Zambia

Dear Marc

Thanks for all of your help with our trip to Kenya which was excellent. all went very well, guides were generally very good, game excellent and goal of seeing cheetahs achieved.

Thoughts on things.

Lakes . Lolida nice place to stay, Staff and food excellent (esp Manager

Peter) and good place to chill out for first couple of days. Lake Nakuru park good (least good of all the places – but you had said that and our expectations were lowish) but felt a bit like longleat, guide there was less good than others but all things are relative.

Joys Camp. Really lovely camp, enjoyed the lack of people and sense of isolation. Reminded us a little of camps in Namibia. Had great leopard sightings, including a kill, but just generally really enjoyed the camp. It was really beautiful, camp was gorgeous, facilities excellent.  Guides Musa and Eric very good indeed. Had a great day trip into Buffalo Springs Rekero. Great Tented camp. Obviously not as luxurious as Joys, but excellent position in Mara. Guides excellent. Loads of game and saw loads of lions , few cheetah and lots of leopards (6 different ones!). Lions etc almost too easy and just too many other vehicles for us. Not sure what it must be like at migration time -must be mad!

All in all a great trip. However if we return (can’t believe we won’t)  it will probably be to southern Africa perhaps throwing in somewhere new eg Zambia as well as our favourite Botswana. Perhaps we have just been spoilt!

Anyway thanks so much we did love it, great experience, great people, and have taken some good photos.

Perhaps India next before we get back to you about further trips.

Best wishes to all

J Lineham 2011

Thank you so much for recommending Chiawa!!!
What a special place!  We had amazing wildlife experiences (lion kill in camp by a mating pair, hippos and elephants in camp every day, leopard in tree on the river and lots of other wonderful sightings on foot and by car and on the river.  I think the croc with the huge eel in its mouth was a first for me!).  Dave and Grant were there for part of the time and just wonderful to us.  The camp staff were terrific as well – so patient and helpful with the kids.  I think it was a life-altering experience for our friends, the Friedlands.   It took their kids some time to adjust to camp life, but they are raving to everyone back in New York about their first-ever trip to Africa and Zambia.   Although Peter and I and our kids have been on many safaris, this was one of the very best in terms of guides and wildlife.

Peter and the kids and I definitely hope to return next year – we are moving to Cape Town in January (schools are secured but still need a home!) and will be doing lots more travel around southern and east Africa.  Perhaps we can book Mombo far enough in advance to ensure a place – let us know the best time to be there.
I so appreciate your professionalism and guidance and hope to meet you at some point somewhere in Africa!

Best wishes,

I Baird 2009

Dear Marc and James:

I wanted to thank you both for arranging my and Cheryl Bailey’s trip to Zambia. It was simply wonderful and everything went smoothly.  We were meet and greeted at every point and the transfers were seamless.  We were so glad that we chose (with your encouragement) Zambia.  It seemed that everywhere we went we ran into repeat Zambia visitors who had “discovered” it after several trips to Africa. In Livingstone we encountered people who had been to Botswana, but had not encountered the diversity or density of game (or interesting experiences) that we had.  Lower Zambezi and a unique environment with close encounters with elephants and Chiawa made us feel at home in Africa.  Nsefu was “rugged  Africa” with lots of game including leopards. Following stampeding buffalo that were being hunted by lions at night was an adventure.  Kafue –Lunga and especially Busanga was a special place.  The plains were just beginning to be populated with game and we were able to follow a pride of lions for our entire three days there.  It boggles the mind that the American agent we almost commissioned tried to talk us out of Kafue!  Victoria Falls was a wonderful end to a great trip.

We will recommend your firm to anyone planning a trip to east/southern Africa.  For your information we had interesting experiences with Air France  –maybe because we paid more for the routing (with a stop in Paris).  They upgraded us to business CDG-JNB and CDG to Washington on the return.

W McClenahan 2004