Anyone been to their camps lately? We're trying to decide where to go, when and with whom for a good experience. The website looks wonderful, but we have no prior experience with any operator in Southern Africa. Would appreciate input on best areas to visit for 10 to 15 days, as well as best time of year to go. thanks for any information.

They are a first rate operation. Try searching for their camps by name and you will see many glowing references.

I highly recommend their camps also and many on this board will also. We stayed at Chitabe Trails, Jao and Duma Tau for a varied game viewing experience. I know a great agent for Southern Africa so email me if you would like his name.

If I may speak on his behalf, Jasher on this forum uses Eyes on Africa for his trips, and I've contacted them myself. They're located in Chicago but are from South Africa, I believe, and are very familiar with Wilderness camps. Would highly recommend them based on what I know from Julian's experience. (Where IS Julian, anyway?)

I also use Eyes, the principal used to work for Wilderness.

Great company.

I was there in September, staying at Linyanti, Savute, Jacana and Tubu Tree. I booked with Natural Habitat. Our guide, David Luck, is THE BEST. It was a privilege traveling with him.
It was pretty warm, in fact, warmer than expected. Yes, check out the camps by looking them up by name. I'd go again in a minute.

Thanks for all the information. I've looked at the camps but it is very hard to decide which ones to visit, when and for how long. I will be contacting the agents you recommended for guidance.

Which ones and how long depends on your budget, wildlife/birding interests, activity interests, and level of luxury desired.

I've always gone during July or August, very good months for game. A bit chilly at night.

Since you are going for a good chunk of time, consider San or Jack's camp in the Makgadikgadi Pans of the Kalahari Desert for a different bush experience--meerkats, walking with bushmen, quad bike riding, hunting for ancient artifacts. I was at San this past August and loved it.

If you can afford it, Mombo or Little Mombo have phenomenal game.

Water camps where you can be poled in a mekoro include the 6-paw Jao and Jacana,
and Little Vumbura (with land activities too) and also Vumbura (more land and 6-paw).

You could also see Victoria Falls at Wilderness' River Club Lodge in Zambia, very lovely I've been told.

When you get some recommendations from agents, post again and see what everyone has to say. If you choose Wilderness camps, you'll have a great trip.

Yes, WS is the premier operator in Southern Africa. You can't go wrong using them.

Since you are in California (pacbell is the giveaway), I'd give Next Adventure a call. They are in Berkeley. Africa-only, excellent knowledge & service for custom trips to the region. They've pulled amazing strings for me with Wilderness Safaris (so they must have some good connections there, and they were willing to use them). And their other recommendations about arranging southern African trips were spot-on. (Stuff that seemed to go beyond the standard itineraries.) And their partners in South Africa got me out of various travel changes and glitches I managed to get myself into while I was there!

I recently stayed at their Baobab Camp and Wilderness Tented Camp in Botswana, Lianshulu in Namibia, and Linkwasha in Zimbabwe. Each was better than the one before. We had a great experience and the staff was wonderful--espec. the staff at camps that used only local people (Baobab and Wilderness Tented Camp). They were fabulous.