Jean & Richard, Waterloo ON | Zimbabwe & Botswana | November 2021

We had a fabulous trip! The weather was beautiful and we saw so many of the animals on our Wishlist.
Pioneer Lodge- We found the rep at the airport easily. The rooms are very comfortable. The PCR test onsite went  smoothly. The food is good and the staff is attentive. Having them arrange taxis to and from the Falls was straightforward. I hope their business picks up and they’re able to make a good go of things.
Tlouwana- A beautiful setting! It was amazing being able to sit on our balcony and look into the bush. We saw a giraffe come for a drink at the nearby watering hole, that was one of our highlights. Our guide, Vynant, was knowledgeable about the animals and the area and really worked to give us an enjoyable experience. We felt safe at all times even on the bumpiest of roads. The Lodge staff was attentive without being intrusive. The food was excellent. There were a few other guests there with us, so that was nice getting to chat with them.
Delta camp- Wow! An open air view right onto the Delta. We had a group of snacking impalas right in front of our room. It was also incredible getting to go on the walking safaris with Moja. He’s been guiding for almost 50 years and getting to see the place with him was special. The water levels were too low for mokoro trips, so we’ll have to come back at a different time of year to give that a try.  It was our 20th anniversary while we were there, and they were very kind and set up a champagne dinner under the stars for us. It was pretty quiet while we were there, but we liked that they joined us for meals and everyone ate together. A nice sense of a community camp. It’d be nice to go back once they’re back to full capacity to get to hang out with fellow guests.
Khwai- A cozy spot. This place was much busier than the previous stops so that was fun for us. We were very impressed at the level of customer service we received here. Richard had forgotten his phone on the plane, and Virginia worked with the airline to make sure he got it back. Our guide, Emmax, was excellent. He knows the area very well and with him we saw a pride of lions (12) on three separate occasions which was an amazing opportunity. He is respectful of the animals, getting close, but also giving them appropriate space. Lady G puts on an incredible spread, the food here was tasty and I liked that she incorporated some more local dishes into the menu.
Thanks so much for your hard work putting this together for us. We felt safe and supported throughout our trip. The on-site reps were helpful and friendly at all locations and we got the sense that they’re very happy to be welcoming back guests.