Camille,
First of all I want to thank you very much for the great service you have givens us. I can’t imagine a more well organized trip. With all of the different events, locations, hotels, pick-ups, etc. Nothing went wrong, every thing was on time and exceptionally well done. Your trip planning could not have been better. We clearly understood what we were going to experience and it all lived up to our expectations and then some. If you ever need a recommendation from us don’t hesitate to ask. You did a more than first class job and are to be commended for the high quality of your work.
Madikwe Safari Lodge – If anything you might have undersold it. It is 5 Star++, everything from the accommodations, food,safari, staff was absolutely first class. The ease of getting there and the abundant animals made it an experience to always remember. I have a very limited exposure to this type of “resort” but this one is in a class by itself. You should recommend it to anyone who wants a truly first class experience with an African bush experience. I would go back there anytime. Our ranger was a fellow by the name of Andres and he was amazing.
More Quarters – It was an ok experience, certainly they were extremely friendly and helpful. I know that we had two free nights there which was a very good reason to choose it, but if I were to come back to Cape Town I think that somewhere closer to the V&A would be my choice. It was easy to get cabs back and forth but it would have been better to be closer to the harbor. The rooms were nice but a little strange (we had a bath tub in the middle of our bedroom?). Neighborhood was nice and there were several restaurants close by, but we ended up eating all of our dinners at the V&A. Had excellent meals!
Victoria Falls Hotel – I love old quality hotels and this one is right up with the best. All things were good about it and the tours you arranged made our time there a great experience. We talked to other people on our tours and they all said that they wished they had booked there. Great choice, again.
The Hide – It was exactly what I expected and lived up to my expectations. If I hadn’t had such a fantastic experience at Madikwe it would have been a standout. The trip from Victoria Falls was a very long 4 ½ hours. The last hour and a half over extremely rough roads. The size of the Hwange National Park is so large that it is necessary to drive fairly long distances (on those same rough roads) to see animals. Also, park rules are much stricter in that the park doesn’t open until 6:30am and closes at 6:30pm, the guides are not allowed off of the roads so there were some times that we couldn’t get back to some animals. The staff worked extremely hard to make our time of the highest quality. Food was good but not gourmet but close. I am sure that as tent camps go this is one of the best.
Again, thank you for all that you and your team did to make our trip wonderful!
Jim