One of the most enjoyable parts of working at a bespoke safari company is talking to clients when they come home. These chats often last an hour or more and are real highlights of our job. It’s lovely to see photos and hear about unique animal interactions, as well as all the small touches that put our holidays above others. With fewer travellers than normal these conversations have been more rewarding than ever – so much so that we wanted to share with you this fabulous safari feedback as a reminder of just how amazing safaris are.

GORILLA TRACKING IN UGANDA
I am including Lucinda Rome at Aardvark Safaris in this email. She is the only person I would trust to plan my next trip to Africa. You will find her kind, generous, knowledgeable and easy to work with (she is your guide to an enchanting, surreal, and unforgettable experience). To make eye contact 20 feet from a 400 hundred pound mountain gorilla is a sublime moment that will change you forever.

Mountain gorilla Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge

As I said on the phone, traveling to Africa is different from traveling to many other parts of the world. Without Lucinda I shudder to contemplate the disaster the trip would have been. Furthermore, there is no fee from her agency. Aardvark is paid a booking fee by the safari company and lodge. You get white-glove, 5 star, concierge service and it costs nothing.

Lucinda, Thank you for an excellent vacation. I doubt the invasion of Normandy was as well planned as your itinerary. The entire trip not only met my expectations, it exceeded them in every way.

Stunning views from Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge

It is easy to see how people fall in love with Africa. I am indebted to you and will not go to Africa again without your assistance.

MOTHER AND SON GETAWAY TO KENYA
We have had an absolutely wonderful time. Thank you for organising it. After the surprisingly stressful time of planning such a last-minute safari (jabs/insurance/Covid testing), it was seamless. Certainly, all your help in the run up made it as easy as it could be in the circumstances and was much appreciated. And thank you, particularly, for your advice in picking Offbeat Safaris.

As we hadn’t been on safari before, the whole experience was gripping from the moment we set off from Nairobi until we left. It was completely immersive and certainly 100% effective at taking my mind off work. I doubt we will truly be able to gauge just how lucky we were to experience it without any other cars in sight. Certainly not unless we go again and see it as “normal”.

Wonderful wildlife sightings at Offbeat Mara Camp

David says hello. I am sure you experienced the same, but we certainly thought he was fantastic: not just a fountain of knowledge with exceptional eyesight as one might expect. He was fun, thoughtful, hardworking, and clearly very intelligent and aware. I have no doubt that the exceptional number of animals we saw was thanks to his skills.

Similarly, Jennifer, Joffrey, and Wilson were all lovely and ensured we felt completely at home and in a very familial atmosphere. This was just what we needed and particularly thoughtful as we were the only guests.

You may be aware that on our last day the team organised a candle / fire lit dinner under the stars in the bush for Mum’s birthday and gave her a Masai blanket before we headed out for a night drive. It was a complete surprise and I know Mum absolutely loved it.

Another great memory will be running with David through the savannah. I should have brought my trainers but even then, nothing would have made up the speed! What a lovely way to stretch the legs before a long flight.

No one else in sight. Sundowners at Offbeat Mara Camp

Thank you again for organising what was a very special holiday. Now the real issue: self-isolation is giving me a lot of time to think about how I can possibly make it back there again!

COUPLE TRAVELLING TO RWANDA AND TANZANIA
We are just returning from our safari to Rwanda and Tanzania and want to thank you for planning and coordinating our trip. Everything went smoothly, which is saying a lot in these times of traveling in the Covid era. Getting tested before flights, gorilla tracking and entering different countries is somewhat inconvenient, but totally worth it. I am very glad we did not put it off for another year.

Both of our gorilla tracks were amazing. My wife’s response afterwards was, “I didn’t know it was going to be so interactive.” We were so close to the gorillas at times we felt we were part of the troop.

Wonderful gorilla sightings in Volcanoes National Park. Virunga Lodge

The Tanzania part of the trip was just as amazing. We saw two major wildebeest river crossings, leopards, lions, and a full cheetah hunt from beginning to end. The beauty of the Serengeti can only be appreciated by being there. The number of animals – wildebeest, impala, zebra, gazelle, topi, hartebeest, lions, hippos, elephant, lovebirds…is mind boggling and nothing can prepare you for the life-changing beauty of this eco-system.

Lions crossing the Serengeti close to Namiri Plains Camp

Our lodges were fantastic, the level of service is world-class, and our guides were top-notch. Logistically everything worked smoothly; getting us from A to B, our scheduled Covid tests and everything in between. That was due to your extreme attention to detail which is required for such a trip. This was my 15th trip to Africa and certainly one of the best. Thank you!

KENYA HONEYMOON
We had an absolutely wonderful time. Thank you so much for all your help and guidance throughout the process. We’re very sorry for the stressful moments and sudden change of plans but at least it enabled us to get out there which is the main thing! You guys were brilliant, so thank you for making it all happen.

Peaceful wildlife viewing at Sosian

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER TO ZIMBABWE AND BOTSWANA
This trip to Zimbabwe and Botswana has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Not only due to the top quality of the sightings but also thanks to how safe we felt, which was obviously very important for us during this uncertain period.

Exploring the Okavango Delta on a mokoro trip from Splash Camp

One key advantage of doing safari now is that you witness wildlife at its finest, very relaxed and playful – mainly due to the few cars driving around. For anyone wondering whether it’s safe or worth going on safari now; from my point of view if you have the chance, you should definitely go for it!

SOLO TRAVELLER TO TANZANIA AND ZANZIBAR
Had a fantastic time on safari – it was definitely the right decision to go. In some of the lodges I was the only guest, so having Tarangire or the Serengeti to yourself was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Sunrise close to Serengeti Safari Camp

Nomad Safaris were great, they really took good care to make guests feel safe and I can wholeheartedly recommend them. All in all, a great experience. Thanks again for putting this all together and for the flexibility.

SELF-DRIVE PHOTOGRAPHIC TRIP TO SOUTH AFRICA

We had a superb trip full of wonderful memories, fun adventures, and outstanding photography moments. Thank you very much for making all the arrangements and for putting together a very functional and thoughtful itinerary. In many ways, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park has exceeded our expectations, and we were very lucky with animal sightings. All logistics went without a hitch, and even the car (we never got a 4×4, just AWD) did not cause significant hardships. We also appreciated tender loving care provided by Judy from the local office.

Xaus lodge with great views over the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Finally, thank you very much for arranging the late check out from the City Lodge. Really appreciated.

Aardvark Safaris once again proved to be an excellent choice for organizing travel to Africa. We would be glad to catch up next week, when we are back and start planning a new adventure.

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY SAFARI TO ZAMBIA
Our 30th Wedding Anniversary trip to Zambia was the trip of a lifetime, and we could not be happier with the planning that Lucinda, with Aardvark Safaris did for us. She truly listened to what we thought we wanted to do, and within our budget, she turned our dreams into reality. She interpreted our wish list incredibly well and was able to see, through her own personal experience in Zambia, where we needed to go, and what we needed to do to fulfil our dreams.

South Luangwa National Park is a leopard hotspot. Flatdogs Camp

The timing of the different safari locations was brilliant. She slowly eased us into the experience of bush camps, and we cannot say enough about all our experiences. Up close encounters with so many animals, birds, and fish. All our amazing pictures were taken just with our cell phones.

We experienced the bush by jeep, on foot, by canoe, and by boat. We even got to go fishing. Many of the places we stayed at did something special for our anniversary, and the Zambian people were so very grateful to us for being willing to travel and help their economy. It is actually a fabulous time to do this right now, because there are no crowds and you will be treated like royalty.

Plenty of ways to explore the wilderness at Tusk and Mane

Special shout out to the gang at Tusk and Mane Bushcamp for going above and beyond all the time.

FAMILY ADVENTURE TO ZANZIBAR AND TANZANIA
We are delighted with our trip. The variety of activities made this trip very special. Kitesurfing in Zanzibar, climbing Mt Meru, golf in Arusha, trekking in the great rift valley and safari in the Serengeti – that’s going to be hard to beat. Thank you for all your recommendations and support throughout.

All ready for sundowners at Lemala Kuira Hills

Nomad seemed very competent. And Ake is clearly top of his game. He was brilliant, hard working and hugely knowledgeable. We are thrilled with our adventure.

What next?
If this fabulous safari feedback has inspired you to plan your dream safari holiday we would be delighted to help.  Our team of experts has travelled widely throughout Africa and the Indian Ocean and can offer expert advice on every type of safari from family and beach holidays to riding and primate safaris. Do get in touch – chatting to people by phone or email is what we do best. We listen, we explain, we answer all sorts of questions even those you didn’t know to ask, and finally we make suggestions. If this is your first time to Africa or your twenty first, we have a team standing by to help make the planning easy and the journey the best ever. Please get in touch whatever stage you’re at.

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