Walking Stick Travel & Tours
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Tour Types:
- Budget camping tours where clients assist with camp chores
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $350 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Milo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A once in a lifetime trip with a few issues...
We had a 13 day tour with walking stick tours in August of 2023. Botswana itself is an incredible country with some of the friendliest people, and some of the most incredible wildlife we’d encountered anywhere. All 5 of us highly recommend a trip to the country for safari. Unfortunately our experience of walking stick tours was less stellar.
I’ll start with the good (of which there is plenty) :
- The food that Jo & team prepared for us was absolutely incredible, better than we had In restaurants elsewhere, and all cooked over an open fire! The team were always friendly and happy to help with any requests, we had beer and wine at dinner and no shortage of clean bottled water. We were really well taken care of at camp the entire 2 week trip.
- Prior to the trip communication was good and we were picked up at the airport.
- We had a great guide, Wago. He spoke very good English and had excellent knowledge of the flora & fauna of Botswana. We had a lovely time getting to know him and he got us some truly amazing wildlife sightings.
- Onto the sightings generally, we had great views of lion, leopard, cheetah, even an early morning wild dog sighting - really special.
The negatives:
- Our vehicle (named desert honey badger) was in a constant state of disrepair. We broke down several times every single day, the brakes on the car weren’t functional, and we had to veer off road at points when vehicles approached along the same stretch of road. We were repeatedly told that the car was being replaced or fixed but the issues persisted for the entire trip. This impacted our game viewing and massively impacted our travel time, by the end of the trip we were taken in an alternate vehicle, but this was far too little and much too late.
- Communication on the trip itself was poor, the issues with the vehicle and what was (or in fact wasn’t) being done was never properly communicated to us. We were misled daily about getting the vehicle repaired or replaced, but this never happened. We’ve been on safari before and know how ad-hoc things are sometimes, but this was a step beyond.
- In an attempt to make up for the constant issues with the vehicle we were offered a “complimentary” trip to Victoria falls in place of a game drive as our vehicle wasn’t functional. This was in fact not complimentary, and we paid $500+ for the day ourselves.
Since our trip we have reached out to Phillimon to open a dialogue with no intent for compensation, but we have been ignored. We absolutely loved Botswana and can’t recommend it enough as a safari destination, but we’d recommend you go with another operator instead of walking stick.
Reply from Walking Stick Travel & Tours
Posted on Oct 3, 2023Thank you for taking the time to share your good and bad experiences on your recent 13 day tour. We're sorry to hear that your visit wasn't up to your expectations. We take all feedback seriously, and we appreciate your honest feedback.
We apologize for any inconvenience or frustration you may have experienced. We also acknowledge the fact that the vehicle you were travelling in was in a constant state of disrepair.
However, the vehicle broke down once, not several times every single day. In Khwai (Day 7), the break fluid pipe had to be replaced, but the vehicle did not break down. The guide contacted headquarters in Maun to report the problem. A vehicle was then dispatched from Maun to Khwai to deliver a brand new break fluid pipe and two cans of break fluid. The repairs were done immediately at the campsite. This did not impact on any game viewing activities or travel time.
On day 11, in the Chobe National Park your vehicle broke down. In approximately 15 minutes, the vehicle following you - also our game viewing vehicle carrying 2 clients (a couple) arrived at the spot. You then joined them in their vehicle and continued your journey to Chobe Riverfront. Again, this did not impact on any game viewing activities or travel time.
You contacted me later that evening to lodge a complaint. I did apologize but you felt that an apology was not enough. You also mentioned that you did not want to travel in the same vehicle (named desert honey badger) again - even if it had been repaired. I then offered you a different vehicle to take you for a Victoria Falls day trip (still part of your 13 day itinerary), the following day, and you accepted.
Unfortunately you did not inform me that you were charged border fees and entrance fees at Victoria Falls, amounting to $500. VISAS and border fees are not included in our package prices, but I would have been more that happy to refund you the fees you paid to see the falls.
We did apologize to you in a follow up email we sent you at the end of your tour. So your attempts to open a dialogue with me have not been ignored. I also responded to this review, directly to you, on the 29th September but I have not heard from you.
Email Mike | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing wildlife with a bush camp experience
Organising the safari with Walking Stick was easy. Our questions were quickly answered. Amazing wildlife throughout the 10-day camping safari. So many big cats. Our guide was brilliant, very knowledgeable, and funny, and we largely avoided the crowds. We had limited washing water at times, but our camp assistants did their best to provide for our needs in each of the five campgrounds. Highly recommended, particularly for those with a sense of adventure.
ES
Email Fernando | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Walking Stick & Tours
Very well organized travel. Attentive guides. They know their work and so we can see many animals, camp sides and tents are safe
I recommended this company
Email Susanna Orr | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
My husband and I had a very special bush experience in Botswana with Phillimon and his team
We received very good service from Phillimon from our first inquiries about doing a trip with Walking Stick Safaris. He was informative and answered our questions and dealt with our expectations clearly and succinctly. My husband is 76 and we were never made to feel that he was 'too old' for a bush camping trip. We had a very good week from start to finish. The 2 nights Mokoro trip, the guides, and the camping experience worked well for us. We then spent 2 nights in Moremi and 2 nights in the Kwai area. The plan worked well as there was a lot of variety in both terrain and daily routine. Both areas have their plus points. Philemon was relentless in his pursuit of finding good animal sightings for us. The backup staff of cooks and helpers made sure we were well fed and looked after. Running a bush mobile safari requires a certain type of all-round person and Phillimon certainly has all the qualities that this takes. We will go on another trip with this company. We feel that we certainly got our money's worth
Email Sam Forbes | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing wildlife, people and food - an unforgettable experience
Loved every minute of the Safari with Walking Stick Safaris. We saw heaps of Wildlife and had a good time with our guide, cook and other camp staff. We stayed for two nights in the Boro area of the Okavango Delta.
My reason for 4 stars rather than 5 stars is that the company and the guide were not always good at communicating and explaining risks. We were on a walking tour so wanted to know exactly what would happen if animals were aggressive or if there was an emergency and these things we not clearly communicated. I have every confidence that the guide knew what they were doing, but guests need to be reassured of what safety measures are in place.
Overall I would recommend going with this small and new company which supports Philimon and his new business, and a whole community through the place that you camp and the other staff.
Reply from Walking Stick Travel & Tours
Posted on Oct 7, 2018Hi! Sam
Nice to hear from you and that you had amazing experience with us. We are sorry that the safety measures on a walking safari were not communicated to you as we normally do.
looking forward to travel with you again in the near future
Email Carolien | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable experience of true bush life in Botwana with wonderful and knowledgeable staff
Unbelievable experience of true bush life in Botswana! Philimon is so knowledgeable. He as well as his support staff go out of their way to make everything special and nothing is too much trouble. Joe, the chef, whipped up delicious meals and we did not go hungry once. Philimon also took my son fishing in the Delta. There is just nothing like a mekoro ride while the sun is setting over the Delta. We learned so much about the bush in Bots and ticked off a bucket list-experience!
CH
Email Polo | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful experience - privatized camping safari - great game drives
We experienced the privatized camping safari for our family and enjoyed every moment.
Throughout the 5 days safari we experienced a very high reliability and trust. Our guide (Philimon) is highly professional and we enjoyed the combination of a native local guide (and his stories) combined with his empathy for tourists and his high working ethics. He and his team (in the second car with cook/tent etc.) worked hard to make our experience unique and unforgettable.
I was travelling in Botswana (also Moremi) 25 years ago with my own car (self-driver) and I used to have some detailed information upfront. For this trip we had less detailed information upfront, means also less marketing. That was ok.
We had all the necessary information and our guide optimized our journey during the safari (e.g. added a boat-trip).
We assume that the longterm working-experience as guide/driver in the Okovango-Delta makes it possible to relate to both worlds (local and international) - and we enjoyed that a lot.
We do trust Walking Stick Travel & Tours and we recommend them to people who look for a privatized camping safari (with good value for money).
Email Natalie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Ethical local company, fantastic experience.
Fantastic locally owned company. Phillimon and his team took the best care of us and we were treated like royalty. Actually, more like treasured family. Food was great and Phillimon's skills as a tracker and guide meant that we had some incredible sightings. We booked and paid a deposit with Phillimon only weeks before Covid hit and had to postpone this over and over. He honoured our deposit for FOUR YEARS!!! Many other companies would have taken the money and run, but he not only held it, he kept the price the same. That's ethics!! I highly recommend Walking Stick Safaris!!!!
Email Jules | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Experienced, local, run by a trustworthy professional.
In October 2023 three friends and I had the absolute pleasure of doing a 7 day safari in Botswana with Walking Sticks Travel & Tours. The great service began before we left Australia as we emailed to and fro asking questions and clarifying details about the trip and were provided with all the info we needed by the very helpful Kealeboga James. It was a mobile safari which meant we camped in 4 different areas. As such, we got to see different landscapes and animals through Okavango Delta, Khwai Community Area, Savute area and Chobe National Park. I arrived in Maun the day before our tour started but still I was greeted at the airport by Walking Sticks manager Phillimon who drove me to my hotel. He immediately struck me as a polite and respectful person and as we spent the week in his care he proved to also be professional, humble, flexible, trustworthy and extremely knowledgeable with regard to flora, fauna and all things nature. He was supported by a terrific, hardworking team including Chef 'Prince' (a funny fellow), another expert guide, and multi-skilled back-up people who did everything from poling the Mokoro canoes to setting up tents and completing many tasks required to look after our needs so all the hard work was done for us. Our tour began with an enthralling Mokoro trip through the beautiful pristine wetlands where we were amongst hippos, crocs, elephants and birds. Mokoro's are the main form of transport and our camping spot was inaccessible by road and located in a shady nook near the water where we could view elephants and hear the sounds of nature (eg lion's roaring) day and night. Our tents with en-suite were adequate and we enjoyed the food and gin & tonic 'sundowner's whilst watching the gorgeous sunsets. Each day we spent hours game viewing either on foot or by jeep and Phillimon had a gift at being able to track and locate all manner of wildlife including lion, hyena, wild dogs, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, baboon, leopard and a variety of antelope and birds. We learnt so much as he imparted his knowledge of their behaviour and the landscape. All our campsites were different and in lovely settings. If you are a person who loves nature and living amongst it, can be up at sunrise every day and handle the challenges of dusty, bumpy roads and hot weather (October) then this tour is for you. It is one of the most memorable experiences in my 40 years of traveling. Thank you so much to Phillimon - your integrity is a true asset. Walking Sticks is a small, locally owned and run business and deserves the highest praise.
Email Tam | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing. Exceeded all expectations. Phillimon is an outstanding guide, tracker and tour operator.
We (4 friends) had booked a Walking Sticks 7 day mobile safari “The Best of Botswana” during covid and finally made it in October 2023. An eagerly awaited holiday and safari that exceeded all expectations and the highlight of our trip to Southern Africa.
The trip was great value and Walking Sticks such an ethical company who honoured our deposit paid in 2020.
Phillimon is the best guide and tracker you could hope to meet. We saw some amazing sights including a wild dog hunt and kill.
Lions hunting, at a kill, lounging about, elephants and more elephants, hippos a plenty, cape buffalo, leopard and lots of giraffes, zebra and antelope and loads of birds. Seeing hyena pups at a den with mother was yet another highlight.
The first 2 nights was spent on the Okavango Delta and we did 3 walking safaris with an amazing guide. Watching hippos from
a mokoro on the water was a dream come true.
Magical African sunsets with G&T’s & cold beers. Dinner prepared by Chef Prince with a camp fire and great wines.
You couldn’t find a better safari company than Walking Sticks with Phillimon, KD, Prince, Comfort and Kealeboga. Highly recommend.
Thank you for making our dreams come true.
Tam
