Olha, Maksim, Nicolas and Sascha
Aangepaste reis Botswana en Namibië

Chobé, Etosha, Okavango Delta, Namib Naukluft, Damaraland en de Victoria Watervallen.

Dear Colin and Samanta,

My family and I want to Thank You for one of the most amazing and adventurous vacations we ever had!
Here is our feedback written for you to use on any public platform you like.
It turned out quite long, so you can shorten it if you like. Here goes ...

By the end of 2019 we started to communicate with Colin from Budget Safari in Netherlands and through a lot of email correspondence and exchange back and forward over a couple of months they have created a 16 days journey we sure will think and speak about for many years to come. At first it seemed like it wasn't meant to be, as Covid hit and delayed our 2020 plans by two years. But Colin was able to move our entire plan forward, year by year, until it was possible and safe to travel again in July 2022.

When the day finally came, we (2 adults and two 12 years old kids) were a bit nervous how everything would work out, about our safety, wether we will like the accomodations we booked and for me - as the designated driver - how it would be to self-drive in Namibia and Botswana. Long story short: it was amazing, easy and VERY well organised!

We had no problems at all and, apart from one stay in Popa Falls, we loved every single accomodation we had. We received a booklet, prepared from Colin and his team, which described our routes to our next accomodations in detail and suggested interesting stops along the way. It was like opening a new chapter of an adventure in a novel every evening, when we prepared for the next day. Wonderful. Safe and sound, is how we felt throughout the Journey and Spoiler Alert: We got see the Big 5 in the end (and a lot more)!

Before I get into any details, let me give you a VERY important advice: Start your journey in the South and move up North towards the National Parks (like Etoscha) later in the journey. DON'T do it the other way around!

Reason being that in the South you find unbelievable landscapes but there are less animals to spot along the way, while you would be spoiled with Wildlife in the National Parks up North and then be pretty bored for the rest of the Journey, probably. The way Colin suggested it to us, starting in the South, we were super excited about every animal we spotted and very often hit the breaks when we saw a couple of Oryx', Baboons or Ostrich (and one Sidewinder Snake, unfortuantely) alongside the roads and we drove constantly with our eyes wide open, scanning the area for Wildlife and enjoying the constantly changing and breathtaking landscapes we passed through along the way.

So if you have time... start South! If you come only to see the Big 5 quickly... start North and head to Etosha/Onguma and Chobè (Botswana) immediately and... Good Luck!:

Dag 1  | Windhoek - Accomodation: Hilton Hotel (1 night)
We started our Journey in Windhoek, where we got the 4x4 we rented. After a briefing and tutorial about how the car works (being from Germany/Belgium, sitting and driving on the "wrong" side was thrilling but I got used to it pretty quickly... only these bloody window-wipers...) we were off and going without any hussle. First missions were to get a Sim-Card and a phone-holder for the windshield to use GoogleMaps. Which turned out to be quite a struggle at first because we didn't listen to Colin's advice to get the Sim-Card already at the Airport in Windhoek. But once that was sorted... off we went....

Dag 2 en 3   |  Sesriem - Acc: Dead Valley Lodge (2 nights)
The journey led us south to Sesriem for a couple of days where we explored the Dunes at sunrise and the Dead Valley among other things in the area. We stayed at the Dead Valley Lodge. Very nice rooms and staff and also very good food. But be prepared for chilly nights and mornings. Long Pyjamas it is!

The roads to get there (or almost everywhere we went) are mainly gravel roads but they are always very wide, like a 4-lane-highway, and really not a lot of traffic to look out for. So we ended up drifting from side to side because I constantly scan from left to right over the horizons for Wildlife without getting into trouble with other Cars. It can be bumpy at times and sometimes you can't drive faster than 30km/h but you don't mind because in this case, it's really about the journey, not the goal.

Dag 3  |  Swakopmund, Walvis Bay - Acc: Bayview Resort (1 night)
After that we went North and West to the Coast to Walvis Bay, where we had one of the most amazing boat excursions ever. Wild Seals jumped on board and surfed the waves behind the boats, Dolphins did just the same (except for jumping on board, luckily). We had a Pelikan landing on our deck, a big Jellyfish picked up from one of the guides and plenty of interesting informations about the Wildlife in and around these waters. Short: they delivered everything they promised and more!

Dag 4 en 5  |  Hohenstein - Acc: Hohenstein Lodge (1 night)
Our next stop was "Hohenstein Lodge" in Usakos. What... a... place! For me, the best accomodation of the whole Journey. Or maybe sharing the first place with "The Fort" in Onguma. It is a huge private Ranch park with two Giraffes and plenty of other Wildlife. Including a Gang of Baboons but these ones were shy and ran away when they spotted us from 100m away. On the evening of our arrival, before sunset, we went for a hike on our own but except for getting scared on every hiss we heard or movement we saw in the knee-high grass, we didn't get to see much Wildlife. Very nice Staff, good food and we were lucky to get the best room in the Lodge, which was a bit further up the hill on its own and very spacey and luxurious. The next morning we did our first Game Drive and learned that in these grasses are indeed Black Mambas and Spitting Zebra Cobras and one Black Mamba was found in the Lodge recently... lovely.

Dag 6 |  Vingerklip - Acc: Vingerklip Lodge (1 night)
Then we went to the Grand Canyon of Namibia - Vingerklip in Damaraland. Again, what a place! It looks a lot like the Grand Canyon in the US, only wider and not so deep. We stayed in the "Vingerklip Lodge". A very nice and interesting place that has a Restaurant with a view on top of one of the Mountains, or what you call it in a Canyon. Good for the fitness: You have to walk up to the restaurant and back down again (10min each way). Sure worth the hassle! The only trouble we had was to get to the Lodge. We used Google Maps and it lead us the same Route Colin mentioned in his booklet. Unfortunately, we ended up in front of a closed gate in the deepest Bush on Road "D2351". Behind the gate was private property and no chance to pass. We ended up making a 2 hours detour via Okondomba and followed the road west and north to get to Vingerklip from the north. But again... the things you see along the way... I shouldn't call it a detour... more an extension of amazement.

Dag 7   |  Okaukuejo (I still can't say it) Resort in Etosha National Park. (1 night)
On the short road from the Park-Entrance to the Resort we stopped already 3 times for Girraffes and Elephants we spotted in very far distance. Only to realize later, that we had one of the best Villas in the Resort, direclty in front of the Waterhole where we witnessed a herd of 26 Elephants running to and occupying the entire waterhole for like half an hour. Wilderbeest and Zebras moved quickly out of the way when the Mob of Elephants stormed in. Only the Rhinos weren't impressed as much and lingered on.

In the evening we went on our next Game Drive. This time in total darkness. The Driver used red-light to search for Wildlife and on our first Waterhole-stop we encountered some Elephants, Black and White Rhinos and some Spotted Hyenas also joined the Party. But for pictures it wasn't great as everything was red and the phone-cam couldn't quite handle it. On the next waterhole we encountered some sleepy lions but we could't really see them. The male only made sure we hear him. It was a nice trip but freezing cold as our Vehicle was open and we were driving like 60-80km/h.

We went on the next Game Drive immediately the next morning. A sunrise Game Drive. It was again freezing cold for the first hour but we quickly warmed up when we spotted a Spotted Hyena Mother with her (not so small) Cub laying right next to the Street. Only 100m further down the road we had a Coyote sleeping in Elephant-Poop. And when we went back to the waterhole where the Lions were the night before, we hit the Jackpot.

First we met another Car and they told us that the Lions wandered off into the Bush. So our driver turned around and drove another route along this Bush-area. We drove up and back but didn't see anything.The driver told us that they would stay hidden in the shades now and we won't get to see them until evening, when I saw something in the angle of my eye that looked like movement 20m into the Bush. I said "STOP! I think I saw something!" and he drove back to the spot. Two minutes later the whole Family of like 10-12 Lions wandered accross the street right in front of our Vehicle. Amazed with our mouths open, we followed the Moms and Cubs when suddenly one of our Group said "oh, you should look back!" and two big male Lions came out of the bush and followed their Family. Wow! By then we saw 3 of the Big 5: Elephant, Rhino (both kinds) and Lions.

Dag 8   |  "The Fort" in Onguma Game Reserve (1 night)
The drive through the National Park and along the Etosha Pan was already breathtaking. We saw so many animals along the way, we already didn't stop anymore. We had an amazing and special Hotel built in Marokko-Style! It was rated as the 4th most luxurious Hotel in Namibia and it sure was impressive! In the evening we went for another Game-Drive... yes, we loved to do Game Drives... this time a Sundowner Game Drive.

Until then we hadn't seen any Pumbas (Warthog) or Kudus yet. We saw so many Road Signs along the way, warning us to watch out for them but never have we even seen one of them... we already thought they are a myth... until then! Our driver seemed to be very much into Plants, Trees and Birds for the first 10 minutes. Until another Driver reached out to him and told him that they spotted 3 Leopards at some waterhole like 10 mins from where we were. Now, I am used to driving on the Autobahn in Germany with 230kmh... but this Guy turned into Lewis Hamilton and drove like a rocket through the bush... I needed fresh pants and we got there in 6 minutes but unfortunately a little too late. The Diva of the big 5 was nowhere to be seen. We kept on searching but only crossed paths with a couple of Elephants until our road was blocked by a big family of Lions. Daddy-Lion was babysitting 14 Cubs! Yes! Fourteen! As the Ladies were hunting. A group of 5-6 vehicles joined us but nothing bothered the Lions to move out of the way. They blocked the road like they own it until one Female came out of the bushes and they all decided to follow her. After that we headed back to the Hotel and had a very tasty Dinner.

Then the trip went a bit downhill...

Dag 8  |  "Popa Falls Resort" in Divundu/Namibia (1 night - Thank Goodness!)
On the long drive to get there it was the first time that we felt we got ripped off. We followed Colin's suggestion that we could stop at the Hobo Meteorite (the largest in the world) along the route. It was to be expected that we had to pay to see it, as it is a tourist-attraction, but while the (white) Gentleman in front of me only had to pay 60NAD to see it, we had to pay 250NAD per person. I asked why and reason being that the man was from South-Africa - a developing country - while we were asked where we are from and truthfully said we are from Belgium. Then we looked at it and it was just abig piece of stone in a hole with seats around it... we left after 2 minutes.

I must admit that I was already pretty annoyed by the time we arrived at the Hotel, as it was a 7-8 hours drive for me in total. So maybe I overreacted a little bit when the Lady at the reception told me that we have only booked for 2 people, not for 2 adults plus 2 kids. I said "not true, check again." which she only responded to with: "Oh."

So they had only prepared one bed for us in the room. But as there was a big Couch-like thing and some space in the kitchen area, we suggested that they could bring one more folding-bed for the kitchen area and a blanket and pillow for the Couch-thing. Then all problems would be solved. Her response: "Its already late (6pm) I can't promise anything." I think the way I looked at her made her understand she better get this done while we went for Dinner in their Restaurant.

The Dinner was ok and the waiter was kind but I only had a 200NAD note in my pocket but after all I didn't want to tip more than 50NAD. So I asked a woman who was some sort of worker in the restaurant to give me 150NAD Cash back while I paid the bill with my credit card. What then happened will go to the grave with me... She came back with the 200NAD note and said: "There is a saying that you shouldn't throw a fish back in the water. We have no change but you know... you shouldn't throw a fish back in the water." and waved the 200NAD note around in front of me suggesting I should let her keep it and smiled. I said: "I don't like fish." took the 200NAD note out of her hand and left without another word. By then I thought: "What kind of place is that?!"

Then we went to the room and had the next moment that felt like a cold shower. They brought only a matress with one pillow and a rug and dropped it on the floor in the kitchen area. By then, I spoke a lot of French! So we ended up using the Couch-thing with the rug and pillow for one kid and the other cuddled with us in our bed. The next morning we saw the most pathetic breakfast buffet we have ever come accross, dropped the key at the reception and just left.

Maybe this was just our unlucky day, but this place we really can't recommend.

Dag 9  en 10  |   "The Waterfront" in Maun where we stayed for 2 nights
We had to drive for another 8 hours (for 430km!) to get to our next stop in Maun/Botswana. First we went to a petrol station to get some breakfast and then we headed for the boarder to Botswana. We got across pretty easily and quickly. The drive after the boarder was an absolute nightmare, because... how do I put it... there weren't roads with potholes... there were potholes with a bit of road between them... and they were huge and deep! So the locals would only roll slowly through them at times. I found out that with 120km/h you kinda "fly" over them so it just felt like a rough gravel road... don't copy that unless your insurance covers 100%!

After like 100 km like that we finally had a long stretch with better asphalt roads. It was a hell drive but we made it to our Hotel "The Waterfront" in Maun where we stayed for 2 nights. The Hotel is a Family business and very nice people work there. They made sure we got all we needed, helped us to order Pizza for dinner and reached out to the organisers of our next excursion. For the next day we had two options. Either we go on a Mokoro-trip (Kanus made of wood originally) on the Okavango Delta or another Game Drive to Moremi.

As we had plenty of Game Drives we decided to try the Mokoro-Trip. Later they told us that in Moremi is the best chance to see the Leopard or Cheetahs. What we saw was a lot of water and about a billion mosquitos attacking us. In Mokoros you can only put 2 people plus the driver, who then pushes you with a long stick forward over the water. A bit like in Venice, only with lots of Mosquitos and a chance to have Snakes, Hippos and Crocodiles greeting you. We stopped at some landing zone where we had a Game-Walk through the bush with two very nice guides and we saw plenty of Zebras and Wilderbeest... the usual suspects, in this area. After a prepared lunch we went back to the Mokoros and took a short detour to see some Hippos from about 100m distance. Or, we saw their noses and ears for a couple of seconds before they went back under water. It was an interesting experience and knowing what we saw the days to come, it wasn't the wrong choice, but at this moment I very much regreted that we didn't choose the Game Drive.

Dag 11 t/m 13  |  "Sandpiper Villas" in Kasane/Botswana (3 nights)
The day before a lady from this region, called Kempho, reached out to us via WhatsApp. She would be our person to speak to for the last few days of our Vacation. The Hotel was nice, comfy and luxurious. Only bugger was that the cleaning lady didn't really clean the place before we came and we had an invasion of giant ants in one bed- and bathroom. The lady at the reception gave me a can of anti-Antspray and later came to clean up. But still, it was a nice place to stay we definitely recommend it. We had dinner at the restaurant there, which we only did once, as they have exactly the same food every day. But it was very tasty.

We had an early start the next morning as we went out for a 7 hours Morning-Game-Drive with "Emanuel" our favorite Driver of the whole vacation! We were among the first in the Park and we told him that we haven't seen the Buffalo and the Leopard yet and that they are our focus for the last 2 days. After like half an hour of driving through the park near the Water we saw a group of vehicles surrounding a big bush. When we arrived they told us that a Camera-Crew saw a Leopard walk from the Water to the bush just before.

So we were super excited but as the Drivers are not allowed to go Offroad in this park, we couldn't go around the bush much and the Diva didn't grace us with an appearance. So after waiting for like 30 minutes we headed off. A little later we spotted a couple of Lionesses with their Cubs and followed them for a while. The journey went on and we saw plenty of Giraffes, Elephants, Pumbas, Impalas (the McDonald's of the Bush) and other animals along the way. Also some Crocodiles were floating in the River when we stopped for Breakfast-with-a-view.

Of course, Emanuel told us that we will spot what Nature allowes us to see and he can't promise anything, especially about the Leopard. But he wouldn't give up until we saw at least some Buffalos up close and he delivered at the end of the 7 hours Game Drive. We had another Boat-Trip planned for the evening with a Sundowner. It was very cool and we got close enough to Elephants grasing the little Islands and Hippos (with safe distance). Also some lazy Crocs enjoying the last rays of sunlight before we got one of the most epic Sundowns we ever witnessed.

But we wouldn't give up on the Leopard-Mission... so we asked Kempho if she could get Emanuel to pick us up again the next morning to go for another 3-hours morning drive, which he did.This time, we ended up in front of the same bush and by then we understood that the Leopard made camp in this bush as he had stagged a kill up in the tree next to it. We could smell it. But again, we came too late. I ended up holding my camera making a video for an hour or so when a big group of Impala came very close to this bush. They were too careful for him to try to catch one as they spotted him and ran off. But it made him move enough, that we could see him laying in the bush for a couple of seconds before he moved back deeper into it. Damn it! It was arranged that somebody would come to our hotel to collect our Car from us at 4pm in the afternoon. So our hopes to complete the Big 5 were gone. We couldn't go back with another Game-Drive as the park closes gates at 6:30pm and all Game Drives start at 2pm. Determined to not give up we called to Britz in Botswana and were able to arrange that we could drop the keys at the reception and they would collect it from there.

So we immediately reached out to Emanuel again and went for another Game Drive back to the park and then... we won the Lottery!

We were the only car at the bush for a while and Emanuel kept saying that around 5pm the Leopard would probably go for a drink to the Water. Well, it was 4:30pm and only 30 minutes after we arrived that he went from the Bush to the Tree and went up to his McDonald's to chew the last pieces of bones of the Impala that were left. Luckily we were able to make a video of him walking and we could finally check off the last missing Superstar of the Big 5. About 20 cars arrived during the next 2 hours while we waited for him to come back down. Emanuel was getting nervous as they really close the gates at 6:30pm and it was getting closer and closer to the deadline. I said: "Ok Leopard, you have 5 minutes to come down and pose for pictures!"

It took him 3 minutes. He came back down and laid calmly in front of the tree where we could see him from the right side. We snapped some pictures and then Lewis Hamilton was back in the seat... Jesus... we made it exactly in time and the Ladies closed the gates just behind us. Amazing! What a thrill and joy!

Dag 14  en 15  |  "Victoria Falls Suites"

The next morning Kempho picked us up and drove with us accross the boarder to Zimbabwe to reach the Victoria Falls. She somehow managed to get us through the boarder faster than everybody else. No questions asked. Then it was a 50minutes drive to the VicFalls where she arranged a Helicopter Flight over the VicFalls for us. Just WOW! What an experience that was! Short but amazing! What a sight! I don't know what bit me then but during the flight I saw the bridge they do Bungee Jumps of. My mouth being faster than my brain it told Kempho that I would like to jump and off we went. It didn't help that just before it was my turn someone said that this was the jump a woman fell into the water from a few years ago as her Bungee rope broke... Thanks mate! But it all went well and I can write this (long) story.

Kempho stayed with us all the time and waited for us, which was not to be expected. Very kind and caring woman! She dropped us off at our Hotel "Victoria Falls Suites" which was also extremely beautiful and special. We had Impala on our terrace as it was in a forest. Also Pumbas passed by sometimes. We took a taxi to get to the VicFalls Park where we got pretty soaked but took some unbelievable pictures. What a beauty this place is. Its a must-see in life, according to us. Then our journey ended the next morning when we went to the Airport in Zambia to fly back home.

We left home on the 2nd of July and arrived back on the 19th. Beforehand I thought it wouldn't be a vacation because I had to drive so much and I would not get any rest.

Turned out, I didn't even want the rest and it was super exciting, interesting and filled with so many different amazing experiences and moments. Absolutely wonderful. From beginning to end.

We left wishing we could start again on day one.

Thank you very much! 

lha, Maksim, Nicolas and Sascha.