Botswana & Zimbabwe Lodge Safari

We first booked this trip for Sep 2020 but due to the pandemic we postponed it twice. It was well worth the wait! As a child I watched all the David Attenborough wildlife documentaries and so I had always wanted to visit Botswana. To me words like Chobe, Zambezi and Okovango were shorthand for the most beautiful and wildlife rich places to dream of visiting. This trip more than lived up to all my expectations. Botswana was absolutely teeming with wildlife - you literally see giraffes and elephants regularly along the highway, right up close.

It was hot and sticky. But swimming in the Okavango Delta, cruising on the Chobe River, seeing a multitude of birds and hearing hippos in the distance made up for the mild discomfort. We travel to get under a country's skin, experience the culture and local hospitality. Our trip to Matabeleland and visiting Cecil Rhodes' memorial was captivating; there in the wild, silent, rocky countryside, with lizards scurrying around and baboons barking in the distance was inspiring.

As mentioned in previous reviews it is a full on but very worthwhile trip. From start to finish there are so many experiences. It is a trip for you if you want to see wildlife but have a bit of comfort. The camping trip was fabulous - not roughing it too much - everything is done for you - you just have to sit back and enjoy - Rowan even bakes a cake. I was a bit apprehensive about the bush toilet - but its was no problem and the bush shower quite fun. We didn't manage to see any lions - but that is the luck of a safari - you are venturing into their habitat so nothing can be guaranteed. There is not much down time - except during the long travel between places but that is undertaken in a very comfortable mini bus. Plus there is always something to look at - or playing who wants to be a millionaire! We didn't win a lot! The group of people we were with were great company and thus also helped to make it a great trip.

Safari means journey. This really was an intense journey through Botswana & Zimbabwe. But a journey with the added bonus of sightings along the way, magical birds at the side of the road and on one occasion slowing down the bus to see a bull elephant only to be gobsmacked by a pack of 10 wild-dog just a couple of trees away! Journeys don`t have to be boring; long bus rides are often part of the adventure. On this holiday we had the added bonus of River safari`s and, in the Okavango Delta, Mokoro rides with only the gentle sound of water lapping by your side, damsel flies and giant hawker dragon-flies buzzing around your ears and in the evening a gigantic frog chorus like something from a Fairy-Tale. Of course Safari is all about the animals but on this holiday I became more aware of the rich variety of people that helped us along the way. Kaiser the leader of the Polers in the Delta, Rowan our Tour Guide, his trusty driver Siwasu and the dozens of others who did their bloody best to give us the holiday of a lifetime.

When the tour leader dropped us off at Livingstone airport I really could have stayed on the bus and done the whole thing again

A most interesting and enjoyable trip with good company and plenty of wildlife to see. The safaris enabled us to see lions on 3 separate occasions, a leopard up a tree and a 'crash' of 5 white rhinoceros asleep under a tree as well as elephants on land and swimming. We stayed under canvas but with en-suite facilities except at the Okavango Delta. The visit to Victoria Falls at the end of the trip was impressive the scale of them is huge.

This tour is where you realise your every wildlife dream. This is where dreaming stops and reality takes over. From the beginning to the end, it is a non stop thrilling adventure. Poling past grumpy Hippos, listening to Lions roar while wild camping, seeing giant elephants wade across the water in front of you, Seeing the same cross a deep river with just their trunks showing. That's just for starters. No need to imagine standing just five meters away from a grazing white Rhino with her baby, it happened, with a few more sitting behind. Horn bills, Kingfishers and a variety of other water birds. As you drive along the road between stops view the Giraffes, Zebra, Elephants, the list goes on. Most nights "we" gather around a roaring fire to eat lovely cooked food, compliments of our tour guides (Marco & Mira) so knowledgeable, really in safe hands. You don't really want to sleep, because closing your eyes means that you will miss something. Just when you think its all over and the last day arrives, there are still some amazing opportunities to experience. Victoria Falls, just amazing. Try the optional safari, with luck you can view close up Black Rhino, again mother with baby. Mother walked right up to the jeep to check us out. Great photo opportunities. Last but not least, don't miss the optional sunset cruise, it is just simply an amazing sight.

A truly awesome holiday! I can't stop telling people about it! We saw so many animals in the wild with memorable sights, noises and smells. We were the 'lucky lion group' witnessing lions feasting on a putrid smelling kill in Chobe in the morning and then seeing a prowling lioness on the banks of the river in the evening. Then while camping in the Okavango Delta, on our sunset walk return to camp, we came across 5 lions within 400 meters of our campsite! We also heard them roar later that night while we were sitting around the campfire and taking photos of the Milky Way...sweet dreams!

This was our first trip to Africa and it far exceeded expectations. The itinerary was balanced and very well organised and we were fortunate to see a huge variety of wildlife - including four of the 'big five' on the first day! Although there were (by necessity) some long drives, the vehicle was comfortable and well-driven by Sofiso. Our guide Rowan both entertained us and still continued to point out interesting features and wildlife all along the way, making sure we didn't miss a thing! There was a variety of accommodation and even the tents in the Delta were comfortable. Our focus was the wildlife and the amount and variety were superlative.

A wonderfully varied trip which combines the comforts from home whilst giving you a real wildlife experience. The lodges were each unique in character and all very comfortable, most of them with swimming pools, and the camping in the Okavango Delta was much more comfortable than anyone had expected! You get to see a good part of two quite different but equally friendly and welcoming countries and because the places you visit are so quiet you never feel that you are on a tourist trail.