A lemur in Madagascar. Photo: Brendan Gottlieb

My 12-day trip to Madagascar with my son went very well. Our travel expert Katie McDonough did a great job arranging a lot of exciting things for us to see and do. She had every detail of our trip planned out and everything came off as expected.

When I hired Cherri and Katie to plan this trip, I had one major goal – put us in a good position to see the Great Migration crossing the Mara River. The other goals were to give us a first-class trip with great camps and great guiding. Cherri and Katie succeeded in every aspect.

Trip dates – Aug 13 – 25 – perfect for Mara River crossings.

This is my fourth trip to Africa for safari. I was accompanied by my wife, another couple, and an individual who runs a major US zoo. I saw several river crossings in 2013. My wife has been to Africa three times but in her previous trip near the Mara, we missed seeing a crossing. The other three folks had never been to the continent.

First stop – Sanctuary Kichikani – Great Camp – Great wildlife – Great hosting. This is a mobile camp so bucket showers, tent, etc. However, the camp was beautiful, the staff was amazing, and the guiding was excellent. We saw a great variety of mammals and birds. The vastness of the great herd was everywhere. The predators had full bellies. We saw a leopard on day 1 – what a rare amazement. Our guide got us to a crossing of the herd that was in progress when we arrived on day 2. Wonderful to see but it was a bit crowded with vehicles. All in all an excellent experience.

Second Stop – Sayari – also in the northern Serengeti. Fantastic fixed camp. Again great accommodations with very good internet, great food, great staff, etc. Again we saw all the animals that you hope to see including Leopards, Cheetah, Lions, Giraffe, Wart Hogs, Zebras, etc. Great variety of birds. Here we had a wonderful guide who got us to a crossing of the Mara by the herd just minutes before it began. We were the first vehicle on site and had a fantastic position to appreciate the chaos and the magnificence of one of the most amazing natural events. We even saw a croc strike out trying to grab a young zebra.

Stop 3 – Namiri Planes – Cats, Cats, Cats!! Great camp, great hosting, wonderful food, etc. Good internet. This is the camp to see the cats – cheetah, lions, leopards. The short grasses and the flat planes make sighting easy. We saw the drama of failed hunts. A cheetah jumped on the front hood of our vehicle. He stood there for several moments staring at us. The guide started the engine and he jumped off.

Stop 4 – Chem Chem – We left the Serengeti and headed to Lake Manyara. Lovely camp with a great location at a watering hole. The zebras and giraffes and wildebeast would walk and run toward the watering hole in clear close view to our bed in the tent. A large herd of male elephants was nearby but less predators or female elephants. Great staff and guiding. Great food. Lovely walking safari ending with a beautiful meal under an immense baobab tree. We also visited a local Masai home and met the chief and his wives and children. This was very real and not touristy. We had drinks down by the lake and saw a small group of flamingos up fairly close. This is a private concession and one needs to drive across the highway into the main park. This isn’t a big issue. I think this camp would be perfect for a family with young kids – the close interaction with the prey animals was astounding. We actually got delayed from dinner one night by a group of five zebra munching away on the path between our tent and the main walkway to the dining hall.

All in all a phenomenal trip. Katie did a great job getting us where we needed to be. The only issue is the logistics between camps was at times a bit difficult as we need to go to hub airstrips and change planes a few times. The waits at the hubs can be a few hours. I suspect this is just a result of how Tanzania has set up its safari transportation system.

The trip was an A+. Our friends were stunned and amazed by the beauty and miracles of the parks.

Cherri and Frankie were excellent! We told them our requirements were Victoria Falls, Cape Town, and animals at any time of the year they thought best. They put together a three-week trip in August to three different environments — wooded along the river at Anabezi Camp in Lower Zambezi, Zambia, the Okavango Delta, Bostwana at Shinde Camp, and the Camp Kalahari in the Kalahari desert, Botswana. I had not considered visiting the Kalahari, but Cherri highly recommended it and she was right. All were excellent — comfortable, well run, with top-notch guides, and very good food. We saw many lions, elephants, hippos, wild dogs, beautiful birds, and many other animals up close.

Most importantly, Frankie cheerfully answered our many questions and all the accommodations and guides they recommended were terrific. The planning was excellent and we felt comfortable and well taken care of every step of the way. My wife’s dietary issues were easily and well handled at each camp.

I would like to mention a couple highlights, but every day was a highlight — meerkats on our head, up close with a lion chowing down on a kudu, leopards seemingly posing for us atop a termite mound, twice watching packs of wild dogs hunt, boat rides, etc., etc, . . .

We thought going on a safari would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience literally and figuratively. However, we already agreed to do another one, and will not hesitate to contact Cherri and Frankie when we do.

My daughter and I had the most incredible trip to South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, as organized by Cherri, Katie and Sara. They were all outstanding and so easy to work with. One thing I always appreciate about your specialists is their desire to understand my particular travel needs and desires. We started with 5 days in Cape Town and Cherri kindly said that we would be best served by working with a local specialist, so she introduced us to Chantell McBain at Chalan Africa. Chantell did an excellent job of organizing our time in Cape Town, mixing up our need for outdoor activities — hiking and biking — with cultural and historical highlights. Her local guides were so willing to share information on the past and present challenges in South Africa, and we really felt we made new friends.

Then, off to Camp Moremi in Botswana, where we did 7 jeep drives that brought us so close to all the animals. Having been in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater before, I really appreciated the small and intimate camps in Botswana. When we found animals, there were only 2-3 jeeps and we did not crowd them. This allowed us to see animals mating, feeding, nursing, fighting, and other activities that are just part of life. Both Camp Moremi and Camp Okavango were beautiful, with kind staff members and great food. At Camp Okavango, which is surrounded by water, our safaris were by boat, canoe and on foot. We loved this — the quiet, the birds, the alarm calls! Once, on walking safari, we encountered a male elephant at close range. Our guide Taps quickly advised us on how to act and proceed. We felt entirely safe, and at the same time, were within 10 feet of the elephant. He even sniffed us!

We dearly loved Botswana, a beautiful place with charming people, but it was time to head to Victoria Falls. The land border crossing was a challenge, but we knew that would be the case in advance. Thankfully, the Palm River Hotel was excellent and we truly enjoyed the waterfalls. People recommended spending 2 hours on the walk along the falls. We were so captivated, we were there for 6, and especially enjoyed watching some slack-liners making their way across the gorge.

Our final stop was at Dulini Leadwood in Sabi Sands, and I have to say, this was beyond fantastic. The camp is beautifully designed and ever-so-comfortable. Our guide Mac and tracker Prince were so knowledgeable and within one day, we saw all of the Big 5 animals! Again, we were able to watch animal behaviors that are so rare, such as a leopard with her 3-month-old cub, playing. The family at Dulini are beyond service-oriented and the food is, quite simply, Michelin-star quality.

While we moved around a lot on this trip, every transfer was perfectly organized. We never had to worry about the timing or if we were in the right place. I was always confident knowing Cherri’s team were ensuring all went smoothly. While an African safari is never inexpensive, this one surely met all the criteria of “trip of a lifetime.” My daughter and I were profoundly affected by the emphasis on sustainability and respect/harmony with nature. She has some special dietary needs, and Cherri’s office ensured that she had options everywhere we want. Truly, we were pampered!

This is my 5th trip with one of Wendy’s experts, and we have 2 more coming up. I love doing my own travel planning, but when going somewhere that has myriad options and connections, it’s just so much easier with one of your travel planners. Thanks so much.

How was our safari to Duba Plains Camp in the heart of the Okavango Delta of Botswana and to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, arranged by Cherri Briggs and Frankie Janssen? Everything about it just blew us away. We took our first safari as an overland excursion while on the Silversea 2023 World Cruise, which created unique logistical demands since we departed on April 9th from Durban on the east coast of Africa and had to meet up with ship on April 13th in Cape Town on the southwest coast. That entailed multiple complicated flight and ground arrangements that became the envy of other passengers taking safaris to Botswana arranged by other planners. At every connection we were met by smiling, knowledgeable local representatives who sped us past long lines and processes which would have been very difficult and time-consuming to navigate otherwise. This involved traveling from Port Durban to King Shaka International Airport to the Johannesburg International Airport to the Maun, Botswana International Airport and finally in a six-seater to the Omdop Airstrip, a simple sand runway in the Okavango Delta.

When we arrived at the Duba Plains Camp in the afternoon it was clear that we had entered another world and another time. The camp is actually a 5-suite luxurious Relais & Châteaux 1920s African safari-style 81,000-acre private reserve without borders. Each raised platform “tent” has multiple beautifully appointed air-conditioned rooms with a private verandah and plunge pool overlooking the floodplain. We were warmly greeted by the staff with local songs and refreshments and promptly set out on our first evening game drive where we were surrounded by antelope herds, warthogs, hippos, rhinos, and many other beautiful creatures. Plus, we experienced one of the most beautiful sunsets we had ever seen while sharing a glass of wine with our charming, knowledgeable guide Carlos, who grew up in a nearby village.

Over the next three days we were wowed by early morning and evening game drives, and even more so by the hospitality and culinary skills of our hosts. We saw lions every day, not by luck alone, but by the tracking skills of our guide. Each game drive turned into a grand adventure, as if we were in an episode of Storm Chasers, but in our case chasing madly off-road in our tank-like Jeep across bumpy grassland, over bushes, and through muddy marshes to witness the action that our guide knew was about to unfold. One day our guide spotted two new young lions that had entered the reserve looking to take over the pride of the existing lion king. Our guide heard a distant roar from the lion king, as did the two young lions who immediately shifted into high gear in the direction of the roar to go on the attack and meet an uncertain fate. We raced after them the best we could for quite a while until they swam across a river through which we couldn’t pass. Our guide said that the lion king was very experienced and was wise enough not to fight the two young lions at once. What he has done on similar occasions is temporarily abandon the pride so that he could fight on his own terms and kill each young lion separately when he got one alone. Another one of our favorite experiences was doing an evening game drive by boat on a beautiful river lined by papyrus and filled with families of hippos. It got a little scary when we were returning, and the guide astutely spotted the bow wave of an underwater hippo charging us. We quickly zigged and zagged just in time as he surfaced and roared next to us.

One of the most surprising things about Duba Plains Camp was the astoundingly good food. And it wasn’t a matter of the food being better than could be expected in the middle of nowhere. The food was better than could be expected anywhere. The chef had trained at the Culinary Institute in Botswana and produced masterpieces for every meal. Her soups were to die for. Because each of the guests had their own schedule, we ended up dining alone and the chef had to prepare each meal separately. It was very romantic.

The logistics of our trip to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe were equally well orchestrated. While other passengers on our cruise had to return to Cape Town by taking multiple flights, Cherri was able to arrange for us to take a nonstop flight. Cherri and Frankie were also aware that there was a newly constructed 5-star luxury resort, the Palm River Hotel, on the Zambezi River, with deluxe rooms all facing the river. It was just beautiful. The other passengers staying at older, more established hotels with limited views were jealous when they heard about our accommodations.

It is safe to say that the folks on Cherri’s team are experts at what they do, and they are great at execution. We were very fortunate to have learned about them from Wendy Perrin.

We had a great trip arranged by Katie McDonough and Cherri Briggs, to Rwanda for mountain gorilla trekking and then to the Serengeti in Tanzania for more wildlife viewing. The experience of being able to get so close to and observe elephants, giraffes, lions, gazelle, zebras, cheetah, wildebeest, Cape buffalo, leopard, hippos, golden and vervet monkeys, not to mention gorillas, in their natural habitat, is incomparable. Also incredible were the gorgeous birds including storks and flamingos. We were also lucky to see black rhinos both in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro crater.

The Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge was outstanding. The cottages were lovely. A wood-burning fire was lit every evening in our room, and sometimes on very cold mornings as well, by Felicien, our butler, who also brought coffee to the room. He helped us gear up for the gorilla treks, and assisted with hiking boot and leg gaiter removal when we were done. The treks themselves were physically demanding at high altitude but well worth it, and we were completely pampered when we got back to the lodge.

The lodge is community owned, and many staff members are from the nearby village. Felicien gave us a great tour and we were delighted to meet many of the people, including the beekeeper, the doctor/herbalist, and some charming women who showed me how to grind flour from sorghum. Easier than it looks!

We stayed at two different camps in Tanzania and our guides were outstanding. The game drives were amazing and the guides well informed. Our favorite was the Namiri Plains Camp, where you could look out your deck and watch elephants stroll by.

Cherri and Katie arranged a very smooth and varied trip, arranging and navigating smooth entry and exit and Covid testing for each country. I highly recommend them!

We have just returned from three FABULOUS weeks in Africa (February 8 – 27) — we visited Cape Town, Rwanda, and Tanzania. As I said to Frankie in Cherri’s office — who planned the most stellar adventure for us and was BEYOND accommodating of our crazy scheduling issues — I thought a visit to Africa would be a one-and-done. My was I wrong — thanks to her recommendations, we officially have the safari “bug” and can’t wait for the opportunity to return!

My first call to Cherri’s office took place last September when I shared my destination wish list: Cape Town to meet our son who was sailing there in The Ocean Race, Rwanda to visit the gorillas, and Tanzania to enjoy a safari. EVERYTHING we did was guided by Frankie’s stellar advice, every detail was covered, every highlight touched, every special moment experienced, every gourmet meal enjoyed — truly, everything we did far exceeded our expectations. I could NEVER have planned this adventure on my own. Kudos to her and the rest of Cherri’s team!

It is impossible to identify a single moment that stood out amongst the others — they were all spectacular!….

Cape Town, the drive “down south” to Cape Point, the PENGUINS, the dinner recommendations, the people, our FABULOUS guide, Chantal, from Chalan Africa and the South African wines were all a delight! We were presented with varied opportunities to observe the cultural issues that still penetrate every day living in South Africa — simply by being there. To say that history is alive and — almost well — in South Africa is an understatement! On a unique note, I must say I never expected there to be rolling blackouts throughout the country — or to have a schedule announcing the timing of the blackouts posted in the Cape Grace Hotel each morning!

Rwanda was a delight to experience and Joseph, our guide from Uber Luxe Safaris, could not have been more perfect for our visit. His knowledge about Rwanda’s history and culture and his willingness to share was a treat for all of us. We soaked up every word he said, learned so much about its history, its people and their lifestyle, their future, were dazzled by the climb up to see two separate gorilla families on two separate days, admired the hard work ethic of the people (the women — WOW…farmers extraordinaire!!!) , and absolutely melted at the many, many, many smiles we saw along the way. We left Rwanda filled with much more than we EVER expected, which was simply a visit to gorillas :-)! If you go, do not miss a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial — it was our first stop after we landed and it set the tone for the remainder of our time in a beautiful country filled with beautiful, kind people — oh, and some very cool gorilla families!

And then…there was Tanzania! I grew up watching Born Free over and over again. And absolutely sobbed over Out of Africa. My kids — and we — all saw The Lion King on Broadway three times and watched the movie countless times. While much of each of these stories take place in Kenya, every wild animal, beautiful vista, expansive landscape are alive, well, and SPECTACULAR in Tanzania! We stayed at Singita Faru Faru in the Grumeti Game Reserve in the Serengeti, at Nyasi Migrational Camp with 1.4 million wildebeest and their zebra friends in the Southern Serengeti, and Little Chem Chem Lodge on Lake Burunge in north-central Tanzania. Each lodge was a sight to behold and an experience like no other. Each of our guides brought a different perspective to wildlife watching AND each had fascinating histories growing up in Tanzania. We loved listening to their childhood stories of a very traditional Tanzanian lifestyle! Frankie’s recommendations to experience these three separate lodges gave us the unique opportunity to experience so many different safari elements! We were filled with awe and gratitude that so much open space has been protected to benefit the zillions of species who inhabit this beautiful country and were treated royally at each lodge located in the middle of nowhere!

As the dust begins to settle from this very epic adventure, we will relive our very vivid and fond memories of each country and each experience with enormous smiles on our faces! Cherri’s team made it all happen and we look forward to making our next call to them for our next adventure. Thank you for directing us to them!!!

Frankie (who works with Cherri Briggs) put together a fantastic, terrific trip to Tanzania and Kenya last August/September. In setting up the trip, Frankie listened to our goals and wishes, answered all our questions and put together a trip that accomplished everything we’d hoped for. We originally planned the trip in the spring of 2021 and thankfully COVID was much less of a travel and health issue in September 2022 than it was in 2021. It was an amazing African trip with so many special experiences. This is our second time to Africa and second time traveling with Cherri’s team. They know how to do it!

The places we stayed were all luxurious and unique!!
andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge (Loved being in the Tree Lodge area, so romantic!) – Namari Plains – Singita’s Mara River Tented Camp (The outside bath tub with window view is amazing, plus wildebeest crossing in the rain while having a massage. It doesn’t get any better.) – Giraffe Manor – Solio Lodge
Everywhere we stayed, the staff was friendly and made sure our needs were met. The food was delicious and the service was very attentive.

We went to Africa to see the animals and habitat, of course. And that was amazing!
From the hyenas and lions in the Ngorongoro Crater, to the big cats at Namari Plains (not to mention the sunrise hot-air balloon ride!) to the tens of 1000s of wildebeests at Singita’s Mara River Camp (watching them cross the Mara River on migration is a once-in-a-lifetime experience), to feeding the giraffes at Giraffe Manor and seeing the rhinos at the Solio Game Reserve. We saw not only lots of different animals but also a variety of ecosystems. The guides were fantastic, especially Haupt at Namari Plains and Baraka at Mara River Tented Camp. The accommodations were top-shelf not only in terms of comfort but also their unique character and views. The views from our room at the Crater Lodge were stunning, as was the vista of the Mara River from our tent and dining area. Absolutely unforgettable!

Cherri’s office sends email details on the country, health and suggestions on activities. We felt safe our entire trip, with no worry about Covid. Several weeks before we left for the trip, Frankie sent a spiral-bound book with every detail. Perfect reference and planning guide! She was always available to answer questions!

Frankie made sure we stayed in great tents at each camp, and she secured the Helen Suite at Giraffe Manor, which meant we had a visit each morning from Edd, the hungry giraffe. We so enjoyed our Tree Lodge area room at the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge. Here, they created a special cake for dessert with a surprise chorus singing beautiful music. Everyone in the dining room got to enjoy and celebrated with cake. Many special details were arranged for us to celebrate our anniversary and Tom’s birthday at each stay. We appreciated these personal details! Also, the air travel and ground transfer logistics intra-trip came off without a hitch. Frankie also arranged for an escort thru the airport when we arrived in Kilimanjaro and as we left Nairobi. That made our trip much easier and less stressful.

The wildebeest migration/crossing, doing the Serengeti Balloon Safari at dawn and the experiences at Giraffe Manor (including a visit to the elephant orphanage) were highlights of an overall fantastic trip!

After a wonderful experience due to Wendy’s recommendation for visiting Morocco, I contacted her for solo itineraries to South Africa. She recommended Cherri, who coordinates South Africa adventures with Road Scholar. I was the 15th participant on their small-group tour, Southern Africa Safari and Train Adventure, from Cape Town to Victoria Falls, in mid-September 2022.

This was my first trip with Road Scholar and it will not be my last. The trip exceeded my expectations. I felt safe and welcomed by the group leader and all the participants. A highlight for me was the delicious wine in Stellenbosch, followed by Boulders Beach and the African penguin colony. The favorite part of the trip for me was the exquisite service and elegance of the Rovos Rail. What a way to travel to Zimbabwe…morning lectures, afternoon excursions, delicious meals with South African wine pairings, and the peaceful rolling of the train lulled me to sleep.

The game drives didn’t disappoint either. Every one was better than the last, with up-close sightings of all the big five plus so much more. It was incredible following a pride of lions and spotting giraffes, kudu, elephants and so many other animals and birds. I will also always treasure interacting and feeding elephants. It was especially rewarding that part of my trip cost contributed to the Victoria Wildlife Trust as well as supported the local community. Interacting with residents and students was genuine and meaningful.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the splendor of Victoria Falls. I was blessed to see the Falls flowing with water and spotted with a rainbow. It was cathartic and the first of the seven natural wonders that I’ve been honored to experience.

At each turn, the group leader and local specialists provided the right amount of educational content along with their charming personalities. I am so grateful that I took the leap and opened my heart to meeting new people and new adventures. The trip was incredible; the memories and friendships will stay with me forever.

My partner and I traveled in Southern Africa for three weeks Aug-Sept, 2022. Our trip planning was done through Cherri’s office. Our trip that included South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia (Vic Falls) was amazing—wildlife, culture, adventure, wine! We met some pretty awesome people along the way, locals and visitors.

Cherri’s crew rescheduled our trip TWICE due to the pandemic. The team was knowledgeable, professional and highly capable. They even helped us with special requests DURING the trip. They were very accommodating. It felt like our specific interests were being considered. We weren’t just a number.

This was our third safari trip to Africa—our second to South Africa and Botswana. We have always found Africa to be a magical place, the vast open spaces, wildlife in all its beauty and rawness, star-studded skies, sunrises and sunsets unlike anywhere else in the world, warm and welcoming people and a place where one can focus on the natural beauty and rhythms of the world without all the intrusions of our everyday lives. As so much of a safari is outdoors, we thought it would be the perfect place to venture out notwithstanding COVID. This trip was planned for us by Cherri Briggs and her team. They selected five lodges for us to stay at during our two-week trip—each of which was special in its own way. We had superb private guides and the food was excellent. We had wildlife sightings that were truly amazing and memorable. Perhaps our favorite was our two-plus hour observation of the interactions of a pride of lions—two males, three females and seven cubs (three and four months old). We saw cubs go from wrestling and play-fighting to hugging each other, a lioness licking and caressing one cub while another cub munched on the mom’s tail, lionesses nursing the cubs, and the male lions making clear that they did not want to be bothered when the cubs sought to engage with them. We saw other family interactions—elephants, leopards, hyenas, as well as lions engaging in a two-day mating ritual and a wild dog kill that occurred inches from our vehicle. We did have a couple of interactions that were a bit too close: one elephant picked up a large branch and threw it right at us, though fortunately his aim was off and it dropped right before entering the vehicle, and one river crossing which resulted in us and our vehicle being flooded and stuck for some tense moments in the middle of a river home to hippos and crocs. (Notably, the first order of business at every camp is the signing of a waiver and release.) But that is the unpredictable nature of safaris and why we always travel with one of Wendy’s experts to assist in addressing any issues that may arise. Our last stop, Jack’s Camp, was truly special. Recently redone with enormous tents filled with locally crafted furnishings as evocative of North Africa and the Middle East as sub-Saharan Africa, it sits in a stark desert landscape populated by wildlife not seen elsewhere in Botswana. Here we saw meerkats (who were habituated and actually climbed on us for a better perch to look around to check for any predators), an aardvark, aardwolf, brown hyenas and a lioness with her four older cubs who were so curious about us they came right up to the vehicle—closer than we have ever been to lions. We met some of the last remaining Bushmen who described their lifestyle and we had an amazing guide—Mr. Bones—who was not only an extremely experienced and talented tracker, but was knowledgable about and shared with us much about the history, geography, economy, politics and social issues of Botswana. Overall, it was a fabulous trip. Cherri kept in touch with us throughout the trip and was very helpful in navigating and addressing any issues which arose.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL Cherri Briggs helped us plan an unforgettably wonderful journey to Cape Town, 2 camps in Botswana, Victoria Falls and 1 lodge in Zimbabwe. We traveled Aug. 11-Sept. 4, 2022. It was a trip of a lifetime, one that was filled with momentous experiences, great beauty, luxurious camps and lodges, delicious food and wines, along with the most gracious and knowledgeable hosts and guides. Every detail was carefully attended to, making for a flawless experience. We had hoped to take this trip 2 years ago, but had to postpone due to Covid. Timing now was perfect. Without Cherri’s expert advice, we would not have chosen the itinerary that we had. Her help was invaluable. Because of health fears, we delayed beginning the planning for this trip until about 5 months prior to departure. Cherri reacted immediately and was able to secure exquisite lodging for us despite our late notice. Each destination, hotel, camp, lodge and restaurant was impeccably chosen. One experience in particular of note was a visit that Cherri arranged to a local village in Zimbabwe where we met with an incredibly intelligent and inspirational Village Chief. This visit far exceeded our expectations. We were fortunate to see all of the big 5 at each camp or lodge (even 3 leopards!) as well as many endangered wild dogs and their pups, beautiful birds and countless other animals. Cherri and her team helped make this dream trip become a reality that we will remember with great fondness through the rest of our lives.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  Last fall, after having received our Covid vaccinations and first booster shots, we were champing at the bit to do some “real” travel to destinations not accessible by car. It took about ten minutes for us to decide on Africa, a place we’d both only dreamed of visiting. On a whim, I filled out Wendy’s online questionnaire, and within a day had an hour-long chat with Cherri Briggs. Because we wanted the focus of our trip to be wildlife viewing, and also wanted to avoid crowds as much as possible, Cherri recommended that we go to Zambia and Zimbabwe, two countries we had not even considered.

Katie McDonough was assigned to work with us to design the perfect itinerary, and she did just that. We visited three different habitats—South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi, and Hwange national parks—as well as Victoria Falls. Each of the accommodations she arranged was unique; all were superior in every way. In one of our conversations with Katie, we mentioned that we enjoyed birdwatching, so at Sausage Tree our guide was the resident bird specialist. We expressed an interest in canoeing and fishing, and voilà!—both activities were included. (And I caught a tiger fish!) We were entirely astounded by the the depth of knowledge of every guide we encountered, as well as the effort they put into making our experience the best possible, including moving our vehicle so we could get the best light on animals we were trying to photograph. We saw all of the “Big Five,” and other species too numerous to mention. We watched a leopard moving its impala kill to a safer location, listened to hippos grunting as we drifted off to sleep, giggled at the antics of baboons along the banks of the Kapamba River, and simply marveled at the majesty of lions, elephants, and giraffes everywhere. We now know the true meaning of the word “awesome.”

As a postscript, traveling from Boston to Zambia is a pretty arduous endeavor, but Katie helped make it as seamless as possible by having a local representative meet us at the airport when we arrived. As it turned out, this was a godsend, since the airline scheduled to take us from Lusaka to Mfuwe had no record of our reservation in their system. Fortunately, we had all of the details, and the local rep made sure we got on our flight. Similarly, when we crossed from Zambia into Zimbabwe, a local agent helped us navigate customs and immigration in a matter of minutes—a real blessing at the end of a long day.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL Frankie, Elizabeth and Cherri planned and executed an amazing trip to 4 camps in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana in August of 2022. We really appreciated their expertise when we postponed this trip twice because of COVID and then when we had to redo the schedule at almost the last minute because of flight changes. Going to 4 different camps and 3 countries required a lot of transfers and border crossings, by air and car, and they were all flawless. I could never have organized this on my own!

Because we had been on the more typical safaris before, we asked for some more water-based places and they listened and really came through. All of our camps were different and unique and we loved them all—Baines River Camp and Thorntree Lodge in Zambia, Little Makololo in Hwange, Zimbabwe and Xugana Island Lodge in the Okavango Delta. As others have mentioned, I felt like we were getting some of the best rooms and the best guides. As well, all of the staff were welcoming and friendly. One of us was having a significant birthday and he had 2 different celebrations in 2 different camps.

I also really appreciated the trip guide they sent with a very complete itinerary, spelling out all of our transfers especially and the extremely detailed tipping guide was very helpful. The guide also included all COVID protocols for our destinations, which fortunately had pretty much been eased by the time we went.

We waited for over 2 years to take this trip, and it exceeded our expectations thanks to Cherri’s team! I am looking forward to visiting Africa again and will definitely use Cherri and her office again.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL • How was your trip? Are you glad you decided to travel now?
• How happy are you with your choices of destination, timing, and trip planner?
Our trip to Botswana and Zimbabwe in May 2022 exceeded expectations. We began planning in May 2020 to jolly ourselves through lockdown and a year to later turned to Wendy Perrin to begin in earnest. The May timing was great for our family.

I listened to Wendy’s Zoom presentations and thought that Cherri Briggs and her company would be a good fit for us because of her in-depth knowledge of Africa. I was right! She and her group did an exceptional job from recommending which countries were best in May to which camps were well suited for our interests and budget.

Cherri recommended Botswana and Zimbabwe for our May travels for optimal animal sightings and weather. She was right! Our animal sightings were off the charts. My husband and I had traveled there in 1996 for our honeymoon and we worried that it would seem too similar. We were so wrong. The quality of the camps and the guiding has increased exponentially. Plus, we spent more time at each camp this trip. Overall, the trip was fantastic.

We had two requests for Cherri and her team’s planning: 1) excellent guides, and 2) camps with a good chance of seeing leopard and cheetah. Oh my gosh, did this trip deliver. We stayed at 2 different camps in Botswana run by Kwando (Splash and Lebabala) then went to Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe where we stayed at Somalisa Acacia run by African Bush Camps. We saw every major mammal, including leopard and cheetah and we saw them more than once. The whole experience was thrilling. We have so many amazing photographs we are not sure what to do with them all.

Years ago, a friend and avid birder told us, “Birds fill the time between the mammals.” He was so right; the guides were wonderful about finding and identifying so many birds. We saw over 100 species and were not even on a special bird tour.

Each of our three guides are “of the bush.” The passion they have for wildlife shows. The bush and the delta are in their souls, and they clearly love showing it to people and teaching them about it. Each guide was different, and we loved them all.

At our last camp, Somalisa Acacia in Hwange NP, we were booked for 4 nights. It seemed excessive, but we trusted Cherri. We understood when we arrived there – it was a perfect end to our safari. The camp was the most comfortable / upscale of the three. As an example, the deck of the lodge went right up to a watering hole where the we sat and watched elephants drink less than 6 feet away. The camp is smaller and because we spent 4 nights, we got to know the staff. Their warmth and hospitality are a delight. Our guide there is the Senior Guide who won Outstanding Guide for 2021 in Zimbabwe. He wondered who our little group of 4 was that he would be assigned to us. Turns out Cherri had requested him on our behalf, and it was a great match.

• Did the trip planner suggest experiences, accommodations, dining options, travel logistics, etc., that felt Covid-appropriate to you? Did he/she solve particular challenges or destination-related problems?
The whole trip felt “Covid appropriate” to us. We were outside almost all of our waking hours. The most amazing challenge that Frankie, Cherrie’s trusted assistant and our day-to-day contact, solved for us was South Africa’s change for the Covid entry procedure. The day we departed (!!) South Africa instituted a QR code to prove your vaccination status rather than use the original vaccine card. We got a heads up the day before we left from Frankie, as well as a suggested platform from which we could generate a code. When that didn’t work, she then found another one that did. Phew.

•Did the trip planner add value to your trip? If so, how?
We could not have organized this trip without our travel planner. In addition to selecting and booking camps, we had charter flights between camps, transfers in Victoria Falls, and specific commercial flights that we needed to match up with the charter bush flights. They also set up a fantastic day in Zambia for a rhino walk, to see the town of Livingstone and then go to the rescue center called Elephant Café. Our guide and driver for that day was another highlight. We learned so much from him about the economic, political and historical situation of the area.

All in all, it was a fantastic trip for all of us and we appreciate the great plannng and advice from Cherri’s office.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL Wonderful Namibia & Botswana!

I can’t thank Frankie and Cherri enough – their attention to detail was perfect, and Frankie’s responsiveness was very helpful, particularly given our concerns during the pandemic. This was my and my travelling companion’s first visit to Africa and it hit all the right spots: Our high-quality, friendly and helpful guides ensured that we saw and learned about new places, the people, wildlife, history and geography, and that we had opportunities to photograph the wildlife and extraordinary vistas.

Accommodation everywhere was very, very good. In Namibia from Galton House (delightful, friendly, helpful) to Dead Valley Lodge (great location, wonderful people, very comfortable, good food) and the hotel in Swakopmund (also a great location, lovely rooms, very helpful staff, good food options), and then our transfer to Botswana, everything worked well and was handled with a minimum of fuss. Our stays at Splash Camp (Okavango Delta) and San Camp (Makgadikgadi Salt Pans) were very, very comfortable – the ultimate in glamping.

Flying in light planes allowed us to see the country unfold below, and sight elephants, giraffe and hippos from above – lots of fun.

Our guides knew what we wanted to see and photograph, and made it possible. From walking the dunes in Sesriem and Deadvlei, to driving over the huge ones along the coast on the Sandwich Harbour day trip – and having a flock of pelicans fly over us at Sandwich Harbour, and then follow us north along the beach – wonderful. The foodie tour in Swakopmund was very good, and the yummy cakes at Cafe Anton should be a stop on everyone’s visit. Because we had unusually warm weather with strong winds, the Living Desert Tour time was changed, and we chose to not do this.

In Botswana they ensured we were comfortable and safe with only six of us in the 4WDs. In both locations we saw many animals, including elephants, giraffe, a cheetah, a leopard and lions around their recent kill. Ponchos with warm “bush baby” inserts kept us warm on the 5 degrees Celsius morning and night game drives.

Splash Camp was great from our first breakfast around an outdoor fire, to the singing from the camp’s staff at our last dinner. San Camp in the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans was also excellent – what a beautiful place, and how interesting it was to meet and learn from the Kalahari bushmen and women. All dietary requirements were catered for – and that’s always appreciated. San Camp’s team surprised me on my birthday with a yummy cake (enough for everyone at the table), songs sung in their language with their beautiful voices, and even dancing – a very nice way to celebrate my birthday, and being there after a 2-year delay!

I had two “Out of Africa” moments (reference to the movie): one sitting on the outside veranda at Splash Camp and the other at San Camp, watching the glorious vistas, with Mozart & Beethoven playing on my iPad, and a delicious cup of tea. The only thing missing was Robert Redford!

Big thanks to all who helped make this amazing trip happen so seamlessly.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  Just returned from our 3rd month-long trip to Africa. Once again Cherri Briggs, Katie McDonough and their team delivered a trip that exceeded our lofty expectations. And the Wendy Perrin WOW Moment was the icing on the cake. Wesley Gold, Anti-Poaching Manager, and his team, treated us to a very special 90-minute presentation, Q&A session, demonstration and photo shoot. We love dogs and truly enjoyed the opportunity to watch them “work” and then to interact with us. Not sure how Wendy knew that we love dogs, but our WOW Moment could not have been more perfect. Thank you, Wendy.

We stayed at 6 lodges in Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya. The four lodges in Zambia and Kenya were new and the two in Tanzania repeat visits. Every trip detail was planned and executed perfectly. We received special treatment along the way and are certain this is due to the relationships forged by Cherri and Katie. Our rooms were well located and our guides all outstanding. Seeing wildlife was a challenge this year and our guides met the challenge head on. We learned that cooler temperatures cause the wildlife to seek forested areas. And, the delayed migration resulted in higher grass. Both made seeing cats more difficult. So our guides located leopards in trees and looked for matted grass to find lions and cheetah. The airport VIP support was especially appreciated given the crowded conditions and various virus related checks. Finally, all handoffs occurred as scheduled. We look forward to our next African adventure supported by Cherri & Katie.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL I recently booked a trip with Cherri Briggs and her team for a safari on the Zambezi River for myself and my husband. My word, what an awesome experience we had, from discussing our initial plans and her giving suggestions and guidance as we are not experienced travelers. The animals and environment was truly amazing to experience so up-close (sometimes a bit too close) but thrilling and exciting nonetheless :) The accommodation, staff and facilities were excellent. I would highly recommend her and her team for the amazing unforgettable experience we had.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL We just returned home from our African safari in April/May 2022. This trip was originally planned for 2020, then 2021 and finally 2022. The Trusted Travel Expert, Cherri, and her colleague Katie rescheduled without complaint. It was a lot of work for one trip! We had never traveled to southern Africa and trusted the recommendations of Katie of how to structure our trip. We traveled to Kenya, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was a lot of countries in this time of Covid, but fortunately all test restrictions were lifted shortly before our trip (other than testing to return to the US). Of course, every time we crossed a border we were required to go through security, customs, vaccine check, etc. It was invaluable to have someone facilitate airport transfers. They often took us to the front of the line, directed us through the airport, checked us in to airport hotels as needed and helped with luggage. It’s a TTE service that just makes traveling that much easier.

We loved every camp we stayed at. They were intimate and welcoming. We also had the top guides at a couple of camps thanks to Cherri’s connections. I wore their company’s hat, and it was always recognized and it gave me confidence that the TTE was familiar with the camp and checked in on an ongoing basis.

I just completed a 100 p book of our adventures, but I’ll try to summarize.

Makgadikgadi Plains in Botswana is a desert environment. As we traveled during April, there were not huge herds, but we were lucky enough to come across a couple of fresh kills so were able to observe the cycle of lion/cheetah kills, jackals, vultures and hyenas. The walk with the Bushman was fascinating and felt very authentic. Finally, the habituated meerkats were fun, we have some great photos of them climbing on us. I think my favorite part was the brilliance of the stars.

Khwai Leadwood in the Okavango Delta was magical. Our guide, Banda, was fantastic and we saw a great variety of wildlife. The camp was one of our favorites, due in large part to the hostess, Mimi. She was fantastic! Always there to greet us and send us off with a smile. Sleeping to the sound of hippos is memorable.

Thornwood Lodge on the Zambezi river was a bit bigger, but was our base to visit Victoria Falls. It was so worth seeing.

Our final camp was Somalisa. Our guide was Calvet who had been voted best guide in Zimbabwe in 2021 – thanks to Katie for making sure he was our guide, he was wonderful. The feel of the lodge was comfortable and fun. AND, there is a watering hole right in front where we saw herds of elephants, buffalo (300!) and hyenas.

This felt like a very safe trip as far as Covid is concerned. We were outside on safari for about 8 hours a day, and ate all of our meals outside.

Transfers can be complicated moving from camp to camp, but Katie managed them beautifully.

I was sorry to have to leave. Safaris are an amazing, life changing experience. We are lucky that so much land in Africa is protected to ensure the safety of these animals.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL Stunning Namibia enhanced by a WOW moment:

Just back from our 2nd trip booked with Cherri Briggs, with Elise Day taking the planning helm. The trip totally exceeded our expectations, which were already high based on our perceptions from some of the high end lodges’ marketing. We give full credit to Elise for taking the bits and bobs of what we wanted to experience and putting it into a fully rounded Namibia experience. The direction she chose of having the trip start with animals and build in lodge quality with each one and experience just getting better and better. We really enjoyed all the properties, with Onduli Ridge and andbeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge being real stand outs (Okonjima Bush Camp and Ongava Lodge were very good too!). The only negative to the trip is on me, as I chose/pushed for Shipwreck Lodge, which although the staff were great and the property/location stunning, the experience fell below expectation for us. I would still highly recommend the area, just another property.

Our trip was just under 3 weeks from April 14-May 1, 2022. Even though Elise had provided all covid related information, all covid testing was relaxed for all of our destinations right before we left, which was so great. However, we had asked Elise to ensure Ultimate Safaris knew that we wanted to wear masks still while in the closed vehicle – compliance without an issue! Originally, we were adding on a South African portion to the trip which Elise fully planned BUT then Omicron hit and we decided to dial back to just travelling to Namibia and she made all those changes for us, bless her.

Namibia is fabulous. It’s a large country, so a lot to cover, but private flights and private safari vehicles make it happen. The intimate boutique lodges are outstanding and the food and beverage a great surprise of how good it all was. They have all the wild life, with some being desert-adapted, the amazing natural beauty of landscape, sky, sand dunes, ocean, stargazing (never have we seen the southern cross and milky way so clearly) and friendly people!

We really felt that we were treated like VIPs throughout our trip, getting the better room, getting the better guide, getting the better pilot, etc. And then there was our WOW Moment, which happened in Walvis Bay. After we finished our private kayak with Cape Fur Seals surrounding us, the owners of Mola Mola took us further along the beach where they had set up a private VIP gourmet beach lunch, complete with a beautiful beach toilet (honestly, a thing of beauty!). Their wonderful engaging personalities were icing on the cake… adding to tasty huge crayfish and delicious wines. Thank you!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  We just returned from a 2+ week trip to South Africa that was originally planned for May of 2020, replanned for October of 2021 and we were finally able to go in March of 2022. We were a family of 6, parents and adult children and Katie was our travel specialist who was with us through all the planning and replanning over the 2 years. In October of 21, Katie recommended we simplify our original itinerary to only one country, South Africa, which we did and we were very happy that we did. Not only did it simplify cross border covid testing but it also simplified intercontinent travel so that we could enjoy the places we visited more. We added Grootbos forest reserve and lengthened our safari in Sabi Sabi by a day as a result and we loved that we saw three completely different parts of South Africa; Sabi Sands for safari, Franschoek wine country (including Cape Town) and lastly Grootbos. Our accommodations were amazing; everywhere we stayed was different from the one before and intimate, luxurious, and felt very safe. They were all small venues so we felt as if we had the places to ourselves and since most everything we did was outdoors, they all felt very safe. The staff at all our properties were wonderful and very attentive as were the meals and the safari experience was as everyone said- an experience of a lifetime. We had an amazing guide and tracker at Little Bush Camp and the staff prepared each dinner in a different outdoor venue which was so charming and fun. We stayed at La Cle in Franschoek and Melanie and her team were incredible. We catered 2 lunches and 2 dinners after our excursions and all of our meals were incredible and a great value. Grootbos, on the southern coast of South Africa, is a gorgeous sea and forest venue with fun tours and staff. We had our own private driver once we were in the Cape Town area arranged by Katie, which was so nice as she took us everywhere for the balance of the trip and was very knowledgable as to the areas we visited and our excursions. The Covid testing on our last day went smoothly and only took 30 minutes, very easy and efficient. We were so thankful that we finally got to take this trip with our children and made many very special memories. I have used quite a few WOW consultants over the years and I continue to do so because the attention to detail and local knowledge can’t be beat and each of the consultants we have used has made our trip very special. This was absolutely the case with Katie and her team.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL We travelled to Rwanda and Uganda for the month of January 2022. This trip was fantastic! We are so glad we threw caution to the wind and travelled during Covid. We felt safer in Africa than we do at home.

This trip was different from our usual trips in that we avoided indoor activities and home visits with locals. We ate most meals outside. For the ones we ate inside all staff was masked. Not that it really mattered. Staff was required to get pcr tests before going to each lodge and they stayed for months at a time.

Cherri Briggs did a wonderful job of putting together all the pieces of a complicated multi country trip with multiple lodgings in both countries. She arranged all the Covid testing and made it as easy as possible. She also suggested insurance in advance of the trip so we had total peace of mind. She even had a list of over 60 gratuities she provided us in advance to make things very easy.

This trip was different from the one we originally envisioned in that we were the only ones staying at the various lodges for most of the time. At most, there was another couple. Also, we saw very few other tourists. The Nile River was devoid of any other tourist boats. On safari we rarely saw another Land Rover. The genocide museum in Kigali was empty as was the art gallery we went to.

We had the best guides because only the best get work. Gorilla and monkey treks were planned out in advance so we did not get stuck on very strenuous ones.

We could not have planned this trip by ourselves. It just had too many moving parts. Everything went seamlessly except for one chimp trek. Since that did not go 100% as planned Cherri arranged to get the whole thing refunded.

As for the WOW Moment arranged by Cherri all I can say is WOW WOW WOW!!! We flew by private helicopter from Entebbe to Jinja, the beginning of the Nile River, had lunch out there at an amazing lodge with rapids rushing all around us and then returned in time to catch our flight back home.

My only regret is that I did not travel earlier during the pandemic. Go now before it is too late!!!!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  Very well orchestrated beautiful, exciting adventure. Everyone involved competent and very helpful. Indelible memories with this one!!

Photo courtesy Beth Nury

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  2021/22 Christmas and New Year’s in Kenya – An unforgettable Nury family holiday extravaganza!

Initial discussions with Cherri Briggs and her team began in July 2021 to further investigate if 2021 would be the year to go on safari. What Covid hurdles would we encounter? How would we handle a trip cancellation if a family member tested Covid positive days prior to departure? Where is the best place to see the Big 5?

She and her team answered those questions (and plenty more!) enabling us to explore Kenya for 15 days. Cherri’s team guided us from the beginning and insisted on three key items to avoid possible trip derailment and an immense financial disaster.
1. Transportation: Due to Covid country entry requirements regularly changing with little notice (the U.S. changed their entry requirements two times after we booked our trip in July), Cherri recommended a direct flight from JFK via Kenya Airways. This smart strategy limited us to only one Covid test when leaving the U.S. and avoided the possibility of additional tests for connecting international flights and airports. Cherri also recommended limiting our travel to one country, Kenya, to again avoid additional, costly Covid tests in order to enter another African country.
2. Insurance: Cherri highly recommended we purchase Trip Cancellation insurance and evaluate the optional CFAR (Cancel For Any Reason) endorsement. I generated quotes via Squaremouth.com and ended up with an AXA policy with the CFAR endorsement. Granted, the policy was expensive and the CFAR endorsement only indemnified me for 75% (industry standard) of the total trip cost, but it provided peace of mind as the Delta and Omicron variants raced across the U.S. with me and my family as potential targets!
3. Health & Safety: Cherri recommended bringing paper copies of all travel documents: Covid vaccines, health insurance cards, Trip Cancellation policy, Covid test results, passports etc. and not rely on my phone as the only document location. This strategy enabled us to move through airport check-in quicker than others because Kenya Airways wanted to review paper copies and not documents on a phone. Cherri’s team also coordinated our return Covid tests at Saruni Mara with a Kenyan doctor prior to leaving. The day following the tests, results were emailed to me at Giraffe Manor, our final stop, and the staff was instrumental with printing the lab report with the QR Code which was required in order to board our flight home.

The accommodations recommended by Cherri were superb. The hospitality was warm, the bush guides were knowledgeable, the food was excellent and the facilities were immaculate and regularly wiped down to eliminate any threat of a virus. A special shout out to Sasaab and Saruni Mara for going above and beyond by arranging meaningful visits to local people! Cherri’s tip to bring some candy and small gifts for the village children as an icebreaker was all that was needed for smiles, giggles and an insider’s view of the locals’ homes and lifestyles.

I cannot forget to note the sleeper of the trip: Governors Balloon Safari. My husband and I were skeptical of this bucket list item, envisioning being stuffed in a basket with other random tourists prior to sunrise. Boy, were we wrong. An overwhelming sense of nostalgia overtook us as we rose high above the trees of Masai Mara, spotting elephants, giraffes, hippos and buffalo in their natural habitat for the hour ride. It brought back memories of our 1970s childhood: Sunday nights, the entire family parked around the vintage RCA console television, spellbound by the breathtaking treetop scenes from Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. But this time, it was live and we were filming!

How could I conclude without mentioning the game drives, the true meaning for the trip? Our guides had us up early for good reason. We regularly viewed big cats over kills every morning. Breakfast in the wild was a chance to pause and reflect. Night drives were full of excitement as we watched the drama of life and death unfold again.

Africa, as revealed by Cherri’s team, is truly the “trip of a lifetime!”

PANDEMIC TRAVEL In 2019, I returned from an Africa tour and had another ‘must see’ place. I love Africa, been there more than 5 times. I wanted to change up my next trip with a custom itinerary instead of a pre-defined tour. Wendy’s expert, Cherri Briggs, created a fabulous and memorable experience. A friend recommended Mana Pools so we started there. Cherri asked me what I love about Africa. The itinerary for November 2021 she recommended included:

Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe
Chobe National Park, Botswana
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa

In Mana Pools, views were expansive and breathtaking. The Nyamatusi camp was modern and rustic and comfortable. The staff was musical and friendly and fabulous. The heat was notable, but the plunge pool, fan, outside shower and the banks of the Zambezi River made every day super special. Elephants, wild dogs and hippos were so close and easy to watch to create a super special experience.

At Chobe, Flo, one of the earliest woman guides in Africa, was my own private guide. The place was uncrowded, so Flo and I drove and floated the Zambezi every day. We did more outings on the Zambezi and I got to see so much elephant and hippo behavior at the water’s edge!!!

On the Okavango Delta, the Kwai Tented Camp is a modern, beautiful place and extremely comfortable. Giraffe, hippo, wild dogs, lion, hyena and leopard kept us company. I got an amazing moment in a tiny helicopter ride over the delta. We also had a really close up visit with a pack of wild dogs, who were hanging out on a dry river bed near the camp. We ended the stay with a fabulous dinner in the camp boma.

At Sabi Sands, the first morning, a pregnant leopard stretched in a tree, climbed down and walked by our vehicle. Then a lion pride of about 20, including two males (brothers) and cubs 3 months, 6 months and one year old. The father of the cubs was eating what remained of a recent zebra. His brother waited nearby and one of the 6 month old cubs approached, looking for approval to check out the zebra. The father grunted, allowing the young one to chew and play with the nose area of the kill. A few times, the little one tried to move up towards the more interesting parts but was immediately corrected – back to the nose. According to the guide and tracker, this kind of behavior is very rare.

Wendy surprised me with a surprise WOW Moment – a visit to an elephant rescue, including an elephant ride. It was astounding!

I’m so hooked on Wendy’s experts for designing and arranging my trips! Awesome locations, totally organized transfers, COVID testing and local updates as COVID happened come from a Wendy expert.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  We just got back from a trip to Zimbabwe (10/2/21 – 10/18/21)! Wow! Everything went so smoothly, even for pre-covid I would have been impressed. But given all the additional logistics, changes, and covid tests, it is a true testament to Katie and all the people on the ground. There was obviously good communication between all the parties involved throughout the trip. Prior to leaving, I kept thinking the rug was going to get pulled from under us and the trip wouldn’t really happen, but it did! We are so incredibly happy we were able to see another part of the world. This trip was originally supposed to happen a year ago, but obviously due to covid, we postponed. This required rescheduling things several times as well as readjusting the order of the itinerary to make the logistics easier with regards to covid testing requirements. Katie and I stayed in touch and talked regularly throughout. We required 1 covid test prior to the trip and 2 while on the trip, both were organized ahead of time. They both would have been done at our lodging if it weren’t for the fact that we were out enjoying Devil’s pool so missed the nurse at camp. No big deal though, we just went to the nearby clinic and had it done when we were finished. It was great that our activities didn’t get interrupted. We felt very safe throughout and did not feel that covid restricted us in any way. We were outside nearly the entire trip.

All of our guides were really great throughout the trip, but I’ll put a special mention out to Paul Hubbard. We would definitely not have known about him if it weren’t for our travel specialist. This is a guy that is truly passionate about topics that for many wouldn’t be too exciting. He can make rock art, ancient human history, and more recent history entirely captivating and interesting.

We had a really nice balance between adventure (microlite flight, whitewater rafting the Zambezi, swimming in Devil’s Pool), safari and animal sightings (more elephants than I ever thought imaginable, lions eating a buffalo, painted dogs, fishing for tiger fish and so much more!) and cultural exposure (village visits (one via bike), caves and rock art, and history). The food was delicious and abundant throughout. Our lodging/camps were wonderful, as were the staff at all of them! I will never tire of an outdoor shower! We were upgraded to a villa at one lodge. We had an incredibly special lunch organized by the shores of Lake Kariba—never had I felt more spoiled. At one point, one of my guides set me up under a log so I could get pictures of elephants from a different perspective. These are just a few of the wonders we experienced!

All in all, fantastic! We are so grateful!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  Katie planned the most perfect trip for my daughter and I. We had originally booked for 2020 and were a bit reluctant to travel this year due to the many Covid tests we had to undertake. As it turned out, it was the best time to travel as the many places we visited had reduced number of travelers. The itinerary Katie made flowed flawlessly, we didn’t have to worry about a single detail once we left the USA. The guides, drivers and hotel/camp employees were some of the best that I have encountered. Hiking to see the mountain gorillas was perhaps the highlight of our trip, although the safaris themselves were epic as well. Two nights at the Giraffe Manor was ideal, we had such great time taking pictures and being close to those magnificent animals. Katie recommended a private visit to the elephant orphanage in Nairobi which added greatly to our adventure. Everything was planned out, from Covid testing at the various destinations to meet and greet at the airports.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL Our trip to Zambia August 10-22, 2021 was amazing and exactly what we needed in our first trip after COVID! Our family of 5 relished the new sights/sounds/experiences of the bush, the time spent with extremely knowledgeable local guides and the professional, attentive hospitality. While Africa was always on our trip wish list, we feel fortunate to have done it this summer without the usual crowds and before others were even thinking of traveling overseas. It was truly a once in a lifetime trip where we easily saw just about every animal (including the big 5), stayed in beautiful, luxurious accommodations, ate delicious meals every night and felt special, safe and appreciated everywhere we went. We will never forget the warm, knowledgeable guides, the bush meals and surprise moments (lunch on a sandbar), and the interesting conversations and magical sunsets every night for sundowners. Thank you for our favorite guide, Fanuelle, whom came up with unique, fun activities for our teenagers on our last day together- sand volleyball with camp staff and driving across/wading in spring fed Kapamba River.

Cherri Briggs was wonderful to work with designing the ideal itinerary with time in different landscapes, different types of camps, varied activities and the best guides. Despite the fluctuations in the pandemic and constantly changing requirements, Cherri and Frankie were confident in our ability to travel, prepared to help us navigate the extra requirements and in frequent communication before and during trip. They worked with the lodges to provide reasonable, flexible cancellation policies and connected us to an awesome luxury air specialist for flights. I believe Cherri’s connections got us the absolute best guide at camp for our first six days. Only hiccup on trip was delay in one of the charter flights which Cherri’s team was on top of and in communication with our camp to keep us updated. Getting our departure COVID test in our lodge was so convenient and easy. They obviously have great relationships with the lodges, charters and even government officials (helpful during a pandemic). Will definitely return to Africa with Cherri!

Travelers should consider what type of camps they would like (size, how much interaction with guide, types of activities, room setups if traveling with children). The more information you give the trip planner, the more satisfied you will be. Be sure to check premium cabin fares with their air specialist!

Tracy Reller and family (teens 17, 14, 14)

PANDEMIC TRAVEL We just returned from an unforgettable trip to Zambia and Botswana in June! Cherri Briggs and her team were wonderful to deal with and helped us to plan a trip we had not considered for this year until listening to the WOW Week list of speakers in May. Taking a safari trip was on our bucket list, and we know that one is generally planned months if not years in advance. We left one month after first speaking with Cherri’s team based on what we learned.

Africa is the definition of uncrowded at this time, and, as all activities and dining are outside, it could not be more Covid friendly. We had many camps and experiences almost totally to ourselves…something we know we will never be able to replicate in the future! From helicopter flights to romantic dinners in the wild, our trip was the definition of fabulous! The team listened to what we wanted to do, helped us to coordinate all needed Covid tests both here in Chicago and during the trip, connected us to a wonderful flight coordinator, made sure we had all necessary paperwork, travel insurance and plans that ensured that the trip could be managed in a more challenging time. Travelers now truly must have people to “watch their backs”…our return flights were cancelled by our carrier on the day we were due to leave, and our flight coordinator and Cherri’s team went to work to make sure the problem was solved before we left. The coordination for each leg of our trip was flawlessly planned, went off without a hitch, and our trip was beyond memorable!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  Zimbabwe, Botswana, Johannesburg and Uganda during Covid
Trip dates May 18-June 9, 2021

We booked this trip for 2 back in March 2019 for May 2020, and then we all know what happened – Covid! Luckily for us, we booked with Cherri Briggs (conception with Cherri and hands on operation with Elizabeth Rand), and it was very smoothly rebooked (and even slightly tweaked with money returned) for May 2021. Honestly, it couldn’t have been easier, and I know this, because I had a couple of pre elements I had booked myself that were not that easy to deal with. Coming from the Tourism Industry, I understand how incredibly terrible this time was for all of Tourism worldwide, and of course, the loss of life and horribleness of Covid. Because of these two opposing themes – Help Tourism and Don’t Contribute To More Covid – we really struggled as May 2021 grew closer… do we go? 1 month out we received our 1st Astrazeneca Shot and prior to our departure, no flights, camps or any details cancelled on us, making us believe that we were doing the right thing. Obviously, we really wanted to go, and we realize how incredibly privileged we were to actually be able to go.

The most challenging part, that Elizabeth expertly figured out for us, was all the Covid testing. We had to get a Covid test in Vancouver 48 hours prior to our flight, then a Covid test at our home that was 48 hours before arriving in Zimbabwe (which we received while in the air), a Covid test in Zimbabwe that would get us into Botswana and a nurse was flown into our camp in Botswana for a covid test to get us into Johannesburg – which lasted us through to our arrival in Uganda, a test in Uganda to get home and our final two tests when we were home.

Prior to our departure, we received a package from Elizabeth – shirts, hats, luggage tags, masks with filters and most importantly a small bound book in a beautiful leather case, that was ALL of our information, including a TIP GUIDE! I cannot stress enough how much I LOVED this….it provided the exact amount to tip for each and every interaction. It allowed me to get the exact amount in denominations of US currency, etc and alleviated so much stress that I usually feel when travelling. We never had to worry about getting more cash or change during the entire 3.5 week trip.

The true mark of how amazing Elizabeth was, is that we had zero issues during our trip and no reason to contact her (other than her checking in that all was great) as all ran according to her plan. Including being met just off the plane by a greeter to smooth our arrival process in Entebbe!

Our itinerary was Victoria Falls – Batonka Lodge, 4 nights / Linkwasha Camp Hwange Zimbabwe, 4 nights / Lagoon Camp Botswana, 3 nights / Kwara Camp Botswana, 3 nights / Johannesburg Fairlawns Hotel, 2 nights / Entebbe Uganda Hotel No 5, 2 nights / Primate Lodge Uganda, 2 nights / Buhoma Lodge Uganda, 2 nights.

We felt safe everywhere. In many places, tourism had been a focus of their vaccination program, but everyone still wore masks (Victoria Falls and Uganda weren’t the best at wearing their masks properly, but they did have them on their faces!) All of the camps were really into hand sanitizing. The Botswana camps even took everyone’s temperatures 2x daily. There really wasn’t a need to social distance as we were often THE ONLY ONES IN CAMP! Linkwasha it was just us for 2 nights, Lagoon for all 3 nights and Kwara for 1 night. In Uganda, there were 2 to 5 rooms in house during our stays. How special and guilty did we feel? Is this how billionaires who do a camp buyout feel? Of course, we LOVED the over-the-top VIP treatment and the bonus of having PRIVATE GAME DRIVES! The guilt came from knowing that the Tourism Industry is so important and so many people’s livelihoods were affected, BUT they all kept telling us how happy they were that we decided to travel and could we please spread the word. The only slight downside, that pains me to admit publicly, and I know makes us sound like unappreciative, privileged A-holes, is that we were slightly over serviced! When does that happen! When you are the only guests!

We LOVED all 3 camps in Zimbabwe and Botswana, each for different reasons, which was great. And overall, our game viewing was OUTSTANDING! Our driver/guide Livingstone at Linkwasha, our guide/tracker Spencer and James at Lagoon and at Kwara our guide/tracker Carter and Luke. They found us everything we asked for and more – we ran with wild dogs and lions, we searched hard and found not one but two cheetahs! We had an amazing walking safari in Hwange. I could go on and on. The photos and videos are beyond amazing, we saw so much. Everyone was so happy we were there, and they were super excited to get back out and find all the game as well.

In Uganda, the big draw was the Gorillas, which we saw at the very end of our trip. Elizabeth had arranged for us to do two days and we can’t thank her enough – just one would never have been satisfying. Our only slight change is that my husband thinks we should have done the gorillas at the beginning of our trip as he was a bit concerned about physical factors (getting a cold, previously injuring ourselves) and I really did not enjoy the 8.5 hour drive from the Primate Lodge to Buhoma Lodge – Uganda roads are terrible. I would suggest if people want to do the Chimp treks (which were very easy and it was super to see the chimps in the wild) that they fly.

At the beginning of our trip, flights and airports were not very busy, and a month later, on our return, you could see the uptick – people are travelling again!

Thanks again for recommending we use the services of Cherri Briggs and her partner Katie McDonough to help us create our extraordinary 4 week trip to South & East Africa (Botswana, Tanzania, & Rwanda). After Katie talked with us extensively by phone, their recommendations for routing, lodges & camps were superb. Every travel connection, including transfers on some very remote airstrips in East Africa went perfectly. And after I had the misfortune of injuring my ankle in the Kalahari on our very first day, (a pathway collapsed that had been eroded by rain) both Katie & Cherri checked in regularly to help us get the medical assistance I needed, and made arrangements with various camps & guides to assist me so that I could continue the trip and not miss out on anything, including seeing the gorillas in Rwanda.

I have previously worked as a journalist and photographer, and spent much of my life working in documentaries at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. While we wanted to have the big game experience on the Serengeti, Katie also listened to my husband & my strong desire to interact with people and helped make that happen in a way that did not feel touristy.

Seeing the thousands of wildebeest on the Serengeti plains, the mothers giving birth & the wild dogs stalking their newborns…. the Silverback gorillas & their mates looking deeply into our eyes during a tropical rainstorm in the jungle… the bull elephant pinning back its ears & giving us a warning when we got too close…. all of these are vivid memories that we will never forget, but it was the people we met that made our trip so exceptional… both the local guides and opportunities to meet and interact with locals (including Kalahari Bushmen, Masai and their families). We spent a lot of time in markets, and small villages, and on several occasions had the opportunity to visit our guides’ families and friends. All truly special, including one morning in the Southern Serengeti where the day began with a visit to our Masai guide’s uncle’s traditional boma. We were invited inside his grandmother’s mud & dung hut for a tour of her humble home, but only after she’d carefully swept the mud floor, and cleared a seat for us on her husband’s simple cot. Her son, who spoke fairly good English explained how he was responsible for inoculating their cattle against various diseases, and why they’d moved up into the hills until the wildebeests and the tourists left the area. We continued for a bush walk through the hills, accompanied by more Masai , and a park ranger with an AK 47. Our “security” team. The hike culminated with breakfast, cooked over the fire, at a stunning cliff edge perch overlooking the Rift Valley.

You’d think the day couldn’t get much better, but we still had our WOW Moment ahead of us.
In the late afternoon, after another game drive witnessing herds of wildebeests, zebras, their predators, and the sometimes brutal cycle of life, we were taken to a very special quite spiritual escarpment called Sundowner Rock.

After the guides and Masai pushed and pulled me & my injured ankle up the rock face, we not only experienced a spectacular sunset and sundowner shared with about a dozen local Masai, we were then led around the back side of the rock where a surprise dinner was being cooked for us in a cave over an open fire. Two fires actually. One with local goat roasting on sticks for the Masai (which Paul also enjoyed), and the other grilling chicken and beef for us. After we’d all feasted, the Masai sang and danced and entertained themselves (and us) by the campfire, and we reveled in how lucky we all were. It was Truly magical!! And the African night sky was extraordinary. One of the most memorable evenings of our lives! Thank you Wendy for a once in a lifetime WOW Moment!

Elizabeth on Cherri’s team was available at all hours for questions, which always seem to pop up at the last minute. She was on top of everything. When two of our safari “camps” were cancelled because of overbooking/renovations, she was able to get us upgraded rooms very near to our original location. And they were amazing properties!

Our trip to Namibia was fantastic and we are glad we chose to drive as opposed to flying in and out of camps. It allowed us the opportunity to see the country side and the people. The vehicle was very comfortable with a pop up roof for looking at the animals. Perez, our guide, identified every bird and animal we saw. In addition, he carried lots of bird books for us to read more. He was extremely patient with our numerous questions and took care of all the logistics. The safari camps were wonderful (Camp Kipwe was our favorite). I was a little worried about the food but that turned out to be an unnecessary worry – the food was prepared very well in amazingly stark conditions!

Our trip to Namibia for my 40th birthday was more than I could have ever imagined. I have wanted to visit Namibia for years but could never justify the “splurge.” It was my third time on the continent of Africa (previous trips included Ethiopia and Rwanda, partially for work with some fun tagged on). This is also my second Wendy Perrin trip and I attribute our experiences to that singular fact! Our lodgings were fantastic, luxury-seeming accommodations though at a reasonable price. Our guide for the two weeks was amazing. Every detail was thoughtfully planned: even down to having someone meet us after our arrival in the Johannesburg airport from Atlanta to help us navigate internally in the airport to our next flight from Johannesburg to Windhoek, Namibia since we didn’t have checked bags (and hence our guide helped us avoid needing to exit and then re-enter security); this “small” detail saved us a HUGE amount of time and headache I am certain. We saw many varied regions of the country on this “Highlights of Namibia” trip and I am forever thankful to Wendy Perrin and Cherri Briggs for this trip of a lifetime!

Elizabeth from Cherri’s office was amazing. She created an unbelievable trip for us. During the planning process she was creative, expedient and really passionate about creating the trip of a lifetime and meeting all of our requirements and surpassing our expectations. Once on the trip we did not have to worry about a thing. Everything was taken care of and went so smoothly, from all the transfers to the activities and beyond. We had an amazing trip and that is in large part due to Elizabeth. We can’t thank her enough.

When you are taking a once-in-a-lifetime trip, you want all of the details to be perfect. And that is what we got when we engaged Cherri Briggs and her team for our trip to South Africa and Botswana. Their suggestion that we begin at Victoria Falls where a more relaxed schedule would help us adjust to jet lag was spot on. While we had initially questioned whether to include the Falls in our itinerary, they assured us that this experience would be worth it and it was. This was the first time we used the word spectacular to describe what we saw, but not the last. Each of our nine days on safari in Botswana elicited the same response. The camps at which we were booked were all comfortable and modern with unparalleled hospitality. We felt an instant rapport with our guides who led us to remarkable game viewing and a deeper understanding of the African environment. We ended our trip with stays in Cape Town and the wine country where we again found superior accommodations and extremely knowledgable guides. Everything worked smoothly from start to finish and no detail was overlooked. Cherri and her team know Africa and now we do, too. They were the perfect partners in putting together a trip that was tailored to our interests.

We really had never considered going to Ethiopia until we spoke with Cherri Briggs! She listened to our interests and past travel experiences and helped plan a terrific and unique trip. Cherri and her colleague Elizabeth Rand put together an itinerary for our family of four that mixed culture, religion, architecture, and nature. Hiking in the Simien Mountains was spectacular. Our WOW moment in Lalibela was amazing and authentic and our guide, Girum Walle Wondim, was excellent. His flexibility and spontaneity gave us opportunities to interact with community members and really get a true sense of the wonderful Ethiopian people.

My wife and I have been wanting to go to Madagascar for as long as we can remember. We’re not one for fancy resorts or group tours and Cherri’s colleague Katie delivered in spades. From the first phone call we had with her to discuss the type of trip we wanted to the updates we got while on the ground, everyone on Cherri’s team was top notch. We spent nearly two weeks exploring the northern half of Madagascar and our memories of lemurs, mangos, chameleons, and SWIMMING BESIDE WHALE SHARKS will stay with us forever. Thank you Katie (and team) for giving us this unparalleled experience. You really were the best!

Cherri & Company in 5 words:

Masterful.
Passionate.
Informed.
Insightful.
Thorough.
Terrific.

(Okay, so 6…but there are 60 more just like ’em for our magnificent African adventure she put together.)

Call her and be WOWed too.

We worked with Katie McDonough from Cherri Briggs’s team. This is the second Africa trip that she has planned for us. They do a fantastic job in paying attention to every single detail. We had tried to book Giraffe Manor two years ago when we planned this trip but it was already booked. Katie didn’t give up on this and two weeks before the trip she let us know that she had gotten us rooms there. We were thrilled and being there and feeding the giraffes from our balcony and at breakfast was thrilling. There was not a single hitch in anything. Everything was great. Katie and Cherri planned a surprise bush dinner for us with Masai dancers. It was a great surprise. Ive gotten to know the people from Cherri’s group and have recently recommended them to friends. We had a wonderful Africa experience.

Elizabeth Rand on Cherri’s team planned another great trip for us to Tanzania. Elizabeth knew just want we wanted and answered any questions we had very quickly. We stayed at 4 different lodges providing a variety of accommodations and wildlife. All of the lodges were first class with incredible staff and guides.

We were provided with a beautiful booklet with all the information we would need while traveling.

Our trip exceeded expectations! Thank you for a wonderful trip!!

The trip was very well planned and all details were covered prior to leaving which provided an extra level of comfort. We had so many wonderful animal experiences at Duma Tao and Little Vumbura. Cherri’s team also arranged for us to go to The Elephant Cafe in Zambia and a great dinner at The Test Kitchen in Cape Town.

All our guides went to extra efforts to show us the best in their areas.

We enjoyed working with Elizabeth and appreciate her communicating to all parties that this was our big anniversary trip. Everywhere we went it was acknowledged, which made it even more fun to celebrate.

My husband and I decided to visit Tanzania as our very first trip to Africa. Elizabeth on Cherri’s staff did an outstanding job putting together a first-class travel itinerary for us to Tanzania, Africa. She and her team personally oversaw every detail of the travel, even referred us to an airline travel agent to book all the commercial flights, saving us both time and money. Every property that we visited was top notch in terms of locations, safari guides, services, food, and amenities.

From our first phone call, Elizabeth was attentive on our call and asked a lot of questions to get a sense on our likes and dislikes. Her recommendations on accommodations were spot on. We were able to see all the animals on our bucket list from this one trip. We stayed at three safari luxury tents/lodge, and we loved all of them. However, Little Chem Chem was on the top of the list given the fact that wilder beasts, zebras, buffaloes, elephants were roaming around our backyard while we were have our meals or lounging outside our tents.

The guides at all three locations were extremely knowledge and accommodating.

Elizabeth also recommended the Palms for us to stay in Zanzibar. We absolutely loved the Palms.

This once in a life time experience in Africa cannot be replicated without expert guidance and incredible support from Elizabeth.

Cherri Briggs and her team designed a wonderful southern Africa trip for my family of 4. Not only were our safari lodges top notch but our time in Cape Town and Victoria Falls really rounded out the trip with activities that kept our teens constantly engaged.

One reason for this trip was to celebrate my daughter’s 16th birthday and it certainly made her feel special when our hotels and lodges continued to acknowledge her big day with a special gift or dessert, even a week later.

Planning a safari trip usually starts a year or more in advance and working with Cherri, Ryan, and Toni during this process was an absolute pleasure. Our trip was everything we hoped it would be and I would recommend them to fellow travelers in a heartbeat.

This was my first trip to Africa. Somehow I never wanted to go to Africa. This trip happened only because my husband decided to run the Comrades ultra marathon in South Africa and we thought that if we are coming this far we should travel around. I found out about Cherri Briggs through Wendy Perrin’s website and contacted her. She answered the next day and then we had a few long WhatsApp chats. As a result she created an itinerary for our 15 days Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia trip. It was one of the most amazing beautiful memorable trips i ever had. And the best trip I ever had with my husband who is not an easy traveler. Every detail was taken into consideration. Like both of us are gluten free and on the top of it I have some more food allergies. In every camp they were aware of our requirements. Food was absolutely delightful all through our journey. All camps Cherri chose for us had wonderful locations, most beautiful accommodations and lovely people. We were lucky to meet Cherri personally in Zambia and see some of the community projects she is running there. I feel that this interaction with local people and a chance to see their life enriched our trip immensely. One our way back I was doing my research based on Cherri’s suggestions for our next Africa trip… Thank you, Wendy, for Cherri!

For the second time I returned to Cherri Briggs and her team so that I could work with Katie McDonough who previously planned an amazing trip for me and my husband to Rwanda, Kenya, and Zanzibar. This time we went to Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls and the bush, lunch in Zambia and finally Cape Town. After 2 days in Victoria Falls, here is the email I sent Katie:

“Once again you have hit it out of the park! Our room at the Victoria Falls Hotel was phenomenal with an astounding view of the Victoria Falls Bridge! The helicopter ride was stupendous and seriously the Elephant Cafe is Michelin rating worthy! Today we walked the falls which was fabulous esp when I realized we were at ‘danger point’ drenched from the mist and surrounded by warthogs!

Having lunch before we head to Hwange! Thank you again for creating another ‘lifetime of memories’ trip!”

Suffice it to say the trip continued to be fabulous. All of the places we visited were chosen by Katie and just what we wanted.

Each time we return to Africa, we will first regroup with Cherri’s team as we know we can depend on them for escorts at airports, great local guides, and beautiful accommodations plus they have knowledge of and access to the best experiences.

All our guides were amazing and very informative…and fun! The food was delicious at every camp, and they were all responsive to some quirky food requests.

Night game drives were all excellent.

Old Mondoro was truly special…but I don’t want to have this secret get out! They use red film over their headlights for night drives which made seeing the animals extra special as they weren’t blinded by the lights and we could watch them forage, stalk, etc.

Picnic by the pool.

Katie on Cherri’s staff did an outstanding job putting together the trip for first-class travel in very short time. She and her team personally oversaw every detail of the travel, even referred us to an airline travel agent to book all the commercial flights, saving us a substantial amount of money but always securing first-class service, which is a big deal in Africa when you’re crossing country borders and customs! Every property that we visited was at the same level of what you experience at the top properties in the world—i.e. Aman properties.

Among the highlights of our trip were room upgrades that were fabulous, wine waiting in our room as a gift from Katie, excellent cultural and nature guides, and surprise in-room lunches. One time, after a morning drive with lions, elephants, zebras, impalas, and giraffes, we returned to our incredible suite and found a surprise WOW brunch complete with a bottle of Franschhoek Rosé. We also loved the hippos serenading us outside our glam tent! And we can’t leave out the “WOW Moment” helicopter trip with private island landing in the delta of Okavango to toast a glass of champagne to our journey of a lifetime. We were over-the-top thrilled with our 21 days of travels. These life-changing experiences of Africa cannot be replicated without expert guidance and incredible support.

Deborah Wente and Cherri Briggs

We just returned from a trip to Zambia planned by Cherri Briggs and her team and I feel as though I’m returning from a dream. My friend and I had first spent a week in Malawi, and though that was not part of the trip with Cherri’s team, she, Katie and Ryan were so helpful in helping through the logistical issues of getting from Lilongwe to Mfuwe without too much lost time in traveling. The lodge in South Luangwa Park was wonderful! We fell asleep to the sound of hippos munching on cabbage…in fact, one night our neighbors (the hippos) got a little rowdy with their antics. What a memory! I would highly recommend a visit to Mfuwe Lodge – not only was the location special, but the staff were exceptional. We felt welcomed and appreciated. We next traveled to the lower Zambezi. In discussing the trip with Cherri, she understood that we were not only interested in a safari experience, but also in understanding life in the area and what is being done to raise up the life of the people living in the lower Zambezi area. She and her husband met us and took us to a number of projects they work on – a clinic, coop farms, girls clubs – it was such a special, meaningful day. Cherri arranged for a day fishing on the Zambezi, then enjoying the fruits of fishing at dinner! It was a wonderful stay! On our return home, we were delayed in Lusaka so missed our flight in Nairobi. A request for help from Cherri’s team immediately resulted in a hotel recommendation, activity suggestions and a restaurant recommendation. Our extra day in Nairobi turned out to be such a bonus thanks to their help!

We really enjoyed Ethiopia – the culture, history, religious aspects, architecture.

Our guide throughout the trip, Elias Alemayehu, was terrific. We would highly recommend him.

We found the people in Ethiopia to be warm and friendly.

Zanzibar was also good. Elizabeth made an executive decision to have us stay at the Park Hyatt in Stone Town – absolutely the right decision. Mnemba Island Lodge was superb – we had a few very relaxing days.

We were surprised and WOWED by our WOW moment – a Processional – all for us. Could not have been a better choice.

Note that this is my very first Perrin/WOW trip so I’m unskilled in what info you are looking for. There were two entities involved in the planning & execution of the trip: Cherri Briggs and the local operator in Ethiopia, Dinknesh. I am not going to try to separate where one ends and the other begins.

Pre-Trip communication was excellent. I got answers to my questions in a generally timely manner. understanding that sometimes the question had to go to/from Ethiopia to get answered. We built an itinerary that matched my budget and hit the places I was interested in. Before departure, I received a very detailed booklet describing everything related to the trip—the most comprehensive tome I’ve ever seen for any trip I’ve taken in my life.

When I arrived I was met at the Addis Ababa airport just as described. The guide (Melkamu) was very knowledgeable in flora & fauna and he had an incredible eagle eye that spotted things that I would never have seen on my own. The team (guide & driver) were very flexible, stopping for pictures at my request. I never felt rushed. I even requested a truly local lunch stop, i.e. it probably wouldn’t pass US health inspection requirements. The team also helped me (mostly) avoid the awkward encounters with those trying to get a handout.

There were a few negatives worth describing.
* tipping is part of the Ethiopian experience and Explore described the process of “who & how much” in great detail… the various recommended tips for my tour added up to about $700. The problem is that carrying that much cash for nearly 2 weeks made me really uncomfortable. Especially because I doubt any loss would be covered by travel insurance. And apparently, there were no alternative options (PayPal, Venmo, etc.). So I guess this issue isn’t related to the quality of the organizations involved but it was something that made the trip less enjoyable.
* my guide, Melkamu, had pretty good English skills, but I had an experience related to those skills that could have been borderline dangerous. I caught a cold and a sore throat on the trip and asked to stop at a pharmacy in one of the towns we were passing through. I thought I had made clear to Melkamu what I wanted but at the counter, I almost ended up getting eye drops because of miscommunication. In retrospect, I realize there were several other times where Melkamu probably misunderstood what I said but those instances didn’t matter because it was related to simple tour questions. I would have preferred that he tell me that he didn’t fully understand my meaning rather than make a guess.

Bottom line: I would never have been able to arrange & execute something this complex AND successful on my own.
I would definitely recommend & use Cherri again for this kind of specialized tour creation.

Cherri and her team really made it happen, it is one of the best travel experiences we have ever had, our main idea was to craft an itinerary around a 4 day rafting trip on the Zambezi river, and after speaking with Cherri she suggested a one day trip in order to add more value to our time in Africa, we ended doing a 16 day trip to Namibia, Zambia and Botswana all considering very different camp and safari experiences at each place we visited, she definitely knew what we were looking for.

We had an awesome surprise with our WOW moment, which was a free helicopter ride over the falls, one of the highlights of the trip, thank you!!!

The only mishap was we were stood up with one of the private transfers from the airport to the hotel in Cape Town, and that we found out that the small aircrafts to travel from camp to camp do allow bigger and wheeled bags which we were told were not, and since we were spending a week in England after our trip we had to buy another bag in London.

We will for sure use Cherri and her team again when we return to Victoria Falls and Botswana with the family!!

Our family safari was the bonding experience of a  lifetime.  I am the matriarch of a family of twelve. Cherri and her associate, Katie, thought of everything. My grandchildren ranged in age from 7 to 17, and they were thrilled and spellbound the entire time. The look of sheer bliss on the faces of everyone was almost comic. The trip was to celebrate my birthday, and our perfect guide Sam handled every detail, had a fund of information about the animals we saw and the places we went, without ever seeming intrusive. He is now an honorary member of our family!

I feel seriously indebted to Cherri and Katie.  Scarcely a family occasion goes by, when somebody in the family doesn’t bring it up, provoking a kind of gratitude and tenderness from my children that seems boundless.  It’s true, I paid for it, but our 13-day adventure surpassed even our wildest dreams.

I would recommend Cherri and her team to anyone. All the camps we stayed in were superb, each in their own way. Sam thought of everything, besides being adorable company. I was only bitten by a mosquito ONCE! The camps were all unique and beautifully maintained. Transfers were effortless. Can’t say enough about this trip of a lifetime. Flawless!!!

The trip was planned in a very professional manner which was executed flawlessly.

I worked with Elizabeth Rand on Cherri’s team to plan a 60th birthday trip for my husband. The trip was fantastic; travel went smoothly and the properties were uniformly excellent. We stayed at Kings Pool, Nxabega and San Camp. The only thing I would change would be to shorten our stay at Nxabega by one night in order to add a night a San Camp. Kings Pool was truly above and beyond; they were also the only camp that provided a special treat in honor of my husbands birthday. San Camp was so different and special, and we did not have enough time there to do everything we wanted to do. We also spent a few days in Cape Town where we had a lovely experience at the Cape Grace and were offered freebies galore that we did not have time to take advantage of. We also had two wonderful days of touring with Ryan Lawrence of Cape Fusion tours. Ryan was a fantastic guide and a pleasure to spend time with. We’re excited to go back to Africa and would definitely book again with Cherri and her team.

We just returned from a 3 week trip, July 22-August 12 2018, to Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa planned by Cherri Briggs.

My husband and I along with another couple had never been to Africa with very little knowledge of the area. This was a dream vacation and we had very high expectations. All were met with lots for fun extra surprises along the way.

After contacting several of Wendy Wow Africa travel specialists we chose Cherri Briggs of Explore due to her quick phone response, numerous in-depth phone conversations and the incredible informative proposal including pictures, maps, and camp information. We were 2 couples traveling from different states with different interests and all were met with incredible detail.

We started our trip in Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side, followed by 3 nights each at two different camps in Botswana, two nights in Franschhoek, two nights in Cape Town, three nights in the Sabi Sand game reserve and the final 3 nights in the Thornybush game reserve. All of the transfers including commercial planes, bush planes, and land transfers were handled throughout our trip without a flaw. Dinner reservations at hard to get into restaurants were also booked. Our guide in Franschhoek and Cape Town was extremely professional and knowledgeable.

Each camp was luxurious with different landscaping and experiences. We saw the big 5 at each camp over and over again including 2 black Rhino’s and three cheetahs kill an impala! We joked that we were not only on an animal safari but also an eating safari. The food was wonderful at each camp and the incredible bush meals will always be remembered.
The guides, trackers, and butlers work very hard and were excellent at each camp. We left each camp feeling like we had many new friends.

Several of the lodges surprised us with special birthday wishes, we also felt we were given the best rooms, guides, and trackers at most of the lodges due to Cherri’s special association with each of them.

Special thanks to Cherri, Liz, and Elizabeth from Explore for planning our dream trip. We can’t wait to go again!

Cherri and Elizabeth worked with us on our itinerary so that we could include a wide array of venues as we thought that this would be our (perhaps) one in a lifetime visit to South Africa.

They were marvelous at discussing the various camps and choices with us and planned every aspect of this complicated trip from South Africa to Botswana to Victoria Falls to Namibia so that we were taken care of every step of the way; they made each camp manager aware of our specific needs and we celebrated our anniversary for many days and with many bottles of wine. They were responsive to our questions throughout the long period between planning and execution and all of our questions were answered in a thoughtful manner. If we do get back, they will be the first people to know.

They were terrific – over a period of almost a year, we went back and forth planning the perfect trip. Initially, we had no idea where to go so we were very vague but they helped us focus and figure out what was the best itinerary taking into account our interests, children, budget and available time.

They never got tired of our endless questions and always responded to us quickly. Their recommendations were spot on – the camps were great and, most importantly, the people at the camps made the trip. We arrange our international flight ourselves but they did all the internal flights. Everything was seamless and smooth.

The pre-trip briefings by phone and the material we received prepared us perfectly. The amount and variety of animals (including rare ones) we saw were amazing. They also suggested a guided tour of Soweto and Kliptown while we were in Johannesburg. They arranged with a photographer called Ilan to take us – the breadth of his knowledge and the fact that he knew everyone was amazing – while the poverty was shocking the people he introduced us to were wonderful – very eye-opening both for us and our children – we would highly recommend it.
We would definitely use them again (and plan to).

As someone who had never been to Africa, I needed the help of a travel specialist just to decide in which country to go. The possibilities are confusing and endless and I was overwhelmed. When I spoke to Katie McDonough, on Cherri Briggs team, I gave her some vague directions about my preferences. She came up with the perfect safari experience. The trip she planned was very well balanced: a few days of safari camps, followed by a couple of relaxing days on the Zambia side of Victoria Falls and finishing in another safari camp. The two safaris were in different countries (Botswana, Zimbabwe), different environments and landscapes. We saw the big fives many times over and more wildlife than we expected in very close encounters. Only someone with a deep knowledge of the areas could plan this for us. The logistics( four small planes, three borders crossing …) were organized without any glitches: there was always the right person and vehicle waiting for us at the right time. The camps she chose were extremely comfortable, sumptuous and also very well run. The company that owns them operates with a very high standard of ethics when it comes to conservation and community. The two safari guides were outstanding in their knowledge of the area and the wildlife and we always felt very safe with them. All this luxurious experience was within the budget I had outlined which surprised me. (I had contacted two other travel agencies specializing in African safaris not part of Wendy ‘ s WOW list and their proposals were not only more expensive but also had not the same level of exclusivity).

We have now got the Africa bug and will call her again very soon for another amazing safari experience.

Cherri and her staff were excellent from the moment we contacted them regarding our trip to Africa. They made excellent suggestions, then arranged all the reservations and connections and had people waiting for us at each stop. They made non-worldly travelers feel very comfortable and secure guiding us through each step of complicated travel arrangements.

For our 15th anniversary trip to Southern Africa (South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia), we had a list of wants and needs for booking. Cherri and her team planned a complicated itinerary in such a way that every step was completely smooth, and they still managed to fit in everything we wanted to see and do. During the planning process, Cherri was easy to reach if necessary, but most of the work was done by Elizabeth who took over when our initial agent left the company. She did an excellent job picking up mid-planning. Most of the camps and lodges we visited did something special to acknowledge our anniversary celebration. They also stepped in to secure an upgraded room in Franschhoek when the initial booking was incorrect. We had a wonderful time and would absolutely recommend Cherri and her team for a trip such as ours.

We didn’t give Katie much time to plan this trip and she did a really good job of it. We had a wonderful time. All our accommodations and guides were wonderful.

The arrangements in Cape Town, food and wine tours, were really enjoyable. I would recommend Pam and Shelley very much. Katie was able to make a few adjustments to the itinerary while we were there.

A few of the arrangements, like the plane trip along the Skeleton Coast, and the lunch in Swakopmund, were among the highlights, and such a surprise. The trip, even with a lot of moving parts, and plane rides, went smoothly.

Usko, of Ultimate Safaris, was my favorite guide, although they were all great. Namibia is truly a beautiful place.

We loved the stay at Singita, and it was a perfect way to end the trip.

I fell in love with Botswana because of Cherri Briggs. I had a magical time and couldn’t be happier with the experience!

Katie on Cherri’s staff planned our trip in Oct. 2017 to Madagascar and was really great to work with! We spent a lot of time talking on the phone and corresponding back and forth via email, in the beginning, to really get a feel for what we wanted to do. The discussions continued during the planning stages as well. This is all very important to me because I really want them to know what I want. Failure at this stage leads to the most disappointment for me by a long shot. None the less, she was very in tune our wants. The paperwork sent to us before the trip was helpful and complete. The execution of the trip was also nearly flawless, which is saying a lot in a place like Madagascar! Our guides were excellent which is another exceptionally important part of a trip for me. To sum it up- we had a wonderful trip and we would definitely work with Cherri and Katie again!

I worked with Kate who was incredibly responsive to every question and when she was unavailable Ryan stepped in to answer and handle anything that arose.

Katie clearly heard my desires and transformed my thoughts into the perfect trip for us! We travelled for 3 weeks in July/August to Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania, visiting the Mara the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Zanzibar. Tell them exactly what you are looking for and your budget and they will craft a great trip!

Cherri and her staff provided us with top notch personal care. They arranged seamless transfers and transportation so that we could focus on the wonders of our journey rather than fretting about the details. I love the fact that Cherri and Richard are so involved in improving the community services for local people.  Bravo Cherri!  I heartily recommend and endorse!

We travelled in May, 2017 to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Cape Town South Africa and to the Phinda Private Game Reserve. Cherri and her team arranged all lodging, activities, guides and ground transfers. All were handled expertly and the advice of the team as well as the arrangements were both well communicated before the journey and flawlessly executed. We were delighted with all lodging and arrangements. We will definitely use them again if our plans call for Southern Africa!

My husband and I took our kids on an African safari in 4/2017. We used Cherri Briggs and her team. I was blown away by the experience from start to finish. Cherri and Katie have deep knowledge of the continent really; they know exactly where to go and when (critical when talking about safaris which can be impacted greatly by seasons) and planned the exact perfect trip based on our unique interests and tastes. They crafted and recrafted the experience, based on multiple conversations gathering input from me and my responses to their (incredible) insights. The final trip was nothing short of extraordinary: a week and a half at two camps in Botswana, a few days at Victoria Falls and a final stay at a camp in Zimbabwe. Magical experience! I’d recommend them again and again!

The trip was fantastic!  Cherri and Katie listened to me and my desires for our trip, and took into consideration my own travel experience, when recommending the itinerary. I loved that they came in with one plan (and initially it made sense), but after talking with me, were willing (and creative enough) to change it completely.

After the initial conversation, Katie took over and planned it – taking care of every detail. That was the part that impressed me the most – every aspect of the trip was accounted for and detailed to us before leaving. And it went like clockwork! We had no hiccups on the planning and execution of our trip.

Another thing I really appreciate: our final camp did not quite match the expectation or level of some of the other places we stayed. Apparently, this is not what they expected there and other travelers have had better experiences there. But Katie immediately asked for feedback and addressed it with the camp. I was very satisfied with EXPLORE’s response and confident that we now know more about what we like/don’t like in our accommodation.

I would not hesitate to use EXPLORE again!

It is easy to see why Cherri and Elizabeth, on her team, come so highly recommended. They put together a lovely trip for us which showcased the diverse areas of Botswana and Zimbabwe. The trip was seamless and I truly felt like we were able to maximize our two weeks there. We were impressed by the details that were factored into our trip such as the private guide they reserved for us at our last camp. This really allowed us to spend our last days enjoying the wildlife while we searched for the elusive buffalo. We weren’t able to track one down, but there were so many other animal sightings, we weren’t disappointed. Plus, now we’ll have to come back.

Cherri Briggs was fantastic. We have traveled a lot, but this was our first time to Africa–specifically Southern Africa. Cherri and Elizabeth on her team, provided expert guidance as the trip was in the planning stages, answered our naive queries, gave us multiple options and ensured they understood our desires every step of the way. Once were on the ground, everything ran smoothly but most impressive is that everyone we spoke to at our camps/hotels know of Explore and the team and thought highly of them. The accommodations were great, the guides highly knowledgeable and friendly. Our trip was to Zimbabwe and Botswana (safari in both locales) ending with a few days of an urban fix in Cape Town. We would use them again in a heartbeat and highly recommend them to anyone (and we have to our friends) considering such a trip.

We went to Namibia, Botswana and Zambia mid July- August 8th of this year. We had tried using 2 agents we often use but they didn’t have contacts in these countries and wanted to steer us back to other African countries we’ve seen before. Cherri Briggs and her team with Explore Africa put this trip together for us very quickly and we had excellent guides and lodges. Our guide in Namibia, Orlando, had recently won the silver medal for guides worldwide. My husband and I traveled with 3 teenage boys and the trip met everyone’s satisfaction for activities, adventure, accommodations, food and service. In Namibia we had an unfortunate experience at Wolvodens Lodge. The lodge was not prepared for a freak cold snap and I needed up with hypothermia. The lodge didn’t act responsibly but Katie, our agent did. Also our Cesna flight leaving there had a broken window and she tracked down a new plane to pick us up in the bush. Then in Botswana we had a huge family suite at Chobe Game Lodge and my sons shower broke and there was a massive flood of scalding water. Because of the agents personal relationship with that lodge, management went WAY above and beyond to make sure we were well cared for after the messy disaster. Katie and management checked and rechecked on us. The highlight was our last lodge in Zambia called Anabezi. One of the most magical spots I’ve ever traveled to. Our amazing guide Mwyluah even came across leopards mating which is beyond rare! And my 13 year old caught an 18 lbs Tiger fish, the lodge record for the season. We’ve already hired Cherri again for gorilla trekking in January. This company is prepared, well versed, personally visits the lodges they suggest and had their pulse on Africa. We are grateful we found Cherri through you Wendy and give them the highest level of thanks and praise.

We recently returned from an extraordinary trip planned and executed by Cherri Briggs and Katie McDonough of Explore, Inc.  “Perfection” doesn’t adequately convey the marvelous trip we enjoyed thanks to the skills, contacts and the attention to detail practiced by Cherri and Katie. They listened to our goals and proposed an itinerary that was perfect.  We toured Botswana, Tanzania and Madagascar over a 5+ week period and enjoyed a fabulous set of diverse lodges, the absolute best guides and many wondrous game experiences. Cherri and Katie ensured that any and all special requests were conveyed to the various lodges.  They ensured that we had the right “tent” location, the right guide, and the best flight times between lodges. They assisted with the onerous visa process. They adjusted our itinerary to accommodate a last-minute international flight change to include booking a charter flight. And they monitored our progress and provided assistance when we needed some medical help and ensured that all of the many details were under control.  Frankly, we’ve come to expect nothing less when Wendy recommends a Travel Specialist.

From our first contact with Cherri Briggs and her team at Explore Inc., we were pleased with the attention to detail and the follow through. Our trip to South Africa was the best of our lives, and even with the long flight, after 2 days home we were ready to return. I would not plan another trip to Africa without Cherri and her team.

We traveled to Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana via Johannesburg, South Africa, in Sept. 2015. Our trip was organized by Cherri’s right hand, Elizabeth Rand of Explore Inc. We were impressed with the service we received from the very beginning of our planning process. Elizabeth listened to our wishes and made them possible, as well as filling in other “must see/do” sites in the area. We were in southern Africa for 3 full weeks (maybe a bit ambitious for us); but, though we were sometimes exhausted, we loved the entire experience. All of the connections and transports happened seamlessly; and, when we had a problem with South African Air bumping us from a flight, Elizabeth was available to help out with the new arrangements that were needed. Without hesitation, we would use Explore Inc. and Elizabeth to plan another trip for us.

I had great expectations for our trip to Africa that were at every moment exceeded. Because every detail of every day was so well handled, my family and I were able to relax and enjoy this very profound experience. My son is a vegetarian and in every location they were ready for him…something that in all of our travels we have not experienced. The camps, the people were all wonderful! This trip is a memory that will be with us forever.

My wife and I took a long awaited and much anticipated trip to Zambia to celebrate our 40th anniversary from August 18th to September 5th 2014. The entire trip was planned and booked through Cherri Briggs and Elizabeth Rand at Explore. Purely and simply they were fabulous to work with and we could not have been more pleased. Every lodge they suggested not only met our expectations but exceeded them. Every transfer, and we had a number of them, went off flawlessly and without a single hitch. In planning the trip they listened carefully to what we had in mind, remote and off the beaten path, but comfortable, and then presented us with the perfect itinerary. When we had pre trip questions or concerns they were immediately addressed. The wildlife experiences we had and the wonderful people we met will never be forgotten. Cherri and her team at Explore truly sent us on the trip and adventure of a lifetime. We hope one day to return to Africa and when we do we would not consider using anyone but Explore. A trip to Zambia is something very special indeed and anyone traveling there would be well advised to use the wonderful folks at Explore.

It was truly a pleasure working with Cherri Briggs and Elizabeth Rand of Explore, Inc. for my July 2014 trip to South Luangwa NP in Zambia. This was my 8th safari in Africa and I have used several different agents, but none as professional and easy to work with as Explore. Every question I had was promptly answered, the itinerary was perfect, and they managed to save me a bit of money too! I visited the camps that have become my two favorite spots in Africa – Chamilandu and Kaingo, in addition to Mfuwe Lodge and Kapamba. All transfers and meet-and-greets went smoothly, and the accommodations and food were wonderful. Animal and bird sightings were fantastic! I saw at least one leopard every day, thirteen days in a row! I will definitely use Explore on my next safari.

Our Zambian wedding/honeymoon was our ninth trip to Africa and after two amazing African adventures arranged by Cherri Briggs of Explore, she was the first and only choice for our wedding odyssey in September 2014. Cherri was able to provide unmatched in-country expertise, having resided in Zambia and Botswana for over a decade. Her knowledge is as vast as the country itself. Katie McDonough, a custom travel specialists for Explore in the USA made sure no detail or desire was overlooked in the planning process. With so many moving parts to our trip and in a country as large as Zambia, Cherri and her team were exceptional in every aspect, such as orchestrating a scrumptious wedding feast prepared on an island over a propane stove and arranging a private boat ride on the lower Zambezi at the magical hour to photograph elephants swimming across the river. What sets Cherri and her team apart and above the competition is their knowledge not only of their product but their knowledge and understanding of you. They have a unique ability for constructing the ideal itinerary based on your particular passions and preferences. For anyone dreaming of Africa, dream no more, just call Cherri.