The Mzansi Experience Staff is ready to assist!
The Mzansi Experience
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Member Of:
- SATSA & SAYTC
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $2,337 to $10,389 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Darlene Jackson | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Real Tent experience for LIFE !
After traveling through South Africa with 53 senior Black ladies, 2 lodges, 4 hotels for 2 weeks! (very enjoyable), I had to do my solo South African exploration. I had choose Mzansi while in NY, knowing nothing about lodge living, I just WANTED A TENT! The entire EXPERIENCE from the pick up at in hannesburg to the flight back to Johannesburg was an adventure I hope to repeat until I'm bounded! I'm so proud of my self for choosing Mzansi! Everything went smoothly! The five hour drive to Kruger's National Park gave me time to rest, reflect, catch up and purchase a authentic zebra skin from one of shops 2 stops during the ride. Most of all the ride introduced me to the vast South African Landscape. The lodge was goregously junglelfied decor from the lodge to the 24 hour pool( bring your own towel). Breakfast and dinner is included,(steak was delicious). You choose the number of nights/safaris and sleeping quarters. The tents surpassed my expectations, it was roomy, air conditioned, hot shower and bathroom had plenty of suitcase space, coffee maker and maid service. Enjoyed all of it, I decided to fly back to Johannesburg 30 min fly. airport 45 min from lodge. drive was arranged by the lodge. next trip it will be a round trip flight! NEXT TIME - THE TENT AGAIN!
Reply from The Mzansi Experience
Posted on Mar 10, 2025Hi Darlene,
Thank you very much for your awesome review! We are glad that you had a lovely stay and enjoyed your safari experience with us.
Kind regards,
Zelda Calitz
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
BR
Email Elisa Resende Arruda | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent experience!
Incredible experience. Everything was practical and very well organized. Our biggest fear was the language because we don't speak English very well, but we received very efficient service, with all the information explained in a straightforward way, from booking the package to the safari itself. Everyone was amazing: the staff, the guides, the drivers, and the hotel employees. Our experience couldn't have been better. I highly recommend it!!!!!
ES
Email Lope Rodriguez | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They made all the possible to ensure our trip.
They found us a good option in a very nice lodge. They also arranged the transport for us in a good way.
I guess the worst was the one day Game Drive we did where the organisation of the guide was not good. He said he would stop at 9am but he didn't, he stopped half an hour before lunch and when we went to eat we barely had time to order and eat. As a recommendation, talk to the guides beforehand to make sure of the stops.
Reply from The Mzansi Experience
Posted on Jul 21, 2025Hi Lope,
Thank you for your review!
We are glad that you had a wonderful safari experience and thank you for providing your feedback. We will look into the information provided in regard to the lunch stop.
Kind regards,
Zelda Calitz
CH
Email Keira Holtzer | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional, great value for money and capture the spirit of SA.
We booked the Safari 4-day package from Switzerland and the process was easy and secure. We were picked up from the airport at the indicated time as well as the schedule we received upon arrival at the Lodge. We were only there for 4 days, but with it we had 2 days of safaris plus a day visiting the panorama route. The food and drinks were delicious and the staff were amazing! We were dropped off at the airport at the end of our trip and the driver even offered to drop everyone off at their hotel for ease of comfort. Recommend to anyone!
PL
Email Monika Kowalik | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Could be better...
The contact during the booking was OK - they were quick and detailed in their responses. We exchanged many emails, but none of them mentioned that the Boteti River has been completely dry for several years. However, about two weeks before our arrival (when everything was confirmed and fully paid) we received an email informing us about the change of plan due to drought. The Boteti River does not exist, the Okavango Delta in the part we visited is completely dry!!! If we had been informed about the lack of water in the Delta, we would not have come and spent such a huge amount of money! It was supposed to be an experience of a lifetime, but it was a huge disappointment :(
Reply from The Mzansi Experience
Posted on Nov 15, 2024Hi Monika,
Thank you for taking the time to write this review.
I do apologise for the oversight for my bookings agent who was supposed to attach the letter as published at that time with your initial enquiry.
As with any avid traveller, I am sure you have done research about these areas you wanted to visit before enquiring. There are plenty of updates for many months now regarding the situation in southern Africa (including Namibia which you also visited).
When receiving our updated report on the water situation on 27 Sept 2024 (your arrival date being 11 Oct 2024), you replied to our email with no objection or sign of unhappiness from your side. Your answer on our email was friendly and understanding.
Importantly, in your email reply there was an acknowledgement that you have "heard" about the drought in Botswana and Namibia - so you were aware of the drought situation already.
You had the right to object or even ask to cancel, and we would have understood and respond accordingly. Since your response was friendly and acknowledging that you already knew about it, we took it that all was in order.
I want to rectify that there was not a total change of plan to your itinerary, it only affected the first day with an alternative activity in place other than a complimentary mokoro ride on the river in front of the camp (of course not possible without any water in the river during your visit). The rest of your program remained the same.
I want to rectify your statement that the Boteti River has been dry for "several years". The Boteti River has not run dry for "several years" - where our camp is located. It starting running very low from Jan 2024 with the last water drying up in March 2024. That is 8 months now, not years.
I want to rectify that you did indeed go on a Mokoro safari on the Okavango Delta (from where it departs normally for the full day activity) during your visit. So the Delta is not completely dry where you visited, otherwise that would not have been possible to do a mokoro safari.
I do therefore feel many of the things stated in your review are not factually correct.
It is sad to read that it was such a disappointment to you, and we sincerely hope there was some pleasant experiences along the way.
Email DFWGloria | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Delivered on the experience and made it memorable!
The Mzansi Experience was just that...an experience to enjoy. It included a 4-Day Okavango Delta & Boteti River Tented Safari package. On Day 1, arrival, we were to embark on a 2-hour sunset Mokoro canoe safari, but dry weather conditions have the Boteti river dry. Instead, they arranged for us to visit a nearby local village and become familiar with local villagers and customs, etc. However, upon arriving at the village, gates were closed and most had gone into a nearby town. Our driver/guide (Kay) was most resourceful as he located an elder lady who was happy to talk to us. Chairs were set out in a circle on village grounds, as she began to talk, other male elders joined, as did some children who sat on the sandy ground. Great afternoon. Day 2 involved a ride on a Makoro canoe up the Okavango river, which allowed us to glide through the river, seeing hippos, elephants and more. Day 3 was a Game Drive on a 4x4 open air vehicle to Moremi/Khwai Reserve, which is in the northern fringe of Okavango Delta. Saw a multitude of animals, including lions, leopard, elephants, zebras, etc. Day 4 was relaxation and headed out. Boteti Tented chalets were comfortable, food in small restaurant was always served to us at 7pm, firepit was nearby. Staff at Boteti Tented Chalets were all very polite and accommodating. We met 2 other couples from Australia that joined us on this 3-4 Day adventure, which made the experience even more memorable.
IT
Email Mario | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Everything perfect
We came to SA in June 2024, we went to Kruger Park from Johannesburg.
The trip was nice, perfect driver. The lodge (Kruger Adventure Lodge) was nice, great safari on the afternoon and incredible the day after.
Nice dinners at the lodge, unfortunately it was too cold to have a bath in the swimming pool.
Top experience anyway, also for our kids (6 and 3 years old), they enjoyed it so much.
ES
Email Karmelo Gutierrez | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
everything memorable, the experience the treatment... a unique and unforgettable experience. thanks
An experience far above expectations. I would repeat without hesitation with the agency that made this unforgettable trip for us. From the email treatment in the reservation, to the safaris. Everything to remember.
ES
Email Domingo Javier Sampedro | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing days with a lot of animals
Everything can be better but in a general view the safaris done were really good. All things depends around the people who do it and we feel some difference between one guide and the other that go with us. Another thing, talking about animals is the lucky that you are, and I thing that we were lucky. Thanks a lot for your work and we wish with repeating with you.
