3/5 Christian T. 5 years ago on Google
Samara
was
not
the
honeymoon
we'd
expected. My
wife
and
I
checked
in
on
July
29th,
2019.
We'd
planned
on
staying
4
nights,
but
ended
up
leaving
after
the
3rd
night.
In
all,
great
biomes,
and
we
loved
the
opportunity
to
walk
with
cheetas,
giraffes
and
rhinos.
We
loved
the
respect
and
personal
space
that
all
animals
are
given,
and
the
ethics
of
the
reserve.
The
lodge
was
great,
the
food
was
on
point
(I
am
vegetarian
and
this
was
accommodated).
The
organization
and
the
guide
were
a
major
let
down
though.
We
decided
to
dedicate
part
of
our
honeymoon
to
learning
about
conservation and
walked
out
disappointed.
We
do
hope
that
this
review
helps
other
travelers
make
the
most
of
their
time
at
Samara
Private
Game
Reserve.
The
main
watch-outs:
1- ensure
that
the
booking
team
acknowledges
and
confirms
your
specific
requirements
and
areas
of
interest
before
you
make any
payments.
2- ask
in
advance
if
there
is
any
additional
fees
to
be
incurred.
3-
book
2
nights
only.
The
website
recommends
minimum
3
nights
but
we
found
that
you
quickly
go
back
to
doing
the
same
things.
4-
request
to
be
assigned
to
a
car
with
visitors
of
similar
interest.
And
here's
why:
1-
Ensure
your
specific
request
are acknowledged
before
making
any
payment.
We
found
that
this
crucial
info
had
trickled poorly
from
the
booking
team
to
the
operations
team
(guides,
tracker,
staff
at
the
lodge).
We
consequently
never
got
our
Bush
Walk,
despite
mentioning
this
particular
interest
3
times
while
booking
with
Samara.
We
did
get
to
go
out
of
the
car
and
shortly
walk
with
cheetas,
girafes
and
rhinos,
which
in
itself
is
pretty
unique.
2- Ensure
you
are
informed
of
all
costs
upfront:
there
is
a
conservation
fee
of
approx. 140ZAR
p.p
per
night
which
caught
us
by
surprise.
We
were
not
happy
about
the
surprise
but
the
staff
pleaded
that
we
sign
the
invoice,
as
this
expense
would
otherwise
be
taken
out
of
their
salary.
So
we
did.
3-
Two nights
are
sufficient.
Samara's
website
recommends
a
minimum
of
3
nights.
We
found
that
the
game
drives
from
day
3
onwards,
are
simply
a
repeat
of
the
ones
of
day
1
and
2
(same
spot,
same
game,
same
everything).
4-
ensure
you're
a
fit
with
your
guide
and
other
travelers.
This
is
another
organizational
area
that
disappointed.
My
wife
and
I
who
wanted
to
cease
any
opportunity
to
walk
with
the
animals, were
paired
up
with
travelers
who
just
wanted
to
stay
in
the
car,
drive
from
one
animal
to
thd
other
taking
pictures.
In
addition
to
that,
our
guide
turned
out
to
be
moody.
Lively
and
enthusiastic
one
day,
kurt
and
borderline
unfriendly
the
next.
So,
worth
a
visit
but
just
for
two
nights
and
with
all
info
and
cost
confirmed
in
advance.
Happy
travels!
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