Epic 10 day trip of Zimbabwe and Botswana with Cuckoo Safaris - We personalised the Cuckoo Safari 10 day tour with the help of Tatenda, adding Hwange NP and removing the Saltpans. We also upgraded our Chobe hotel and Tatenda was very helpful with all our queries. Before the trip we were added to a whats app group with our guide Simon who we had read about in previous reviews and was so happy to hear would be our guide. We stayed at the Pioneer Lodge in Victoria Falls which was a gorgeous lodge style hotel with lovely gardens, at Chobe we upgraded to a riverview apartment with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and an amazing balcony definetely worth the upgrade, elephant sands was our break inbetween kasane and maun accomodation was basic but comfortable and the elephants were the star of the show and at maun we stayed at Cresta Maun which was fine comfortable room and friendly staff. In Victoria Falls, we did the sunset cruise, the falls tour from both sides and a day trip to Hwange. The falls were at their best on the zimbwawe side and Simon took us round and was a brilliant guide, our guide on the Zambia side Delphister was lovely too and it was interesting seeing more of the geology on this side. Hwange was an interesting drive Simon and the other Tatenda did really well negotating the roads, we stopped at Hwange Safari Lodge to pick up our packed lunch and then met our guide Big M who was brilliant and took us out into the park, we saw 3 male lion, elephant, hippos, giraffe, antelope etc. We then went to Chobe where we did 3 game drives with Gift and a river boat cruise with July both from Puku safaris, both great guides, Gift was amazing at tracking the wildlife and we saw lions on every outing with him including cubs amazing. We also did a game drive from elephant sands and then in Maun we did the helicopter flight over the delta amazing but terrifying as we had never been in a helicopter before and then this one had no doors! A very peaceful and scenic mokoro trip with Gidean from the local village and then a long but brilliant day to Moremi game reserve with Lee where we saw wild dogs (and pups) and hyena. We were really lucky when it came to wildlife, but also through great guides tracking skills, our main guide through it all Simon was amazing so knowlegable and friendly he is a credit to cuckoo and I would highly recommend him as your guide, we had a few issues along the route as always happens on trips but they were all sorted and we always knew Simon was there to help either in person or through whats app. Zimbabwe and Botswana are both incredible countries, with wonderful people and the amount of wildlife is just incredible I never thought I'd lose count of the amount of lion we saw, we were also very lucky to see leopard, countless other wildlife, and beautiful scenery and sunsets if you are wondering whether to go we highly recommend as two sisters we never felt unsafe. One of us got a upset stomach towards the end of the trip but this did not spoil the trip just to be aware this may happen. We both managed to eat vegetarian fine at all times on the trip but found it more tricky to eat vegan although Simon did his best to help and this was really appreciated. We hope to travel with Cuckoo and Simon in the future and are excited to hear of their plans in Namibia.

Took all the hard work out of my hands - A safari trip is no easy task to plan, and I'm glad I chose Cuckoo to help! I honestly had no clue where to start, but came across Cuckoo, and appreciated that they had clear itineraries and prices listed right from the get-go instead of having to inquire, so that I was able to use that as a benchmark as I looked at other options. Once I reached out, communications were quick and Tatenda was able to address all the questions I had, including around customizing the tour. The deposit was easy and can be paid with card. I ended up with the 8-day trip that includes visits to Vic Falls, Chobe, the Nwetwe Pan, and the Okavango Delta including a helicopter ride, which was amazing. The pickups and transfers were mostly seamless and clear, and everyone I interacted with from Cuckoo were lovely (Louis, Shelton, and a different Tatenda). The lodging started out strong at the Shongwe in Vic Falls, but did slowly go downhill as the trip went on. I would ask to swap out Cresta in Maun if I were to do this tour again. In terms of the itinerary and the activities, I think it is generally well planned with a good balance between early starts and more relaxed days, but would recommend an extra night at Planet Baobab to avoid a very long day (5 hours on bumpy roads in an open air Land Cruiser, then another 2 to Maun, then the helicopter ride) and having some time to actually enjoy the facilities there (I'd swap it too but I don't think there are other options in that area). When I come back to this region of Africa, I would definitely work with Cuckoo again and would recommend them to anyone!

Outstanding Tour - We found our 7 day trip with Cuckoo Safaris to be an incredible value. Traveling to this area is not cheap however Cuckoo gives you a very competitive price while also providing excellent service. Prior to traveling Cuckoo answered all our questions in a very timely fashion. The trip itself was well organized. We visited Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park, Hwange National Park, and Matobo National Park. Each park has it's own character and was a different experience from the previous spot. The hotels and lodges that we stayed at were excellent. Luxurious with great food. Finally, our guide Simon made sure that our trip went as smoothly as possible He was in constant commnication with us via WhatsApp and was able to accomodate all of our last minute whims while still keeping us on schedule. All in all, I would definately recommend Cuckoo Safaris to anyone who wants an individual tour at a reasonable price.

Excellent guides - Excellent value for money with great experiences. You're in good hands with them, everything ran smoothly from arrangement, payment to execution and communication. Tatenda and Simon handled everything wonderfully. Highly recommended!

Amazing 11 day Safari Adventure with Cuckoo Safaris and Simon - We customized an 11 day trip with Cuckoo Safaris through Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. We had an amazing guide Simon. He took the time to explain to us all the pick ups, drop offs, and border crossings along our way. On some of our longer drives Simon explained the culture, wildlife, and vegetation of the areas. We needed birth certificates to cross into Botswana for our kids. We had one of the birth certificates in an email where the attachment wasn’t opened and we had no cell signal at the border. Our guide gave us a hot spot so we could download the birth certificate and got us out of that bind. Zambezi River Cruise, Hwange National Park, both sides of Victoria falls, Stanley and Livingstone Private Game Reserve, Chobe National Park, Elephant Sands, Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve. We felt like we saw everything… Lions, Leopards, Kudus, Cape Buffalos, Elephants, Crocodiles, Sables, Elands, Giraffes, Impala, Steenbok, Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Red Lechwe, Hippos, Zebras, Rhinos, Jackals, Wild dogs, Hyena, Badgers, Ostrich, and so many birds. Simon was the perfect guide for our family of six. The lodging was great, the food was good and snacks and small meals were provided on each of the safaris.

Great trip to Victoria Falls, Chobe and Okavango - Great trip, wonderful experiences, beautiful scenery and amazing encounters with elephants, giraffes, zebras, lions, hippos and crocodiles. All connections went smoothly and our guides were prompt to arrive, friendly and welcoming. We had a number of queries before arriving and Cuckoo were very quick to respond with helpful answers. Thank you

This is a must do safari! - We did the 9-Day Victoria Falls, Chobe Safari, Makgadikgadi Pans National Park and Okavango Delta tour. Simon was our guide and was absolutely amazing. Over the course of the 9 days, we saw a TON of elephants, hippos, buffalos, baboons and impala. We saw several lions, vervet monkeys (only at Vic Falls), zebras, warthogs, crocs, giraffes, meerkats. We saw only a few or one rhinos (5), leopard (1), hyenas (2), jackals (5), ostriches (7) and wild dog (1). Here is what we saw each day: Day 1 - Fly into Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe; River cruise - hippos, croc, bushbuck, baboons Day 2 - am Victoria Falls tour - vervet monkeys; pm private reserve game drive - black rhinos, elephants, giraffes, zebras, kudu, warthogs, buffalos Day 3 - Chobe game drive - elephants, leopard, hippos, kudu, croc, hyena, lions, water buck Day 4 - am Chobe game drive - lions, buffalos; pm game drive at Elephant Sands - elephants, ostriches, buffalos, spring hare, eland Day 5 - travel to Planet Baobab, evening bush walk Day 6 - meerkats and salt pans, then helicopter ride seeing elephants, zebras, hippos, wildebeasts Day 7 - dugout canoe ride with bush walk - hippos and crocs Day 8 - Morebi Game Reserve game drive - lions, warthogs, giraffes, elephants, wild dog, hyena, jackal, zebras, red lechwe, tsessabee, steenbock. Day 9 - Fly out of Maun airport in Botswana Zimbabwe just started their own currency, so USD is largely the primary currency. Botswana uses the local Pula. The early mornings in June were cold (40s F) since it is their winter and we often had to drive 1-2 hours in an outdoor safari vehicle when it was cold, so make sure to bring layers as it warms up usually during the day. The tour guides will also have something for you to put over your clothing (ex. poncho) to help with the cold. Americans don't need a visa for Zimbabwe and Botswana in advance. Zimbabwe requires a visa be obtained when you land at their airport and they require cash, so recommend having USD available. It was around $30 or $40USD. The Cuckoo guide picks you up at the airport and they largely try to have as close to a private tour as possible. We were a family of 4 and when cuckoo contracts with local tour companies, it was often just us or perhaps a couple more people, so it was a very personalized tour. We were not with a big group. Simon was accessible at all times and did a great job making sure all of our needs were met. My adult kids said this was the best vacation we have ever taken. I would HIGHLY recommend Cuckoo tours.

More than just a safari - My husband and I went on the 9 day safari tour through Victoria Falls and Botswana for our honeymoon. It was truly one of the best experiences of our lives and the best choice we could have made! Starting from the beginning, Tatenda was extremely reliable and responded to all of my emails right away. He answered tons of my questions and helped me customize and add additional days on to the tour so we could make the tour just how we wanted. Then to the tour itself, many of the other tours on safari bookings only include game drives, we chose this tour because it had a ton of variety and were so glad we did! Not only did we see a ton of animals and natural landscapes we also got a chance to do multiple boat rides, cultural experiences and a helicopter ride! Plus the hotels and food included were excellent! They even set up a special honeymoon poolside dinner for us as a surprise for free! Everything was prompt and reliable and they really went out of their way to do everything we wanted. We definitely got value for our money on this tour. But now to the best part of our tour was our guide Simon! Simon was more than just a safari guide, he also became a friend and an ambassador to Africa as a whole. He went above and beyond to make us comfortable and explained not only the landscape but the history, culture, politics, and customs of all of Southern Africa. The warmth and humor of Africa totally shines through Simons personality and you can tell his passion for his job. We will remember this trip for the rest of our lives, thank you Tatenda, Simon, and Cuckoo Safaris!

Zimbabwe and Botswana safari - I used Cuckoo Safari for a 10 day tour of Zimbabwe and Botswana ( added a 2 day safari in Hwange NP to a 7 day tour of Botswana and a night in Victoria Falls) . Simon and Leyondo were great I am fortunate to have them as guides and now friends. I travelled with my 13 year old son Leo and we had specific safari requests that all were met with exceptional efficiency and success . The choice of accommodation and local guides was great as well and the whole trip was great value for money and we managed to have an amazing time and made lifelong memories . Thank you Cuckoo Safari and see you in our next trip to Southern Africa

Superb wildlife viewing - Wonderful tour for viewing big African animals. All of the accommodations were first-class and super friendly. Matopo Hills was unbelievably beautiful.