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~ Feedback from our valued clients ~
Heather and Friends: Zimbabwe and Botswana: Apr 2023
Honestly I can't begin to describe what an amazing adventure we had. I was so impressed by everything you arranged for us. It was wonderful to be met right off the long flight to Johannesburg. You also arranged our camps in perfect order in my opinion. Our guide Ona was so full of knowledge and expertise, he truly has a gift for tracking the wildlife and anticipating what they are going to do!! The entire trip surpassed all my expectations. If ever I were blessed to return to Africa, you will be my first contact, and I think having Ona again would be a must for all of us. He became our friend by the end of the trip. The Wilderness system was so impressive, and the people were beautiful and joyful. I've shared with everyone since being back home there simply aren't enough positive words in our English language to describe how incredible the entire trip was. Many many thanks to you for all your hard work and effort, and for answering all my questions which were likely repeats due to my joining on so close to departure date. Thanks and blessings to you and your family.
Angie and Ed: South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, Apr 2023
We just wanted to say a huge thank you for organizing such a spectacular trip to South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe! We loved every minute of it. The trip was perfectly organized with the right amount of time everywhere. Everything was very smooth, and we had no glitches or problems at all. All of the guides were first rate and all the accommodations and tours were top-notch. We really came away with a greater appreciation and understanding of the beauty, the wonders and challenges of Southern Africa. We have recommended you to a number of our friends who say such a trip is on their bucket list. Your ears might have been buzzing as we met a Calif group of folks who knew you well on the plane to Little Vumbura. We also met the private guide Map. We all sang your praises!!
Chris and Family: South Africa and Botswana, Mar 2023 Amazing trip - everything went very smoothly and we were blown away by the professionalism and magical experiences. Awesome stuff! Debbie with Family and Friends: South Africa, Mar 2023 What a wonderful time we had yet again in beautiful South Africa. All greeters, drivers, guides were great. Thank you for arranging them. Savanna remains our absolute favourite part of our itinerary and they did not let us down. The best of course was watching our grand-daughters taking everything in and thoroughly enjoying themselves. They were both so good the entire trip and kept up with the early morning starts and late nights when on safari. Truly a magical experience for them both. Whilst at Savanna we took the girls to the Elephant whispers sanctuary which was icing on the cake as one of our grand-daughters (Savannah) is absolutely in love with elephants (along with me), so the visit there was perfect. We also took them to Savanna’s “orphanage” day care centre. They took clothes and pencils for the children there and really enjoyed the interaction with the children there. A very meaningful visit on so many levels. Particularly enjoyed our guide Maarten in Stellenbosch/Cape Town and everyone at Savanna were superb. Can’t fault anyone anywhere actually. Annette: Botswana, Jan 2023 The safari in Botswana leaves me speechless. It was perfection. The Delta and the animals were extraordinarily magnificent. The camps were sumptuous with each person lovelier than the next.The absolute icing on the cake was having Map and Robert as guides. I felt like I was in a David Attenborough special with David in my Land Rover! The brilliant guiding opened us up to the intimate world of the Savannah. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, Map is a national treasure.The combination of his knowledge and his passion and his personality were gifts that made this trip unforgettable. Thank you for your patience with all of our” issues” and deep gratitude for creating that magical time for us. Shippen and Anne: Botswana, Jan 2023 Shippen and I are en route home after a magnificent trip! It all worked smoothly and easily and we are very grateful to both of you for organizing us. Cape Town was fun and interesting and Suleiman was a great guide who added a lot to our visit. The Radisson Blu was a wonderful place to land as we acclimated to Africa. It would have been nice to have had more time at Boschendal because it is so beautiful but we packed a lot in and are not sure what we would have given up for that. Everything about our time in the Delta was fabulous accommodations, the length of time at each place, the variety, the guiding (Map added hugely to our experience), our fellow travelers and of course the magical wildlife. We feel refreshed and inspired, full of wonderful stories and images as we head back to our New England winter. With much gratitude, Anne. Robert and friends: Botswana, Jan 2023 Dear Caro and Paul, As our trip is coming to an end I thought I’d write and give you an update. It has all been simply fabulous. Each of the camps was excellent: amazing wildlife (we’ve been very, very lucky), great accommodations, terrific staff and food. If I had to choose I would say that Gomoti Plains, with its old-style, ground-level tents was my personal favorite housing, though the “tents” at Kiri are quite amazingly luxurious. The food at both Gomoti Plains and Kiri was a step above Shindi, but the guides everywhere were terrific. You will no doubt have heard by now about the amazing lion fight we saw at Shindi: neither Map nor I had ever seen anything like it. The guides at all three camps are doing a great job of recognizing individuals among the predators, keeping track of their day-to-day activities, and from this information putting what the visitors see into its historical context. To show just how lucky we’ve been, I should mention leopard and cheetah hunts at GP and Kiri, lions everywhere, wild dogs at GP, and a python killing an impala on our last evening at Kiri (once again, Map and I were amazed at seeing this). The birds, too, have been fabulous. A final word about Map. As you know, I have known and respected him for years but on this trip he really excelled. He is an extraordinary source of knowledge, not only about the animals but also about the Delta, its geography and history. He also has a very engaging personality — put simply, everyone liked him very much. This is a VERY educated and curious group, eager to learn all that they can, and Map meshed perfectly with them. I believe you will hear from several others about how transformative his presence has been. Many tourists are not like my friends. Over the years I have been stunned to see how many are just going through the motion of “seeing Africa” but have no real interest in either the animals, birds, or geography. For these people Map’s expertise would be wasted and unappreciated. But for others, like my friends, he is simply fantastic. I leave it to you to decide with which of your clients he would be most appropriate, but in the meantime whenever people ask me about travel to Africa I will tell them to contact Natural Migrations, put themselves in your hands, and ask for Map as a guide. Pam and friends: Botswana, Jan 2023 Dear Caroline, we arrived at Kerri camp as planned and are just floored by its beauty. Shippen gave a toast to you and Paul at lunch today. All the camps have been wonderful. We feel so blessed to have been so well taken care of the wildlife has been absolutely incredible! As a group, we all agree that the experience just would not have been the same without Map’s rich guidance and knowledge. Here’s to you and Paul and to even greater success for your company! Pam and our grateful group. Lucinda and friends: Botswana, Jan 2023 We have just arrived at Kiri camp and are sadly well past our half way point. Enchanted by the simple elegance we find here and totally redesigning our homes. I cannot continue without a note to you. In fact we lifted our glasses at our first lunch at Kiri to you both Paul and Caroline with our great appreciation at our good fortune. This has been an extraordinary trip. Your selection of camps and the order in which we have visited so skillfully choreographed. We did not realize really how privileged and lucky we were to have this itinerary and both Robert and Map Ives as an integral part of our experience. Map being so viscerally connected to the Delta and so knowledgeable about everything we would ever want to know has added dimensions beyond our imaginations.. He’s a gift to us all - so very personable and willing to engage and share his passion for the Delta at any moment.. He’s particularly respectful of the local guides- who hang on his every word and are curious and eager to learn from him. We can not imagine traveling now or a future trip without him. I write this but everyone of us feels this way. We will inform everyone we know or meet that Natural Migrations is the Company to design a trip to Botswana for them. We are a particularly voracious group of travelers wanting to learn about everything around us. I understand not your basic traveler but for the curious and expansive traveler Map Ives would be a treasured guide. Thank You again for this entrance into the wonder of the Delta. Kiri Camp is may be our last stop but certainly not our last time in Botswana. Kyle and Family: Tanzania, Dec 2022/Jan 2023 The trip was amazing - everything we hoped for and more! The two Asilia properties (Ubuntu and Rubondo) really stood out for their exceptional staff and service, although Ewanjan was also great and we had some amazing sightings in the centeal Seronera region. We absolutely loved Rubondo Island and it provided a great contrast to the Serengeti - we had some great chimp sightings and beautiful boat rides along the Rubondo coast. The chimp trekking was definitley strenuous though and not to be taken lightly. Thanks for your help organizing everything - all the logisitics went very smoothly once we got there. I really hope I am able to plan another safari vacation sometime in the future! Leisl and Family: South Africa and Zimbabwe, Dec 2022 We wanted to thank you for the excellent planning our African adventure. We really enjoyed our trip and the accommodations were amazing!!! I especially wanted to thank you for the good communication regarding Henry's dietary restrictions. He had perfectly safe meals with tons of attention to detail. We felt well taken care of and appreciate your efforts. John: Kenya and Rwanda, Nov/Dec 2022 The trip was fantastic, even better than we could have imagined. You guys really did a fantastic job organizing this for us, and we can’t thank you enough. Elaine: Kenya and Rwanda, Nov/Dec 2022 Many thanks for your help with this trip, it has more than exceeded our expectations. Arriving in Rwanda and driving up to the Volcanoes National Park was another experience entirely. Rwanda is so beautiful and the people seem happy, healthy. Their collective dedication to eco-tourism is an inspiration. We LOVED Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, it was perfect for us. Understated, comfortable and with exceptional and thoughtful customer service. The One and Only Gorilla's Nest was architecturally beautiful and really a completely different feel. We loved that too, but Sabyinyo suited us much better. We loved the vibe at Sabyinyo. We saw the Gorillas two days in a row, first the Kwintonda Group on a private tour with our guide Daniel. They were a really lovely family, quite mellow and curious. The second day was eventful with the Sabyinyo Group, their blackbacks were playing and rollicking a lot during our visit, which seemed to rattle some of the family members. When we arrived at Magashi and we are blown away! We loved the helicopter ride to Magashi and were so happy there. Again, many thanks for all of your help to make our trip amazing! Lei Family: South Africa, Nov 2022 It was a fantastic trip! Each destination was well chosen and the timing was well arranged. The guides at each stop are all very warm and professional. The whole trip was full of excitement. We especially enjoyed the game drives at MalaMala. It was nothing I could have imagined and we always found new animals or new scenes on each drive. Our ranger Kerry was very warm and knowledgeable and helped us understand much better about the wildlife. Thank you again so much for your help. Nancy: Rwanda and Kenya, Oct/Nov 2022 Thanks for the welcome home. I can’t say enough good things about the trip. Everything was impeccable, service was outstanding, and I loved both countries. To be honest, Africa was not on my bucket list, but thanks to Becky I signed up for this trip. Now I can’t stop talking about it and sharing pictures. Your planning was perfect too. Thanks for everything. Becky: Rwanda and Kenya, Oct/Nov 2022 You have done it again! You have given us another trip of a lifetime! So many good places, so many wonderful experiences. Our camps were very enjoyable and I liked ending with Rekero. The people there were exceptional and the food was extraordinary. Of course, there were plenty of animals to see in different landscapes, which were different for all 3 camps! Magashi was fun due to the greenery and having both land and lake options. We had an excellent guide there (John). This was my 5th trip to Africa and was again rewarded with many different animal experiences. I have also gotten into birding so adding this dimension was so much fun. The gorilla trek did not disappoint. I was grateful for only about an hour hike in to the Sabyinyo group. Once there it was wild! Our guides had us all over the place with them and very close. The gorillas were romping right by us all the time as we crashed thru the jungle behind the machete guys. It was quite the event! Good thing the gorillas are used to visitors as we were right in there with them. The Ellen Degeneres Campus is an amazing place and we truly enjoyed our visit there the next morning. It was a super trip planned by a very knowledgeable and professional couple!! We continue to be amazed at how you can get all of the details coordinated!! Thanks again to each of you for your work on this trip. Kate: Rwanda and Kenya, Oct/Nov 2022 We had a wonderful trip as always thanks to your expert planning! We really do enjoy our party of six as we can re-live each day as we go along and share our impressions and experiences with each other and frequently sing your praises regarding your impeccable choices of locations and scheduling. Both Wilderness and Asilia are great companies. Denise and Pierre: South Africa, Sep 2022 Thanks for organizing our awesome trip. We had the best time! We loved Phinda Homestead! Better than we thought we would because it had been closed for a while because of Covid; it is so beautiful when all spruced up! And the staff was great. The chef we had at Vlei Lodge came over to say hi to us and stayed for dinner one night. The chef at Homestead was incredible!!! Too good!!! We really like the guide Thulani; he does a great job and was excellent with my mother. Singita Castleton was incredible; we loved staying there. The outlook, as you saw, was beautiful with the huge waterhole right in front where there was constantly game grazing and drinking. The first day there must have been 100 elephants that went through; just herd after herd. I was in heaven!! We sat by the pool all day and watched them go through with zebras, wildebeest, etc. And, of course, Ruel and Chene are just the most incredible team. We had the best time with them!!! We did a some tracking but not as much as last time (because of my mom). They said we would definitely pass a Level 1 tracking test and even maybe a Level 2!! HA!! Warrick, the manager of Castleton who is also Chenes’ partner, was awesome! He is really funny, very attentive, etc. And the staff was fantastic!! Cohen Family: Kenya and Tanzania, Aug/Sep 2022 Words cannot possibly express how much this trip was life changing, magical and beyond spectacular !! Everything was perfect, the animals, environment, people, spirit and we always felt special and all our needs were met. We cannot thank you both for helping us plan this amazing safari and all the efforts you put into it to make it become a reality! It was like planning a big affair and then in a few hours it’s over, way too fast ! Thank goodness for pictures and videos which we will share, we don’t stop looking at the pictures! Beautiful, sensitive, touching moments, the people touched our hearts and warmed our souls! The good thing is we will be back and we look forward to planning another safari with you both! Certainly your names and company will be shared to all our friends and family. Zeshan: South Africa, Aug/Sep 2022 The trip was incredible! Thank you so much for the recommendations. Cape Town was amazing and MalaMala was out of this world! Will be recommending it to everyone I know. Dave: Zambia, Aug/Sep 2022 The trip was perhaps the most wonderful two weeks of constant happiness and in-the-moment calmness that I’ve had in my life — though I probably said the same thing about Botswana nine years ago. South Luangwa was wonderful. Both camps were great. And at both camps, the other guests had their own arrangements and own guide, so I had a jeep, a guide and a ranger all to myself for an entire week. The food was wonderful (I’m running out of superlatives). And though I was convinced I’d come back ten pounds heavier, I actually lost weight, likely due to the lack of junk food and processed foods. The only thing I might have done differently is try to find an extra day to spend up at Mfuwe lodge, primarily to have a chance to spend some time in the village— not that I need more souvenirs from craft shops, but I feel that I didn’t get enough exposure to the country outside of the parks. Kafue was the highlight. Few guests were there, at any of the camps, so we felt very alone on the plains — never more than three guests in our jeep. The wildlife was incredible, made all the more so by a guide (Isaac) who took the time to tell us the story of the “lion politics” so that it meant something when we came across a male that had been driven out of his territory, or a cub that had been attacked by a new male trying to take over, etc. What turned out to be three-and-a-half days was just barely enough time. When I arrived, I was worried that three full days would be too much since I saw little wildlife on the drive in from the airstrip. But each day got better and better, and we saw new and changing circumstances with the lions each day. I could have had a couple more days without feeling bored. It probably would have felt very different if the camp was full, if we were all packed in a single jeep, and there were a lot of other jeeps competing for the lion watching. But as it turned out, it was wonderful. Thanks for putting it all together. Wish I could do this far more often. Eric and Family: Botswana, Aug 2022 We are safely home after a magnificent trip. It was high-end, as we expected which is always a potential set up for disappointment. Ah, expectations. The trip exceeded our best imagination. You anticipated every detail from the door to door service in each airport stop, intra-African flights and connections, great guidance on packing to tipping to pre-preparation, plus tips such as to download WhatsApp, VacsYes, and other applications. The camps were themselves excellent. They each went to great lengths to address our families food allergies. The game drive guides were all extremely knowledgeable and the staff at each camp was as helpful as one could wish. Every staff member we interacted with had a single goal to aim to please and they met that goal in all respects. The amount of wildlife was striking at Sanctuary Chief’s Camp, our first stay. On the very first drive we witnessed lions mating, a pack of wild dogs chasing an impala and sharing the fruits of their kill, as well as sightings of warthogs, baboon, and giraffes. Elephants, zebras, leopards, cheetahs, buffalo, wilde-beast, and their offspring were to follow. We literally remarked that if we did not witness another sighting that we would still feel that the Safari had been a success. And this was only the first day. The food and accommodations at the camp were definitely 5 Star. It was going to be difficult for Vumbura Plains, our second stop run by Wilderness Safari, to beat our initial experience. The game drive guide - Lazi - was a standout among all of our guides, which is saying a great deal. The accommodations were spacious and magnificent. Our last stop was with Zafara in the Linyanti Region. By this time we had seen so much wildlife that it did not matter if we did not see anything else. The camp itself seemed like a page torn from history. It was appointed in a very English Victorian Safari period style. We felt like we were in the movie Out of Africa. This was the first and only camp where the General Managers were not natives of Africa. They were from the UK, which somehow made it seem less authentic at first. It didn’t really matter, although we truly enjoyed the native perspective. And, we did like the fact that the owners of Zarafa and its related camps have a main mission of conservation. This was a true Safari style tent accommodation. It felt more remote than the other camps, and wildlife was abundant to view from our tents from warthogs to monkeys to hippo and a variety of birds. The hippo were so numerous that it was notable and we could hear them emerging from the wetlands each night. It was quite extraordinary. In this sense, whether we saw anything in the game drive - which ultimately we did - it wasn’t going to matter all that much because we felt like we were living in the middle of the bush. It was an unusual and great setting. I took an outdoor shower, which was also a nice experience. Botswana was the perfect destination for us - safe, not overcrowded, full of wildlife, great people, and fairly accessible for a short trip. You provided a trip of a lifetime. Letter to Dereck Jourbert, CEO of Great Plains Conservation, from Cindee and Julie: Hi Dereck, we wanted to share our feedback directly to you regarding our experiences at your camps. Cindee and I had the privilege of staying at 3 of your camps in June. Our first stop was Tembo Plains, then Duba Explorers and lastly, Selinda. It was a thoughtfully created itinerary by Natural Migrations. What an extraordinary adventure at each of these gorgeous camps. It was our first time on the glorious continent of Africa. It will be the first of many future trips. Each of the camps was a special place. Each with distinct personality, style, but all graced with amazing staff. They had wonderful things to say about working for Great Plains. Tidbits about how your company looked after staff during Covid, the focus on growth, development and learning were inspiring. Our first camp was Tembo. When we left 3 days later, the experience was so transformative that we were filled with emotion upon parting. Lloyd and Lindie set the bar extraordinarily high in terms of warmth and excellence. We had the chance to experience the natural beauty of Tembo Plains, but notably, the beauty of the team, the dignity and humanity of such wonderful people. Each guide was special and passionate about their purpose in sharing love of the ecosystem and their expertise. Mat was our first, and his encyclopedic knowledge was truly amazing, such that other guides in Botswana were so impressed with our knowledge !!! Elliot, another special gem. Cindee and I shared our superlative compliments about each camp upon departure with the teams, but we wanted to take this extra effort to commend the Tembo team from leadership of the camp to Chef Zamani and kitchen staff…wow! We are already scheming our next adventure and we will surely be back at your camps. We learned that you think you go to view the wild animals, but in fact, it’s all about the people and THEIR love of wildlife and how it all works. Cindee: Botswana and Zimbabwe, Jun 2022 Amaaaaaaaaazing! I don't know where to begin to describe the magical time we experienced in Africa. The beautiful way you curated our trip was nothing less than remarkable. We now have such an appreciation for the Great Plains Conservation Camps and we feel lucky that ALL of our camps were part of that family. Starting out at Tembo Plains the standard was set very high out of the chute. We fell in love with the managers and all the staff at Tembo Plains. The wildlife we encountered and the pleasure of watching the wildlife in their habitat was stunning and only rivaled by the lovely, kind, generous, smart, thoughtful people that managed the camps and that we fell in love with. We are forever grateful to you for creating this beautiful experience for us. We will never forget it and we hope to go back again and again and again and share it with family members and friends. THANK YOU!!!! Barb and Family: Zambia, Jun 2022 We had an absolutely wonderful trip. Everything worked out smoothly and easily and it was everything we could have hoped for. The guides we had were wonderful. I cannot imagine that we could possibly have had a better experience than we had. Thank you so much for everything you did to coordinate and work with us and our changing needs and also for your covid flexibility. Rest assured that you will be getting a number of enthusiastic referrals from us to local friends interested in the same type of trip. Steven and Loraine: Botswana and Zimbabwe, May 2022 We had a truly wonderful, lifetime experience. Everything went so well. We couldn't have been happier. Thankyou so much for making our 50th wedding anniversary even more special. Walter and Samantha: South Africa, May 2022 WHAT AN AMAZING TRIP!!!! Samantha and I wanted to pass along how terrific the entire trip was for both of us. Memories for a lifetime! Bill and Susan: South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, May 2022 We are back from our trip in Southern Africa and it could not have been a better journey. Your help in developing our itinerary was in my opinion the key to our fantastic journey. Our entire time with Wilderness Safaris was seamless. Our guide in Cape Town (Jack Pretorius) is a true gentlemen and extremely knowledgeable of the Cape Town area. It was like touring with a close friend. Our time at Chitabe and Little Vumbura were an experience of a life time. At those two locations we again felt like family members and extremely well cared for. Our guides Goodman (Chitabe) and Lucky (Vumbura) were both very knowledgeable of the areas and there was not a question they could not answer. The staff at the camps were all exceptional, everyone knew our names and used them, very impressive. I was also very impressed by the two general managers of the camps, Mama Jun ( Chitabe) and Faith (Vumbura) two very impressive women. Also, the food at both camps was exceptional (I am running out of superlatives) breakfast, brunch, tea and dinner, you should have told us because we would have gone on a diet before we left. The highlight for us was sitting by the fire before dinner and having the staff and managers come over and sit and talk with us as we learned about them, their culture and families. The trip was fantastic and we look forward to doing it again. Thank you for your help in putting this altogether for us! Rachel: Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Botswana, Apr/May 2022 Well - what an absolutely wonderful trip we had!! Everything was smooth sailing, and the people at all ends and for all services were warm, friendly, and just great people. The guides were super knowledgeable. I just can’t think of anything that might have been improved upon. Although the travel days were long, due to visiting so many countries, I personally would not have done this any differently as I enjoyed the varying cultural experiences and interactions. My favorite camp, as it was so unique, was Vumbura Camp in the Okavango Delta. What an experience - and the night sounds were amazing, especially given we were so close to the hippos! But all had their unique features, and I am glad we had such a variety of experiences. So, 10/10 from me! Thanks so much for being patient with our group through COVID and the 2-year delay with reschedules. I will definitely recommend your team to others who might be interested in visiting Africa. Erin and Joshua: Kenya, Jan 2022 Our safari was the most amazing experience we've ever had. Thanks so much for arranging everything for us. Everything was perfect and both Ol Pejeta and Rekero Camps were absolutely spectacular. The staff and facilities were superb. We can't say enough how much we enjoyed our time in Kenya. What a magical place. Hopefully we will be able to go on another safari with Asilia in the future. Thanks again for everything. Mark and Connor: Kenya and Tanzania, Jan 2022 Our trip turned out fantastic, every place we stayed was great and provided nice variety in settings, food and style. Mara Plains was a great way to end. Beautiful property and exceptional service, loved the balloon ride. All connections ended up working well. The weather was great (much needed rain on day of departure) and we saw everything we could have wanted to see. Thanks for getting it all set up and the hand holding along the way! Once we get beyond this covid issue, I can’t imagine a better trip for those looking for an exceptional experience. Doug and Melissa: South Africa and Botswana, Nov 2021 Not surprisingly, our trip was fantastic. We were able to see newborn elephants at Vumbura, follow wild dogs on hunts in Chitabe and Mombo and spent more time with leopards at Mombo than we could hope for. Our time in Cape Town was also really great. The hotel Le Grenadine was perfect for us. Pete and Jo Ann: Zambia and Botswana, Oct/Nov 2021 Thank you, thank you, thank you!! We wanted to touch base with you to tell you what a wonderful time we had in Zambia & Botswana. It was an AMAZING adventure. We saw and learned so much about the animals, birds, insects, plants, and especially the people of these African countries. Our guides were all excellent, our accommodations were all very comfortable, the food was delicious (too much, though!), and ALL of the people that we met, either in the bush or during the few days that we were out of the bush, were so friendly and helpful. As Paul reassured us, we were never left alone! The handoffs were all smooth. We had private safaris on all but a few occasions. We had camps all to ourselves on several nights. We know that this is in large part due to COVID, but we intend to post positive reviews of the camps highlighting the safety features and the amazing experiences that we had. All of our connections were smooth, when we were expecting someone to meet us, they were ALWAYS there on time. In addition to posting reviews on Trip Advisor, is there anything else that you can suggest that we can do to encourage others to start traveling to Africa again? We saw how badly some of the places were impacted by COVID, and even though it's not over, everywhere we went there were mitigations in place. Most of the staffs of the camps were vaccinated at least once, and were planning to be fully vaccinated as soon as possible. This new Omicron variant will hurt, we're sure, but once the science shows that the vaccine is as effective on this one as on the other ones, hopefully others will begin to travel again. Some highlights that we saw: * Over 70 different lions (we saw groups at all of the camps - we saw 1 kill, and we were about 5 minutes after another kill - gruesome, but part of the circle of life, we saw 4 young lions attempt to take over the territory of 2 older lionesses, VERY interesting hunting/stalking tactics) * A parade of about 150 elephants at Shumba (we think they were moving from one area to another in front of a terrible bush fire) * Leopards in South Luwangwa and on one of our walks in Kwando Lebala * 2 Cheetahs making a kill (impala) in Kwanddo Lebala * Tsodillo Hills was an amazing trip, we felt the religious significance of that place. * 2 herds of about 200 buffalo merged on their way to the water at Vumbura* The Devil's Pool was an amazing experience, as was the helicopter trip into the gorge!There's so much more, we are still reeling about all that we saw! Thank you again for arranging this life-changing trip!!! Chandni and Jeff: Tanzania, Sep 2021 Everything was wonderful! The accommodations and service we received at the lodges exceeded our expectations. We couldn’t have asked for a better honeymoon! Thank you for everything! Sarah and Kunal: Kenya, Jun 2021 We had a terrific time at Encounter Mara Camp. We saw baby cheetah cubs, leopards, and lots of lions and elephants! Our guide Nickson and the camp manager Mercy were both wonderful. Thanks very much for your help organizing this safari for us. We had a great time, and we’ll remember it for a long time! Kim, Michele and Andrea: Tanzania, May/June 2021 I won't speak for the group, but I know for certain we had a wonderful experience. The experience was phenomenal. I've taken several international trips but was totally blown away by our experience. I've never had a travel experience where the entire trip went off without a hitch. Everything was perfectly coordinated from start to finish. I would love to schedule a trip for next year with Natural Migrations. I'd like to stick with locations that are Asilia properties. Their service/customer service was amazing! Asilia went above and beyond. Andrea. I echo Andrea’s overall impression. This trip was absolutely one of the best things I’ve done. Everything was so well organized. The staff at the Asilia locations was so accommodating and helpful. They knew what we wanted or needed even before we did. They were also very friendly and entertaining. Thank you so much. I’ll definitely be back! Kim. I echo everything the ladies already stated. I LOVED the Asilia camps. Everyone was incredibly friendly and the trip was well put together.My friend and I are getting ready to plan the next trip to Africa and I can't wait to go again. This is definitely something I will remember for a lifetime! Michele. Cheryl and Kim: Botswana, May 2021 Thank you for arranging a great trip and helping with all of the COVID requirements. The safari was wonderful. Chitabe camp was wonderful. Our guide Tank tried his best to find cheetahs but with the lion population so high in the area, he said he has seen very few cheetahs lately. The camp manager, facilities, food and service was excellent and we would definitely go back to Chitabe. Mombo - how can you not like Mombo? I would return every year is it wasn’t so expensive. We were greeted by familiar faces and had the same guide (Yompy) who we consider to be the best of the best. He’s a wonderful human, guide and teacher. The wildlife viewing was spectacular as usual. Helicopter ride - This was so much fun. It was a three passenger helicopter so we were able to bring Yompy with us. Tom, the kiwi pilot, was great. He asked us what we wanted to see and off we went. I had a blast hanging a bit out of the copter taking photos of the waterways. Quite different from our balloon ride in Zambia but enjoyable. I think a prefer the balloon ride because it’s quieter. Travel in May is perfect weather and temperature wise. Again - thank you Caroline and Paul for arranging these amazing trips for us. Stephanie, Carlos and Christina: Rwanda and Tanzania, May 2021 What an amazing trip! All of the staff were amazing and deserve recognition for providing an outstanding experience.The pick up from the airport in Rwanda was prompt and hassle free and the Kigali Serena was a welcome and comforting place after our long international flights. I’ll always remember that amazing morning coffee. Our driver and guide, Theo, is a gem. He is kind, accommodating and an exceptionally safe driver. We loved that Theo arranged our “easy” treks and shared in our excitement of each day while sharing his insights into the local people and culture. Rwanda is an impressive country and we feel fortunate to have learned more about its history and resilience as a nation. Each gorilla trek was a life-changing experience and is one of our favorite travel experiences across all 7 continents. Sabyinyo Silverback lodge truly felt like a second home. The staff cared for us like family and made sure we were outfitted properly to trek. Our two-bedroom family suite was top notch with an unrivaled view. Our attendant, Peter, prepared a warm and cozy fire each evening and tended to all of our needs promptly and with a smile. The food was exceptional. Namiri Plains was also a fantastic experience. The highlight of the stay was absolutely the game drives and wildlife and Alphayo was a superstar guide. So funny and customized the viewing at our request. How did you find all those cheetahs, Alphayo? You have eyes unlike any other. We will remember your skilled driving, your jokes and all your wildlife knowledge. Namiri Plains is a special place and we felt cared for and pampered.Thank you to all the staff who made that happen. Our upgrade to The Palms in Zanzibar was an unexpected surprise. We practically had the resort to ourselves and this meant a calm, relaxed, and personalized experience. This was the perfect way to end our trip- with drinks delivered on a tray to our cabana while we sat in the sun watching the ocean and enjoying the breeze and beach. And of course, thank you Natural Migrations for planning this trip for us. Traveling in the midst of the pandemic was surprisingly smooth. We appreciate all your help and recommendations. I’m sure it wasn’t easy coordinating everything and so we know you must have an excellent team on the ground. We send our appreciation and gratitude to all those helped make this a memorable and special trip. Val and Sofia: Tanzania, May 2021 Thanks for assisting is making this one of the most memorable vacations we have ever been on. Josh and Annie: Zimbabwe, Jan 2020We are home·safe and sound, thank you so much for reaching out! Caroline: we had an incredible vacation. Everything was simple easy and magical. Transfer from the airport to Ilala Lodge was straightforward and prompt. Ilala was lavish beyond our wildest dreams! We caught Victoria Falls on Saturday afternoon (breathtaking and a perfect afternoon for it), and then took advantage of the hotel amenities·on Sunday. Monday morning we had a smooth and easy trip by car and then plane to Hwange and Camp Davison which was every bit as ideal as Ilala. Every single member of the staff was courteous, engaging, interesting, and hospitable. As hospitality professionals ourselves, we honestly just couldn't stop talking about how genuinely nice and helpful every single member of the staff was. Our guide Richard was an absolute superstar with an insane·amount of knowledge and prowess about the park and the animals. We were treated to magnificent animal sightings every single day with never a dull moment. Once again, thank you thank you. What a truly lavish and incredible experience.·-Josh
Renee: Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Namibia, Dec 2019I really had a wonderful trip.·Your·plans for me in Ethiopia worked out beautifully.·It was the perfect transition to Africa.·Two days was plenty for me in the Addis Ababa area.·The last evening the guide and driver took me to a wonderful restaurant with fantastic food and a great performance·including a band, singers and dancers.·Fantastic costumes and very interesting musical instruments. All camps and accommodations·were exceptional.·Little Makalolo had a fantastic and friendly staff and they didn't hesitate to socialize with us.·The chef was a capable vegan cook plus he did some nice things for Jill in the gluten free department.·Our guide Paul was fabulous - outgoing, knowledgeable and kind hearted.·The watering hole right in front of our camp was a source of endless amusement with constant flows of wildlife. I really enjoyed Hoanib Skelton Coast Camp from the point of view of being able to follow the animals' daily rhythms.·That was a super learning experience for me.·Again a really interesting watering hole in front of the camp. Serra Cafema was a fascinating experience.·Our guide, Gabes, was fluent enough in the Himba language so that we were able to interact with the people in a friendly and meaningful way when we visited the Himba village.·The staff was wonderful in general and the place extremely well managed.·Ongava Lodge was a great way to wind down the African experience.·The trip has planted the seed to go again - maybe to Uganda and Rwanda next time.·I also plan on recommending your services should anyone appropriate be interested. Thanks for everything!
Melissa and Michael: Zimbabwe and Botswana, Dec 2019We had a remarkable trip, and every single interaction we had that had anything to do with your organization was flawless. We were met as noted by helpful people, the accommodations were comfortable, and everything happened exactly as expected.·The staff at both camps were just lovely, and they were so willing to ensure that we had a stellar experience--we slept under the stars, irritated an elephant on a mokoro ride, and heard lions roar just feet from our beds. We had great guides at both camps, too. Michael took at least 5,000 photos of animals, birds, and the landscape.·I can't say enough good things about the whole trip, really. It was amazing, from beginning to end (and that's counting the 36 hours it took for us to get home!)·I would absolutely do this again, and might even return to one or the other camps because they were terrific. Or maybe Savuti or Qorokwe or Linkwasha. I might avoid the summertime heat next time! But thank you for all of your thoughtful preparation and hard work. It was, as they say, a life-changing experience.
Terri: Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana, Nov 2019The trip was beyond what I imagined it could be – absolutely incredible! ·Everyone was fabulous and all the help I received was terrific – I never had to worry but just enjoyed myself and I learned so much.·It was truly a dream come true! The only issue I really had was when the honey badger bit into my cell phone early on at Kapamba camp in Zambia.·That killed the phone! Fortunately, I brought an extra camera. Of all the people I met, I was one of the few people who had never even been to Africa.·In a few years I will want to travel to Kenya and possibly Namibia.·I heard so many wonderful things about those two countries and their safaris. Thank you!· Terri
Jean and Mike: Kenya, Uganda and Zambia, Nov 2019Just wanted to say thank you for all the work you did on planning our trip.·The trip was wonderful, and we had such a great experience.·I will recommend your services whenever I can.· Again, thanks for everything.
Kim: Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa, Oct 2019I cannot say enough about our trip. It was amazing, spectacular, magical. I appreciated all your help and guidance you gave with the planning of our trip. I have made sure when talking about our trip to mention you and Natural Migrations. Thank you again!!
Holly and John: South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, Nov 2019I want you to know we had an amazing trip!· It is hard to put into words how awesome it was and we can’t thank you enough for truly creating a trip of a lifetime.· You exceeded our expectations!!· Everything went smoothly and seamless.· All three camps were incredible.· The people were wonderful, the camps exquisite and the food was way too good!· The guides were outstanding.·Shaun Milan at the Machaba camp was awesome!· So incredibly passionate and determined to find us great animal sightings.·Onx Manga was also fantastic and very interesting.· We learned so much!· Trust was our guide at Verney’s camp who also did a fantastic job.· When we arrived at Verney’s camp the drought effect was much more evident as there were many elephants who did not survive.·Hard to see but we also noticed there were lots of babies so we were hopeful as well.· They had received a small amount of rain right before we arrived and by the third day we could see things starting to turn green again which was also very encouraging. On our last night at Verney’s we had our sundowner at a beautiful water hole with a heard of elephants.·It is here during the sunset John got down on one knee and proposed!·I said YES!·I could not have dreamed of a more special place to get engaged in front of a heard of elephants.·I really can’t thank you enough for creating such a special trip for us.·I will definitely continue to recommend Natural Migrations to anyone who wishes to travel to Africa.
Gail and John: Tanzania, Oct/Nov 2019We had a fantastic trip! Top line...the Asilia camps were beautiful, well-managed, and provided three different landscapes which was one of our objectives on this trip. All of the transfers were seamless which is always appreciated! To start, the river crossings at Olakira were a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience. Our guide, Noel, was excellent, the food was very good, and the staff very warm. Onto Namiri Plains Camp. Phenomenal design, excellent food, different landscape and wildlife emphasis. We mostly 'majored' in cats while we were there and spent a fair bit of time searching for the melanistic serval...no luck. However, we did see a caracal and regular serval, along with honey badgers and some cheetah families. For us, the cheetah cubs, smaller cats, and badgers were 'firsts.' Jabali Ridge. Again exceptional design, excellent food, topnotch service, and gorgeous, varied landscape. We so greatly appreciate your recommendations and arrangements and look forward to connecting with you on a future trip.
Diane and Ron: Zambia and Zimbabwe, May 2019I have always pined for the landscapes of Idaho. Africa is the only place in the world for which, in addition to Idaho, I feel homesickness, as I do today. Again, thank you from Ron and me.
Randy and Nancy: Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, May 2019We got home last night after 30 some hours of travel so were all exhausted. I may still be delirious but thought I wanted to send while I’m still on this wonderful Africa high! The trip was incredible. I was overcome with excitement to find Leo was our guide in Mana Pools ! I had no idea that he would be there so I was almost beside myself when I saw him at the runway to greet us. He is awesome- so intelligent, professional, caring, and solid. We have enjoyed all of our guides, but this man made such an impression on me. So- whatever you did to make that happen- THANK YOU!! We will ( hopefully) go back to Africa again, and if we do I will make it to a camp where he can be our guide again. Mana pools is incredible and it was even better to have him there. Thank you again.
Jim and Susan: South African and Botswana, May 2019Just wanted to let you know what a great trip we had to South Africa and Botswana. Beyond words wonderful.We thoroughly enjoyed Cape Town. The waterfront area was vibrant and, on the water with surrounding mountains, beautiful. Our peninsula tour was great, with stunning scenery culminating with the Cape of Good Hope. And we also spent part of a day in the wine country where we were again taken with the beauty and, of course, the excellent wine. The most memorable part of the our trip was the safari experience. The camps (Little Vumbura, Savuti, Qorokwe) were all special and the guides excellent. But the truly outstanding experience was seeing the animals and being among them. We had anticipated seeing many of them, but the richness and diversity were exceptional. We could not have asked for any better. We also enjoyed meeting the managers and staff of the camps, the guides, and many of the other guests with whom we shared meals and game drives. Overall, we were very impressed with the entire Wilderness operation. I wore your hat much of the time and spoke of our good experience with Natural Migrations. Thanks for all of your help in developing this memorable trip.
Rich and Renee: Botswana and Zimbabwe, May 2019We had a wonderful time, this was one of the finest trips we've ever taken!
Cindy: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, May 2019We loved it! Everything went very smoothly...very well organized. Unfortunately all three countries are suffering a terrible drought and the lack of water made it impossible to do any water activities in Botswana. Hopefully they will get some relief soon. Our favorite camp is Chitabe. There was an abundance of game and a lot of activity. We enjoyed each camp; they all offered a different experiences. Thank you so much for arranging this trip for us. It is heartwarming to realize the resources Wilderness Safaris puts into surrounding communities and wildlife conservation.
Angie and Ed: Tanzania, Jan 2019I’ve finally regrouped a bit and wanted to get back to you both to tell you what a marvelous time Ed and I had. The trip exceeded all of our expectations, and I am grateful to have been able to rely on your expert counsel about where we should go and stay. Thank you! All of the places we stayed were first rate. We loved them all. The knowledgeable guides at all our camps were outstanding, and we learned so much from them. The rest of the staff at each camp made us feel very welcome and pampered. We loved the warm, friendly atmosphere at each place. I also loved the way you structured the trip – starting with “easier” safaris to Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater and working our way up to Ruaha, which was more remote and a very different experience but one we also loved. There, we got to do a walking safari and a nighttime game drive, which were both great. We were a bit tired by the time we got to Ruaha and so loved ending our safari time at Jabali Ridge where we could both go on game drives and also relax by the pool and at the spa. We also were glad to have three nights in Zanzibar to decompress and really enjoyed the spice tour and the Stone Town tours. And as I mentioned, we were very grateful for your assistance when we encountered the flight snafu at Zanzibar Airport. It all worked out just fine and the Coastal rep who met us at Dar took good care of us. Thank you again for jumping on that! I would be happy to recommend you all if you ever need a reference for a prospective client. I also will recommend you to any friends of our who might be thinking about an Africa trip. Ed and I think we definitely would like to go back to Africa at some point.
Rosanne: Rwanda and Kenya, Jan 2019We really loved Lewa Wilderness and Elsa’s Kopje! They both are very special places, with wonderful service, food and rides…it was hard to part when we had to leave! We loved so much about the trip, the animals, gorillas, cats etc, but mostly the people, they have such a gentle and kind way about them, that really touched me. Thanks for setting up the trip, I’m looking forward to going back to Africa soon!
Chris and Family: South Africa and Botswana, Mar 2023 Amazing trip - everything went very smoothly and we were blown away by the professionalism and magical experiences. Awesome stuff! Debbie with Family and Friends: South Africa, Mar 2023 What a wonderful time we had yet again in beautiful South Africa. All greeters, drivers, guides were great. Thank you for arranging them. Savanna remains our absolute favourite part of our itinerary and they did not let us down. The best of course was watching our grand-daughters taking everything in and thoroughly enjoying themselves. They were both so good the entire trip and kept up with the early morning starts and late nights when on safari. Truly a magical experience for them both. Whilst at Savanna we took the girls to the Elephant whispers sanctuary which was icing on the cake as one of our grand-daughters (Savannah) is absolutely in love with elephants (along with me), so the visit there was perfect. We also took them to Savanna’s “orphanage” day care centre. They took clothes and pencils for the children there and really enjoyed the interaction with the children there. A very meaningful visit on so many levels. Particularly enjoyed our guide Maarten in Stellenbosch/Cape Town and everyone at Savanna were superb. Can’t fault anyone anywhere actually. Annette: Botswana, Jan 2023 The safari in Botswana leaves me speechless. It was perfection. The Delta and the animals were extraordinarily magnificent. The camps were sumptuous with each person lovelier than the next.The absolute icing on the cake was having Map and Robert as guides. I felt like I was in a David Attenborough special with David in my Land Rover! The brilliant guiding opened us up to the intimate world of the Savannah. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, Map is a national treasure.The combination of his knowledge and his passion and his personality were gifts that made this trip unforgettable. Thank you for your patience with all of our” issues” and deep gratitude for creating that magical time for us. Shippen and Anne: Botswana, Jan 2023 Shippen and I are en route home after a magnificent trip! It all worked smoothly and easily and we are very grateful to both of you for organizing us. Cape Town was fun and interesting and Suleiman was a great guide who added a lot to our visit. The Radisson Blu was a wonderful place to land as we acclimated to Africa. It would have been nice to have had more time at Boschendal because it is so beautiful but we packed a lot in and are not sure what we would have given up for that. Everything about our time in the Delta was fabulous accommodations, the length of time at each place, the variety, the guiding (Map added hugely to our experience), our fellow travelers and of course the magical wildlife. We feel refreshed and inspired, full of wonderful stories and images as we head back to our New England winter. With much gratitude, Anne. Robert and friends: Botswana, Jan 2023 Dear Caro and Paul, As our trip is coming to an end I thought I’d write and give you an update. It has all been simply fabulous. Each of the camps was excellent: amazing wildlife (we’ve been very, very lucky), great accommodations, terrific staff and food. If I had to choose I would say that Gomoti Plains, with its old-style, ground-level tents was my personal favorite housing, though the “tents” at Kiri are quite amazingly luxurious. The food at both Gomoti Plains and Kiri was a step above Shindi, but the guides everywhere were terrific. You will no doubt have heard by now about the amazing lion fight we saw at Shindi: neither Map nor I had ever seen anything like it. The guides at all three camps are doing a great job of recognizing individuals among the predators, keeping track of their day-to-day activities, and from this information putting what the visitors see into its historical context. To show just how lucky we’ve been, I should mention leopard and cheetah hunts at GP and Kiri, lions everywhere, wild dogs at GP, and a python killing an impala on our last evening at Kiri (once again, Map and I were amazed at seeing this). The birds, too, have been fabulous. A final word about Map. As you know, I have known and respected him for years but on this trip he really excelled. He is an extraordinary source of knowledge, not only about the animals but also about the Delta, its geography and history. He also has a very engaging personality — put simply, everyone liked him very much. This is a VERY educated and curious group, eager to learn all that they can, and Map meshed perfectly with them. I believe you will hear from several others about how transformative his presence has been. Many tourists are not like my friends. Over the years I have been stunned to see how many are just going through the motion of “seeing Africa” but have no real interest in either the animals, birds, or geography. For these people Map’s expertise would be wasted and unappreciated. But for others, like my friends, he is simply fantastic. I leave it to you to decide with which of your clients he would be most appropriate, but in the meantime whenever people ask me about travel to Africa I will tell them to contact Natural Migrations, put themselves in your hands, and ask for Map as a guide. Pam and friends: Botswana, Jan 2023 Dear Caroline, we arrived at Kerri camp as planned and are just floored by its beauty. Shippen gave a toast to you and Paul at lunch today. All the camps have been wonderful. We feel so blessed to have been so well taken care of the wildlife has been absolutely incredible! As a group, we all agree that the experience just would not have been the same without Map’s rich guidance and knowledge. Here’s to you and Paul and to even greater success for your company! Pam and our grateful group. Lucinda and friends: Botswana, Jan 2023 We have just arrived at Kiri camp and are sadly well past our half way point. Enchanted by the simple elegance we find here and totally redesigning our homes. I cannot continue without a note to you. In fact we lifted our glasses at our first lunch at Kiri to you both Paul and Caroline with our great appreciation at our good fortune. This has been an extraordinary trip. Your selection of camps and the order in which we have visited so skillfully choreographed. We did not realize really how privileged and lucky we were to have this itinerary and both Robert and Map Ives as an integral part of our experience. Map being so viscerally connected to the Delta and so knowledgeable about everything we would ever want to know has added dimensions beyond our imaginations.. He’s a gift to us all - so very personable and willing to engage and share his passion for the Delta at any moment.. He’s particularly respectful of the local guides- who hang on his every word and are curious and eager to learn from him. We can not imagine traveling now or a future trip without him. I write this but everyone of us feels this way. We will inform everyone we know or meet that Natural Migrations is the Company to design a trip to Botswana for them. We are a particularly voracious group of travelers wanting to learn about everything around us. I understand not your basic traveler but for the curious and expansive traveler Map Ives would be a treasured guide. Thank You again for this entrance into the wonder of the Delta. Kiri Camp is may be our last stop but certainly not our last time in Botswana. Kyle and Family: Tanzania, Dec 2022/Jan 2023 The trip was amazing - everything we hoped for and more! The two Asilia properties (Ubuntu and Rubondo) really stood out for their exceptional staff and service, although Ewanjan was also great and we had some amazing sightings in the centeal Seronera region. We absolutely loved Rubondo Island and it provided a great contrast to the Serengeti - we had some great chimp sightings and beautiful boat rides along the Rubondo coast. The chimp trekking was definitley strenuous though and not to be taken lightly. Thanks for your help organizing everything - all the logisitics went very smoothly once we got there. I really hope I am able to plan another safari vacation sometime in the future! Leisl and Family: South Africa and Zimbabwe, Dec 2022 We wanted to thank you for the excellent planning our African adventure. We really enjoyed our trip and the accommodations were amazing!!! I especially wanted to thank you for the good communication regarding Henry's dietary restrictions. He had perfectly safe meals with tons of attention to detail. We felt well taken care of and appreciate your efforts. John: Kenya and Rwanda, Nov/Dec 2022 The trip was fantastic, even better than we could have imagined. You guys really did a fantastic job organizing this for us, and we can’t thank you enough. Elaine: Kenya and Rwanda, Nov/Dec 2022 Many thanks for your help with this trip, it has more than exceeded our expectations. Arriving in Rwanda and driving up to the Volcanoes National Park was another experience entirely. Rwanda is so beautiful and the people seem happy, healthy. Their collective dedication to eco-tourism is an inspiration. We LOVED Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, it was perfect for us. Understated, comfortable and with exceptional and thoughtful customer service. The One and Only Gorilla's Nest was architecturally beautiful and really a completely different feel. We loved that too, but Sabyinyo suited us much better. We loved the vibe at Sabyinyo. We saw the Gorillas two days in a row, first the Kwintonda Group on a private tour with our guide Daniel. They were a really lovely family, quite mellow and curious. The second day was eventful with the Sabyinyo Group, their blackbacks were playing and rollicking a lot during our visit, which seemed to rattle some of the family members. When we arrived at Magashi and we are blown away! We loved the helicopter ride to Magashi and were so happy there. Again, many thanks for all of your help to make our trip amazing! Lei Family: South Africa, Nov 2022 It was a fantastic trip! Each destination was well chosen and the timing was well arranged. The guides at each stop are all very warm and professional. The whole trip was full of excitement. We especially enjoyed the game drives at MalaMala. It was nothing I could have imagined and we always found new animals or new scenes on each drive. Our ranger Kerry was very warm and knowledgeable and helped us understand much better about the wildlife. Thank you again so much for your help. Nancy: Rwanda and Kenya, Oct/Nov 2022 Thanks for the welcome home. I can’t say enough good things about the trip. Everything was impeccable, service was outstanding, and I loved both countries. To be honest, Africa was not on my bucket list, but thanks to Becky I signed up for this trip. Now I can’t stop talking about it and sharing pictures. Your planning was perfect too. Thanks for everything. Becky: Rwanda and Kenya, Oct/Nov 2022 You have done it again! You have given us another trip of a lifetime! So many good places, so many wonderful experiences. Our camps were very enjoyable and I liked ending with Rekero. The people there were exceptional and the food was extraordinary. Of course, there were plenty of animals to see in different landscapes, which were different for all 3 camps! Magashi was fun due to the greenery and having both land and lake options. We had an excellent guide there (John). This was my 5th trip to Africa and was again rewarded with many different animal experiences. I have also gotten into birding so adding this dimension was so much fun. The gorilla trek did not disappoint. I was grateful for only about an hour hike in to the Sabyinyo group. Once there it was wild! Our guides had us all over the place with them and very close. The gorillas were romping right by us all the time as we crashed thru the jungle behind the machete guys. It was quite the event! Good thing the gorillas are used to visitors as we were right in there with them. The Ellen Degeneres Campus is an amazing place and we truly enjoyed our visit there the next morning. It was a super trip planned by a very knowledgeable and professional couple!! We continue to be amazed at how you can get all of the details coordinated!! Thanks again to each of you for your work on this trip. Kate: Rwanda and Kenya, Oct/Nov 2022 We had a wonderful trip as always thanks to your expert planning! We really do enjoy our party of six as we can re-live each day as we go along and share our impressions and experiences with each other and frequently sing your praises regarding your impeccable choices of locations and scheduling. Both Wilderness and Asilia are great companies. Denise and Pierre: South Africa, Sep 2022 Thanks for organizing our awesome trip. We had the best time! We loved Phinda Homestead! Better than we thought we would because it had been closed for a while because of Covid; it is so beautiful when all spruced up! And the staff was great. The chef we had at Vlei Lodge came over to say hi to us and stayed for dinner one night. The chef at Homestead was incredible!!! Too good!!! We really like the guide Thulani; he does a great job and was excellent with my mother. Singita Castleton was incredible; we loved staying there. The outlook, as you saw, was beautiful with the huge waterhole right in front where there was constantly game grazing and drinking. The first day there must have been 100 elephants that went through; just herd after herd. I was in heaven!! We sat by the pool all day and watched them go through with zebras, wildebeest, etc. And, of course, Ruel and Chene are just the most incredible team. We had the best time with them!!! We did a some tracking but not as much as last time (because of my mom). They said we would definitely pass a Level 1 tracking test and even maybe a Level 2!! HA!! Warrick, the manager of Castleton who is also Chenes’ partner, was awesome! He is really funny, very attentive, etc. And the staff was fantastic!! Cohen Family: Kenya and Tanzania, Aug/Sep 2022 Words cannot possibly express how much this trip was life changing, magical and beyond spectacular !! Everything was perfect, the animals, environment, people, spirit and we always felt special and all our needs were met. We cannot thank you both for helping us plan this amazing safari and all the efforts you put into it to make it become a reality! It was like planning a big affair and then in a few hours it’s over, way too fast ! Thank goodness for pictures and videos which we will share, we don’t stop looking at the pictures! Beautiful, sensitive, touching moments, the people touched our hearts and warmed our souls! The good thing is we will be back and we look forward to planning another safari with you both! Certainly your names and company will be shared to all our friends and family. Zeshan: South Africa, Aug/Sep 2022 The trip was incredible! Thank you so much for the recommendations. Cape Town was amazing and MalaMala was out of this world! Will be recommending it to everyone I know. Dave: Zambia, Aug/Sep 2022 The trip was perhaps the most wonderful two weeks of constant happiness and in-the-moment calmness that I’ve had in my life — though I probably said the same thing about Botswana nine years ago. South Luangwa was wonderful. Both camps were great. And at both camps, the other guests had their own arrangements and own guide, so I had a jeep, a guide and a ranger all to myself for an entire week. The food was wonderful (I’m running out of superlatives). And though I was convinced I’d come back ten pounds heavier, I actually lost weight, likely due to the lack of junk food and processed foods. The only thing I might have done differently is try to find an extra day to spend up at Mfuwe lodge, primarily to have a chance to spend some time in the village— not that I need more souvenirs from craft shops, but I feel that I didn’t get enough exposure to the country outside of the parks. Kafue was the highlight. Few guests were there, at any of the camps, so we felt very alone on the plains — never more than three guests in our jeep. The wildlife was incredible, made all the more so by a guide (Isaac) who took the time to tell us the story of the “lion politics” so that it meant something when we came across a male that had been driven out of his territory, or a cub that had been attacked by a new male trying to take over, etc. What turned out to be three-and-a-half days was just barely enough time. When I arrived, I was worried that three full days would be too much since I saw little wildlife on the drive in from the airstrip. But each day got better and better, and we saw new and changing circumstances with the lions each day. I could have had a couple more days without feeling bored. It probably would have felt very different if the camp was full, if we were all packed in a single jeep, and there were a lot of other jeeps competing for the lion watching. But as it turned out, it was wonderful. Thanks for putting it all together. Wish I could do this far more often. Eric and Family: Botswana, Aug 2022 We are safely home after a magnificent trip. It was high-end, as we expected which is always a potential set up for disappointment. Ah, expectations. The trip exceeded our best imagination. You anticipated every detail from the door to door service in each airport stop, intra-African flights and connections, great guidance on packing to tipping to pre-preparation, plus tips such as to download WhatsApp, VacsYes, and other applications. The camps were themselves excellent. They each went to great lengths to address our families food allergies. The game drive guides were all extremely knowledgeable and the staff at each camp was as helpful as one could wish. Every staff member we interacted with had a single goal to aim to please and they met that goal in all respects. The amount of wildlife was striking at Sanctuary Chief’s Camp, our first stay. On the very first drive we witnessed lions mating, a pack of wild dogs chasing an impala and sharing the fruits of their kill, as well as sightings of warthogs, baboon, and giraffes. Elephants, zebras, leopards, cheetahs, buffalo, wilde-beast, and their offspring were to follow. We literally remarked that if we did not witness another sighting that we would still feel that the Safari had been a success. And this was only the first day. The food and accommodations at the camp were definitely 5 Star. It was going to be difficult for Vumbura Plains, our second stop run by Wilderness Safari, to beat our initial experience. The game drive guide - Lazi - was a standout among all of our guides, which is saying a great deal. The accommodations were spacious and magnificent. Our last stop was with Zafara in the Linyanti Region. By this time we had seen so much wildlife that it did not matter if we did not see anything else. The camp itself seemed like a page torn from history. It was appointed in a very English Victorian Safari period style. We felt like we were in the movie Out of Africa. This was the first and only camp where the General Managers were not natives of Africa. They were from the UK, which somehow made it seem less authentic at first. It didn’t really matter, although we truly enjoyed the native perspective. And, we did like the fact that the owners of Zarafa and its related camps have a main mission of conservation. This was a true Safari style tent accommodation. It felt more remote than the other camps, and wildlife was abundant to view from our tents from warthogs to monkeys to hippo and a variety of birds. The hippo were so numerous that it was notable and we could hear them emerging from the wetlands each night. It was quite extraordinary. In this sense, whether we saw anything in the game drive - which ultimately we did - it wasn’t going to matter all that much because we felt like we were living in the middle of the bush. It was an unusual and great setting. I took an outdoor shower, which was also a nice experience. Botswana was the perfect destination for us - safe, not overcrowded, full of wildlife, great people, and fairly accessible for a short trip. You provided a trip of a lifetime. Letter to Dereck Jourbert, CEO of Great Plains Conservation, from Cindee and Julie: Hi Dereck, we wanted to share our feedback directly to you regarding our experiences at your camps. Cindee and I had the privilege of staying at 3 of your camps in June. Our first stop was Tembo Plains, then Duba Explorers and lastly, Selinda. It was a thoughtfully created itinerary by Natural Migrations. What an extraordinary adventure at each of these gorgeous camps. It was our first time on the glorious continent of Africa. It will be the first of many future trips. Each of the camps was a special place. Each with distinct personality, style, but all graced with amazing staff. They had wonderful things to say about working for Great Plains. Tidbits about how your company looked after staff during Covid, the focus on growth, development and learning were inspiring. Our first camp was Tembo. When we left 3 days later, the experience was so transformative that we were filled with emotion upon parting. Lloyd and Lindie set the bar extraordinarily high in terms of warmth and excellence. We had the chance to experience the natural beauty of Tembo Plains, but notably, the beauty of the team, the dignity and humanity of such wonderful people. Each guide was special and passionate about their purpose in sharing love of the ecosystem and their expertise. Mat was our first, and his encyclopedic knowledge was truly amazing, such that other guides in Botswana were so impressed with our knowledge !!! Elliot, another special gem. Cindee and I shared our superlative compliments about each camp upon departure with the teams, but we wanted to take this extra effort to commend the Tembo team from leadership of the camp to Chef Zamani and kitchen staff…wow! We are already scheming our next adventure and we will surely be back at your camps. We learned that you think you go to view the wild animals, but in fact, it’s all about the people and THEIR love of wildlife and how it all works. Cindee: Botswana and Zimbabwe, Jun 2022 Amaaaaaaaaazing! I don't know where to begin to describe the magical time we experienced in Africa. The beautiful way you curated our trip was nothing less than remarkable. We now have such an appreciation for the Great Plains Conservation Camps and we feel lucky that ALL of our camps were part of that family. Starting out at Tembo Plains the standard was set very high out of the chute. We fell in love with the managers and all the staff at Tembo Plains. The wildlife we encountered and the pleasure of watching the wildlife in their habitat was stunning and only rivaled by the lovely, kind, generous, smart, thoughtful people that managed the camps and that we fell in love with. We are forever grateful to you for creating this beautiful experience for us. We will never forget it and we hope to go back again and again and again and share it with family members and friends. THANK YOU!!!! Barb and Family: Zambia, Jun 2022 We had an absolutely wonderful trip. Everything worked out smoothly and easily and it was everything we could have hoped for. The guides we had were wonderful. I cannot imagine that we could possibly have had a better experience than we had. Thank you so much for everything you did to coordinate and work with us and our changing needs and also for your covid flexibility. Rest assured that you will be getting a number of enthusiastic referrals from us to local friends interested in the same type of trip. Steven and Loraine: Botswana and Zimbabwe, May 2022 We had a truly wonderful, lifetime experience. Everything went so well. We couldn't have been happier. Thankyou so much for making our 50th wedding anniversary even more special. Walter and Samantha: South Africa, May 2022 WHAT AN AMAZING TRIP!!!! Samantha and I wanted to pass along how terrific the entire trip was for both of us. Memories for a lifetime! Bill and Susan: South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, May 2022 We are back from our trip in Southern Africa and it could not have been a better journey. Your help in developing our itinerary was in my opinion the key to our fantastic journey. Our entire time with Wilderness Safaris was seamless. Our guide in Cape Town (Jack Pretorius) is a true gentlemen and extremely knowledgeable of the Cape Town area. It was like touring with a close friend. Our time at Chitabe and Little Vumbura were an experience of a life time. At those two locations we again felt like family members and extremely well cared for. Our guides Goodman (Chitabe) and Lucky (Vumbura) were both very knowledgeable of the areas and there was not a question they could not answer. The staff at the camps were all exceptional, everyone knew our names and used them, very impressive. I was also very impressed by the two general managers of the camps, Mama Jun ( Chitabe) and Faith (Vumbura) two very impressive women. Also, the food at both camps was exceptional (I am running out of superlatives) breakfast, brunch, tea and dinner, you should have told us because we would have gone on a diet before we left. The highlight for us was sitting by the fire before dinner and having the staff and managers come over and sit and talk with us as we learned about them, their culture and families. The trip was fantastic and we look forward to doing it again. Thank you for your help in putting this altogether for us! Rachel: Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Botswana, Apr/May 2022 Well - what an absolutely wonderful trip we had!! Everything was smooth sailing, and the people at all ends and for all services were warm, friendly, and just great people. The guides were super knowledgeable. I just can’t think of anything that might have been improved upon. Although the travel days were long, due to visiting so many countries, I personally would not have done this any differently as I enjoyed the varying cultural experiences and interactions. My favorite camp, as it was so unique, was Vumbura Camp in the Okavango Delta. What an experience - and the night sounds were amazing, especially given we were so close to the hippos! But all had their unique features, and I am glad we had such a variety of experiences. So, 10/10 from me! Thanks so much for being patient with our group through COVID and the 2-year delay with reschedules. I will definitely recommend your team to others who might be interested in visiting Africa. Erin and Joshua: Kenya, Jan 2022 Our safari was the most amazing experience we've ever had. Thanks so much for arranging everything for us. Everything was perfect and both Ol Pejeta and Rekero Camps were absolutely spectacular. The staff and facilities were superb. We can't say enough how much we enjoyed our time in Kenya. What a magical place. Hopefully we will be able to go on another safari with Asilia in the future. Thanks again for everything. Mark and Connor: Kenya and Tanzania, Jan 2022 Our trip turned out fantastic, every place we stayed was great and provided nice variety in settings, food and style. Mara Plains was a great way to end. Beautiful property and exceptional service, loved the balloon ride. All connections ended up working well. The weather was great (much needed rain on day of departure) and we saw everything we could have wanted to see. Thanks for getting it all set up and the hand holding along the way! Once we get beyond this covid issue, I can’t imagine a better trip for those looking for an exceptional experience. Doug and Melissa: South Africa and Botswana, Nov 2021 Not surprisingly, our trip was fantastic. We were able to see newborn elephants at Vumbura, follow wild dogs on hunts in Chitabe and Mombo and spent more time with leopards at Mombo than we could hope for. Our time in Cape Town was also really great. The hotel Le Grenadine was perfect for us. Pete and Jo Ann: Zambia and Botswana, Oct/Nov 2021 Thank you, thank you, thank you!! We wanted to touch base with you to tell you what a wonderful time we had in Zambia & Botswana. It was an AMAZING adventure. We saw and learned so much about the animals, birds, insects, plants, and especially the people of these African countries. Our guides were all excellent, our accommodations were all very comfortable, the food was delicious (too much, though!), and ALL of the people that we met, either in the bush or during the few days that we were out of the bush, were so friendly and helpful. As Paul reassured us, we were never left alone! The handoffs were all smooth. We had private safaris on all but a few occasions. We had camps all to ourselves on several nights. We know that this is in large part due to COVID, but we intend to post positive reviews of the camps highlighting the safety features and the amazing experiences that we had. All of our connections were smooth, when we were expecting someone to meet us, they were ALWAYS there on time. In addition to posting reviews on Trip Advisor, is there anything else that you can suggest that we can do to encourage others to start traveling to Africa again? We saw how badly some of the places were impacted by COVID, and even though it's not over, everywhere we went there were mitigations in place. Most of the staffs of the camps were vaccinated at least once, and were planning to be fully vaccinated as soon as possible. This new Omicron variant will hurt, we're sure, but once the science shows that the vaccine is as effective on this one as on the other ones, hopefully others will begin to travel again. Some highlights that we saw: * Over 70 different lions (we saw groups at all of the camps - we saw 1 kill, and we were about 5 minutes after another kill - gruesome, but part of the circle of life, we saw 4 young lions attempt to take over the territory of 2 older lionesses, VERY interesting hunting/stalking tactics) * A parade of about 150 elephants at Shumba (we think they were moving from one area to another in front of a terrible bush fire) * Leopards in South Luwangwa and on one of our walks in Kwando Lebala * 2 Cheetahs making a kill (impala) in Kwanddo Lebala * Tsodillo Hills was an amazing trip, we felt the religious significance of that place. * 2 herds of about 200 buffalo merged on their way to the water at Vumbura* The Devil's Pool was an amazing experience, as was the helicopter trip into the gorge!There's so much more, we are still reeling about all that we saw! Thank you again for arranging this life-changing trip!!! Chandni and Jeff: Tanzania, Sep 2021 Everything was wonderful! The accommodations and service we received at the lodges exceeded our expectations. We couldn’t have asked for a better honeymoon! Thank you for everything! Sarah and Kunal: Kenya, Jun 2021 We had a terrific time at Encounter Mara Camp. We saw baby cheetah cubs, leopards, and lots of lions and elephants! Our guide Nickson and the camp manager Mercy were both wonderful. Thanks very much for your help organizing this safari for us. We had a great time, and we’ll remember it for a long time! Kim, Michele and Andrea: Tanzania, May/June 2021 I won't speak for the group, but I know for certain we had a wonderful experience. The experience was phenomenal. I've taken several international trips but was totally blown away by our experience. I've never had a travel experience where the entire trip went off without a hitch. Everything was perfectly coordinated from start to finish. I would love to schedule a trip for next year with Natural Migrations. I'd like to stick with locations that are Asilia properties. Their service/customer service was amazing! Asilia went above and beyond. Andrea. I echo Andrea’s overall impression. This trip was absolutely one of the best things I’ve done. Everything was so well organized. The staff at the Asilia locations was so accommodating and helpful. They knew what we wanted or needed even before we did. They were also very friendly and entertaining. Thank you so much. I’ll definitely be back! Kim. I echo everything the ladies already stated. I LOVED the Asilia camps. Everyone was incredibly friendly and the trip was well put together.My friend and I are getting ready to plan the next trip to Africa and I can't wait to go again. This is definitely something I will remember for a lifetime! Michele. Cheryl and Kim: Botswana, May 2021 Thank you for arranging a great trip and helping with all of the COVID requirements. The safari was wonderful. Chitabe camp was wonderful. Our guide Tank tried his best to find cheetahs but with the lion population so high in the area, he said he has seen very few cheetahs lately. The camp manager, facilities, food and service was excellent and we would definitely go back to Chitabe. Mombo - how can you not like Mombo? I would return every year is it wasn’t so expensive. We were greeted by familiar faces and had the same guide (Yompy) who we consider to be the best of the best. He’s a wonderful human, guide and teacher. The wildlife viewing was spectacular as usual. Helicopter ride - This was so much fun. It was a three passenger helicopter so we were able to bring Yompy with us. Tom, the kiwi pilot, was great. He asked us what we wanted to see and off we went. I had a blast hanging a bit out of the copter taking photos of the waterways. Quite different from our balloon ride in Zambia but enjoyable. I think a prefer the balloon ride because it’s quieter. Travel in May is perfect weather and temperature wise. Again - thank you Caroline and Paul for arranging these amazing trips for us. Stephanie, Carlos and Christina: Rwanda and Tanzania, May 2021 What an amazing trip! All of the staff were amazing and deserve recognition for providing an outstanding experience.The pick up from the airport in Rwanda was prompt and hassle free and the Kigali Serena was a welcome and comforting place after our long international flights. I’ll always remember that amazing morning coffee. Our driver and guide, Theo, is a gem. He is kind, accommodating and an exceptionally safe driver. We loved that Theo arranged our “easy” treks and shared in our excitement of each day while sharing his insights into the local people and culture. Rwanda is an impressive country and we feel fortunate to have learned more about its history and resilience as a nation. Each gorilla trek was a life-changing experience and is one of our favorite travel experiences across all 7 continents. Sabyinyo Silverback lodge truly felt like a second home. The staff cared for us like family and made sure we were outfitted properly to trek. Our two-bedroom family suite was top notch with an unrivaled view. Our attendant, Peter, prepared a warm and cozy fire each evening and tended to all of our needs promptly and with a smile. The food was exceptional. Namiri Plains was also a fantastic experience. The highlight of the stay was absolutely the game drives and wildlife and Alphayo was a superstar guide. So funny and customized the viewing at our request. How did you find all those cheetahs, Alphayo? You have eyes unlike any other. We will remember your skilled driving, your jokes and all your wildlife knowledge. Namiri Plains is a special place and we felt cared for and pampered.Thank you to all the staff who made that happen. Our upgrade to The Palms in Zanzibar was an unexpected surprise. We practically had the resort to ourselves and this meant a calm, relaxed, and personalized experience. This was the perfect way to end our trip- with drinks delivered on a tray to our cabana while we sat in the sun watching the ocean and enjoying the breeze and beach. And of course, thank you Natural Migrations for planning this trip for us. Traveling in the midst of the pandemic was surprisingly smooth. We appreciate all your help and recommendations. I’m sure it wasn’t easy coordinating everything and so we know you must have an excellent team on the ground. We send our appreciation and gratitude to all those helped make this a memorable and special trip. Val and Sofia: Tanzania, May 2021 Thanks for assisting is making this one of the most memorable vacations we have ever been on. Josh and Annie: Zimbabwe, Jan 2020We are home·safe and sound, thank you so much for reaching out! Caroline: we had an incredible vacation. Everything was simple easy and magical. Transfer from the airport to Ilala Lodge was straightforward and prompt. Ilala was lavish beyond our wildest dreams! We caught Victoria Falls on Saturday afternoon (breathtaking and a perfect afternoon for it), and then took advantage of the hotel amenities·on Sunday. Monday morning we had a smooth and easy trip by car and then plane to Hwange and Camp Davison which was every bit as ideal as Ilala. Every single member of the staff was courteous, engaging, interesting, and hospitable. As hospitality professionals ourselves, we honestly just couldn't stop talking about how genuinely nice and helpful every single member of the staff was. Our guide Richard was an absolute superstar with an insane·amount of knowledge and prowess about the park and the animals. We were treated to magnificent animal sightings every single day with never a dull moment. Once again, thank you thank you. What a truly lavish and incredible experience.·-Josh
Renee: Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Namibia, Dec 2019I really had a wonderful trip.·Your·plans for me in Ethiopia worked out beautifully.·It was the perfect transition to Africa.·Two days was plenty for me in the Addis Ababa area.·The last evening the guide and driver took me to a wonderful restaurant with fantastic food and a great performance·including a band, singers and dancers.·Fantastic costumes and very interesting musical instruments. All camps and accommodations·were exceptional.·Little Makalolo had a fantastic and friendly staff and they didn't hesitate to socialize with us.·The chef was a capable vegan cook plus he did some nice things for Jill in the gluten free department.·Our guide Paul was fabulous - outgoing, knowledgeable and kind hearted.·The watering hole right in front of our camp was a source of endless amusement with constant flows of wildlife. I really enjoyed Hoanib Skelton Coast Camp from the point of view of being able to follow the animals' daily rhythms.·That was a super learning experience for me.·Again a really interesting watering hole in front of the camp. Serra Cafema was a fascinating experience.·Our guide, Gabes, was fluent enough in the Himba language so that we were able to interact with the people in a friendly and meaningful way when we visited the Himba village.·The staff was wonderful in general and the place extremely well managed.·Ongava Lodge was a great way to wind down the African experience.·The trip has planted the seed to go again - maybe to Uganda and Rwanda next time.·I also plan on recommending your services should anyone appropriate be interested. Thanks for everything!
Melissa and Michael: Zimbabwe and Botswana, Dec 2019We had a remarkable trip, and every single interaction we had that had anything to do with your organization was flawless. We were met as noted by helpful people, the accommodations were comfortable, and everything happened exactly as expected.·The staff at both camps were just lovely, and they were so willing to ensure that we had a stellar experience--we slept under the stars, irritated an elephant on a mokoro ride, and heard lions roar just feet from our beds. We had great guides at both camps, too. Michael took at least 5,000 photos of animals, birds, and the landscape.·I can't say enough good things about the whole trip, really. It was amazing, from beginning to end (and that's counting the 36 hours it took for us to get home!)·I would absolutely do this again, and might even return to one or the other camps because they were terrific. Or maybe Savuti or Qorokwe or Linkwasha. I might avoid the summertime heat next time! But thank you for all of your thoughtful preparation and hard work. It was, as they say, a life-changing experience.
Terri: Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana, Nov 2019The trip was beyond what I imagined it could be – absolutely incredible! ·Everyone was fabulous and all the help I received was terrific – I never had to worry but just enjoyed myself and I learned so much.·It was truly a dream come true! The only issue I really had was when the honey badger bit into my cell phone early on at Kapamba camp in Zambia.·That killed the phone! Fortunately, I brought an extra camera. Of all the people I met, I was one of the few people who had never even been to Africa.·In a few years I will want to travel to Kenya and possibly Namibia.·I heard so many wonderful things about those two countries and their safaris. Thank you!· Terri
Jean and Mike: Kenya, Uganda and Zambia, Nov 2019Just wanted to say thank you for all the work you did on planning our trip.·The trip was wonderful, and we had such a great experience.·I will recommend your services whenever I can.· Again, thanks for everything.
Kim: Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa, Oct 2019I cannot say enough about our trip. It was amazing, spectacular, magical. I appreciated all your help and guidance you gave with the planning of our trip. I have made sure when talking about our trip to mention you and Natural Migrations. Thank you again!!
Holly and John: South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, Nov 2019I want you to know we had an amazing trip!· It is hard to put into words how awesome it was and we can’t thank you enough for truly creating a trip of a lifetime.· You exceeded our expectations!!· Everything went smoothly and seamless.· All three camps were incredible.· The people were wonderful, the camps exquisite and the food was way too good!· The guides were outstanding.·Shaun Milan at the Machaba camp was awesome!· So incredibly passionate and determined to find us great animal sightings.·Onx Manga was also fantastic and very interesting.· We learned so much!· Trust was our guide at Verney’s camp who also did a fantastic job.· When we arrived at Verney’s camp the drought effect was much more evident as there were many elephants who did not survive.·Hard to see but we also noticed there were lots of babies so we were hopeful as well.· They had received a small amount of rain right before we arrived and by the third day we could see things starting to turn green again which was also very encouraging. On our last night at Verney’s we had our sundowner at a beautiful water hole with a heard of elephants.·It is here during the sunset John got down on one knee and proposed!·I said YES!·I could not have dreamed of a more special place to get engaged in front of a heard of elephants.·I really can’t thank you enough for creating such a special trip for us.·I will definitely continue to recommend Natural Migrations to anyone who wishes to travel to Africa.
Gail and John: Tanzania, Oct/Nov 2019We had a fantastic trip! Top line...the Asilia camps were beautiful, well-managed, and provided three different landscapes which was one of our objectives on this trip. All of the transfers were seamless which is always appreciated! To start, the river crossings at Olakira were a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience. Our guide, Noel, was excellent, the food was very good, and the staff very warm. Onto Namiri Plains Camp. Phenomenal design, excellent food, different landscape and wildlife emphasis. We mostly 'majored' in cats while we were there and spent a fair bit of time searching for the melanistic serval...no luck. However, we did see a caracal and regular serval, along with honey badgers and some cheetah families. For us, the cheetah cubs, smaller cats, and badgers were 'firsts.' Jabali Ridge. Again exceptional design, excellent food, topnotch service, and gorgeous, varied landscape. We so greatly appreciate your recommendations and arrangements and look forward to connecting with you on a future trip.
Diane and Ron: Zambia and Zimbabwe, May 2019I have always pined for the landscapes of Idaho. Africa is the only place in the world for which, in addition to Idaho, I feel homesickness, as I do today. Again, thank you from Ron and me.
Randy and Nancy: Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, May 2019We got home last night after 30 some hours of travel so were all exhausted. I may still be delirious but thought I wanted to send while I’m still on this wonderful Africa high! The trip was incredible. I was overcome with excitement to find Leo was our guide in Mana Pools ! I had no idea that he would be there so I was almost beside myself when I saw him at the runway to greet us. He is awesome- so intelligent, professional, caring, and solid. We have enjoyed all of our guides, but this man made such an impression on me. So- whatever you did to make that happen- THANK YOU!! We will ( hopefully) go back to Africa again, and if we do I will make it to a camp where he can be our guide again. Mana pools is incredible and it was even better to have him there. Thank you again.
Jim and Susan: South African and Botswana, May 2019Just wanted to let you know what a great trip we had to South Africa and Botswana. Beyond words wonderful.We thoroughly enjoyed Cape Town. The waterfront area was vibrant and, on the water with surrounding mountains, beautiful. Our peninsula tour was great, with stunning scenery culminating with the Cape of Good Hope. And we also spent part of a day in the wine country where we were again taken with the beauty and, of course, the excellent wine. The most memorable part of the our trip was the safari experience. The camps (Little Vumbura, Savuti, Qorokwe) were all special and the guides excellent. But the truly outstanding experience was seeing the animals and being among them. We had anticipated seeing many of them, but the richness and diversity were exceptional. We could not have asked for any better. We also enjoyed meeting the managers and staff of the camps, the guides, and many of the other guests with whom we shared meals and game drives. Overall, we were very impressed with the entire Wilderness operation. I wore your hat much of the time and spoke of our good experience with Natural Migrations. Thanks for all of your help in developing this memorable trip.
Rich and Renee: Botswana and Zimbabwe, May 2019We had a wonderful time, this was one of the finest trips we've ever taken!
Cindy: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, May 2019We loved it! Everything went very smoothly...very well organized. Unfortunately all three countries are suffering a terrible drought and the lack of water made it impossible to do any water activities in Botswana. Hopefully they will get some relief soon. Our favorite camp is Chitabe. There was an abundance of game and a lot of activity. We enjoyed each camp; they all offered a different experiences. Thank you so much for arranging this trip for us. It is heartwarming to realize the resources Wilderness Safaris puts into surrounding communities and wildlife conservation.
Angie and Ed: Tanzania, Jan 2019I’ve finally regrouped a bit and wanted to get back to you both to tell you what a marvelous time Ed and I had. The trip exceeded all of our expectations, and I am grateful to have been able to rely on your expert counsel about where we should go and stay. Thank you! All of the places we stayed were first rate. We loved them all. The knowledgeable guides at all our camps were outstanding, and we learned so much from them. The rest of the staff at each camp made us feel very welcome and pampered. We loved the warm, friendly atmosphere at each place. I also loved the way you structured the trip – starting with “easier” safaris to Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater and working our way up to Ruaha, which was more remote and a very different experience but one we also loved. There, we got to do a walking safari and a nighttime game drive, which were both great. We were a bit tired by the time we got to Ruaha and so loved ending our safari time at Jabali Ridge where we could both go on game drives and also relax by the pool and at the spa. We also were glad to have three nights in Zanzibar to decompress and really enjoyed the spice tour and the Stone Town tours. And as I mentioned, we were very grateful for your assistance when we encountered the flight snafu at Zanzibar Airport. It all worked out just fine and the Coastal rep who met us at Dar took good care of us. Thank you again for jumping on that! I would be happy to recommend you all if you ever need a reference for a prospective client. I also will recommend you to any friends of our who might be thinking about an Africa trip. Ed and I think we definitely would like to go back to Africa at some point.
Rosanne: Rwanda and Kenya, Jan 2019We really loved Lewa Wilderness and Elsa’s Kopje! They both are very special places, with wonderful service, food and rides…it was hard to part when we had to leave! We loved so much about the trip, the animals, gorillas, cats etc, but mostly the people, they have such a gentle and kind way about them, that really touched me. Thanks for setting up the trip, I’m looking forward to going back to Africa soon!