Hi Daisy!! 

You are absolutely correct- it is quite depressing being home after such a wonderful time in Africa.

To sum it up- our trip was outstanding and exceeded all of our expectations. Thank you so much for being so wonderful to work with and for ensuring that everything went incredibly smoothly!!

I will try to break it down:

1. Chobe Game Lodge– we arrived in Kasane and were met by a ranger from the lodge. Had a 45 minutes drive through the park to the lodge in a safari vehicle- very cool. The Chobe Game Lodge blew us away. Between the food, the boat cruises, the land safaris, the atmosphere- all unbelievable. They made such an effort to have special and romantic dinners, cater to us- just outstanding. If we did South Africa again, I would add another night or two here. 

2. Elephant Camp– After two nights at the Lodge, we were driven to the border, obtained our Zimbabwe visa, and then picked up for elephant camp. I am so happy that we upgraded to the elephant camp. The meals here were outstanding and we had personalized tours of the falls and a village- we got to the falls at 6am ahead of other visitors. The accommodations and service here were out of this world. We also got to feed the elephants in the sanctuary and go to the lab where they process DNA samples retrieved from poachers to use in court. A very neat experience.

3. We then left for Cape Town. We really loved Cape Town. Our highlight of Cape Town was definitely the first tour where we went to cape of good hope and the gardens. We also loved the penguins. We had a great guide from Ilios- she was lovely and informative! Our second day of touring was fantastic too. The Cloud 9 Boutique Hotel was generally quite good. Bed very comfortable. We did not find the staff overly friendly or helpful. We had a minor incident each night- the first night the desk called our room accidentally at 4am and 5am (I think they had the wrong room for wake-up calls). All in all, the hotel met our needs but some improvements could be made. The food was quite good there though and we loved the area of town, so no real complaints! 

4. We were then off to Arathusa Safari Lodge. The transfers were again seamless. We really appreciated how you were able to book us the front  row of seats on these flights- that was amazing!! We also loved Arathusa. The bush tent was amazing and such a great call on your part! The accommodations were luxurious, the staff so kind and helpful and, most importantly, we saw all of the Big 5 nearly each day. It was a magnificent experience. The food was quite good as well- but not quite Chobe Game Lodge (or, I suspect, Kirkman’s Kamp where you initially suggested we go). However, for the savings, we were beyond thrilled with Arathusa!

So, it was a fabulous trip. Thank you again Daisy for your fabulous work! We most definitely want to return to Africa in the next two years, and are thinking maybe Kenya/Tanzania or Morocco? We will definitely be in contact when these plans can materialize. 

Thank you again!

Ashley