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Testimonial from a Blog: Small Holiday Big Dream - Mike & Sarah
This is the delightful and adventurous couple, Mike and Sarah, all the way from the UK, who we met up with at Mana Pools.
The coincidence, and the story that comes with the meeting of Mike and Sarah astonished me in a really great way.
Mana Pools was the perfect place for me to have met Mike and Sarah, and share travel stories around a crackling camp fire.
The photos above are from Mike and Sarah’s blog.
Read to the sections: John Gale and Dinner at Nyamepi…
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Testimonial: Bengsch and Ewing Families - KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Here is a selection of some of the photos taken by the Bengsch family while on their tour, which provides an insight, especially of the spectacular sunsets, that can be found on this route through the Botswana wilderness areas.
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Botswana Family Tour (Bengsch and Ewing families).
This tour was created in consultation with both families, and tailor-made for their specific requirements:
- Khama Rhino Sanctuary.
- Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.
- Moremi National Park.
- Chobe National Park.
- The Big 5 – not necessarily all in the same park, but all were seen nonetheless, which is a great outcome on the tour.
- Some spectacular scenery on the pans which included some impressive ancient baobab trees.
- Some spectacular sunrise and sunset photographic opportunities.
The precision and attention to detail of the brief prepared for the tour is testament to John’s vast experience in organising and leading bush trips – as well as his background in conservation. We found John to be incredibly knowledgeable, professional and always available to offer advice and reason, he was able to orgnise our wish list into a ‘do-able’ tour. He walked us through various options and scenarios and helped to create a realistic itinerary which incorporated all of our must-see campsite and reserves.
He provided a detailed brief with accurate maps and travel times and advice on driving conditions, alternate routes and useful and detailed information on each destination area and campsite as well as experience of the unique wildlife we might encounter at each destination.
There were a couple of accommodation bookings on the trip we had booked ourselves through a Botswana agent, John very graciously and expertly incorporated these extra elements into his itinerary and provided us with the same full details, routes and recommendations for these places too – which we had not requested or expected.
We have no hesitation in recommending John’s very competent and knowledgeable services to anybody who is thinking of doing an overland tour in Southern Africa and we will definitely be utilising Out There Overland Travel in the future.
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Testimonial: Priscila Mozelli - Brazilian born, living in Germany
1. Walking through the long grass, looking for the resident palm-nut vultures in the raffia palm forest.
2. Pointing at something interesting in the last of the 4 lakes of the impressive and beautiful estuary system.
3. This is the way that the local people cross the lakes every day, on their way to school or to their place of work in the nearby town.
4. Nick-named ‘grumpies’ by Priscilla. Despite their grumpy facial expressions much of the time, these beautiful beasts captured Priscila’s heart.
5. This could be a scene from a live-action version of the movie Lion King. We enjoyed this moment alone, for some time.
6. A new found interest…looking for the next bird to identify. Tours like this definitely spark an interest one previously would not have considered.
7. Taking a walk to take a closer look at the local Tonga fish traps, and the flamingos in the distance.
8. The main feature of this tour. These little creatures make a big impression. The risks they face when they scramble from their nests to the sea is incredible, but their sheer determination gets them there.
9. The boat cruise along the lakes is a time to relax and reflect and learn a lot too, about the culture and history of the 700 year old fish traps. And there are hippos close by too, as well as being able to experience the unique mangrove snorkelling.
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Elephant Coast Turtle Tour:
- Nyalazi Campsite – on the boundary of the iMfolozi / Hluhluwe Park.
- Utshwayelo Campsite – entrance to iSimangaliso Wetland Park Kosi Bay estuary.
- iMfolozi Game reserve: Africa’s oldest proclaimed game reserve. Rich in Zulu history and Big 5 game viewing, and great bird-watching. We saw an exceptional lion sighting right below Mpila Camp which resembled a scene out of the animated movie, Lion King. This was besides other great sightings.
- Kosi Bay: A part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, SA’s first listed World Heritage site. A place of spectacular beauty – boat cruises along the lakes through the channels created over the years by the resident hippos, snorkelling at the river mouth (beautiful juvenile reef fish species), and sight-seeing of ancient Tonga tribe fish-traps near the mouth of the estuary. Walks through the giant Raffia Palm Forest. A turtle walk along the pristine Bhanga Nek beach to witness a miracle of nature.
- Types of Accommodation: First class camping – (iMfolozi – Nyalazi Campsite, Kosi Bay – Utshwayelo Campsite).
Journey duration: 5 Days.
Distance travelled: 1 300 km (810 miles).
Testimonial comments:
During my travels in South Africa, I was searching for a safari tour but found it surprisingly difficult. Most of the tours I came across felt too commercial, too touristy – not really my style. I prefer a more adventurous approach to travel: engaging with locals, exploring off-the-beaten-path places, and avoiding the standard tourist spots. While in South Africa, I struggled to find a tour guide in KwaZulu-Natal, a region I’d read about with its fascinating history and stunning safaris, yet it didn’t seem to attract as much attention as other safari destinations, especially for foreigners.
That’s when I found John, and I can honestly say the trip he organised for me was one of the best experiences of my life. Not only was the tour tailored perfectly to my aspirations and interests, but I also had the chance to explore beautiful landscapes, learn from John and the incredible people he introduced me to, and immerse myself in their stories and culture. The wildlife we encountered was unforgettable, and although I wasn’t initially interested in birds, John’s passion completely changed my perspective, hehe!
John is not only a knowledgeable guide who constantly enriches the experience with insights about the surroundings, but he also makes you feel truly cared for! He is also an amazing storyteller – having a nice chat over wine & freshly prepared seared tuna on a ‘braai’ in the bush was one of the highlights! I sincerely hope to embark on more adventures organised by John in the future.
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Testimonial: David and Lianne Lowe – Gauteng, South Africa
1. Very happy with the slow cruise through the channels created by the hippos over the years as they move from lake to lake in the 4-lake system.
2. After a busy day exploring, there’s nothing like sitting down in your comfortable camp chair sipping a cold beer while setting up the fire for the evening’s braai (this is what we call a barbecue in our neck of the woods).
3. The mandatory pose before setting off on a relaxing walk along edge of the shoreline while looking for signs and tracks of turtles. On this occasion, we were looking for the hatchlings.
Places visited:
Elephant Coast Turtle Tour:
- Nyalazi Campsite – on the boundary of the iMfolozi / Hluhluwe Park.
- Utshwayelo Campsite – entrance to iSimangaliso Wetland Park Kosi Bay estuary mouth.
Time of year: February (turtle hatchlings season).
Key features / sightings:
- iMfolozi Game reserve: Africa’s oldest proclaimed game reserve. Rich in Zulu history and Big 5 game viewing, and great bird-watching.
- Kosi Bay: A part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, SA’s first listed World Heritage site. A place of spectacular beauty – boat cruises along the lakes through the channels created over the years by the resident hippos, snorkelling at the river mouth (beautiful juvenile reef fish species), and sight-seeing of ancient Tonga tribe fish-traps near the mouth of the estuary. Walks through the giant Raffia Palm Forest. Turtle walk along the pristine Bhanga Nek beach to witness a miracle of nature.
- Types of Accommodation: First class camping – (iMfolozi – Nyalazi Campsite, Kosi Bay – Utshwayelo Campsite).
Journey duration: 7 Days.
Distance travelled: 1 300 km (810 miles).
Testimonial comments:
Lianne and I would like to thank you very much for the fantastic trip you arranged for us to Hluhluwe / iMfolozi Park and the Kosi Bay turtle tour. We could not wait to wake up each morning looking forward to what the new day’s adventures were. The generous sharing of your time, knowledge of the bush, wildlife knowledge and relationships with the local people and guides made our experiences extra special, relaxing and very fruitful. We will be eternally grateful to you for that. We will miss the long chats into the night around the camp fire the good humour and general positive approach to the next day’s planning. A lot of stress was taken away from us with you arranging accommodation and the local experiences that were available in the area. Our holiday exceeded our expectations in every way. We look forward to spending more time with you in future and would recommend your services to all who are looking for a hassle free enjoyable African experienc
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Testimonial: Colin and Jill Potgieter (and Robyn and Slade) – KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
1.Looking for the resident Palm-nut Vultures along the Raffia Palm Forest walk. This Jarassic Park-like experience will make you realise how small you are compared with the giant palm tress and other flora.
2.This is what this tour is about. So small, these little loggerhead hatchlings look as though they are crossing over pebbles and not beach sand. The tours comprise the hatchling and egg-laying seasons.
3. Not many places in South Africa enable you to snorkel in crystal clear, warm water, and see both large and tiny fish, and tiny translucent shrimps that inhabit this mangrove forest between the lakes.
1.This is an experience not to be missed if you have a little time spare in Maun, a breathtaking flight over the Okavango Delta.
2.On the banks of the Chobe River in the Ihaha campsite, you will find, almost daily, the most beautiful typical African sunsets.
3.There’s always time to a bit of homework in the bush. Soon after this photo was taken we had a visit by a gentle giant roaming through the campsite.
Places visited:
Tour 1: Elephant Coast Turtle Tour.
- Utshwayelo Campsite – entrance to iSimangaliso Wetland Park Kosi Bay estuary mouth.
Time of year: February (turtle hatchlings season).
Key features / sightings:
- Kosi Bay: A part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, SA’s first listed World Heritage site. A place of spectacular beauty – boating cruise along the lakes through the channels created over the years by the resident hippos, snorkelling at the river mouth (beautiful juvenile reef fish species), and sight-seeing of ancient Tonga tribe fish-traps near the mouth of the estuary. Walks through the giant Raffia Palm Forest. Turtle walk along the pristine Bhanga Nek beach to witness a miracle of nature.
- Types of Accommodation: First class camping – (Kosi Bay – Utshwayelo Campsite).
- Usually we do a beach and bush tour, but the bush part of our tour was cancelled due to the effects of a tropical cyclone. On this occasion, we drove to the nearby Tembe Elephant park for a day-visit.
Journey duration: 7 Days.
Distance travelled: 1 300 km (810 miles).
Tour 2: Classic Botswana Tour.
- Nata, Baines Baobabs, Maun, Khwai, Savuti, Ihaha, Senyati.
- The open pans and the famous Baobab trees painted by Thomas Baines, as commissioned by the Royal Geographic Society. On this occasion, there was still a lot of water in the pans which added to the beautiful birdlife including the Greater Flamingos.
- The Moremi and Chobe game reserves are equally spectacular and abundant with very large herds of Elephant, Giraffe, Buffalo, Kudu and Sable antelope.
- We were fortunate enough to see leopard on 3 occasions during our safari and other less commonly sighted fauna we saw were families of Jackals and bat-eared foxes in the pans adjacent to the Savuti airstrip.
Distance travelled: 4 300km (2 670 miles).
Testimonial comments:
In July 2019, Colin and I bought an Invader Duo off-road trailer with the intention of “getting away from it all”. Well, apart from a few local trips, Covid put paid to that idea! That was until our Turtle Tour with Out There Overland Travel and John in January 2021. This gave us a taste of what a well planned and organised tour is about, it takes away the hassle and provides peace of mind.
This amazing experience was where the seed of “overland to Bots” was planted. We had all the excuses in the book – no time / kids at school / can’t afford it / no house sitter / business commitments – the list went on and on as to why we couldn’t go. But it was constantly on our minds. We mulled over it, even argued at times, and dreamed of this adventure (gently nudged along by newsletters from John!) Eventually, throwing caution to the wind, we decided to GO. And that was the best decision that we’ve made for a looooong time.
We set off, very excited and reasonably apprehensive in May 2021 for a 19 day trip which took us from Durban – Johannesburg – Martin’s Drift – Baines Baobab – Nata – Maun – Khwai – Savuti – Ihaha – Senyati – Francistown and back to Durban
Botswana is like stepping off the world – such a glorious place, the people are friendly and honest (where else would they return your phone that you’d accidently left in a public toilet?), the game viewing so spectacular, and the sunsets over the Chobe river at Ihaha are just so beautiful they are indescribable.
I have very fond memories of Robyn and Slade (our grandchildren) sitting under the shade of the trees doing their homework with elephants quietly grazing nearby, and not to forget the monkey in the tree above Robyn that relived himself all over her art homework!
The game was so abundant in the north, that the children had names like “long necked spotted ants” (giraffe), “bush cows”(buffalo) and, my favourite, “bush chickens” (red-billed spurfowls) – the herds were enormous, and so many different species too.
Botswana is so vast with so many beautiful places to see, that had it not been for Johns extensive knowledge, we would have just had a very long trip and missed all the special places. Right from the planning stages, what to pack, what you can or can’t take, menu planning, accommodation booking, route planning, documents required, border crossings – all the way through the entire adventure, John’s knowledge was invaluable. He has extensive bush knowledge and the patience of a saint – he even remained calm at the border post when one of the kids casually mentioned “child-trafficking”, at an entirely inappropriate time to strike up a conversation on this topic, and not surprisingly, every single pair of eyes in the building stabbed into us!
This truly was our dream trip and it wouldn’t have been possible without Out There Overland Travel. Thank you John, we’re looking forward to the next one!
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Testimonial: Stefan and Glynis - Cornwall, United Kingdom
1.Surveying the stunning scenery from the Kosi Bay Lake 3 jetty for the next spectacular sunset and sundowner.
2.Looking for bait early morning, for the next fishing expedition that is to follow on Kosi Bay Lake 2.
3.What a catch! This magnificent cobia or prodigal son species, whichever name you prefer, which we caught off Ponta do Ouro, the southernmost town along the Mozambique coastline. We returned it to the sea to live another day.
Places visited:
- South Africa: iMfolozi / Hluhluwe Game Reserve (Lodge) / iSimangaliso Wetland Park – Kosi Bay (Camping).
- Mozambique: Ponta do Ouro (Lodge).
Time of year: May.
Key features / sightings:
- iMfolozi Game reserve: Africa’s oldest proclaimed game reserve. Rich in Zulu history and Big 5 game viewing and great for bird-watching. Short, morning and afternoon walking trails from the lodge set within the reserve.
- Kosi Bay: A part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, SA’s first listed World Heritage site. A place of spectacular beauty – boating, fishing in the lakes and snorkeling at the river mouth (juvenile reef fish species), and sight-seeing of ancient Tsonga fish-traps near the mouth of the estuary. Walks through the giant Palm Forest.
- Ponta do Oura: Pristine beaches as far as the eye can see. Exciting off-shore fishing and scuba-diving.
- Types of Accommodation: Luxury Lodges (iMfolozi / Ponta do Ouro), Camping (Kosi Bay).
Journey duration: 14 Days.
Distance travelled: 1 300 km (810 miles).
Testimonial comments:
For those of us who love African adventures, Out There Overland Travel manages to capture that most elusive of qualities, a sense of uniqueness and a chance to discover the real, local South Africa in the company of John Gale, whose intimate local knowledge has been built up over a lifetime of wild travelling. It’s a whole ‘other dimension’ of safari experience when you walk little used tracks, visit remote hides, and uncover rarely visited corners rich in wildlife. John‘s knowledge of flora, fauna and folklore is hugely impressive as is his devotion to acquiring the very best travel experience for his clients. He has the knack of knowing when to sit and wait for the wildlife to appear, when to divert to something new and unexpected (in our case wild dogs), when to move on, when to listen and interpret information from local guides and when to stop for coffee and sundowners.
Out There Overland Travel provided us with such contrasting experiences, all wrapped up in one amazing trip. We will never forget viewing the herds of elephants walking along the river bank from our lodge in iMfolozi, or running the surf and landing at speed on golden beaches in Mozambique after a morning’s fishing. Nor the sense of solitude and wonderment at the beauty of Kosi Bay as we glided silently along crystal waterways watching hippos. Plus, the whole set up was highly professional, well organised and super friendly. It was such a privilege to get to know a region in a different, and highly authentic way.
Can’t wait for the next one.
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Testimonial: Kevin and Cathryn - Greenwich, United Kingdom
1.Waiting for yet another golden African sunset and an open-night sky for a bit of star-gazing at this Kubu Island campsite in Botswana. Being hard and flat, it is ideal for people with disabilities, like many other campsites that we know of in Southern Africa.
2.One of the 7 natural wonders of the world, the impressive Victoria Falls. If you travel to Africa, this should surely be on your got-to-experience bucket list.
3.The perfect setting for listening to the peace and quiet that surrounds you, until the herds of elephant arrive for a drink. This is Deteema campsite in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.
Places visited:
- South Africa: River lodge at Martin’s Drift border post.
- Botswana: Kubu Island (Sua Pan) and Kasane – camping, Lodge before Pandamatenga border post, Lodge near Kasane with a ground level viewing hide meters from a water-hole for keen photographers.
- Zimbabwe: Hwange National Park – Ngweshla and Detema campsites.
Time of year: October.
Key features / sightings:
- Kubu Island: vast expanse of dried salt pans with a huge rocky outcrop with some ancient cultural significance, populated by large Baobab trees. Crystal clear skies and some beautiful night-time star-gazing.
- Victoria Falls: One of the 7 natural wonders of the world.
- Hwange: The big 5 and more. Huge elephant populations.
- A photographers dream all-round.
Types of accommodation:
- Camping – Kubu Island.
- Camping (Ngweshla and Detema Campsites – Hwange).
- Luxury (30km outside Kasane) and affordable lodges (Pandamatenga).
Journey duration:15 days.
Distance travelled: 4 800 km / 2980 miles.
Testimonial comments:
John took us on an amazing journey from South Africa through Botswana into Zimbabwe and back.
Our time experiencing the sights and surrounds of Kubu Island was magical, only surpassed by staying in a remote part of Hwange and experiencing the beauty of its wildlife.
John is a superb guide. His personality and knowledge kept our enthusiasm and fascination going, from identifying all manner of birds to tracking lions from the safety of our vehicle. We were well-fed and each night we slept safely and comfortably.
No complaints other than when is our next trip? .
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Testimonial: Tim and Belinda - Cornwall, United Kingdom
1.Taking a coffee break while out on a game-drive in Mana Pools game reserve in Zimbabwe. There are few places on earth better than this to experience an authentic camping safari.
2.Enjoying an evening cruise on the tender boat belonging to our houseboat along the shore of the Fothergill Island where we anchored for the night. We had numerous sightings of hippos and elephants on this evening cruise. What a treat.
Places visited:
- Zimbabwe: Mana Pools, Houseboat on Lake Kariba.
Types of accommodation:
- Riverside lodge at Martin’s Drift border post.
- Old Colonial building (The Bulawayo Club) in Bulawayo.
- Basic Lodge (before entering Mana Pools).
- Camping – exclusive campsite in Mana Pools.
- Houseboat – Lake Kariba.
- Lodge at Antelope Park, near Gweru.
Time of the year: July.
Key features / sightings:
- Mana Pools: Unfenced camping at Mana Pools alongside the great Zambezi River. Daily visits by elephants. Big 5 bushveld. Many bird species for great bird-watching. Walking allowed anywhere in the reserve. Canoeing and fishing.
- Lake Kariba: mid-priced houseboat with spectacular views from the vast expanse of this man-made lake, of the mountainous and impressive Matusadona National Park. Tiger and bream fishing. Great game viewing from the boat and tender boat.
Journey duration: 14 Days.
Distance travelled: 5 100 km (3 170 miles).
Testimonial comments:
I cannot recommend Out There Overland Travel more highly.
My first experience travelling with John was to Mana Pool and then on to Lake Kariba. The Mana Pool part of the trip was specifically significant in the fact that I had never wild-camped in the bush before – in fact camping has never been something I would have considered, but John’s knowledge of the African bush, friendly and reassuring manner gave me the confidence to embrace the trip and make every moment count. He is highly organised and leaves no stone unturned when it comes to planning, budgeting and contingencies!
Our trip was 14 days in total starting in Durban, driving to Martin’s Drift border crossing, where we stayed at a river-side lodge before crossing into Botswana. Onward via Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, where we stayed in an old and beautifully preserved colonial building, before moving onto Makuti Lodge, a short distance before the first gate into Mana Pool. We stayed 7 nights at Mucheni 3 campsite which has magnificent views across the Zambezi river.
Our accommodation was very comfortable with everything we could possibly need for a good night sleep given we were in tents! Our days were spent driving around looking for the big 5 as well as the little 5, enjoying rusks and coffee to start our early mornings, followed by our breakfast at one of our stop points later in the morning. Back to camp for lunch and a snooze, a bit of fishing or generally chilling, before heading out for sundowners and final game drive of the day. All followed up with a fabulous ‘braai’ around the campfire in the evening, talking about our day and our highlights. It was a joy to fall asleep at night to the sound of the Hippos laughing in the river, the Hyenas whooping as well as the occasional Lion roaring in the distance. Highlights were definitely the elephants who, once they had decided we were not going to bother them, walked through our camp daily.
From Mana we drove to Lake Kariba where we stayed on a houseboat for three nights, spending our days pottering around on the lake looking for Fish eagles, hippos, elephants on the riverbank and many other amazing creatures. There was even the chance to do a bit of fishing.
Truly a trip of a life time!
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Testimonial: Luis and Scarlett (Santino & Maximo) del Canto - Santiago, Chile
1.Our group doing the compulsory group photo on the deck of Hlatikulu Bush Lodge in the iMfolozi Park before our final game drive on the way out of the park. All good things come to an end.
2.This is not a lazy cat stretching. Like Olympic athletes need to stretch, lions usually stretch as part of their pre-hunt routine, to get their muscles and tendons ready for any high speed chase to catch their prey.
3.Teaching the youngsters the art of making a good camp fire. There a few things that fascinate people more so than the mesmerising and flickering flames of a campfire, and the fire-side chats that inevitably occur.
Places visited:
- iMfolozi Game reserve, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
Type of accommodation:
- Luxury and exclusive bush lodge along the Black iMfolozi River, inside the iMfolozi Game Reserve.
Time of the year: July.
Key features / sightings:
- This is a Big 5 game reserve but we did not see Lion or Leopard during our short stay. We had very good close-up experiences with Elephant.
- We witnessed an interesting tussle for dominance between two male Zebra in a fairly large herd.
- The children enjoyed the short walks around the campsite especially at night, near the braai (bar-b-que) area looking for scorpions, using an ultraviolet torch which makes their exoskeleton glow in the dark.
Journey duration: 4 days.
Distance travelled: 450km (280 miles).
Testimonial Comments:
I travelled to South Africa on a business trip and because I was going to be here for a while, I invited my wife and my two boys to join me at the end of my business engagements. We were able to enjoy a short Safari experience after the business while we were there.
We went with John Gale, a guide living in Durban, to the iMfolozi Game reserve and stayed at a private bush lodge called Hlatikulu (which in Zulu means: Big Bush).
The safari was incredible and one of the best family moments we have ever had together. John’s knowledge of the bush taught us a lot of things about the many animals we saw. And the boys also enjoyed the time around the camp and sitting around the fire when we cooked the meat which the South Africans call a ‘braai’. It was the perfect break after a busy period at work and a beautiful place to relax with my family.
The safari was very well arranged by John and it is an experience we can recommend to anyone.
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