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. 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.   Close

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

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. 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.   Close

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.
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.   Close

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. 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!   Close

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.   Close

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. 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. 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!   Close

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”. 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. 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!   Close

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.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.  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.   Close

How wonderful to arrive home and find a welcome home message from you. You are absolutely correct. The trip was beyond epic.  The boys got well over 100 bird species in Botswana alone. By the end of the adventure they had 200! Us girls had 31 mammal species. But the experience goes way beyond that. The only thing we did not get was a leopard. I’ve been to Africa twice now with no leopard, you know what that means, third time is a charm but we’ll talk about that later. We cannot thank you enough for making this unforgettable trip of a lifetime happen. I truly feel Africa is a spiritual soul altering experience. You helped make that happen.  Every detail was perfect from A-to-Z, head to toe.   Close

The walking safari was absolutely the highlight just because we’d never done anything like it before and it is the most amazing experience to be walking through such complete wilderness for five days. We didn’t see another tourist, a vehicle or even a vapour trail in the sky.   Close

Best holiday we have ever had – a fabulous safari experience. A mix of lodges is definitely worthwhile, and even the distances are not a problem as the flights and car transfers were all very straightforward. Highlights are too many to mention…. but include bush walking with giraffes; cocktails in the dried river bed as the sun went down; watching adult male lions stalking buffalo; the amazing skills of the trackers and huge knowledge of the rangers; learning to read the signs from the dung!; tea and cake by the lawn before an afternoon game drive; a welcome hot water bottle in the truck for the morning drive; the light, the skies and the views of southern Africa. Make sure you donate or buy souvenirs to support the anti-poaching charities and to protect the rhino.   Close

We had a fabulous honeymoon and can’t believe how cold it feels now we are back home – landing felt like a real culture shock having been on the beach less than 24 hours before that. All the safari camps and hotels were superb and you were right to steer us towards them from our initial thoughts. We were treated like royalty and I don’t think it was just because we were on honeymoon. Without exception the friendliness of the staff, the skill of the safari guides, and the attention to detail throughout was something we’ve never experienced before. If we have one complaint it’s that two weeks has flown by and we didn’t want to leave any of the places we stayed! Africa has definitely done its magic on both of us and we can’t believe we’ve never been before. We will definitely be back to book another safari as soon as we can.     Close

What a fantastic trip. This really is an excellent way to see wildlife very close to you. From the first time you put your canoe in the water you start seeing all the African wildlife you’ve dreamt of as you slowly cruise past them on the water. The paddling is much easier than I imagined and the canoes are really very stable. It turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever done.   Close

Would recommend this trip to anybody. Kilimanjaro is undoubtedly hard work but the views and sense of accomplishment make it so worthwhile! The quality of the guide company made it as enjoyable and comfortable as it could have been. Seeing sunrise at the summit made the tough summit day climb worth every bit of effort!
Zanzibar was a great place for some rest and relaxation after the hard work of 8 days climb. The Baraza resort was fantastic and perfect for some R&R.   Close

Big skies, long gallops, picturesque landscapes (no photo album of mine been such a big hit with people), chance to develop a bond with the horses who are the real stars of the trip.   Close

What a wonderful time we had!! Honestly the most fantastic holiday we have both ever had. Kirkman’s Kamp, South Africa was absolutely heavenly. The staff were wonderful, the food was delicious, we were exceptionally comfortable and we felt thoroughly spoilt. But most of all the wildlife was AMAZING! we saw absolutely everything we could have hoped for. They looked after us incredibly well and we couldn’t have enjoyed it more. We only wish we had stayed there for longer. We certainly were not boring of the drives and although perhaps we were really lucky with where we were and the time of year, etc, but if you have a couple who want to go on safari and love nature then they should stay for longer!   Close

We had the most amazing trip! The flights and connections all worked perfectly, the camp was brilliant (Katie and the team at Macatoo are fantastic, we’d recommend African Horseback Safaris to anyone!), the wildlife & countryside stunning and horses were perfect for Nicky and me. I can’t begin to describe all the great experiences we had but cantering with a herd of zebra was probably top of a very long list.   Close

If you like a remote location well away from any other camps, Mwaleshi is your place. From the time you arrive at their airstrip, you are the only people for miles. The silence (apart from lions roaring at night and elephants ambling through the trees nearby) is magic. The wildlife is not as prolific as in South Luangwa, but we saw lions, elephants, wild dogs, hippos, crocodiles, buffalo, snakes, wildebeest, mongeese, civet cats, porcupines, amazing birdlife and of course numerous impala and puku – all, of course, on foot, which is a quite different experience from the back of a Land Rover.   Close

Highly recommended. A real passion to make this an amazing experience for us as a family. Nothing was too much trouble and Annelies and Scott were a pleasure to be with and very knowledgeable. They had thought of everything. Definitely got up very close to lots of game!!! Some very exciting memories.   Close

Perfect island getaway. Had a villa on the beach at Dinarobin. Service was superb. Many thanks to Francis and the team at Aardvark Safaris.   Close

It is very rare that you find the perfect holiday, but this was it. The Okavango Delta was beautifully unspoiled and uncrowded; everyone at Okavango Horse Safaris was really friendly and could not have done more to make us welcome; and the game viewing was wonderful – so much better on horseback, where you can get really close and be at one with the natural environment.   Close

As described above, all the game drives were great, the guides superb, the camps wonderful. Top experiences…… mokoro and speedboat fun at Tubu Tree, along with seeing the leopard cub feeding, hippos chasing us and seeing wild dogs at Selinda, and quadbiking and meerkats at San Camp. Meerkats take the top prize though.   Close

An excellent itinerary ticking all our boxes at an affordable price.   Close

This was our first Riding Safari. The Camp Manager and her staff , and in particular our guide , were really marvellous. Nothing was too much trouble and we had a great six night stay. The horses are clearly well looked after and there is a large choice to suit pretty much everybody including novices like me. Perhaps to ring the changes on the wine would be a good idea and to advertise the fact that sparkling wine is also available. The food was remarkable bearing in mind where we were located.   Close

South Africa is just a lovely country every one has been so welcoming.   Close

You forgot to add our stay at Leopard Hills in Sabi Sands! This is a fabulous lodge and was the sight of our wedding 5 years ago. We absolutely loved it here. The staff is so warm and welcoming you feel like part of their family. Again we stayed in our honeymoon suite (#8) which has a fabulous view of the watering hole below. The game drives were spectacular….we saw all of the Big 5 on our first game drive! We also were treated to viewing 3 small lion cubs….so cute!! The food was some of the best we encountered anywhere in South Africa.
I also want to comment on the excellent transportation service we received from Illious Travel Services. All of their drivers (except for one) were super. On time, very friendly and knowledgeable about the surrounding sights, lots of fun to talk to. We learned a lot about tribal life in the townships!
Our highlight was of course Leopard Hills….tough to top this as one of the best lodges in Sabi Sands and great game viewing! Our low was probably Madikwe Safari Lodge. Thanks to Aardvark we got moved to one of their “adults only” lodges as the main lodge was teeming with children (very young children). Our first Ranger was not very good….after going out on 3 game drives with him we complained to the camp manager and got reassigned to a different Ranger who was excellent. Turns out our new Ranger was the Head Ranger for the lodge.   Close

overall a very interesting and relaxing trip….the travel worked like clockwork   Close

Since it was our first time in South Africa, we were grateful that we booked it with Aardvark Safaris. Everything was taken care of as far a greetings at the airports, in-country flights, visa requirements, inoculation recommendations, what to bring, what’s included, gratuity recommendations, restaurant recommendations, safaris and guides and booking all of our amazing lodges. We felt very comfortable in all of their recommendations. Aardvark and Victoria truly had a concern for our questions and what we wanted to see and do on our trip. We will never forget our African adventure and we definitely want to return one day.   Close

Mountain was good – on the upper slopes it is a truly interesting landscape whereas the first couple of days are a bit prosaic. With the benefit of hindsight I would have amalgamated days 2 and 3 and done the mountain in 4 days not 5. Our guide and porter team were all very friendly and competent. Given the logistical difficulties the food was good however people need to be warned it is necessarily plain fare (this is not a criticism just a reflection of reality). Likewise nights on the mountain under canvas are long cold and lonely (you have to retreat to your tent and sleeping bag in order to keep warm) so I recommend people take lots of books (on their Kindles). The packing list was good – with the cold you end up wearing every piece of clothing on offer ! I would suggest that you also recommend that folks take a couple of ‘buffs’ – useful both for keeping warm at night and for providing protection against the sun in the day.   Close

Accommodation was very good – Colobus Cottages were a very suitable place for a first night – not too luxurious. A nice English welcome and excellent food. (But be warned the owner is putting it on the market imminently so standards may drop). Likewise The Fairmount was an excellent place for the end of the trek wind down – my only comment here would be that you book for a late check out on the last day (because we didn’t leave for Nairobi airport till 4.00). Also, for the same reason, book people in for an extra lunch on the last day as part of the package.   Close

The Selous park was far and away our favourite on this trip. Nomad look like a really good outfit and strongly recommend that we use Aardvark Safaris if we are going to book one of their camps in future….which I am sure we will. All aspects of our Selous holiday ran to plan, thank you.   Close

WOW – what a “blow me away” trip!!! Aardvark Safaris did a beautiful job structuring this trip and staging it in such a way that it wasn’t overwhelming. This was a graduation present for my son and I had to drag him out of Africa kicking a screaming – he didn’t want to leave! Nice job Aardvark Safaris!!!   Close

Amazing experience. The guides were very experienced, providing good advice and ensured we made it to the top! The camp crew were amazing, ensuring we got good spots in each camp, providing amazing food (you wouldn’t believe how much food they can provide up a mountain) and the quality of the camp equipment was excellent. The Lemosho route was beautiful, provided a great chance to acclimatise, and at the beginning was much quieter than other routes. Would thoroughly recommend!   Close

So much! We loved the private aspect to this vacation and left feeling like we had made wonderful connections on so many levels. We did not feel like tourists…much more like family in the Kenyan community, being able to share so much more with people who lived there…their histories, their communities from both the Masai and colonial communities. A rare opportunity.   Close

Horses that knew their jobs, easy relaxing riding which we wanted, beautiful scenery. This trip was sort of an “experiment” trip for Borana and I think they will start to offer it in the future.
We rode through a beautiful forest into the fly camp the first night and were blown away by what was set up in the bush. Tassia lodge was one of the highlights and glad we had two nights there. Interesting raptor rescue center. We planned to go to a Masai village and asked “can we ride there?” and we did. Fabulous experience to learn about their culture and lives and be part of the beading project that Antonia Hall has started with the local women…we are continuing to talk about contacts in the US.
We were the only guests here which was wonderfully private. . We ate dinner up on the “roof” of the lodge the first night in a sort of Moroccan setting on low tables. It was a gorgeous night and the stars were wonderful.
The second night was set with a huge fire next to the pool. We would have liked to have had a private dinner here one night which they could have arranged…(told us afterwards..oh..we should have offered you a private dinner)….that would have been incredible!
Terrific view of elephants below the lodge which came up at night right by our room! My husband surprised us with his bow and arrow experience in the “Masai Olympics” set up for us after our ride into the village, complete with a full bar for “sundowners”.
The last day of riding we saw a group of about 30 giraffes gallop by followed by a large herd of zebras. Our guide said they rarely see that many giraffes together. Wow!   Close

The food was good everywhere. Didn’t quite understand why Chem Chem doesn’t serve pork or fish. As a result, there was a lot of chicken on the menu. Staff and service were always v.g. and very friendly everywhere-always a ready smile and nothing too much trouble. As a result of quite recent rain, grass was unfortunately very high which limited views of smaller animals but birds were plentiful. Had several bush breakfasts and sundowners, all very well organized. Camps pretty empty. Bookings down because of the Ebola scare and it is causing concern. Staff have been laid off, guides too. Very sad development.   Close

Awesome. A truly a memorable experience. We have high regards for Botswana just like Mma Precious Ramotswe in Alexander McCall-Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency! We don’t often go back to places but this may be one of them.   Close

Fantastic holiday! We loved every minute of it and can’t wait to go back on another adventure in Africa.   Close

The Madikwe Reserve was established in the early 90’s with 10, 000 animals relocated there, it’s not the biggest reserve and this is what makes it brilliant. Malaria free, the ability to travel around freely and not overcrowded like some with only 31 lodges spread around the reserve you often do a drive and barely see another truck. It is a well managed and safe reserve and amazing to see some endangered species. Daily game drives at 0530am and 430pm were a highlight as after all we were on a safari holiday! Daniel, our guide, at Jamala Madwike has a endearing enthusiasm for his job and we saw such a variety of game that it made the early mornings worth it!!!   Close

We had a wonderful time! The highlights were the Linyanti Bush Camp – we loved our time there and didn’t want to leave; seeing so many elephants was amazing; tracking a leopard a special experience and the helicopter ride a real treat.
Lowlights would be the enormous queue at Johannesburg airport on the way out – thank you to our fellow Brit who was ingenious enough to engineer a small group of us to queue jump so we made our connecting flight to Livingstone.   Close

One of our party was quite poorly on our trip, but everyone moved heaven and earth to ensure that he got his game drives in, and saw his favourite animals, elephants. We will always remember a wonderful sundowner arranged by Henry and Sissa at Mara Camp. Sissa opening the bubbly with a traditional spear (they do not do that at our local bar!), a roaring fire, great “nibbles” and thunder and lightning reverberating around us as we sat under a lone tree in the middle of the huge open plain. They also arranged a special, last evening meal, right by our tent, for the 4 of us, and even came down with the vehicle to take us up to the camp fire for nightcaps with the other guests. On the wildlife front, the real highlights were a lovely sighting of a tiny leopard cub (our first leopard cub despite more than a dozen visits to Africa!) and a one hour standoff between 8 lionesses and 27 hyenas – what a commotion, and what sounds.   Close

Absolutely first class – would love to do it all again.   Close

Reiterating the feedback I shared personally with Francis, overall an incredible one-off trip to Zimbabwe, thank you Francis.   Close

We always knew it would be a trip of a lifetime but it truly exceed our hopes, dreams and expectations. Again, Alice, Gale and team did a fantastic and thoughtful job for us. Each country was chosen for a reason and all those reasons were met. We love Africa so much and are always thinking of our times there. Many many memories for a very long time.   Close

There were some wonderful moments – 90 species of birds, ostriches with 12 baby ostriches, sundowners on dried out Lake Manyara, Goshawk catching a snake as we ate lunch, just missing a python in a burrow, Al fresco breakfast under a baobab. All fab.   Close

Every day was different my own personal highlights were the close encounters with wild dogs on two occasions, four close encounters with different leopard. Encounters with numerous lions and the unbelievable amount of elephant in the Chobe Park area. The three different areas we travelled to supplied a fantastic viewing of African wild life.
The whole safari was excellent.   Close

Overall the trip was amazing, every element was meticulously planned by Lucinda and her colleagues. Including all transfers, dinner reservations and day trips in Cape Town. The trip to Cape Point, including lunch with Chef Bruce was a high spot – he did an amazing job of cooking lunch for his guests in his own home! The wine region was stupendous, and we managed to get back to Cape Town at the end of the day, without being too worse for wear!   Close

We spent two weeks in Tanzania, Zambia and Kenya with the arrangement from Aardvark Safaris. It’s a bit rush since I have a tight schedule. Aardvark did make a good itinerary for us to cover all the highlights for these three countries. The camp guides are awesome, with good eyesight, knowledge and using all six senses to find all the animals from bushes! Accommodation was much above my expectations. We stayed at seven different camps, lodges and hotels in these three countries. I really recommend Royal Livingstone Hotel in Zambia, Gibb’s Farm in Tanzania, and Saruni in Kenya. All 5 stars with good food and beverages, best services and facilities you can expect in Africa! If you don’t get used to camping, better let Aardvark know in advance. Otherwise, it’s hard to get into sleep for a metropolitan, like myself, in the windy, noisy, camp, or even take a hot water shower by bucket. Of course, no Wifi in camps. Fortunately, they do have lodge as an alternative, which have all the modern facilities. We didn’t witness the Wildebeest Migration due to the time of year. But I think it’s a blessing, since less tourists, less crowds, more attention from both animals and hospitality guys. This feeling of privileged safari is strong especially in the private conservancy in Kenya, Mara North. Last but least, I didn’t see a real aardvark in Africa. I guess this might be a strategy from Aardvark Safaris to have me for my second safaris very soon to see an elusive aardvark…   Close

The trip was perfect!   Close

Aardvark organised our safari from start to finish excellently. Their planning advice and pre-trip information were comprehensive, all travel arrangements and transfers worked beautifully. We would highly recommend their services. In addition, both Letaka safaris and Waterberry Lodge exceeded our expectations, overall a fantastic holiday.   Close

We only regret that we did not have one more day/night in each location!   Close

There couldn’t have been a better operator than Aardvark Safaris to simultaneously wedding plan and organize the most amazing safari in such short notice! Thank you! River Club was the BEST and most PERFECT place to have a wedding at… Every place we went to we would say- Aardvark knew and called it right- as we could not have imagined a wedding anywhere else! This was beyond well done, seemly executed and put forth with so much care and authenticity!   Close

River rafting and zip lining the Zambezi river was truly a trip highlight, but the people and visiting the school in Hwange Park was a life highlight for the kids and us!   Close

I stayed in Kafunta Lodge, South Luangwa Park, Zambia, because a friend had been there 2 or 3 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I enjoyed it too. It’s in an attractive location overlooking a big plane with a lake. I could have spent hours watching game drinking at the lake and at breakfast at 5.30 one morning we witnessed a poor baboon, who had wandered into the centre of the (now rather shallow and dried up lake as it’s the middle of the dry season) lake being caught by a croc and rolled over and over. It was fascinating and also sad at the same time and even the guides were excited having never seen anything quite like it at very close quarters.
The management and staff were very friendly and welcoming, the food good and plentiful and there was a nice pool which was just the thing after the morning game drive. I was put in a group of 6 and we were given the senior guide, who was terrific, and stayed together in our little group for the 2 game drives a day and for dinner, when our guide joined us too. There were 2 other groups as well and we did mingle at breakfast, lunch, tea and pre-dinner drinks.
Kafunta have another lodge, known as the Bush Camp, and most of their guests spend a couple of nights there and it seemed to be very popular. I went there too with the other 5 people in my group and our guide, and it’s about a 3 hour drive. I had booked to go to the Bush Camp, but others hadn’t and were able to arrange it on the spot at no extra charge. I imagine this depends on whether there is room available. At the Bush Camp you really experience the proper bush. The chalets are built round trees and accessed by wooden steps so that you feel you’re in a tree house almost. There is no electricity but there are big bucket showers which are filled with hot water after the morning and evening game drives and a jug of hot water to wash in is provided early every morning. There is even a proper flushing loo! Everything was very comfortable and the food delicious – all prepared in a proper bush kitchen complete with large catapult to keep baboons away. At the bush camp we walked instead of going out in the Toyota Landcruiser and were accompanied by our usual guide and an armed guide from the National Parks authority. It was an lovely interlude, but 2 nights there is just about the right amount of time. Most guests then return to Kafunta for at least another night.   Close

From start to finish our safari was a wonderful adventure. Every camp we went to offered something different. There were so many highlights but not least the African sunsets. We never tired of them. We were taken out of our comfort zone on more than one occasion but it was fabulous. We never imagined we would be so close to a pride of 12 lions or that we would experience the thrill of the successful lion hunt of a lone water buck. Canoeing 8kms down the mighty Zambezi was another highlight as was our three days bush camping and walking safari in the South Luangwa National Park. We met many people in the camps we stayed at who were on their third or fourth trip to Zambia and we’re not surprised. It’s something we would definitely do again.   Close

Many of the highlights listed on the camp pages. Very happy with all of the close-up photos of the various animals. Would certainly advise future guests to stay at least four nights in each camp to fully take advantage of all of the activities and surroundings. The two nights at Tongabezi was really too short as that only allows for one full day of activity. A full day is lost in travel time between camps.   Close

I am definitely returning to Africa…the safari experience was mind blowing in terms of the sheer glory of nature & creation in all its vastness and generosity. We spent hours looking at a lioness stalk her prey, at a lion pride with around 10 cubs, at a leopard cleverly covering her kill that she had hidden from the vultures, at a matriarch mourn the death of her young elephant calf, at a new born giraffe with the most incredible eye-lashes and a still attached umbilical cord, at the sleek and graceful cheetah, at hippos, at crocs, at zebras, at cape buffalos, at wild dogs and finally the elusive rhino so we saw the big 5 all in one day, our last! Its paradise on earth which man is chipping away at, slowly. I would like to enjoy it some more before it is lost forever.   Close

We only had time for a short 10 day visit to Kenya but this was a trip never to be forgotten. From the moment we landed on the tarmac in Nairobi we were looked after superbly. Everyone we met was kind, considerate and welcoming. There were so many high points it is difficult to pick those with the most impact. The sightings we had of leopard were a real treat and provided some amazing photo opportunities. We also witnessed our first wildebeest crossing of the Mara river. The singing wells in Samburu have left a lasting impression as did the visit to a Samburu village. It is very encouraging to see the tireless work being done for conservation in this part of Africa – something that deserves worldwide support. A big thank you once again to Aardvark and all those we met in Kenya for organising such a wonderful trip.   Close

We last visited Robin Pope Safaris in 2008, this being our 4th safari with them. We love the Luangwa Valley and our main reason for patronising RPS has been the superb standard of guiding. We were reassured by this safari that nothing has changed. The guides are not only extremely knowledgeable and professional but they are very good company and a lot of fun to be with. That can be said for all the staff we met and their loyalty to RPS is very evident.   Close

We asked Aardvark to put together a safari where the camps and their environments were quite different from one another. We didn’t know if we’d ever get back to Africa, so we wanted to have a lot of variety during a 3-week trip. They truly excelled!  We had varied experiences in all five of the camps in Tanzania and Botswana, all positive. We used light aircraft flights between the camps – the only way to go (there are no paved roads out there in the bush!).  Food was always excellent, and a lot of it (I gained 6 pounds in 3 weeks!). We interspersed the camps with a full day in Nairobi to start, Vic Falls in the middle, and 3 days in Cape Town at the end – just to break things up. Turned out to be a good choice — and we just loved Cape Town!! I wanted to see the herd migration, so I picked the time (with Aardvark’s input); Aardvark picked the location. I had hoped to see a Mara River crossing, though Victoria cautioned there’d be no guarantee. Well, we saw 3 crossings; OMG!  Leopards are the hardest to spot of the Big 5. We saw our first one in Ngorongoro crater, though far away in a tree.  But we found 2 more close up in Kuria Hills, and saw them mate!  Our guide said “that is so rare to see” — and I got a photo!
 Speaking of guides, the 3 we had for most of our safari time were outstanding!  It’s uncanny how they can spot game!  My wife’s knee is so-so, and they all got hold of a small step as an aid for her to get into & out of the front seat of the truck; and helped her as needed. Very considerate.   Close

The game roaming around the tents at night – great fun trying to identify by the prints in the morning – this time zebra, hippo, wildebeest, impala. Seeing leopard and cub – this is always so special. Also the lions and their two month old cubs playing. Giraffe fighting and ostriches mating! We have some great video footage this time (didn’t have a camcorder last time) as well as several thousand still photos. Visiting Olkuroto school again was wonderful, however in six years they have only managed to repair the roof and install a toilet. They have a new headmaster (last two months) who is very keen and is visiting the camps to get support. They need all the help they can get.   Close

Fantastic tour. Would omit winelands next time and spend more time on reserves as winelands in Australia and NZ are equally spectacular and scenic though the wine is more expensive here.   Close

Another great experience with Aardvark – thank you! It’s now more apparent to us than ever that safari-ing in Kenya (and we suspect elsewhere) needs to be seen as not just an experience and holiday but a donation to wildlife conservation and the associated community support – I wonder if at some point the travel industry is going to have to spell this out in monetary terms because the relative costs of safari-ing in Kenya with other locations (eg South Africa) and other types of family holiday are a bit painful and could be difficult for some to understand. In terms of our itinerary, the only improvements would have been first, flying direct between the camps (apparently this can be done Laikipia to Mara but not the reverse ..?) and not via Wilson, and second having less time in Nairobi before flying out. Peter of Kicheche, who was our driver, was great but we really having exhausted ‘things to do in Nairobi’!   Close

This was a great three week trip including six safari camps, Victoria Falls, and Cape Town, planned by people who knew what they were doing. Every camp had different owners and very singular personalities. The camps were small and not always easy to get to but the volume and variety of animals I saw, and the comfort level of the facilities, was much greater than what is available on the 12 to 20 person packaged tours. I have done a number of nature trips to central America, the Amazon, and Southeast Asia. The great thing about this trip in comparison was that I saw just as many gorgeous birds, and more animals, without having to put up with all the bugs and mosquitoes.   Close

This was a great three week trip including six safari camps, Victoria Falls, and Cape Town, planned by people who knew what they were doing. Every camp had different owners and very singular personalities. The camps were small and not always easy to get to but the volume and variety of animals I saw, and the comfort level of the facilities, was much greater than what is available on the 12 to 20 person packaged tours. I have done a number of nature trips to central America, the Amazon, and Southeast Asia. The great thing about this trip in comparison was that I saw just as many gorgeous birds, and more animals, without having to put up with all the bugs and mosquitoes.   Close

Kari’s favorite part was seeing how cuddly the lions get with each other when they’re sleeping during the day. The biggest highlight for me was getting to see a lion hunt during our first evening at Mchenja. I was quite impressed with how knowledgeable the guides were, and greatly enjoyed learning about the animals and the ecosystem.   Close

Loved this trip. Still seems like a dream.   Close

A trip of a life time! Hakuna Matata!   Close

Highlights: getting close to animals (lions, cubs, elephants, hyenas, hippos), cantering through water, beautiful and delicious surprise meals out in the bush, the sweet and nice people, sundowners in magical places, etc.   Close

So many things to say. Wild African dogs with their puppies, honey badger trying to nab a tortoise, being mesmerized by the meerkats; seeing hyena nervously eating a previously killed cape buffalo; seeing a herd of majestic cape buffalo; seeing bull giraffes fighting; seeing leopard close up, with her cub; being endlessly amused by warthogs; learning all the different and beautiful antelope (steenbok are my favorite); seeing the many many large and small birds; seeing an aardvark!; tracking rhino on foot; motor boating through the stunning Okavango delta; mokoring through hippo highways, micro-lighting over Vic Falls, on and on.
Connecting with other guests.
Most of all, while we were on safari, the feeling that there were few other people in the area.
And lastly, being taken care of the whole way, port to port. We are not used to that!   Close

The staff was incredible! Horses well taken care of and very responsive. Bongwe was an excellent guide.   Close

Tents were nice, service was excellent, food was very good, horseback riding was amazing! Lots of little surprises! Great wranglers.
Very exciting experience!   Close

Kigelia: Grumpy elephant very close to dining tent, cheetah kill by camp fire, windy giraffe outside tent in middle of night, Kelvin’s amazing cooking skills, all the guides. Beho Beho: Location, stunning open fronted Bandas, all the dining as we ate in a different part of the camp everyday. A few wonderful surprises were thrown in to keep us guessing. The guides again were fabulous as we got to know them quite well. Visit to the hippo pool the like of which we will never forget, never, ever seen so many hippos in one place. A couple of memorable animal encounters, particularly the one involving the hippo under our boat and our near ‘man overboard’ situation. The other moment was courtesy of an elephant who decided we should stay in our Banda on our last morning and remained by the front door for over half an hour. Magical stuff! Particular enjoyed all the nocturnal sounds from the animals. Vamizi: A delightful chill out destination with a retinue of staff who were only too pleased to do all they could to make the stay a happy one. We had a few problems with upset tummies, unrelated to food. If I had to make one observation, I would say that the quantity of food was so enormous and we quite bad about leaving so much although we were assured that the staff benefited from that! We really did love Vamizi and would recommend it.
Our trio of destinations provided the perfect contrast as they were all so different. It worked perfectly for us.   Close

We stayed also at Camp Linyanti at Linyanti by Chobe which was a lovely lodge on the edge of the river – great option to go in boat or car to safari. Great food and lodge staff excellent with children.
And Fawlty Towers in Livingstone – perfect for a short cheap stopover in Livingstone – pool and clean and central location – recommend.   Close

Letaka was the highlight of our trip and our guide Michael Turner was exceptional. The whole team made our mobile experience 5+ star – just myself and my nine and ten year old children in a tent at night listening to the sounds of the bush is unforgettable. Going to bed hearing the elephants walk through the water nearby and the hyenas during the night . We saw leopard cubs, cheetah cubs, lion etc etc but of course my daughter wanted to track giraffe that were not in abundance. We had great fun and will return. You were so right to include this in the itinerary – worth every penny.   Close

Highlights included: seeing my first male lion in the wild – WOW, it made me cry!  Brunch with hippos with Trisha and Robin in the Masai Mara two days running.  Zebras, giraffes, lions, a cheetah, leopards, elephants, birds and a mass of wildebeest!  Breakfast by the river at Sosian.  Vast panoramas and vast skies of the Masai Mara and Lakipia. Unforgettable.
 We both came back with giggered necks/backs so maybe lots of cushions for ladies of a certain age would be a good idea on the Jeeps.
 And of course a safari is hard work!  Lots of looking and concentrating – quite exhausting really but thoroughly enjoyable.  Ticked all the boxes.  Would we go back?  We have too many other places in the world to experience.  But Ras Kutani is a’ yes’.   Close

Having no experience of horses we’re not sure we would have chosen this safari but thankfully we enjoyed every minute. We did not know from yourselves or when googling it that Ants Hill is a riding safari. There are about 50 horses and that is the way they really expect you to see everything. Everyone walks about in riding gear and we did not feel we had gone really correctly attired in strong shoes trousers and shirts to protect us from scratches. We have bought back a new brochure with us which shows it exactly as it is. Fantastic I have to admit.!!!
Children loved it as did I. Would recommend it to everyone.   Close

Highlights where can I start. Mother leopard and cub up a tree looking at us. What a photographic opportunity. Being surrounded by a herd of feeding elephants. Cantering up the airstrip being watched by six giraffe spectators. We loved all the birds and also the small creatures, ant lions, mongoose, bush baby. The whole sound, smell and feel of South Africa. Sitting at night looking at the stars, seeing the Milky Way and Southern Cross. Just sitting quietly, listening and watching. The country got under our skins and we are captivated.   Close

Well, once again Aardvark deliver the perfect safari – don’t you guys ever slip up! I did seventeen nights in four different camps and it was just great. It was a bit different to what I normally do, but in saying that, I wasn’t disappointed in the least. All of my guides were great and Shaddy was exceptional. I really enjoyed the combination of Chinzombo with the Bush Camps and think it worked very, very well. As much as I liked the South Luangwa, I loved the Lower Zambezi – and Potato Bush was fantastic. It is a combination of simple yet luxurious and it was the perfect finishing point.   Close

Everything went as expected and planned, and the quality of the accommodation exceeded our expectations. Excellent in every way.   Close

Apart from the journey home everything was brilliant and even that was well sorted by Aardvark and Breezes. Our highlights included the crater view, leopards mating in the Serengeti and the camp fire singing.   Close

Fantastic trip. We loved the walks in the national parks and saw lots of lemurs and birds. All the places we stayed were excellent with friendly staff and good food and our guide was very good, knowledgeable and helpful. We are grateful for Richard’s advice not to try to go to too many places and felt that we had a wonderful holiday with great variety and time to relax as well.   Close

Fabulous time had by all! Very keen to return one day. The camps/lodges were all great…and all gave slightly different experiences. The wildlife we saw in Zambia was extensive – and much more than people we met who had chosen to visit Botswana! The Zambian people were delightful – from the knowledgeable guides, the friendly waiters and other hotel staff and the village people and children that we met on our travels. Fantastic! 2500 photos in two weeks is a record for us!   Close

The main object to this holiday was riding for Emily my 18 year old granddaughter. She had a truly wonderful experience at both lodges riding amongst elephants and giraffe and very close to rhino, jackals and many other animals. At Borana she rode ex-polo ponies and thoroughly enjoyed not only the game but also going on long canters through the bush.
Alice my 16 year old had one wish – (being a keen runner) was to run with a Masai. Simon obliged. They set off at pace followed by Karmushu with a gun for protection. She had a fantastic run but admitted it was the most exhausting run ever! One morning a surprise breakfast was set out for us in the bush. After cereal and croissants we thought that was that, but no, out of the bush appeared scrambled eggs, bacon tomatoes and sausages. It was incredible and so beautiful sitting watching elephant nearby tucking into a wonderful breakfast.
For me the highlight was sitting in the middle of a pride of 11 lions, including their cubs, sipping our sundowners, with my family around me. Can it get any better?   Close

No WiFi, generator at night for light, but it was wonderfully refreshing! The tents had to be triple zipped and locked to keep the baboons out. The horseback riding was spectacular. Galloping through the Okavango delta and yes, you get wet! SO much fun. Definitely not for a beginner rider but I suppose they could take you for an easier ride if you wished. On our final day we crossed a section where we almost had to swim.  On the other side we were greeted by the horse grooms who took our horses from us so that we could change into dry clothes that were brought from our tents by the women that kept our tents so clean. We then climbed up to the tree house where we were toasting with champagne and then sat down at a long tale covered with a white table cloth and china! Our meal was hot and delicious! Talk about a surprise! We had no idea! As I said, the horses were great and if for some reason you wanted to try a different one, it was no problem. Bongwe was our primary guide, and he was fantastic! I also liked the camp because there was assigned seating at dinner, and thus, we all got to know each other as well as all the fabulous people that helped run the place so smoothly. This was truly a unique and thrilling experience!   Close

Like I said to Ronnie, it was definitely our trip of a lifetime, and it didn’t fly by, it was just perfect amount of days at each place, exactly like you planned it Tor. We met some interesting people. The guides were all very very good and had some great knowledge.
Loved it, and would definitely recommend.
The ease of airport pick ups and drop offs takes a huge stress off a holiday also.   Close

Safari was the obvious highlight, with some great sightings, sundowners
delights, and Brian, also great was Molly’s bungee off the Vic Falls
bridge – but the deck at Kapani Lodge, with drinks, animals to see,
friendly staff chatting, dinner, breakfast cooked by the chef in the
fire pit, and the lovely brunches were such a pleasure.  The
village visit from Pumulani, and meeting a guy Pierre who is doing
Permaculture work in the village and trying to get the locals growing
more food, as malnutrition, health, and reducing fish stocks at the lake
are a problem.  HIV and AIDS is rife, and there is little support with
the poor, old or vulnerable, which is why they have so many children,
leading to increased poverty, malnutrition and deforestation…I could
go on and on…but this village interest at the end of our stay added a
new dimension, and will continue to be of interest for some years to
come.
 It was a shame we didn’t take stuff like kid’s clothes and pencils/
books, as they really could have done with them, and I didn’t get a
chance to check your website about packing with a purpose.  The
pre-school had almost no reading aids/ books.  Please make it clear to
future guests at Pumulani, Stanleys, or probably any other lodges –
that the local school would some some books/ pencils, and teaching
materials, and toothbrushes/ toothpaste, T-shirts/ shorts etc would be
appreciated. I have never seen such dirty, ripped clothes on children as
in the Pumulani next village. If you want pictures, I have lots…   Close

We intend to go back to Botswana, at some point in the future because we loved it so much. You didn’t ask us about Sandibe (for obvious reasons – it won’t be there in its present, temporary form in another 10 days or so), but the ‘mobile camp’ with its resident elephant was very enjoyable. However, we were privileged to be shown the new Sandibe Lodge, which is almost finished. The architecture is superb, but the fixtures, fittings and general interiors are completely OTT for a wilderness area (‘6 star’ stuff), and we would not recommend it to anybody. It feels totally wrong.   Close

We had the BEST GUIDE in the world. Pat was knowledgeable and fun. He worked hard to locate all the animals we wanted to see, and we got to see so many animal interactions that were amazing. Pat even told us about the night sky and all kinds of trees and plants. The camp staff couldn’t have been friendlier. They were efficient and the food was the best. We called Moosa “magic”, because he could prepare such wonderful food over the open fire. We were comfortable and had everything we needed in camp.   Close

A wonderful holiday with lifelong memories.  Jakob Von Plessen was our guide and he was exemplary- we were very very lucky.  He made it exciting but ultimately safe and I had the most incredible horse to gallop/jump and get within touching distance of lions, elephants hippos and crocodiles together with all the other ‘safer’ African wildlife.  We were looked after like royalty with very considerate attention and could not of asked for anything better.   Close

Top things: eldest son arriving for the middle week by helicopter and going to watch it arrive on the 14th hole of the golf course.

The villa, the villa, the villa

Mauritius and Le Paradis – friendly and welcoming at all times.

Enzos – a restaurant at La Gallette – very friendly and good food, nice to get out of the hotel sometimes.

Superb boat trip at sunset on a catamaran. – children dived off the boat for an hour outside the reef as the sun set (but see below!). Niggles:
We were quoted MRupees 2000 for the catamaran trip – ended up, for inexplicable reasons being a whopping MRupees 12,000 – despite asking for it to be written down. Wasn’t a multiple of number of people as we were five – was left feeling slightly ripped off – although it was a great boat trip. I think (occasionally) we can be viewed as very rich Westerners….   Close

Overall a fab holiday – I’ve deleted what you were asking for without reading………think it said memorable moments……….so SA – riding to sundowners, unsaddling and letting the horses just go (they live “wild”) and then all the kids and staff playing rugby while I sipped G and T. My husband and the kids went to watch a sick buffalo being darted from a helicopter and being treated by the vet. Getting to close to the animals on horseback. In Mauritius doing dolphin watching and seeing a humpback whale. Just haven’t given excellent as I was a bit disappointed with Paradis (the weather too wasn’t great which wasn’t anyone’s fault!!).   Close

Highlights were obviously the animals. Livingstone was a soft landing and so good with the kids after a long flight. I would have been a bit disappointed to have done that at the end of the trip (ie in my opinion it’s not necessarily worth the extra flights and travelling time just to see the falls). As a whole I thought the trip was good but the food really lets the whole RPS experience down. I can’t remember one meal that I thought was special – it was agreeable and satisfactory. Another way to look at is that I would be very disappointed to receive that type of food if I was out for an evening with the family in the UK.
On an aside I thought BA were useless – I had to fight hard at the check in to even get on the flight on the way home.   Close

One of the best family holidays we have ever had!   Close

Overall a fab holiday – I’ve deleted what you were asking for without reading………think it said memorable moments……….so
SA – riding to sundowners, unsaddling and letting the horses just go (they live “wild”) and then all the kids and staff playing rugby while I sipped G and T. My husband and the kids went to watch a sick buffalo being darted from a helicopter and being treated by the vet.
Getting to close to the animals on horseback.
In Mauritius doing dolphin watching and seeing a humpback whale.
Just haven’t given excellent as I was a bit disappointed with Paradis (the weather too wasn’t great which wasn’t anyones fault!!).   Close

We had an amazing time and fitted a lot into just three weeks. I would definitely want to go to Tanda Tula and Rocktail again. Fugitives Drift was great but I think it is a place you only go to once as it is the history that brings the area to life.   Close

Drumbeat were simply brilliant. Annelies is a wonderfully welcoming host, extremely efficient and all round nice person. While not the “lap of luxury” that you might expect from some of the static lodges, the camp was exceptionally comfortable (with nice touches such as dressing tables and mirrors outside each tent, short drop loos with proper loo seats and warm bucket showers) and the food was amazing, especially considering it was all cooked in a ground oven (a tin box in a pit surrounded by hot coals). Our guide, Scottie was exceptional and became known to us as “Mr Leopard” as we saw eight different leopards on our trip as well as a lion kill (apparently very rare), painted dogs and a cheetah with two cubs. We can’t praise this company highly enough and for those looking for the safari experience as it used to be, I wouldn’t look anywhere else.   Close

I don’t think there are words to describe how special this trip was for our family. Our guide, Pat, was exceptional. Not only was he extremely knowledgeable about the mammal, reptiles, birds, insects but also geology, astronomy and ecosystems. Pat has training as a educator and was able to teach us all everyday about more in depth topics related to the region. I can not think of one time we asked him a questions and he did not know the answer and was not able to explain the answer to us in way that we would understand. Along with his impressive knowledge base, he is also an outstanding person. He holds himself and his company to high standards, he is kind, considerate and a team player working well with other guides in the area. He was patient while we were out in the truck always waiting the extra time to catch the truely remarkable interactions between animals. Many other guides would stop to see the animals and after 10 minutes would drive away. We typically would spend and hour or two just watching how the animals interacted with each other and with their environment which allowed us to have a more intimate experience with our surroundings. The rest of the camp staff from Letaka were equally as kind, friendly, helpful and always with a smile on their face. They made us feel at home, like we were all family, the moment we arrived. The chef, Mosa, was a magician. What he was able to create in that in environment does not seem possible. The food was better than an food I have eaten in a high end restaurant. He is a very gifted chef. Mueller and KP were always available to help, answer questions and make sure we were comfortable. A few of the highlights for me included our walking safari with Pat when we had a close encounter with a grazing elephant. During this walking safari Pat was always in control and I felt completely safe. Hearing the noises at night time including elephants trumpeting behind our tent, a hyena drinking from my water basin and lions roaring was a very special experience. Also, the flight from the Okavango Delta to Maun was amazing. The plane ride felt like part of our safari as the scenery was breath-taking. I can not give enough positive about the staff we worked with from Letaka safaris or the safari destinations in the northern highlights tour. Spectacular.   Close

This trip was more than we expected. We came on this trip to spend time with Derek’s parents and to give them a chance to fulfill their dream of having a vacation in Africa. We expected to see animals and enjoy our time but it was so much more. We were given a unique look into the lives of the animals in a variety of different ecosystems. We saw interactions between animals including lions mating, elephants bathing and crossing rivers, and multiple young baby including lion cubs, hyena pups, elephant babies, giraffe babies, and leopard cubs. Having been at a lodge during our last safari, which was wonderful, the mobile safari was exponentially more special. We were on our own time schedule, had a more connected experience with the environment and were completely disconnected to electronics which was very refreshing. Thank you for organizing such a spectacular trip.   Close

Guides were excellent, helpful, informative and listened to what we wanted to do. Always someone there to look after us. Baraza is outstanding but could be anywhere as not advisable to leave the resort without a guide, having said that we have never encountered that beautiful white sand and warm sea before. The service is EXCEPTIONAL. Kicheche Mara, our first safari and I am not sure how we will top it, the guides, service, tents and staff were OUTSTANDING and of course the wildlife blew our socks off. Each one of us had a different favourite moment.   Close

Where to start. It was all so fantastic. I heard about the Letaka Safaris at an airport in Madagaska whilst chatting to a couple who had just been on a Botswana safari with them. Their comment was “the animals were almost too close for comfort”. How accurate they were. My first experience was with a leopard who walked along my side of our vehicle, stopped long enough for me to take a photo and then walked on. This is how the whole trip continued. Ten thousand photos later and a huge thank you to our amazing guide, Nkosi, we sadly left beautiful Botswana. You asked for any niggles – well the beds were really uncomfortable. Very narrow and wobbly. Mine collapsed on one occasion but I understand new beds and mattresses are coming soon. A tip from me for future travellers. Please take thermal underwear and warm clothes as the nights do get very cold. The Letaka hot water bottles were very welcome.   Close

I have the best time of my life. Africa is a great continent and their people are the greatest. The choices you gave us regarding the destinations, the sequences and the timing were perfect. Thanks.
I thing I would change is the one day stop over when arriving in Nairobi was unnecessary since I arrive very early. Would rather go straight to Sirikoi rather than hang around in Nairobi. But since the hotel Palacina is so lovely, all is forgiven. 🙂   Close

Our safari was the perfect blend of comfort and being in the bush. I loved being able to take a hot shower and sleep in a comfy bed. The highlights were standing on the edge of Victoria Falls and looking over (still cannot believe I did that), waking up to our private little beach on Sindabezi, watching a herd of 18 elephants cross the Luangwa River in front of our camp at Mchenja, viewing a gorgeous lioness on a downed tree at very close range at Mchenja, being approached by a curious giraffe on our drive to the airport in Mfuwe, the rising super moon and sunset on the Zambezi, a breakneck race in our safari vehicle in the dark at Chiawa to find a leopard, which we did, being very close to an elephant on a tiny patch of grass in the Zambezi while we were in the boat, watching a pride of lions lazing about as the sun went down, and then having sundowners and watching them parade in single file to the river, I could go on. If I had to say there was one experience I would like to have changed it would be the private charter from Mfuwe to Royal Airstrip. The pilot was great, the flight was uneventful, but the age and condition of the aircraft did not instill confidence. It sounded like a jalopy, and if I had not had earplugs in my bag, I think I would have been deaf after the hour and 45 minute flight.   Close

Guides were excellent, helpful, informative and listened to what we wanted to do. Always someone there to look after us. Baraza is outstanding but could be anywhere as not advisable to leave the resort without a guide, having said that we have never encountered that beautiful white sand and warm sea before. The service is EXCEPTIONAL. Kicheche Mara, our first safari and I am not sure how we will top it, the guides, service, tents and staff were OUTSTANDING and of course the wildlife blew our socks off. Each one of us had a different favourite moment.   Close

Excellent experience with Victoria at Aardvark Safari. I have crowed a lot about her already. Safari was unique and unforgettable experience. I would love to repeat the trip.
Only regret is that I was not always ready with video when elephant trumpeted, or charged (mini) at us or lion charged (mini) at us.
Another regret is, I did not request for recipe for soup from chef at Xigeri camp. She was extremely polite and pleasant but I was not sure that she would like to share recipe or not.   Close

Sand Rivers – breakfast at Stieglers Gorge on the banks of the river. Sunset over Lake Tagalala Beho Beho – Sunset with a gin and tonic whilst watching lions on the edge of a small river cliff. Breakfast on the shores of Lake Tagalala. Zanzibar – boat trip to Mnemba, trip to Stone Town. Sunset at Kilindi, walking safaris, every meal we had, flying into and out of the Selous on a small light aircraft, seeing our first Lions in the wild…and then them seeing us! (won’t forget that stare…ever), lion stalking for a kill, elephants…the list of highlights goes on!   Close

We had a number of incredible highlights, such as seeing a lioness released in Chobe after she killed a farmer’s goat. Also, I’d love to write about our trip for you magazine. I have a slant on elephants, which were my favorites: Never hire an Elephant as your Gardner.   Close

Sand Rivers – breakfast at Stieglers Gorge on the banks of the river. Sunset over Lake Tagalala
Beho Beho – Sunset with a gin and tonic whilst watching Lions on the edge of a small river cliff. Breakfast on the shores of Lake Tagalala.
Zanzibar – boat trip to Mnemba, trip to Stone Town. Sunset at Kilindi
Walking Safaris, every meal we had, flying into and out of the Selous on a small light aircraft, seeing our first Lions in the wild…and then them seeing us! (won’t forget that stare…ever), lion stalking for a kill, elephants…the list of highlights goes on!   Close

Overall a great experience, we have traveled around a lot of the world and Africa has been on our list forever. Cape Town was much nicer than we ever expected and Zambia was perfect for us. We absolutely loved Sindabezi and the accommodations.The Lower Zambezi was nice but we felt the South Luangwa was much better. Probably three days too many of game drives, the biggest issue we had was that we got a bit stir crazy and/or confined at the camps. We are both really active and the camps after awhile felt confining. Likoma Island on Lake Malawi was awesome, we could get out around the island or just hang out with outstanding views and beaches.   Close

Overall a great experience, we have traveled around a lot of the world and Africa has been on our list forever. Cape Town was much nicer than we ever expected and Zambia was perfect for us. We absolutely loved Sindabezi and the accommodations.The Lower Zambezi was nice but we felt the South Luangwa was much better. Probably three days too many of game drives, the biggest issue we had was that we got a bit stir crazy and/or confined at the camps. We are both really active and the camps after awhile felt confining. Likoma Island on Lake Malawi was awesome, we could get out around the island or just hang out with outstanding views and beaches.   Close

A brilliant trip – a mix of adventure and wildlife and sightseeing. As our “last” family trip before the kids go to university it could hardly have been bettered.   Close

Overall a great experience, we have traveled around a lot of the world and Africa has been on our list forever. Cape Town was much nicer than we ever expected and Zambia was perfect for us. We absolutely loved Sindabezi and the accommodations.The Lower Zambezi was nice but we felt the South Luangwa was much better. Probably three days too many of game drives, the biggest issue we had was that we got a bit stir crazy and/or confined at the camps. We are both really active and the camps after awhile felt confining. Likoma Island on Lake Malawi was awesome, we could get out around the island or just hang out with outstanding views and beaches.   Close

We could have spent two full weeks in South Africa and still not seen everything. We were apprehensive before arriving as friends and family kept telling us how dangerous it was and what to do and not to do. However, there was no issue at all and we felt safe after the first day or so. We were blessed with the weather and got up Table Mountain on a very clear day, we drove down to the Cape, visited the African penguins, saw some whales in Hermanus and walked with the cheetahs. We felt the journey was a bit rushed but it certainly gave us a taste for the Garden Route area and we would like to go back there sometime for a two week holiday to explore more.
We are slowly working our way through photos and enjoying the memories.
Many thanks for organising such a fantastic trip for us. We cannot praise you enough.   Close

The safari in Botswana was first class. Annelies and Scott (our guide), together with the camp staff, looked after us very well. We went with no expectations or particular wishes and they seemed pleased they could just relax and show us what was around. To name a few, we saw three packs of wild dogs, lion, cheetah and five sightings of leopard (four, of three different leopard, in one day). The birdlife was amazing and we even managed to get some photos of them which were in focus. We had hyena walking through the camp and one stood and watched us for a few seconds just 10 feet away from us. We even had wildlife wanting to share our bed in the tent- something like a gerbil but bigger! We sat and watched around 40 giraffe at a watering hole and shared our tea break spot with an elephant who came in for water. The food was amazing. We can’t believe food of that quality could be produced on a camp fire and we had fresh bread every day cooked in the camp fire oven.   Close

Lots of great sightings. Baby hyena was great.   Close

I really enjoyed the safari. the horses were good and the guides very helpful. Food and hospitality were excellent. The only niggle was the days when we moved camp were very long. One day was too long and very tiring.
I liked riding with a large group; some great people.   Close

There were no real lows. It ran like clockwork and was all so much better than I had hoped for. The flights all worked and mostly on time as anywhere. Watching lions eating an elephant, my son bungee jumping, sitting in the water on the edge of the Victoria Falls, catching tiger fish and the surprise at the end. All in 12 nights and we felt we had been away for months.   Close

Overall we were very pleased with our first safari vacation, I don’t think we could have done any better. The people of Zambia are so friendly and helpful (and are very proud of this) that we always felt welcome every place we went. All the meets and greets went off without a hitch.
In retrospect we probably should have done the trip backwards, starting with Kasaka, then Lion Camp, then Thorntree. (I think Victoria in fact tried to schedule it this way).
Little details like arranging for people to help us change planes in Lusaka was very much appreciated. We also enjoyed the Soweto tour. Not something we would have ever thought to do but was an interesting cultural experience.
We really appreciated the advice and help from the emergency number when our flight was canceled. Next time we will use the travel agent you suggest.
Nitpicks (these are tough to think of): airport driver in South Africa actively tried to sell us an independent activity the afternoon we arrived. Of course we were too exhausted to contemplate but that wasn’t very professional (“Your room won’t be available until 3PM”, which I knew was not true and in fact was not true). Fire and Ice was nice but felt like it was trying too hard to be trendy, but they were friendly and helpful. The flight out of Royal Airstrip at the end was apparently subcontracted out to an independent operator by Proflight. This was in a somewhat less well maintained small twin prop that felt a little dodgy (pilot had trouble closing the passenger door for example) but was OK.   Close

We were very impressed with the wildlife and tourism in the Okavango Delta. We were often the only vehicle in sight and rare species such as leopard and wild dog appear to be relatively easily seen. More expensive than other African countries but hard to complain when the experience is of such high quality and the country seems to take conservation very seriously.   Close

We had a fabulous trip in Cape Town, and at Ngala Tented Camp and Chitwa Chitwa. The Cape Town highlights were our stay at the beautiful Cape Grace, the hike on Table Mountain, the trip to the Cape and to visit the penguins, the visit to Cheetah Outreach, and the great meals including La Petite Ferme near Franschoek. Ngala highlights were the wonderful ranger, Derrick, and the lovely staff in total, the quality of the game drives where we saw lions daily along with the rest of the big 5, and the comfort and quality of the tented camp lodges. Our highlights at Chitwa Chitwa included the awesome ranger and tracker who led us on so many great drives, including on our last day where we saw a family of elephants with babies, and 16 lions/lionesses stretched out together on a little airstrip where we could check them out within feet of our truck. We also saw baby zebras, giraffes, wild dogs and hyenas. They planned fun sun-uppers and sun-downers each day during the drives. And each day when we returned to camp, they brought us lunch to enjoy on our spacious private back decks with beautiful views of the lake behind. This was one of the best trips our family has ever been on.   Close

We had a great time on our safari with Drumbeat. There were some truly amazing wildlife experiences (seeing lion, hyaena and wild dog cubs/pups, a leopard stalking guinea fowl and wild dogs hunting to name a few) and our guide, Moss, was very knowledgeable.
The camp was very comfortable with a walk-in tent, complete with double bed, en-suite bucket shower and toilet and many thoughtful touches. The food was excellent and we enjoyed chatting around the campfire with Annelies and Moss.
Many thanks to Drumbeat for looking after us so well.   Close

Our trip was probably the best I have ever experienced and I have been all over the world.  If I go back to Africa I would love to go to Greystoke Mahale and Zanzibar. Since we were not ready to come home I wish I had signed us up for Zanzibar. Perhaps later.   Close

Highlights were: Cheetah Conservation Fund visit — we would have liked more time there; Etosha wildlife — especially watching elephants and seeing both black and white rhinos; The waterhole at the Okaukuejo Rest Camp — We could have stayed there two nights and skipped a day at Swakopmund. We talked the guide into stopping at Spitzkoff after Twyfelfontein to see the paintings as we’d seen only the rock carvings at Twyfelfontein. The Karibu guide and staff were terrific. Camping was very comfortable, food was excellent. We liked the camping more than the lodges.   Close

One of the best family vacations we have had. Getting to and from Africa does require a lot of travel and work from California. Would recommend some down time after arrival to adjust (which we did and were happy for).   Close

Thanks to the expertise of Aardvark, I had the most amazing time in Botswana (African Horse-riding Safaris) and South Africa (Ants Hill).   Close

Summits Africa were the best. Ake and the team prepared us for the summit mentally, physically, and emotionally. Very supportive. A great introduction to the people of Tanzania. Loved the singing and cheerful attitude of the entire staff.   Close

Might think about direct flight next time although transit in Dubai was easy and seemless – as tall chap quite nice to stretch out legs for second leg. First time and certainly will be coming back.  Professional and thorough.  Made my life so much easier.  Big thanks to Richard Smith and all the team .   Close

I was on a different planet in the Okavango Delta – it was a spectacular trip in all respects! The journey in from Maun, the welcome, horses, food, tented camp, the guides, the rides, the wildlife – not only the mammals but also birds and insects – the terrain and plant life – I had a wide grin on my face all the time part from when laughing out loud during the splashy canters and gasping with delight at all the wonders and experiences opening up in front of me. The highlights? – too many to mention – but maybe these: giraffe group running ahead of us across water, first sight of hippo on boat ride in, close encounter with leopard straight after a kill, the surprise lunches in unusual places with dry clothes waiting, just the fun of meeting amazing staff and guides and other guests, all intent on having the adventure of a lifetime on horseback! Saving already!   Close

I would definitely recommend a safari vacation and hope to go on another one. The number of animals and birds we saw was astounding. It was incredible how close you can get the animals, a little scary even sometimes. The guides are so knowledgeable, and I feel like we all learned so much from them. We were incredibly well taken care of and felt very safe. It was very disappointing to not spend the last days as we expected. Our stay in Karen would have been great if for only 2 nights; 3 nights almost 4 because of a very late flight was tedious. Our day out at the elephant orphanage and the bead factory was great. I did not realize that it was going to be a cold as it was; I think I would have brought another jacket. It was really fun to experience the different locations and environments. It was the trip of a lifetime!   Close

Ben and his crew were amazing – highly recommend using them again!!! So friendly, great at their jobs, and were willing to get to know us and let us get to know them. Calm, flexible, knowledgeable, everything anyone could want!!!
Karisia – did such an amazing job the entire time. Really outstanding when half our group go a 24 hour bug. Professional and personal, what an amazing mixture.   Close

Unforgettable and a beautiful experience. We had the most fabulously knowledgeable guide and loved that were weren’t on a convoy tour.   Close

We also loved Cape Town. Our driver was excellent – punctual, respectful etc and again, was well informed about history and information. The men shared a common love of rugby and cricket, so there was lots of discussion about sport.
We did a tour of a township. This was very confronting – not sure if I enjoyed it or not because of the living conditions we saw. Instead of looking at animals in the wild, we were looking at human beings. That is the part I didn’t like.
Perhaps, I might have changed the itinerary to spend a night in the wine area because our day trip there seem so rushed. We had a nice lunch in a restaurant and it would have been nice to experience some more of that area and the lovely towns, especially Franschoek.
We were amazed at how cheap the wine and food is in South Africa. We ate at some fabulous restaurants in Cape Town – The Pot Luck Club, Millers Thumb and at Overture in Stellenbosch.   Close

To pick one highlight would be impossible. Having experienced three such different experiences, each with its own breath taking moment would be impossible. For me though, to see a herd of elephant for the first time in their natural environment, cross a river, the young holding on to their mother’s tails was momentous.But the fact that they looked so small because the landscape was immense was overwhelming. I have always wanted to see the Victoria Falls and it did not disappoint, so powerful and raw. Malawi was dreamy and beautiful, a perfect few days after so much adrenaline had been coursing through my veins.   Close

To pick one highlight would be impossible. Having experienced three such different experiences, each with its own breath taking moment would be impossible. For me though, to see a herd of elephant for the first time in their natural environment, cross a river, the young holding on to their mother’s tails was momentous.But the fact that they looked so small because the landscape was immense was overwhelming.
I have always wanted to see the Victoria Falls and it did not disappoint, so powerful and raw.
Malawi was dreamy and beautiful, a perfect few days after so much adrenaline had been coursing through my veins.   Close

This was the most outstanding, memorable, perfect family holiday we have ever had – and everyone of us, from the youngest child of 6 to the oldest ‘child’ of 30, we were all so blessed and inspired by what we saw, who we met, and every activity.  To have the freedom to just go out and look for game, to eat in the open-air by the river watched by monkeys, to enjoy sundowners with lions outside the car door, it doesn’t get better than this!
 We have hardly any complaints – as is evidence that if we could do it all over again, we would do exactly the same!!!  Richard Smith knows the very few suggestions for improvement, but they are few indeed! One additional comment: at Laikipia is that we went out with two guides, and Kicheche just one. This meant that at Laikipia we would often have a guide going far ahead of us to find the animals, so there were more possibilities for walking safaris as opposed to ‘just’ game drives. It felt a little more daring and adventurous at Laikipia – but we loved the contrast of these two venues.   Close

My daughter and I had a wonderful experience with Letaka Safaris and would highly recommend using them for the best experience in northern Botswana. All the plans were made by Aardvark Safaris and there was not a hitch. The group we were with were from England and Europe and we were well matched with adventuresome spirits. Our guide, Disho, was fabulous! Very knowledgeable about the animals and birds and where to find them. He had a great personality and sense of humor. The other 3 staff (cooks) were just as pleasant and the food was fabulous and cooked and baked over a fire! It was above and beyond our expectations. The mobile safari is the way to go because you see different animals in different parts of the country. Our accommodations were great – my daughter and I shared a tent. We were woken every morning with hot water put in a wash basins. We had our own private bathroom attached to our tent. Our shower was a bucket on a pulley system that was filled with hot water when it was time to shower. Considering we had absolutely no electricity, everything was taken care of. We were met in the afternoons with tea or juice in sugar rimmed glasses and cocktails around the fire prior to dinner. It was pure luxury. The sundowners (drinks while watching the sunset) & the tea/coffee break time mid morning were such a nice treat. Extraordinary fantastic experience!   Close

I thoroughly enjoyed the vacation and so did my daughter. I would recommend going to Botswana because I think that it is not nearly as populated as Kenya or Tanzania. We saw 37 different animals and reptiles and 65 different birds. It was better than expected and we had high expectations. Letaka Safaris was perfect! Our guide (Disho) was fantastic, the other staff were also very friendly. The food was fantastic and cooked over an open fire. It’s amazing what we ate! We got up early (5 or 5:30) and to bed late. Our group didn’t want to miss anything. Disho was extremely knowledgeable about the animals and where to find them. It was interesting then to go to Zambia and Victoria Falls and see another country and a little more luxury. Victoria Falls was beautiful and we got extremely wet! We loved it. The whole trip was better than expected and I would recommend it to anyone that loves the outdoors, camping, no electricity and seeing so many different animals and birds.   Close

What an experience! Traveling in a fairly large group did not prove to be a problem. The Serengeti Plains were beautiful. The drive to Musoma was rough but worth it. Lakuba Island and the village residents were warm and welcoming. The students had an especially good time, interacting with the village children. Karisia Walking Safari, as noted above, was very special. The stay at Daraja was also rewarding and allowed the students to experience how hard the girls worked to improve their lives and appreciated the basics of life. It was also good idea to fly from Nanyuki to Nairobi. The scenery from the plane was beautiful and it certainly eliminated the hassle of driving in and around Nairobi. I think what made the trip so unique and rewarding is the fact that we were not isolated from the the general citizenry. Traveling by truck and getting off the beaten path allowed us to experience not only the beauty of the wildlife but also to experience the people.   Close

Our stay at Beho Beho was the highlight of our trip.
Great game sightings, fun day at Lake Tagalala and swimming in the hot springs of Maji Moto, beautiful sunsets and enjoying candlelit dinners in a different location each evening, our surprise bubble bath and champagne under the starlit sky.   Close

We had such an amazing experience, it was my first time on a safaris and I could not have imagined the amount of animals we saw and the level of comfort provided in the camp. We were very lucky to be the only guests during these 7 days. We had a chance to lead the safari the way we wanted: waking up on time, getting ready and go without having to wait for people (the 10 days safari people were out of the camp at 7.30am while we had already been driving for an hour), also we spent lots of time tracking animals and actually getting out of the car and learning to recognise the paw print which is not usually possible with a fully loaded car, we could stay as long as we wanted watching whatever we wanted. It all felt like a very unique experience. Chadreck, our guide, was excellent. He knew the names of all the birds, animals and plants, and not only he taught us about the prints and stool of animal, but also about the ecological system and how each individual animal has a very specific role making the whole bush environment so precious and beautiful. We had time to study animal behaviour, especially elephants and wild dogs as we saw so many of them.
We had the chance to get to know the camp staff as it was only the 6 of us on camp. I love cooking and had the chance to make my first cake in the bush with our chef Pula, such an passionate cook and we talked for hours about food during the nap time after lunch. We all went along so well and decided to have the last dinner all together. It was very sad to leave them. The organisation of the camp was spot on. The tent is big and the en-suite bathroom meant we didn’t have to brave the bush at night if we needed the toilets. We regretted the fact that it was two small beds, and not a double bed. We pushed the beds together every night to have some comfort in case a lion’s roar was a bit too close. A warm shower every day, plenty of delicious food, freshly baked bread and cake every day, refreshing drink and warm water to freshen up after each drive. It was grand luxe camping. We did Moremi and Kwai. The Moremi camp was in the middle of the bush, with nobody around us. Sitting around the fire at night and hearing no human voice was such a miracle! The Kwai camp was not as isolated and we could hear people from the nearby campsite, which wasn’t as good. However, the fact that the camp was under acacia trees, we had elephants everyday crossing the camp in front of our eyes to secure their tusks around the tree trunk and shake them one by one to collect the acacia pods (or commonly called elephant chocolate).
The Moremi reserve was the highlight of the safari trip as animals were everywhere compared to Kwai which was more quiet. The highlights of Moremi:
-Mating leopards: a very young and keen beautiful female trying to mate with a huge older male who after 10 times just couldn’t take it anymore. She was trying to seduce him with her tail caressing his neck and face, it was incredible.
-Wild dogs: we found the den of the wild dogs and saw so many different behaviours. The excitement of deciding which direction to go and hunt, they all come together and play, tumble around in the grass. The males coming back from a hunt and regurgitated food for the hungry female staying behind to feed the puppies.
-Cheetahs looking for a prey
-Lions sleeping in the grass on top of each others looking like teddy bears, nibbling at each others and rolling in the grass. Kwai highlights:
-Leopards in a tree with an Impala skin hanging from a branch
-Elephants in water
-Baby hyenas coming out of their den and playing together
In Kwai we experience different safari style: The night drives were great and we saw lots of different animals we wouldn’t see during the day, wild cats, genets and birds. The only problem about the night drive is that we had to wait from 11am until 4pm to go on the game drive, and if I wasn’t cooking with Pula, it was a very lot of waisted time. We found the Moroko canoe experience very peaceful and relaxing, but we would have preferred another walk instead. The walk was great and doing a longer one, or another one would have been even better. We learned how to approach an animal using the wind direction and proper body movement and position. Seeing an elephant on foot is a total different experience than seeing it from the car. All in all, we got lucky to be alone during the whole safari to have a real private experience, but I am sure the Letaka team would have also coped with a car full of people. The trip was excellent and we will never forget what we saw in both Moremi and Kwai.
I was expecting to see less cars than what we saw. It is hard to guess how many self drives we will encounter, but we still saw many many cars driving around at both sites, especially in Kwai.   Close

Our Family (which included three grown sons) took this adventure together and could never have realized all we would experience in such a short amount of time. We started at the beautiful Tongabezi Lodge in Zambia, a visit to their local school, cruises on the River, a safari through a National Park and even a trip to Victoria Falls. Then on to Botswana for our safari. We stayed at the Linyanti Ebony Camp which housed us in tents that far exceeded our expectations. Each day brought us new close up encounters with elephants, giraffes, zebra, impala, lion and many other animals. Being immersed into the middle of the African bush on our safari gave us such a close look at so many animals. The truth we came away with is that they have a familial system that resembles ours in a lot of respects. When we happened upon a group of elephants cooling off at a mud hole they immediately trumpeted and circled their young for protection, until they were convinced we were there for “just a look”. It was amazing! Highlights of our safari included seeing the elephants at the mud hole and hearing their trumpeting and watching them circle their young right in front of us. Learning about what they were trying to tell us with their movements and seeing them in action. Hearing the elephants in the camp during the night as they made their way to the water, yet feeling safe (my personal highlight). Seeing the elusive leopard, the nearly extinct white rhino and the many, many kinds of birds. Getting a flat tire after we had just spotted the Lion we were trailing–Yikes! Enjoying the beautiful sunsets and a glass of wine while on safari. Being so so close to all these amazing animals. All of our experiences were wonderful. I cannot think of one thing I would have changed or one low at all. Memories of our trip will always bring a smile to me. Then on to Cape Town where we went to Table Mountain (lucky enough to have a day that was clear and sunny up there), took a walking and riding tour in the city, visited their natural history museum, and ate at a local African restaurant where we tried impala, kudu, and a few other local delicacies which were delish. Our guide, Charles, took great care of us and even took us up to the Winelands where we enjoyed yet another delicious meal at a local winery. My Husband and our sons ended our trip by going on a shark dive off the Southern tip at a place they call “shark alley”. They encountered them alright, up close and personal, and I enjoyed HEARING all about it. It was one of the highlights for them. This Trip was remarkable, and made so through the expert planning of Victoria of Aardvark Safaris. She was so in tune with the kind of trip we wanted and so patient with my myriad of questions and concerns. I felt we were well informed and ready when we boarded the plane for what turned out to be out trip of a lifetime. So many Thanks go out to her.   Close

A truly amaaaaaazing holiday….packed with unforgettable experiences.
Uganda and Rwanda are both so stunningly beautiful. Rwanda is truly inspiring in how it is ‘re-building’ after the Genocide in 1994 – very special people – very humbling experience spending time with them and visiting the Genocide Museum in Kigali.
Every one of our 11 days was packed with highlights…but if we had to single just one out – it would have to be both treks to see the mountain gorillas……..such beautiful, gentle giants…..we’ll never forget our time with them!
Vincent, our guide, was brilliant – so knowledgeable…he seems to know everyone throughout Uganda and Rwanda! Our every question was always answered! Vincent took care of everything….and made sure we always got the very best view/photo opportunity. He played a huge part in us having such an amaaaazing experience!   Close

I had a wonderful, wonderful trip. If it wasn’t for the travel time I
would go back again in a flash. The two gentleman who met us in
Johannesburg at the airport and got us through immigration and on to our
domestic flight were very helpful. Everyone we met along the way was
very helpful and knowledgeable. The camps each different and their
staffs made us feel right at home. The meals were all very good. The
salads and fresh vegetables were amazing considering the had to truck
their supplies in on a weekly basis. The guides and trackers were all
very well informed and answered all our questions and stopped for photos
when we asked. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my birthday.
Thank you for setting up this wonderful trip. I will recommend
Aardvark to anyone thinking of an African adventure.   Close

Our Family (which included three grown sons) took this adventure together and could never have realized all we would experience in such a short amount of time. We started at the beautiful Tongabezi Lodge in Zambia, a visit to their local school, cruises on the River, a safari through a National Park and even a trip to Victoria Falls. Then on to Botswana for our Safari. We stayed at the Linyanti Ebony Camp which housed us in tents that far exceeded our expectations. Each day brought us new close up encounters with elephants, giraffes, zebra, impala, lion and many other animals. Being immersed into the middle of the African bush on our Safari gave us such a close look at so many animals. The truth we came away with is that they have a familial system that resembles ours in a lot of respects. When we happened upon a group of elephants cooling off at a mud hole they immediately trumpeted and circled their young for protection, until they were convinced we were there for “just a look”. It was amazing! Highlights of our safari included seeing the elephants at the mud hole and hearing their trumpeting and watching them circle their young right in front of us. Learning about what they were trying to tell us with their movements and seeing them in action. Hearing the elephants in the camp during the night as they made their way to the water, yet feeling safe (my personal highlight). Seeing the elusive leopard, the nearly extinct White Rhino and the many, many kinds of birds. Getting a flat tire after we had just spotted the Lion we were trailing–Yikes! Enjoying the beautiful sunsets and a glass of wine while on safari. Being so so close to all these amazing animals. All of our experiences were wonderful. I cannot think of one thing I would have changed or one low at all. Memories of our trip will always bring a smile to me. Then on to Cape Town where we went to Table Mountain (lucky enough to have a day that was clear and sunny up there), took a walking and riding tour in the city, visited their natural history museum, and ate at a local African restaurant where we tried impala, kudu, and a few other local delicacies which were delish. Our guide, Charles, took great care of us and even took us up to the Winelands where we enjoyed yet another delicious meal at a local winery. My Husband and our sons ended our trip by going on a shark dive off the Southern tip at a place they call “shark alley”. They encountered them alright, up close and personal, and I enjoyed HEARING all about it. It was one of the highlights for them. This Trip was remarkable, and made so through the expert planning of Victoria of Aardvark Safaris. She was so in tune with the kind of trip we wanted and so patient with my myriad of questions and concerns. I felt we were well informed and ready when we boarded the plane for what turned out to be out trip of a lifetime. So many Thanks go out to her.   Close

A truly amaaaaaazing holiday….packed with unforgettable experiences. Uganda and Rwanda are both so stunningly beautiful. Rwanda is truly inspiring in how it is ‘re-building’ after the Genocide in 1994 – very special people – very humbling experience spending time with them and visiting the Genocide Museum in Kigali. Every one of our 11 days was packed with highlights…but if we had to single just one out – it would have to be both treks to see the Mountain Gorillas……..such beautiful, gentle giants…..we’ll never forget our time with them! Vincent, our guide, was brilliant – so knowledgeable…he seems to know everyone throughout Uganda and Rwanda! Our every question was always answered! Vincent took care of everything….and made sure we always got the very best view/photo opportunity. He played a huge part in us having such an amaaaazing experience!   Close

From pick up at Maun through to the final night stay at The River Club, my experience with Wilderness Migration Routes was nothing less than spectacular. I had the good fortune of being aided throughout my adventure by a jovial and knowledgeable guide (Mr Emanuel) who took great pains to ensure the needs of my group were met on a daily basis. Having formerly worked in Botswana’s anti-poaching unit, the respect Emanuel harbored for nature and it’s conservation was evident. Our game drives were laden with anecdotes of encounters with wild animals, growing up in the Kalahari and the historical footprint of the San people, all while keeping a watchful eye on our surroundings to ensure no rare sightings would be missed. Emanuel’s unique sense of humor and roaring laughter left a lasting impression with our group and I look upon my time spent with him with great fondness. Wilderness as an organization itself appeared well put-together. At each camp we would be welcomed by the sweet song of the female staff, big smiles across the board and unrelenting attention to our every comfort – be it a special meal request or a need to hydrate. They really put their guests first at all times. What I really enjoyed most however were the evenings spent huddled around the camp fire (affectionately referred to as ‘Bush TV’) where the staff would often ease up on their dutiful obligations and take time to forge real friendships with us, exhibiting equal curiosity into western customs and traditions. I recall how one of the members of staff at Xigera went above-and-beyond to boat 2 hours across the Okavango Delta to return the laptop I had accidentally left behind at camp (which I was so sure I had lost for good as I ventured onwards to Khwai!). On another occasion in Khwai whilst on a game drive with Emanuel and his trusty sidekick Mr Onks, we encountered two flat tires. Wilderness thankfully came to our rescue and provided us with sanctuary at the luxurious Banoka Eco-Lodge as they arranged for another vehicle. Overall I would pinpoint the professionalism of Wilderness and their spirited staff as two of the key reasons why I will one day return to Botswana! For me the highlights included:
– Relaxing mokoro rides through the Okavango floodplains, experiencing all manner of flower and fauna with astute narrative provided by the guides of Xigera camp
– Sampling various local cuisines (i.e. sadza, babotie) at each camp. In fact the food never stopped coming and there were frequent moments of over-indulgence!  On one particular game drive through Linyanti our nostrils were stung by the foul stench of death. On investigation we discovered the carcass of a hippopotamus being feasted upon by a lioness. Over the course of the next 2 days she was joined by her sexually charged mate who snapped momentarily and charged at an adjacent vehicle. The adrenalin rush was exhilarating
– Performing a tribal dance with my Kalahari bushman friend Xukuri in Linyanti – click here to see the video of my dance!
– Leopard sightings. These creatures were breathtaking. Dinner with Peter Jones at the River Club (Zambia). It was certainly an entertaining evening!
– Helicopter ride over Vic Falls
If there is one thing I would have enjoyed more is the presence of more young people in my group. The three other members were all in their 60s and retired but we still managed to get along just fine. Not a criticism at all. If I book again through Aardvark I would probably just be more inquisitive over who else had signed up for the tour.   Close

A trip of a lifetime. Gorilla treks were superb. I recommend at least two treks so different gorilla families can be compared plus the volcanic regions were different. Kigali and surrounding countrysides are very clean. Guides are first rate and knowledgeable.   Close

My first real safari in Africa. I have been on short ‘safaris’ in Sri Lanka and India which I very much enjoyed because we were trekking on foot or elephant and therefore less noisy than by vehicle, but here with the distances involved (and safety) the vehicle was essential. I have also done primary biological field work in India and Malaysia, so I know what’s involved in slogging through tropical jungle terrain. The temperate climate and the wide sweeping vistas containing so much wildlife at Lewa was a revelation to me.
Highlights: difficult to pick from so many. 1.5 hours watching a lion stalking zebras although she had more patience than we did and didn’t attack; seeing what are rarities elsewhere: black rhino, Grevy’s zebra; so much bird life.
Visiting the forest was an interesting change from the savannah; the canopy walk was nice but not really a highlight.   Close

In Kigali we visited the local Inema Art gallery and met artist Emmanuel Nkuranga who founded the art center. There is a small gift shop located inside the gallery. We also visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial and from there went to the local craft market where we purchased gifts. Of course, the Virunga Lodge and gorilla trek in the Parc National des Volcans was a highlight of this trip. Vincent was a perfect guide for this trip. I even ventured to the Congo Rwanda border in the border town of Lake Kivu. Seeing how the locals make coal, brew beer, harvest wood, grow numerous vegetables and fruit was also a highlight of this trip.
All in all, Aardvark did a great job and we had a terrific trip.   Close

We truly loved our trip! Victoria was very instrumental in it being so well planned. We began our trip in Zambia with a stay at the River Club. It was an incredibly beautiful resort with wonderful staff. It would have been perfect to stay for 2 nights which would have allowed us to see Victoria Falls by helicopter and on foot, as well as to have lunch on Livingstone Island with a visit to Devil’s Pool. However, our flight delay forced us to sacrifice one adventure, so we were not able to visit Livingstone Island or Devil’s Pool. We spent a little time walking the grounds, which were immaculately manicured and gorgeous. We did enjoy an amazing helicopter ride over the falls, a beautiful sundowner boat trip on the Zambezi, and a very informative walk of the falls with a quick tour of downtown Livingstone on our way to the airport. (We really needed to stay that extra night we missed! Bummer!) After having to abort a landing due to a herd of elephants on the airstrip(which actually was pretty cool), we landed safely and were met by a Jeep from Linyanti. After about a 45 minute drive we reached camp where we were greeted with a song from the staff, a cold towel, and a nice refreshing drink. Our guide, Wina, was incredible. He made sure we saw as many animals as possible with many “up close and personal” meetings with elephants which were everywhere and amazing! It was a magical experience to be around so many of these awesome animals. One elephant sprayed us to stay back when we got too close to a mom and her baby, we were woken up in the middle of the night as one munched on a tree right beside our tent, and one came so close too our Jeep it almost touched us. The staff at Linyanti were very special. Ollie and Kirstie, the managers, were so fun that spending time at camp was just as fun as going out on safari. We were very sad to leave. (We did find it very hot in the tents in the afternoons. They did have generators and some electricity so it would have been nice to have a fan in each tent to help with the heat and the bugs. Little bugs can get through the mosquito netting.) Our next stop, Kwara, was a bit of an upgrade from Linyanti, as far as comfort and food goes. We were able to see some of the animals that we did not see at Linyanti like cheetah and wild dogs. We went on a boat trip, a mokoro ride among the hippos, a nature walk and several game drives. The guides were very professional and knowledgeable. We were met one morning by a huge male elephant on our way to breakfast. Our guide, TJ, came to our rescue! I think after 6-7 nights out on safari, I really needed an air conditioned room and a proper shower. We loved every minute at Kwara, though, and wouldn’t have changed a thing. (We found the water to be very high in minerals so when taking a shower it was a little difficult to feel clean. Also, we couldn’t send anything white to the laundry because of the water.) We were met at the airport in Cape Town by Charles, our guide for the next 5 days. He was wonderful and very accommodating even though at times I had to have him repeat himself as his accent was quite heavy. He was a wealth of information and we really felt like we got to know him as a person, not just as our guide. We really enjoyed his company. Our hotel, Kensington Place, was unbelievable. The staff were the friendliest and most helpful we have ever seen. We loved our bottle of complementary wine and, after 32 years of marriage, we found it to be a bottle of wine we both enjoyed. They even gave us two bottles to take home with us. Charles took us everywhere. We went to Robben Island, down the Cape to Hermanus and Cape Point with a stop at a winery on the way. We loved the penguins in Simonstown. They were hysterical to watch. He helped us find some delicious places to eat as well as helped me with my bartering in GreenMarket where I spent quite a bit of time. He delighted in sharing his home town of Stellenbosch with us, too. He was always on time and always available to us. He made our trip to Cape Town very special. We were very happy that we made Cape Town our last stop otherwise we would not have been able to bring home souvenirs and wine due to the luggage limitations. (FYI Our luggage was never weighed on any of the small flights we took.) Our last night was spent in the wine lands. Our regret was that we did not stay there for two nights. Le Quartier Francais was a hidden treasure. After our dinner, we were met by a roaring fire in the fireplace. It was beautiful and the grounds were lovely to walk through. Even though the drive from Cape Town to the wine lands was only an hour, we stopped at a couple of wineries and had a tour of Stellenbosch. We did not get to the hotel until after 3 pm and we had very little time to walk around Franschhoek. We would highly recommend two nights in the winelands. We would have gone out the next day and toured several more wineries and spent more time in Stellenbosch. We didn’t feel we were able to sample enough of the wineries. However, being golfers, we really enjoyed Ernie Els’ place. All in all, it was an incredible two weeks. We are so thankful to Victoria for organizing everything so wonderfully. We hope someday soon to go back to Africa again.   Close

From being picked up in Nairobi to being delivered at Masai Mara we couldn’t have asked for better service and care. The wildlife was incredibly plentiful and way exceeded our expectations.   Close

We truly loved our trip! Victoria was very instrumental in it being so well planned. We began our trip in Zambia with a stay at the River Club. It was an incredibly beautiful resort with wonderful staff. It would have been perfect to stay for 2 nights which would have allowed us to see Victoria Falls by helicopter and on foot, as well as to have lunch on Livingstone Island with a visit to Devil’s Pool. However, our flight delay forced us to sacrifice one adventure, so we were not able to visit Livingstone Island or Devil’s Pool. We spent a little time walking the grounds, which were immaculately manicured and gorgeous. We did enjoy an amazing helicopter ride over the falls, a beautiful sundowner boat trip on the Zambezi, and a very informative walk of the falls with a quick tour of downtown Livingstone on our way to the airport. (We really needed to stay that extra night we missed! Bummer!) After having to abort a landing due to a herd of elephants on the airstrip(which actually was pretty cool), we landed safely and were met by a Jeep from Linyanti. After about a 45 minute drive we reached camp where we were greeted with a song from the staff, a cold towel, and a nice refreshing drink. Our guide, Wina, was incredible. He made sure we saw as many animals as possible with many “up close and personal” meetings with elephants which were everywhere and amazing! It was a magical experience to be around so many of these awesome animals. One elephant sprayed us to stay back when we got too close to a mom and her baby, we were woken up in the middle of the night as one munched on a tree right beside our tent, and one came so close too our Jeep it almost touched us. The staff at Linyanti were very special. Ollie and Kirstie, the managers, were so fun that spending time at camp was just as fun as going out on safari. We were very sad to leave. (We did find it very hot in the tents in the afternoons. They did have generators and some electricity so it would have been nice to have a fan in each tent to help with the heat and the bugs. Little bugs can get through the mosquito netting.) Our next stop, Kwara, was a bit of an upgrade from Linyanti, as far as comfort and food goes. We were able to see some of the animals that we did not see at Linyanti like cheetah and wild dogs. We went on a boat trip, a mokoro ride among the hippos, a nature walk and several game drives. The guides were very professional and knowledgeable. We were met one morning by a huge male elephant on our way to breakfast. Our guide, TJ, came to our rescue! I think after 6-7 nights out on safari, I really needed an air conditioned room and a proper shower. We loved every minute at Kwara, though, and wouldn’t have changed a thing. (We found the water to be very high in minerals so when taking a shower it was a little difficult to feel clean. Also, we couldn’t send anything white to the laundry because of the water.) We were met at the airport in Cape Town by Charles, our guide for the next 5 days. He was wonderful and very accommodating even though at times I had to have him repeat himself as his accent was quite heavy. He was a wealth of information and we really felt like we got to know him as a person, not just as our guide. We really enjoyed his company. Our hotel, Kensington Place, was unbelievable. The staff were the friendliest and most helpful we have ever seen. We loved our bottle of complementary wine and, after 32 years of marriage, we found it to be a bottle of wine we both enjoyed. They even gave us two bottles to take home with us. Charles took us everywhere. We went to Robben Island, down the Cape to Hermanus and Cape Point with a stop at a winery on the way. We loved the penguins in Simonstown. They were hysterical to watch. He helped us find some delicious places to eat as well as helped me with my bartering in GreenMarket where I spent quite a bit of time. He delighted in sharing his home town of Stellenbosch with us, too. He was always on time and always available to us. He made our trip to Cape Town very special. We were very happy that we made Cape Town our last stop otherwise we would not have been able to bring home souvenirs and wine due to the luggage limitations. (FYI Our luggage was never weighed on any of the small flights we took.) Our last night was spent in the wine lands. Our regret was that we did not stay there for two nights. Le Quartier Francais was a hidden treasure. After our dinner, we were met by a roaring fire in the fireplace. It was beautiful and the grounds were lovely to walk through. Even though the drive from Cape Town to the wine lands was only an hour, we stopped at a couple of wineries and had a tour of Stellenbosch. We did not get to the hotel until after 3 pm and we had very little time to walk around Franschhoek. We would highly recommend two nights in the winelands. We would have gone out the next day and toured several more wineries and spent more time in Stellenbosch. We didn’t feel we were able to sample enough of the wineries. However, being golfers, we really enjoyed Ernie Els’ place. All in all, it was an incredible two weeks. We are so thankful to Victoria for organizing everything so wonderfully. We hope someday soon to go back to Africa again.   Close

It was PERFECT. We had been a touch nervous about being too tired for an energetic safari… No need for this – it was ideal for a honeymoon! We were early to rise every morning, but watching wildlife from a jeep / boat is plenty relaxing enough. Every day we had plenty of down time for sun and R&R from 11 – 3.30. Then in bed by 9.30 most evenings! Zambia is fantastic – such friendly people, and by all appearances a very strong and healthy economy… never mind the phenomenal wildlife and relatively unknown reserves. The trip to Kaya Mawa, on Likoma Island was a bonus – beach time, diving, more delicious food.   Close

The safari was fantastically organised right from the moment we landed in South Africa. We were met by the driver at the airport and driven to Botswana where we were met by our guide for the week. He made sure we got through the border control properly and then took us to meet our horses. The horses were matched to the riders using the information we provided before departure but you had an opportunity to change your horse at any time during the week if you wanted to (I kept my horse – Denis – as he was a total sweetheart and a lot of fun to ride). The staff at the camps worked amazingly hard to make sure everything was set up before our arrival at each different camp and nothing seemed too much bother if we wanted anything. The camps were very well set up with hot showers at each of them and more food than you could hope to eat. We even had hot water bottles in the beds at night. I don’t generally do camping but this was not camping as I have ever known it in the past!! The riding was fantastic. As we started early in the morning we
finished by about 1 or 2 pm when it was beginning to get pretty warm.
The horses were very well schooled and well cared for by the grooms. We
were very lucky as we saw a huge variety of animals including lions
(cubs as well), hyena, crocodiles and elephants while riding on a
variety of terrain. We managed to get pretty close to most of the
animals, either on horseback or when in the Jeep as part of the Jeep
safari one evening. The instruction given by the guides was excellent
and I never felt as though I was in any danger.   Close

The only low was South African Airways service was terrible and the delay out of Senegal made us miss our connection in Dulles but nothing Aardvark could do about that except maybe encourage your clients not to fly South African. The highlights are too many to count but I must say the guide at Letaka, Joe Ramsden, was first class. Knowledgeable; friendly and very patient with all us city people. His crew were great and it was amazing what they accomplished over an open camp fire. Victoria Falls was just a bit of a disappointment because there was so much mist from the water volume, it was difficult to see the falls. That being said, I still think it a perfect end (or beginning) to a safari and staying at Thorntree makes it all the more special.   Close

Overall, the trip was fantastic.
We experienced so many things and got to see a large part of northern Botswana.
If I were to do it again, I think I’d probably want to stay longer at each camp site. Only having one full day at each site probably was a bit too short. But it is a trade off of trying to see more areas with the amount of timemoney we had.   Close

If I could give a rating higher then 5 paws, I would.
The camp was very organized. Annelies was extremely welcoming and very approachable.
We had great conversation around the fire and at dinner.
The meals provided were incredible, it’s amazing what can be done on an open fire.   Close

Out of the 6 of us, five are seasoned safari-goers. Everyone was impressed with what we saw, where we stayed, what we ate, etc. This trip exceeded our expectations.   Close

Annelies and her crew were fabulous. Attention to detail is Annelies’ strong suit. Everything was First Class.   Close

The highlights were the gorillas and the only low was having to leave them!   Close

Totally amazing. Worth every penny.   Close