Africa Safari Review: Zambia, South Africa, Sabi Sands Game Reserve, Victoria Falls, Tanda Tula Safari Camp

I would confirm reservations with the hotels. We were supposed to have twin rooms for all legs of the trip, but got stuck with king beds at Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge. Would have preferred to have air transfer as opposed to a several hour drive. Company should have made us aware of the Visa requirements for Zambia. Luckily we had enough cash to pay, but their system was down so had we not had cash we would have been stuck in the airport.

TRAVEL COMPANY COMMENTS:

Many thanks for your post on our services. I would like to address the issues you raise in your post as follows:

1. Not once did we receive a missed call, email, text message or other from you during your travels. We have 24 hour permanently manned phones, plus Shannon in all correspondence specifically gave out several other numbers to call in case of emergency or for any further requirements. This included personal mobile numbers of some of my staff as well as the contact details of every supplier
2. We have a clear disclaimer in our documentation that it is the client’s responsibility to check with their in-country consulates as to the exact visa requirements for each country they visit as it can change from day to day! However, we did make you aware of visa requirements for Zambia during our consultation process and in fact spoke to Samuel and to Chelsea about the visas.
3. We are sincerely sorry that Earth Lodge did not provide twin beds in the one room. We have written confirmation from them that we had booked twin beds (as we had at all the other properties), but sadly they did not follow through with this confirmation. The lodge has advised that no-one ever queried the room configuration with them and they did in fact have a twin room available; so if only you had asked it would have been sorted there and then.
4. With regard to the 2 hour road transfer it was conveyed to you on many occasions that this was the only way to get you from Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve to Livingstone on the same day. There were no direct flights that day and we had to get you on a very early road transfer to KMIA airport so that you could fly via Johannesburg in time to connect to the Livingstone flight from there.

Many thanks for the feedback, and regards.