Kilimanjaro Open Group Climb

Helen and her brother Rob joined one of our Kilimanjaro open groups, successfully reaching the summit via the Lemosho route. She returned with the following very kind comments about her experience:

Mike was so very helpful and answered all of my questions professionally.

Mussa our guide and his whole team helped to make the trip memorable for all of the right reasons. Their knowledge, care and expertise is second to none and it was a privilege to climb Kilimanjaro with their help and support. Coffee in bed first thing and the ability to wash in warm water was such a treat too.

I am a vegetarian and the care and thought given to my meals was wonderful bearing in mind that we were up a mountain!

The whole trip exceeded my expectations. Tanzania is so green and colourful and Kilimanjaro such a beautiful mountain with the terrain and the vista changing every day.

Light Mobile Safari - Tanzania

A rather belated thank you for a great trip.

The camping was really special and we all loved this - even Piero who hates camping.

Edward, Anthony and William were a fantastic team and looked after us really well.
Edward's ability to spot things is phenomenal, and we appreciated the small things such as the mongoose and mice and birds as well as the bigger things. The leopard spotting was especially impressive.

Anthony's cooking was excellent - especially when being carefully watched by the baboons in Serengeti! The fish was wonderful and I still want the recipe for his special peanutty sauce. Swahili night was great too.

William was always there to help and support - we appreciated the overnight fires to keep the creatures away and he was great on the first walking trip and had a huge amount of knowledge.
They all worked well as a team and were great company to be with.

Even the things that didn’t go well were very impressive - such as the repairs to the vehicle after our breakdown on that awful road from the crater to Serengeti.

A wonderful trip and one I would heartily recommend to others.

It was good to see Sam again too.

Sarah, Piero, Clare and Jack

Ruaha, Selous and the Serengeti

Hi Jeremy

We are currently on Zanzibar for three days before making the trek home.

I can't thank you enough for arranging the safaris in Ruaha and Selous - both were superb. I absolutely loved the Ruaha River Lodge, the setting really makes it. Sitting in the evenings looking out on the river with elephants and hippos walking by along with the impala and baboons of course was just amazing. During the first night, an elephant stopped right outside my banda to pull down and eat the palm tree 3 feet from my room - it was a full moon so I could see him quite clearly. Amazing!

Another evening we were all sitting round the fire outside the dining area in the dark when the baboons started making a din and then we could hear the unmistakable sound of leopard padding along towards them on the other side of the river.  I was ready to sprint for cover but I was assured he wasn't interested in us...

Selous was also amazing and great fun with the communal table. A family of elephants were in and out of camp the whole time I was there along with baboons and impala and a hippo grunting his way along near the main tent.

All in all it has been a truly wonderful experience and I have seen so many elephants and lions, birds, antelope including kudu and eland. The guides were amazing in both camps and looked after us brilliantly.

During my adventures, Adrian and his brother successfully climbed Kili despite being 15 years older than the next person in the group. I gather the final day was tough but all in all they returned exhilarated and content.

The subsequent safari to the Serengeti was good but definitely not as brilliant as the southern ones. That being given said we did see many lions, as well as leopard and cheetah. Possibly our most exciting sighting was two young male giraffes fighting, necks swaying and whacking each other. They seemed to stop when about 8 other giraffes appeared over the horizon so may just have been practicing for the future.

So many images going through my head - I will be enjoying this holiday for many more months. Thanks again and expect to hear from me next week from Vancouver.

All the best
Janet

(Note from G&M: Janet also wrote a trip report for her holiday - complete with lots of fabulous images! - which you can view here).

Solo climb of Weismann Peak in the Rwenzori Mountains of Uganda

Annette completed a climb of Weismann Peak in Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains in early 2020. She returned with very positive feedback about the beautiful Rwenzori Mountains and the local climb team who led her to the summit:

I did feel quite strongly about leaving feedback for this trip as it has been such an incredibly special one for me.

From beginning ( yes......yourself and Gane & Marshall! ) to end, the support I received was phenomenal.

The Rwenzoris were a really tough climb. I definitely put it up there with the Western Breach Route up Kilimanjaro in the “toughness” department. Although the Western Breach almost broke me, I definitely had to pull on my “big girl pants” for the Rwenzoris. The major and amazing difference was that I really enjoyed the Rwenzoris. The same can definitely not be said for Kilimanjaro. It was sheer endurance. Not why I like to trek!

I’m fully aware that I didn’t do Margherita Peak therefore I wasn’t dealing with the same altitude issues and actually I am very pleased I didn’t entertain that as I really don’t think I would’ve managed!

I honestly think people should do Mount Kilimanjaro as preparation for the Rwenzoris!

With your invaluable and comprehensive preparation advice ( regarding the route, weather conditions and required kit ) the complete confidence I had in and constant encouragement I received from my climb guides Joseph and Roland....... a really challenging climb was transformed into one I could thoroughly enjoy while still feeling exhilarated. The Rwenzoris are soooooooo incredibly beautiful, they are mind blowing ( but I don’t need to tell you that!! ). Wow!

I am already looking at where my next adventure may be. There’s nothing like the British weather to spur me into action! It may be Iran....... I shall keep you posted!

Many thanks again Michael to yourself and your team at Gane and Marshall......you have been amazing as always!

Best wishes,
Annette.

Kuro, Lamai and Ndutu - Luxury Tanzania Safari

We had a truly excellent holiday. Everything went pretty smoothly. Many thanks for all of your hard work on our behalf. We won’t hesitate to use your services again, and will happily recommend you to anyone who asks.

There were too many “highlights” to mention here, but one of them would have to be seeing leopards on two separate occasions on the same day at Lamai – and not just as a distant speck, they were very close and out in the open. Despite having spent a lot of my early childhood in Kenya, and Heather and I having visited South Africa, Zimbabwe and Tanzania before on safari, neither of us had ever seen one in the wild before! And the sight of an enormous herd of Zebra and Wildebeest charging headlong into a lake to drink was astonishing too.

It would be unfair to single-out any of the three camps, Kuro (Tarangire), Lamai, or Serengeti Ndutu. They were very different, but all terrific in their own way. And our decision to stay for 6 nights at Lamai, to allow for some “chill” time, was very worthwhile.

Arctic Adventure

Greetings and Salutations gentlemen,

Thank you for all your excellent organisational skills in putting this trip together. Jeremy, I am sure Wayne has filled you on the perfect trip it turned out to be.

I have done the first draft of my blog and should have it finished in the next day or so.

Amazing experience – can not wait until the next adventure – totally addicted and so thinking about the South Pole!

Speak soon and safe travels to the North Pole.

Rashmi

Ethiopia - Historic Route & Tigray

Hello Michael,

I just want to say thank you for organising an amazing trip for me in Ethiopia. I loved every minute of it. The icing on the cake was when the driver who picked me up in Addis in my last night was the driver/guide we had had from Mekele to Gheralta to Axum. We had a wonderful final evening having drinks at the Hilton and then dinner with a show.

It is difficult to pick a favourite place but I think maybe Gheralta and the remote rock hewn churches just take it.

Brilliant organisation with everything running so smoothly.

Thank you Nicola

Linyanti and the Okavango Delta

Hi Clare
I would like to thank you for organising such a wonderful safari. It was perfect, locations, camps and guides, it was absolutely terrific and the 3 of us loved every minute of it.

Very best wishes and thank you again. This adventure will take some beating!

Regards
Adrienne, Conrad and Andrew

Our trip to Tanzania was incredible

Our trip to Tanzania was incredible and I have a lifetime of wonderful memories so thank you for organising and preparing us so well – I will come back to you again to organise my future adventures and have and will recommend Gane and Marshall to anyone that will listen to me. The AWC team was brilliant from the moment we met them they were full of energy, information, humour and kindness. I can say that every day was full of a lot of laughter and banter which is what you need to get you to the top of Kili. The equipment was great and what can I say about the food – we had a beef curry and chips at 4500m! Our head guide was Joshua and I would like it if you pass on a special mention to AWC about him – what an asset to them. Joshua kept us motivated, informed and strong when the going got a bit tough. On the final climb to the top I felt like we were in first class whilst other groups were in economy. I will never forget the songs welcoming us into camp at night and the welcome warm water provided after a long day trekking.

We then went on safari and Chem Chem was a true find. I have never stayed in such luxury before and the remoteness and quietness of the camp is breathtaking. I didn’t realize that at Chem Chem the owners have, over the years, encouraged the wildlife to live amongst the camp so there are lions, zebra, giraffe etc. right outside where you sleep. We were able to go on a walking safari with a local guide (who was unarmed) which whilst a little scary proved again to be a memory to keep forever.

If I can offer any recommendations for Gane and Marshall then please let me know. You organised a wonderful trip for Beck and I, one we will tell our grandchildren about.

Best regards

Kate

Kilimanjaro in support of the Lewis Moody Foundation

On 14 July, a team of 10 climbers successfully summitted Kilimanjaro in support of the Lewis Moody Foundation. They climbed via the unique North Face route, and returned with very positive memories of a tough but incredibly rewarding climb. Here are some of their comments:

From Annie: “Summit day, as you said, was brutal! …it definitely pushed us all that day and we were very proud to have made it. The guides were wonderful, I can not fault them, Saimon was the perfect lead guide, calm, reassuring, meticulous in his care and making sure we were all well enough to continue etc… he ran a slick operation overseeing 44 people with ease. We were all very impressed …Thank you for an amazing opportunity, I have never harboured a need to climb a mountain, but I wouldn’t change it for the world now! It really was breath taking and I have memories that I will treasure for a lifetime.”

From Matt: "I’ve honestly had the trip of a lifetime. I had high expectations of the trip but it far exceeded them. I would be back there in a second given the chance! Summit day was long and tough but no more than expected and this was part of it. I’d do summit day again tomorrow as well given the chance!

"We were lucky to have a very supportive group of travellers who bonded quickly. I was blown away by the scenery and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge it provided. It has only made me keener to do something like this again in the future!"

You can find a selection of photos from the group as well as more detail about the Lewis Moody Foundation and their fundraising goals on our blog.

Kilimanjaro & Zanzibar

Dear Clare, Jeremy and Mike
I just wanted to let you know how wonderful the holiday was and especially the Kilimanjaro team. Simon was utterly dependable and kind. All of the guides had something different to bring and getting to know them a little was a joy.

I loved almost every minute of the trek (altitude sickness got me on day 3!) The route was varied and always fascinating. Highlights were Barranco wall, the sound of the camp in the morning with all the laughing and singing and the mountain itself.

Hope all is well and you are still basking in the sun in France.

Kind regards
Rebecca

Serengeti Honeymoon

Morning Clare and Jeremy

Just a quick note to say a massive thank you for organising the most amazing honeymoon!  We truly loved every part of it and had such a special time.  The safari experience was brilliant and we were lucky to catch the migration which was incredible.  All the connections worked well and the guides were excellent.  We could easily have stayed at Fundu for another week!

Thanks again and yes we even had sun on our wedding day!

Best regards

Tim

Tim and Clare also left the following comments on their feedback form:

Clare was very helpful and responsive in ensuring we had the most bespoke trip

What were the highlights?
Too many to mention!  The migration, the Crater, the guides and staff (all great), the food, wildlife, transfers which all worked very smoothly, Fundu Lagoon (we could have spent another week there!).

Do you have anything else you would like to add? Perhaps a particular element of your trip deserves a special mention, if so we would love to know about it!
Lamai Nomad was particularly special!  Amazing setting, brilliant guides, saw incredible wildlfe, stunning rooms, very tasty food and Mark was extremely friendly and welcoming.

Family safari in northern Tanzania

Hi Sarah,
We have had an amazing time! So many highlights and everything worked really well. We all agreed that we think it exceeded expectations! Thank you for putting together such a fabulous trip.

I’m happy for you to call me anytime for the “ lowdown”!

Amy (aged 20) and Sofia (aged 9) have filmed things for a vlog that they are editing  to upload online so I can’t wait to see that in addition to all of our photos.

Best wishes
Sam

Note from G&M: You can find links to Amy and Sofia's fantastic vlogs of their safari on our blog.

Shut off from civilisation in the Okavango

Hi Sarah,

We had a superb time. Seeing all the wildlife was an amazing experience. Also the landscape and the state of being shut off from civilization and phone service was great. It really made me use and feel all of my senses all the more again.

The local team did a fabulous job and everything was perfectly lined out and organized. It seemed like they are amongst the best of the Safari tour operators.

Personally my highlight was having had the chance to see a leopard in nature, even though it was a short interaction. The special events, which is the interaction with the San people and the Mokoro people in the Okavango, have been a unique experience to me.

Thank you once again for managing everything in advance!

Best regards,
David

Botswana Mobile Camping Safari

Hi Clare

Our trip was wonderful and we enjoyed every minute of it!!!!!

Cape Town - great accommodations in a beautiful setting - we really enjoyed the V&A waterfront - lots of delicious seafood - both the Cape tour and the wine tour were excellent - we had the same guide for both and we learned a lot about the history and politics of South Africa and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  Cape Town was a good chance for us to rest a bit after our long air travel.

The safari was brilliant - it far exceeded our expectations - the accommodations were great - tenting is the way to go on safari - makes you feel part of the natural environment - and lots of interesting sounds at night!  We had great food and very friendly staff at each of our camps - We can't say enough about our guide Jakes - he was wonderful - he had extensive knowledge about all the wildlife and willingly shared that with us - and he was super at locating the wildlife too - we saw elephant, lion, leopard, hippo, giraffe, wildebeest, wild dogs, jackal. buffalo, kudu, impala, baboon, monkey,  zebra, ostrich, warthog, African fish eagle, etc.  Jakes was one of the highlights of our trip!

Victoria Falls - another highlight - and the Elephant Camp was a luxurious way to end our trip! All of our flights and connections went without a hitch (thank goodness!).

I was worried that my wife might not enjoy the trip as much as me but she really got into it and became quite a good game spotter!  My only concern now is that we have set the bar very high and it may be tough for any future trips to measure up.

Thanks Clare for all your work on our behalf.  And thanks to all the people who took such good care of us - they were all so good and so friendly.

Cheers
Rich

Kilimanjaro Open Group Climb

Helen and her brother Rob joined one of our Kilimanjaro open groups, successfully reaching the summit via the Lemosho route. She returned with the following very kind comments about her experience:

Mike was so very helpful and answered all of my questions professionally.

Mussa our guide and his whole team helped to make the trip memorable for all of the right reasons. Their knowledge, care and expertise is second to none and it was a privilege to climb Kilimanjaro with their help and support. Coffee in bed first thing and the ability to wash in warm water was such a treat too.

I am a vegetarian and the care and thought given to my meals was wonderful bearing in mind that we were up a mountain!

The whole trip exceeded my expectations. Tanzania is so green and colourful and Kilimanjaro such a beautiful mountain with the terrain and the vista changing every day.

Light Mobile Safari - Tanzania

A rather belated thank you for a great trip.

The camping was really special and we all loved this - even Piero who hates camping.

Edward, Anthony and William were a fantastic team and looked after us really well.
Edward's ability to spot things is phenomenal, and we appreciated the small things such as the mongoose and mice and birds as well as the bigger things. The leopard spotting was especially impressive.

Anthony's cooking was excellent - especially when being carefully watched by the baboons in Serengeti! The fish was wonderful and I still want the recipe for his special peanutty sauce. Swahili night was great too.

William was always there to help and support - we appreciated the overnight fires to keep the creatures away and he was great on the first walking trip and had a huge amount of knowledge.
They all worked well as a team and were great company to be with.

Even the things that didn’t go well were very impressive - such as the repairs to the vehicle after our breakdown on that awful road from the crater to Serengeti.

A wonderful trip and one I would heartily recommend to others.

It was good to see Sam again too.

Sarah, Piero, Clare and Jack

Ruaha, Selous and the Serengeti

Hi Jeremy

We are currently on Zanzibar for three days before making the trek home.

I can't thank you enough for arranging the safaris in Ruaha and Selous - both were superb. I absolutely loved the Ruaha River Lodge, the setting really makes it. Sitting in the evenings looking out on the river with elephants and hippos walking by along with the impala and baboons of course was just amazing. During the first night, an elephant stopped right outside my banda to pull down and eat the palm tree 3 feet from my room - it was a full moon so I could see him quite clearly. Amazing!

Another evening we were all sitting round the fire outside the dining area in the dark when the baboons started making a din and then we could hear the unmistakable sound of leopard padding along towards them on the other side of the river.  I was ready to sprint for cover but I was assured he wasn't interested in us...

Selous was also amazing and great fun with the communal table. A family of elephants were in and out of camp the whole time I was there along with baboons and impala and a hippo grunting his way along near the main tent.

All in all it has been a truly wonderful experience and I have seen so many elephants and lions, birds, antelope including kudu and eland. The guides were amazing in both camps and looked after us brilliantly.

During my adventures, Adrian and his brother successfully climbed Kili despite being 15 years older than the next person in the group. I gather the final day was tough but all in all they returned exhilarated and content.

The subsequent safari to the Serengeti was good but definitely not as brilliant as the southern ones. That being given said we did see many lions, as well as leopard and cheetah. Possibly our most exciting sighting was two young male giraffes fighting, necks swaying and whacking each other. They seemed to stop when about 8 other giraffes appeared over the horizon so may just have been practicing for the future.

So many images going through my head - I will be enjoying this holiday for many more months. Thanks again and expect to hear from me next week from Vancouver.

All the best
Janet

(Note from G&M: Janet also wrote a trip report for her holiday - complete with lots of fabulous images! - which you can view here).

Solo climb of Weismann Peak in the Rwenzori Mountains of Uganda

Annette completed a climb of Weismann Peak in Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains in early 2020. She returned with very positive feedback about the beautiful Rwenzori Mountains and the local climb team who led her to the summit:

I did feel quite strongly about leaving feedback for this trip as it has been such an incredibly special one for me.

From beginning ( yes......yourself and Gane & Marshall! ) to end, the support I received was phenomenal.

The Rwenzoris were a really tough climb. I definitely put it up there with the Western Breach Route up Kilimanjaro in the “toughness” department. Although the Western Breach almost broke me, I definitely had to pull on my “big girl pants” for the Rwenzoris. The major and amazing difference was that I really enjoyed the Rwenzoris. The same can definitely not be said for Kilimanjaro. It was sheer endurance. Not why I like to trek!

I’m fully aware that I didn’t do Margherita Peak therefore I wasn’t dealing with the same altitude issues and actually I am very pleased I didn’t entertain that as I really don’t think I would’ve managed!

I honestly think people should do Mount Kilimanjaro as preparation for the Rwenzoris!

With your invaluable and comprehensive preparation advice ( regarding the route, weather conditions and required kit ) the complete confidence I had in and constant encouragement I received from my climb guides Joseph and Roland....... a really challenging climb was transformed into one I could thoroughly enjoy while still feeling exhilarated. The Rwenzoris are soooooooo incredibly beautiful, they are mind blowing ( but I don’t need to tell you that!! ). Wow!

I am already looking at where my next adventure may be. There’s nothing like the British weather to spur me into action! It may be Iran....... I shall keep you posted!

Many thanks again Michael to yourself and your team at Gane and Marshall......you have been amazing as always!

Best wishes,
Annette.

Kuro, Lamai and Ndutu - Luxury Tanzania Safari

We had a truly excellent holiday. Everything went pretty smoothly. Many thanks for all of your hard work on our behalf. We won’t hesitate to use your services again, and will happily recommend you to anyone who asks.

There were too many “highlights” to mention here, but one of them would have to be seeing leopards on two separate occasions on the same day at Lamai – and not just as a distant speck, they were very close and out in the open. Despite having spent a lot of my early childhood in Kenya, and Heather and I having visited South Africa, Zimbabwe and Tanzania before on safari, neither of us had ever seen one in the wild before! And the sight of an enormous herd of Zebra and Wildebeest charging headlong into a lake to drink was astonishing too.

It would be unfair to single-out any of the three camps, Kuro (Tarangire), Lamai, or Serengeti Ndutu. They were very different, but all terrific in their own way. And our decision to stay for 6 nights at Lamai, to allow for some “chill” time, was very worthwhile.

Arctic Adventure

Greetings and Salutations gentlemen,

Thank you for all your excellent organisational skills in putting this trip together. Jeremy, I am sure Wayne has filled you on the perfect trip it turned out to be.

I have done the first draft of my blog and should have it finished in the next day or so.

Amazing experience – can not wait until the next adventure – totally addicted and so thinking about the South Pole!

Speak soon and safe travels to the North Pole.

Rashmi

Ethiopia - Historic Route & Tigray

Hello Michael,

I just want to say thank you for organising an amazing trip for me in Ethiopia. I loved every minute of it. The icing on the cake was when the driver who picked me up in Addis in my last night was the driver/guide we had had from Mekele to Gheralta to Axum. We had a wonderful final evening having drinks at the Hilton and then dinner with a show.

It is difficult to pick a favourite place but I think maybe Gheralta and the remote rock hewn churches just take it.

Brilliant organisation with everything running so smoothly.

Thank you Nicola

Linyanti and the Okavango Delta

Hi Clare
I would like to thank you for organising such a wonderful safari. It was perfect, locations, camps and guides, it was absolutely terrific and the 3 of us loved every minute of it.

Very best wishes and thank you again. This adventure will take some beating!

Regards
Adrienne, Conrad and Andrew

Our trip to Tanzania was incredible

Our trip to Tanzania was incredible and I have a lifetime of wonderful memories so thank you for organising and preparing us so well – I will come back to you again to organise my future adventures and have and will recommend Gane and Marshall to anyone that will listen to me. The AWC team was brilliant from the moment we met them they were full of energy, information, humour and kindness. I can say that every day was full of a lot of laughter and banter which is what you need to get you to the top of Kili. The equipment was great and what can I say about the food – we had a beef curry and chips at 4500m! Our head guide was Joshua and I would like it if you pass on a special mention to AWC about him – what an asset to them. Joshua kept us motivated, informed and strong when the going got a bit tough. On the final climb to the top I felt like we were in first class whilst other groups were in economy. I will never forget the songs welcoming us into camp at night and the welcome warm water provided after a long day trekking.

We then went on safari and Chem Chem was a true find. I have never stayed in such luxury before and the remoteness and quietness of the camp is breathtaking. I didn’t realize that at Chem Chem the owners have, over the years, encouraged the wildlife to live amongst the camp so there are lions, zebra, giraffe etc. right outside where you sleep. We were able to go on a walking safari with a local guide (who was unarmed) which whilst a little scary proved again to be a memory to keep forever.

If I can offer any recommendations for Gane and Marshall then please let me know. You organised a wonderful trip for Beck and I, one we will tell our grandchildren about.

Best regards

Kate

Kilimanjaro in support of the Lewis Moody Foundation

On 14 July, a team of 10 climbers successfully summitted Kilimanjaro in support of the Lewis Moody Foundation. They climbed via the unique North Face route, and returned with very positive memories of a tough but incredibly rewarding climb. Here are some of their comments:

From Annie: “Summit day, as you said, was brutal! …it definitely pushed us all that day and we were very proud to have made it. The guides were wonderful, I can not fault them, Saimon was the perfect lead guide, calm, reassuring, meticulous in his care and making sure we were all well enough to continue etc… he ran a slick operation overseeing 44 people with ease. We were all very impressed …Thank you for an amazing opportunity, I have never harboured a need to climb a mountain, but I wouldn’t change it for the world now! It really was breath taking and I have memories that I will treasure for a lifetime.”

From Matt: "I’ve honestly had the trip of a lifetime. I had high expectations of the trip but it far exceeded them. I would be back there in a second given the chance! Summit day was long and tough but no more than expected and this was part of it. I’d do summit day again tomorrow as well given the chance!

"We were lucky to have a very supportive group of travellers who bonded quickly. I was blown away by the scenery and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge it provided. It has only made me keener to do something like this again in the future!"

You can find a selection of photos from the group as well as more detail about the Lewis Moody Foundation and their fundraising goals on our blog.

Botswana Mobile Camping Safari

Hi Clare

Our trip was wonderful and we enjoyed every minute of it!!!!!

Cape Town - great accommodations in a beautiful setting - we really enjoyed the V&A waterfront - lots of delicious seafood - both the Cape tour and the wine tour were excellent - we had the same guide for both and we learned a lot about the history and politics of South Africa and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  Cape Town was a good chance for us to rest a bit after our long air travel.

The safari was brilliant - it far exceeded our expectations - the accommodations were great - tenting is the way to go on safari - makes you feel part of the natural environment - and lots of interesting sounds at night!  We had great food and very friendly staff at each of our camps - We can't say enough about our guide Jakes - he was wonderful - he had extensive knowledge about all the wildlife and willingly shared that with us - and he was super at locating the wildlife too - we saw elephant, lion, leopard, hippo, giraffe, wildebeest, wild dogs, jackal. buffalo, kudu, impala, baboon, monkey,  zebra, ostrich, warthog, African fish eagle, etc.  Jakes was one of the highlights of our trip!

Victoria Falls - another highlight - and the Elephant Camp was a luxurious way to end our trip! All of our flights and connections went without a hitch (thank goodness!).

I was worried that my wife might not enjoy the trip as much as me but she really got into it and became quite a good game spotter!  My only concern now is that we have set the bar very high and it may be tough for any future trips to measure up.

Thanks Clare for all your work on our behalf.  And thanks to all the people who took such good care of us - they were all so good and so friendly.

Cheers
Rich

Serengeti Honeymoon

Morning Clare and Jeremy

Just a quick note to say a massive thank you for organising the most amazing honeymoon!  We truly loved every part of it and had such a special time.  The safari experience was brilliant and we were lucky to catch the migration which was incredible.  All the connections worked well and the guides were excellent.  We could easily have stayed at Fundu for another week!

Thanks again and yes we even had sun on our wedding day!

Best regards

Tim

Tim and Clare also left the following comments on their feedback form:

Clare was very helpful and responsive in ensuring we had the most bespoke trip

What were the highlights?
Too many to mention!  The migration, the Crater, the guides and staff (all great), the food, wildlife, transfers which all worked very smoothly, Fundu Lagoon (we could have spent another week there!).

Do you have anything else you would like to add? Perhaps a particular element of your trip deserves a special mention, if so we would love to know about it!
Lamai Nomad was particularly special!  Amazing setting, brilliant guides, saw incredible wildlfe, stunning rooms, very tasty food and Mark was extremely friendly and welcoming.

Family safari in northern Tanzania

Hi Sarah,
We have had an amazing time! So many highlights and everything worked really well. We all agreed that we think it exceeded expectations! Thank you for putting together such a fabulous trip.

I’m happy for you to call me anytime for the “ lowdown”!

Amy (aged 20) and Sofia (aged 9) have filmed things for a vlog that they are editing  to upload online so I can’t wait to see that in addition to all of our photos.

Best wishes
Sam

Note from G&M: You can find links to Amy and Sofia's fantastic vlogs of their safari on our blog.

Shut off from civilisation in the Okavango

Hi Sarah,

We had a superb time. Seeing all the wildlife was an amazing experience. Also the landscape and the state of being shut off from civilization and phone service was great. It really made me use and feel all of my senses all the more again.

The local team did a fabulous job and everything was perfectly lined out and organized. It seemed like they are amongst the best of the Safari tour operators.

Personally my highlight was having had the chance to see a leopard in nature, even though it was a short interaction. The special events, which is the interaction with the San people and the Mokoro people in the Okavango, have been a unique experience to me.

Thank you once again for managing everything in advance!

Best regards,
David

Kilimanjaro & Zanzibar

Dear Clare, Jeremy and Mike
I just wanted to let you know how wonderful the holiday was and especially the Kilimanjaro team. Simon was utterly dependable and kind. All of the guides had something different to bring and getting to know them a little was a joy.

I loved almost every minute of the trek (altitude sickness got me on day 3!) The route was varied and always fascinating. Highlights were Barranco wall, the sound of the camp in the morning with all the laughing and singing and the mountain itself.

Hope all is well and you are still basking in the sun in France.

Kind regards
Rebecca

Sakura season in Japan

Hello Clare and Michael.
We have just completed our wonderful holiday in Japan. We enjoyed every part of the itinerary and would not have missed any of it - the ryokan hotels, Takayama, the walk in the Kiso Valley, Hiroshima, Miyajima, and the beautiful cherry blossom along the canals of Kyoto.

The hotels were very good and the locations near to the rail stations made luggage transfer easy. We particularly enjoyed the ryokan experience!

The rail travel around Japan was easy and a real pleasure. The Japanese people have to be the most polite on the planet!The only downside is the gruelling journey - we flew via Hong Kong so "door to door" it took over 24 hours to return home.

A wonderful trip. We have travelled extensively in Asia and this is one of our favourites.

Regards. Peter and Avis

Tanzania in March

Seena travelled with her friend Anne to Tanzania on a private safari in March. She returned with very positive feedback, leaving the following comments on her feedback form:

Were your holiday arrangements handled efficiently?
Clare was extremely helpful, after just a few minutes she understood exactly what we were looking for and we ended up going with the first trip recommended to us. Her knowledge of the countries really helped us decide on a plan for our trip.

Overall, how would you rate the accommodation/guides/transport/meals?
The trip exceeded our expectations, this was especially due to an extremely knowledgeable and friendly guide who really tailored the trip based on our interests. We were expecting mid range accommodation and found all the hotels to be quite luxurious, in particular the final hotel which was beautiful.

What were the highlights?
Excellent game viewing, we saw a lot of baby animals so we're pleased with the time of year we planned the trip for.

Do you have anything else you would like to add? Perhaps a particular element of your trip deserves a special mention, if so we would love to know about it!
Excellent trip all round, will definitely be in touch if we plan another holiday to Africa.

Uganda safari

Uganda to most people conjures up an image of gorilla trekking, but Uganda is so much more than just gorillas which is why it is a pity that the majority of tourists fly in for the gorillas and then spend the rest of their trip in either Kenya or Tanzania. When I first started to look at the possibility of seeing the gorillas I soon realised what a wealth of sights and experiences the country offered. Clare at Gane and Marshall came up with an excellent itinerary, including trips to the Mabamba Swamp for the Shoebills and Jinja to see the source of the Nile.

Our guide/driver Osman was very competent and we thoroughly enjoyed his company.

A really wonderful trip which has opened my eyes to the real Africa more than any other trip I have done before.

Love and Best Wishes,

Viv

Tailor-made Holiday to Myanmar

Hi Clare,
Just to say we had a really amazing holiday, thank you for arranging it.

All the guides and drivers were efficient, kind and helpful. Always punctual. Greeting us at airports, sometimes after a long wait,usually smiling from ear to ear.

The holiday was mainly successful because of them but also because the hotels, probably the best in each place, were very good and in amazing locations.

Thank you for your care and attention.

Best wishes from us both.
Clive and Gill

Botswana Safari

Dear Clare, we have been back a week and thought we would say the Safari surpassed all our expectations. We are enthusing everyone with our tales. Our Guide, Cook and the French interpreter, Kione, Life and Chienza were fantastic. A real life experience.

Attached a couple of photos. 3000+ to choose from!!

Many Thanks for your help.
Ken and Jenny

Trekking in the Annapurna Himalaya

Following our previous successful and memorable treks to Annapurna Base Camp and Everest Base Camp with Gane & Marshall (and Ker & Downey within Nepal) we decided to do another trek but this time at a lower altitude.  We again chose to go with Gane & Marshall as they offer such superb support and service.  The trek we chose was to Poon Hill at 3200m and was largely based in the excellent Ker & Downey lodges with 3 nights in really good Tea Houses.  The lodges are very comfortable and equate with many equivalents around the globe in terms of service and meals.  The trek was spread over 8 days comprising 6 days of walking between 3 and 6 hours and 2 half days.  Although at a lower altitude the trekking was still very demanding with few flat sections.  As we trekked in March/April we were able to walk through stunning rhodedendron forests in full flower.  And when we say forests we mean forests,  the rhodendrons are huge.  At Poon Hill we took an early morning trek to watch the sun rise reflecting on and illuminating the Himalayas.

After the trek we spent a couple of nights at the excellent Temple Tree Hotel in Pokhara,  a lovely town with a bohemian atmosphere and a pretty lake on which we took one of the many boat rides available.  We then set off for 2 days of rafting (about 3 hours per day on the water) down the Seti River on our way to Chitwan.  We were initially nervous about this but had no need to be.  It was very safe and the seven or eight class 2 rapids we went through were great fun, steered through by our extremely competent captain.  We stayed overnight at the Seti River Camp,  a great, fully serviced, tented lodge camp.

In Chitwan we stayed at the Kasara resort.  The complex was first class, great rooms,  swimming pool,  restaurant, bar and evening entertainment by local villagers.  We had 2.5 days of activity including a jeep safari,  canoe trip and walking safaris with extremely knowledgable game wardens.  Whilst we didn’t get to see a tiger we saw plenty of other game and bird life including a couple of close encounters with rhinoceros.

Back in Kathmandu we stayed at the stunning Dwarikas Hotel constructed over many years using original materials from old buildings being demolished in towns and villages around Kathmandu.  We couldn’t recommend it more highly.  Whilst in Kathmandu we couldn’t resist another visit to one of our favourite places there,  The Garden of Dreams, a place of tranquility amid the chaos of Kathmandu!

Our thanks once again for a great holiday to Gane & Marshall.

Wildlife adventure in Madagascar

Hello Sarah,
Our trip was wonderful.  The hotels you chose for us were really wonderful and in charming locations.  Dani and I both mentioned that the location for these were amazing and how does someone envision the lodge in the at location but were so glad that they had.  The national parks were very well run and the guides we had were knowledgeable and very pleasant.

Our driver and guide, Nore, was really wonderful.  He was very friendly without being pushy.  He really took care of us and made sure we were safe and comfortable without being condescending.  He was lovely!!

For me, the trip was perfect.  Dani had some issues with food since she was vegetarian and a couple of the lodges weren't really prepared for that so she ended up with rice and potatoes a lot.

Thank you again for the fabulous trip.  I loved the lemurs and the other wildlife we got to see.  The people we met were friendly and I am in love with the country now.

Sandy

Botswana Small Group Safari

Jonathan travelled with us to Botswana on a small group safari. He returned with very positive feedback, leaving the following comments on his feedback form:

Were your holiday arrangements handled efficiently?
Very helpful and prompt responses from Clare.

Overall, how would you rate your guides?
I am somewhat picky about scoring guides as I am one myself. The standard was very high.

What were the highlights?
The bush flights, seeing Elephants every day, seeing Lions really close up. All the bird species (all 205 of them!) The landscape, the guests, the staff. Just being in the bush away from all man-made sound (except from the camp) was amazing.

Just superb. So many great memories and lovely and interesting people met.

Do you have anything else you would like to add? Perhaps a particular element of your trip deserves a special mention, if so we would love to know about it!
The trip all worked very smoothly and was over too soon. The Khwai camp was my favourite and all the staff were great, especially the managers Mike and Beauty.

Family safari to Laikipia and the Masai Mara

Eileen and her family travelled with us to Kenya, spending time in Laikipia, the Masai Mara, and Diani. She left the following comments when completing her feedback form:

Clare listened to my requirements and met them fully with the itinerary.

What were the highlights?
Seeing Lily's face when we saw all the different animals, she could not believe how close we could get or how many (1.7+ million) wildebeests there were! Each day's game drive. Drinks and dinner with the other guests discussing the days sightings.

Do you have anything else you would like to add? Perhaps a particular element of your trip deserves a special mention, if so we would love to know about it! -
Visiting, up close, the last 2 remaining Northern White rhinos.

The view from Uhuru

Julie and husband Peter joined one of our Kilimanjaro open groups, both successfully reaching the summit! Julie provided the following comments about their experience on her feedback form:

Jeremy's extensive knowledge of Kilimanjaro considerably helped when preparing for the climb.

On the equipment, meals and service:
Top quality tents, sleeping bags and jackets (which we hired). Food was plentiful and of a good variety. Hat's off to "the stomach engineer" who produced fantastic food at altitude!

What were the highlights?
Summitting!  All of our group made it to the top - surreal experience.  Shira Cathedral and the views from above (completely clear day, we were lucky with the weather).   Our guides Florence, Edward and David (Beckham!!) absolutely made our trip, along with all the porters and helping porters.  What a lovely crew, the African Walking Company are quite "simply the best".

Do you have anything else you would like to add? Perhaps a particular element of your trip deserves a special mention, if so we would love to know about it!
I personally found Barranco Wall quite challenging but I had a 1-2-1 guide with me.   The view from Uhuru Point, simply stunning.  A great camaraderie with our group, we were very lucky with both company and the weather, throughout our trek. I would definitely recommend Gane and Marshall to anyone I know who is considering Kilimanjaro.  Thank you so much for such a great trip!

Outstanding safari to Botswana

Hi Sarah,

Yes we are in Mauritius in the excellent Le Tousserok and fly to England on Sunday, then back up to our home on Wirral, Tuesday.

We had and outstanding time in Africa, thank you.

Very different accommodations and experiences. Your agents gave outstanding service and we felt very special and comfortable in some really exposed places. Air Botswana was the only fly in the ointment.

Best regards,
Brian

Reaching the top of africa

Karine climbed Kilimanjaro with us in February, and on her return provided the following comments on her feedback form:

Great communication, available, understanding and reassuring when needed.

Awesome food, tour guides were amazing, great experience

Highlights: Reaching the top of africa with no pain and all the landscapes during the trip

Sossusvlei, Damaraland and Etosha

Charles and Wendy travelled to Namibia on a self-drive holiday and returned with the following feedback:

Sarah was extremely helpful over a protracted period from November when we first contacted her to date of departure on 30 September.

Holiday Highlights: Trip to Soussevlei, remoteness of Etendekka but there were so many special elements it is unfair to highlight one against the other. The country is beautiful, with the desert and mountains. Hoodia, Mushara and Okonjima were all exceptional and we were exceptionally well looked after. We really enjoyed the Quadbiking!

Special Mention: To me it was the ability to do it under our own steam and the polite and helpful service from the guides and the staff in the lodges. Everyone had time for us whether it was in a bank or a restaurant and that is very humbling.

Madagascar Honeymoon

Hi Sarah,

Everything was brilliant all the way through from the wedding to Paris and Madagascar. Nic loved the destination and we had an amazing time creating many many memories. Thank you so much for putting everything together, it all worked so well.

Best wishes,

Gareth

Gareth and Nicola further commented on their feedback form:

Very well informed and organised, made the difference over other operators. We had an amazing time and will recommend it to others.

Southern India Highlights

Sarah

We have returned and I have to say that we absolutely loved India!  Thanks so much for all of the help and in normal G&M style everything ran very smoothly over there; all of the drivers and guides were excellent and looked after us very well and the hotels were all very good.

To top it all off we did get to see a tiger and even had the bonus of seeing a 1 month old one horned rhino calf as well as an angry elephant that had upset a local village a few days earlier.

We should now be sensible regarding holidays as we are meant to be moving next year but don't be surprised if we are back in contact soon! Lastly, thanks again for all of your help during the whole process and ensuing that we had a great holiday.

Cheers
Simon

Amazing safari in Kenya

Hi Sarah

The holiday was absolutely amazing, we loved every minute of it. We cannot believe how fortunate we were to see all of the wildlife that we did see. A leopard, 20 minutes in to our first game drive, lions (roaring), cheetah (with cubs), elephants, giraffes, zebra, rhino, hippos (outside our room), buffalo, wildebeest, and lots more. It certainly was a fantastic experience and one we will always remember.

The B A flights were great and the arrangements in Kenya were all handled efficiently.

As you know, we had a lot of concerns about this holiday, but honestly we wouldn't hesitate in going again.

Thank you once again for organizing this trip for us and for all the helpful and reassuring advice that you provided.

Looking forward to our next safari, whenever that will be, but there will be another one!!

Best wishes.

Susan

(Note from G&M: The beautiful leopard photo attached with this feedback was taken by Susan in the Maasai Mara)

Conservation Safari in South Africa

Just back at Heathrow, I feel that I have squeezed 6 months of experiences into three weeks. Mind blowing and very very helpful, impressive, have learned so much thanks for all your help.

Getting practically involved with conservation made the experience much richer.

Happy to discuss Gondwana specifically and a bit of feedback on Jo'burg airport for unwary Brits arriving for the first time ... happy Xmas, Andrew

Sent from my iPhone

Loisaba Safari (Kenya)

Hi Sarah,

I was meaning to email you personally to say thank you. The whole trip went wonderfully and we would definitely recommend Loisaba, although probably not somewhere to go for a first experience of the bush as the game is nothing like as dense as in other parks like the Mara. This did mean however that there was a lot more focus on the smaller fauna (when there is a pride of Lions around every corner you don’t tend to spend much time looking at the birds!) The staff at both camps were great and our guide very good. The house of Waine looked after us brilliantly, I just hope Debby won’t expect the same every valentines day!

Thanks again, we will definitely be in touch when we are planning our next trip.

Kind regards,

Mike

Botswana & South Africa Mobile Camping Safari

Hi Sarah,

I hope you're well. Yes I'm back and very sad to be back to reality again! The trip was amazing, South Africa was great fun and then my trip in Botswana was absolutely incredible, everything from the people to the food was perfect. And seeing the animals was a dream come true! I loved the camping and the way the trip was run. So many thanks for all your help setting it up!

I'll definitely get in touch again when I'm planning my next safari.

Katy

Amazing India

Hi Sarah

I have just completed the form that was sent out for feedback – and wanted to drop you a line personally too.

We had the MOST AMAZING TRIP! It was full on as we packed so much in but I really loved it. It was made so much better by our guides and the amazing drivers. The drivers in particular really made the trip by being proper gentlemen and looking after us, and sharing stories of their family and lives in India.

8th bastion was amazing. Agra was an obvious highlight, and for me the difference between Varanasi and Fort Kochi was so dramatic - I loved being in such lush surroundings of Kochi after the dryness of the north.

We really did enjoy our trip and I am gutted to be home already! I would highly recommend your services to friends and family and will certainly consider coming to you again in the future

Thanks again
Sam

Namibia self-drive holiday

Hi Sarah

I can’t believe we’ve been back for just over a week now, and we are slowly getting back to normality, so thought I should give you some feedback before we forget it all!

The whole trip was fantastic and amazing, Namibia is the most spectacular place with constant changes in the landscape and extremes of nature and a raw beauty that is hard to describe.  We were totally exhausted from the travelling but know that without covering the 4000km that we did, we would not have been able to get a grip on the country as a whole.

The itinerary was designed to please all 4 in the party, so there was a little bit of everything - accommodation was very varied, each lodge being very individual and characterful.  The route, planned and worked out between us, with your expert advice and feedback from the ground agents, proved to be a good one.

We encountered the rains as we drove north which was fun as the roads had been washed out in places! The rain had changed the landscape dramatically and Etosha was surprisingly green with the pan full of water - it was lovely to watch the jubilation of the locals as their land was greening up, and the rivers flowed for the first time in 4 years (we managed to do a river crossing in our 4x4 too!)

I would not have done this trip without a 4x4 - the safety and comfort factor was paramount to our peace of mind.

Even though Jane and I grew up in Africa and we have all travelled extensively, we were struck by Namibia’s strange and unique beauty, the lovely people and the energy and enthusiasm we encountered during our entire trip.  The roads, although mostly gravel, were on the whole in good condition (for Africa!) with graders working tirelessly to keep them so against all the odds, we didn’t feel at all threatened at any time and enjoyed the friendly welcome by everyone.

If we were pressed to choose our favourite places, David and I loved Damaraland (and Grooteberg Lodge) and Erongo (and Erongo Wilderness Lodge) best of all.  One of our highlights was definitely our 2 day walk and overnight stay at Red Dunes Lodge (we were sorry that this was our first stop as it would have been a lovely halfway respite from the constant moving on).

Okaukuejo was probably the most disappointing lodge - they have wonderful ingredients, it’s all there but it’s clear the management is slack and the staff unhappy and not enjoying the work.  Maybe the manager was on holiday?  Having said that, the housekeeping in the chalets was good and they were very clean - the cleaning staff clearly proud of their work, but the restaurant staff were rude, lounging around the guest areas when off duty, and clearly not respectful of their visitors. There was no fuel at Oakukuejo or Halali and there are no longer any ATM machines in the entire park.

David and I feel we didn’t spend enough time at any of our stops and will definitely plan a return trip to do our favourite areas in more detail.  I still have a hankering to camp!!

It would be good to have a chat with you and give you a bit more detailed feedback on some of our thoughts, if you fancy giving us a call when you have a free moment.

Thank you Sarah, very much, for arranging such a great trip for us!

Best
Rosie and David

Deserts and Mountains of Oman

Good evening Michael,

Quick note to say I've returned from Oman and have had a brilliant time! The mountains and desert were breathtaking. The Omani people were delightful, so kind and welcoming.

Sulaiman my guide was excellent. We easily covered the itinerary and so much more. He was determined that I should see and experience as much as possible. He was incredibly knowledgeable (clearly hugely passionate about his country), professional and kind. I felt completely safe at all times.

The Misfah Old House and Safari Desert Camp were great......very luxurious for me! My usual travelling digs are far less glamorous I can assure you!

On our first night at the Safari Desert Camp, there was only one other family staying there. I cannot tell you how fabulous that was! It sounds strange but I like solitude when I'm travelling.

I know you must become fed up with enthusiastic clients sending you their holiday snap shots but I shall attach just a few! Jeremy may be interested to see if Sulaiman has changed much over the years! Sulaiman remembers guiding him a number of years ago.

Best wishes, Annette.

History, culture and festivals in Ethiopia

Mr Daniell spent 3 weeks exploring Ethiopia on a private guided tour in January, his travels in the country coinciding with the Timket festivities (depicted below in a photo taken by Mr Daniell during the festivities in Tigray region). He left the following kind reference:

Jeremy Gane, of Gane and Marshall, in conjunction with their local agents, listened carefully to my ideas and added their own. The result was an extremely interesting and well arranged visit. I know how fortunate I am to have been able to travel independently and to have enjoyed the undivided attention of my  very competent young guides who were enthusiastic, forthcoming, resourceful, and patient with my many questions. I was impressed with their deep Christian belief and biblical knowledge, and their justifiable pride in being Ethiopian. The majority of my travels would be amongst the Amharic people in their highlands (am – people and hara – muntain), but I would spend several days southwest of Addis Ababa amongst Oromo people and began to understand their increasing influence.

Tanzania safari

Heather and Mark travelled with us to Tanzania, enjoying a 2 week safari and beach holiday. They left the following comments on their feedback form:

In 40 years of making travel arrangements I have never before been treated with such courtesy and efficiency. Many thanks to Sarah.

The whole experience was so wonderful we cannot select one particular highlight.

At the Serengeti lodge our party of 5 received a special bush dinner with a private barbecue, musicians, dancers and champagne. It was just amazing.

A brilliant Kilimanjaro climb

Wow thanks guys what an amazing trip we had.

Jack and I suffered no altitude problems never losing our appetite for that lovely food!

The company was fab and the guides we had were just brilliant. Simon, Bertram, Olaf, Serefin, Francis, & Wilfred.

Kind regards,
Hen & Jack

Northern and Southern Tanzania Safari

Dear Clare,

Writing to you was on my to do list! Thank you so much for a wonderful holiday.

Ruaha was the highlight of Tanzania - I'm so glad I went. I only did it because of your recommendation. It might now be my favorite place in Africa and I look forward to exploring it and Selous the next time.

I had amazing game viewing in general and found Tanzania an interesting place. I will definitely return.

Best wishes for 2019.

Nandini

Zambia and Botswana Safari

Helen and Archibald travelled with us to Botswana and Zambia in May. They returned with wonderful memories of their safari, and left the following comments on their feedback form:

The whole thing was such a fantastic experience - I'd recommend it to anyone who could afford it!

[The highlights:] All the safari rides - the Okavango probably had the best viewing - the campfires, and the staff in the Kalahari were so special and of course finishing off with a helicopter ride over the Victoria falls and staying in Sindabezi!!

All was a pleasure. Muchenje was perhaps not quite at the same level as the others but they made every effort to make the stay special.

All of the local staff we met were exceptional - knowledgeable, welcoming, kind, great sense of humour - it made the trip!

Tanzania & Zanzibar

Hi Clare. Hope you are well. I just wanted to send a quick email to give you a big thank you for an amazing vacation! We had an incredible time and are already looking at your website for next year!

Thanks again
Maureen

On to the next summit!

Hi Jeremy

Hope you're well

I wanted to let you know that I had an amazing time, loved every minute of it. AWC were brilliant all round and great service. THANK YOU!

Onto the next summit!!

Speak soon

James

A successful Kilimanjaro climb

Hi Jeremy,

Thanks very much, I had a great time. Summit night was really slow, exhausting, and tough. Overall Kili was an amazing experience, though not sure if I'll like to go through it ever again! We'll see...

It was a pleasure to have been looked after by you for my adventure, and it felt really good to make it after having to put off my initial February climb on such short notice, flight delays and etc.. so thank you very much. Not sure when my next trip to Africa will be, but when that happens I'll definitely be in touch once more!

Best regards,
Terence

South Africa self-drive

Hi Sarah

Thanks for the email - we did have an absolutely fantastic holiday, everything went brilliantly and it was very memorable.

Difficult to pick out special highlights as it was so full of them! We loved Victoria Falls (beautiful place we stayed in too in Zambia, really lovely) and the safaris too. We saw a really good range of animals and birds, and the two different safaris were an interesting contrast to each other. The lodges were different too - the one in Botswana had a lovely family feel and all of the staff made you feel very much at home. Food was excellent too. A long way to get to the animals, but good when you got there.

The Arathusa lodge had the most beautiful accommodation and really good game drives, on the doorstep so to speak,  but not quite as good an atmosphere and the food was more variable. Some of the evening meals were a bit disappointing.

Drakensberg has been an area I’ve wanted to go to for ages and we weren’t at all disappointed. The weather could have been better - we did have quite a bit of rain - but it didn’t really stop us doing what we wanted to, except for one day. Both the Cavern and Cathedral Peak were brilliant places to stay.

The Battlefield experience was a real highlight, very moving and enhanced by the brilliant guides - especially at Fugitives Drift which is just a wonderful location to stay in. What a thunderstorm we had there too - never ever experienced anything like it. Amazing.

Johannesburg and Cape Town - we really enjoyed both and hotels were super in both places. Could walk from our hotel in Cape town onto Kloof St, lots of restaurants and bars. Staff very helpful and place very comfortable too - same in the Peech. Special word about Jacob our guide in Jo’burg - especially good. Nothing too much trouble and he was so easy to be with, and so interesting. Lovely guy.

In fact, all the guides we had were brilliant throughout.

Special word also about Bushmans Kloof - what a place! We thought we’d died and gone to heaven. Just magical and so luxurious. We put on pounds!! Wonderful guide here too - Martin was just exceptional, altho all staff were fantastic. Lovely way to end the trip.

Just one beef really - both the cars were quite underpowered, though very comfortable. On some of the roads especially in KwaZulu Natal and in/around Kruger, and on way to BKloof, we felt we could have done with a 4x4.

Thank you so much for all of your organisation and help in planning the trip. Really successful and enjoyable. We will definitely go back to Southern Africa at some point in the next few years. .

We’ll certainly recommend Gane& Marshall to friends and will be in touch again if we need help with planning another trip.

Many thanks
Doreen & Mark

Family Holiday to Australia

Sarah,

G'Day!!
We are still trying to catch up and get our bodies back on the time schedule here at home.  The vacation was absolutely incredible!  Everything was well planned and everything was on schedule even our flights.  It couldn’t have gone any better!!

I will rate each day for you so you have an idea what we thought of each event.

Saturday:  A-   RATING  Walked the "Street Market" Downtown and absorbed the culture, Visited the Oprah House, Wine Tasting downtown by the Harbor ate at a local Pub and visited the Darling Harbor at night for fireworks.  We ate at Nick’s, but was disappointed with the service there since all our meals where given to us at different times and my steak was never brought out.  We found out later that the Hotel employee that recommended Nick’s should not have recommended. 
Sunday:  A+ RATING  Chris was a excellent tour guide for the city and outside the city and took us to all the beaches and a very nice restaurant.
Monday: A+ RATING  Collin was a pleasure on the sailing trip and had a lunch that was to die for!  Perfect activity to see the Harbor and sail
Tuesday: A+++ RATING  The Wine Tour was absolutely perfect and my two kids bonded with the guide very well.  He was so easy going and spent up to 7:00 with us.  Just unbelievable!!  He also gave us a once in a lifetime adventure to see and touch wild Kangaroos at my daughters request. 
Wednesday: C Rating  Group tour and was not very eventful.  Would not recommend, the guild for this tour was frustrated from the beginning due to the traffic and having to run around Sidney picking up people.  Also he was not a very polite person in the beginning.  We were at least an hour and a half running around the city picking up then drove another 2 hours to the Southern highlands.  The host was a little better by the end of the trip. We did see one Koala way up in a tree, one Platypus and some Kangaroos.  But most of the time was spent driving and walking through woods.  Lunch was good but nothing special in a average place. I know we added this late so maybe that was the issue.
Thursday:  A+  Rented Car and drove scenic road up to the Blue Mountains and ate at a little place half way in Mt TOMAH.  Went shopping in the little towns when we got there and had dinner
Friday:  A++  Tour of the Blue Mountains  Guide was so knowledgable and taught us so much with out even us knowing.  He gave us options on hiking levels and we ended up going deep into the Rainforest a seeing several waterfalls and hiked about 2.5 hours.  Then took us to many scenic and animal areas in the national forest.  Best day in the mountains 
Saturday: A++  Used the spa and relaxed from our world wind tour of Australia.  We had Dinner at Echos a sister restaurant with the Hotel which had a perfect view and unbelievable service.  It was a perfect ending to the trip.
Sunday    Trip back to Sydney and to airport.

Thank you for everything, you picked the perfect experiences for us.  We spoke to several people there at Sidney that were asking about our trip and recommended your company highly. Thanks again.  Next trip will be Africa in two years.

Joe

Congo Gorilla Safari

Hi Sarah,

Sorry this has taken me so long but I suffer from post holiday blues and back to work blues?? I am currently wishing I was at least in UK or back in Africa – I don’t like the cold!

I hope you enjoyed seeing Sydney again.

Everything was great, we were lucky to have two guides Karl and Adie (Adie was new to the Congo and was being shown the area) who we had for the whole time – they had a vast knowledge and great senses of humour and very understanding on what two old girls could do!!

All 3 lodges were great – very comfortable and clean – great food – amazing in the rainforest and very friendly and helpful staff. They even provided us with Camp uniforms to wear until our luggage arrived.

We had great viewings of the gorillas – once only walked for 35 minutes and the other time we drove for 20 minutes and then walked 600 meters and had pretty good viewing both times. Once in amongst the trees so quite dark and the other a lot in the open next to the road. All the walks were different and we enjoyed walking through the water. We encountered a lot of Tseesee flies on the river but not anywhere else. We just covered up and ignored them. I met Magda – the gorilla researcher who was very interesting and keen to share her stories with me. They took all our luggage to Lango for us by vehicle. The drive back as you said was very long but the bus was very comfortable and we had a great driver.

We were very well looked after and spoilt as we were the only ones in all camps!!

Musekese:
The drive into Musekese Camp from the tarmac road was quite long and probably should be completed in daylight if possible as it is quite rough and windy in places. Musekese itself was great. The 4 tent/ rooms are now fully enclosed with a door and one wall covered with plastic mesh which keeps most insects out – great view out across the dambo from bed. The tents are very well set up and you can ask for hot water at any time for showers.

Both Tyrone and James the owners were there and very happy to share their knowledge and love for Kafue N.P. Our main guide was James who also loves the Kafue N.P and very knowledge. We were able to choose our activities to do and loved the walks and boating trips.

We never had more than 4 people on an activity. The animals are not as plentiful as some other areas but we saw most things and many birds. Beautiful lion sightings. The meals were great and plentiful.

The trip back to Lusaka in the daylight did not seem as long as the one in!

I would highly recommend both of these places to the right people and I think you would enjoy Musekese!

Thanks again for all your help.

Cheers,

Leonie

Koyo Season in Kamikochi

We were so pleased we travelled to Kamikochi in October. The scenery was wonderful and we would highly recommend the experience of staying at the Kamicochi Alpen hotel for the lovely room, wonderful food, warm welcome and charming onsen.

The highlights were many: The beautiful autumn scenery at Kamikochi; Soaking in our own private onsen overlooking a waterfall at our ryokan in the Kisoji valley; The thrill of experiencing a new culture; The extraordinary food; The consideration and hospitality of the Japanese people we met.

Ranthambore and Bandhavgarh

Tom travelled with us to India in March, exploring Ranthambore and Bandhavgarh National Parks. He left the following comments on his feedback form:

The trip could not have been better.  I only ticked the "as you expected" box as I have dealt with Sarah before and her service has always been first class - hence I have been spoilt and have come to expect this same level!

Everything - accommodation, representaives in India, guides - was first class. Your representatives in India were excellent throughout.

Reaching Uhuru Peak

The trip was very well organized and went smoothly. Our G&M group was much better briefed than others.

All credit to the main guide Charles and his team for getting us all to the top. Their attention to detail while acclimatizing and during the summit walk was excellent. They helped every walker in some small way (eg carrying the day back, providing lozenges, helping adjust straps in the cold and dark, etc), and this made the difference in reaching the top. They were cheerful and even managed to sing while summiting!  The porters were also great and amazed us with their carrying ability.

Reaching Uhuru Peak was a major achievement, especially as 4 of the group were over 60, and 1 over 70 years old.  The stomach engineer made a special effort to address my allergies, this was much appreciated.

Could not fault the trip and arrangements in any way, thank you!

Tailor-made Japan

Hi Mike,

Happy New Year to you!

I just wanted to send you a quick email to say that my husband and I had an absolutely fantastic trip to Japan, and we already can not wait to visit Japan again! After Kyoto we arranged to go to Hakone for three days and then back to Tokyo for the New Year so we really felt like we got the full experience!

Both of our guides for our Toyko and Kyoto cycle tour were exceptional.

Thank you very much for arranging such a varied experience and for your patience initially when I was deciding on the details of the trip,

Al the best,
Michelle

Mt Kenya via the Burguret Route

Our regular client Mr Metcalfe trekked the wilderness Burguret Route on Mt Kenya to Point Lenana. Comparatively few trekkers take this little known and remote route!

Good Afternoon Jeremy.
I hope you are well and were successful on the climb of the Matterhorn.

I had a great time in Kenya, really enjoyed the Burguret route to Pt Lenana. The local crew and the guide were fantastic; a great group of lads.

Sent from my iPad

I forgot to mention the Rock House Hotel, unusual and quirky. I enjoyed my nights stay there. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

I also forgot to mention the team nicknamed me ‘papa’ , must be the grey beard!

Enjoy the much needed R&R in France.

Best Wishes
Alan.

Expedition into the Rwenzori Mountains

Hi Mike,

Yes, it was a great adventure and very tough! All the swamp and rain and general damp conditions was the hardest part to endure. However, if it were easy, every Tom, Dick and Harry would be there! We attempted Baker but had to turn back due to storm conditions. It was the right decision, as the weather got worse and worse. We were lucky for Margherita as we got a break and went for it. The hail came down as soon as we had returned to the camp. We climbed Weismann on the return route, and left out Speke. Thinking back, I would like to have tried Baker again followed by the Weismann. The two guides were excellent and I would say two of the most experienced there. At the beginning they separated themselves from us, which is unusual and most likely a part of the old slave-master mentality after colonialism.

The Murchison Falls safari was excellent. Loved every bit of it and we were lucky with the animals, especially the lion pride. Robert, our guide, had an amazing knowledge of plants.

I would like to thank you and your company for organising it all.

Hugh

Kilimanjaro (Lemosho) and Zanzibar

Hi Clare & Jeremy,

Christo and I got back from our trip yesterday and just wanted to let you know we made it to the summit with all our group and had a great time on the mountain and in Zanzibar afterwards. The climb team and especially our guide Makeke were so amazing and the whole operation was fantastic.

Feeling a bit sad to be back and that it’s all over!

Thanks again for all your help with everything!

Best wishes
Jen & Christo

Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar

Hi Jeremy and Clare

Just wanted to let you know that we had a fantastic trip, Kili was amazing and Pongwe Beach Hotel was pure paradise. The food was incredible and we got one of the large family rooms at the end of the beach which was lovely.

I have completed the questionnaire that was sent by email. I will have no hesitation in recommending Gane and Marshall to family and friends and in fact have already done so.

Thought you would be interested to see this by the way: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/the-big-picture/the-big-picture-photography-competition-453/matthew-gardiner-kilimanjaro/

Lehna & Matt

Trek and safari in Uganda

Brilliant organisation and coordination. Saved me a great deal of planning time and provided reassurance that all would work out well in country. No delays. Worked like clockwork.

The highlights? Vegetation zones. Seeing the changes since I was last there. The bog traversing in wellies. The summits. Seeing the chimps in kyambura and hearing their hooting contact calls... Great butterflies. I was a Uganda butterfly collector as a boy and had a great time spotting butterflies on the forest tracks.

Wonderful wildlife and beautiful beaches in Madagascar

Hi Sarah

I had an incredible time. Can’t believe it is all over! Thanks for your help with arranging everything it all went really well.

It’s hard to pick highlights when it was such an incredible country. With the 3 different areas it was like 3 separate trips.

My driver (NoNo) was lovely and Eddy my guide was fantastic, Eddy’s near perfect English made it so much easier to communicate and ask questions, both were really good humoured and made me feel really comfortable despite travelling on my own

My highlight was always going to be the Amber Mountain because I wanted to see the 2nd smallest Chameleon in the world and also a leaf tail gecko, both of which Eddy found for me within 5 mins of being in the park.

Overall it was the most incredible trip and I would love to go back again and see some more of such a massive and diverse country again in the future.

Attached are a handful of the 1500 odd photos I have returned with. Feel free to quote any of the above for the review section of your website

Cheers

Jax

Wild Brazil

Hi Sarah

Had a fantastic time in Brazil! Saw an incredible 6 jaguars while at the houseboat. We were lucky to see a jaguar vs an Anaconda on the last afternoon. Could not fault my time there in any way & the guide Tito was very knowledgeable & accommodating. He even took us piranha fishing after I asked.

Regards,

Vicki

Botswana Family Safari

Sarah,

Now back at work after a wonderful trip. All arrangements worked perfectly and went incredibly smoothly. The only hiccup occurred at the end when we arrived back in Aberdeen but some of our luggage didn’t but even that has now caught up with us.

My daughters managed to take around 3600 photos (the joys of digital cameras) and now have a project to edit them down to a manageable number and to identify all the animals/birds using the book you sent them. I think they have identified over 40 so far.

Many thanks for arranging such a memorable trip for us.

Kind regards
Stephen

Family safari to Tanzania

Hi Jeremy,

Talk about under sell and over deliver! You were very clear that you had selected the itinerary to meet both my wish list but also my budget… I cannot see how you could improve it if we had spent double the amount so it is fair to say you hit both nails smack on the head.

Thank you so much for all your work in putting our trip together; we all absolutely loved it.

Clive

Successful climb to Kilimanjaro's summit

Hi Jeremy

We got home yesterday morning from our Kilimanjaro climb. Both Anna and I successfully reached the summit and we had a wonderful time in Tanzania. Thank-you for all your advice and assistance - the service has been first class. We were also delighted with the African Walking Company, who were very professional, highly organised, ensured we were safe throughout the trip, provided great food and kept our spirits up throughout.

I hope you and your son had a good climb this week

Best wishes

John

Wildlife holiday in Costa Rica

Dear Sarah,

You did a wonderful job of planning and organizing our Costa Rica holiday. Every detail you organized occurred as planned and on time and everything was first class. The Costa Rica company that you had looking after the local details did a very good job. The vehicles used to transport us around were in good condition, had working air conditioning when required and the drivers  - including the boat operator on Lake Arenal - were interested in telling us about their country and answering our questions, showed us animals and birds they spotted - and all spoke quite good English.

We would certainly be happy to recommend you to others who want to visit Costa Rica.

Carl & Mavis

Self-drive holiday in South Africa

Hi Clare,

Just wanted to say a huge thank you for organising such a wonderful holiday. From the start to the finish it exceeded all expectations. Everything ran so smoothly, the hotels were fabulous, car hire was easy and we met many lovely people, particularly staff.

We also had luck on our side, good weather to go up table mountain, plenty of whales in Hermanus, and every animal imaginable on safari (except black rhino). It was Phil that really wanted to visit Rorke's Drift but so glad he did as I loved every moment too.

We knew what we wanted to do but you made it possible and took the worry out of it for us, thankyou.

We will bear you in mind when booking future holidays and most definitely recommend your company to others.

Yours gratefully
Beth and Phil

Okavango and Chobe Family Safari

Clare,

If I was going to rate our Botswana safari I would say A or even possibly A+. We had a grand adventure. We'll never forget it.

The key was our guide, Nelson.  Whatever you are paying him it is not enough.  He was fantastic!  He was very friendly and affable.  He was also extremely knowledgeable.  We asked him thousands of questions and he was able to answer them all.  He was also patient, capable and professional.

If we got stuck in the sand or had a flat tire, we never worried.  We were confident he knew what he was doing and he did.  He really looked out after us and we were grateful to be in such competent hands.

We got tons of great pictures and saw everything we had our hearts set on, including leopards, lions and cubs and my personal favorite, the honey badger.

Only glitch was the transfer at the Kazungula crossing.  The small boat from Zambia made us wait for a hour because he was waiting for some people on the other side, which was kind of a pain in the ass. But that was out of Nelson's hands, and pretty minor.

I would recommend your company without reservation for Botswana travellers.

Thank you also for all your help!

Sending along a couple of pics

John

Safari in the Masai Mara

Dear Sarah,

The trip was really awesome from lion catch to gnus crossing the Mara. Perfect guides, excellent food, perfect organization … formidable!

Thanks a lot!

Best regards,

Geert

Small Group Safari (Tanzania)

Hi Mike

Just wanted to let you know personally that we had a truly memorable trip.  We really enjoyed our safari and were able to see many more animals than expected. The mix of accommodation worked out very well. The lodges were comfortable and the service excellent. The food was great and I had absolutely no problems getting enough veggie food. Also, we were very lucky with the vehicle and the couple we travelled with.

We had a really great time so we would happily recommend you.

Many thanks

Stephen

Bangkok and Ayutthaya

You did a great job in crafting the parts of this trip and all of us were very happy with what we saw and did.

The transition from the Saigon Biking trip was seamless. All transfers went perfectly. Hotels and vans were better than anticipated. Both guides in Thailand were excellent. The Hotel Aetas Lumpini was elegant and in a great location.

My primary reason for visiting Thailand was to go to the death railway at the river Kwai. This was covered by the tour guide thoroughly and at a comfortable pace.

Although the bikes were old, biking through the temple ruins at the old capital of Ayuthaya and the elephant pavilion was a great experience. One the guide books recommended.

William

Wonderful wildlife in Costa Rica

Hi Sarah,

Well, what can I say. The holiday was wonderful. Isabel and I cannot praise the organisation and smooth-running of the itinerary enough. Your agents in Costa Rica were organised, professional, very customer-oriented and extremely keen to please and ensure we had a great time.  We did. When we arrived at Villa Blanca we were the only two people there - quite amazing. Mind you it did rain. Didn't stop us walking and bumping into the odd armadillo and beautiful birds though.

We also are very impressed with you, Sarah, and your organisation. The tour you put together was everything we could have asked for. The accommodation was great, food excellent the people lovely and where do I start with the wildlife opportunities we enjoyed culminating in a fantastic whale watching morning with mother and calves humpback whales being pestered by three males. Wonderful.

The chef at Rancho Naturalista was absolutely amazing he conjured up some amazing vegetarian meals all beautifully presented. But I have to say that all the food was great.

I think the only thing we under-estimated was the humidity and its impact on our laundry!  Cannot ever remember not being able to get my smalls dry.  But small price to pay.  We had such lovely spontaneous wildlife encounters that the lack of 21st century conveniences really were something we easily adapted to.

I'm sure Isabel will be contacting you because we really were extremely impressed with the whole package and shall have no hesitation in using you again.

Thank you so much.

Speak soon,

Felicity

At the summit of Mt Stanley

Evening Jeremy

Greg and I just wanted to extend our gratitude again. We had a most fantastic experience.

The entire trip ran like clockwork and everything exceeded our expectations.

We will be sure to recommend your operation to others in the future.

Sincerely,

Reggie and Greg.

Tailor-made holiday to Madagascar

Hi Sarah,

Susannah and I had a great trip! There were many highlights, but we particularly enjoyed visiting Ankarana Reserve where we visited the tsingy and a bat cave. We also loved our stays at Ankify Lodge and the Lux Grand Gaube in Mauritius--they were both very pleasant hotels.

Thank you so much for all of your help in organizing our trip. We had such a great time!

Best,

Mary

Arctic cruise

Hi Sarah,

it was fabulous - it was wonderful - it rained (a bit) - it was foggy (somewhat more) - it was sunny (A LOT).

As for animals: some whales; some walrusses (this time viewable on land rather than from the Zodiacs); some (very few) polar bears - but I didn't mind since last year's trip was unbelievable in that regard; and millions thousands tens of thousands of birds (on the bird cliff) - which we didn't see last year; some reindeer (in the middle of fog and snow and rain - but that didn't matter a bit).

Glaciers and more glaciers - of which I took way too many photos (if such is possible), but the colours ! oh the colours !

So - yes, it was a wonderful trip - and I don't regret a single penny, cent, kronur spent or the lack of sleep after 3 back-to-back flights on the way over from which I recovered after one night in the Coal Miners' Cabins and was awake in time for the 8:30 departure to Pyramiden.

Those 2 nights on Spitsbergen prior to the cruise were the right decision - since I was able to buy a new camera (I realized something was wrong with mine the day before I left Canada - but hoped I was dreaming !!! :) :) ) - and this one is several generations newer than my old one.

So - in one sentence: i enjoyed the trip - and it wouldn't have gone half as well without you  -because everything worked just the way one hopes it will.

Thanks Sarah !

Monika

Southern African honeymoon

Hi Clare,

Just a quick message from myself and Sarah to say thank you so much for putting together our honeymoon package. Sorry I missed your call - I think we may have actually been getting married in the church when you rang!

Each lodge and guest house we stayed at exceeded our expectations and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend them or the service that Gane & Marshall and yourself offered.

Each accommodation was beautiful and so different from the last, which only served to enhance the wonderful experiences we gained at each step of our journey. The private dinner that the Waterberry Zambezi lodge arranged for us on our lodge decking area to celebrate our honeymoon and the help that Adley house offered to help try and track down our lost camera are two examples of the extra mile that each place went to make our time in Africa so special.

The timings and structure of the honeymoon were perfect and we would really like to thank you for putting together a package which provided us with every aspect which we hoped for. For example, we had an extra day compared to most other guests at Muchenje which allowed us to visit a local school, an experience which will live long in the memory. I would definitely recommend people get the time to do this! Hiring a car was also excellent advice. We never felt threatened or in danger in our car and the South African roads are relatively well maintained. It was great to go from the tranquillity of the Zambezi, to the long but thrilling days on safari, to the city and culture of Cape Town onto the final relaxing stops up to Oodsthoorn through the mountains and back down, along the wonderful beaches of the garden route.

Thanks again for making the trip so memorable

All the best for the future

Dean & Sarah

Thanks again

Rwenzoris, Bwindi, and the Masai Mara

Hi Clare and Mike,

Firstly thank you both so much for putting together such a great trip for us. We loved it and below you will find our detailed feedback. If you would like a testimonial for your website I have put some lines at the end that you may wish to use…

The trek exceeded our expectations in almost every way. It was challenging but not exhausting.  We loved the basic camps set ups and the food was good in the circumstances. We were the only ones on our trek with 2 guides and 7 porters!! We met one other trekker the entire time. So the whole thing felt special and quite adventurous. And to find a trek quite so dramatically beautiful with encounters with wild animals and  no one else on it was extraordinary. We could and should have gone to Margherita, so lesson learnt. However we were both very very cold up the top so better gear would have helped.

We coined the phrase ‘Ugandan Gentle” – the guides would brief us and say tomorrow will be mainly “gentle ups and downs” – A Gentle up in Uganda is about 50 degrees, steep is around 70 degrees! The trails were quite gnarly and scrambly in places which we liked but maybe not for everyone.

No rain and no need for the gumboots which we also left with them.

Speke’s Camp was a highlight though and an absolutely terrific tourism experience where Adrian has found exactly the right balance between feeling quite close to nature and comfort. And having the private driver was great.

Some Small Issues -
The guides – one was great, the other not so – too keen to keep moving all the time, particularly on the last day when he hurried us down and we wanted to dawdle to look at the monkeys.

Gorilla Tracking – yes great, but a very highly managed experience. Being close to the gorillas was super cool but maybe not as moving as I thought it would be because they are clearly  very used to people. So it comes slightly too close to being a wildlife park experience, except it is in the middle of darkest Africa!!!

Testimonial
“Exhilarating, exciting, revelatory yet meticulously planned trip to Uganda and Kenya that we will never forget.”

Thank you both once again for all your work and patience,

Best, Amelia and Jamie

Lovely memories of a holiday to Tanzania

Hi Clare,

Thank you for your email. We most certainly did have an amazing safari - although it seems like ages since we were there!!

Everything went very smoothly and there were absolutely no hiccups at all.  The lodges were really top quality in terms of rooms, service and food.  We really liked the camp too - in fact this was our favourite as we really did feel at home in the tent.  All the places we stayed were beautiful in their own way - I am glad that we stayed in 3 different places as I liked the variety.

The balloon safari was very enjoyable and you could see for miles - on our flight we saw very few animals - but it was great fun and I don't know how they managed to produce an English breakfast in the middle of nowhere.

Our guide was just perfect. The right side of friendly and a great source of bird and animal knowledge!

The game viewing was excellent. We saw so many different creatures and all the ones that you would hope to see - including a black rhino and youngster.  We didn't see the wildebeest crossing the river but we saw a video made by another visitor at the camp.  It showed a young wildebeest being picked off by a croc - it really upset my daughter even though she was fine with lions tucking into a hippo - so I think that missing the crossing and just seeing them gather was ok!  We got to see the rhino whilst near to the river so that was a pretty good alternative!

I asked Elsa what was her favourite part of the trip and she said all of it!

Thank you for organising our trip for us - the itinerary was spot on and we had a lovely time together. We now have lots of lovely memories to chat over and laugh about.

Best wishes
Faye and Elsa

Group trekking expedition in the Saghro Mountains

Hi Jeremy -

The trip was fabulous, and I would say with confidence that everyone loved everything about it.  It became the standing joke that Ibrahim spoke or everything being just 40 minutes away.  Amount of time was generally much longer than stated.  But, we came to appreciate that perhaps Moroccans tell us what we want to hear vs the reality.  Samir seemed more in charge, and we had a hard time differentiating who was the 'main man in charge, who were the guides, etc.  So, when we left the tip, we left it to all three for them to decide how to divide it.  Mohamed was really a gem, too.  The support staff was amazing.  Food was great all along the way.  I think the diversity of the trip was exceptional...going from Marrakesh where the local guide was amazing to the hiking, to the crazy sandstorm, hail, rain, and thunder.  The change of accommodations was excellent, and I think everyone sort of welcomed not walking another long day.

I think some folks sort of tired with all the shopping, but part of being in the heyday of the medina is experiencing all of that it has to offer.  We reneged on the last carpet shop offer.  I probably in retrospect should have really taught folks how to bargain/negotiate for buying.

The drives, although long, were beautiful.  The people were welcoming and helpful always.

We loved that the food and tent crew sang and danced for us under a star filled sky.  It was a highlight.

Two folks needed mule assistance, and it was there in a flash.

Riads were perfect.  Food always beyond good.  In hindsight should have suggested that vegetarian means some protein like eggs or yogurt at each meal.

Transfers were perfectly timed, and the staff did not miss a beat.

Hikes were a little longer and more difficult than what I thought they were going to be.  But, we adjusted.

Near the beginning of the trip, I was not always sure that Samir and Ibrahim were on the same page.  There was some back and forth and perhaps 'jockeying for position' it seemed.  It might just be my perception.

Overall, I could not be more pleased.  There was never a moment when I felt that the team was not there for us. Thank you for presenting a wonderful trip and using an excellent company and team.

Hope this is helpful.  Joe may have some comments to add.

Best always, and again, THANKS!!!

Dick

Family beach holiday (Ras Kutani)

Dear Clare

Thank you for writing. We all adored Ras Kutani. It is just the sort of place that we love. Having been to Fundu Lagoon three times we did not expect Ras Kutani to beat it but in fact on balance we felt that it did. The staff were delightful, the food very good and the bathrooms were far better than Fundu. It felt small and intimate and we loved the beach and the lagoon. All much better than Fundu. The only thing that is better at Fundu is the cocktails and the variety of places where one can dine outside.

We hope to return before long and maybe next time combine Ras Kutani with a trip to Mahale and Greystoke camp on Lake Tanganyika. Will be in touch.

Meantime very many thanks for your help.
James

Wedding in the Serengeti

Jeremy,

All the planning and conversations we had prior to our trip proved to be invaluable, thank you so much for all of your advice and recommendations.

Our trip started with our private safari tour which was indescribable, we are still in awe at the nature and beauty.  The tour, the guides, the hotels, we couldn’t have asked for any more.  The wedding day which we squeezed in mid-tour was incredible overlooking the Serengeti plains. The Serena Serengeti that you recommended made our day very special.  Every other place we stayed following this continued to spoil us on our honeymoon which is thanks to you for informing them.

The Rongai Kilimanjaro tour with the African Walking Company was fabulously slick and well organised and we had a fantastic bunch of fellow trekkers in our group.  The standard of our guides and camp seemed to excel others that we observed along the way.  12 out of 13 people got to the Uhuru summit.  What an experience.

The finale of our honeymoon at Breezes in Zanzibar was a nice way to wind-down.

We have since recommended you to a couple in the UK and will continue to do so.  Your attention to detail and personal touch made the difference.

Thanks for the trip of a lifetime.

Justin & Tracy.

Ethiopia, Rwanda and Kenya

Dear Sarah,

Good to hear from you. We were intending to pass on some feedback…

The trip was fantastic, so we have to thank you +++ for arranging it for us. Most things went very smoothly, and the local companies you had arranged it through were reliable, efficient and helped make the trip such a success!

There were so many highlights. Perhaps chronologically –

1 Rwanda was a most pleasant surprise. Really enjoyed the drive down to the Ngungwe National Park. Did not realise it was such a mountainous, heavily populated country.

All the hills, slopes and lower mountains were covered with terraces and small farming plots. Main roads being done up by the Chinese and are very good.

The Nungwe Forest Lodge was just amazing –modern architecture that made the most of a glorious setting amidst tea plantations , overlooking the rain forest. Vervet monkeys swinging by our balcony, and colobus monkeys in the forest near the main building! Food impressive too. Was a trip highlight, accommodation wise.

The gorilla experience was fantastic, perhaps better than Bwindi, Uganda, as the viewing took place in an open area, the Kwitonda family lazing in the sunshine for us. The arrangements for the trek enabled people to express a desire for an easy or more difficult trek, which was good.

We happened to be there on the day of the Kwita Izina, or“naming ceremony”, for the new gorilla babies born over the year. Huge event and a special experience. Even the president was there! Could recommend this for travellers around the time of year for it. Our guide, from Amber Expeditions, Guillaume, was delightful, efficient and very helpful, and there were no problems. All other accommodation was comfortable and clean.

2-Masai Mara.
We couldn’t recommend the Speke’s Camp highly enough! From our collection on a bush airstrip by Adrian, the owner, to the delivery back by our personal guide Lekopein at the end, we had a wonderful time. The camp itself is small, with ? 5 or so large, and very comfortable tents. They were well set up, flushing loo, hot water on demand, and mosquito proof.

It overlooked a grassy hillock, and our tent was next to a small stream. Quiet and secluded
The décor in the mess tent was safari camp style, with memorabilia and knick knacks from the local cultures. Food was wholesome and generous.

We were the only ones in the camp for our 4 night stay. Which was amazing for us, but hard to understand, as it was such a good set up.

We had our own vehicle and guide for the stay [I think this is the norm, even when they are busier]. The young Masai guide Leko was very switched on with excellent English, and a remarkable wildlife tracker. We saw so much in a short time – the wildebeest migration was all around us, and the vastness of the numbers was  awesome. He found us a family of leopards with two babies that played and romped within easy viewing, on our own, without a plethora of safari vehicles. Also baby cheetahs, lions, warthogs. Also we saw a grazing rhino close up, and some mini wildebeest crossings, with unfortunately a croc attack. And lots more. The sundowners were memorable. The camp was one of the best that we have stayed in during our 5 trips to Africa. Maybe not all the frills, such as infinity pool, or fancy cosmetics. But a wonderful safari experience by dedicated professionals who love what they are doing. Do hope you can recommend it to other travellers!!

3-Ethiopia
Guess you have a lot of clients going there, as I gather it is one of Jeremy’s specialties. Was not sure what to expect, but it surpassed my limited expectations!

We were looked after very well. The itinerary was good, and the guide, Bereket Gebreyes, was again excellent –transport picks ups, local guides, flights, accommodation all worked well.

The Meskel ceremony was an experience indeed and not to be missed. Our guide in Ethiopia was one of the best we have had in our travels in Africa. A 34 yr old guy from Addis, putting up with two nearly geriatric sisters for 19 days… A big ask!! Bereket was very experienced, knowledgeable and passionate about Ethiopia! He was meticulous in looking after us, sensitive to our interests and needs, and very generous with his time and insights into contemporary culture. He even had a great sense of humour.  He ended up feeling more like a friend than a guide, and we felt so spoilt by him, as he did all that he could to ensure we had a great holiday.

Was also impressed that Zab came and met us briefly at our farewell dinner. And gave us a gift of some Ethiopian coffee!

All the transport was good – comfortable, clean and reliable. The drivers deserve a mention. They were careful and safe drivers. As I am inclined to be car sick on winding, mountainous roads, I really appreciated their sensible driving.

So all in all, we have much to thank you for.  For arranging such a memorable holiday again, and doing it with efficiency and patience. We are now back to saving for the next foray into Africa…
Hope you are managing to escape work and have some travels too !

Thanks +++
Carol from perth

Zambia and Malawi Safari

Hi Clare,

Just to say thanks for a brilliant holiday. Your organisation went like clockwork - no problems at all. We were met at Lusaka and Lilongwe airports by a Robin Pope representative which helped considerably. The Malawi Visa fiasco was a non event when we found our names on “the list” and we did not have to pay for a visa.

In Livingstone, we crossed to the Zimbabwe side of the Vic Falls for a spectacular view - and a drink in the Victoria Falls Hotel - the extra paperwork was well worth it. The lodges in Zambia were both very good and we much enjoyed the trip up to Tsika Island. The canoe trip back down the Zambezi was spectacular and we were unexpectedly joined by elephants for lunch. Richard caught the season record catfish - estimated at between 40-45 lbs plus a few good tiger fish.

The lodge in Malawi was spectacular and the staff there were extremely helpful and friendly. The food was also excellent. The game in Majete is spread out over a large area but we did see some of the more unusual animals there - porcupine, genet, civet, sable. We didn’t see a rhinoceros despite a couple of hours in a hide but thats the risk we took. (next time !) We also got on good terms with the bush pilots and had some interesting flights in Malawi when there were just the two of us plus the pilot.

In all a fantastic adventure.

Thanks again
Ed

Wildlife adventure in Brazil

I went to Brazil mainly for the wildlife, which indeed was outstanding, but the wow factor was definitely at the Iguassu Falls.

I have become accustomed to excellence from G & M in my holiday arrangements, but Sarah's knowledge of the area, her attention to detail and her ability to really fit the trip to my individual aspirations is outstanding. Sarah has organised a number of trips of this nature for me now and every one has been perfection. I go on other sorts of holiday  trips, but I would never contemplate going elsewhere for tailor-made wildlife trips.

Gary

Note: The lovely otter trio were photographed by Gary in the Pantanal. You can see more of Gary's photos on our blog.

Quito and the Galapagos

Hi Sarah;

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner.  We have been busy settling into Canadian life, getting the house unpacked, etc.

Sandy and I had a fabulous time in Ecuador and felt the entire trip was incredibly well organised.  Thank you!!  The guides went above and beyond to fit as much as possible into the itinerary, even beyond what was outlined.

The Galapagos, as expected, was spectacular.  The Yacht LaPinta was lovely and the crew was wonderful and friendly.  We felt our time on the boat was a bit short.  Essentially Day 1 and 4 were lost to check in/out and travel... so we really only had 2 solid days and saw 2 islands.  Would have liked to see a bit more, so would definitely recommend minimum of 4 nights versus 3.

The real surprise was Quito and the mainland.  We, like most tourists, went to Ecuador for the Galapagos.  But we found incredible culture, history, landscape, architecture in Quito and the surrounding countryside.  We loved Otavalo market, Hacienda Muleta (although, again, needed more than 1 night).... and lunch at Hacienda Pinsaqui was spectacular.  This was a beautiful hacienda, which I would definitely recommend for one night as it's full of history, architecture, stunning grounds.  In fact, I think it's more beautiful than Muleta (although it doesn't have the range of activities).

Although our family has had a long love affair with Africa, my first trip to South America suggested that there's lots there for us to discover.  I'm looking forward to going back one day with my husband.  Absolutely lovely people, food, country.  I can't say enough about it.

As with all of our Gane and Marshall trips, it was impeccably organised to our tastes and interests.

Thanks so much for another wonderful trip!

As we head into the holiday season, I wish you - and Clare and Jeremy - all the best.

Regards, Linda

Arctic Voyage

Hi Sarah,
It was exactly what we were after. We saw bears doing what they do best - sleeping, hunting, swimming and had a brilliant close encounter with walrus while in the zodiacs. The boat was great, both accommodation wise as well as crew. We didn't really need the large cabin as never really sat around in it. Expedition staff and a gang of fellow travellers made it full of laughs.

Thanks so much for your help in organising it- Jo was very happy
Natasha

A wonderful time in Costa Rica

I had a wonderful time in Costa Rica so BIG THANK YOU for organising this holiday for me! The guides were very good, the transfers and the transport very punctual, clean and traveller-friendly. The hotels were great, the staff most helpful, as were all Costaricans (Ticos) I came across. I couldn't fault it if I tried!

Best wishes,
Jo

Ethiopia - Historic Route & Harar

Hi Sarah

Thanks again for organising our trip, we had a fantastic time. It all went so well, all connections and bookings for hotels and flights were all correct and waiting for us.

We were met by our guide Bereket Araya (Gebreyus). He was fantastic – the best guide we have had in 5 trips to Africa and many guides. He is very efficient and listened to and fine tuned the itinerary to fit with our interests. ie. to fit in more markets. He looked after all our flight checkins and hotels and luggage with nothing being too much trouble. He is very knowledgeable and able to engage our interest in the history and culture of Northern Eithiopia. He also made sure that all the local guides and porters looked after us.

Most of the hotels were more than I expected after reading reviews.

We loved Harar. Rowda Guesthouse was so unique it was great. I slept in the honeymoon room? We loved wandering the alleyway of the old town with and without our guides. Feeding Hyenas slightly changed my opinon of them of being dirty and ugly to nearly being cuddly!?

It was very nice of Zab to organise with Bereket to take us to Yod Abyssian Cultural restaurant for our last meal. Great experience. Also Zab gave us a bag of Ethiopian coffee, a nice touch.

Thanks a lot again.

Leonie

Family adventure in New Zealand

G&M stepped in at very short notice and put together a great trip on a very limited budget. We did everything we wanted to do, and more, within our budget. What deserves the biggest mention and thank you is Sarah Williams - her commitment and effort to deliver a great trip for us was exceptional. Prompt replies to every query, good natured approach to our making amendments, comprehensive replies to every query, anticipating what we might need or want; basically taking the whole responsibility from our shoulders and organising a trip for us as if she were doing it for her own family - more than exceptional service! Thank you, Sarah!

Valerie

Zambia safari

We arrived back last Saturday after spending a few days in England at the end of our trip.  All your arrangements worked perfectly, thank you. Our stay at Kafunta was wonderful because we were the only ones there for most of the first three days and for all our time at the Bush camp, which was especially nice. Our guide there, Martin, was really excellent. Huntingdon House was a very pleasant change, like travelling back about fifty years. And our stay at Waterberry was also delightful, with a wonderful evening boat ride on the Zambezi river a highlight almost as memorable as the falls themselves. We were pleasantly surprised to find the weather there was less hot than we expected, and the mosquitoes etc were fewer and less bothersome than expected.  All together a very happy trip!

Now we are gradually easing ourselves back into our less exotic routines.

Thanks again for your efforts to give us a very memorable trip.

Best regards,

Nigel

Southern Tanzania and Zanzibar

Jambo Clare,
Just thought I would let you know how it went - it was superb! The Selous Impala camp was of a much higher standard than I was expecting, we had our own driver, guide, waiter and Masai warrior, the service was unbelievably good and very relaxed, the manager set the tone I believe and he was very “hakuna matata”, food was lovely and camp was idyllic and so was our tent, it was absolutely amazing, we saw loads of animals with babies and had the most fabulous time, the staff were warm, friendly and just lovely.

As for Zanzibar, wow, what a beach, and again fabulous accommodation, every single member of staff was friendly and went above and beyond constantly, the food was delicious (except breakfast, which was a bit boring), tiger prawns, fresh fish, octopus etc and the cocktails were the best ever, all served with warm Zanzibari smiles. Although it was set food, I commented one night I would like to try Zanzibari food and the next evening they had prepared a special meal just for us!

So thank you for arranging a holiday that has provided memories that we will cherish forever.

Assante,
kind regards Elaine

Namibia self-drive holiday

Good Morning Sarah.

It is now a week since my wife and I returned from Namibia following a superb, exciting and absolutely enjoyable trip! In all we drove 2510 miles across some remarkably dramatic topography: listed 221 species of birds,and named thirty one mammals. We did not employ the services of any guides. Prior to our departure we read much about the scenic delights of this South West African nation  -  and still we were astonished by its raw beauty.

My wife and I cannot thank you enough for the first class sevice you provided. I'd describe the itinerary as classic. It had all the ingredients necessary for making every day a new adventure. We were satisfied with all the accommodation and associated service......well apart from the dining arrangements at Okaukeujo Rest Camp which were appalling, though this came as no surprise having read through a number of reports on Trip Advisor.

As Birders, we have travelled overseas many times: six times to South Africa, twice to Australia, Costa Rica, Cuba and Tobago are all recent destinations. Where does Namibia rate for us? Over the years we have had a love affair with self-drive visits to South Africa: it is unlikely that we will return there again. A trip to Namibia is as good as it gets.

If you pressed me to name just one place we stayed at in Namibia that has the most lasting memories for us, it is Desert Camp. Watching the sun rise over the mountains that form a backdrop to the Namib Desert was an experience never forgotten.

I hope you will forgive me for my self indulgence. On a separate email, I have attached four pictures. Take a peep and bin them. We have spoken on the phone on several occasions and now you know the faces of the two people you have helped so much to enjoy what was a special holiday.

Thank you Sarah, very much.

Regards

John and Marion

Kilimanjaro & Pongwe

Carolyn and her party of 5 successfully summitted Kilimanjaro in July, before going on to enjoy a Zanzibar beach break! She returned with the following feedback:

Were your holiday arrangements handled efficiently?
Jeremy's range of knowledge and experience was amazing. He consistently went beyond to ensure that we all had a fantastic time.

How were your guide(s)?
The guides were very good, in particular David. He was very kind and we all felt really safe with him.

What were the highlights?
Boy, it was the most amazing trip, climbing to the top of Africa, relaxing next to the Indian Ocean at Pongwe Beach Hotel and then culture at Stone Town!!!

David, our lead guide, was professional and we all had great faith in him.  Pongwe Beach was just fabulous, the food was super.

Kyoto and Tokyo

Hi Clare

Thanks for your email. Yes we enjoyed our trip to Japan so much so we would like to go back again.

It was good to have the contrast between modern and old Japan but personally I preferred Kyoto. Our guide in Kyoto was excellent and we had a great day with her she was very informative and well organised.  We were also glad that the guide met us at Tokyo airport to help us collect our JR passes and take us to the airport transfer. We were also able to collect our tickets for the seat reservations on the Bullet and Hakone train which we wouldn't have thought to ask for.

The hotels were all very clean and comfortable and in Tokyo and Kyoto were at very convenient locations. The Ryokan was very relaxing and we enjoyed the Onsen experience particularly as it had been a cold day in Hakone.

We left with a very good impression of Japan and the Japanese. Marvellous efficiency but also extremely courteous. A shame that it was all over far too quickly.

Thanks for organising yet another memorable holiday and do let me know if there's anything else you'd like to know

Kind regards

Elizabeth

On the roof of Africa

Hi Jeremy,
We had the best time ever. All 3 parts of the holiday (Kili/Pongwe/Stone town) were exceptional.
Once I sort all the washing, I will arrange to return your belongings, which were also very welcome.

We plan to travel in 2017 to somewhere as fantastic; perhaps South America - Inca/Galapagos.... Is this something you can assist with in the future?

Speak soon and thanks again.

Regards
Kerry

Kilimanjaro (Lemosho8)

David climbed Kilimanjaro with us, successfully summiting via the Lemosho route!

The staff at G&M were just amazing (especially Jeremy). Nothing was too much trouble and would be top of my list to use again for this type of vacation - thank you.

The views and different landscapes whilst climbing Kilimanjaro were just amazing. Constantly changing all week.

A very special safari

Hi Jeremy

I just wanted to say a big thank you for all your help in making our trip to Tanzania very special.

The safari was great with amazing views from the hotels in Ngorongoro and the Serengeti in particular and Stef and Vala really enjoyed Zanzibar. Ari and I made it to the top of Kili ( although summit day was even harder than I expected !) and we were lucky to have a really good group going up with us.

Best wishes
Malcolm

Vietnam and Myanmar

Hi Clare

Just a very brief email to confirm that we had a terrific time in Vietnam and Myanmar. The area is wonderful and the people very special. It was particularly exciting to be in Myanmar at the time of the general election and there was quite some excitement amongst the guides and shop owners about the outcome.

Thank you so much for all the arrangements etc. Everything went like clockwork – why can’t holidays in England and Europe run so smoothly?!

All our guides were very knowledgeable and helpful – we particularly warmed to Hnaung Hnaung Htwe at Inle Lake – if you can feed back to the company about how pleased we were with her in particular that would be great.

The highlight for us was Inle Lake.

The only changes we would recommend would be to not bother with seeing Yangon. I know it’s a necessary location as that is where the international airport is, but our last day in Myanmar was a little wasted, primarily because of the traffic problems. After relaxing at the beach for a few days, it might have been better to pamper ourselves at the Sule Shangri La hotel for a day, rather than sit in traffic for the best part of 6 hours.

That said, it didn’t really distract from what was a holiday of a lifetime for us.

Now on to editing the 6500 photos I took while out there!

All the best

Paul

(A selection of Paul’s fabulous photos can be viewed and are available for purchase at Paul's website: https://www.paulgath.co.uk)

Fabulous experience at Mombo Camp in Botswana

We returned home from Botswana on Wednesday morning - sadly.  It was all perfect and we had a wonderful time.

It was hard to leave to return to reality!

We felt very lucky to have two of the guides (Moss at Mombo, and Chabba at Jacks) that we had had two years ago. What a great surprise when each was waiting for us upon our arrival at camp!  We were also thrilled to learn we'd been moved from Mombo Camp to Little Mombo (as if anything could be better than Mombo!)  But Little Mombo is truly very special and we had a fantastic time there.  Food, accommodation and staff were all outstanding.  To be fair - food, staff and accommodation at all 3 camps were exceptional!  It really was the special family holiday we'd hoped for.

Thank you for all your attention to the details! For now, I can just dream of our next trip to Africa. 

Best wishes,

Linda

Another successful Kilimanjaro climb!

Hi Jeremy

Kili climbed – success!!! (evidence attached)

Just a note, to thank you very much for putting in place all the arrangements that made my trip such a wonderful experience. African Walking Company provided great support; guides and porters all professional, engaging and supportive throughout – I cannot fault in anyway. This trip was truly momentous – emotional highs and lows along the way; what was really great was that my group of seven got along so well – we certainly supported each other. All seven of us summited!!

Asante sana, Jeremy

Best regards

Ian

Luxury safari in South Africa

Sorry,  but LIFE  has distracted me from writing you sooner.  I still want to give you my thoughts about our wonderful South African Adventure,  and I'll try to be as succinct as I can.

Our connections were are all perfect,  although there was one extra brief flight to Chitwa Chitwa,  not just the flight from Johannesburg.  But it was all fine,  since we were all a bit loopy by then,  anyway.

Chitwa Chitwa  exceeded ALL of our expectations,  in every way.  I could easily return,  if I ever have an extra few $$.  I'm assuming we went there first for a scheduling reason,  rather than it being a preference in design. Personally,  I would have preferred going to Kings Camp first,  then Chitwa,  since how could anything compete with the latter?  Aside from all that,  we totally enjoyed both camps,  but Chitwa had the same feel of luxury that we had at Beho Beho on our trip 8 years ago. Have to say it's fun to feel "spoiled" for a few days. The staff in both places were wonderful,  and between the two camps we saw ALL of the Magnificent Seven,  including several leopards in broad daylight,  as well as the Wild Dogs & White Lions.  We were  very, very lucky.

The other thing that makes Chitwa a standout is its placement on the lake.  The video I have of hippos walking by our deck to enter the water is priceless! The ride to Timbavati was great fun.  We were just glad the van could make it through the sandy roads and 100 degrees. :)

We decided to take the shorter route to Mpumalanga Airport for our flight to Cape Town.  There was a lot of smog/fog on the mountains,  so we decided we'd rather have a shorter drive than worry about making our flight to Cape Town.  Glad we did.  We still saw a wonderful change of scenery,  from the brittle dry environs of Sabi Sands  to a greener,  richer farmland. It was beautiful. That first week was full of so much excitement and discovery with all the creatures we met, it was nice to be able to rest in a van for a few hours as we rode.

So that's my thumbnail of the trip. It was ALL  a wonderful adventure, and I could easily return at the drop of a hat. Thank you, Clare, for your patience as we worked our way through the planning of it all. You designed a perfect itinerary for the four of us,  which isn't easy,  I'm sure,  but we all loved every moment of our time in South Africa and will treasure the photos and video we brought home with us.

Thanks again for everything, Clare.
Our very best to Jeremy.
Kind regards,
Susan

Kilimanjaro Group Climb

Jeffrey left the following comments on his feedback form after climbing Kilimanjaro with us in January:

Jeremy was very good at replying to emails and providing useful information.  He genuinely wanted to make sure our group was prepared and comfortable with the trip before we left.

The camping accommodations and African Walking Company provided better than expected conditions.  They were very organized and professional. The camping gear was not brand new, but was perfectly fine and I would not have wanted to pay more for new equipment anyway.

Our guide, Charles Teete, was fantastic - very professional, friendly, and genuine.  He stood out, but the rest of the support staff from AWC was also great.

Family adventure in Tanzania

We are safely back from our wonderful fortnight in Africa, and we all want to say a big thank you for your impeccable schedule and choices and for ensuring we had such a great time.

We all loved Tarangire River Camp. Super accommodation and wonderful game viewing. Our first night was disturbed by a herd of elephants invading the camp. An incredible experience. After Serengeti, this was our favourite game reserve.

On to Rhotia. This is a beautiful camp in a lovely setting close up with the locals and was the girls favourite camp. I wasn't so sure - the water heating and electricity arrangements were quite poor. But we still enjoyed our stay.

The drives through Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro were fascinating, but there were fewer animals in the crater than we expected. Still good though.

What can you say about Lamai Camp? Absolutely fabulous, the jewel in the crown. Everything about this place was just superb, and the Serengeti was an experience none of us will ever forget. I hope the mouse that stole Patsy's hearing aids is making good use of them. I would love to go back to this camp.

David

Fantastic safari to the Okavango Delta

Clare,

My apologies for the delay in getting back to you regarding out trip. We had a FANTASTIC time! The game viewing was excellent. The guides, trackers, cooks, and other staff were amazing. The air travel was safe, punctual, and efficient. We heard some horror stories from some other guests regarding their travel coordinators and it felt good to know that we experienced no issues whatsoever. In general, the camps were as expected. Lebala, Lagoon, and Kwara have absolutely no internet access, and only Lagoon has a slight cell phone signal from Namibia. Also, they’re now stocking the rooms with shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. The Stanley Lodge at Victoria Falls was over-the-top luxurious, especially given that we were nearly the only guests at the time. Thank you for all of your efforts! I included a couple pictures for you.

Sincerely,

Randall and Sarah

Cleaning the Shores - Special Arctic Cruise

Hi Sarah,

It was a fantastic experience! The pure natural beauty of this region is breath-taking, and we were very lucky with the weather and wildlife sightings. The cleaning of the beaches was an important aspect to me and if anything I could have done more of that.

I had overall a wonderful time and the crew, guides and other passengers were excellent.

Inger

Kilimanjaro climb

I don’t know if I will be able to get it into words how good the whole experience has been, but I will try…

From the moment we confirmed the booking, the entire process and organisation couldn’t have been smoother. Jeremy’s passion, knowledge and experience of Kilimanjaro is second to none that I have experienced, and the information provided prior to the trip was outstanding. This really showed on the mountain, as the others in our open group had booked through other agents and they were all impressed with the amount of information included in the itinerary to the map of Kilimanjaro which we all spent some time looking at after dinner one night!

The African Walking Company were simply fantastic – to climb with the same company as the Comic Relief Group and even with the same guide who took Ben Fogle to the top is a real privilege, and the staff were absolutely fantastic – there isn’t a single thing I would fault about any of them! Mussa, our chief guide and Saidi and Julius, the 2 assistant guides, all brought something different to the dynamic of the group – and all were paramount to the success of the whole group getting to the top. I am sure everyone says the same, but without them I would definitely not have made it – they had really taken the time to get to know us all and work out what would motivate us to the top – given that this was my second attempt to summit, Mussa was never going to let me give up without a fight and constantly encouraged me when I really thought I was close to quitting – I’m getting emotional just writing this!!

Obviously reaching the summit was the main aim, but there were so many achievements along the way and other highlights – Lent Hills, Arrow Glacier and even the Baranco Wall (although I was certain I was dying going over that!) And coming down via the rainforest seeing blue and colobus monkeys was great, especially as the Shira Route misses the rainforest on the way up! Seeing it going down allows you to appreciate it more as you have more time to take it in – it’s a very refreshing sight compared to the continuous dust and stone of the previous 7 days!

I’ve raved about G&M to everyone I have spoken to, and if there were anyone planning to climb I would do all in my power to make sure they booked with you! And I am already planning where I could go next with G&M for 2017 – Vietnam looks great!

Jeremy and the team – my sincerest thanks for everything, I have had the trip of a lifetime and it is so sad to be back, but there’s always another adventure to be planned!!

Catherine

Comfort trekking in Nepal

Phil and Patti travelled to Annapurna Base Camp with us in Oct 2014 and were kind enough to provide a wonderful account of their trip. The itinerary they followed was one of our new Nepal in Comfort programmes, and involved staying in luxury heated lodges and traditional Nepali tea houses, rather than tents. To read Phil and Patti’s full report, click here.

We had been considering a trek to Annapurna Base Camp for a couple of years and when we saw that Gane & Marshall were now offering this trek we decided immediately to do it as we had been on some wonderful trips with Gane & Marshall before. We knew that Gane & Marshall would use the best in-country company and for Nepal we were placed in the excellent hands of Ker & Downey.

We loved everything about Nepal including all the hotels, Kathmandu and Pokhara. But the real highlight was the trek to Annapurna Base Camp itself. Nepal is a stunningly beautiful country with wonderful, friendly people. The trek was really challenging with steep uphill and downhill sections each day.

The trek itself was paced just right for us. We calculated that we walked about 80 miles, averaging 7 miles a day, although they ranged from 4 to 12 miles. There were some heart stopping moments, especially when you are halfway to your destination and see a sign that says 4300 steps still to go and then find that many of the bridges are not much more than a few tree trunks strung across a mountain gorge requiring high wire balancing skills! But we loved every minute of it.

When we reached ABC itself it was covered in snow which made for wonderful views (although of course it was the same snow that caused the disaster the other side of the mountain).  We would thoroughly recommend this particular trek to anyone going to Nepal.  We would particularly like to thank our fantastic team (Ruk the guide and Tika and Lama the porters) who helped make this such a memorable trip.

Phil & Patti

Ana

Hi Clare

I just wanted to say thank you. I really enjoyed very much my time in both the Mara Kicheche camp and in Samburu Saruni.

They are indeed very different. I was very lucky that "the Nino" rains have made everything green and fat (inclusive me). The Kicheche team is very down to earth and they make you feel part of the place... the Saruni team has a totally different approach, they create this special bubble that allows you to live the Samburu experience from a luxury and western platform... totally different approaches, which I enjoyed very much.

Thank you again for coordinating so well every single step of my trip, in a such short notice.

I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a 2016 full of joy and success.

Regards
Ana

Uganda, Rwanda and Cape Town

Hi Sarah,

Got back late on Saturday after 30 hour trip from Cape Town so a little tired!

Trip was amazing.  Your organization was perfect as always.  Many thanks.  Please extend our sincere appreciation to our guide Gerald in Uganda and our guide Arthur and driver Francoise in Rwanda who were all great.

Couple of photos attached and will send several more and summary of our trip toward the end of August when the kids get back (they have some of the cameras with them for the balance of their trip).

Again, many thanks - all went very well.

Best, Tom

Stunning photos from Zambia

This was my first safari trip to Zambia. Arriving at the camp in the late afternoon my immediate response was – wow – what a location. Sarah at Gane and Marshall organised with consummate skill and efficiency, what was a complex safari package, with the emphasis on wildlife photography.

Being a keen amateur experienced wildlife photographer I was hoping to get some decent photos of the wildlife, the landscapes and safari experience. All in all my seven nights at the camp were a totally wonderful experience. The logistical organisation of the camp is spot-on. All the staff are friendly and helpful and the guides in particular are extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife and the various ecosystems. One certainly gets value for money. The morning and evening safaris are always well planned, punctual and truly exciting experiences. An added bonus are the boat safaris which are not always available at other camps. Having superior wildlife knowledge and bush craft skills, the guides were able to get me very close to the animals and birds without disturbing them. Needless to say I was able to get some stunning photos.

The accommodation is spacious, clean and comfortable. Being rather fussy about my food, I have to say that the cuisine was always imaginative fresh and delicious. We even got to try some local food which is always a good sign in Africa. Families, couples and singles are all welcome and well looked after. I was particularly impressed that the camp is part-Zambian owned, managed and run. Patrick and Pippa make a great team.

In summary, I would certainly recommend the Mayukuyuku Bush Camp experience. Gane and Marshall’s experience-based advice was invaluable for deciding on the particularities of the trip and I would certainly book with them again.

Mike

Note from G&M: you can see a selection of Mike's stunning photos on our blog.

Chimp-tracking in Mahale

Eyeball to eyeball a baby chimpanzee and myself. Over five million years separated our evolvement but for now we were two inhabitants of the forest, albeit mine a temporary one, curiously regarding each other.

To arrive at this point he had been carried by his mother protectively cradled in her arms whilst I had trekked for over three hours. Initially sailing in a dhow along part of the Lake Tanganika coastline from our camp Greystoke at the foot of the Mahale mountains. Then a combination of walking, being pushed/pulled by my guide, Mwega, having a fireman's lift and even at one point a piggyback ride in order to get me to the chimps in time before they left the forest to head up into the mountains.

The day before we had trekked for over seven hours, first in the forest and then up a steep mountain slope only to hear them yelling as they crashed through the trees a sort distance away. A troop of colobus monkeys had been spotted and they were off having had enough of their vegetarian diet for the moment and were in a meat eating mood. They chased the monkeys to a steep ravine, far too dangerous for us to follow. With a heavy heart we turned around, retraced our steps down the mountain and thought tomorrow is another day, another chance.

So here I was, success. My guide had helped me achieve my aim having resorted to every means possible to get me here before the chimps moved off to the mountains again.

The baby chimp eyed me casually while sucking on his closely clutched straw, I looked at him in amazement appreciating the moment. Forget the fancy parties I thought, this, a close encounter with our nearest relatives on earth was the best and most memorable way of celebrating my three score years and ten.

Vivienne

Family Safari to Tanzania

Dear Jeremy,

Just a quick message to let you know that we had an incredible time in Tanzania; the entire trip met and often considerably exceeded our expectations. At every stage, your partners in Tanzania went out of their way to make our holiday the adventure we had hoped for. The safari provided us with superb wildlife viewing and we were so well cared for. In particular, our guides made our time in all of the National Parks particularly special; we truly have some memories which will never leave us.

At Mkoma Bay, we were treated like family by Nick (and his family) and recharged our batteries before the journey back to Scotland. We loved our break here and despite the change of ownership, it seems that Nick has captured the same vibe as the previous owner and it's business as usual. Food was excellent and all of the original staff have been retained so the whole operation seems very smooth. Whilst the accommodation is a little...and I stress a little tired and will benefit from some sprucing up...the facilities and location were excellent and very much as described. We would definitely stay there again at the end of another East Africa trip rather than go to Zanzibar

Couldn't be happier and can't wait to share tales of our adventures with everyone.

I'm hoping to put together a retrospective blog of our trip and will send you the link when complete and photos are uploaded to Flickr.

We would also be grateful if you could relay our thanks to Sam. Our guide Edward Wenga was superb. He promised to show us everything except kangaroos...and he did. Dozens and dozens of lions, eating sleeping, mating, climbing trees, playing and hunting and killing a buffalo. He then located 4 leopards, 3 eating a kill up a tree...and it goes on and on and on...we really were blown away. Despite the main body of the migration having moved north, he persevered and we caught the tail end. The thrill of driving through the midst of the melee will never leave us.

Anton our cook and William our Masai also provide a fabulous service and took such good care of us through our time in special camps. Special was really the only word to describe them and it has come as a shock to be back in the city. Indeed, we struggled to get off to sleep last night for lack of bird and animal noises!

Thanks again for the excellent service you provided every step of the way. We will most certainly be recommending Gane & Marshall to all of our friends.

Kind regards

Ray & Family

A wonderful trip in Africa

Hi Clare--

I am so sorry about not getting back to you sooner.  I am STILL trying to get caught up from being behind from my trip to South America in April!!!

I have to say --- it was the most WONDERFUL trip in Africa -- absolutely amazing -- I enjoyed EVERY second.  Your organization, recommendations, advice, planning were all exceptional!!! I particularly loved Sango camp -- our guide Tony and another guide Face were fabulous and the wildlife experiences we had were spectacular!!  I loved the smallness of the camp and the people -- just wonderful!!  The entire trip was beyond my imagination --- I want to go back!!!!!  I LOVED it and can't express how happy I was with the entire experience.  The food was delicious, the service exceptional, the safaris top notch, accomodations spectacular --- everything fabulous!!!

Thank you again!!!!

Mary Ann

Gondwana, South Africa

Clare,

Just a very quick note to say how pleased we were with all the arrangements you made for us on our South African adventure with Linda and Sam.

Lovely selection of hotels. Patrick and I have done many safaris and Gondwana was a perfect complement to previous experiences.

Thank you.

All the best.

Genean

At the Summit of Mount Stanley

We asked Gane and Marshall to organise our climb to the top of Margherita Peak. It was a good decision, not least because they gave us useful advice having recently climbed the peak themselves. There’s nothing more helpful than talking to people who know the realities of trekking and climbing in such a testing environment.  Gane and Marshall also provided us with transport either side of the climb and organised an easy going safari to nearby Queen Elizabeth National Park followed by a visit to one of the gorilla families in Bwindi National Park. I’ve travelled to many places in Africa and there are times when it’s better to use the services of a knowledgeable travel company like Gane and Marshall. That way you can focus on the people, places and experiences rather than the hassle and uncertainty of making your own way.

Note from G&M: some of Mike and Joshua's great photos will be appearing on our Facebook pages.

Madagascar

Francoise travelled with her mother Marguerite to Madagascar in June. She returned with very positive feedback, leaving the following comments on their feedback:

Very helpful consultant who tailor made the trip, bearing in mind I was taking my 82 year old mother to Madagascar!

Your local representative in Tana called Ony was really excellent and extremely helpful.

I would thoroughly recommend that anyone wanting to go to Madagascar should use Gane and Marshall.

Elephant in the Picture

Hi Clare,

Thank you for your email.

We had a fantastic time! People were so polite and friendly. Our driver was really good (Lawrence) and flexible on our requests. We were well looked after (as soon as we arrived from the airport). We've seen the big 5 although the rhino was only from a great distance using binoculars, and lots of other animals. We've managed to get a lot of amazing photos!

In terms of game viewing, we particularly enjoyed Serengeti and Tarangire. Ngorongoro crater has a very nice landscape and very beautiful although we were not so lucky in spotting much of the animals on the day we went there.  The accommodation were all good but we enjoyed the most staying in the River camp and then in the Serena lodge in Serengeti.  I think being able to hear the animals in the evening and early morning or seeing them up close from your room/tent is quite an experience.   In Tanzania, I think we had the best food served in Serengeti Serena lodge and in Arusha Coffee lodge.

Ngorongoro serena lodge, the room was really cold as the heater wasn't really working that well. They tried to fix it but still not enough.  They did give us two hot water bottles the following night which was very thoughtful.  Although, it would have been better if heater was fixed or moved to another room with proper heating.

Hideaway was really nice and the food / service was great in the aqua restaurant.  Excellent facilities (we liked that the kayak, sail is free) and very nice rooms.  We tried the other two restaurants Carnivor and Ishi, but we wouldn't recommend. I think it is overpriced for what you get and guests are better off dining in Aqua restaurant.

Overall, we had a wonderful honeymoon. One of the best holidays we've done. My husband is already thinking of our next safari trip!

Many thanks again for your help and assistance on this trip.

Janet

Note from Gane and Marshall: you can see the super ele photo in high-res on our Facebook pages.

Kilimanjaro Climb

Simon joined one of our small group Kilimanjaro climbs and left us the following comments on his feedback form on his return:

Couldn't have asked for more, always felt like I was the only customer such was the personal service. The information certainly helped in reaching the summit.

One person in our party of 4 requested special meals and these were always supplied.

I was looking forward to the trip but it exceeded my expectations

Highlights were summitting Kilimanjaro, the friendliness of the Guides, and meeting the great people that were climbing with us.

Acclimatising safari and Kilimanjaro

Jeremy,

The trip was amazing!!  Kilimanjaro was harder than I thought it would be.  The group I was put with was so much fun.  Besides me, there was a pharmacist originally from Kenya now living in Oregon who was my tent mate, a woman from Seattle working for the government in Afghanistan, a man originally from California now living in ShangHai, a honeymooning couple from London, two work partners from London on a "boys trip", and two friends from Australia - women of which one was 67!!  We had a snow thunderstorm the third night. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever done, and will probably be the most memorable. My guide, Passian, really helped me on summit day.  I was so fatigued and had no appetite.  He knew I wasn't suffering altitude sickness and continued to push me.  I was the last of our group to summit, but the 5th one off the mountain. The cook "Spider-Man" always had gluten free meals and snacks for me. Truly a wonderful experience.

Thank you so much!!!

Kelly

Family adventure in Oman

Hi Jeremy

Happy New Year!

I've just completed your feedback form, so I also wanted to send a short note of thanks for organising our holiday to Oman which we all thoroughly enjoyed and whilst there was plenty of activities, we arrived in Sweden for Xmas feeling very rested so it was a perfect aperitif - packing for +25 and -10 for when we got to Sweden was a nice challenge to have!

I thought you might find it useful to have a few observations - I don't know how often you organise trips for children but for our two at 5 and 9, we were a bit worried about the length of the flight and the fact they were at night but if we'd have realised that their idea of spending the whole night watching Walt Disney they were less stressed and adjusted to the time difference better than us!

The holiday itself was a really good blend of activities and I am pleased to say there was probably only one or two minor grumpy moments from our two kids which is testament to both the appropriateness of the activities but also largely down to Sulemain (who sends you his very best wishes!) who made Finn 'the leader' which was a perfect way to keep him both going and in check for our walks! Finn sang the '12 days of Xmas' for most of our walks and during our walk around the Grand Canyon next to Jabal Shams a 5 year old singing Xmas songs whilst walking on the small path next to the 1500m shear drops must have seemed somewhat of a paradox for the locals! I'm pleased to say that this walk didn't worry them in the least, but I have to say there were moments when Ingrid and I both were keeping our fingers tightly crossed that Finn didn't run off!

Oman was beautiful and if there weren't so many countries in the world we haven't visited, we'd definitely go back to the coast to see the turtles (and I'd like to take my fishing rod!). Our only observation is that the area around 100 night camps seems to be a playgound for Muscat locals so the camp is beautiful but all night vehicles were heading past for their 'dune bashing' so then fact that your 40 odd kms into the desert didn't feel like you were in the middle of nowhere which is what we'd have preferred! The fact that the King of Sweden and his daughter has stayed there though might have swung it for Ingrid.

I'll get on with my Sunday morning – we’re heading off for a long walk on the South Downs so I'll finish to note that you haven't lost your touch - Oman was as memorable and enjoyable as all of the other holidays you have arranged for us and if you could give us some info on both Africa or Central America we are definitely be interested in booking something for this year after the summer so if there are any good deals around we'd like to hear about them!

If you have any other families or people interest in going to Oman, please feel free to give them our details, we'll gladly provide a reference.

With best wishes

Hugh, Ingrid, Freya and Finn

Ngorongoro and Serengeti Safari

Jeremy,

Just wanted to check in with you.  I'm at my last night at buffalo camp.  I have had a truly amazing time!  My driver, Steven, has been truly spectacular.  He is a very good man, hard worker, has a family, and loves his job.  He has looked out for me the whole trip, has taught me so much about the wildlife, the parks, the Massai tribe, etc.  He also made sure my meals were gluten free.  I noticed our first day on safari that he drove slower than many of the other drivers. At first I thought "why does he go this slow?"  I never said anything to him.  After the first day, I realized we saw just as much, our vehicle wasn't broken down on the side of the road with a flat, or overheated, and I didn't feel like I needed a massage from being bounced all over the place!  He was respectful of me, my comfort, the vehicle, the land, the animals, etc.  I couldn't be more pleased.

Well, to Arusha tomorrow!!  So excited about the climb!  And thank you so much for taking care of the trekking poles.  I'm so sorry to put that on you last minute.

Bye for now and thank you for an amazing trip so far.

Kelly

South Africa family safari report

Dear Clare,

I just wanted to say a big thank you for arranging our South Africa holiday. It was the most wonderful experience. I had pretty high expectations but they were surpassed! Everything worked out very well. You chose just the right places for us to visit and to stay. I just wish that we had been able to stay longer. We particularly enjoyed Cape Town, and finishing up with four days at Simbavati was just right - what a wonderful place that is. But we also enjoyed Plettenberg Bay a lot (Milkwood Manor was lovely), and also our stopover at Oudtshoorn - what an interesting place, I could have spent quite a bit of time there.

The girls absolutely loved it. It is not so easy to travel with and please teenagers, as I'm sure you know, but there were a lot of quiet (and not-so-quiet) "wows" from them. They had a fabulous time. Rosa is doing A-level photography and she took some really good photographs when we were out on safari.

The only bit I would have changed was the overnight at Johannesburg - that hotel was a bit seedy, and also as hot as a furnace for some reason (air conditioning didn't work properly). You may want to reconsider that one for other people!

Everyone was so welcoming and friendly, we had great food, no disasters, beyond forgetting Rosa's iPad at Port Elizabeth airport - I was able to find a courier to collect it and deliver it to us just before we flew home from Johannesburg.

Thank you so much, Clare. It was just lovely.

Best regards

Jane

Tanzania Safari & Beach Holiday

Mr and Mrs Tillotson enjoyed a safari and beach holiday in Tanzania. They returned home with very positive feedback, leaving the following comments on their feedback form.

Were your holiday arrangements handled efficiently?
Jeremy was extremely helpful and his enthusiasm was infectious. He was very patient with us whilst we were trying to decide on our final itinerary. Extremely comprehensive information was provided, in addition to our travel documents.

How would you rate your guide(s)?
Our guide, Francis, was exceptional and we learned so much. He made sure that we had the best experience possible.

What were the highlights?
The sheer variety and number of animals, our guide Francis and the whole safari experience.

We did not really know what to expect from a safari but it was far better than we ever imagined. What an amazing experience!

More than anything I wanted to see cheetahs in the wild and managed to see 6 of them on the first full day of our safari! It was amazing just to see the animals living their lives as nature intended and I felt like we were privileged to share in this experience.

Leopard in a Tree

Hi Clare,

Alyson and I want to thank you for coordinating such a wonderful vacation for us.  We enjoyed it immensely.  All of the arrangements you made and your ground crews were fabulous.  It is difficult to select one particular phase of the trip over another.   The lodgings in all locations were different and wonderful each in their own way.  We enjoyed our safaris the most.  It was incredible to see all the wildlife in the different areas.  We were also very fortunate to arrive as the Migration Crossing had only just begun on the Maya River.  What a wonderous sight.  We were able to see and photo the Big 5.  We have video of a mother cheeta and her two cubs attacking an impala,  12 lions in a pack hunting and taking down a water buffalo, lions mating,  families of elephants at play in a mud hole, and one of the most interesting sightings was  a male leopard in a tree with his kill.   It was indeed an unforgettable experience.  Photos and videos cannot do it justice. 

Our stay at Pongwe Beach was so relaxing and peaceful.. The service there was excellent.  All we could have asked for. 

We did not enjoy our time in Stone Town.. just one place that we could have missed. 

We have attached a picture of a leopard... we were so close to him

Thanks again for your organization and planning.

Phil and Alyson

Eloise and Sam go right to the top on our Kilimanjaro Shira8 route

Hi,

Thank you so much for your email. So sorry for the very late reply I have to admit the I caught the Olympic mania big so everything else important seemed to be sidelined, a poor excuse I know - but it was a FAB games!!! Hope you got to enjoy it and are having a good summer (as sunny and dry as you can get)!

The trip was truly an amazing, unforgettable experience from start to finish. All the guides and porters were so friendly and helpful which really made you feel prepared and looked after every step of the way and most importantly kept us smiling and laughing the whole way up. From the morning tea in the tent to the evening meal you couldn't falter the food, chef, waiter, guides and porters - Sam and I agreed it was 'Glamping' (Glamorous camping!) not just camping. On summit night I was so appreciative of the time the guides took to talk to us before the ascent to make sure we understood what and how things were going to be done, this attention to detail was well reflected when all 10 of us in our group made it to Uhuru Point. All I can say is a massive thank you to the whole team and of course you all at Gane and Marshall for organising and helping it be such a successful, memorable trip and I would 100% recommend you to anyone wishing to climb KILI.

Thank you so much and I speak for both Sam and I when I say you guys couldn't have topped it - AWESOME :)

Kindest Regards,

Eloise

Memories of Kilimanjaro, Safari and Zanzibar

Dear Jeremy

I am sorry I have not responded earlier, I have been working abroad and been extremely busy, which is no excuse really, but I must say thank you.

I writing to say what a wonderful experience, fun and fond memories myself and the team of nurses at the Royal Marsden Hospital had climbing and reaching the top of Kilimanjaro. Words can never explain, what this trip and life time experience meant to me, the group and the people we help with the charity money we raised. This would have never been possible without, your experience, guidance and support, making the whole experience easy down to the smallest details. The porters and mountain guilds were the most kindness individuals I have ever had the pleasure to meet, and we are still in contacted with a few of them, helping with equipment for their studies and education.

The group of nurses all still work for the Royal Marsden hospital, and meet up regularly, Kilimanjaro is still a hot topic of great memoires, fun, and the determination and hard work it was to complete this challenge.

We also booked a holiday and Safari with you, and again you didn’t disappoint us. The Safari, accommodation, transfers, and guides you recommended and organised were out of this world. With the holiday in Zanzibar nearly being as good as climbing Kilimanjaro itself.  Making this one of the favourite holidays of all time, with endless memories making us want to relive this experience and go back.

Thank you once again for making our dreams come true.

Kind Regards

Stephen and Emma

Hottest Classroom Special Schools Group

John, Jeremy, Trystan

Just a quick note to the three of you to say thank you for one of the most memorable expeditions / project I have ever been on.

Without the three of you working so so hard with every detail  over the last 6 months the project would never have happened.

From someone who has planned projects to the ninth degree it was a privilege to be a small cog in a very very well greased wheel

Thank you for working so hard with the project and enabling the rest of us just to turn up with our boots!!!!

Al

Corporate Group Adventure in Arctic Circle

Platina needed an exceptional excursion to an exceptional location to mark its 10th year of successful business activities. Gane and Marshall certainly delivered the goods with a journey that exceeded all our expectations.

The predominant word that comes to everybody's lips when asked what they thought of our company trip to Svalbard is "breath-taking". The location itself is almost other-worldly in its beauty, the activities that were planned for us were superb - stimulating, exciting, unique and just physically-challenging enough to keep us on our toes. From ice-caving to dog-sledding and from igloo-building to riding in the fabulous snow cat out to the glacier, G&M ensured our days were filled with activities that have given everybody at Platina truly unique memories to treasure.

The personal visit and talk from Alan Chambers MBE was riveting and it inspired us all to become intrepid explorers - if only for a few days!

Sarah - our G&M representative - accompanied us throughout the trip and the assistance she provided was impeccable; always helpful, friendly and ready to offer support in every way possible.

Thomas Rottner, Managing Partner at Platina Partners

Undiscovered Cambodia

Dear Clare

Many thanks for your email.

We arrived back a week last Friday to a very cold house but everything is back to normal now we have had the boiler repaired!

The visit to Cambodia went extremely smoothly. We had an excellent guide and brilliantly safe driver. The hotels, with one minor exception, were excellent,-  the only slight issue was the very hot bedroom at Kampong Thom. However, that eventually cooled to enable us to sleep.

Only as our tour unfolded did we realise that we were asking you and your ground supplier for something out of the ordinary. I understand the guide was sent on a reconnaissance visit to, at least, the east of the country prior to our arrival although he did not let this slip out to us! Certainly he and the driver found the tour enjoyable as they appeared to be doing something they did not normally undertake.

Regards,
I.B. & K.B.

A Return to Kilimanjaro

Jeremy
Just a note to say thanks for all your help with organising our recent Kili climb.

I cannot stress enough how good the service provided by Gane and Marshall was.  I particularly liked the personal attention from yourself, it made me and my small group feel very important.

All the arrangements were fine and absolutely ran like clockwork. I would like to thank you personally for the time you have taken to email and speak directly to me - it was most reassuring.

Three of us made it to the top, poor Lalita started with AMS at about 17000 feet and our guide (wonderful man called Florence) had no hesitation in sending her down.
Very disappointed at the top to see the old wooden sign replaced by a new metal and plastic one.

I have sung the praises of Gane and Marshall to all on the trip and will readily recommend you to anyone.

Once again many thanks
Chris McMahon

Meru and Kilimanjaro combo group of 10 climbers all successful

Safely back,and don't know quite how to thank you for the whole experience. Absolutely wonderful, your ears should have been  burning, how often did we say "Jeremy said" and it was always right. We all made both summits, without any major ill effects, Ian struggled off Meru with nasty acute tummy upset, otherwise all fine We were delighted with Tosha, Atilio, John and rest of crew, and Umbwe route was beautiful. Both parcels collected for delivery, and I hope got there safely. We are now hoping for another trip already. Thanks again, for such a carefully constructed  itinerary, truly a trip of a lifetime again in Tanzania. BW, Bron

Hi from Steve
100% success with reaching both summits - no sickness to speak of. However some of us (me, Ian, others) only made it thanks to a lot of help from Tosh &, in particular, Atilio while big John's chanting drove us on

Sent from my iPad
Bronwyn

Maasai Mara in the Green Season

Hi Clare,

Just to let you know that Julie and I had a fanastic time down in the Mara.
Saw 172 big cats,  20 cheetah, 3 leopard, 2 serval and 147 lions.  Took l,300 photos, they will take some sorting out.
Had a fabulous time at the camp with Clea & Conway, she is emailing me to keep me updated on the cats.  Have told them that I will more than likely being going back, probadly in March of next year.  We were so very lucky to see what we did, and we also saw the very elusive black rhino, which was a first for me. When we went to Nairobi Nat Pk, we saw another 14 more of them, they were coming out of the woodwork.
Thank you very much for arranging everything, it all went according to plan, except on the tuesday when the rivers were so swollen with water that we could not get across to get back to the camp, so Risa, Julie and myself had to cross on a wire bridge, whilst pius our maasi driver tried to get the jeep across and got stuck halfway, with the water up pass the windows and he was sitting on the roof.  People came to help, and we ended up spending the night at the Mara Plains Camp, they made us very welcome.The next day, Clea & Conway had to arrange for a plane to come and pick us up and get us back across the river so we could get back to the camp.  It was all good fun.  Had a great time.

Many thanks

Annie

Father and Son at the summit of Kilimanjaro

Jeremy

Just thought I'd drop you a line to let you know how we got on, and to thank you for the superb arrangements.

Everything went according to plan, in fact there wasn't a single hitch, so well done for that! It was a memorable expedition and we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Although the final assault was quite arduous, it made it all the more exhilerating and satisfying when we reached the summit.

The African Walking Company were brilliant, in particular the guides, cooks and porters. The care and attention shown was exemplary.

If you ever need me to speak to prospective clients please don't hesitate to pass on my details, I would be delighted to pass on my recommendation and experience of a successful trip.

Once again, many thanks.

Steve Worthington.

Private Eight Days Lemosho Climb Success

Hi Jeremy,

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say thank you for all your efforts in arranging our trip.  We both had a fantastic time.    Summit night was the toughest thing we have ever done and we still can’t quite believe we made it. We would never have got there had it not been for our Guide (Elly Minja) and assistant Guide (Godfrey) who quietly encouraged us to keep on going.

Elly remembered you from the Comic Relief trip and only had good things to say - you are clearly highly thought of by the guides at AWS.

Arriving at Breezes we felt as if we were on someone else’s holiday.  The hotel was stunning and the staff so nice.  We’re ashamed to admit that, despite our initial intention to visit Stonetown and tour the island, in the end we didn’t actually see anything of Zanzibar as we were so tired following the climb and the hotel was so nice we simply kicked back and spent all our time on the beach.

Thank you for all you assistance in organising the trip - it certainly was a memorable way to celebrate my 40th.  We would have no hesitation in recommending G&M and hope to be back in touch in the future (a safari perhaps?!)

Kind regards

Sacha

Oman Desert Trek

Hi Jeremy

What a great experience “In the Footsteps of Thesiger” proved to be; way beyond my expectations. The whole trip worked from start to finish: organisation and support was first –class, guides professional and helpful, great fellow travelling companions, stunning scenery and local experiences of Oman. This tripped challenged me: was trekking through the desert for 5 days going to be too much? No, I succeeded. By walking, camel and truck, we covered 105km.

Thank you so much for co-ordinating this trip for me; very much appreciated.

Should any other different experiences come along, please let me know.

I am still keen to do Kili early next year; just let my legs recover a bit first.

Best regards

Ian

Family Camping Safari in North Tanzania

Dear Jeremy,

We have had a marvellous time in Tanzania, a truly wonderful holiday and it all worked like a dream thanks to you and all the team. Your advice and arrangements in advance were so helpful. We all felt that the 2 weeks 'ticked all the boxes' we wanted from such a special holiday. A sincere thank you to you for arranging it for us.

The hotels were all wonderful, the safari-ing was amazing (seeing all the big 5 and miriads of others), Ngorongoro was out of this world and the Indian Ocean warm and beautifully colourful.

In particular we feel that it has been a time of great contrasts - from seeing the hard subsistence lives many tanzanians live to the luxury of tourists in Serena/Zanzibar lodges, from cities to savannah and from heat to freezing temperatures. Our safari guide, Emanuel and our cook, Anton, were absolutely fabulous. Anton's culinary skills bettered most restaurants I know and the luxury of having someone cook for us ( 3 courses even at breakfast!) was an utter treat. Emanuel sorted all paperwork and kept us informed about wildlife. Both were very knowledgeable. Please pass on our sincere thanks to all!

To conclude , we have had the holiday and experiences of  a lifetime. We are hugely grateful and would recommend Gane and Marshall and the Tanzanian travel company to anyone and everyone.

Lucy, Graeme, James and Susie

Client comments on Shira8 Kilimanjaro Climb

Laura is an intrepid traveller and in July she travelled alone to Tanzania in order to join a Gane and Marshall Shira8 climb. She made it to the summit of Kilimanjaro.

Here is what she wrote: "I had a fantastic holiday climbing Kilimanjaro and it was made even more enjoyable because of the great organisation by Gane and Marshall.  They provided me with all the information and support I would possibly need before my holiday, which meant that I could embark on my trip with everything in place and confident in the knowledge that I could attempt the climb without anything else to worry about. 

My telephone conversations with Jeremy filled me with confidence as he showed a tremendous amount of knowledge and passion about trekking and mountaineering."

Laura

An adventure-filled and unforgettable holiday

We can’t thank you enough for your organization here and in Africa.  We valued your expertise and being able to speak to you whenever we had a question,  helping us choose the what turned out to be the very best of everything.  The team who took  us up Kilimanjaro were quite simply outstanding: the two guides, Joseph and Dixon, were friendly, informative and very supportive; the porters respectful, efficient and helpful, and the food surprisingly good, varied and plentiful.  We got to know them all well and missed their company when we left.  We also thoroughly enjoyed our safari and are full of praise for our driver/spotter Julius.  Rounding the holiday off at Pongwe Beach in Zanzibar was the perfect end to an adventure-filled and unforgettable holiday.  Thank you again for everything you did to make it go so smoothly.

Best Wishes
Carrie

Botswana Multi Sector Safari

Clare,

Feel free to put any of my comments on your website.  If I was at all eloquent I may have been better able to put into words how fantastic the service from Gane and Marshall really is.  I have nothing but positive feedback for your company.  To me, our Botswana trip looked like a logistical nightmare; four camps, ten nights and eight flights  How you managed to put all that together without one single thing going wrong I don’t know.  Credit must also be given to the companies you work with on the ground in Botswana and the communication that must go on between you to provide such a flawless service.  We will definitely be in touch when we are planning our next safari, having travelled with you twice now I don’t think I would entrust my hard earned holiday arrangements to any other company.

Kind regards
Beverley.

Kilimanjaro and Safari

Jeremy the climb and the safari were absolutely amazing, words can't describe how much i enjoyed the whole experience, i loved every second of the trip (well maybe not every second of summit night) and just wish i was back there!!! Seriously, i could have stayed on that mountain for weeks! Was even beginning to like not washing and smelling a bit!
 
I honestly haven't got one complaint other than the whole tipping thing...  That is no fault of the company though, i am sure everyone feels the same.  I just couldn't get over how great the porters and guides were, they really were the most happy and helpful people i have ever met and just wish i could have given them more!
 
Other than that, everything was great from the bus journey from Nairobi to Arushai, the food, the equipment, the accommodation, i seriously couldn't have wished for better. The trip was so well organised and went without a hitch, never in a million years did i think it would be as good as it was!
 
Thanks so much for organising the whole thing Jeremy, i will definitely put some reviews online and on trip advisor etc to recommend you as a company. 
 
You will maybe hear from me again as desperate to do some more summits and expeditions in the near future.....
 
All the best, Louise

_________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Thankyou! Would just like to thankyou for the organisation and planning that went into the trip. It was a complete success and everyone had a truly unforgetable time on the mountain. The group worked very well and all of the support staff we had with us were brilliant and a great help in getting us all to the top!
 
We also really enjoyed Safari and the final part of our trip in Zanzibar despite a couple of minor hiccups the whole trip was very well organised and a very special holiday for us both. So thankyou once again and we will recommend your service to our family and friends in the future....
 
Best wishes
 
James and Jo
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Jambo!
 
.........Thank you so much, we had an absolutely wonderful holiday, our best ever yet!  Kilimanjaro was just amazing.  I had some difficult days but it was such an achievement reaching the top, I'm so glad we all got there.  We didn't realise how many porters and guides would accompany us on our climb.  They were all great, really nice blokes.  I became very good friends with a guide called Noel and I hope to keep in contact with him.
 
The rest of the holiday was perfect.  Our safari guide called Source was very profesional and fun to be around.  Nothing was too much trouble and I think he enjoyed the safari as much as we did.  He had over 20 years experience and was able to spot animals that looked like tiny blobs to us.  We really enjoyed our stay at Rhotia Valley and would really recommend it to other people.  We were made to feel very welcome there and the views and accomodation were just stunning.  We took the opportunity to visit the children's home aswell and were pleasantly surprised to meet such well mannered, happy and friendly children.  We bought some exercise books, colouring pens and pencils, stickers, and gave them lots of medical supplies.  We also fitted in a game of football and were left feeling exhausted!  I think Jo fell in love with this place and even exchanged details so that she could come back and teach there in the near future.
 
Zanzibar was just exquisite.  The pictures of Matamwe Beach Village and Pongwe Beach Hotel on the internet just don't do the places any justice at all.  The colours of the sand and sea were amazing, and not a patch on the Maldives where we have holidayed previously.  We enjoyed the atmosphere at Matamwe more, there were more guests and they were closer to our age range.  However, the scene at Pongwe was just idylic and we are so glad we were able to spend time at both resorts.  At Matamwe of course we also had the dive centre which we took advantage of.  We did a few dives with Ocean One but we actually saw more on the snorkel trip they arranged.  We even got to snorkel with wild dolphins and tortoises.  Absolutely thrilling!
 
We were also very surprised at the quality of the food at both these resorts.  It was much greater than we had expected and we certainly never went hungry.  There was something different every night and Emma's plate was always finished, despite her being a fussy eater.  The staff were very friendly, again offering very warm welcomes and willing to go to any length to make our stay a comfortable one.  We liked the fact that they encourage you to leave a big tip at the end which is shared between all staff, rather than individually tipping at meal times.  We also enjoyed the bed time stories that were left in our room every night at Matamwe.  That was a very nice touch! ..............
Stephen and Emma

Meru and Kilimanjaro Combo

Jeremy,

Just wanted to drop you a quick note to say Thank you for organising our trip to Mt Meru and Kilimanjaro. The trekking was fantastic; our group of 9 got on amazingly well; and all the people involved (in Tanzania) were amazingly supportive and made the trip very memorable.

One memory that will stick with me (and one I could not capture on camera) is the start of our Kilimanjaro Summit walk on the 25th December. If you can imagine groups infront of us and groups behind, everyone zig zagging up the mountain with only head torches alight. The side of the mountain looked like a Christmas tree all lite up and our group had the added bonus of the guides singing carols . . truly magical & a memory I will have for a life time.

Your suggestion of a one day safari to Tarangire was fantastic and we had a day to remember . . at one point we were surrounded by 50+ Elephants of all ages and sizes and it was 'a pinch yourself' moment.

Thank you

Janine

Namibia Safari with Self Drive

Hello Clare

We have returned from our holiday to Namibia - we do not have enough superlatives that we can use to express how wonderful the last three weeks have been. The country, the people, the landscapes, the animals and the accommodation were way beyond our expectations. We have come back with so many happy memories. Please can we thank you for all your help in pulling the holiday together.

Many thanks again

Ian and Susan

Accommodation and transfers in Tanzania

Just want to say  thank you so much for organising our stay at Kia Lodge, your advice, help etc were invaluable to the smooth running of our stay and all the transfers worked perfectly. Our overnight on 27th and the two and half days  just before we returned to UK were most satisfactory. The lodge is perfect and the staff were really kind and helpful. We did actually have enough energy left to make a visit to Arusha NP! Wonderful.

Kenya Safari

"Faultless. At all three camps the service was faultless and the staff leaned over backwards to help us."

Sandy C. and his son visited Tortilis Camp in Amboseli, with its great views of Kilimanjaro, then Lewa Camp in Lewa Downs, and finally Kicheche Camp in the Masai Mara. They also spent a night at Macushla House in Nairobi.

A successful Kilimanjaro summit climb

Dear Jeremy

I was extremely glad that I chose Gane and Marshall for my long awaited Kilimanjaro attempt.  Route selection was excellent giving plenty and much needed time to acclimatise.  You dealt extremely promptly and knowledgably with all my questions during the booking and preparation process and your information on training and gear was well informed and invaluable.

Our entire team of porters were friendly and helpful and all the facilities (camping, cooking and hygiene) were as good as could possibly be expected in mountain conditions.

Our guide was well informed and extremely competent; he was as determined as us that we would get to the top and was an enormous help and support.

The arrangements for the whole of our holiday ran smoothly and without worry and at all times we felt that we were in very good hands which made for a truly memorable and enjoyable holiday.  Since returning home I have had no hesitation in recommending you to my friends.

Yours sincerely

John Foster

Light Mobile Walking and Driven Safari

Hello Jeremy

My sincere apologies for taking so long to contact you since our return from honeymoon, to write and say a great big thank you for our wonderful honeymoon. What can I say, it exceeded all of our expectations, the itinerary was fantastic, the programme for our 10 day Safari was certainly action packed, looking back I don't know how we managed to do it all, but I am so grateful that we did and that you made it possible. The Serengeti was out of this world, not only the animals that kept us mesmerized for hours upon hours, even after spotting our 200th Zebra, but for the landscape, some times it was hard to take it all in, the vast land that stretches for miles and miles, absolutely wonderful! The Ngorongoro Crater was another of our favorites, on reaching the top of the Crater on our arrival, our first glimpse at the Crater floor below us, was jaw dropping, it felt as if we had been swept back into pre-historic times like a scene out of Jurassic Park as we could see the alkaline lakes and watering holes below twinkling in the sunlight and the hundreds of animals, that appeared as little brown spots scattered across the Crater floor, it is easy to see why it is one of the Seven natural wonders of the world. Every place we visited, from the National Parks, to the Conservation Areas and the wilderness, were amazing and each held there own little adventure for us, there isn't one place I regret visiting each and every place was unique and spectacular and with our guides knowledge of the areas had us captivated until our journey to the next stop.

Im so glad that we followed your guidance in taking the opportunity to see the wilderness of Tanzania and although at times it was bumpy, dusty and long, by god we enjoyed every minute of it, especially the drive from the base of Kilimanjaro across the Rift Valley floor to Lake Natron. Memories of that day will stay very close to Kieran and my heart having met in the complete wilderness a little Maasai girl who was out tending to the cattle all on her own, in the fierce heat of the afternoon sunshine. She came to greet us and we gave her a small bottle of water to quench her thirst, how happy and content with life she was so untouched by the outside Western world, a bottle of water and a friendly smile, meant everything to her, all alone out there such a responsibility for one so young, she placed in my hand three little rocks, that look like granite and beckoned me to kiss them, I did and the smile on her face could have melted your heart. They are wonderful people the Massai, those that reside in the far untouched wilderness of Africa away from the National Parks, that live there nomadic life happy and content as they are, self sufficient and completely independent and such warm friendly people, it is to your credit that you have built such a good relationship with those from the Maasai lands that they allow and welcome those with Gane and Marshall to see their Boma's and way of life.

Our guide Jason was great fun and a pleasure to be around, his enthusiasm was infectious, he always had an added adventure up his sleeve, one of which led us to the Shifting Sand. All the staff at a Gane and Marshall, both in your London Office and Tanzania were wonderful, we couldn't have asked for nicer people, you made the whole experience run like clock work allowing us to fully enjoy our honeymoon with no worries and full confidence that everything would go to plan.

Thank you to you all a job extremely well done, we will definitely be back for round two in another few years.

Take care

Love and Best Wishes

Tanya & Kieran

Tanzania Safari

My husband and I have just returned from a two week trip to Tanzania which we booked through Gane and Marshall.

I just had to write and compliment your company on arranging the perfect 'holiday of a lifetime' for us.

When I initially received an itinerary and quote from Gane and Marshall, I was concerned that as your quote was the lowest, the service would be lacking.  However, I could not have been more wrong.  If I had chosen to travel with any of the other companies who had quoted me more, they wouldn't have been able to do anything better than you did.  The service we received from Gane and Marshall and all the agents you supplied in Tanzania was first class.  Not once were we 'left stranded' or left feeling unsure about any of the arrangements you had put in place.  I would have no hesitation in using your company again or recommending you to anyone who is considering going on safari.

A very big 'Thank You' to everyone involved in arranging our holiday and I hope it won't be too long before I can use the services of your company again.

Many thanks

Mrs Bembridge

Namibia Safari

Clare

Belated but nevertheless heartfelt thanks for your part in organising a truly outstanding holiday.  It has been an uplifting experience for all the family. Choosing somewhere that proves captivating for both teenagers and their parents is no simple task!

The Skeleton Coast is one the planets last regions of true wilderness - a rare and unappreciated commodity. The pilots/guides were a class act, their enthusiasm stimulating and infectious.   Spending a few days in the inspirational Damaraland made us all acutely aware of our senses - of necessity! It is an area of unrivalled pristine beauty.  The colours were rich and the lighting dramatic.  We successfully tracked the rare desert-adapted black rhino - a mother and daughter.  Watching the pair cross the plain was a humbling moment.

We will return to Namibia and to the incomparable Skeleton Coast.  We will book our trip with Gane and Marshall!

With our grateful thanks.

Janie and Alex

Family holiday to south Tanzania & Zanzibar

My name is Sharon Hunt and we went to Tanzania on a holiday we had booked through you.  Once we had returned home you very kindly rang us to check all was well with our trip.  I promised to send you some feedback but it completely slipped my mind.  It was only when we were telling some friends over dinner last night about what an excellent trip it had been that I suddenly remembered!

So here goes

Neal Hunt - We had a wonderful holiday. Gane and Marshall gave us very good advice and all their recommendations proved to be first class.  From the moment of our arrival at Dar Es Salaam everything was like clockwork.  There was always someone to meet us and all the many connections happened without fuss.  I could not recommend them more highly and would certainly use them again.

Sharon Hunt - We went to Tanzania as a family celebration since Neal and I both have significant birthdays in 2008.  We all loved every minute of our holiday.  The travel and transfer arrangements all went smoothly and the accommodation was excellent.  Everybody we met whether on Safari or in Zanzibar went out of their way to ensure we had a really good time - and we did - it was great, so thanks !

Rosie Hunt - I am fifteen years old and this was my first trip to Africa, the only word that fully describes my trip is magic.  It was the experience of a lifetime and I will definitely be returning.

Charlie Hunt - Aged 12. Africa was a brilliant experience.  I would like to say a big thanks to you for organising such a fabulous holiday.  I saw lots of different animals in the wild and learnt loads of interesting facts about them from our guides, it sometimes felt like I had entered a different world!

Kilimanjaro & Zanzibar

Jeremy

I hope everything is going well in Nepal on your latest adventure.  I just wanted to take the time to thank you for all of your help in arranging our holiday both for the mountain and in Zanzibar.  Everything went very smoothly throughout the entire holiday and all transit requirements were always there and enabled us to get from one place to another with minimal hassle... even the driver taking us across the Kenyan/Tanzanian border kept an eye on us and helped where he could!  All accommodation was very good with very friendly service, just wish we were all still over there but reality bites and it's back to work today.  The only thing that was strange was that we flew from Zanzibar to Dar Es Salaam only to catch a flight to Nairobi that firstly took us back to Zanzibar!

The other good news is that all 4 of us made it to the summit, once again thanks for your hints and tips, we certainly took them on board and it was worthwhile as we watched the sun rise from nearly 6000 metres AMSL!  The African Walking Company were first class in everything they supplied and the guides were very friendly and ensured that they made the whole experience even better.

Overall it was a great experience and a holiday none of us will ever forget; I will have no qualms about recommending your company to anybody that is after similar holidays and hopefully that includes me in the future......life seems empty without an adventure to look forward to!

Cheers
Simon

Kilimanjaro

from Keely who climbed Shira Eight Days route to the Roof of Africa

Hi Jeremy, Just a quick note to say thank you for all your help with organising the Kilimanjaro trek. Everything went like clockwork and of the group of 8 of us all except one made it to the top. They were a super group and the guides, porters etc. were all lovely.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself and am looking forward to planning next years' adventure!  With that in mind can you please email me with the address of your other company so that I can have a look to see what else you have available.

Hope you are keeping well.  With best wishes.  Keely
ps.  Caroline asked me to pass on her favourable feedback too!

from Megan and Jill who joined a Shira Fixed Departure Climb & Safari 

Dear Jeremy

Apologies for the delay in sending this, it has a busy week catching up with people and fare-welling mum.

I just wanted to reiterate how wonderful our trip to Tanzania was that you organised. It was an absolute travel highlight - this is coming from an experienced backpacker who has spent years living and travelling in different countries. The ultimate highlight was reaching the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, which could not have been achieved without the strength and skills of our team of porters and guides. We shared many laughs whilst during the trek, including mum's skills at warding off the german tourists who 'illegally' tied to use our portable toilet! The food was amazing...3 courses for every meal including fresh tropical fruit. The guides were intuitive to our needs up the mountain and incredibly supportive throughout. Yes, you really do need 8 layers of clothing for the final summit climb!

The safari was fantastic as well - great to cover 3 different game reserves in a small geographical area, which widens the access to different animals and scenery. The accommodation and our safari driver were first rate - his knowledge of local fauna and flora and enthusiasm was wonderful.

Most of all, it was great to have a company such as yours, so skilled at arranging local services, people and resources to facilitate a wonderful, smooth holiday...we packed so much into a short space of time!

 

Thank you immensely 
Regards 

Megan

 

Above email from Megan who joined her mother to summit Kili - both reaching Uhuru Point, once again showing that the "the girls have got what it takes!" Warm congratulations to Megan and Jill from the Gane and Marshall team.

from Joanna who made a solo climb of Kilimanjaro via Lemosho Route

Dear Jeremy,

A huge Thank You for organizing a great climb to the top of the Kilimanjaro. This was an amazing experience and from the beginning to the end everything went absolutely perfectly.

I would like to thank you for advising me on choosing the Lemosho Route which was exactly what I was hoping for as far as the difficulty and the length of the climb were concerned. The 8-day trek not only was beneficial to high altitude acclimatisation but also allowed us to stop and admire the scenery. I was blown away by the variety of the landscape and the beauty of it. The view from the peak was spectacular, well worth all the effort and suffering from swelling of my body!

The whole supporting team deserves the highest praise. Our driver Zodiak even managed to avoid the road blocks set on account of president Bush arriving suddenly in Arusha! George the Guide was a most caring person, making sure that Andy and I were eating, drinking, sleeping and feeling comfortable all the way through the trek. George was a great organizer, full of common sense, always thinking ahead and ready to give good advice. His assistant Pablo gave him huge support, and both of them were great company and fun to walk with. I am particularly grateful to both of them for carrying my camera for me (a good instrument but proved to be a little too bulky and too heavy for this sort of adventure) and stopping, without any objections, every time I wanted to take a picture.

I am full of admiration for the Cook, who made culinary wonders out of the simplest ingredients, and whose dishes were, on many occasions, the objects of envy of members of other groups. I never expected such a variety of menus; in fact, I wish I had made a note of a few recipes!

A big Thank You to Ben, our Butler/Waiter, who seemed to be one of the busiest members of the team and yet was always ready to provide us with a bowl of warm washing water or a cup of hot tea and all of this with a beautiful smile on his face. This smile made a real difference to the morning wake up call!

Great thanks to Eriki, our Toilet Attendant, who looked after the sanitary aspect of the camping and who was always very prompt and efficient with setting it up and maintaining it clean.

All the porters deserve the highest commendations for being punctual, organised and always willing to help.

The whole team made the climb not only possible, but turned it into a memorable and very pleasant adventure.

I shall be recommending Gane & Marshall to anybody who would like to visit any part of the world to which you organise the holiday and I sincerely hope that my Kilimanjaro trek and time spent on the beach in Kenya afterwards wasn't my last contact with your Company.

Jo

Kenya, Tanzania and Kilimanjaro

Hi All,

I have been meaning to write since my return from Nairobi on Saturday morning. Just wanted to say I had an absolutely brilliant time and thanks all for your help in sorting out the trip and extension. I can't speak more highly of the incredible experience we were given by Gane and Marshall (and I'm sure everyone else on the expedition, if they haven't written already, totally agree). Both activities, climbing Kilimanjaro and the safari, were something I have wanted to do for a very long time and they certainly lived up to my expectations and more. Everything ran incredibly smoothly as we were passed through a number of different hands, African Ventures (I think) reps & drivers, guides, porters, Moivaru Lodge people, Pollmans reps & drivers, Sekenani Camp people etc and in fact the only problem/delay I encountered along the whole way was when I landed back in Heathrow and was stuck on the runway for an hour!! I was amazed at how welcoming and helpfull everyone we came across were in both Tanzania and Kenya. And I would certainly like to go back to both countries for a longer period of time.

I will definitely look up Gane and Marshall, when I next travel to Africa or elsewhere and would highly recommed Gane and Marshall to anyone interested in travelling to Africa.

Once again thanks for a great trip.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Chris

Solo safari in Zambia

Hi there Clare

I did indeed have a great time in Zambia: did you really expect anything else!?

This is an excerpt from a note I sent to RPS

"Many highlights, in no particular order some of these would have to be:

- Watching Simon, Deb, Kerri, Jacob (a selection of guides) and a host of others trying to extract a 12 foot python from a Landcruiser at Nsefu. Despite strong efforts from all concerned I still think the python won on points!
- Sundowners on the Mupamadzi at the end of the walking safari, including a guest appearance by a lioness and her very attentive mate
- An impromptu serenade by the mobile crew after dinner on our last night of the mobile
- haunting voices coming through the night which made a huge impression on all of us lucky enough to be there
- Watching a mass of crocs fighting over a dead baby hippo, with an adult hippo (mother?) then marching into the middle of it all to harass the crocs
- Breakfast on the salt pans cooked by Ross - Watching a funnel web spider extract revenge for us all on a tsetse fly

All of this was only possible because of the continued excellence of the entire RPS operation and staff. Jo Spencer on the mobiles already looks as settled as if she's been there for ever, Nixon is a genius who conjures amazing food from the simplest of ingredients and most basic of kitchen technology. Every guide is full of knowledge and enthusiasm - highlights include Peter's almost paternal pride in the hyena cubs at Nkwali and Kerri's sheer delight in sharing a wonderful encounter with baboons at Nsefu, as well as a close encounter with a one-eyed leopard - but every single guide made an indelible impression. Robin himself is an amazing guide who radiates a sense of wonder at the beauty surrounding him, but is also a generous host. And of course the permanent camps remain as special as ever with dedicated managers & caterers delivering wonderful food and breathtaking game viewing."

As for Mwaleshi - I had a thoroughly good time. I know Ed Sayer who is running the camp from his time at Nsefu last year, so it was a pleasure to see him again. The camp & food are not as comfortable as the RPS camps, but they do not aim to be - they are more than adequate. The game is excellent - we had very close encounters with elephant & lion on foot (almost trod on the lions as they slept off a kill we had located by the smell!), and tried hard to find a leopard on it's kill - we spotted the kill in a tree and found very fresh tracks, but the leopard stayed one step ahead of us. I am sure he was watching us. Had some excellent birding, and a wonderful day trip to Mwaleshi Falls - it you get the chance you must do this. It's a two hour drive followed by a two hour hike in each direction, but to be able to swim in the Mwaleshi maybe 150 metres above pools teeming with hippo & crocs is a great experience, plus the birds are fantastic up there. Ended the trip with a daytime sighting of a honey badger just as we stopped for a coffee break on the last morning.

I can thoroughly recommend either operator, and I am just waiting for my pictures to come back. I doubt they all worked out but that is more a reflection of my camera skills than any lack of wildlife to photograph.

I will be looking to revisit Zambia this winter - possibly over the Christmas period, or later around Feb/March to se the valley in the green season. I will be asking your help to plan this soon, aiming to include Tafika as well as John Coppinger runs river safaris and it seems a good way to explore in the rainy season.....

Hope all is well with you

Best regards Phil

Kilimanjaro and post-climb Safari

Hi Nick,
Just a quick e-mail to thank everyone for making our recent holiday to Tanzania so enjoyable. Everything was organized brilliantly.....thank you for all your help Nick. I cannot compliment your Kilimanjaro climbing team enough. Special thanks to all the guides and porters whose professionalism and enthusiasm made the climb all the more memorable. Cibatti was a very competent leader; his good humour and professionalism made us all feel that we could not have been in safer hands. On a personal note I would like to give Saabas a special mention. Without his encouragement and kindness I would not have made it to the summit. A word of thanks to Vincent and Eloise as well....the food was amazing considering the environment. Our two day safari was also memorable. George was the perfect safari guide, knowledgeable and entertaining.

Thanks again for everything. I won't hesitate to recommend your company to anyone considering the trip.

Sheenagh

Kilimanjaro (Lemosho Route)

Hi Jeremy, Nick and Sam Just a quick note to say thanks for organising a fantastic trip. We were the only people on the Lemosho Route so had three days on the mountain which felt as though we were the only people there. It's a wonderful route. The summit climb was, as warned, the toughest day's hiking of my life, not helped by the howling gale which made it almost unbearably cold. We had perfect weather throughout the trip so this was perhaps only fair, to remind us it's a serious mountain!

Joachim is a wonderful guide - perfect blend of humour, encouragement, kindness and undoubted authority! He got me up the Shira Cathedral, Barranco Wall and to Uhuru Peak - no mean feat for someone who doesn't like scrambling or ridge-walking. It really was a wonderful trip.

Moivaro is a superb place to recover from the climb- a real oasis of serenity and beauty. My safari packed in as much as one could possibly hope in three days - Lake Manyara is much more interesting than the guide books suggest and the Ngorongoro is as stunning as they say. We saw the famous "big five" and so much more.

All our transfers went like clockwork, Sam and his team in Arusha were wonderful and if anyone I know is mad enough to want to climb Kilimanjaro I'll definitely tell them Gane and Marshall is THE company to go with.

Many thanks and best wishes

Noeleen

Kilimanjaro Report

Jeremy

Just a few short notes to say how much we enjoyed our experience on kilimanjaro last week. Everything was so professionally organised, and there is virtually nothing we could complain about. In particular, you can be very proud of your staff in tanzania. From the moment we arrived, we were taken care of. Sam was excellent and made us all feel very comfortable and confident before we left for our trip.

I am going to say very little about the porters and guides. Because if i start, i may never stop. Addidas, Richard, William, Valance, Anderson, Jackson - all of them, simply out of this world. nothing was too much to ask. Their kindness, patience, friendship and professionalism was just 100%. I would also like to mention Thomas from your partners in Kenya, who took good care of us on our visit to Nairobi.

I would reccomend this experience to anyone, and will be passing on the name of your company to anyone interested.

Thanks again.

Dermot

A successful Kilimanjaro summit climb

Nick / Jeremy

Just a quick note of thanks for what was a superb, once in a lifetime experience, very well organised and executed. Adidas, Richard and Ben were all first class people both in their abilities and their general nature. Adidas in particular is a natural leader, very capable, and good humoured. Richard will make an equally capable lead guide I have no doubt. We all made it to the summit in no small part to their encouragement and skill.

Many Thanks

Jonathan ( Faru !)

Kilimanjaro Climb

From arriving at KIA lodge to the final walk-off, the organisation was first class. Your briefing was extremely useful and Sam was also very helpful before we set off on the Saturday and the guides, headed up by Felix, were first rate, very knowledgeable and great characters to have around. Felix in particular, in his briefing each evening, was a very calming influence.

Honeymoon in South Africa

Hi Clare, 22 April 2003 Just got back to work today. Managed to wangle a month off for the Wedding and the Honeymoon.

We had the best time ever, the itinerary was fantastic. We really enjoyed South Africa and will defiantly return. We'll give you a ring when we do.

The weather was great until the last couple of days, but we didn't care because we were having to much fun. We climbed Table Mountain in 30 degree heat, took a helicopter flight over Cape Town, Cape Hope and the Winelands (Breathtaking). The car was also useful as it allowed us to see all the beauty SA has to offer (and thats a lot). We haven't stopped taking about it yet.

All the Hotels were excellent and we've eaten some of the best food we've ever tasted. Tsala and Gorah were out of this world and it really finished the honey moon off with style. We had a really great time, thank you very much.

Our only compliant was that we had to come home. The time went so fast.... Once again thank you so much, we will recommend you to any one that wants to visit South Africa.

Regards Mr & Mrs Closier

Kilimanjaro & Tinga Tinga

Dear Jeremy: On behalf of our seven member climb team (“The Acclimators”), I want to thank Gane & Marshall for making our Kilimanjaro climb and subsequent safari the adventure of a lifetime.

Clare and the rest of your London staff made pre-trip planning from the United States problem-free. All of our e-mail inquiries were answered promptly and professionally, and your Health Notes and Trek Supply List made preparation and packing easy. Sam did an outstanding job in organizing and implementing our climb / safari itinerary. He was personable, professional, very knowledgeable about local culture and history, and always responsive to any questions or concerns.

The one day rest at Tinga Tinga Camp was a perfect way to relax, recover from 20 hours of traveling, and prepare for the climb ahead. The 8 day Lemosho route was beautiful and isolated. It allowed us to acclimate to the altitude (none of us had any symptoms of mountain sickness throughout the climb) and enjoy the changing vegetation zones. We felt like we had the mountain to ourselves for the first several days.

Fearless Felix Albert, our lead guide, was outstanding in leading us safely to the summit and in educating us about the mountain, its history, and its flora and fauna. Valence, our cook, did an incredible job in preparing great mountain meals and in demonstrating that indeed, “soup is good food.” We ate well all the way to the top.

The climb support team of servers and porters were always helpful and supportive. Many had worked for other climb companies in the past, and were very complementary of Gane & Marshall as a high quality company that took good care of its clients and its people with good equipment and support. George, one of our assistant guides, was particularly helpful, inspirational, and downright fun to climb with.

The Moivaro Coffee Plantation was the perfect place to relax after the 8 day climb, with hot showers, a crystal clear swimming pool, beautifully landscaped gardens, and plenty of cold beer. The celebration dinner that night by candlelight under the stars with Sam, Felix Albert, and George was truly memorable. Our subsequent 2 night stay at the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge, beautifully perched on the edge of the Mto Wa Mbu escarpment, was also wonderful, with great accommodations and game viewing.The private tented camps with game viewing at Serengeti National Park for 3 days and Ngorongoro Crater for one day were spectacular. Waking up in the morning from our tents and seeing zebra, cape buffalo, and cheetahs was an incredible experience.

Godwin prepared great meals and lunchboxes. James, George, and Felix, our drivers / guides, did an outstanding job of showing us and educating us regarding the diverse and abundant wildlife.

To anyone contemplating a Kilimanjaro climb and / or safari, I would advise to do it well and do it right with Gane & Marshall. You have experienced professionals working for you, and it shows in your spectacular summit success statistics and in the quality climb / safari experience we all enjoyed.

Thank you again!

Todd

P.S. Please feel free to use my comments as a reference. I've attached a picture of my identical twin brother Terry (on the left) and I at the summit.