As a way of introducing myself, I have traveled to 90 countries, most of them multiple times. My wife has visited about fifty countries. We consider ourselves seasoned travellers and we’ve experienced the total spectrum of quality in transportation, accommodations, activities and cuisine. As a result, we feel we can make an informed assessment of performance when it comes to travel.
We decided a few months ago to go on a safari to Africa. After much reading and extensive research on the internet, I contacted several companies, and finally chose JENMAN African Safaris because of their selection, timely response, flexibility, and particularly because of the personal attention provided by one of their employees, Hilka Voges. Another factor in choosing JENMAN was because they were able to tailor-make this itinerary for our needs. They offered variety (several parks), flexibility on the length of the trip (nine days), and they found a way to reduce the time spent traveling between parks to allow more time visiting the parks.
The itinerary I selected was a modified 9-day safari including visits to Moremi and Chobe game reserves and Victoria Falls. Our trip was taken in late October and early November 2009.
Because we were not traveling with an organized tour, we particularly wondered how the transfer between Kasane in Botswana and Livingstone in Zambia would unfold. This transfer involved a pick-up at the Chobe Safari Lodge in Botswana, going through the immigration formalities to leave Botswana, driving to the Zambezi Rver, jumping on a speedboat to cross the river to Zambia, getting picked up on the Zambia side by a local transport agency, getting a visa to enter Zambia, and driving from the border post to Livingstone.
It went off without a single hitch and in very comfortable and pleasant circumstances. Every service provider was on time and in less than two hours we had left our room in the Chobe Safari Lodge in Botswana and checked into the Zambezi Sun Hotel in Zambia. Those who have traveled this road before and have seen the long line of trucks waiting to cross the river, often waiting for several days, will appreciate how remarkable this transfer was. This reinforces the fact that JENMAN contracts its on-the-ground operations to reliable companies.
JENMAN cannot control the weather or be held responsible for airline delays but it should be held accountable for providing the services advertised in the descriptions of its tours. Our experience was exceptional.
There was not one slip-up in transfers or disappointment in services and/or accommodations. We loved the traditional Africa we found in Mankwe, Moremi Game Reserve was a jewel, the Chobe river cruise was wonderful, and Victoria Falls inspiring.
Thank you, Hilka, for putting together a memorable trip for us.
Written by: Yves and Kathleen Perrin
