DAYLE & BRAD | Tanzania & Zambia

BEFORE:

This was our third Safari with Rothschild. This trip was an intentional revisiting of our two favorite countries, Tanzania and Zambia, with one new and one favorite camp in each country.

As has always been the case, our adventure planning was a complete joy and a shared process with the Rothschild team. As we have traveled with them before, our idiosyncrasies are known and the camps and style of travel we enjoy has been established. Suggestions were made for two new camps and our previously visited camps were booked. One detail that always impresses us is how well the various stages of each trip are executed. Someone is always at the airport to meet us and move us through the necessary steps as well as making us feel welcome. The air travel is also managed extremely well with lots of help and support.

After our first trip in 2016 we felt that there was no way we could improve upon the service and attention we received from Rothschild. The original contact was as the result of a newspaper article that highlighted the personalized service a woman and her daughter received from Rothschild.

AFTER:

Our most recent trip was September 2022, a total of 18 days, two countries and four camps. Four nights at each camp. All the camps have fewer than 12 people and we have found September to be especially quiet, often being the only of one of two groups in a camp. On this trip we saw the migration of approximately 3,000 wildebeest across the Mara River, a pack of nearly 30 Painted dogs, including 16 puppies, who hunted twice a day over four days, thousands of Carmine bee eaters in a nesting colony, and some of the kindest, most knowledgeable and accommodating guides and camp staff that we have ever encountered.

We travel to experience nature and the people who are native to the areas we are visiting. We like to learn and to be active. Rothschild’s staff selects camps and destinations that allow us to focus on those priorities. Since they visit the camps they suggest, they have first-hand knowledge of a camp’s strengths. They do such a complete job of setting our trips up with every detail, we are able to focus 100% on the adventure.

An African Safari is a major trip in every way, and for many people a bit outside their comfort zone. You want to take a trip like this with complete confidence that you are safe and virtually guaranteed to have one of the most remarkable experiences of your life. While nothing in life is certain, Rothschild has come as close to perfect on all three of our trips. My husband and I thought we would take one of these ‘trips of a lifetime’ but so far we have taken three.

ROB & ALICIA | Botswana & Mozambique

BEFORE:

This was my third safari with Rothschild and the planning was a bit simpler than the longer past journeys. That said, it was booked two years out and then pushed back a few additional years due to Covid-related issues and scheduling conflicts, so we had ample time to make adjustments and Rothschild Safaris made handling the many logistical changes and challenges painless. There’s always a bit of anxiety about Camps, lodges, and properties living up to your lofty expectations, but again, having worked with Rothschild Safaris on past trips, we had very few concerns heading into the trip.

I was turned onto Rothschild Safaris eight or nine years back in a magazine that ranked them highly amongst the shorter list of proper safari operators at the time. It was a great decision and they’ve lived up to the accolades. I’ve remained a client and have booked additional trips because of the people first and foremost. There isn’t the turnover that you might expect in the travel industry either so you develop a relationship with their agents and the extended team. They know their stuff bottomline and they’ll figure out a way to execute on the itinerary you want.

When beginning to plan your trip with Rothschild Safaris, it usually starts with a conversation. Of course you have to have some high-level ideas of what you want to experience and where that is leading you. Once that is established the folks at Rothschild Safaris will start to give you ideas and options. Budget discussions will come about, and they’ll provide guidance in terms of transit and logistics, with practicality, time, and your wellbeing in mind. So as you could imagine there is a lot of back and forth in the early phases of planning, but that eventually normalizes. The important point is that they get right back to you and the follow-up is prompt.

AFTER:

During my latest journey, I was accompanied by my girlfriend, as well as a life-long friend and his wife. We wanted to spend the bulk of the trip on safari in the Okavango Delta, specifically in the Duba Plains region….But we also wanted to get some downtime and relax on one of Africa’s beautiful coastlines. With the guidance of Rothschild Safaris, we eventually decided on Botswana and Mozambique. I had been to Botswana before, but the rest of our crew had not, and neither country disappointed. The game-viewing action was absolutely epic in the Delta, and the beaches of Vilankulos were almost as perfect as the villa we stayed in.

I would recommend Rothschild Safaris to anyone. They just know their stuff and they go above and beyond for their clients. The consultants have an intricate knowledge of almost any property you could inquire about. They also have boots on the ground visiting camps and lodges so you’re not surprised by anything upon arrival, to the best of their ability. The communication is always easy and they have support personnel in different countries that are only a text message away.

So much of these trips is about things going off without a hitch in terms of the actual travel, and I’ve always felt good knowing the transfer people will be where they’re supposed to be, even on the other side of the world, Bottom line is the people. They listen, they care, they work hard to ensure an incredible experience, and over the eight years or so that I’ve planned these adventures with them, they have only gotten better, more efficient.

I think the one thing I tell people about this most recent experience, but also about past travels to Africa, is that it’s often the people that make the journey so special. Of course the love of nature, conservation, and wildlife is sort of a prerequisite, but it’s not JUST about the elephants and the lions! The people are genuine, kind, enthusiastic about sharing their culture with you, and the level of service you’ll experience at most of the camps and lodges is at such a high level that unfortunately has long since past here at home. I read once ‘You’ll leave Africa, but Africa will never leave you.” From my experience that is very true.

NEIL & JANNE | Botswana & Namibia

BEFORE:

We discovered Rothschild Safaris purely by accident when searching on the web. It’s the best accident we have ever encountered.

The assistance with planning and their local knowledge of Botswana was exceptional.

Their advice was invaluable is helping us plan and execute one of the most memorable holidays we have ever had.

AFTER:

We had no hesitation in asking Rothschild Safaris with their help with planning our second trip to Africa. Rothschild’s was our default choice travel company for our subsequent trip to Africa in 2022 when we holidayed in Namibia. 

Sensational company and sensational country.