Okavango Expeditions Reviews 81

11 days travelling through the Okavango Delta, Savuti and Chobe National Park - what an amazing experience! The Great North Road Mobile Safari was the experience of a lifetime, with a team of experienced and very knowledgeable people to support our small group, we had a trip beyond all our expectations. Animals, birds and plant life - truly breath taking.

November is the ‘wrong’ time of the year to go to Botswana. It was hot, oppessively hot!
But, back in the comfort of our urban home, editing through the photos, we are flooded with memories of awesome sightings. All the discomfort of the heat and bush toilets totally forgotten and only the enchanting experiences live on, forever ours to reminisce.

We booked the ‘Okavango Expeditions: Safari Authentic - Maun to Kasane Mobile Safari’ via an agent Cape Town, Verity Bester from Uyaphi.com. We flew into the Moremi on a small plane and were welcomed by our guide, Maikano Phale (Maiker) and his Land Cruiser. Off we went on the safari vehicle for 9 days of adventure.

During our time in the Moremi, Kwai Conservancy, Savuti and Chobe Riverfront we saw so much thanks to Maiker and his vast understanding of animal behaviour. He could anticipate their next moves, and could often steer us to be in the right place at the right time. From waiting for a Leopard to return to its abandoned feast, to ensuring we had the best view at a water-hole to witness predators, scavengers and prey all descend upon it simultaneously to drink. Maiker knew to return to sleeping wild dogs, just before they would wake up again, so we could bear witness to the very vocal and energetic interactions amongst the pack, as they enthusiastically greeted each other after their slumber, before heading off to drink and hunt.

Lucky for us, Maiker has a special interest in birds and could quickly spot and identify them, both visually and by their calls. Overall he was a fantastic guide with a patient and friendly disposition and we are immensely grateful to him for giving us a memorable experience.

Our gratitude also extends to the rest of the crew (MK, Sechaba, Chika, Goaba and Mobole). They were all lovely and kind and worked incredibly hard. Cooking and pitching tents in 40 degrees plus is no easy task. The food was tasty, more courses than we needed, drinks were always offered with a smile, the tents and beds were comfortable, we had enough water in the shower buckets to keep us clean and refreshed. On the night of my husband’s birthday, all the crew came to the dinner table singing harmoniously with their deep voices and presented him with a delicious birthday cake. It was very special, so a big thank you to the guys. Oh and I want that lemon sponge cake recipe please!

Okavango Expeditions truly delivered what their slogan promises - ‘a safari experience of a lifetime’ (even in November).

We just got back from a mobile safari with Okavango Expeditions and it was extraordinary! Our guide was excellent—knowledgeable (all of us in our party are naturalists/scientists so we had lots of detailed questions!), experienced in finding and tracking wildlife, and a wonderful person to spend 10 days with! We had incredible wildlife experiences. The whole camp staff were great! We miss them! They worked really hard every day to make camp beautiful, welcoming, and functional. The guys were great fun—excellent sense of humor, friendly, and took such great care of us! The food was amazing—all cooked on a wood fire—impressive! And accommodated two in our party who needed gluten-free diets. Everything in camp and about the trip was outstanding—it was an incredible experience, thanks to the team. We hated to leave!

Amazing experiences and exploring nature with the dedicated, professional and kind guide Isaac, his great and smiling team, excellent food and service. Romantic evenings spent by the bush fire in the open air full of stars, storytelling, nature lessons and laughter .... Botswana is beautiful country and I will definitely be back. Thank you so much for my most beautiful vacation. Radka, Czech Republic.

For those wanting a true African camping experience, staying under canvas right in the heart of the Botswanan National Parks then this is the trip. Expect a lot of driving each day (it’s a big country), pitching and dropping your own tents and basic (but clean and functional) camp facilities. But... also expect to wake up right in the heart of the bush, jump in the truck and see lion, hippo, elephant, a whole range of antelope, giraffe, birds, cheetah etc etc etc up close and personal. You might not get a shower each night- but you’ll see the most amazing wildlife.
Our guide (TH) and chef (Noag) went above and beyond to make our experience the most enjoyable it could be. Constantly trying to get us in the best position to view the wildlife and working hard around the camp preparing our meals.
They even managed to have repaired one of our damaged walking boots when we stopped in local town (thanks Clint!).

Paul was the most amazing guide who saw (even whilst driving) an incredible variety of wildlife for us. I felt very safe in his care and he was amazingly knowledgeable about animal behaviour. We couldn't have had a better guide.

The food prepared by our amazing support team, and their ability to put up safe and dry tents in (certainly on one occasion) extremely challenging thunderstorm conditions was outstanding. Thank you so much guys!

In short - an amazing 5 star rating for Okavango Expeditions. It was a great trip made even better by your expertise and professionalism.

Liz - November 2019

I cannot recommend the Botswana Adventurer tour highly enough. Our guide T.H. was friendly, fun & most of all extremely knowledgeable. Noja was an amazing cook who kept us well and truly fed and always had a smile & a helpful hand to lend. The animals we saw & experienced we had were absolutely incredible. I have done African safaris before staying in lodges but this experience in tents meant the connection with the parks and animals was so much more. Thoroughly recommend Okavango Expeditions.

We did the Botswana Adventurer Safari. For us, this was the perfect choice. Sleeping in tents in the middle of the National Parks, sitting around the camp fire in the evenings, great game views throughout the days. We never felt that close to nature than on this trip. Guide TH and Cook Nago were the perfect duo. TH knows a lot about the wild animals and has a very nice sense of humour. Nago cooks 5 Star Meals on a fire. Thanks for this unforgettable experience!! Céline & Roman

We did the Botswana Adventurer mobile safari. Full participation (put your own tent up, help with camp chores), which was fine by us. Very well looked after at all times, saw some fabulous sights, and great animals. A lot of driving, often on very bumpy roads but worth every minute and mile. Go and do it!

top safari

Heidi and Rolf
Norway

We had the very best service the whole trip! And our guide, Morgan, always went the extra mile to give us the best experience. We felt safe and well taken care of all the time. Thank you so much for everything!

It was incredible. We loved our time with Paul, Small, MK, and Seche (the chef). We were so happy with the service, facilities, meals, and just about everything else! We'd absolutely do it again, and thank you for such an amazing experience!

Wow ! What an amazing trip my husband and I had . Our guide Paul was unbelievable . Found 7 leopards for me after having been to Africa on 4 other occasions and never seeing one. Also tracked a pack of wild dogs feeding on a kudu and then to top it off discovered a group of 28 lying under some trees after a feeding...The staff were efficient and very friendly. Meals were really good. I couldn't believe how comfortable the beds were. Tents very good and always clean. Loved all the various camp sites. Great tour operators. Particularly liked the fact that you only take a maximum of 7 people ...we only had 5 which was fantastic. Thank you Okavango Expeditions.

Excellent stay, best safari ever!

Just an amazing safari experience overall. Highly recommended to anyone!

Managers and administrators in the shadows, actors in the field … THANK YOU.
Since the reception at the airport with the gourd as a small attention to the pic-nic of the departure, everything has been done for this safari to be a success . An indelible memory to which each one of you will have contributed, in his own way, because of his efficiency and his concern for our comfort.
THANKS to all the mobile team for the work they do in not always easy conditions. The setting up of the tents, the beds redone every day, the preparation of the hot water, the setting up of the table, the service and so many other things were assured each time in an irreproachable way and always in a spirit of conviviality.
THANK YOU to the cook for his delicious dishes (unlikely in the bush), his breakfasts, picnics, aperitifs, punctuality and his much-loved little dances.
THANKS to Maikano for his always interesting interventions, his sense of duty, his command of the French language (much appreciated), his humour and his good humour in all circumstances .
THANK YOU to Préa for her contribution in transmitting and translating the questions and answers . Her sense of humour was also highly appreciated.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU to Morgan, guide and driver, for all his qualities and the seriousness he shows. Attentive to our safety, Morgan proves to be a formidable efficiency in the research, observation and control of animal behavior.Discreet, we often find a book in hand on his time of pause, Hence his advanced knowledge of flora and fauna.
The whole team was highly appreciated, I recommend it to future safarists and will not fail to solicit them again if I have to return.
Thank you and good luck to everyone.
Cordially
Olivier Vasset

We joined the 7 day Botswana safari with guide TH and cook Nogu. They were excellent!! Everything about this safari company was well arranged and just a pleasure to work with. They spent extra time to identify birds that we were unsure of, looked for lions and leopards and very attuned to our needs. Great safari!

Excellent itinerary.

Well balanced programme (two nights in each camp)

Excellent guides.

Excellent staff (cook, other attendants)

We had an amazing experience!
Everything was organised perfectly and the team was just wonderful, the extremely knowledgable guide/driver and the mighty chef, who even baked fresh bread in the middle of nowhere. We can highly recommend Okavango Expeditions!