Most Inspirational Moment
Each day had its own highlight but the stand out moments were: seeing the leopard stalk its prey, the rhinos at Etosha waterhole at night, being up close to the hippos on the Mokuru boat trip, Victoria Falls, climbing Dune 45 for the sunrise, the stunning African night sky and the clarity of the constellations, the White Lady paintings at Brandberg, our first sight of Table Mountain, the penguins at Boulder Beach, walking from Cape Point to the Cape of Good Hope.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Petrus was our leader but really Petrus and Ende worked as a 2-man team and both were excellent. They clearly had a good relationship and were 2 parts of a whole. Ende had a great sense of humour and infectious laugh but was serious regarding safety and daily briefing. Petrus and Ende had a wealth of knowlege about the wildlife and the countries and took every opportunity to share. They were working every moment of their waking day and their key focus was our safety and enjoyment.
Advice for Potential Travellers
1)Do the optional excursions particularly the safari drive in Chobe ($70) on the afternoon you arrive and in Etosha ($60) on the day you move from one camp to another in the National Park, you wouldn't want to miss out on the wildlife sightings.
2) The sunset cruise in Victoria Falls is a must and includes unlimited alcoholic and soft drinks and hot snacks, great value for money.
3) The wine tasting at Highlanders, just before dinner, is a great way to end the last night of camping before heading off to Cape Town.
4) Binoculars are essential.
5)The Bruck has wildlife and bird books but your own copy of WILDLIFE OF OKAVANGO by Duncan Butchart would add to your enjoyment.
6) It was quite cool overnight in some camps so ensure you take some thermals to sleep in if you feel the cold rather than a thicker sleeping bag.
7) If you're going to wash any items the sinks do not usually have plugs so I used the cap of a large water bottle that I found.
8) The trip notes discuss optional tipping but the tips are expected and the amount is prescribed. It's $5 or the equivalent in local currency per person per activity lead by local guides so make sure you have lots of $5 or $10 bills.
9) Namibia accepts South African Rand so we only got SAR. Credit cards are widely accepted.
10) Go up Table Mountain the moment you see the clouds lift otherwise you might miss out on the opportunity. We went on the afternoon we arrived in Cape Town.
11) Some long Bruck journeys on gravel roads so I found listening to Audible Books really useful when I couldn't read.
12) If cocktails are your thing I'd highly recommend visiting Victoria Falls Hotel for a cocktail on the terrace with a view of the Zambezi Bridge and the mist from the falls. Cocktails were £8 with nibbles. We went in the afternoon around 15:30 and there was no need to book.
Suggestions
I think if would be really useful if you sent out an Exodus Rep to see how the trip works in reality and in order to update your trip notes which I believe are outdated. Everything in the trip notes happens but not always in the same order and some of the prices are out of date.
It would be useful to include the optional Chobe afternoon safari and the Etosha transfer safari as to miss them would be to miss out, just add it to the overall cost of the trip.
