Travel Review: Africa Safari, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Victoria Falls

The trip was wonderful  with great hotels, safaris and the transfers were flawlessly executed.  The staff at the hotel in Cape Town was incredibly helpful when we needed a doctor.  The African people were wonderful and welcoming and the safaris are a once in a lifetime experience.

The agent provided good facilitation but there was a  lack of communication and discussion of options.

Lack of communication especially regarding our return journey and lack of a comprehensive review of the options offered at various locations resulted in additional costs by paying for one activity at one location when it was included at another location later in our trip.

Direct flight from Kasane (Botswana) to Johannesburg was booked on our departure day.  We were not advised nor given the option to leave on another day when the direct flight may have been available.  As a result, the return journey was challenging with 2 water transfers, numerous land transfers and immigration check points incurring additional expense.  Also,  we had to buy a second Kaza visa ($100 cash) just to go to Livingston airport.  We had previously bought the same visa but because we went to Botswana and were re-entering Zambia, they required a new visa.  None of this was discussed nor outlined in our itinerary.

We are experienced travelers and know that things can go wrong on your journey.  However, I prefer to know about potential issues and options that may mitigate the outcome.