Travelled: April/May 2022
Destination: Botswana and Zimbabwe
Itinerary: 15 nights itinerary - 10 nights’ private mobile camping safari staying in Khumaga (Makgadikgadi), Third Bridge (Moremi), Khwai (Moremi), Savute and Chobe Riverfront (Chobe National Park), 2 nights' Lazy River Camp (Okavango Delta) and 3 nights’ Batonka Guest Lodge (Victoria Falls)

Hi Tara

Thanks for your email. 

We had a really exceptional trip. From the moment Leablo from Shangana picked us up in Maun right through to Vic Falls Airport two weeks later we didn’t really have to worry about anything. The itinerary was fantastic and the guys were very happy to make changes and be flexible with everything. Mobile safari was an adventure, but it was also some of the most glamorous comfortable camping we have ever done! And the food was just exceptional, we could have been on some private yacht somewhere, but no we were in the middle of the bush! It was great to be able to try lots of local food, many thanks for organising that! I don’t think we will forget having Lions in the camp at Moremi and seeing them passing the tent before watching them feast on last night’s kill for a long time… and that was just one of many amazing sights. I know that we wouldn’t have had the experience we had without the guys from Shangana - their knowledge, passion and determination to give us the best trip possible shone through, and they are a credit to David and Helena.

The only thing we would say is that the safari vehicle was a tad uncomfortable for the longer trips, the combination of the wind when driving at speed and that our feet did not touch the floor made things a little awkward. We saw some vehicles with different seating arrangements and some screening and things for use on the longer driving parts of the trip. Having said that, it really did not detract significantly from what was a fantastic trip! 

Transfers to Vic falls were smooth and efficient and Batonka was a lovely base for our exploration of the falls. The recommendations from the guys there were first rate and they essentially organised the whole itinerary without us having to lift a finger. The walking tour, helicopter ride were both fantastic. We had some great food at The Boma, Dusty Road and a Dinner Cruise as well. We even managed to fit in a trip to the Stanley Livingstone reserve and were able to see a Mother & Son pair of black rhinos - so we did manage to see the Big 5 on the trip!

All in all an exceptional trip. We are very grateful to you for your exceptional service, your speed of response has been fantastic and you always had the information we needed at hand. Without you I am sure we would not have been connected with such fantastic suppliers, so many thanks for that.

We very much hope to return to Southern Africa one day and if we do I will certainly be in touch!

All the best

Rob & Bethany

Travelled: December 2019
Destination: Botswana
Itinerary: Self Drive – 16 nights combination of camping and accommodation - 1 night Kwa Nokeng (Martins Drift Border), 2 nights’ Deception Pan Campsite (Central Kalahari), 3 nights’ Oddballs’ Camp (Okavango Delta), 1 night Maun Rest Camp Campsite (Maun), 2 nights Khwai Public Campsite (Khwai) , 1 night Savuti Public Campsite (Savuti) , 1 night Linyanti Public Campsite (Linyanti), 2 nights Chobe Safari Lodge (Kasane, Chobe Riverfront), 2 nights’ Planet Baobab Campsite (Makgadikgadi), 1 night Baobab Bushveld Retreat (Groblersbrug)

Hi Tara
 
Thank you again for your wishes :).
 
Our trip to Botswana was a trip of a lifetime. You provided an excellent service - answered us promptly and with a lot of care, patience and personality (!). The trip was very tailored to what we cared about - a mixture of camping and lodges and we felt as though we were in safe hands!
 
The recommendations on lodges were great and we absolutely loved Oddballs and flying there by a Delta Air. Such a cool, quirky place but with excellent food and lovely staff. Not to mention the FANTASTIC view of the river and non stop animal viewing. Also helps that this was the site of a very special moment for us, our engagement - nevertheless a lovely place. 
 
Tara is brilliant and we are very glad we chose Eight Points as a travel agent. I’ve since recommended her and the service (as well as Oddballs) to a number of other prospective visitors as I really do feel like the service was outstanding.
 
...finally a thank you for the champagne at Oddballs - very sweet and the photo is us drinking it while watching the sunset!!! :)
 
All the best and thank you again.
 
Tanvi and Jack

Travelled: September 2019
Destination: Botswana
Itinerary: 3 nights’ at Deception Valley Lodge (Central Kalahari) – Self Drive.

Hello Tara,
We have just come back from a very long road trip in Southern Africa and wanted to say thank you for helping us stay at the Deception Valley Lodge. The place is of an astonishing beauty but, more than that, we found the staff was simply outstanding.
If you can, please convey this note to the Lodge, underlying the super performance of Kitsontle Saqago (aka "Knowledge"). We bought and read the book he contributed to, titled "Men with tales" and found the stories told by the Okavango delta guides truly compelling.
Thank you again, Marco & Marzia

Travelled: July 2019
Destination: Botswana
Itinerary: 2 nights’ Old Bridge Backpackers (Maun), 6 nights’ Oddballs’ Camp Camping Trail (Okavango Delta)

Dear Tara
 
Home since yesterday, I’d like to thank you for your professional, warm-hearted and tailor made planning of our journey. You really understood what we were longing for - everything you proposed was so well adapted to our dreams and needs. Starting from the Old Bridge, where we got the two best huts and I saw for the first time in my life wild animals, such as hippos, crocodiles, fish eagles and cattle sharing the same water hole. Odd Balls with 4 nights „out in the bush“ was the perfect choice for us - after this experience, I couldn’t ever go back to a safari in a motor vehicle. I felt so much more in harmony with nature and the animals when walking and being in this bush camp. Yes, we still had a lot of luxury out there of course, and the many planes over our heads at certain hours disturbed the illusion of really being out in the wild a little… I know that we used a plane as well, we are contradictory, as my friend Nkalimeng from Lesotho said. But there were also the quiet times, the sunsets, the elephants visiting the camp during the night, the milky way so clear up there in the sky… the very last day when our guide Molaodi fullfilled the boys dream and tracked down a lioness for us, having her meal in the bush 10 meters away from us and telling us with her roars not to come any closer. And the beautiful smile and joy in the face of Molaodi, happier than ever during these days because he was able to fullfill the dream of these two 7 and 11 year old boys.
 
I have another „adopted“ family with two boys, unfortunately they live in Spain, thus it would be the flights in addition to the safari to pay… but if ever I decide once to take them to a safari in Botswana, this time it would be easy to choose the company, of course it would be yours :-)
 
thanks again and kind regards,
 
Margrit

Travelled: June 2019
Destination: Botswana and Zimbabwe
Itinerary: 3 nights’ Oddballs’ Camp (Okavango Delta), 12 nights’ private mobile camping safari staying in Xakanaxa (Moremi) Khwai (Moremi) and Savuti, 3 nights’ Chobe Bakwena (Chobe National Park), 2 nights’ Batonka Guest Lodge (Victoria Falls)

Hi Tara.
Many thanks for your mail. Well what can I say, our holiday was beyond expectations. At Oddballs’ we had a really good personal guide called FNB, he was so informant
about all things and walking in the bush he was so assuring and confident, the staff at the camp were really good and interactive, and the food was excellent.
For the mobile safari we were really spoilt, the company was Tamog Tours and Safaris, for the twelve days we had Namba our guide, Mangi our cook, and three other staff.
We had thought that we would have to share with other tourists, so we were really delighted to have it all to ourselves, I dreaded sitting in a vehicle with ten other people.
Namba was magnificent, his knowledge of all things, from the biggest to the smallest was unbelievable. He would hear a bird’s alarm call and then find the cause of it, usually a Leopard.
With him we saw seven different Leopards in six consecutive days, and so many Lions and cubs, plus Sable, Roan and Tsesebe and all the other game and birds.
Mangi our cook was magnificent, she baked fresh bread every day, in a tin box!!!, and considering she was cooking on an open fire all meals were outstanding.  Before dinner every night Mangi and the three boys would sing at least three songs for us, around the campfire. 
After twelve days Namba drove us to Bakwena , we left at nine in the morning and arrived there at two , and this was the only time we were not so happy , to sit in an open vehicle for 
one hundred and seventy Ks on corrugated roads was very uncomfortable, most of the time you had to cover your eyes from dust and wind.
Bakwena lodge was very good and after our tented safari it was sheer comfort. the cruises on the Chobe were really good, but I found the early morning game drives were a bit rushed, 
we would start at five thirty, drive quite fast for a long distance without taking any time to stop and look around and then it would be a fast drive back to the lodge for eleven am.
The staff at Bakwena were very good and on the last night they put on a show, singing and dancing, with guest participation, and once again the food was excellent.
The drive to Vic Falls was good, going through immigration was not a problem, (from what I was used to ).
Baktonka Lodge was excellent, a big contrast from the start of our holiday, once again the staff and food were excellent.
We booked the sunset cruise and should have shared with seven others but they cancelled at the last minute so we had the boat to ourselves, spoilt again. .
The plane trips in between camps were really good and there were no problems.
Our only regret was that the Delta was not flooded, but apart from that, and the drive to Bakwena, we would highly recommend this holiday,
 
Many thanks for putting everything together, maybe we will return to the Delta when it is flooded.
Will send some pics.
All the best 
Kath and John  

Travelled: December 2018
Destination: Botswana
Itinerary: 3 nights’ Camp Xakanaxa (Moremi Game Reserve), 3 nights’ Delta Camp (Okavango Delta), 4 nights’ Meno a Kwena (Makgadikgadi).
 
Hi Tara,
I must apologize for taking so long to respond. As soon as I returned I had to work on a writing assignment that was due this past Thursday. I made my deadline, and had the wind at my wings having had such a glorious time on my safari!  Thanks for your planning, I'm sure you doing it made all of the difference.
 
The three camps were a great combination, all unique and special in their own ways. Camp Xakanaxa had the warmest staff, so it was a great welcome. All of the staff in all of the camps were lovely, but the women in that camp play a big role, not just serving, but welcoming and helping to run the place (at least for the time I was there.) The camp also put on a lively Christmas performance with singing and dancing from locals at the neighboring village. It was a cultural experience, full of joy and elation.  The camp really celebrated the holidays and it was great being so far from home. There were little presents and a Christmas tree!  I hated to leave...
 
Delta Camp was the most vivid and amazing connection to the natural world.  Walking in the wild uncharted terrain, one-on-one with a guide, as opposed to being driven, I felt closer to nature and animals then I thought possible. It was a thrilling and a unique adventure every day. I loved the close connection to the guides and their knowledge of the land and the animals felt intimate and rare. My guide actually carved his own mokoro, and crossing the waterway was sublime, I wish had been a longer ride, (but the time of year I could travel didn't permit.)  He also shared much about natural medicine, plants and healing, all areas I am interested in.  I appreciated the depth of knowledge of the guides there. And the last night I even got to spend in the tree-house, like something out of a movie, or a dream. I'd recommend this accommodation to everyone!  Delta camp gave me the most authentic safari experience. It felt rare and fleeting.
  
Meno a Kwena was a great place to spend the new year! The atmosphere is so unique with the parachutes draping the dining and public tents, and the lighting with little twinklies made a magical effect. But at the same time the camp feels very luxurious, very "Out Of Africa" British colonial,  with a mix of styles, lots of historic photos, art and unique furniture ( a day bed from India!) I loved watching the food prepared on a fire built in the center of camp, everything here from water conservation, to energy efficiency is remarkable. Very eco-friendly.   And the animals here were plentiful,  I think I saw more here than at the other camps, not that I was counting,  (seeing game is just a small part of the safari experience. ) It was here that I got to visit the San people, who took me on a little walk-about and I learned about the people not just the animals! Also I got drenched every day!  The rainy season for sure! But still, I loved every minute. 
 
I would love to return a different time of year and also to these wonderful camps, but I know there are others that are remarkable as well. Thanks for putting together such a great itinerary.
I truly appreciate the knowledge and care you took in making my holiday trip so fulfilling!
 
All the best,
Kathleen
 

Travelled: November 2018
Destination: Botswana
Itinerary: 2 nights’ at Oddballs’ Enclave (Okavango Delta)
 
Dear Tara, 
We are now in Etosha. We had a wonderful time at Oddballs'Enclave and we are very happy to with our host ( Doc) and of choosing this camp. All the team is fantastic and the food is excellent! 
Thank you very much for your kindness,
Mònica and Benjamin