Testimonials

Dear Rob, Jackie and I would like to thank you and your associates for the splendid luncheon last week. It was great to talk to other safari enthusiasts and share our experiences. Further thanks for the support and guidance you gave in helping us decide our choice of safari. Southern Tanzania was an excellent choice and gave us another perspective having seen Kruger and Kenya. Tenting was a great experience and one which I think we will repeat. I think its fair to say that we did not see as many animals as we anticipated although we saw most species. You did warn us about that. We saw Cheetah and Leopard which was on our list and to some extent the lack of animals was compensated by the birds we saw which were amazing. The Management, service, food and accommodation at both camps was excellent but the Bandas at Mwagusi were outstanding. Eight days was long enough for us and the respite in Diani Beach at Asha Cottage was just right. Overall the trip was excellent and we are looking forward to next year, whatever style of holiday that will be.

July 2013

Hi Michele, Paddy and I would like to thank you for putting together yet again a perfect holiday for us. We did our best to explain to you what we hoped to experience in Africa and, like magic, it all happened, just like last time. We couldn’t be more pleased or impressed with your company. Every bit of your advice was spot on. It just couldn’t have been better. All in all, if I say that I came back having experienced the bush in as authentic a way as I would ever dare to want and met people whom I will never forget because they affected me in a variety of ways, I hope that that will do as a sound bite for my time in Zambia.

June 2013

Rob, Where does one start? The uniqueness of the trip and the overall experience is what made it all worth it. It will be something we will treasure for a long time – if it is the only time we make it to Africa it certainly has left a mark and created some lifetime memories. Your efforts to come up with such a varied itinerary worked extremely well. Amboseli National Park/Porini Camp – Knocked over by the number of animals. Elephants everywhere, masai giraffe, buffalo, warthogs (pumbas) gazelles, impala, giraffe and vultures everywhere. The two cheetahs catching, toying with and dismantling a hare. Mara/Acacia Houses – both houses were outstanding and a nice change from the tents. Quality and friendliness of the guides was very high. Very down to earth and personable. Fred was a star. Kicheche Bush Camp – personally loved the openness of the camp/sitting under the stars. Felt like we were back home in the outback. Cats, cats and more cats (leopards, cheetahs, lionesses and cubs) – on the hunt, playing, in the trees, eating their kill. Despite not seeing the two male lions hearing their roar roll around the hills was something else. Lake Naivasha/Nakuru & Loldia House – The house seemed like an oasis after the plains/reserves but very different to the rest of the locations. Heather the manager was a hoot/real character with lots of stories and local history. Lake Nukuru was a bit disappointing – number of animals limited but did see the rothschild giraffe. Only 1 rhino and very few flamingos with many more apparently at Lake Bogoria instead. Ol Malo – What a house! Samburu village visit more traditional than the masai village visit so provided a slightly different view. We went into a lived in hut this time which was more than interesting and learned of what they eat and drink. Great variety with walks, camel rides and horse riding. Much less about the animals but did see wild dogs on the hunt. Much more laid back and a great way to end the trip. Thanks again for organising such a fabulous trip. Kenya was a great recommendation.

July 2013

Hi Rob, Yes we are back in ‘civilisation’, but I’d probably rather be in Kenya. What a beautiful country, I just loved it. It has become one of those countries that just gets under my skin. The managers and hosts at all the properties were brilliant. We really enjoyed the hosting side of the holiday, which was something I hadn’t really considered prior to the trip. Such a good way to immerse yourself in Kenyan life. We really liked the people we stayed with and I do believe I hugged a few of our hosts as we left! The game watching side of the trip was superb. So much more that I had imagined. So many elephants! We saw just about everything I think, apart from male lions. But we certainly heard them. The guides had so much knowledge and clearly enjoyed their jobs. They hadn’t lost any enthusiasm for spotting animals, nor looking after guests with breakfast on the go. The whole thing was great from start to finish. The food was fantastic and plentiful. The kids said the pools were too cold and I agree with that, but went in anyway! You also said to tell you of sightings. At Ol Malo we witnessed four wild dogs chasing some prey right across our path. They returned with pieces of the unlucky beast in their mouths and rushed off under some bushes to gorge themselves. Apparently this was a rare sighting so we were very lucky. So thank you very much Rob, to you and your team. It really was the most wonderful trip. It was worth all the research and tweaking of the itinerary in the early stages and we will have memories of it for a long time.

July 2013

Hi Michele, thanks for arranging such a superb holiday – we didn’t get a Pel’s we got 2 thanks! Just a little feedback – Kaingo – fantastic atmosphere with an excellent guide (Andrew). He was probably one of the best we have had anywhere. Both Izzy & Yvonne made us feel like old friends and very welcome. We got the Pel’s here thanks to Andrew’s hard work. Luangwa Bush Camp Walking Safari – a completely different experience & one we would thoroughly recommend – Rob sends his regards and what a really nice guy he was. Old Mondoro – lovely camp & beautiful setting. Jason & Mikaela were great hosts & the Anniversary Dinner they arranged for us on our deck was very special. We had the best ever leopard sightings here.

June 2013

Hi Michele, we had a fantastic trip, and very many thanks to you for putting it together for us, and for making it all work so smoothly. We were really pleased with all the places we stayed at but of them all the Kanana Mekoro Trail and Footsteps were probably our favourites. We also met lots of very friendly and interesting people along the way, both guides and holiday makers. Probably the highlights for me were:- looking over Victoria Falls from Livingstone Island where we went for brunch from Waterberry; watching Elephants crossing 50m in front of our Mekoro on KMT; walking up to lions at Footsteps; seeing a leopard up the tree with a dead sitatunga above our campfire at Footsteps; seeing a lioness with 4 week old cubs at Savuti; seeing the star-scape and the Milky Way after sundowners each night; flying up front in little planes over the Okavango! The itinerary worked perfectly for us, and we are very grateful for all your advice and good planning on our behalf. Thanks once again.

June 2013

Bill, we had an excellent trip. Everything went as planned without issue, and generally we were happy with all of the service providers involved. Benrosa did a great job of meeting us and providing transportation services – the staff was very friendly and flexible. The Kicheche camp was nicer than expected. A very polished camp, well run, with excellent food. Andy is superb and runs a tight ship (he said to say hello) and they have some excellent guides. Every detail was handled flawlessly and service is impeccable. The setting is very nice being on a lake – we were able to canoe a bit. The game viewing in Laikipia was good. We were able to spot some wild African dogs which was a treat given how rare they are, and the white Rhino exhibit is well done. Also spotted a black rhino. The Offbeat camp was not as nice as expected. It might have been the fact that we just came from Kicheche. However, the game viewing in the Mara is excellent. Many cats close to camp – lots of lions and leopards, although did not see a cheetah. Lots of elephants, and many similar herbivores as Ol Pejeta with the exception of water bucs and rhinos. A little easier to spot things given the general openness of the terrain. Saw lots of animals on kills which was a plus. We also visited a nearby Maasi village which was a good experience and a taste of rural Africa. Bottom line – both camps provided great experiences. I surveyed the family, and if they had to choose to go back to only one of them, the consensus was they would choose Offbeat as the scenery, wildlife, and natural feel more than compensated for the lack of more refined accommodations. I think the kids also enjoyed the younger, more informal staff which led to more games, laughs, etc. Thanks for helping coordinating a great experience!

June 2013

Dear Bill, we had a fabulous time! Everything went smoothly. The brief flu was just a minor hiccup, and my bearers carried me to the lunar rainbow, which was one of the most splendid sights of my life. It can be viewed quite fully from the Zambian side, and the folks at Waterberry were wonderfully accommodating in arranging things with your input. As you know, Russell is a complete delight, and he crammed in as much information as our thick skulls would admit. Thanks so much for all your hard work on our behalf. I do hope you’ll stop in if you ever get to New Orleans.

June 2013

Hi Michele, Bill and I want to thank you for all your help in planning out trip to southern Africa. Your expertise, attention to detail, professionalism, and enthusiasm resulted in an absolutely flawless trip. We loved every single minute. We will definitely recommend your company to anyone planning a trip similar to ours.

June 2013

Michele, Thanks for arranging what was a fantastic trip to Malawi. Danforth Lodge – a really great place to stay. Howard and Michelle were excellent hosts and their core team were likewise. Mumbo Island – this was the highlight of the trip for Lucy. We really loved the place and the unique accommodation. Being in a lake the water was safe and we could kayak, snorkel and swim to our hearts content. Mvuu Camp – really enjoyed this different type of safari. This was our first safari that was more bird focussed and for me it delivered. The Shire river is beautiful and birdlife on its banks is plentiful. We saw the Pels Fishing Owl and Lilians Lovebirds…along with all the kingfishers, a wide range of herons and a whole host more. The mix of the three quite different main destinations really made this trip and three days in each provided the right balance. Malawi is a beautiful country and the lack of any big scale tourism is a real bonus…ensuring that what it has to offer is largely unspoilt. Many thanks again for arranging this trip.

June 2013