8 Days - Okavango Delta Tour, Chobe National Park (Botswana) , Livingstone (Zambia) wildlife-focused safari

Traveler Reviews

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  Melissa

  May 12th, 2025
  1
  Save yourself disappointment and spend a few extra dollars on a better trip. If you are a solo tourist looking for a...
  Save yourself disappointment and spend a few extra dollars on a better trip. If you are a solo tourist looking for a group to join, avoid this like a plague. You will not be added to a group, you will get a 'personal tour'. This is not a good thing. Think days stuck in vehicles with people who except when explaining the rare animal, spend the entire time speaking in their language and excluding you. The disorganization is incredible. All meals and non alcoholic drinks are meant to be included. Yet my first night in a hotel the hotel refused me any drinks without paying (and didn't accept American or credit and hadn't had a chance to exchange for Botswana pula yet). The tour group for breakfast 'oh well there is coffee and tea before we leave'. I am a hypoglycemic and can't go until lunch with no food. Thankfully the hotel in fact clarified for me that it was a bed and breakfast, and I could eat a meal before I left. Lochnivar sent me off with two random guides who were not associated with their company on an over night. And didn't even make arrangements for lunch. Brown was meant to provide lunch to my guides for me, for the drive, and never did. They were on the phone during the drive trying to arrange for someone to meet up with us to bring me something to eat. Chobe the highlight of the day is meant to be an early morning game drive. But because they were too lazy to wake up at 5 am, I missed a morning game drive. A drive at the one time of day when the predators are out hunting, which allows to see hyenas, lions and more. But as their schedule says 'well we can be flexible with any event' ala we do whatever we want and you can't complain. One day a scenic drive to see animals is just an eight hour road trip with no animals and the lunch at a 'good local restaurant' is a stop at a gas station convenience store. Low budget hotels with no restaurant for 'you can have a night cap on your own after your day', fast food restaurants instead of 'any good quality local restaurants' etc. Oh and cancelling an art gallery tour as 'oh we didn't have time'. But yes had time to sit in a parkinglot and talk about how a post office is no longer a post office. Never recommend this shotty companyShow more
  Traveled in April 2025
  

  Reply from: Lochinvar Safaris

  Dear Melissa, Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback. We’re truly sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations, and we understand your disappointment. At Lochinvar Safaris, we strive to provide memorable and enjoyable adventures for all our guests, including solo travelers. While we did our best to accommodate your needs throughout the trip, we regret that some elements fell short. We acknowledge the issues you raised regarding communication, organization, and meal arrangements, and we’re reviewing these areas carefully to ensure improvements are made moving forward. We also recognize the importance of group dynamics, and we understand that your experience as a solo traveler might have felt isolating at times. Our team genuinely tried to provide you with a personalized tour, but we realize this may not have aligned with what you were hoping for. Regarding the missed Art Gallery tour, we apologize again and are glad that we were able to issue a refund for that portion of your itinerary. Your feedback is important to us, and we appreciate you taking the time to share it. We hope that despite the challenges, there were still moments that allowed you to enjoy the beauty and wildlife of Botswana. Thank you for choosing Lochinvar Safaris. Warm regards, Mark - Lochinvar Safaris

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  Charmain

  October 10th, 2024
  1
  i am sending this review as a very annoyed and disappointed customer who has been swindled out of a large sum of...
  i am sending this review as a very annoyed and disappointed customer who has been swindled out of a large sum of money (Pula 7,500.00) to be exact This was from your agent in Zambia "Lochinvar Safari . Tours, The CEO being Mark Hamande, who had done myself a dirty on not refunding us our money. A man who promised to pay us back - after he put u s in a motel type accommodation which had no restaurant, lounge or anywhere to sit and very far.from any shops and eating restaurants. This stay was booked for five nights. They found us accommodation at the "Mokoro Lodge" in Maun. We were then told that we had to pay, at our own cost, the new accommodation, as they could not transfer the money over to the lodge. We were then told that the accountant from Queness Inn was on holiday in South Africa and that we would get a refund deposited into our Australian banks. What a farce. Our tour guide, Hest,, told us that Mark had been refunded, and he told Hest that he would transfer the monies into our account. WELL 2 months down the line, have not seen anything. . It seems that Mark is not a person of his word and thinks that he can get away with this. As Mark is representing Tourradar, you need to be aware that he is taking shortcuts, and putting people in run down lodgings - we had to move from our original place in Livingstone as well as it had no water to shower. Have lots of pictures you would be horrified if you saw them. Charmain Harris and Jan Siney.Show more
  Traveled in June 2024
  

  Reply from: Lochinvar Safaris

  Dear Charmaine, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We are deeply sorry to hear about the frustration, inconvenience, and disappointment you and Jan faced during your recent trip. Your message has been received with the utmost seriousness, and we sincerely regret that your expectations—and our own standards—were not met. Please accept our heartfelt apologies for the issues you encountered, especially regarding the accommodation arrangements and the delayed refund. We understand how distressing it must have been to arrive at a place that did not reflect the comfort or quality we aim to provide, and even more so to be asked to pay out of pocket for alternative lodging. We also recognize how concerning and frustrating it is to still be waiting on a promised refund after two months. While we did make efforts to address the situation by securing alternate accommodations, we regret that the process and communication were inadequate and led to further dissatisfaction. The confusion regarding the refund through Queness Inn and the lack of timely follow-through is unacceptable, and we take full responsibility for the breakdown in trust this has caused. We want to assure you that this matter has not been taken lightly. We are currently reviewing all communication and transactions related to your booking to ensure the correct steps are taken. Our team is reaching out again to confirm the status of the refund and provide clarity on the delay. As a company, we are committed to accountability and transparency, and we are taking internal measures to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future. Thank you again for choosing Lochinvar Safaris, and for bringing these issues to our attention. We truly regret that your experience was not reflective of the standard we strive to maintain, and we are committed to making this right. Sincerely, Mark Lochinvar Safaris

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  Dayantha

  August 26th, 2024
  4
  We had a wonderful time on the 9 day Okawanda. Delta tour which was locally organized by Lochinivar tours. We had a...
  We had a wonderful time on the 9 day Okawanda. Delta tour which was locally organized by Lochinivar tours. We had a wonderful and experience tour operator named Mark Hampande who took care of us until the tour ended. He is very knowledgeable in every aspect of the this tour and had a wonderful team under him. We were fortunate to have drivers and tour guides who were experienced in what ever they were assigned to do. The draw backs were, one incident a driver turned up over an hour late and we were deprived of seeing many animals as we planned on going early morning. Should have more vegetarian options and also there was no seafood available although it was in the menu. Finally I would like to thank Mark for being such a wonderful person, who looked after us so well anShow more
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  Traveled in August 2024
  

  Reply from: Lochinvar Safaris

  Dear Dayantha Jayanetti, Thank you immensely for your positive review of the 9 Days - Okavango Delta Tour, Chobe National Park (Botswana), and Livingstone (Zambia) wildlife-focused safari. It was an absolute honor to host you and your group of five other travelers, who brought such maturity, inspiration, and joy to this journey. In the same vein, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude for the kind words you shared about Mark Hampande personally. It is truly humbling to be recognized in such a way. We assure you that every effort to make your experience memorable was a result of the incredible teamwork within Lochinvar Safaris. Our success in taking good care of you and your group is a testament to the dedication and collaboration of our entire team. We are deeply grateful that you chose Lochinvar Safaris among the many deserving tour operators for your holiday in Southern Africa. We would like to acknowledge the incident in Maun, Botswana, where a sub-contracted tour operator arrived late for one of your activity. Please rest assured that we took this matter very seriously and have cautioned the operator against such lapses, as we are committed to upholding the highest standards in the tourism industry in Southern Africa. A special tribute goes to the spouses in your group, whose jovial spirit truly brightened the tour. The presents you generously gave to our team have found a cherished place in our hearts, and we are profoundly indebted to you for your kindness and camaraderie throughout the safari. We have taken note of your feedback regarding the inclusion of more vegetarian options during meals and will work to ensure our future offerings are even more inclusive. We wish you all good health and long life and look forward to welcoming you back to Africa for another unforgettable adventure with Lochinvar Safaris. Warm regards, Lochinvar Safaris Team

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  Kevin

  August 22nd, 2024
  3
  The Safari Tour was good value for money compared to other companies but we found a considerable number of...
  The Safari Tour was good value for money compared to other companies but we found a considerable number of improvements that could be implemented: - the 10 day Safari we BOOKED and PAID for was altered to a 9 day by Lochinvar Safaris - notification of the change was not given until a few days after we had paid the full amount (and flights booked). There was approximately A$200 pp price difference between the tours which was not refunded. - Zimbabwe was completely taken out of the itinerary - the bush camp at Moremi was taken out of the itinerary which denied us of the opportunity to experience the bush in the evening - Gazetted accomodation at Wild View Resort, Chobe x2 was changed to a hotel in town overlooking a shopping centre car park! - We were informed the hotel had been booked by the Government for a conference and we had been 'bumped out' - After our refusal at taking the carpark hotel and a strong request to be taken to Wild View Resort only to find it almost empty! - After a convoluted story by Mark we ended up paying for the Hotel on my credit card. The funds were eventually extracted from Mark before the end of the tour - Problems with Mark's motor vehicle at the Botswana/Zambian border necessitated him borrowing US$100 from another member of the group and a one and a half hour delay (OK it's Africa, but!) On a very positive note the support staff and contractors made every effort to make our journey as comfortable as possible and can be complimented on their success. If you have any further queries do not hesitate to contact me Regards Kevin Norris (Chris Maher) -Show more
  Traveled in August 2024
  

  Reply from: Lochinvar Safaris

  Much appreciated Kevin and Chris for having decided to take your holiday in Southern Africa (i.e Botswana and Zambia) with Lochinvar Safaris. Thank you for your forthright observations which we greatly value in assisting us in improving our service delivery. Despite certain challenges we encountered, we always aimed to serving you better at all times during your safari tour. Please make another date with us for another exciting value-for-money safari tour in future.

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