Reviewed 09 Nov 2008 by Cheryl Figg
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
I had the opportunity to see many animals in their natural habitat and I had the opportunity to interact with many wonderful people.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Do lots of research both on the web and off; ask questions and keep asking until you are satisfied.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes; but I deliberately did research so that I could stay at a camp that used solar power (for instance) and the most of the guides were from the villages in the area-they were excellent!
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Overall this holiday was everything I hoped it would be.
Reviewed 25 Jun 2008 by Anthony Dennis
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
We have found it impossible to chose just one example, so here's a few.
Being very close to a huge bull Elephant at Luwi
Walking to and through the Ebony grove at Mchenja
Sitting on a termite mound under a tamarind tree surrounded by Buffalo
Watching Mopani bees nesting on the decking at Nsolo
Finally seeing a Leopard in daylight on the journey home to the airport
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Use a hat instead of sunglasses as this makes using bins and camera much easier
Don't worry about taking too few clothes as the laundry facilities are excellent
Wear sturdy boots
Wonder at the little things, don't focus on the big 5
Try not to stay in Lusaka on the last night
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Definitely benefits local people as all the staff except the hosts, were born and live locally. A local school (Youseff) also benefits from tourism. We took pens and pencils but other things are also needed such as paper and books.
The camps are built to minimise the impact on the environment, in fact you can't see Luwi bushcamp until you are right on top of it.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Brilliant. The camps are excellent - rustic, without being primitive. All the guides without exception were exceptional.
Meals were wonderful.
Reviewed 02 Oct 2006 by Reni McPhail
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
There were just too many!!! But the highlights include:
1. Swimming in Livingstone Island and hanging over the edge of Victoria Falls
2. Watching the lions hunt at night with the hyenas trying to steal their kill
3. Stroking cheetahs at Spier Winery near Cape Town
4. Seeing all the animals in the wild including a sighting of leopard and aardvarks
5. Being woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of elephant, lions and hyenas outside
6. Trip to Dyer Island to do whale watching (over 2 hours from Cape Town)
but not only we saw whales mating we also saw great white sharks 7. The food!!!
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
It is expensive but it is worth it! But do your research and compare prices before you book. We stayed with the bushcamps company which is great for 'intimate' safari with maximum of 8 people per camp (Chamilandu camp only has 3 rooms which is even better), fantastic guides, great walks, and lovely food. However the camps are not Longleat Safari Park nor are they five star hotels with air conditioning and plunge pool (though the bath in Kapamba is big enough) - you will come into very close contact with the animals, you are either walking or in a very open jeep and walking for 3-4 hours is a way of life so it is not for everyone! As I've said talk to your travel agent in great details about what it is you want to get from the trip. For us it was perfect!
You do not get to see much of the Victoria Falls in the dry season from the Zambian side. You have to do either a helicopter ride (which my husband did) or a microflight (which I did) to appreciate it. You also have to do the Livingstone Island visit. We stayed in Zambezi Sun (to save money after the safari cost!!) - which was great as we could walk into the Falls BUT it is far from town and there is no taxi to town apart from their 'private taxi' which cost $30 return!! So you will be 'forced' to eat there or the Royal Livingstone where the food is very expensive for what you get.
The place we stayed in Cape Town (Bishopscourt Guest Lodge) was just great - we would recommend it to everyone. The staff are so friendly and despite being in the 'suburb' it is so central to everything.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes! They only employ local people and treat them with respect and kindness. We got the feeling that they probably employ more people than they need. The lodges were also made from local materials. The guides were very knowledgeable not only the animals but the land and they always careful not to distress the animals just to satisfy the tourists.
4. Any other comments?
The holiday itself was just everything we ever hoped for. However we did have a problem with the tour company we booked this holiday with. The agents were definitely knowledgeable about the area so that we were able to do things that most people only dreamed of. However, we seemed to be doing all the chasing for quotes etc - we definitely got the impression that they have too much business to deal with and we didn't get the same personalised attention we are used to with booking other tailor made holidays. But the biggest problem we had was the fact that despite asking for an up to date itinerary and invoice after we extended the holiday to include Cape Town (beginning of April) we did not receive them until the day the payment is due (end of July!) and only after we complained to the manager. To give them credit we got a reply and an apology from the manager that very same day - it was a shame that the whole service was not like that throughout. Hopefully this is only a one off blip.
Read the operator's response here:
We're delighted that this was the best holiday that Reni had ever been on. That's ultimately the most important thing. It’s what we strive for, and we're very pleased that we got it so right for Reni and Alastair.
One of our Zambia specialists spent time talking with Reni, learning about what she really wanted, and giving her information about all the options there from her personal experience. (In fact, this team member lived in Zambia for several years whilst working at safari camps.) Reni's itinerary ended up being very different from the one on the website - but it suited her all the better, because we designed it just for her.
Reni's holiday to Zambia was booked and invoiced efficiently. After that, she wanted to add on a short visit to the Cape, which we were pleased to arrange. The result was the itinerary that was clearly ideal for Reni - and that's what we work so hard to create.
However, Reni's comment about service was quite fair. The team member dealing with her was efficient at first when dealing with Zambia, but clearly not so later, when dealing with the Cape part of her trip. Reni didn't get the speed of response that she should have, or the efficient paperwork that she could rightly expect. We didn’t deliver well on this second section of the booking.
I'm Chris, the MD. As soon as Reni called me, I looked into her issues. I understood completely why she was unhappy. I apologised for the shortcomings, and immediately took steps to solve the problems. The colleague helping her was overstretched (but that's no excuse for such slow service!). Happily we were able to do this. I wish I'd known earlier about Reni's problems in getting timely replies, as I would have helped out much sooner.
In fact, some months earlier we did know that we were overstretched. Hence we've recruited more knowledgeable Africa enthusiasts. They are training to provide the very highest levels of knowledge and service that our travellers expect. Each will train for about six months before they are ready to talk to any customers (despite their already extensive travel experience).
We now have more capacity in our team – and I hope have solved the problem that Reni experienced. However, nobody is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. If we make mistakes, then we will admit them and do our best to make amends. I'd ask any customers who are unhappy with any service that they receive to call me directly, as soon as possible. Tell me what the issue is, and give me the opportunity to address it - as I did with Reni's complaint. That way I can help to solve niggles well before they become problems.
We hope to continue sending people on some of the best holidays they have ever had - and are working hard to match these trips with equally excellent service in the UK.
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