Hi Liselle

Apologies for the late response.

Kim and I had a great time in SA. We were lucky enough to see all the big 5 and plenty of other animals besides. Our stay at Chapungu was fantastic, so thanks for the recommendation. We were particularly impressed with the overall set up of the place (accommodation, food, etc..) and by the friendliness of all the staff. I am sure that we will go back at some point in the future.

Thanks again

Mark Knight

Guests Visited Chapunga Tented Camp

Brett,

Thanks again, both Janelle and you have been an awesome help for someone 10,000 miles away trying to be his own travel agent for 30 odd days, seeing both Soccer and Safari. I can’t believe I’ve been able to fit that last one in. I’ll definitely be recommending SUNSAFARIS to anyone I come in contact with. I’m excited already and its over 4 months away!

Cheers to you both, make sure you pass on my positive feedback to your respective managers, can’t tell you how responsive, informative and efficient you’ve both been! I really liked how Janelle was away and Brett, you were able to pick up where she left off, you knew exactly the Safari I had booked on and tired to go away for Kruger for variety but were honest enough to say just can’t be done in the time. Then you were able to choose a Kruger experience that looks different to my first booking so I still get some taste of variety. Nice one.

Thanks heaps guys!!

Andrew

Hello Liselle!

The holiday went really well! Your country is beautiful, only the potholes were a bit dramatic...

We did, or at least I, saw the Big Five. Only the leopard was so fast that I could only see the tail and the hind legs. It ran so fast that it looked like it would have been striped...

On the safari we really forgot everything unnecessary and enjoyed the spirit. There you just sit and let your eyes wander through the bushes waiting for some beautiful creatures to come in sight. We did not walk that much because of the diverse phenomenons of the nature; wind, a herd of elephants and so on.

My girlfriend did not sleep very well because of the hyaenas. She claims that I was snoring and a hyaena behind our door was repeating everything. Weird.

Anyhow, we were very pleased with the services on the safari. It made us relaxed indeed. Thank you for arranging a essential part of the wonderful holiday!!

Greetings from the snowy and cold (-20'C) Finland! It is beautiful here too.

Vesa

Guests Visited Africa On Foot

Hi Liselle – sorry for the delayed response. We had a fabulous time – at Motswari we saw 4/5 on our first game drive in the evening, and then 5/5 the next day – a fantastic camp. At Arathusa we saw limited wildlife the first day but it picked up the second day and saw the big 5 in one drive again! Timabavati definitely had more game to see I think, rather than Sabi Sands.

Mostwari was definitely the better of the camps – which is about right given the difference in the price I think.

Just an all round amazing experience, thank you.

Guests Visited Arathusa Safari Lodge & Motswari Private Game Reserve

Savute Safari Lodge - Update.

We are very excited to share the latest news from Savute Safari Lodge with you. A few mornings ago the Savute Channel broke through and came flowing right past the lodge. It has been building up until just short of Savute Safari Lodge for the last couple of weeks and finally broke through. The staff and guides have been privileged enough to experience this awesome event first hand. Within five hours there was a fully fledged river flowing past the front of the lodge. This will have a huge impact on the game viewing for this coming season and everybody is super excited.

All these rare & amazing sightings can be viewed at: Savute Safari Lodge

Liselle:

Thanks for your note. All went very smoothly, We drove around a good deal in KwazuluNatal from Rorke's' Drift/Isandwana (must see for my son) to Drakensburg and down to Durban. Landscape unexpectedly diverse and extraordinarily beautiful. Simbavati worked out very well. A first class guide (Omega) and welcoming hosts. Quite low key and very comfortable. We saw about everything we could expect to see. Big five and much more. (White lions, wild dogs and other rarities). The camp is still very new, but will quickly season.

Thanks again for all your assistance. I expect we will be returning before long.

Regards,

Jeffrey Maletta

Guests Visited KwaZulu Natal & Simbavati River Lodge

I am leaving Capetown to return home tomorrow. I will write when I return. The boys and I loved the Safaris. Although they are only an hour in distance by jeep they are very different and unique.

I will admit our favorite was Africa on Foot. While the animals are not sighted with same frequency as Simbavati, we loved walking in the morning with Jan and Daniel. We recognized Jan's respect for the wild life during these walks. He made sure we did not disturb a spider web or the small animals that could be tforgotten. The food was fantastic and it was very low key and home like.

Simbavati was lovely and the staff were wonderful. We saw the big five and had the experience of a life time. Omega and Orella our guide and tracker were wonderful. They showed us plants and told us how they were used by people who lived in the region.

Thank you for all your consideration and help.

Jan

Guests Visited Africa on Foot & Simbavati River Lodge

Hi Brett,

We all had a sensational time at Africa on Foot, we were really happy with the format of the safari, especially the morning walks. Our guides Courtenay and Daniel were really good blokes and certainly made our experience one to remember. I have plenty of good photos and even better memories.

Thanks for all your help with the planning.

Nathan

Guests Visited Africa on Foot

Hai Liselle,

First of all I wish you a very happy New Year. We are back from our trip to Africa and it was really fantastic. Arathusha Lodge was great, and Kings Camp was fabulous.The game drives were both of the camps fabulous. We saw the big 5 in Sabi Sand as well as in Timbavati. For me personal I liked Timbavati more, because the variety of the landscape. We saw in Timbavati white lions and wild dogs, what was greatful. The safari was very good organized through your company. I was very happy to have chosen your company and the enthusiasme from you. I was very sad to left Sabi Sand and Timbavati, especially the suite of Kings Camp it was a great pleasure to stay there.( also Arathusha Lodge) And I forget to say that the people who work for both camps the drivers , rangers enz they were great and very very nice.

When I game back to your beautiful country I will definetely choose you again.

Kind Regards,

Jacqueline Nome

Guests Visited Arathusa Safari Lodge & Kings Camp

Hello Liezel,

Thank you for well wishes and we wish you and your family the same.

Mauritius was fabulous and so was Le Mauricia. All the arrangements were 100% and we were a very happy family when we returned. The hotel was lovely and service superb. All the info you provided us with was great.

Only complaints are that we have sore arms from all the wonderful skiing and that we could not discipline ourselves to stay out of the wellness centre. The whole family went overboard with that… was so so relaxing. And the food was wonderful, so we won’t venture onto a scale for the next month. A day out on the catamaran to Gabriel Island and a spectacular new year’s dinner with live shows and fire works added a good finishing touch to everything. The Mauritian people are so friendly and crime was non existent.

Thanks again for your wonderful advice and service. We will be doing this years booking through you again, so we will stay in touch.

Warm regards.

Ray, Bernice Ashley and Howard Curran.

Guests Visited Le Maurice

The elephants at Mfuwe Lodge in South Luangwa National Park in Zambia give new meaning to the word ‘close-up’ game viewing. Their visits to the wild mango trees on the property seem to be a regular occasion twice a day for about 4 weeks and then again for another 3 weeks to feed on the nutritious mango trees. Apparently Mfuwe Lodge was built, without knowing, on the elephant’s traditional path and in return offers frequent close up encounters with these fascinating animals. No incidents have been reported to date!

These Sighting have been viewed at Mfuwe Lodge

Liselle,

We enjoyed our trip and made it home this afternoon. Overall, things worked out very well. I'm sending some specific comments below.

Peermont Metcourt: Clean and convenient to both airport and restaurants (in casino within walking distance). A very basic hotel, but priced accordingly. I did note that the shuttle buses have changed color since your instructions were created.

Simbavati: Beautiful location, great game viewing, nicely appointed, with good service. Diff is an excellent guide and Johnson an excellent chef. On the days we didn't have them, the other guide and chef were not as good, but probably would have seemed better if we hadn't had the others to compare to. We saw the big 5 within the first day and had many animals in the camp during the day (baboons, crocodiles, hippos, waterbuck, impala, Kudu, warthogs, and herds of elephants). A couple of things to note. First, there are no game walks as the lodge is still waiting for their gun license. Second, the lodge caters to families. I would highly recommend it for families travelling with children, but while it worked out fine with my aunt and uncle, when I go back with my husband I will look for another lodge that does not have so many small children. It is definitely something I would mention to people so they can consider it either way. Third, I would recommend staying in a cabin other than 1 if possible. It is the closest to the common areas, which is convenient, but you have no privacy on your deck or river view bedroom because it is overlooked by the common deck and the noise from the camp can keep you awake during the middle of the day when you try to nap. Cabin 3 is definitely the nicest as both bedrooms have water views. The tents seemed very nice, but were not air conditioned, which could be uncomfortable later in the season.

De Waterkant: Great location, free laundry facilities in the apartment were incredibly convenient, new property with very helpful leasing office staff. We loved the location - restaurants are within walking distance and all tourist attractions are reasonably close. However the apartment was very modern with no doors on the bedrooms or bathrooms, which created a privacy issue. We worked around it by sharing the one bathroom with a door and using the public mall facilities as well as using earplugs at night, but it was an issue. The apartment also gets quite a lot of noise from the Piazza downstairs when music is playing. This may not be an issue most evenings as it was opening weekend while we were there, but it sounds like they plan regular entertainment on the weekends, so it may come up periodically. I also think the instructions we received were to the wrong leasing office (De Waterkant Village), but they were able to call your office and provide us with a map of how to get to African Elite.

In the Winelands we stayed at Ashbourne House and in Hermanus we stayed at Harbour Vue. Both worked out quite well. I'm not sure if you use them, but I'm happy to provide information on those as well if you are interested.

I think I'll probably try to come back at some point so that my husband can go on safari and we can go to some of the sights I missed this time, like Victoria Falls. I have no idea when that trip will be, but will definitely get in touch with you when and if that occurs.

Thanks for your help,

Kristi

Guests Visited: Peermount Metcourt, Simbavati River Lodge & De Waterkant

Hi Liselle

Had a great holiday in SA and the game drives were the highlights of the holiday. Saw the Big 5 at both locations.

Motswari

This was more luxurious accommodation and being bigger had more atmosphere in the lodge. It also had better catering and overall facilities and the view across the bush allowed some interesting sights including elephants coming to drink from the swimming pool. Good game ranger and some good game spotting but some days were a struggle because the area is open and the lions had wandered onto private property that we could not access. Apparently the new F & B manager has made a big difference to the catering which was excellent

Chapungu

Different experience and novel to sleep under canvas in the bush and really hear the sounds of Africa. The tents are showing some signs of wear and tear and need some maintenance plus it was unbearably hot in the tent during the day making it impossible to get that much needed siesta. Food was good but the lamb chops one night were a disaster. A smaller and more intimate camp and a great swimming pool. The game drives were absolutely superb with a very experienced and laid back ranger (Richard) and an excellent spotter (Ishmail) who were a great team. We saw leopard, cheetah, newly born impala, lions, rhino, buffalo, wildebeest, elephants etc etc and a lot of birdlife

Overall great and 4 days is the maximum for twice daily game drives. 3 days probably ideal but the more drives you take the more you see. All transfers worked smoothly and it was the highlight to a wonderful holiday

Thanks for making the arrangements and some great recommendations. I would love to return and bring my grown up children at some stage .............but will probably need to win the lottery first!!

kind regards

Peter Hodgson

Guests Chapungu & Motswari

Dear Brett,

Now for our plans for next year - we want to see the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, but we need advise on the best time for us to go, bearing in mind that we don't want it too hot or too crowded and to have super viewing. Is there such a time of year?

Best wishes Julian & Maggie.

Guests visited Camp Moremi, Savute Safari Lodge, Lufupa Tented Camp and Busanga Bush Camp

Dear Liselle,

We had a wonderful time, I wish we were still there.

Just a few tidbits to pass on to potential future guests. Simbavati was great, loved the location on the river, elephants and all sorts of animals were wandering in all the time. Shared the same terrain as Motswari and Kings Camp, so in terms of the wildlife, no need to pay more for those areas. Our guide Arend, was outstanding, best I had in both lodges in S. Africa and 2 more I stayed in in Botswana. Just of note, they're not allowed to do bush walks yet since they don't have their rifles on site yet. Pool is being repaired.

Nottens was beautiful. Dale, who runs it, is the nicest person on the planet. Unfortunately our guide, Joe, who has been there forever, we really didn't enjoy. Only drawback of the place, but significantly took away from our viewing experience. We did see the Big 5 at both lodges, and much more. Our first 2 drives with Joe however, we saw almost nothing at all. The next 2 were good.

Thanks for all your help!

-Dave

Guests Visited: Simbavati River Lodge & Nottens Bush Camp

Hi Liselle –

Ok here it goes:

It was fantastic and you did a fabulous job for us. We figure with all the additional things we did it was an $18,000 trip…once in a lifetime…but stay tuned as I would love to return some day.

Comments:

Cape Town was unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!! V & A was a wonderful place. The food and the service were perfect. Steve Muller was a five star tour guide. We so enjoyed him.

Chapunqu – wondering why we didn’t fly to Hoedspruit in stead of Nelspruit? It took over 2 hours to drive (after a 2 hour plus flight) and we missed the evening safari. They did say they would come back for us, but we were really tired. Also, I can’t remember the manager’s name, she very nicely showed us around, but then left. We had only eaten a sandwich at 11:00am…. There was no management and safari does not get back till 7:30 – 8:00….by 7:00 I was hungry (after two glasses of wonderful wine) and no one understood how to get me something to snack on…I went to my room and ate ginger cookies and went to bed! It would have been nice if she had offered us some lunch or not left us completely on our own.

Having said all that…everything else at Chapungu was absolutely perfect. The safari’s at Chapungu were unbelievable and the food and service were excellent. The “Tented Camp” was gorgeous. We saw the big five plus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tommy was our driver again to Arathusa and did a great job. What can I say about Arathusa ? It was a dream. The picture on the internet does not do it justice. We had a resident hippo who visited at night. Elephants who came to the watering hole right in front of us and lovely people. We saw leopards and elephants and hyenas and a bush baby!

The food was great and the service was impeccable. Thank you for booking us there.

The Peermont was just fine, and we enjoyed the Casino and the food court.

Chudukwa – was amazing. We didn’t see animals, except on the heli trip… that was my only disappointment. I still don’t know how they keep the bugs and snakes out, but it was a quiet lovely place. The falls were at a dry time, and it was a little disappointing, but we could see the rock structure and it was still very beautiful. We had a very nice tour of the falls and the city with Juckie (sp?).

I wish I had known about Devil’s pool, as I think I would have done that. We did the helicopter ride, I did a horseback ride and Larry and I rode an elephant (amazing, I cried afterwards). I walked with Levi to his village and it was wonderful. Xanti and Ula were so gracious; it was a delight to spend time with them and their lodge.

A side note…the people we met were amazing; from all over the world. AND there was not one obnoxious person in the whole trip! What a gift. I did have a cough the entire trip, but managed to feel good. My fault as I did not bring my allergy medicine!

I am glad we went to Livingstone and Joburg, as it gave us a small picture of the day to day Africa. We went to Soweto and the museum and downtown Joburg. It was very interesting.

Thank you Liselle for everything. Thanks to Jim and Sally for recommending Sun Safaris and Liselle Raath!!! It was a trip of a life time

Happy Trails To You!

Bette and Larry Ross Visited: V&A Hotel, Chapungu, Arathusa, Chundukwa, Peermont Metcourt

Liselle,

We must say thank you for organising our amazing trip. It was great that we managed to meet up at the Waterfront as well.

This is our feedback:-

Arathusa (9 out of 10)

Great safari lodge for first-timers like us (although we have no other comparisons)

Great location with extensive traversing rights without which we wouldn't have seen wild dogs)

Jason (our ranger) was so enthusiastic and helpful - not sure that the two Andre's were as good

Only downpoint was that, despite what their website says, they are trying to do haute cuisine and they don't have adequate skills in the kitchen - they should concentrate on good, simple cooking The resident hippo is a problem for them at night and they are planning to deal with it

The whole safari experience totally blew us away - the wildlife we saw was amazing - everything except cheetah & male lion

Primi Royal (8 out of 10)

Great location and views and Sky TV a bonus for sports fans Their night receptionist was a bit spaced out but as he didnt charge us for our beers we didnt mind

Vista Mare Italian Restaurant at Camps Bay (10 out of 10)

Was blowing a hurricane and managed to break doorhandle on way in! This was only downside as the owner gave us an exceptional experience We were recommended wines and restaurants to visit (Panama Jacks and Mojo)

Panama Jacks (6 out of 10)

We were told this place was 'outside the waterfront' but weren't expecting to get lost finding it!

Impossible to find for all but locals although we managed it 30 mins late Food was okay but service poor even with help of the scottish manager!

Mojo at Spier (5 out of 10 for food, 0 out of 10 for service)

Well - we basically walked out without paying! Everyone seemed to be having a great time except us! Left at bar with no as treehouse prepared - then we decided to eat in tent Shown to table then completely ignored - ok it is self service but hello would have been nice!

Wrong wine brought to table then manager had to be called to change it Staff and customers continually barging past - another waiter took our wine glasses when we weren't looking Very traditional african food but serving plain starch with it is a little too retro for most!

Everyone had faces painted but not us! I'm sure this is a good place for a party but they have serious customer service challenges - see internet reviews!

Franschhoek Country House (7 out of 10)

Superb service and would be perfect for older traditional guests - for us it was slightly stuffy and formal More staff than guests Redecoration was underway and it needed it Restaurant pricy Poor range of TV channels Franschhoek itself was very quiet but you still need restaurant reservations - hence no gastronomic stars

Oceans Eleven (9 out of 10)

Fabulous location, view Very helpful friendly staff Best breakfast of holiday Hermanus was a lovely buzzy little town - really enjoyed it Did shark cage dive and kayaking with the whales

Meditteranae in Hermanus (9 out of 10)

Excellent restaurant recommended by Ocean Eleven staff

Oceans Basket in Hermanus (7 out of 10)

Very efficient place with quick service and good food served in pans Keenly priced too

Urban Chic (8 out of 10)

Central location was good with its own parking but bar not open at weekends! Staff were helpful although our request for a bar was answered with ' You could try Nandos'!

We found Bob's bar right opposite where Annie welcomed us like family! Lovely contemporary rooms - loved the bathroom

Baia (10 out of 10)

This place, on our last night, restored our faith that service can be found in South Africa

Pricy - yes but exceptional in food quality and service!

Thanks again Liselle for organising a wonderful holiday - we were told that it was unusual to have hurricane force winds on two successive sundays in Cape Town and we believe it - still managed the cable car and to get some lovely sun in Franschhooek and Hermanus.

A truly memorable experience and its all on video!

Laurence

Guests Visited: Arathusa, Primi Royal, The Franschhoek Country House, Ocean Eleven & Urban Chic

Hi Liselle,

We had a fantastic time. Thanks for arranging the perfect itinerary and the great accommodations.

The abundance and variety of wildlife in Botswana would put it at the top of the list for future family excursions. We spotted and photographed the big five on the first day there.

You will enjoy Toka Leya and Marc's and his staff's hospitality. You may already know that Marc is from Durban. Eric and I enjoy telling the story of how we did tent camping in the bush of Africa and the difficult time we had with the ice cream melting so fast in the tent.

A special mention of an enjoyable transfer from Nelspruit to Kings Camp with Lyndall as the driver. It was a nearly three hour drive, in the dark and some rain. She works for Seasons in Africa. She made the time go fast. Eric is a pilot and Lyndall has some experience flying airplanes so guess what we talked about mostly?

We are glad that we found Sunsafaris on the Internet. It was a random, very lucky pick for us.

All the best with our appreciation.

Tommy

Guests Visited: Toka Leya, Chobe Game Lodge, Kings Camp & The D’Oreale Grande

Brett,

Thanks It went very well. Daniel looked after us exceptionally well in hs quiet way. He's a fairly quiet chap but certainly gives you confidence that all is under control.

The food was superb and the accomodation great.

Additionally all the guests were easy going, relaxed and friendly so there was agreat atmosphere in the group

many thanks

Ken Visited Africa on Foot Camp

Hi, Brett. So sorry for the delay in responding; I am the primary correspondent & have been quite sick, having developed an adverse side effect from my malaria prophylaxsis. Luckily, it didn't happen until after we returned!

Speaking of the trip, though, we have to say that you hit the nail on the head! Chundukwa Lodge & each of the safari camps (Linyanti, Footsteps & Meno a Kwena) had something special about them, the experiences at each far exceeded our expectations, &, without exception, the staff at each--both visible & behind the scenes--were phenomenal. Two of the places even had anniversary champagne awaiting our arrival (thank you!). And, lodge staff were always out front, awaiting our arrival (& even, at Linyanti & Footsteps, awaiting our return from an outing), usually with something refreshing or otherwise helpful in hand. Of course, I'm sure you know about Linyanti's staff choir; quite memorable! I should also mention that we stopped at Shinde Lodge, shortly before our flight from Footsteps &, although we were not guests, the staff there was equally warm & hospitable.

The other thing that really struck us was the degree of organization for all of the transfers & meet-&-greets. Not only was every greeter, driver, pilot & guide right on time, they each had our name & knew where we were coming from & where we were headed. Given that we were only two of many visitors this network handles on a daily basis, it was truly impressive!

So, we have no constructive criticism for you, only glowing compliments & heartfelt thanks; it truly was a trip of a lifetime!

Thanks again,

Heather & Steve Visited: Linyanti, Footsteps, Chundukwa Lodge & Meno a Kwena

Yes, safely home - if a little groggy!!!!!

Thank you so much Liselle for all your contributions to an amazing holiday. Everything went perfectly, all the transfers, etc. Loader was fabulous, the best location! And Arethusa and Motswari were great, different from each other and complementary. We did see the Big 5 and soooooo much more. We now have to lose several kilos..........

Especially thank you for your enthusiasm, advice and always prompt replies. It has been a pleasure to work with you and we will recommend you to any of our friends who are travelling to SA. If we can be of any help with any of your clients who need to confirm any points about these locations, we'd be very happy to.

Thank you so much.

Many greetings

Merle and Peter Visited: De Waterkant, Arathusa & Motswari

Liselle,

The trip was great. We enjoyed Motswari greatly. The staff was great, as was the food. We saw the Big 5, normally seeing 3 of the 5 per drive, including seeing leopards everyday with kills.

Again though, a wonderful trip. Thanks!

Michael 

Guests Visited Motswari Safari Lodge

Hello Liselle

Our trip was fantastic, and Rhino was just perfect, beautiful place in the wilderness, good food nice staff and very clever rangers. Two safaris each day. We saw the big 5 and much much moore, I higly recommend Rhino. I like to come back some day.

And the trip from cape town – stellanbush – garden route – and all the way too Kruger was amacing.

We met friendly people all over.

Best regards and merry christmas

Love Anne

Guests Visited Rhino Post Safari Lodge, Winelands & Garden Route

Hi Liselle,

We had the most fantastic time at Simbavati. We saw the big 5 many many times. The setting –right on the river bank with a family of hippos that came out and feed among our tents- was brilliant. They even have outside showers attached to the tents (but very private) as well as a very large indoor bathroom. Wow.

The food was fabulous and plenty of it. Roast Warthog one night which was delicious! The staff were friendly and the Drivers and spotters for the Safaris were enthusiastic, had lots of knowledge about the area and were wonderful at finding the animals.

I’ll send a couple of photos when I can.

We would highly recommend Simbavati to others who are looking for an extremely comfortable “real” experience and not wanting all the “fluffy” stuff. If you get my meaning.

The Peermont Metcourt we thought was a bit expensive for what it offered. The room was comfortable but very small – the shower and toilet was just behind a curtain but we have no other experience of accommodation in Jo’berg.

Regards

Judy

Guests Visited Simbavati River Lodge & The Peermont Metcourt

Hi Liselle,

The safari was great! We saw 4 of the big 5, and shot hundreds of pictures. Kapama Lodge was great, the chalets were lovely, clean and well looked after. The service was very friendly, and the ranger and spotter on the actual safari were class.

I would love to go back with my wife and daughters, as soon as they are old enough...

Thanks again for your support and great advice!

Best regards,

Andrew

Guest Visited Kapama Main Lodge

Hi Brett

This is my first day back in the office and we had a great time in South Africa. Your suggested camps where just great for us. We personally liked Africa on Foot a bit more, as it is just more adapted to the wild. Simbavati was of course much more luxurious but I personally do not need that out there. If I go the a camp, I do not expect air con. Also the personal treatment and family character of Africa on Foot was outstanding.

I thank you very much for organizing this great holiday for us and I will recomend you to all my friends who want to go to South Africa on holidays.

Best regards to you and also to the guys from Africa on Foot and Simbavati, if you see them.

Bruno

Guests Visited Africa on Foot & Simbavati River Lodge

Hi Brett

Delta Camp- was disappointing and I think has reached the point of run down as opposed to rustic. We were all glad we went there first and not last.

Linyanti was great. A pity that fire that was apparently started near a local village had travelled 80km two day before we arrived there and changed the game behaviour. So sighting were limited.

Chiefs Camp- the game viewing was awesome even though the guide was average.

It was a great success and we loved the trip and will cherish the memories.

The ground arrangements worked meticulously thanks.

Regards

Steve

Guests Visited Delta Camp, Linyanti & Chiefs  Camp

Dear Liselle,

As I'm reading your message, we are spending our last night at Tranquility. The entire trip was fantastic and thank you for the great suggestions and arrangments. We had a really lovely time and would definately return, hopefully soon.

Gomo-gomo was excellent, both the lodge and the game viewing! We saw the big 5 already in the first 2 days, but all 5 days were really worth it. Tranquility is also excellent, lovely service and lots to do around. The only problem we had was that due to weather conditions we couldn't go whale watching. I guess this will have to be left for next time!

Thanks again for everything and we look forward to arranging our next trip with you!

Best,

Agnes

Guests Visited Tranquility Lodge & Gomo Gomo Game Lodge

Brett,

Sorry we didn't have a chance to meet. I was in Cape Town for four days before moving on to Durban and Jo'Berg / Pretoria.

The walking tour at Africa on Foot Camp was superb! Great location, great walks and drives.Daniel and Florian were excellent.... patiently showing the "green horns" all the things we would have missed if it weren't for them.

I look forward to coming back... and talking up the tours!

Best regards,

Douglas Treat

Guests Visited Africa on Foot

Hello Brett,

Thanks for your e-mail. After a wonderful time at Motswari (and before in Hermanus and Cape Town) we have arrived back home. What a downer after such a lovely time.

Motswari was great, we saw the elusive Leopard which made Graham very happy , and of course we saw the rest of the Big Five. Food was great, staff was great, our ranger (Palence) and his tracker (Difference) made a massive effort to show us the animals. Nothing was too much trouble for them.

Nice touch that they give half hour talks every afternoon on safari related topics We think the viewing vehicles are a bit overloaded with 9 people, having been spoilt at other safari lodges with 6 or even 4 people to one jeep. But altogether we were very happy.

Not to worry about the park fee which is minimal. Just that we did not know about it and wanted to check.

Thanks for making all the arrangements for us. We will come back to you for our next safari. I would like to see the great migration sometime, perhaps next year. What is the best time and where ? Graham has seen it but I have not.

Greetings, Ursula

Guests Visited Motswari

Hello Brett,

Sorry, I just found this email. Umlani was very nice. A little rustic but I like it that way. Can't believe how many animals I saw! Big 5 and Little 5 (funny guides ;) Amazing country.

We are looking at January 22-26 time frame but we are flexible.

Thanks for your help on this.

Chris

Guests Visited Umlani

Dear Liselle,

We had a fantastic time at Africa on Foot. We saw 3 of the big 5 plus many more animals (herds of impala, giraffes, zebra, etc.). Courtney did a great job as guide and tracker, and the food was wonderful. We had to adjust to no electricity and to the outdoor shower—especially since it was so cold the first two days, but we made it. We had not really expected conditions to be as primitive as they were, but we saw the African bushland as few get to see it. We traversed the farms by vehicle and by foot looking for game. Courtney was relentless. We really liked the intimate atmosphere and the rural setting.

It was good to meet Brett. He was really helpful to us by telephone as we tried to find our way back to the entrance gate, and it was good to see him face to face.

Thanks for your help in arranging the experience. I really appreciate your patience as I worked through my schedule and other considerations as we decided what to do. I don’t regret for a moment that we decided to go for it—it was an experience we will never forget, and we took some fantastic pictures.

Have a great day.

Sincerely,

Joe

Guests Visited Africa on Foot

Chapungu:

- 1st lodge of the trip

- Probably my favorite guide / tracker of the trip (I'm terrible with names but I believe Ian was the name of our guide)

- saw the big 5

- only lodge that I saw cheetah and black rhinos

- Good food and service

- would rate 3rd relative to luxury of accommodations, although still very nice

Arathusa:

- 2nd lodge of the trip

- Probably my least favorite guide / tracker of the trip

- Best location for game viewing from the comfort of the lodge

- also saw the big 5 here

- food and service was good

- would rate 2nd relative to luxury of accommodations

Kings Camp:

- 3rd lodge of the trip

- nicest accommodations of the trip

- nice to have internet access available to update friends / family on the trip

- saw 4 of the big 5 here (although only was able to do 2 game drives)

- happy with the food and service

Chundukwa:

- 4th lodge of the trip

- most "rustic" accommodations of the trip

- food and service was good

Jeff Singer Visited Chapungu, Arathusa, Kings Camp & Chundukwa

Hi Brett,

Thanks for getting in touch. Safari was amazing - we had a great time. Loved the camp, kids had a ball. The two guys in the Adventurer's club were great and took the kids off trekking + butterfly catching for an hour a day.

Gamewatchers were there to meet us + get us around Nairobi.

All went well. I have spread the word around friends here in Dubai and sent links to your site.

Thanks for all your help.

Kind regards, Peter.

Guests visited Mara Intrepid Camp

Hi Brett,

Have been meaning to write, but have been busy doing up the photo album to show my children and work colleagues who now all want to go to Africa.

The safari was great. All the connections worked out well, even though not having any details ourselves on flights and times between camps was a bit nerve wracking, but we came to rely on the guys to sort out details for us.

The meals were tremendous, considering that they were cooked on open fires. No generators at any bush camps, bar Oddballs enclave, so recharging of camera batteries was a bit of a challenge. Just made us not quite so trigger happy. The guides, cooks and helper were good value- very friendly and helpful and I guess we gave them a few laughs at our expense at times due to our ignorance of the country, animals and customs, and the fact that they all speak a lot more languages than we do, so could say all sorts of things we'd never know about.

I'm glad we did the trip in the order we did, going from the very lush Chundukwa area and the magical Falls to the extreme heat and dryness of Savuti (saw so many small animals, male ellies and birds!), to Xakanaxa with both wet and dry areas (saw amazing herds of zebra, impala, a leopard and a 12 member pride of lions (2 males, females and large cubs) which shifted to within a kilometre of our camp, and terrific bird life, especially the colony of storks on the boat trip) to Oddballs enclave which was very wet, but starting to quickly dry up so we felt sorry for our poor mokoro poler dragging us through the thicker reed areas on the search for some elusive lions, but saw up close 15 giraffe in a herd the morning we were due to leave. Going the other way around, with the temp in the tent at Savuti 40 degrees C would have been very tiring, but you would have appreciated the water at Chundukwa even more. I have some amazing photos of the landscape from the planes. Kasane to Savuti looks like a huge burnt paddock with dead trees and even the mopane forests look dead from up above, with so many tracks leading to and from the few remaining waterholes, with elephants clustered under the few trees which had a leafy top. The elephants at Savuti were up close and everywhere, esp at dusk when they came in for water.

We really had a great time, and thanks again for organizing things for us, and for taking the time to meet us at the hotel. We missed your last email, having left home earlier that day to fly to Sydney, so thanks for showing up. It was good to put a name to a face, rather than just being an image on paper.

All the best for the future, with your family and the business and good luck with the new bank.

Cheers,

John and Dorothy Devlin

Guests visited Chundukwa River Lodge, Fly Camp Savuti, Fly Camp Xakanaxa and Oddballs Enclave

Hi Brett

I want to add my thanks to Erica's. We all had a wonderful time. The three camps you suggested were diverse, interesting and beautiful. The contrasts really added something extra to the whole experience. Each day was an adventure and we were very well looked after by everyone. It was a privilege to see the animals without hordes of other tourists around!

Cheers

Ann

Guests visited Meno a Kwena, Delta Camp and Mapula Camp

Dear Brett

I was one of the Conroy party (Ann’s aunt) who went to Botswana just over 2 weeks ago. Thought you would like to know your bits of the holiday went very, very well. We were met and transported by great people and the accommodation in all 3 camps was excellent. I was particularly impressed with the quality of the guides at all sites and they quickly adapted to our style of travel, humour and wide variety of interest. I believe anyone not impressed with what is on offer and how it is delivered in Botswana needs to get a real life.

Just to prove to you we saw real animals I attach an animal photo from each camp (1620 from Delta, 1647 from Marpula and 1523 from Meno A Kwena) and an action shot from Meno A Kwena

Many thanks

Regards

Erica Smyth

Guests visited Meno a Kwena, Delta Camp and Mapula Camp

hi Liselle,

Have been meaning to email you but havent had the chance, we actually didnt fly home, we flew out of Jo'burg to Singapore and are currently in Malaysia!

I dont think you could have recommended a better place than Kwa Mbili for us! It was perfect, it was incredibly laid back with great people working there (who probably werent to happy that we were the last people at the bar every night ha). The game drives were awesome, Gavin and Neil know their stuff and could answer any questions we had instantly!

With regards to the animals, we saw everything we went to see. The big 5 and cheetah (although the cheetah wasnt as active as I would have liked, those cats are lazy).

The accomodation was way more than I expect from a safari and the food was magnificent, I dont eat that well at home.

So all in all we had a fantastic time, could not have been better and we will probably go back there again if we get the chance.

Thanks so much for your help

Daniel

Guests visited Kwa Mbili

Oh my goodness. I am so so sorry I didn't write you. I had written just about everybody else to thanks them,

Your company is amazing. Not only were the transfers in time ALL the time, which is something we can learn from in the States. But the places were amazing.

We loved Nottens. We saw so much and the people were so unbelievable friendly.

We had a Ranger, who was lots fun. His name was Jeffrey. I think he was a little more "daring" than the rest.

We were very confident in him and saw the most amazing scenes and animals. We had more stories to tell than the others (maybe we had more of an imagination:)) Anyway... We drove with a British couple and their grown sons and became instant friends.

The food was wonderful and they made such efforts to present it so nice also I. e the table settings which changed every day, the campfire in the bush , the campfire at the camp.

I didn't want to leave.

There was an elephant eating a tree 3 feet from our cabin,,,a huge bull..lots of big branches on our cabin, which had us up al night. We could almost touch it thru our open window. That was very exciting to us despite the little tremors in our hearts that night :)

We not only saw the big 5 but lots more. We saw the big 5 almost in the first day I believe :)

So out of the 10 I will give Nottens a 15 :)

Tanamera was equally amazing. What a beautiful setting!!! Such beautiful cabins. We found ourselves in a very romantic place and celebrated David's birthday with a private dinner in our cabin. That was a first for me :) We went to the elephant whispers to learn more about the elephant and afterwards the horseback riding. Also great places to go and nice people! Tanamera had arranged everything and even a few hours of shopping afterwards, It is so nice to pay everything at the end..you have no idea how nice that is.

Out of the 10 I will give Tanamera a 12 :)

Actually we didn't want to leave South Africa. Our first experience in this country was amazing. I think we also were lucky to have chosen august as the time of year to go. We loved the cool nights and warm days.

I wrote to Nottens and am sending them a coffee table book I made of the animals we saw.

Took a break from taking pictures in Tanamera , which was also nice(had done two weeks of photography).

"If the longing for the bush gets too much, I can get you on the 1st flight back to Africa!" That is so so tempting !!!!

Tanks so much Liselle for everything.

I will spread the word for you here.

Jantina.

Guests Visited Nottens & Tanamera Lodge

Liselle-

Bob and I had a fantastic time. All of the lodges were wonderful. The accomodations and food were beyond what we expected. The rooms at Gomo and Arathusa were clean and beautifully furnished. We saw all of the big 5 between both lodges. The animals were plentiful and varied. Bob and I agree we were smart to book and experience 2 separate lodges. There were different animals and terrain between both camps- as well as a "freshness" being with 2 different sets of guides and trackers.

The driver that took us to and from the airport and between lodges was friendly and very efficient.

Our tour guide at Chundukwa was excellent as well. Friendly and knowlegable.

Flight times, transfers, etc were perfect.

My suitcase did not arrive until we were at the Arathusa lodge. Virgin air had it and I must commend the staff at Gomo for calling and keeping after the airport personnel until it got delivered.

Thank you for your assistance and professionalism in booking this trip. We will recommend you to anyone deciding to use your services for a trip.

Thanks again-

Maria and Bob Yane

Client visited:  Gomo Gomo, Arathusa & Chundukwa River Lodge

Dear Chris,

We are back home in the UK after such a memorable wonderful holiday. I am very glad I put my faith in you to organise our trip, we had such a fantastic time. To quote my children "it was our best family holiday ever". The choice of camps were perfect - couldn't get over the friendliness of all the staff, particularly at Moremi and Xugane and we really couldn't fault it. We saw some fantastic game, met some lovely people, ate FAR too much and have fantastic photos to make the memories live on.

So, thank you for all you did and we hope to visit that incredible part of the world in the not too distant future!

Hope your little one is doing well.

Regards

Jenny and Graham Holford

Guests visited Camp Moremi, Xugana Island Lodge and Savute Safari Lodge

Hey Brett,

We were absolutely delighted with our South African experience and very pleased with all the camps and excursions you arranged. As you witnessed, the V&A took very good care of us and David was a superb guide. Our driver, Nic, who ended up driving for us 3 of the 4 excursions was quite the asset. We had extraordinary safari experiences @ Arathusa and @ Motswari (Probably better viewing @ Arathusa but superb food @ Motswari). You did a great job putting us at Tanamera the last 2 days where we visited Elephant Whispers and had a great experience. Tanamera was without water for a day and if I were the mgmt I would have reduced the final bill but it didn't take away from how much we enjoyed it. Overall, we were very pleased with everything that you arranged for us.

Tom & Julie

Guests stayed at the VA Hotel, Arathusa, Motswari and Tanamera

Hi Liselle,

It was amazing!

Arathusa:

First of all, thank you for making this recommendation. Our four nights at Arathusa made the trip. We saw a pack of wild dogs with 3 puppies all four days at Arathusa. We saw the big 5 in two game drives. The atmosphere and accommodations were warm and friendly. We highly recommend Arathusa as it exceeded our expectations. Our Ranger, Ryan, was very knowledgeable. One evening Ryan managed to keep up with the dog pack while on a hunt (a vehicle from Elephant Plains turned around). We saw them face off with about 7 or 8 hyenas and then make two kills. I over heard the Elephant Plains Ranger tell his group "the dogs are going into thicker bush and we are loosing light", then they turned around. You told me you did not recommend Elephant Plains, thank you for that!

Gomo Gomo:

The Accommodations were nice. The atmosphere was a little cold. The game drives were a little boring. We did get to see a black rino. We also got to get out of the vehicle on two occasions and walked up to a white rino and some giraffes. That was exciting. Overall, I would not recommend Gomo Gomo. We did get spoiled at Arathusa the first four nights of our trip.

Thank you again for recommending Arathusa over Elephant Plains. You were right on target! Worth the money!

Guests Visited Arathusa Safari Lodge & Gomo Gomo Game Lodge

Hi Brett

Alex and Jacob returned from South Africa yesterday. They had a fantastic time throughout and at Africa on Foot in particular - where they were delighted to see the big 5 and much more besides. They will write to you direct; in the meantime thank you very much indeed for your help - all the arrangements worked perfectly.

Thanks again

Kind regards

Gillian

Guest Visited Africa on Foot

Hi Liselle

Just a quick note to say thank you for all your assistance in organising my trip to Arasutha. We had a great time.

Can you please tell me what the minimum age is for staying in the parks as I would like to take my grandson when he is old enough (he's 10 at the moment).

Thank you again.

Kindest Regards

David Young

Guest Visited Arathusa Safari Lodge

Hi Liselle!

I just wanted to drop you an email to let you know that we had an incredible trip!!!!!! The highlight of Simbambili was our guide, Lazarus, and as far as Kings Camp, it was absolutely magical! Everything about it was wonderful! The management and staff were fabulous and the attention to detail was unsurpassed! Liselle, I am fortunate to have stayed at some of the finest hotels in the world, but Kings Camp has left a lasting impression. We can't wait to go back on safari again next year with friends and will definitely stay in touch.

All the very best,

Deborah Corday

Guest Visited Simbambili & Kings Camp

Dear Liselle,

We just returned from our holidays. I herewith thank you for your assistance. We had a great time in Madikwe and enjoyed both Buffalo and Thakadu very much. We are impressed by the kindness and services of the staff and the quality of the lodges and the food.

Thanks !

Wietse

Guest Visted Madikwe

Hi Brett,

We spend marvellous days at both lodges. Thank you very much for all arrengments.

"Africa on Foot" is wonderful, in particular the rangers Ian and Daniel have an excellent knowledge about wild live and are very nice guys. Accomodation excellent (in a gral) and food delicous. It was very good to start with "Africa on Foot" and to continue with the high luxury "Savannah tended lodge" and not the other way around because, as I have mentioned earlier, to finish holidays at the latter lodge was the highlight of our holidays in RSA. Absolutly excellent.

We are thinking about to make the same again.

Kind regards,

Tobias

Guest Visited Klaserie & Sabi Sands

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Everthing worked out just as you said it would. The safari camp was perfect for me. I did a lot of walking early mornings and learned so much about nature in that area. The guides were great. I think the highlight was seeing a scaly anteater (Pangolin). They are quite rare. Met some interesting people. I could also totally relax.

The 3 weeks in the village was also a very different experience from any other traveling that I had done. Teaching was sometimes frustrating as their methods are so different from the way we do things, but I loved the kids and was able to talk with some of those in the 7-9th grade. And it was fun playing with the very young kids even if we didn't communicate very well. All in all, a month that I wouldn't have missed for anything.

Thanks again and I will pass along all this information to anyone who might be contemplating spending time in S. Africa. Mona Memmer

Guest Visited Africa on Foot