Safari Blog

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,

We're back and we loved every minute of it! Yes, we did get the room of our choice at Savute and had some fabulous viewing from it. The two camps in Zambia were absolutely super and we think that our favourite camp of the whole trip was Busanga. The animal sightings were outstanding including lions galore in trees, and what made it even better was our guide J.D. He was so enthusiastic and we think in fact that he enjoyed having us.

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 –

Aren’t the Blackman’s a hoot?

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