I love booking and then hearing about Steven’s inspiring adventures. He is always so helpful with feedback and keen to provide insight to help other travellers.
Following the fantastic reviews he sent from trips to Iceland and Jordan, his latest escapade took him to another of his bucket list destinations - a little sooner than he had originally planned...
After a last-minute change in status with my trip to Japan, my original destination of choice, I decided to venture to a different part of the world. Africa had always been on my bucket list, I just visited 12 months earlier than I had planned to.
This trip was quite a last-minute one for me, but Amanda sorted everything, as always. Having the opportunity to camp in the African bush and see the Milky Way, along with all the wildlife, was an experience I couldn’t pass up.
I flew from London Heathrow to Botswana (via South Africa) with Virgin. The food was disappointing and I’m not sure I would fly with them again but I was lucky enough to meet my travel group on the plane as we were all on the same outward flight.
I went with the group tour company, Explore. I’ve travelled with them three times previously and this time we had a group of 16 - the majority being solo travellers like me.
The entire group were from England and between us, we managed to represent the whole country.
I spent 14 days in total, travelling by 4x4 jeep through Botswana (staying in Maun), Namibia (where we camped in the African bush) and Zambia (enjoying a spot right by the Zambezi River).
We had one tour guide for the whole trip, called Bibi, who was superb. Each day was packed full of activities, with some free time to recharge our batteries during the evening.
Botswana was hot, sunny and humid, but a wonderful place with great people and a lot of wildlife.
We drove through Namibia to get to Zambia, which allowed us to stop at Victoria Falls, a once-in-a-lifetime experience with a double rainbow to greet us.
At an additional cost, we were able to see the Falls by helicopter, as well as on foot.
Camping in the African bush was a personal highlight. It was mind-blowing to see the Milky Way as clearly as we did. I have a fascination for the stars and taking pictures of them was a truly unforgettable experience, as was camping in the African bush and having a bucket shower!
Some other highlights included: staying in three National Parks; a bird’s-eye view of the Okavango Delta; walking with white rhinos; and Tsolido Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world.
Seeing the animals was fantastic and it was surreal to get as close to them as we did. They didn’t seem bothered at all by our presence and our guide ensured we saw 90% of the wildlife on our wish lists.
A list of animals I was lucky enough to see:
● Lions, lionesses and cubs
● Elephants and calves
● Giraffes and calves
● Zebra and foals
● Monkey
● Jackal
● Wildebeest
● Leopard
● Impala
● Kudu
● Vultures
● Fish eagle
● African wild dogs
The accommodation was superb. We stayed in hotels and a houseboat, and camped under the stars.
The meals were fantastic too and the food was very cheap. We enjoyed three cooked meals a day and I certainly returned home heavier than when I arrived.
Service was slow at times, but they work on African time, and we quickly learned to embrace the slower pace of life.
I loved every minute of the trip and feel so lucky and privileged to have experienced it with the group I was part of.
I would absolutely return to Africa, but I would like to explore somewhere new on my next visit, maybe Uganda, Senegal or Morocco.
It was once again a superb service from Amanda. She knows me well and is a great resource to gain advice when required. I will always book my holidays with her.
Steven
