Most Inspirational Moment
One of my highlights was watching a herd of female elephants and their calves run towards a watering hole to join the males who were already there. The 30 or so elephants drank, bathed and sprayed themselves with water with obvious joy. Seeing this close up felt like a real privilege. But every single day brought new delights, from seeing a white rhino and her two daughters during a walking safari and enjoying the polers' harmonious singing around the campfire to seeing a wide range of gloriously coloured birds, San rock art and rich sunsets.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our tour leaders, Mira and Marco, were outstanding, enthusiastically sharing their knowledge with us about both countries and their wildlife. They were unfailingly hard-working and well-organised, as well as being great cooks, conjuring up a variety of delicious meals on basic equipment. Their love of their jobs constantly shone through. The guides in the national parks were equally passionate about their subjects and always committed to giving us the best experience. I suggest that you take more money with you for tipping than is suggested in the trip notes, as you will almost certainly want to reward the outstanding service that you receive throughout your trip.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Of the optional activities on offer, I recommend the flight over the Delta (120 US $) to get a sense of the Delta's vastness. And in Victoria Falls I wholeheartedly recommend the lion cub interaction (75 US $). This chance to stroke and walk with lion cubs is part of a conservation project and an incredibly special experience. I felt totally safe throughout the experience and given that the 'cubs' were 22 months old, that's really saying something! The Zambezi dinner cruise (78 US $) is also definitely worth doing: a delicious five course meal, watching an elephant on the bank and hippos in the river, bathed in the warm, golden light of the setting sun. It really did feel as if life could not get any better.
Reply from Exodus
We would like to thank Debra for her review, and we are delighted to hear that she had a wonderful trip. We really appreciate direct recommendations from our clients for specific optional activities, however, we would discourage people from taking part in the lion cub activity in Victoria Falls. Animal welfare is an important part of the Exodus Responsible Travel policy; and there are a lot of unanswered questions about this activity (and other similar activities in Zimbabwe) and about the extent of how ethical they are. We would therefore advise against people taking part in this particular activity or if they choose to, consider the potential issues surrounding these activities.
Tom Harari – Product Manager for Botswana and Zimbabwe