Guest - A little bit of Heaven in the Delta
"The service that we received was world class from start to finish. The camp itself is really special and I think you have found a little bit of heaven in the delta."
The food is excellent and the variety superb. It was very difficult to say no to any of the dishes that were served up, even though we were so full that it was impossible to find space for even one more morsel. The accommodation is stunning and it is hard to believe that one is in the bush because the room has all the luxuries that one would have in the middle of a big city. The bed is large and comfortable and has a view that takes one’s breath away ( and is 100 times better than in any city). The upstairs sala is fantastic. The view is stunning and in the short time, 2 days, we were there we managed to spot a kudu, fish eagle and a hippo out of the water.
Judith Wallenstein - Highlight of our trip
"Xudum was an absolute highlight of our trip, and the lesser part of it was the beautiful new lodge, brand new vehicles and all the amenities. We loved the place and our room, but the best aspect of Xudum was that it is just wonderfully managed by Simoné and that they have a group of enthusiastic staff who work so hard to make Xudum a great place."
Our ranger was Stanza, the best guide we ever had. He was very cooperative in the way he worked with his tracker, Gently, and the two of them made a great team. Priscilla is a wonderful chef and cooks absolutely outstanding food, always with great vegetarian options, quiches for tea and chocolate fondue for dessert. There is a lot of attention to little details in the lodge that shows everywhere. Their singing and dancing, and the show they build around it is amazing. We were very sad to leave after two days. It reminded me of this funny billboard we once came across on a trip to Burma that read: “May your stay be as magical as the country.” Our stay in Xudum was definitely of this kind.
Guest - Simply magnificent
"...the Botswana trip was simply amazing, and exceeded all of my expectations."
Both of the &Beyond locations were simply magnificent. The accommodations were wonderful, and the staff was incredible. It was an experience like none other, and one that I will never forget. The thought about it all just brings a smile to my face. The "Reawaken Your Soul" motto is very, very true! Look forward to coming back soon!!
Guest - What an exciting day!
"For game drives, we loved Ona and S.K.'s positive attitude. They were so genuinely in love with the area that it was infectious. One thing I liked about Xudum was that since we weren't just racing from sighting to sighting, we could take time to really observe and enjoy some of the smaller pleasures the animals have to offer. "
For example, we took the time to watch a Lilac Breasted Roller pursue a Yellow-billed Kite for a while. The little bird wouldn't give up and finally chased away the larger bird. They were fun to watch and we probably wouldn't have even stopped for this at some other camps. But that doesn't mean we didn't have excitement. We had one of the best days on safari we've ever had at Xudum. On the morning drive, S.K. and Ona found some lions tracks and we tracked them the entire morning. We were just about to give up when they found the five lionesses up and around a big Fig tree. We were all very excited and I was especially thrilled for Ona and S.K. since they had worked so hard in their tracking. We left them and went a little ways away and they set up a fabulous full bush breakfast that we enjoyed very much. Later that day on the afternoon drive we went back to see "the girls" and fairly soon, just as it was getting dark, they started hunting. We followed them and after a short while they had clearly set their sights on a particular animal. Ona turned off the lights on the vehicle (so as not to disturb the kill....an action we really liked) and we just listened. And then after just a few minutes we heard the attack. We turned on the lights and rushed to see the five lionesses take the kill. It was, thankfully for the wildebeest, a clean, quick kill and it was exciting for all of us. Ona and S.K. seemed even more excited than we did, and this added to our fun....again, we loved their enthusiasm and their clear enjoyment of what they do. This was only the second kill we've seen in our travels to Africa (the other was at Sandibe with Tsabo) and it was extremely exciting and sobering to watch. What an exciting day! Other excellent sightings were the Pel's Fishing Owls that were roosting in camp (a great thing for Xudum if they stick around!), two giant Eagle Owls and a Roan antelope (which we had only seen one other time). Ona and S.K. tried hard to find us an elusive pangolin, but we knew the chances were slim, and we didn't have the luck of seeing one (another good reason to come back to Africa again!).
