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The Mzansi Experience
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Member Of:
- SATSA & SAYTC
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $135 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
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Reviews
NZ
Email Pen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
NOT in the Okavango Delta, NOT really a safari - read the fine print carefully!
Be Warned: We were so excited to book our Luxury Okavango Safari. The blurb said that the luxury tented safari lodge is located on the banks of the Boteti River which has its origins in the heart of the Okavango Delta. What didn't it say? that the Lodge was 3 hours drive from the Delta on the other side of Maun, in the middle of farmland next to a muddy fried up river. We felt pretty stupid to have been conned, but the only other couple at the lodge when we arrived said that they had been taken in too and another guest had chosen to leave early for the same reason. The misleading advertising felt very deliberate. For a luxury experience, other things seemed off too. There was no cooling system or fridge in the tents (this was a problem as my partner had meds that needed to be kept cool). Drinking water had to be purchased by the bottle. The swimming pool was green with algae when we arrived - the staff did empty, clean a refill it but it was not available for the first two day of the stay. If after reading this you are still keen to go (or you've already paid and can't get your money back), what can you look forward too? The small staff was very friendly. The guides were extremely knowledgeable. Our main guide went above and beyond to ensure we saw lions in Moremi even though he must have put in a 13+ hour day with all the driving to and from the park. The chef was excellent. We were asked about preferred foods and eating times (the lodge was extremely quiet when we were there so she tailored things to our exact wishes). The mokoro and walking safari, and Moremi game drive were wonderful (just wish we hadn't wasted hours getting to them). However, as some other reviews have said, it seemed like the foreign owners didn't really care about the lodge, the staff or the visitor experience that they were offering. I would recommend avoiding, and finding somewhere actually in the Delta to stay. If you can't afford that, just stay in Maun and do daytrips.
Reply from The Mzansi Experience
Posted on May 13, 2024Hi Penelope,
Firstly - apologies for my delayed response. I was busy doing site inspections and quality checks at our lodges in South Africa the past few weeks.
I assume you were the guest travelling with Monica, who made the booking for you both.
Your review has come as quite a shock to us, as it paints an extremely damaging picture.
You state the swimming pool being green AND the staff replacing the water as a corrective measure, meaning that something was done about it.
Bottled water was stated in the quote and itinerary exclusions - so that was clear even before you travelled. Clean drinking water is provided in the rooms at no cost - you omitted to mention that.
Speculating and speaking about "the other couple" will not be considered. They did not report anything from their side, and we received a good review left in the reception book from them.
We have gone through all communication with Monica regarding this booking, and have noticed (despite having these questions on our client details form) neither of the guests reported any medical conditions or special facilities for medicine. We have noted the request for the sleep apnea machine, where a plug point was present.
During the quoting process, we attached a comprehensive itinerary overview, as we only have limited characters available on SafariBookings for our descriptions. Indicative travel times were stated in there.
The dry river you are referring to is unfortunately due to a very severe drought in Botswana currently, and not within our control. I was at the tented camp a month before and there was still a good level of water. It is also extremely difficult to know when good water would come in, as it depends on rains coming from Angola (far north) and can happen at any time. Thia refers to our Force Majeure in our Terms and Conditions regarding weather conditions including droughts.
Also - even if not a drought in other years, December is normally when the water levels are at its lowest. And the weather is at its hottest (peak summer). This is something you should have known from basic research on this area.
I strongly contest the notion that advertising was deliberately misleading. We have been priding ourselves on honest business for many years, and would never state false information to a guest. By law, we are not allowed to sell products containing incorrect information, which is meticulously checked by the owners of the camp we use as our base, before publishing online. The word "conned" is highly defamatory and not taken lightly.
I am appreciative of the fact that your experience regarding the activities and catering was excellent. The team aima to deliver this high level of service whether the camp is empty or not.
Should you have reached out to us within 24 hours (as per our complaints section on our Terms and Conditions) while on tour, we would have had the opportunity to assist in improving on certain areas you have mentioned in your review. However - hearing about it only 4 months later leaves us disappointed that we never had the opportunity to do so.
I implore you to reconsider such damaging reviews in future, as it affects the livelihoods of the people we employ by stating facts which are not correct.
Wishing you all the best,
Leon Steyn
Managing Director - Mzansi Experience