5 Star Safari: South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe

This Africa travel company provided excellent communication, recommendations, and service from our initial contact through a follow-up post-trip. We originally booked this trip in 2019 for 2020 prior to the onset of Covid, which led to many uncertainties and changes until it was finally executed in 2021. Canceled flights and changes by a Zambia carrier proved to be challenging for all, but our travel company was monitoring this and took immediate action to resolve connections and lodging issues with each change. Flights going and coming from Africa were not full and the same was true for many internal flights. The exception was for the Zambia flights so one might presume that a canceled flight today would mean a fuller flight tomorrow. The actual execution of our trip went off perfectly and we were very pleased. We felt we were in great hands and well supported if there had been flight issues etc. while en route. 

This was our third trip to Africa and we've been on safari for all three. This trip was well organized and there were many transfers and flights involving four different countries in Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). At this time, each border crossing required a PCR test for Covid, so our travel planner had to help us coordinate this as well, in order to make this trip possible. At every transfer point, a representative met us to help navigate the local procedures and facilitate movement to our next flight, hotel, border crossing, etc. If we'd been on our own we'd likely have figured this out, but not with the efficiency and knowledge of the processes and procedures that this staff had. Their presence provided an enormous time saving, efficiency, and made the trip less stressful because we knew someone would tell us what to do next. Who would expect for example that we'd be required to clear security prior to checking in for our next flight? Or that baggage would be dropped at the door we'd just entered in the airport vs. another baggage claim area. In Johannesburg, we were quickly escorted for about a 15 minute walk to the lobby of our hotel. It's a large airport and not having to figure it out after a lengthy flight from the USA made this easy and added value.  

Team Charles, Sarah, and Karen listened to what we wanted on our trip, and instead of focusing just on Botswana and Victoria Falls, they recommended Zambia as well. For Victoria Falls, we were told Zimbabwe is where we wanted to be. Advice was also provided for the Visa for Zambia/Zimbabwe. Our accommodations were all excellent. We actually benefited substantially with lodging upgrades and private vehicles and guides by traveling to Africa while most are staying home due to Covid. We were comfortable at camps with staff that were vaccinated at all but one of our five camps, masking, social distancing, and sanitization. Significant effort is being made to keep the few travelers visiting safe, so tourism may return sooner vs. later. At one of our airports, the restroom stalls in either Botswana or Zambia were being cleaned after every use! With this said, we've encouraged friends to mask up and consider travel now or in the next six months if they have the opportunity. 

We strongly recommend working with this Africa travel company and felt that the presence of staff both in the USA and Africa helped. For this trip, we took a chance as our decision was between doing a trip with this company and with another travel company we've booked with numerous times. We went with this company because it was based on our desired itinerary and we'd be on our own in camps vs. being with a group. My spouse was particularly concerned about this aspect with covid and all the itinerary changes we'd seen prior to the trip, but in the end, we were both extremely satisfied with the end result and format of the trip. We would gladly book another trip through this company.

From the moment I talked with Charles, I knew I made the right decision on a travel agent. He was extremely helpful in coming up with an itinerary that would cover everything that I wanted to do plus a few other suggestions. Since our trip was scheduled for 2020, we of course needed to postpone due to COVID and Charles was very helpful about getting our trip postponed to 2021. There was so much angst about whether we should postpone again till 2022 but with Charles' gentle nudging and reassurance we decided to go this year and I am so happy we did. I think we had an experience that was probably pretty unique because literally there is no one traveling to Africa. We were upgraded at many places, were the only ones at the camp on a few occasions, and there were some flights where we were the only ones or maybe a couple of other people with us.  

We had a wonderful time in Cape Town exploring the wine country, a drive down to Cape of Good Hope, a ferry ride to Robbin Island (where Nelson Mandela served part of his prison sentence), and visited the prison. We also visited Table Mesa Mountain and the botanical gardens. I think we spent just the right amount of time there, three and half days. 

From there we traveled to Botswana and stayed in three different safari camps for eight nights. This being our first trip to Africa, I think Botswana was the perfect place for our introduction. We were to see so many animals; each day was so exciting because every day you don't know what you are going to see.

From Botswana, we traveled to Zambia where we saw Victoria Falls; one of the seven wonders of the world.  It is an amazing sight!!

Then it was on to Zimbabwe, where we stayed at our final safari camp.  

By far, this has been one of the best trips we have ever taken. We have been to many countries around the world, but this is at the top of the best.

Our party of six had an absolutely incredible experience with the travel agency. From start to finish, Charles and Sarah demonstrated exceptional expertise and knowledge of Southern Africa (including customs and practices), and had an obvious dedication to making the trip unforgettable. Their knowledge of locales and locations, wildlife, transportation, and the best safari camps was impressive. They listened to our preferences and crafted an itinerary that was perfectly matched with what we wanted from our 2 weeks in Africa.

We saw four of the big five and countless other species in natural habitats, all thanks to the very knowledgeable guides we were matched with. Daily, we were literally a few dozen feet from elephants, giraffes, antelope, lions, leopards, warthogs, buffalo, wild dogs, and cheetahs. The camp tents were exemplary, offering luxury and immersion in the wild. We felt safe, supervised, and pampered throughout the journey. The attention to detail, from transportation to guided game drives, was simply outstanding.

Finally, their communication was flawless. They promptly answered our (many and sometimes silly) questions and ensured we were well-prepared for the trip. They also helped make special arrangements for a birthday dinner. During the trip, they regularly stayed in touch. When our return flight was canceled last minute, Sarah made sure we had accommodations in Johannesburg and London while our airline re-routed us.

We can't recommend this travel company enough. Thanks to their expertise and knowledge of Africa, our safari was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that wildly exceeded all expectations.

This was our first adventure to Africa and Charles listened to our wish list for our trip and magically created a custom trip that far exceeded our expectations and met our budget. Our group of four adults spent three days in Cape Town at a beautiful hotel and had a spectacular guide who showed us so much including the Cape of Good Hope, African penguins, Robbin Island, and wineries. From there we flew to Botswana for six days and stayed at two wonderful, but different, bush camps in Botswana. The two camps that this travel company chose for us had expert guides, great food, and beautiful accommodations. Both camps were conservation-minded and contributed to the community that surrounded them. We had fantastic game drives with close-up viewing of so many different species including lions, elephants, sable antelope, zebra, giraffe, baboons, and a baby leopard, just to name a few. We ended our trip in Zimbabwe and saw the falls from a walking tour, had a beautiful guided sunset boat ride for our group only. At every turn, we had great helpers, pilots, chefs, staff, and guides.

The whole trip was flawless. This Africa travel company thought of every detail, including having a Covid test team helicoptered in to the bush in Botswana so we could travel to Zimbabwe. There is absolutely no way we could have made this trip a reality without the expertise and attention to detail that this company provided especially with the additional concerns with Covid. This was my dream trip for my lifetime and this Africa travel company made it a reality.

What a fantastic trip! It was so well organized and planned, we were able to just relax and enjoy our vacation. It was a one-month journey to Africa, visiting Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. We always felt taken care of.

The safari portion of our trip could not have been more perfect. We were able to see the animals from very near on night drives and bush walks, with very few other jeeps to disturb the environment. The private concessions are an amazing way to truly experience the animals.

We also explored Cape Town on a number of fantastic private tours. We watched the southern right whales off the coast of Hermanus, tasted some delicious wines in the Winelands, explored charming small towns, tried local cuisine, hiked Table Mountain, and so much more.

Our travel team planned the trip to perfection.