were very nice - the only thing that happened was we did not get to stay in the Tree House as booked and we were offered a massage, but because of communication problems that never happened. We ended up staying in one of the River Cottages and it was very nice, in fact if we were to go back we would stay in the River cottages again.

Muchenje was very, very nice and Kathy and Rod were excellent hosts. We met lots of nice people and enjoyed our guide, who was very knowledgeable. We made new friends there and plan to go visit them in England. The environment was so relaxing and friendly.

I think our favorite of all places was Mapula. I was a little concerned because I am afraid to fly and the thought of flying in a little plane made me very nervous, but the pilot was so relaxed that I was actually looking out the window on the way back watching for wildlife. The accommodations at Mapula were excellent and the staff were wonderful. We were joined by our new friends from Muchenje and that was so much fun. We did our game drives with them again and we had a great time!

All in all we had a fantastic time and would do it again! We appreciate all that was done for us and we would highly recommend this to anyone. Even being off-season was great. We saw everything but the cats - only saw lions and of course we didn't see rhinos, but that is something that can't be helped unless the poaching stops.

Thank you to everyone involved in organizing such a wonderful trip!

Rod and Susan Holbrook

 

January 2009
I would like to let you know that we really enjoyed our stay at Pom Pom Camp. Everything went smoothly beginning with our booking which has been handeled by Claudia. No problems whatsoever with the transfers to and from the camp and extremely helpful and friendly staff at Pom Pom Camp.
Thank you very much! We will be happy to recommend you to our friends!

Regards
Nanett and Angelina Alzate

 

January 2009
Of course I would be happy to complete the feedback. We had a wonderful time on our tour.

Starting with Patricia, who painstakingly did everything she could to make our tour run smoothly and within our budget. I think she sent us to very appropriate places for our honeymoon, with a mixture of socialising and seclusion.
Natasha, who met us at the airport, immediately put us at ease about travelling in South Africa and gave us some good tips for safety, etc, while we checked in for our flights.
The facilities at Mapula were beautiful, especially considering the remote location. Meals were plentiful and the open bar made us feel right at home. The guides we had were friendly and very informative, teaching us so much about not only the animals but also the land, plants, insects and Africa in general. It was the perfect introduction to the safari experience. Although the lodge runs on a pretty set schedule, some of the staff took time out of their break time to take my husband fishing in the lagoon and treated us to a private game drive as a 'honeymoon present' (even though I believe we were the only guests in the lodge on that half day!). They also left us a bottle of wine and a card as a departing gift - it was only a shame we received it on departure and couldn't share it with the staff, who we got to know very well in the three days we were there. And even on the last day, when we were late for our flight, our guide, with our consent, raced around trying to show us the wild dogs that we had searched for three days for. Eventually, with minutes to spare, we saw them and made it to the airstrip in time, feeling exhilarated from our sighting.
From Kasane airport we were taken to Muchenje lodge in a bus that was hired through an external provider - it wasn't the lodge's car and had no air-con which was a shame after the bumpy small-plane flight to Kasane. But that was really the only tiny thing that we were not happy about. But when we arrived at Muchenje that was easily forgotten, with the inviting hosts welcoming us and encouraging us to take the afternoon off and relax by the pool. We did and enjoyed some down time after a hectic few days at Mapula. The next day we opted for the all-day game drive/cruise, which was included in the tariff and excellent value considering the amount of game we saw. Muchenje is a bigger lodge than Mapula and offers more of a choice of activity, which would suit a longer stay. The meals were lively and the service was friendly, even though it was not as intimate as Mapula.
When we  arrived at Stanley Safari Lodge and were told we would have the place to ourselves, save for the first evening, we thought it was a joke. But it wasn't! Despite having our own pool in our room, we had free reign of the main pool, which had a breathtaking view of the falls. The activities in Zambia were suprisingly expensive, but, on recommendation from the lodge manager, opted to do the devil's pool trip - this was an amazing once-in-a-lifetime activity that I would suggest you recommend to all your clients travelling to Zambia in Nov/Dec (apparently the only time you can do it). Service at the lodge was excellent and the staff were very thoughtful, even bringing an umbrella to our room when it started to rain one evening before dinner.

This doesn't even begin to detail the wonderful time we had, but we will definitely be going to Africa again and I wouldn't hesitate to use islandsafari again and recommend it to my friends (I myself was recommended to you by a client).

Regards
Melissa Singer

 

January 2009
The best wishes for 2009! Mandy: we want to thank you for this trip: it was near perfect, one of our best holidays. We were especially glad that we booked Skeleton Cost Safaris: it was expensive but it was worth it as you told me: very very good and interesting. Further we liked Quilalea very much: this is the best beach holiday of our lives: the lodge, the friendly staff, the very good food, the snorkeling etc etc. We were a little bit afraid how it would be because on Trip Advisor the last reviews were very bad. But it was great.
 
With regards
Loes Builtjes

 

 

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