July 2008
We've been back from our trip for a couple of weeks now and I'm finally finding time to write you.  We had a great time and want to thank you again for your very efficient handling of the arrangements.  Lodges were great, transfer pickups prompt and flawless.  The Okavango was magical.  Bravo!
 
The only screw-ups were mine: I made plans to visit Victoria Falls through Zambia before the very high visa fees for US citizens went into effect (Zimbabwe would probably have been a better choice in retrospect) and I booked the flight from Livingstone back to Joburg on Nationwide Airlines which promptly went bankrupt a month or so later!  The credit card company reimbursed me for the lost tickets but the replacements on SAA were a lot more expensive since they were not booked ahead.  Still, a terrific trip!
 
We've passed your contact information on to friends who are talking about a South Africa trip next year.
 
Best,
Peter and Laurie Schwe

 

 

July 2008
We're home now and we're in one piece! Zimbabwe was as safe as Botswana I think, at least it felt like this.

Let us thank you Ali for arranging this trip for us and for all your efforts when communicating and explaining different things about the journey. You did a great job and we both truly appreciate your involvement.
Every aspect of that trip was perfect. Too bad it was only one week for us and we realize it's short, but now we have a reason to come back. Especially that we saw so many beautiful things in Bot and Zim that we would never have thought of before. It's not about either animals, landscapes or people; it's just the whole expereince that really left us breathless and making us long for that right now.

If there is any questionnaire or a feedback form that we could fill in we would be more than happy to do that. Just let us know about it.
And yeah, we will definitely be recommending Island-Safari and your excellent services to anyone.

with gazillion of thanks
and wishing you a great day (still!)
cheers

Grzegorz Bukowski
Magda Bukowska

July 2008
We had quite simply the best holiday and experience that we have ever had !
This was due to a combination of factors, which began perfectly by the first class service offered to us by Cara. Attentive, responsive and thoroughly professional understate our experience. Many,many thanks, an unforgettable time.

The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour: As stated above, the professionalism from start to finish was exemplary. The lodges and experiences were not oversold or overstated but excelled the reasonable expectations that we had before travelling.

The transfers you had:This was one of the most impressive aspects of our break. We felt that we experienced all varieties of transport, thoroughly enjoying the variety and experiences gained by the jeep, ferry, jeep travel to Muchenje and the light plane transfer from Kasane to Livingstone. The transfers themselves were a superb experience, timely, efficient and very much part of our great experience. We put ourselves completely in your hands, relying on being
safe, especially given the troubles in nearby Zimbabwe but had no need to be. Everything ran superbly smoothly.

Your stay at Islands of Siankaba: Siankaba is an amazing setting, an unforgettable view as you turn the corner around the island and see the breadth of the Zambezi for the first time ! The rooms were exceptional. Old world wood decorated, superb furnishings, with open views out of your bed into the Zambezi, unforgettable !
The service and staff were excellent, very friendly and great company. One of the staff, Victor, showed us around his village, introducing us to one of his wives and his darling children. A humbling experience, as they were so very happy, having so little. We have promised to help the village by donating clothes as and when my son grows out of them. The food was first rate, respect to the Chef and staff, for the quality and variety of the menu.

Victoria Falls:    -    Wow ! A true wonder of the world. The helicopter views over the top of the falls were exceptional but the experience of getting soaked to the skin while walking in front of the falls showed the awesome power if nature !

Elephant ride:    -    Spending time so close to these amazing animals was an unforgettable experience.

Your stay at Muchenje Safari Lodge:We were met by BG, who was to become our personal guide for the next three days, a great character with the most memorable laugh and humorous approach to his job. On arrival, the drive to the lodge does seem quite ordinary until you step out of the jeep and see the wonderful view across the Chobe river and plains ! We went on various fantastic safari's with BG as a guide. His effort in explaining/showing us all around, as though it was his first time too, was awesome!
The most memorable being the boat trip safari, seeing many game, in their natural habitat. On taking a corner of the river, seeing crocs to our left, hippos to our right and a herd of approximately 50 elephants wondering to the edge of the river would have been well worth painting. My quote of the break occurred when we approached a mud hole, frequented by 4 baby hippos being taunted by a teenage elephant. Our guides piloted the boat into the reeds, about 30 yards from the sparring elephant and hippos. We watched as the male elephant threw soil and spat water at the hippos before charging them totake over the mud hole. My quote being 'I thought that my 42" plasma and Sky HD were great till I saw this !'
JJ, the manager of the Lodge also deserves wholehearted praise. His company, commitment to our enjoyment and sheer professionalism towers above many of
my European colleagues and offers lessons on how best to offer great service !
The lodge is an amazing place with great open spaces, exceptional views but for us, the staff made the difference. We felt at home and will miss the staff that we met there.

Thank you for all of your efforts. It is so refreshing to receive everything that was promised and more ! many travel agents over-promise and over-sell. Your descriptions were accurate and understated.

We wish your staff and your company great success, totally deserved. If you venture out to other countries, please feel free to contact us, we are always keen to place business with over-performing people !!
Mark Butler

 

July 2008
Very good! I was really impressed with the organization of the booking, even with my complicated budget and constraints and 1000 questions. Thanks a lot, no negative feedback to pass on.
Cheers!
Marisa Lipsey

July 2008
We are scrambling to get packed and leave to go home as our medical mission here in Ghana is now finished.  We leave in the morning.  I have planned to email Michelle to thank her for a great trip.  She was very helpful.   The short answer is: we had a great time and all portions went well...more to follow....stay tuned.
John Thueson

July 2008
Just wanted to say a quick thank you. The trip was amazing!
Pom Pom camp was a huge surprise; we had expected a rustic, no major frills camp. The food was 5 star (best steak I have ever had of my life was in the Okavango Delta). The guide, Ofentse, was amazing. He heard monkies spazzing out in the trees from far away; we then did a search pattern for fresh tracks and found leopard prints 20 minutes later; then found the leopard! We followed her for an hour, and watched her stalk a small bird (which escaped with a scratch).
Muchenje was great as well; the guide there, Bob, knows absolutely everything (whether insects, birds, animals, calls or yells). The lodge is beautiful.
An of course Victoria Falls speaks or itself.
We just left the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge which we loved as well. I have never seen a room so big. It was really nice and thank you for the champagne.
We are now at the airport and are flying off to Singapore. Thank you for all your help
Best,
Jerry Rose

July 2008
Thought I should share my comments, below, with you. Thanks for a perfect organisation, we enjoyed our whole stay a lot. Of all the lodges and camps, I think we enjoyed Mena a Kwena and Mapula most, as the most authentic and comfortable at the same time. Oddballs is slightly more robust but also very enjoyable.
 
If I were to come to Mapula again, some time in December and by myself, for say 4 weeks in a row, Mapula only, what all in price would you quote ex Jo'burg? I would come to relax, read, write, think, a bit of moccoro perhaps, perhaps a few nights out in a tent if that is possible but no daily game viewing, ie limited use of guides and cars.
 
Thank you for letting me know
Regards
Nick Busink
hope you don't get embarrassed by the praise !

June 2008 
1) We dealt with Mandy throughout the booking process, mostly through email but also on the phone now and again, and all that I can say is that I wish I had the same experience every time I travelled anywhere! Our emails were dealt with straight away all the time and it always felt like we were in the most capable hands. Actually to start with, becasue I had no idea or recomendations, I had emailed 3 or 4 companies about going to the Okavango for our honeymoon but the others were impersonal and pushy, trying to get more out of us seeing as they knew it was our honeymoon. Furthermore, the information that was provided by Mandy was always complete and timely. Please do pass on our most sincere thanks!
During the trip, again the service made everything run like clockwork. We were made to feel very welcome at Oddballs by the management team, catering staff and all the guides. TK was fantastic to have as a guide and the way that we were looked after, especially on our first night at Oddballs, was wonderful. In all, top-class 5-star service!
 
2) The transfers were again seamless and the Delta Air staff made this all happen in a smooth, friendly and relaxed manner. The pilots were good fun and the whole experience of flying over the delta was captivating....and this is all despite me getting violently ill on the return flight!
 
3) Our stay at Oddballs was perfect. It's a stunning setting, very relaxing atmosphere and we just wish we could have spent more time in the camp on hindsight. However, our 4-night mokoro safari was execatly the way we wanted to experience the delta. We saw, heard, smelt, avoided and stalked all kinds of things. To spend 4 days exploring one of the world's richest and most important ecosystmes in a traditional dug-out mokoro being guided and taught by the person who hand-crafted it is something very special indeed!
The trip to the village on the last morning was a really inspiring experience for us - because I work in the environment sector here in the UK, it was inspiring to see how the people in the village made good use of waste materials in such a sensitive environment. It was also pleasing to learn about the agreements around land and sustainable hunting in the area. I just hope that more people go there willing to learn rather than just to buy a bowl or mat and take photographs!
Again, just from my experience having visited many lodges over the years and having seen the sector from the client, guide and marketing points of view, I would say that the opportunity to travel in a traditional mokoro is very special and while I know there are sustainability issues around the raw materials, it is a unique experience worth marketing and holding on to where possible. On the flip-side to this, while the lookout deck at the camp is a wonderful place to relax and view the delta, can I suggest that you invest in some new chairs or the tools to fix the current ones?
 
 
Finally, I took many pictures during our time there and I'm sure you have a whole library of images at your disposal but if Island Safari do wish to use any for marketing purposes then do please shout. I've attached a few low-res versions as examples and took a lot more both of wildlife and of walks/mekoro/camps/flights etc so please shout if there's anything that you think may be useful for you.
 
Anyway, thank you again so much to everyone at Island Safari. Be sure we would recommend you to anyone wishing to travel. Please forward our thanks to everyone that we dealt with.
 
Kind regards,
Neil and Chloe Aldridge

 

June 2008

We are VERY pleased, yes overwhelmed, with everything. The arrangements were just super, no problems or delays with anything, simply a wonder of organisation. And the lodges were fanatstic, especially Pom Pom. The guides were brilliant, and - above all - the wildlife was simply mindblowing. We will never forget the elephant scenes in Chobe and the hyenas around Pom Pom...
 
We had a little problem with the flights Lusaka - L'stone - Lusaka, but the people at the airpot sorted it out. They put us on another plane from Lusaka to L'stone and they managed to let us fly from L'stone to Lusaka with the 6.30 flight, even though we were booked in on the 9.45 flight (which we assumed must have been due to an error in the booking).
 
We will recommend Island Safari and this trip to our friends, and we are already making plans for the next trip to Southern Africa!
 
Best regards,
Anders, Anna-Karin and Bengt

 

June 2008
We had a great time - truly memorable and collected a lot of passport stamps.  The boat was excellent, with only one other couple on board. Saw
lots of game, including a leopard on the bank and literally hundreds of elephant and hippo.  Great crew and thoroughly recommended.

V Falls also very impressive, but somewhat depressing surroundings in Zimbabwe - 5.8 billion Zim to one US dollar.  Lodge was very good.  All
arrangements worked fine.

Thanks also for your hard work in supporting the SC4 meeting - sorry therwere not more present.
Once again, many thanks.
Howard du Preez

June 2008
I have been intending to write since returning home on the 17th. Thank you for prompting me. Firstly let me say that everything went very well and that we had a wonderful time. I should first congratulate Mandy on the up-front work she did - she chose a variety of venues that always kept us interested. The itinerary was well written and constantly referred to.

All transfers were efficient and timely - transfer agents were polite and accommodating. We enjoyed both Okavango stays - we were the only ones at Mapula for the time we were there, and the staff continued to offer special service. I think we enjoyed Roggeland more than Ballon Rouge, but the location of the latter gave us something to do while there (again I think we were the only guests). Roggeland is quite special. We really weren't at the Radisson long enough to fully enjoy it, but that was due more to our limited time at the Cape than anything else - we had the time we wanted in the winelands.

Thanks also to John Van Eyck of EcoTours for an informed and painstaking effort in the winelands. He added an extra dimension to the tour and I would recommend him highly.

Jack was always prompt for the Cape transfers.

You will get an unequivocal recommendation from us to any of our friends.

Sincerely,
Neil Thomas 

June 2008
There are not enough superlatives to describe your wonderful Elize and the excellent trip she put together for us.  She answered our every e-mail immediately (wondered if she ever slept sometimes).  She patiently answered every question we fired off to her and was a great ambassador for your company and country.
Everything went off without a hitch...we were met when we were supposed to be met and drivers got us to our destinations smoothly and problem free.
Our first point of contact was Natasha and she got us to the Metcourt Laurel safe and sound after a very long flight.
The Metcourt Laurel was more than satisfactory for the two nights we spent in Johannesburg.  We were very satisfied with the accommodations and the morning breakfast was wonderful!
Our flights to and from Victoria Falls were fine with the exception of the insecticide sprays.  Our drivers were courteous, friendly and went above and beyond their duties.  More about Bezert from Wild Horizons later.
Muchenje Lodge was everything we were told about and more.  The owners, Bea and Shawn were visiting and were the perfect hosts.  The staff were wonderful and accommodations excellent!
Both Sue and I want to commend Bezert (don't know his last name) from Wild Horizons for going over and above the duties of a transfer driver.  He was one of the people that made our trip so memorable.  We will never forget his kindnesses and thoughtfulness.  Please convey our messages about Bezert to the people from Wild Horizons.  He was the driver that picked us up at the Victoria Falls airport and transfered us to the border and he also transfered us on the return trip.
Kirkman's Kamp was another jewel in South Africa and again the service, accommodation, staff were exceptional.  Must commend our ranger Murray Tindall and his tracker Eckson.  They found the big five for us several times.  Our personal attendant, Agnes catered to our every need.  She was a delight!
We would definitely recommend Island Safari as an African travel agent to anyone and when we return we will use your services again.  I can assure you of that.
Thanks again to Elize and Island Safari for making our trip a trip of a lifetime!

Sincerely,
Louise Leger

June 2008
Just want to thank you for  all that you did to insure we had the trip of a life time and we sure did. We are still pinching ourselves and can't believe what we experienced was simply amazing to say the least. We were fortunate enough to be at Muchenje when the owners were there. What fantastic people they are Bea and Shawn. The staff was wonderful , the food was great and the viewing of animals, well what can we say. It was very personal like we knew everyone there already. So much excitement. the ride on the river was breathtaking. On to Kirkmans was another fantastic place we saw the big five over and over the food was terrific the service exceptional . We enjoyed the resident warthog named Charlie and will worry about him until we get back there.  A hyena flew through the grounds while we were eating twice. What a thrill apparently a few days earlier twice he stole a platter of cheese from the boma I would of loved to of seen that happen. the people were fantastic. Everything was perfect. The transportation went perfect no problems what so ever. I would like to mention a certain person tho, his name is Bezert he was our driver from Wild Horizons who fortunately picked us up and dropped us back to Victoria falls airport. What a very special human being we want Wild Horizons to know about this man. As you know we had not planned to visit the Falls but when he picked up us at the Zimbabwe boarder he suggest we did. As we did not have much time left he went way out of his way to make sure we saw the Falls he knew right where to take us in the half hour we had to spare. And we even got stopped by a road block for a few minutes he got us safely to the falls and the to the airport. We are for ever indebted to him because we would of missed the spectacular falls.. Please look forward to us contacting you again next year for another great adventure this time for three weeks or more. Once we pay off this trip you will hear from me. Thank you so much once again for all that you have done, we will definitely recommend you to others.
If there is any where I can send an email to to commend all those who were special to us that would be great  
Best Regards  
Sue Manns

June 2008
Let me start by saying that Mandy did a really excellent job at advising us throughout the planning and booking process.  Through numerous iterations of the itinerary and questions from us, she was extremely helpful, courteous, and her recommendations and advice turned out to be spot-on.  We would recommend her and Island-Safari without reservation.
 
We were very pleased with the accomodations, some of which we suggested and some of which Mandy suggested.  More specifically,
- the Safari Club was an excellent choice for a simple overnight near JNB in between flights
- the Waterfront Village apartment in Cape Town was also an excellent choice, considering the prime location, the homey feeling, and the fact that I assume it was cheaper than a similarly located and furnished hotel.  The only negative here was that when we arrived late at night, it took 15-20 minutes to wake up the manager, get keys and security photos taken for ID passes, etc - there were lots of forms.  But that did not really mar the experience, it was a great choice.
- the stay at Victoria Falls hotel was perfectly fine, but if we had this to do over again we might stay elsewhere (I would have liked to be made aware that there were alternatives in the town).  Somewhere cheaper would have been fine for us, and in particular, the prices for meals were quite exorbitant.
- Muchenje Safari lodge was an excellent choice; terrific place to view elephants and baboons, and as Mandy mentioned, it was really nice to be in an isolated corner of the park.  This is a very strong advantage.
- Mapula Lodge was our favourite - the staff there was extraordinarily kind, and the isolation meant that there were really no other land rovers around.
- Camp Okuti was our least preferred place - it was perfectly fine, but there were a couple of reasons why it wasn't as stellar as the others.  I have provided this feedback to the camp directly but think you should know as well given your role with other clients.  Firstly, we were woken every day 45 minutes before the wake-up time due to the clanging of staff preparing breakfast - when the "official" wake-up time is 6am, being woken even earlier is not acceptable.  Secondly, the management did not make us feel special or unique the way the other two lodges did - for example, it was made obvious that what we were eating on a Tuesday was exactly the same as what they ate every other Tuesday (even if this is true at all lodges, there is no reason to make it so evident).  We also did not like the management's condescending attitude to the staff.  In addition, there were far too many other jeeps / landrovers in the area - we much preferred the more isolated locations.  And finally, our guide was an unacceptably poor communicator.  He was able to spot and identify animals as well as any other, but unlike every other guide, he was unable or unwilling to speak very much more than naming the animals.
 
The transfers overall went extremely smoothly, in terms of all the pre-arranged pick-ups and drop-offs.  There was one occasion where plans changed at the last minute, when SAA canceled our flight from JNB to Victoria Falls (we had booked this flight ourselves at Mandy's suggestion).  After some time organizing our bags / etc at the airport (we had to go back through South African immigration, claim our bags, and then get on another flight), we managed to get onto a Zambian airways flight to Livingstone instead.  We were very grateful that Island Safari organized our pickup at Livingstone airport and transport to the Victoria Falls Hotel, though that was not the original plan.  It is worth noting, though, that the fellow on the phone when we called your number was not as helpful as he might have been - he kept asking why the flight was canceled (which is not something we knew, nor was it relevant), told us we didn't have to go through immigration and claim our bags (which was not the case), and so on.  Still, he did somehow arrange for us to be picked up at Livingstone airport, which was the most important and much-appreciated thing.
 
I should also mention that our day with Eco Tours in Cape Town, which you did not specifically ask about below, was absolutely extraordinary.  We would encourage you wholeheartedly and without reservation to continue to use that organization; John was a most excellent guide and host.
 
I do hope this is helpful to you as you help plan other tours.  I have copied Mandy on this message as well, with our sincere gratitude for coordinating such a terrifically memorable trip.  I have also copied my wife - I think I speak for both of us with everything written above, but Roberta, please feel free to add any additional thoughts if you like.
 
Alan Iny
p.s. - coincidentally, we had the opportunity to meet Nigel, who was staying at Mapula lodge during part of our visit, and we shared some of our thoughts about the different lodges and the excellent service we had received from Mandy and your team as well.

June 2008
We were very satisfied with Mapula Lodge and would recommend it to others.  The staff there were great, it was very special experience and a beautiful setting.  I was pleased with the transfers.  (Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, it has been VERY busy)
Brian Donnellan

June 2008
Claudia was excellent.
The transfers were there and on time.
The Safari Club SA was very nice.
The stay at Planet Baobab was very nice and the guide was excellent.
CC Africa was excellent – the guide was excellent - two pieces of information – there is no laundry service at the mobile tent sites and the only way to charge camera batteries is from the truck battery. I was lucky the guide had an inverter. If I had known this I would have brought my own to be on the safe side.
Our stay at Victoria Falls hotel was very nice – the Hotel food was below average.
 
All in all, the trip was excellent and my compliments to Claudia for the excellent advice and service she gave us.
Bob Hall

June 2008
Everything on our So Africa itinerary went just as planned and we had a wonderful time.  Our driver, Danny from Thornybush Lodge to Plains Camp, arrived a little before 11 am.  He saved us from any anxiety by arriving early.  He was very pleasant.  Our driver, Stuart, drove us from Plains Camp to Arathusa Lodge and again to Hoedspruit Airport.  He was also very punctual and informative as we asked him many questions.  I told them both we would give them the best of remarks for their service.  Their automobiles were small, but comfortable, and they provided us with good company, cold bottled water and air conditioning.
 
We enjoyed the casualness of Plains Camp and all amenities were available.   The meals were nicely prepared and served.  They were on the simple side, which we preferred.  The sleep-out was fun and our guides were friendly and knowledgeable.  Their guest count was low so we got to know the staff and the other few guests well. 
 
Arathusa was lovely.  Our individual bungalow with king size bed and large bathroom was nicely furnished.  The evening meal setting was outstanding.  Each guest had their own small table set with a white table cloth, china, and pretty wine goblets.  Their food was a bit gourmet for us, but beautifully presented.  We met many nice people on our game drives.
 
At Arathusa, we were surprised at 3 am by a huge bull elephant pulling down a tree branch right outside our bungalow.  Pretty soon, many cameras began flashing as others heard the noise.  He saw us standing on our porch looking at him, but he posed no threat.  Of course, we had the sliding glass door open so we could run inside if necessary.
 
The game viewing was probably better at Arathusa (outside Kruger) because we could go off road in the safari vehicles.  Also, there was no top to hinder the view.  We saw several leopards as well as all the "big five".  Now we have to sort through 100s of photos to select the best.  We added many more photos and adventures by continuing our South Africa trip to Egypt and China.
 
All in all, it was truly a great experience.  The only negative was the long drive between the lodges, but both were very enjoyable once we got there..
 
Cara, you were so very helpful and patient in helping me set up this safari tour.  I'm sorry we didn't get to meet you in person in Cape Town.  By the way, the apartment we rented for 2 nights at the Village-Life was spacious, clean, modern and in a great location.  We loved exploring the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront location.
 
I will be glad to recommend your agency.   Many, many thanks for making our trip so smooth and memorable.  Cara Lloyd deserves an award for outstanding service!
 
Warm Regards,
Merrily and John Boardman

June 2008
The booking was handled efficiently, feedback was quick
The transfer was without any problems and was done in the shortest time possible, the bus was clean and the aircon was working
The stay at the lodge was great, very friendly staff, the recent refurbishment greatly improved the place (I was there 4 years earlier), service was 5 star, the game guide was enthusiastic and knowledgeable, game was plentiful (more elephants than impalas!!), the food was out of this world (we have not had that tasty food for a long time here in Jozi). We surely will be back.

Kind regards,
Hannes Henckel

June 2008
My husband, David Gettleson, his daughter, Brie Gettleson, and I had a wonderful African Safari vacation in Capetown, Zambia and Botswana.
 
Elize helped my husband and I put this itinerary together last year, when we thought we were going to be going in October 2007.  Unfortunately, that didn't work out for us, so we postponed our trip until last month.  We involved our local US travel agent to be sure that we didn't miss any important components of our vacation.  Karen helped put all of the loose ends together for us, and Elize was very cooperative.
 
Everything went smooth, and we were met by everyone who was supposed to meet us in a very timely manner, and all transportation between camps was handled without any negative incidents.  We did have to return to Kasane Airport 20 minutes into our flight between Elephant Valley Lodge and Pom Pom Camp due to mechanical problems with the plane.  It took about two hours to get a new plane to take us to Pom Pom, but we were comfortable during that time.  Our arrival at Pom Pom was not much later than scheduled, as we went directly to Pom Pom without the other stops we were originally supposed to make.
 
As you know, we canceled Brie's reservation at Metcourt Laurel Hotel in Johannesburg, as she didn't have to fly out the day before David and I did.  Her frequent flyer seat cleared for our flight at the last minute.  We were happy we could all fly to Joburg together!
 
We enjoyed our two night stay at Chundukwa River Lodge, and we were the only three people staying there those two nights.  The new owners (Peter and Orla) are very hospitable, and made us feel welcome.  Our accommodations were clean and comfortable.  The food and service were excellent (the best of all of the places we stayed), and our guide (Phillip) was very knowledgeable.  We particularly enjoyed our visit to Victoria Falls, our visit to Mukay Village [the home of our waiter (Levy) at the lodge] and the museum in Livingstone.
 
We also enjoyed our two night stay at Elephant Valley Lodge.  The staff was friendly and efficient, and made us feel very welcome.  The food was good and the service was excellent.  Our accommodations were clean and comfortable.  Our game drives and cruise on the Chobe River were wonderful, and we saw lots of animals and birds.  Our guide was very knowledgeable, and made sure that we saw as much wildlife as possible.
 
We also enjoyed our three night stay at Pom Pom Camp (even though it was supposed to be four nights).  The staff was friendly and efficient, and made us feel very welcome.  The food was good and the service was excellent.  Our accommodations were clean and comfortable.  Our game drives, walking safari and mokoro boat ride were also wonderful, and again we saw lots of animals and birds.  Our guides (Partner, Dix and Dalton) were very knowledgeable, and made sure we saw as much wildlife as possible.
 
We also enjoyed our one night stay at Kwando's Lebala Camp in the Linyati Swamps (this was our substitution for our fourth night at Pom Pom Camp).  It was by far the most luxurious of all of the camps.  Although it was lovely, and we enjoyed it, we prefer a more low key experience.  The accommodations were quite lovely and the food was good.  Our guide (Hector) and tracker (Bowman) were very knowledgeable, and we saw lots of game on the way to and from the airstrip and on our one game drive we had while there.  The fact that the airstrip closest to the camp was closed due to flooding required a two hour drive from the alternate airstrip to the camp, however, we didn't mind because we saw so much game on the drive to the camp.  We were happy for the opportunity to see an area that we didn't have on our original itinerary.  The Pom Pom Reservation Agent made sure that everything went smooth for us, and we appreciate that they handled their mistake quite professionally.
 
We also enjoyed our two nights at San Camp.  This was a substitution for Makgadikgadi Camp, due to the closure of that camp for remodeling.  We were told that San Camp was an upgrade, and if that's truly the case, we're glad we didn't stay at Makgadikgadi Camp.  San Camp was the most basic of all the camps we stayed in.  It had a long drop toilet that flushed, but no other running water.  The tents were clean and comfortable, and we enjoyed "roughing it" for two nights.  The food was good.  We spent the night out on the Pans our second night there, and that was a thrill!  Our guide (Super) was absolutely fabulous, and extremely knowledgeable about everything in that area.  We enjoyed our game drives, spending time with the meerkats, our walk with the bushmen and of course, spending the night out on the Pans in the middle of nowhere!
 
We will definitely recommend island-safari.com to our friends when planning their African Safari adventure!
 
Thank you, Elize, for making it a wonderful experience for us.
 
Sandie Hurst

June 2008
Firstly we should thank Patricia for appropriately organising the type of accommodation and activities that we wanted. We really enjoyed the trip. Service and information that was given to us was accurate and appropriate.
Transfers:  Organisation by Delta was good. Met us at Maun airport on arrival. Transfer to Odddballs was also good. The light plane trip from Oddballs to Kasane was rough and the flight was extended by sometime because we had to detour to another camp to collect other passengers. Barbara was sick! very unpleasant. Not your fault though. We were thinking that it would have been better if we returned to MAun (20 mins) and taken a larger aircraft to Kasane. Transfer from Oddballs to Zambia was also OK, however we were taken from Elephant Valley Lodge to Kasane airport  via town, then returned to town to the river where a boat was waiting. All OK. When we got to Zambia, our driver (Odyssey Tours) arranged our visas for us. He tried to convince us to buy a multiple entry visa for $100 (US), however we purchased a single entry for $50. We found out later that a multiple entry should have only been $80, so we think he tried to rip us off!! Perhaps a warning for future advice would be to make sure that visas should be applied for and paid for in person, not via the operator.
ODDBALLS CAMP: 3 nights was perfect! Absolutely fantastic. Service excellent. Accommodation great in dome tents on wooden platforms. Mattresses were a little thin, so I think this may not suit everyone. Food.. unbelievably good. All comments in the guest book praised the food. Guides were excellent and very cautious (and needed to be) when taking us out on walks or in the Mokoro. Elephants visit the camp regularly at night. This was very confronting for us, but exciting, as one stood next to our tent for 30 mins and devoured the shrubbery. We were not warned about this, nor were we given any instructions on what we should do/act/behave. There should be a basic safety lecture and notes given to us on arrival. There were also Hippos in the river just 20 meters away. However all was fine and we loved it. Would/will love to go again.
Lighting was mainly oil lamps, but a 9 volt supply via solar power available in the tents. This was a real getaway and so relaxing... no contact with the outside world!

ELEPHANT VALLEY LODGE: 3 nights also good. Accommodation in luxury tents with ensuite. Very comfortable and staff helpful. Food very good, but not as good as Oddballs (nothing could be better than OBs). EVL looks over a waterhole frequented by several species, including up to 100 elephants that come to drink every day. Floodlight during the night for dramatic effect. Tours were excellent and guide was very knowledgeable. Morning tour of the river in a boat. Evening tour by truck on land. Plenty of animals to see.  Did 3 boat tours and 3 land tours, each day we saw something different. Unfortunately the animals were very used to human intervention and so we were able to get within a few meters of them. To me, it was almost like being in a zoo. Oddballs was completely different as we had to be very careful to stay a safe distance, (sometimes 100 meters) away from some animals.  Stay very enjoyable, would recommend to anyone. Full electricity available.

Thanks once again,
Cheers,
Peter and Barbara Pamphilon.

June 2008
The service we received during booking, considering how much we changed our requirements, was excellent. Thanks to Michelle and your team.
The transfer arrangements worked smoothly and our needs were well catered for.
The Nata stay was very good. On our return, we tried to stay at Planet Baobab and our reception was surly. Thus we left. Nata lodge was full and we ended up in Francistown at Dumela Lodge. Superficially this place was excellent, but the finishing touches were non existent, geezers, light fittings, etc did not work.
The stay at Oddballs was excellent, initially we were disappointed that the tents were not larger, but we adapted. The food, service, style, layout, location was great. The environment was beautiful, the trees magnificent, the night time and day time visits by elephants memorable. We will go again but probably vary our timing, though for a first visit it was the correct choice. The camp was largely empty, I am not sure if the atmosphere would be so good if it was full or even half full. Joyce was the pivot around which the camp operated smoothly. She is a gem; the cooks should be complimented on their creations.
One grip.
The walks are too limited; always the same islands and the guides are obviously very frightened of lion, elephant and hippo. The hippo obviously present a challenge when the main river is crossed, thus the caution exhibited there is understandable. Elephant behaviour can be read far better by a skilled guide and all the guides in our opinion were far too respectful giving any elephant a very wide berth. Lions were actively avoided. No attempts were made to track lion. On three nights, lion roared just across the river, a delightful experience. But no attempt was made to visit that island and track the lions.
The reason could simply be lack of access but this I doubt. Fear was the cause. This is justified in that no protection is provided to the guides. If the experience of seeing lion on foot is to be part of the deal, which I believe it should be, this needs to be managed.
Guides should have binoculars and suitable foot ware as basics. Wellington boots are not suitable for walking, a real restriction for one of our guides. Clearly the guides are not paid enough to equip themselves and thus these items should be provided.
In summary, thanks for a great trip, well organized and to be recommended.
Robin Jones

June 2008
Thank you for the opportunity.  Unfortunately it's hardly worth the time--all of Island Safari's recommendations and arrangements were perfect!  The only downside (which I already told Mandy about) was the location of the room at Savute Lodge.  Otherwise, all was great; Sindebezi was an ideal last stop, quiet and isolated.  Now, if you could do something about the 48 hour trip to and from southern Africa....never mind, it would just get too crowded.
 
Thanks to Island Safari, and especially Mandy for all of your help.
Ingrid & Craig Cordes
P.S.  If you really need an itemized account of each camp let us know, but it would be repetitious: great, great, great.

June 2008
I'm glad to recieve your inquiry about our trip because I'm planned to  write and let you know that our trip went wonderfully.  Most  especially, we were impressed with your response to handling our  internal air travel when Pelican Air stopped their direct flights to Bazaruto literally while we were enroute to SA.  We were met at the  airport with details for our new connections, and all went very smoothly.


The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour: 
Mandy and Nigel were very  responsive and helpful.  When my email rejected some of Mandy's  mail, they worked together to ensure I got all of the necessary  communication.  As noted above, their quick response to airline  changes kept our trip on track.
The transfers you had: 
All transfers were smooth!  We were on  14 different planes, and it all went without a single glitch!
Your stay at The Safari Club SA: 
The Safari Club is a  delightful place to spend the necessary overnights in J'Burg.  Very comfortable and convenient.
Your stay at Oddballs Camp: 
We absolutely loved our bush 
camping experience.  Our guide, Culture, was wonderful.  We didn't  quite realize what a complete wilderness experience this would be  (thought our guide would have a gun!).  But this was one of the most  memorable experiences of our lifetime.
Your stay at Mapula Lodge:  Again, delightful.  Personal care and attention.  Went out of their way to accomodate a dietary restriction.  Beautifulcomfortable accomodations.  And a delightful last night surprise private dinner on our deck.
Your stay at Bazaruto Lodge: Comfortable, relaxing, excellent seafood.  We knews in advance that the beach where the lodge is  located is not a swimming beach.  We enjoyed the walk to the excellent, nearby beach.  This could be a problem for some people who are unaware.
In short, we will give high recommendations for Island-Safari to all.

Thanks for helping us with a special, memorable vacation. 
Pat Livingstone

June 2008
It has truly been an amazing experience throughout. Mandy was very supportive and responsive during the booking process, the 'meet and greet' at Jo'bourg airport with your representative to collect the tickets took place without any problem, all transfers were perfectly organised and Oddballs Camp was haven on earth with very friendly staff and guides.
 
A trip, i would certainly recommend to friends and family!!
 
Kind Regards,
Marian von Mitschke-Collande

June 2008
I am glad you emailed me for feedback as I had intended to give you some anyway, as the service provided was very good.  Louise was always on hand for email advise, and I know we had several email conversations and she was always very helpful.
 
The transfers (to and from MQP/Lion Sands) were very good, punctual and very informative friendly drivers. One minor downside would be that Lion Sands almost charges me for the transfers again, even though it was pre-paid. It was just a small error so not really a problem as they rectifiec promptly.
 
 
Cape Cadogan was a superb hotel, excellent staff, and great experience. Lion Sands was the hilight of the trip for us, because of the quality of the service and in particular the way handled our very specific dietary needs. 
 
One major downside to the trip was the fact that nationwide air went bust a few weeks before we arrived yet we didnt know about it until we came to cape town. So there was a last minute panic to get to Lion Sands. Louise was very helpful in this and eventually we managed to get a flight booking but at great costs, which did dampen the holiday a little. 
 
(We had originally booked the nationwide flight ourselves, not thro island safari, so it is understandable that the responsibility of getting an alternate flight was not yours, but it would have been nice to have been notified of nationwides demise since island safari were aware of our flight details and carrier name since the transfers had been done through yourselves.)
 
Louise was a great person to deal with and was very helpful before our trip and during
 
Hope this helps...please let me know if you need any more info.
Sarjoo Patel

June 2008
Here’s my feedback from my safari 30May-2Jun 2008.
 
Service
I was helped by Cara Lloyd who has been extremely helpful during my booking process.
Initially I asked for an alternative to the fancy and more expensive safaris and whether I could join a ranger on their daily tours.
She gave me my options and actually suggested the Transfrontiers Walking Safari since that would be more to what I was looking for.
Cara was very helpful, quick in responding and giving me all information required.
She even gave me tips for my one day layover in Johannesburg.
 
Transfers
John was our driver from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit.
He picked me up at the time advised and we had a safe journey.
 
The only remark I’d make is that the lunch stops were a bit poorly.
We stopped in 2 gas stations, on our way out for breakfast and our way back for lunch.
The areas we stopped in offered nicer places to sit down for 15-20min and that would’ve been more appreciated.
Another suggestion would be to provide a nice prepared lunch (from the Hoedspruit east gate where we had lunch upon arrival) for our way back and sit down somewhere and consume a drink. I’m sure people are happy to pay an extra 30-40 rand for that.
 
Safari
The safari was great. We had a terrific lunch upon arrival at the East Gate in Hoedspruit.
We had very experienced, enthusiastic and interesting guides on our trip. (Jolande Schoen, Marius Swart)
They made us feel safe and didn’t under nor overdo the programme and the fact that the camp works with small groups was a super plus.
The camp was very nicely organized, accommodation was very clean and the food fantastic. Well done to all three ladies in the camp!
 
My only remark would be that I would like to see the camp fenced in a way (wiring). Not just for our safety during our time there, but also the people who work all day long in the camp and are unarmed and unprotected against the animals. No matter the amount of study, these are still wild animals and their behaviour can never be 100% predicted. It would make us feel safer in the evening and during the nights (especially when you sleep alone in a tent).
 
All together a wonderful experience, lots of game in the park and very well organized!
 
Kind regards,
Valerie Fierens

June 2008
Hi Alison
I am glad you received and liked the small gift from the Philippines.

By the way, I will be more than happy to participate in the feedback request!

It was a really really beautiful trip for us. Yes, i think the dust has settled and a bullet is lodged, we have promised to keep coming back to this great continent.

It was a wonderful trip you arranged for us, every camp was special, different and it all formed a total and holistic experience. The pick ups were reliable, never late (except for the xakanaxa to mapula flight, but it was because air botswana was delayed and pilot had to wait for the passenger to arrive)

The lodges were all as expected, not short of disappointment, although Mapula was a bit  too dark and lacked lighting at night, and the doors to each cottage didnt have door locks (anyone can come in to your room) The people were all so kind, but all our laundry was mixed up, white shirts, white fleeces, socks all became blue.:-(

The best food as agreed with the entire family, was in xakanaxa!

The most luxurious lodge was Chilwero.

The best mokoro ride was in mapula.

Xakanaxa had the most beautiful Mopane tree woodlands and birds!

In general our animal game viewing was good, but other travellers from other camps had very interesting sightings. We never saw cheetahs, wild dogs, hyenas, but maybe it was all luck :-)

Our favorite guide was in Xakanaxa called Water, and at San camp.( abby at san is a biologist with a phd!)

Mapula, Xakanaxa, chilwero took efforts and all prepared special asian meals for us. Mapula even made a birthday cake for out son. San camp activities and feeling was very personalised. they filled our short time with so much good company, good information, and surprises!

For sure, I will recommend my friends to write you when they plan their trip.

Re the botswana visa, having done it at capetown's Botswana consulate office, I can only say that we waited 10 minutes and we got the visa. (although they will say 3, 5 or 10 days on the phone!) As long as you have the complete requirements on hand. In case this info can be useful to you next time.

Thanks again Alsison and we are looking forward to our next trip to Africa!

Best regards
Marlene Ong

 

June 2008
we are back, unfortunately!
 
It was a wonderful holiday, just great, and I want to say thank you for the perfect organisation.
 
We really enjoyed all the lodges and the people we met there. Every lodge was completely different from the other, but staff and management were always very friendly, like a little family.
 
We will definitively go back to the Southern part of Africa – next time perhaps to Chief’s. We met quite some people that also wanted to go to Chief’s but then had to go to Baines as Chief’s was fully booked. And we now know the reason: the Saudi prince has booked Chief’s for a kind of family come together for ten days (and brought along 20 assistants/hair dressers, personal trainers etc – just crazy!). However, Baines was one of the best during our trip, so you found the perfect alternative.
 
Once again, thank you very much, Alison, for everything. We won’t forget this trip.
 
Best regards and have a nice evening,
Katrin Cihlar

June 2008
About the service from Island-Safari during the booking and the tour :
Claudia has been very competent and very kind to help us to do a pleasant tour. When we arrive to Johannesburg we met somebody for help us to get the domestic airport.
About from our stay in Camp Jabulani:
Every body were very well. It's a marvelllous lodge. It's was better than a dream. We hope back soon.

All the best.
Mireille and Christian Arcadipane

June 2008
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour.We researched over two dozen companies and contacted six for more detailed information. Island-Safari was the only one willing to work within our limited budget. Mandy listened to what we wanted to see and do in Africa and customized a package to meet our needs. We always received a quick reply to our e-mails and don't see how the service could have been better. We especially appreciated Mandy's thoughtful and timely suggestions in response to our many questions. We met several travelers on our trip who had lost money and/or connections due to the failure of Nationwide Air, and were grateful we had decided on I-S. You were really on the ball. Mandy had rebooked us on another airline before we knew there was a problem. We did not need to contact I-S during our tour because everything went smoothly and we were very pleased with the arrangements. Excellent service!

The transfers you had.The only glitch we had on the entire trip was the transfer that was supposed to pick us up at the Botswana border and take us to Elephant Valley Lodge. A guide from another lodge looked out for us, called EVL twice, and even helped us with our customs documents. Since it took our driver considerably longer to finally arrive than the trip to EVL, and it looked from her vehicle that she was a sub-contractor, we concluded she had been running some private errands in town. She was friendly, but completely unapologetic about standing us up for over an hour. Needless to say, we gave the guide who helped us her tip. All the other transfers were easy and problem free. Each lodge told us what time we would be departing and where to wait.

Your stay at The Safari Club SAThe Safari Club is a work of art! Our room was spacious, quiet and comfortable. They had the best breakfast spread we've seen anywhere, and accommodated us in every way. The optional dinners they offer are also very good and reasonably priced. The Safari Club (with your help, we understand) arranged a tour to the museums at Sterkfontein on our last day in South Africa. We didn't ask the hotel about the tour until our arrival there the prior evening, after normal office hours. We were very pleasantly surprised when an hour later everything was arranged for us to meet Andre Ballet the next morning and take the tour. Thanks.

Your stay at Chundukwa River Lodge Quiet, charming and highly recommended! After two days there, we felt that we had already had a fantastic trip. Great food, very professional and friendly owners and staff. The owners were attentive and wanted their guests to enjoy their stay. Their new guide Philip was very knowledgeable, diligent, and personable. We also enjoyed our stop at the Livingstone Museum on our way back from Vic Falls.
Your stay at Elephant Valley Lodge Our tent and service were both excellent, and the food was very good, although not as good as Chundukwa's. Our guide Patrick was very, very good. Both the game drives and the boat trip were fantastic. After Chobe, all our other wildlife sightings were bonuses.
My only suggestion, which I made to the manager, who said he will bring it up with his corporate management, was that they raise their prices and not charge for water served with meals! They did not provide a pitcher of water or glasses in our tent (I learned their supply is drinkable but alkaline). Perhaps this is cultural, as I understand that on the Continent, they charge for water. In American and British restaurants, they just keep it coming. It would have been less jarring if they had charged for coffee and tea, or laundry -- water seems a necessity in a warm climate. Again, perhaps this is cultural, but none of the other lodges did it. It appeared to this American, and I expect would to others, to be what we refer to as "nickel and diming" by an otherwise high end establishment. I suspect this silly policy was formulated by some accountant at corporate headquarters. I expect to pay for beer, not water.

Your stay at Oddballs Camp We had great fun at Oddballs, and are very glad we decided to spend two nights camping. Our guide Kitso was savvy and friendly. If we had not had confidence in his bushcraft and good judgement, we would not have followed him unarmed into the bush. Actually getting out for two long walks a day made the trip for us, and the afternoon siesta allowed us to recover from our jet lag. He even netted some fresh tilapia for dinner. He was very careful and looked out for us. He got up in the middle of the night to feed the fire, and on the way back to the base camp, had to gently persuade a stubborn elephant to move out of the way of our mokoro. The food at the lodge was excellent, and the staff there were all very friendly.

Your stay at Meno A Kwena Tented Camp We had excellent guides (which we now understand is what this safari business is all about) everywhere, but we have to say that our guide, Dabe Sebitola, at M-A-K, was in a class by himself. He could talk to the animals, expertly track, make fire with two sticks, knew all the book stuff, and was great company! He answered our innumerable questions about the Kalahari, animal behavior, bushcraft, his San people, and he showed us a great time. He also had a wonderful sense of humor. We cannot recommend him too highly.

The staff at M-A-K was friendly and took good care of us. They fed  us very well. We are very glad we decided on the overnight to Makgadikgadi Pan (Mandy's suggestion). M-A-K and Gweta Lodge try to keep the arrangements a surprise, and they succeeded completely! We were the first two guests of the season, and felt like the King and Queen of England.

It is no surprise to us that Island-Safari is such a success. We honestly cannot think of anything you could have done better. We had a fantastic trip.  We told everyone we met on our tour about you. When I told my best friend about it and recommended he and his wife go, he said, "You have done all the homework. We'll just take the same trip next spring." The best part of the homework we did was locating Island-Safari. Thanks for a great trip! It was a genuine pleasure doing business with Island-Safari.
Jeff Dennis and Barbara Nakano

June 2008
We had a great time in Africa. Thanks for organizing everything for us. I have to say Desert Homestead had the best food (compared to Mapula and Muchenje) while Mapula's staff is the friendliest and the lodge also has great character. Muchenje's food is not as good compared to the other two lodges but their all-day safari is a bonus (but tiring as well!). The view from Muchenje is also unbeatable.

Thanks again!
Renee
I have already provided my feedback on the three lodges to Alison De Buryn. My other feedback is:
services from Island Safari staff: Ali was extremely helpful adn well organized and thoughtful. she gave us honest and great recommendations!
 
transfers: all airport and road transfers worked out very smoothly. The pilot who flew us from Windhoek to Desert Homestead was also a lot of fun and had dinner with us at the lodge.
stay at Victoria Falls: very nice hotel and extremely convenient.
Renee Cheung

June 2008
I was very, very satisfied with everything we rec eived. Beginning with the choice of the lodge, that really was exactly what we wanted, all the service off bookings, and our time there , the guide, the managers of the lodge, the food, everything was wonderful! We received the best attention for everybody!

I can give mark 100!

Thankyou
Any Wrona

June 2008
I just return home and I planed to send you appreciation letter.
First I thank you for sending your representative to meet us at Johannesburg airport, I knew that some one will meet us but I did not realize how helpful it will be and you must thank her for all the help she gave us.
The service we received from you was excellent and we enjoyed it very much.
The Stone cutters Lodge is beautiful place and we received wonderful service.
But the best of all was Hongonyi Private Game Lodge. We received the best service, the place is very nice, we were very lucky to meet the owners they are grate people. We loved to be there and enjoyed every minute.
 
So, thanks for every thing and especially you Louise for all the assistance.
 
Sincerely yours
Nurit and Daniel Jacobi

June 2008
As previously promised I am very happy to give you a feed-back on our tour through Botswana, Zambia and South Africa as arranged by your company. As Mandy was the one who arranged everything - and did it extremely professionally - I have taken the liberty to copy her on my email.
 
As mentioned in my previous email, everything went fantastic, as scheduled and as promised so really, there is not one single thing we were not completely satisfied with. The entire arrangement certainly met, and to a large extend exceeded our expectations, and to be frank, having spent my (our) entire life travelling, expectations were high.
 
I have inserted some point-by-point comments to your bullet points in the email below for a bit more detailed feed-back. Hope that will serve the purpose. Should you ever need any references or recommendations, please do not hesitate to let us know. We would only be too happy to recommend your organisation to others, based on the experience we have had.
 
Warmest regards
Susy and Mogens Henningsen
Singapore
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour.          
One of the reasons for the tour being so successful was the service we received from Mandy from the very beginning and throughout the entire process of finding the right selection of camps and itinerary. The whole selection process was both very friendly and efficient. And Mandy's recommendations showed up to be excellent. During the tour we were very surprised - and impressed, as previously mentioned - that alternative bookings had been arranged        completely without our knowledge when the Nationwide Airlines went bankrupt, so we had no worries at all but was just handed the alternative solution when we arrived at Muchenje. Great job.
The transfers you had.          
All the transfers went very well. Andre from The Tourist's Friend was there for both transfers from Johannesburg and was very pleasant to meet. The more complicated transfer from Muchenje in Botswana to Songwe Village in Zambia,           with 5 different "operators" went surprisingly smooth, including the immigration formalities in Zambia.  The individual transfers by plane, 3 times, were also perfect. I mean, you can't blame the pilots for my wife getting a bit "uneasy" during the flights. Even the long flight from Kwara to Kasane was very good, and we would do it again. 
Your stay at The Safari Club SA
The one-night stay was fine. Everything OK. Good recommendation.
Your stay at Pom Pom Camp          
Pom Pom was great. May be because it was our first experience and camp ? Bu no, I think not only for that. It was well run ( by a newly arrived couple ). Good management, a graet staff, good food and service - and good game drive. We had made only one mistake : We should have stayed there one more night ! Definitely a place you would like to come back to
Your stay at Little Kwara Camp          
Also a good camp. The rooms very comfortable - but then again the tents in Pom Pom was more "real": Safari !   The game drives were real good as well - and we had the one extra day we missed in Pom Pom. The management   a little bit more "local", but very friendly, no problem there and the food not quite a good as Pom Pom. But all in, very      enjoyable. Next time we would consider to try either, or both ?, the Lagoon camp or Lebala in the north.       A great thing with both Pom Pom and Kwara is that you can drive off track - and the drives were real great - as well as in the night, compared to the drives inside the national parks, like in Muchenje.
Your stay at Muchenje Safari Lodge          
That was a great recommendation, Mandy. Thanks for that. Very well run by a lovely couple and good staff. Good food and drinks but, most of all, real good game, in particular because you have the combination of the jeep drives and the boat trips. And the elephants !!! Out of this world. Together with the Hippos, the lions ( 4 female ) and the  leopard. Yes, we had it all including the buffalos and so many girafs that we stopped counting. That was two           wonderful days. Only other comment : the rooms are a bit small but then again, you are not supposed to spend too much time in the rooms, are you ? and the camp facilities and spaces are great but too little time to enjoy them.
Your stay at Songwe Village          
Songwe Village is interesting ( and it was our own choice ). Obviously it does not have the same luxury and the facilities as most of the other upmarket resorts along the Zambesi, but I believe we got another "cultural" insight in the life in Africa, which we both appreciated. The camp is run by a lady who is really engaged in the local life and culture and managed to convey that in a very good manner. The rooms are really interesting - and fine - and those      bathrooms with a view to the Gorge !!! they are really spectacular. It was a good experience. The 1/2 hour helicopter trip which takes you both through the Gorges and over the Victoria Falls is a must, and so is the walk along the falls. Here the 2 nights were just fine, filled with endless experiences.
Your stay at River Meadow Manor Guesthouse.          
It was fine. A good recommendation for a one-night rest after all the exitment. A nice room and good food.
Your journey on Rovos Rail          
We really enjoyed that. We were probably a little apprehensive to whether it would be too long a time to be onboard such a rather limited space - and what to do? Well, the time actually went flying, and they took very good care of us during the entire journey. The food, wine and service was excellent throughout, and we arrived well rested to the          
Cape Town where we subsequently spent two weeks with good friends in Hermanus.

June 2008
Claudia, who took care of our arrangements, was incredible: very professional, patient and efficient. I actually compared with many other agencies (believe me, I spent 2 month arranging for our trip) and we got the best package with you! so it was perfect!

Audi camp stay was very short but we liked it a lot. we only arrived late at night and left the next day but they took very . Pom pom was incredible! personalised attention, amazing food, very good game and the staff were super nice. Chobe was different: many more people at the hotel (of course, after Pom Pom!) but we liked the rooms A LOT and the staff were very helpful arranging the activities. We enjoy also the flights with delta air but we
though that the planes were VERY OLD so were a little bit unconfortable...

Thank you very very much for all your assistance and pls send our best greetings to Claudia. We had a great time! It was fantastic!(see attached
pic).

Best regards,
Eva Capa

June 2008
All of the trip was excellent.
 
The e-mails received from Island-Safari.com staff were very informative and professional.  The transfers all went smoothly and reliably so that we did not have to worry.  Chobe Safari Lodge was luxury with lots of food, the guides were very knowledgeable and we saw lots of animals.  We were made very welcome at Pom Pom Camp and our guide, Seretse was entertaining and good with our teenage daughters.  The staff also managed to get back my husband's mobile phone that he had inadvertently dropped on the light aircraft.
 
Never having been to Africa before, it was an experience we shall always remember.
 
kind regards
Judith Williams

June 2008
We enjoyed our stay at Victoria Falls Hotel enormously.    The transfer was painless.   All in all, we were entirely satisfied.
 
Regards 
Karen Beagent

June 2008
I first want to say that Mandy at Island-Safari was absolutely incredible in making sure our trip went off without a hitch!  We are still stunned at the precision and great service we received at every turn.  Natasha, our driver from A Travelers Friend was terrific!  When she took us back to the airport in Joburg, she not only drove us there, but she went with us through check-in and made sure we got through security okay. 
 
With all of the different pickups from airports, hotels, bush planes, camps, etc, everything and everybody was always on time and extremely helpful.  We have traveled to many locations around the world and I really have to say, from the original booking to returning home, we have never had such great service.  And we have traveled with some of the biggest, most respected travel companies in the world!
 
Below I have included some thoughts on each of the locations….
 
Thank you very much for helping make our African Safari a trip of a lifetime.  You definitely have our business on all future adventures to Africa!
 
Rick Walker

May 2008
I wanted to thank you for how quickly and professionally you managed my trip.
Choice of accommodation was very appropriate, bookings and transportation with zero problems.

I am very happy of my choice of Island Safari versus other tour operators,
and I will be your guest very soon (you also do Tanzania?), as will be several friends of mine who have asked for suggestion with whom to book for South Africa.

Congratulations and best regards
Marco Hannappel

May 2008
Thanks for the note... we had an incredible time in the delta.. odballs was fantastic, our moroko trip outstanding, and Patricia and then Michelle were wonderful... we will for sure be back... thanks for your help.
Stephen Schuitevoerder

May 2008
My husband and were extremely pleased with the service that we received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and while on tour. We worked with Elize via email to plan our trip and she very helpful and very patient with us.
We were very pleased with all the arrangements. It all went off without a hitch.
To be specific and to answer all your questions:
Table Bay Hotel was very lovely,great location, great service. We enjoyed the breakfasts!
Royal Malawane Luxury Safari Lodge was outstanding! The service, the rooms, the food, the game viewing were the best! I actually was in tears when we had to  leave!
D'Oreale Grand Hotel was fine. It is a very nice hotel and we enjoyed its close proximity to the mall and casino (which I was pleasantly surprised about). However, the shuttle from the airport to the hotel (just finding the shuttle) was a bit annoying. We would have preferred to be transferred by private car. We did make that arrangement for the return to the airport the next the day. It was not expensive and was well worth avoiding the trek from the shuttle drop off point.  There is a lot of construction at the Joberg airport.
Tongabezi Lodge was great. We did the half day elephant safari and had a great time. The facility was like being in summer camp. The staff was terrific. The trip to Vic Falls was fabulous. We visited a local village and got a sense of daily life. That was quite an eye opening experience.
Chobe Chilwero was great. We would have liked to have more time there. Two days passed very quickly.
The food and service and game viewing were all wonderful!
Chief's Camp was our last stop! We had a blast on the light aircraft the took us in and out. We had to leave one of our bags in Kasane because we were over our limit on weight/size. The bag was waiting for us in Maun, just as the pilot said it would be. I guess they were serious about those limits! In any event the place was fabulous. The staff and facilities were all top notch.
 
We had a fabulous trip!
 
Hope that this is helpful.
 
Sincerely yours,
Arlene Sanders

May 2008
Just a short word to say that we enjoyed very much our recent trip in South Africa. We discovered a wonderful country and its friendly people. Our guide Allen had prepared a well balanced programme that allowed us to see the Santa Lucia weltlands, the Umfolozi Hluhluwe Game Reserve and the Dragenberg Mountains. We are particularly grateful to Allen who did every thing to satisfy our desires and respond to our needs. He was punctual, respectful, reliable and very knowledgeable about the environment in South Africa. A real professional and wild life enthusiast.

We will recommend Island-Safari and Allen to our friends who like to travel.
Regards.
Jean-Louis Laberge

May 2008
Finally only got back to Singapore this Saturday morning after an additional 2 weeks around Cape Town (Hermanus).
Have spend most of the week-end downloading and sorting out a few thousand photos of elephants and other beautiful animals and is off to Hong Kong tomorrow for a short business trip, so please give me a few days and I will get back to you with a more detailed feed-back from the trip.
 
But in Summary  :  Everything went like clockwork and was spectacular and the entire arrangement from your side was first class. In particular I was impressed with your service and re-booking of our flight out of Livingstone following the bankruptcy of the airline we were booked on. Brilliant - and thanks Mandy ! I am sure we have to talk about that, right ?
 
Best regards
Mogens Henningsen

May 2008
In general everything was excellent . We didn’t have any problem anywhere.   Your services were very very excellent.  All your team are great professionals, about all Mandy.  Everything was perfectly booked. We were very happy during all our trip.    Transfers were excellent.
Our stay al Somalisa Camp was excellent too, and the staff were very friendly and loving people.
Our stay at Victoria Falls Hotel was also excellent.
Our stay at Muchenje Safai Lodge was excellent too.
Our stay in Lagoon Camp was perfect.  Our guide was an excellent professional. (He was called Peht).  He did his best for us to see we wanted to.  In Lagoon was where we saw the group of about 15 wild dogs fighting between them.  They gave us an unforgettable performance.
Our stay at Mapula Lodge was also quite good although in our opinion, it could have been better. We think they could improve  a little more about disinfecting the rooms. I mean, there were many insects inside the room and I think they should do something for solving that problem. 
Our stay at Xakanaxa  Camp was excellent too.
And our stay at Deception Valley Lodge was completely satisfied. The staff and specially our guide Adrian was a great professional and person.  He made us be very happy there.
Well Melissa. Our trip was perfect every way.  We will never forget this marvelous 19 days with Island-Safari.
Thanks so much and from now on,  here in Spain, you have very close friends forever.
Kisses to everybody there, from us in Spain.
Yours sincerely.
Cristina & Carlos Delgado.

May 2008
Just to say everything about our trip worked splendidly.    Transfers were efficient and on time and all the lodges were comfortable and well run.   In fact, couldn't have been better.
Marion I'Anson

May 2008
Tara and I had a wonderful vacation; thank to all of you for your assistance!

Elize was wonderful, and agreed to modify and amend the itinerary several times based on our requests, and every time was able to provide us with an option exactly as we were hoping.  (Our plans changed a few times, so we had to ask her to amend the quote in response to those changes to our schedule.)  She was very efficient, and would always reply within 24 hours which was extremely important to us as we were booking somewhat at the last minute.

Mapula Lodge was wonderful, the staff extremely attentive to our needs and very courteous!  We absolutely loved it!

Chobe Safari Lodge was just as excellent; we only have positive feedback to leave!  The included activities were all excellent, and easy to book on the day of arrival.

The flight transfers (both on Air Botswana as well as Delta Air) were efficient, on time and without problems.

All in all it was a wonderful vacation.  I will be recommending your services to all my friends and relatives who are going to Africa on vacation!

Sincerely,
Charles Dumont

May 2008
Dear Mandy,
How are you?.  We are already at home with our normal life again.  We have finished our trip but we are very happy because everything in our trip was perfect .  You and everybody in your team are great professionals.  We didn’t have any problem anywhere.  Everyplace we were was perfectly booked.  All camps were very good.  The most we liked was “Deception Valley” and Lagoon Camp” in Kwando because our guides were fantastic, but the rest were very good too.   The less we liked was “Mapula logde”.  In our humble opinion it should be cleaner. I mean, there were a lot of insects in the room  and I think they should solve this problem cleaning the room more often.  I know the camp is in Okawango Delta and there are more insects than in other places, but justly for it, they should do something for solving it.    Also the food was a little scarce.  They used to take off the food even before everybody had finished dinner . (maybe they had some problems with stocks of food, I don’t know).  But, it doesn’t matter.  I tell you this just for you to know but nothing else.   We were very happy everywhere.
 
One of the planes which had to come to pick us up, was delayed and we had to wait for it for a couple of hours,  but then, the pilot gave us a gift  for having waited for him..  He flew to the next camp very low, so we were able to see all animals in the bush perfectly and very near. It was fantastic. We enjoyed that flying a lot. 

In sort, all trip was fantastic.  We saw  many interesting things.  At last we didn’t see Rhinos in Somalisa Camp in Zimbabwe but on the other hand we saw a lot of Elephants drinking water all together very close to us in a small pool they had in the camp. .   We took fantastic photos.
We also saw a complete family of lions in Xakanaxa Camp.  ( 2 beautiful males, 4 females  and a lot of cubs  of different ages all together).  It was wonderful.
Also we saw something spectacular. Two families of wild dogs fighting  between them  (about fifteen dogs).  It was absolutely fantastic.  Our guide was also fascinated. He told us he had never seen something like that before.   

Well Mandy, this letter could be very long but we don’t want you to waste your time with us.  Just to say thanks so much and if we decided coming back there, we would put in touch with you again.   And also we will recommend  your company to everybody who ask us about.
Say thanks to everybody there because all of you are fantastic professionals  (specially you).
Kisses from Spain.
 
Best wishes
Cristina & Carlos Delgado

May 2008
We had a beautiful honeymoon in south africa! Everything worked perfect!
The service from Island-Safari, especially from Louise, was excellent!
 
Stonecutters Lodge: service, hospitallity and food was excellent!
 
Honeyguide Mantobeni Camp: service, hospitallity and food was excellent!
 
Timamoon Lodge: service, hospitallity and food was excellent!
 
Peebles Country House: Service, hospitality perfect. Food was unfortunately not satisfaing.
 
Many thanks again for the great organisation and warm regards to south africa!
Melanie Luescher

May 2008
Great trip - thanks.  Oddballs was fantastic and the Island Safari people I interacted were helpful and friendly.  The Metcourt is really wierd - I would have preferred something less glitzy and less expensive (it made sense for me to use the same hotel on the way back).  Are there good B&Bs in Jo'burg where it would be possible to get a bit more of a local experience?
Susan Kerr

May 2008
The service you received from Island-Safari.com staff during the booking process and during your tour. More than satisfactory
The transfers you had. Very smoothly
Your stay at Delta Camp first class
Your stay at Xakanaxa Camp better than the first
Your stay at Chobe Safari Lodge little disappointing in that they mixed up the bookings, otherwise good
Beverley Spies

May 2008
No problem, as I was very happy with the service from Island Safaris !

         Service from Carla was excellent: professional, prompt and good advice. Big thanks, I will have no hesitation to recommend Island Safaris to friends and family !
          I was a little worries about the 4 day Tremisana Lodge Safari as it looked rather cheap for what they promised (at least for someone used to UK prices...) But they were really good, transfers were prompt and save, nice drivers and good vehicles. The lodge accommodation & food is simple but good: clean rooms, friendly staff. The wild life tours exceeded my expectations: I was lucky that there were few guests, but this did not mean they skimped on the tours. Local game tours in Balule plains reserve were excellent, guides did a really good job to cater for any specific interest like birds. I had expected that for the Kruger tour we would be dropped off to join a massive group, but they had their own Landrover in the park and our own Tremisane guide drove us around all day. So for people who are do not have too high demands on accommodation & food I can really recommend Tremisana.
          Riley’s was comfortable, room clean and spacious, bathroom dated but functioning, staff friendly.  No complaints, perfectly good place to stay in Maun for a day or few days. They had “lost” the Island payment conformation but thanks to fast action from Carla that was resolved before check-out.
         Not booked via you but if you ever have people interested in horseback riding in the Okavango Delta: Okavango Horse Safaris are absolutely perfect, I had a great time with them and would not mind going back asap !!!!!!!
 
So again my thanks for the help organizing this trip, and I will remember Island for any future travel to Southern Africa.
 
Best regards
Ruud van der Velden

May 2008
To answer your questions in a nutshell - we had a marvelllous trip and we could not have been happier with the Island-safari service.
 
Elize Cavill-Taylor did a thorough and comprehensive job for us for which we are very grateful
 
Our stay at Meno A Kwena was memorablea and the camp was a very pleasant surprise. Of our party of twelve, nine had never been to Botswana before and six had never been to Africa.. So arriving at a luxurious rustic camp reminiscent of the old safari days was magical - even for those of us who have experienced Botswana quite a bit. The service and attention to detail by Patrick and his team was great. Even the wildlife came to the party with elephant at the waterhole each evening and lion spoor outside the Hollanders tent in the morning. We enjoyed the camp immensely and would surely consider going there again in future.
 
Elephant Valley was again superb but in a different kind af way. Fabulous setting again with the active waterhole. We did get lost trying to find it (and one vehicle got stuck in the sand in the attempt ) but when Sean had arranged our rescue and explained that the lack of sign posting was to keep the camp exclusive, I realised I had not brought along the GPS reading for the camp which was the method they recommend their guests use to hone in on the location. This adventure was taken in good spirits and in fact thoroughly enjoyed by all. How can you go to Africa and not spend some time stuck in the bush with elephants around any corner ? Staying there for four nights was ideal as we had time to relax and enjoy the camp surroundings as well as spend a day at Victoria Falls and of course do the trips into Chobe Park and on the Chobe river at least twice each. The wildlife was very obliging with many exciting sitings and of course oodles of photographs were taken by all.

On to Nata Lodge. The road from Nata Village from about 40 kms out up to Pandamatenga is in very poor shape - huge potholes for about 120kms. From Pandamatenga into Kasane the road was good again. The result that this 300km stretch took a good four and a half hours to cover. So of course after leaving EVL we had to negotiate this same stretch and it was quite tiresome. There was also very little if any sign of any repairs being made. Makes us not keen to take that route again until we have heard that is had been attended to.
Nata Lodge was as welcoming as always. We have stayed there several times and find them pleasantly acceptable. Food OK, service OK, rooms OK ( I do prefer the luxury A-frames to the cottages but I should have mentioned that when we made bookings ), the bush babies did their tricks for us and all round we enjoyed our stay there as well. They did try to tell us that only 7 of us and not 12 were booked in for dinner but I found that so incredulous - after all we were 12 booked into the accommodation - they did not argue the point further and we had a great evening.
 
 
All in all trip whole trip was very successful and my guests asked several times who I arranged this all through and how did I manage to find Island-Safaris in the first place. I filled them all in and I am sure your good name will be bandied around a bit in Holland as a result. They are all longing to come back again. We are thinking along those lines too - of perhaps doing a ' west of the delta ' trip in September this year. I am working on it.
 
Many thanks
April Bac

May 2008
All excellent, could not have been better.
 
Special thanks must go to Carien, she was incredibly helpful and make everything happen.
 
Regards,
Simon Gale

May 2008
I was not able to go to Ivory Tree Lodge due to a family emergency; however, my husband and our two boys thoroughly enjoyed their stay.  From what I can gather from my family, the lodge was comfortable and the food very good.  The ranger, Nick was knowledgeable, friendly, efficient and entertaining.
 
Cara, whom I had been dealing with at Island-Safari was pleasure to work with.  She had been patient and provided us excellent information.
 
We will be moving to Johannesburg in August and I am sure I will be contacting Cara again.
 
Kind Regards,
Alice Larin

May 2008
our stay in the Okavango Delta was marvellous and we saw much more animals than expected in addition from very, very close. In that period of the year the cats have a lot of cubs and the 2 rangers that went on game drives with us at Xakanaxa are really amazing! They tracked leopards with 2 cubs and leopards hunting and a complete lion family with 5 cubs that were finally playing directly next to our jeep and later we found ourselves between buffaloes and a lion hunting them, means I could have touched the lion while he was hunting, he was more than close - so I must say it could not have been better.
Xakanaxa camp itself is great, we loved that everything is luxurious as in former times with candles and petrol lamps, with great food and wines for brunch and diners, with hippos and monkeys between the tents - means you really feel like being part of the wildlife nature and the team (managers and personnel) are so nice and natural and helpful and interesting. Always willing to talk about their country, their lives, their experiences and sharing all their know-how and experiences with the guests. I would love to recommend that place to many, many others, but hesitate to make too much noise about it to make sure it stays as it is. Not growing and having "mass" tourism in the near future. It would not be the same any more...

With regard to the flights and the service at the airport in Maun on arrival and departure with our luggage and so on was fine as well. Everybody was friendly and helpful and whatever we did or asked for was realised as booked.

We are more than happy with everything you provided and thank you very much for the recommendation the booking and your assistance!!

Kind regards from Germany (at least it is summer here now)
Verena Mutius

May 2008
We are the ones who are happy to have choose Island-Safari to organize our tour. Thank you very much! Everything was extremly well organized and we didn't need to worry anytime. It was perfect and we were able to just relax and enjoy our days there.
 
Considering the items you request for feedback:
1. The assistance we had from you, during the booking process was: Great. We felt safe in "your hands", during all the process.
2. The transfers worked very well, always on time, with good assistance and kindness from the people involved.
3. The Safari-Club - we loved it. A very nice place to prepare us for the safari adventure. People was very nice too.
4. The Arathusa Safari Lodge - such a relaxing place! Such a dream! The concept: casual but with an elegant touch, the kindness of all the stuff, the professionalism, all the animals around (what a fantastic situation)... a remarkable experience.
 
Cara, THANKS for everything. You helped us to make a dream come true. If, one day, we return to South Africa for hollidays, we surely will ask your assistance again.
 
Best Wishes
Maria & Christian Pantaleao

May 2008
Just got back here from a two week trip.  Island-safari service was excellent.  Prompt response and follow-ups.  Everything in place when we got to Maun for our flight to Oddballs.  Delta air was very accomodating and the pilot gave a very safe scenic flight.  Oddball's staff and guides were out standing.  They went out of their way to make sure our stay and mokoro trips were of top service and quality.  Will recommend Island when I get a chance.
Thank you again,
David Hummel

May 2008
I have to honestly say that I could not have been more impressed with Michelle at island-safari.com  She was great!  When we heard about the
nationwide shutdown and gave her a call she already had us on other flights.  Then the weather was bad trying to get out of Shinde to Victoria falls and before we even got to Victoria Falls all of the tour times we missed were rescheduled.  Then we sprung a last minute addition to the itenerary and she took care of it immediatly.  I would highly recomend your company to anyone.

Shinde camp was also brilliant.  The levels of personal service they gave was unmatched.

All of our transfers were on time, everyone was professional, and in victoria falls we even missed one of our transfers because the bunji jump was running late and they sent another to pick us up right away.

The Zambezi sun was overall good.  The food choices for lunch/dinner were a little more limited than i would have hoped.  The staff was
always smiling and the location was perfect so i would still recomend it.

Hope that helps.  Please let me know if there is anything else that i can help with.

Best Regards,
Jonathan Clites

May 2008
We had - in every sense - a wonderful time down there. Service, facilities and National Park were fantastic.
 
One tip for your marketing activities: prior to our trip we were unsure whether we really want to travel through Botswana given the way higher price level than in Namibia for good accommodation. Now that we know the value of all the activities that were included in your offer, we know that the pure prive level of accommodation is not really different from what we have seen in other Southern African countries. I.e. that the price of USD 410.- per night, which equals approx. EUR 270.- at the moment (which sounds extremely expensive), is way lower if you deduct what a game drive or a private boat excursion normally costs. Our calculation ended up in something around EUR 120.- per night excl. activities. Bottom-line: marketing Botswana price level would be easier if you emphasize the valoue of the activities included in the package.
 
Looking forward to neyt time travelling with you.
 
Kind regards,
Alex Kirsch

May 2008
I was very happy with Island Safari's service from Alison. She replied promptly and  helpfully to my requests and we ended up with an itinerary that suited us very well.
I think the cost was fair, too. Everything went smoothly once we were on the safari  and I even got a message from Alison in Namibia noting the upgrade to San Camp.
 
Transfers — Everything worked well except we weren't sure when we were to be picked  up from the Zambezi Sun and went for a walk before breakfast which made us a bit  late once the driver arrived. No other problems with flights or cars.
 
Zambezi Sun Resort Hotel — Fine. Great walks in area.

Ichobezi Safariboat — Fantastic. I recommend putting them on your list. The Ichingo  Lodge which runs the boats is of a very high standard with great food, wine, etc.,  although it's the game watching from the houseboat's smaller boats which was so  spectacular. The animals seem to ignore you when you're on the water, with the  exception of the hippos and crocs! Great staff.

Ichingo River Lodge — Lovely tents with giant adobe bathrooms adjoining them and  private decks overlooking the river. Beautiful food. The owner, Ralph Oxenham, is a  character.

Oddballs Camp — Just our style. Nice, but not over the top. Our guide, Julius, has  worked for Delta Camp in the past and we were most impressed with his knowledge,  skills and kindness.
 
San Camp — Fabulous food and wine. Otherwise, over-rated in my books, especially if  we had been paying $800 per person per night -- the book price. I'm not sold on the  owner's idea about bringing in British PhDs to be guides. Harkened back to colonial  times, in my opinion. But everyone was very nice and it was fun for us to experience on an upgrade. 

Hope that helps.
Yours,
Erin Ellis  

May 2008
Hi.  I would be happy to provide some feedback.  Elize did a magnificent job for us…from the beginning when we contacted her and throughout the time when we were making our decisions, Elize was the consummate professional in responding efficiently and effectively to our requests.  All of our transfers were managed precisely as described on our itinerary. 
Our stay at Elephant Valley Lodge and Delta Camp more than met our expectations.  The managers at both lodges took great care in managing our stay.  We want to provide a very special thanks to Lena at Delta Camp – what a truly remarkable human being. 
The Safari Club provided just exactly what we needed – a clean and comfortable place to stay before flying onto other parts of Africa.  We will be happy to recommend Island-safari to anyone else who might be planning a trip to Africa. 
Jan Embree-Bever

May 2008
at first our congratulations for your good work and better organisation  of all the details of our travel.
 
yesterday we arrives home and our sensation is clearly a travel without incidents, and we had been in mervelous places always connecting with kind people.
 
Until our next travel you have a friends here in Barcelona
 
best wishes
Pilar and Alvaro Palao

May 2008
We wanted to take a few moments to offer you some additional feedback on the fantastic 10-day Namibian Explorer Safari vacation that we had with you in April.

Firstly, the organisation that was done by Louise from Island-Safaris was just out of this world. We worked with Louise over a period of several weeks to find a vacation that suited our aspirations and timing expectations. We just don’t know how she endured us - with our numerous vacillations and amendments. Her attention to detail and Customer satisfaction was just something else.

Our biggest quandary was our fear that it would be difficult for the safari to meet Louise’s standards. Well, we are happy to state that this was indeed the case. The safari met fully, and even exceeded the setting that Louise has portrayed.

Ndaheya let our safari in a way that your management should be very proud. He is an exceptional person, with qualities we have seldom seen in an ‘employee’. He is a true asset to your organisation and we hope that he may receive some recognition for this. His personality, his knowledge of the nature, his management style, his cooking skills, his driving skills, his attention to detail, and most importantly, his attention to Customer needs were all quite impeccable.

We are a rather well-travelled family, but this Namibian experience does come out as one of the nicest vacations of all times !!!

In the interest of a balanced feedback, we would like to make a comment to two points:

        The Soussusvlei experience: We hope that it is fair to say that Soussusvlei is certainly the safari highlight. We were all looking forward to seeing the sunrise over the dunes. Given the new overnight location, it is just impossible to get to the dunes for sunrise. This is also complicated by the fact that the gates only open at sunrise. Whilst the experience was still breathtaking, we would highly recommend that accommodation be found inside the dunes, so that this experience may be realised.
        The Swakopmund optional activities: This is a wonderful and timely break after a number of days on the road. We are cognisant that you are dealing with partners and suppliers to offer these optional activities. In our experience with the Balloon and Skydiving optional activities, we would recommend that you update your price lists to avoid confusion, and only offer brokerage to activities where you have solid agreements in place.

In closing, we would again like to thank both Louise and Ndaheya for their highly commendable and unique services.

Best regards
Tyrone & Joëlle MORRIS

May 2008
We have only just returned to Australia after the balance of our trip.
 
We were going to give you our feedback in any case, so thanks for your email.
 
In all cases we were very satisfied by Island Safari’s service through Alison (very prompt and courteous), and also the transfers and flights (all on time and trouble free), and also the standard of accomodation and service at both Sindabezi and Mapula. All in all a very good experience and top marks to all concerned.
 
Many thanks,
Steve Eckfeld

May 2008
Hi Patricia,
 
Many thanks for your Birthday wishes. Sorry it has taken me so long to respond but soon after returning from holiday, I had ( arranged) to have an operation on my foot - nothing serious but a nuisance, nonetheless.
 
We had a wonderful trip to Africa, due , to a large extent, to your excellent recommendations and perfect arrangements. We will send our feedback to Island-safari.com in due course, but everything was just perfect - the Lodges, the flights, the transfers, the weather and we must thank you again for your help.

Raymond and Sylvia Levitus

May 2008
Just a wonderful holiday - heaven on earth!!
Transfer from airport to hotel - did not turn up - however, all organised by the hotel with one phone call from the airport.
20º Sud Hotel absolutely exquisite just could not be bettered.  The owners and staff made everything happen discreetley and exceptionally efficiently.  Vegetarian food a dream with the chef preparing special meals each evening.
I can say more than just a wonderful experience.
Jeanne Robertson

May 2008
It s been a great pleasure to give you a feedback on the service. Verona, the staff who help me to organise the hotel all the way in a very professional and informative way. Being very responsiblity and efficient to answer all my questions and offering extra help. Like providing a shuttle from Ocean Villa to Le Mauricia Hotel. I m very impressed by the excellent serivce that provided by Verona.

The stay in Le Mauricia was fantastic. Nice beach, beautiful pool and friendly staff. We had a wonderful stay in Mauritius. Thank you for giving us a brilliant suggestion. Staying in Le Mauricia make our trip even remarkable.
 
I will definately choose Island Safari.com to organise my stay in Mauritius again!
 
Thank you once again for all your excellent job! Well done!
 
Best regards,
Fanny Chow

May 2008
I’ve spoken to Holly and, in short, our response is 10 out of 10 across the board. We wouldn’t have changed a thing.
 
More specifically:
 
Alison (Island Safaris) was excellent. She always replied to our emails in a timely fashion. She let us know in advance when she was going to be away from the office. She was friendly, polite and honest, and she helped us to arrange the holiday of a lifetime.
The Victoria Falls Hotel was the perfect start to the honeymoon. Fantastic service, lovely food and the view from the hotel gave us a great taster of one of the wonders of the world, which is only a short walk away.
When we left Muchenje Safari Lodge I said to Holly ‘If we had to go home today, I would already have had the best holiday ever.’ The people were so friendly and, for a first safari experience, we were thoroughly spoiled.
Delta Camp was perhaps the most demanding of our stays – with the Mokoro trips, the walking safaris (we were very glad not to get to close to the animals!) and the tree house – but it has also been the experience we have talked about the most since we came home. We were very sorry when we had to leave. Again, the staff and guides were brilliant and it was truly an unforgettable experience.
Before we arrived at Xakanaxa I felt sorry for the staff and guides, thinking they would struggle to find something new and exciting for us so late into our holiday, but I should have known better. Xakanxa was another unforgettable safari experience that greatly added to the fun we’d had at Muchenje. Again, the staff, our guide, the accommodation and the food were excellent – just as we had come to expect!
Which leaves Deception Valley – and you have no idea how difficult it was for us to leave the Kalahari and return to England. Jason, Nadia, Xau and Qoma made us so welcome and managed, once again, to find new experiences, game and bird life for us to enjoy. It is probably Deception Valley, of all of the wonderful plac