NO
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent trip to Tanzania - thanks to Tanzania Explorer
In 2012 we decided to travel to Tanzania, first of all to climb Kilimanjaro, but we also wanted to go on a safari, and last but not least have some lazy days at Zanzibar when the first two was done!
The trip was planned to February 2013.
Lucky us - we "found" Sondre and Tanzania Explorer at the Travel Fair in Oslo in 2012!
He/they made a tailor-made trip for us, excellent job done by Sondre both with the package he made for us before we went to Tanzania, and following up during the trip! It was amazing! They have the best guides to take ut to the top of Kilimanjaro (we reached the top!!!) and the guide at the safari was super! Spoken very good english, was kind and nice - and showed us all kinds of animal at the safari trip. He also had a great sence of humor, so we had 4 wonderful days at safari in three different national parks.
When we arrive Zanzibar, they have picked the best for us, and when a small problem appear, Andrea from Tanzania Explorer, stationed in Tanzania - solved it in no time!
They do their best for us so that we would have the greatest time in our lives, and they succedeed!!
I highly recommend Tanzania Explorer to all I know (and don't know), and I really hope that we will get the opportunity to travel with them again.
Thank you Tanzania Explorer!!
US
Botswana has to be the best place in the world for wildlife... period!
My partner and I have never been to Botswana before and were not keen to spend too much money on lodges. Safari Lifestyles recommended that we look at a 10 day mobile safari... what a great recommendation!!
We were nicely met at the airport (much smaller than we thought) and shown to our safari guide and other guests. We then traveled for about 2 hours until we reached the gates of Moremi which is a National Park in the Okavango Delta. Then we drove slowly for another 3 hours or so on a game drive through the most beautiful landscape with many animals.... incredibly, we saw 3 lionesses resting in the sun..! Eventually we made it to our campsite which was seemingly in the middle of nowhere, very remote and literally just us and the rest of the guests. It was such a beautiful setting with water close by and elephants in the trees as we arrived.
The camp was already laid out for us and all we had to do was drop our bags off in our really large tents and then get back on to the vehicle for the rest of the afternoon ending in a beautiful sunset drink (a feature of all the afternoons) by a pool full of hippo.
This set the tone for the rest of the safari and we moved on through Moremi then Khwai, Savuti and finally Chobe for a stunning and private boat trip.
Safari Lifestyles website is very comprehensive and its good to be used as a reference, we looked at the itinerary they had for this trip and it was spot on... They really did look after us very well although there was no need to deal with them whilst we were there as the mobile safari covered everything from the moment we arrived to the time we left from Kasane.
The accommodation was really very good and quite big.. The food also was brilliant considering that we were in the middle of nowhere and in private areas all the time. I don't really have a highlight as we only came back a few weeks ago and our heads are still spinning... I can tell you though that as I write this early in the morning in Chicago, its freezing outside but that can be a welcome relief as the bush was incredibly hot, we were told that October is one of the hottest months though.
We gave up trying to count the different types of animals we saw, but i think we really did see everything including wild dogs. We were told they are very rare but a specialty in the area.
We had a nice email from Roger from Safari Lifestyles just keeping in touch after our return and making sure all was OK... we even met him in Khwai, he was there on his own taking photos in his own car.
Would we go back to Botswana?....YES
Would we recommend Safari Lifestyles?... YES
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
BeaLovely elephants of Botswana on out boat and lodge trip
We contacted Safari lifestyles for a special trip for 4 of us and we received wonderful advice from Roger.
For 3 days we stayed on a small island in tents and went on safari in a private boat. sometimes we had to get out and push the boat through sand. It was very exciting to see many hippos and elephants. We also went walking a few times and came across a buffalo which the guide said had been killed by lions.
After the boat safari we stopped back in Maun for one night and then for 5 nights into lodges. This experience is very different and very comfortable and the country is just beautiful and wild with many animals to see. We remember this holiday very much and value the experiences we had with real wildlife. I could not stay asleep at night and I loved to see the elephants pass right by our lodge room.
Safari Lifestyles was very helpful in placing us and we did change our minds a few times and were thankful for their patience. We would like to come back to Africa again soon and would definitely use Safari Lifestyles again.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Unforgettable Experience!
Pilanesberg Game Reserve is a must visit when in South Africa. Even though it is much smaller than Kruger Park, do not be put off by this. We were put in perspective that if you think about it, in a smaller park (but when I say small, I don't mean the size of a national zoo as it is still 572 km²), you have a higher chance of spotting an animal which I highly agree with at the end of my trip.
We began our trip with a couple of days in the nearby SunCity then moved to the beautiful Ivory Tree Game Lodge within the game reserve. We were first greeted upon arrival by some friendly faces who would eventually be the rangers who took us around the reserve and cared for us.
My family was attended to by a ranger called PJ whom we could tell from day one, was an exceptionally knowledgeable and passionate man towards what he does (We highly recommend PJ if you do stay at the Ivory Tree). We were then lead to our lunch buffet which had a large array of food cooked to an exceptional quality as if it were a Michelin restaurant (buffet style) and each meal after that did not disappoint. All I can say about the food is I probably gained about 10KG's from all the food I ate in three days. There will definitely be something for everyone.
You could opt for when you wanted to go on the safari but my family and I decided to see as much as we could therefore we went on the morning (from 5am to 8am) and the evening from (4pm to 7pm) tours. PJ was sharp as a hawk and during the 3 days we manage to see so many different animals! We manage to spot 4 out of 5 of the Big Five which was absolutely amazing! We witnessed a pride of lions hunting for their food and eventually watched them feed on their catch all within a stones throw away (Don't worry as it is absolutely safe within the confines of the truck you sit in). We also manage to catch a parade of elephants a few times during the three days. The list of animals go on, one experience that cannot be described that much but more to be experienced if possible.
The scenery within the reserve is mind blowing, not one that I have ever seen before nor experienced and I live in Scotland which is known for its panoramic scenes. It is just something else as I literally did not sleep for 3 days straight because if I was not out in the safari, I would be sitting outside my lodge with my camera shooting the night skies. The stars are absolutely amazing on this side of the world therefore I urge you to put your electronic devices down and look up in the sky at night when visiting there. During the safari, we also made stops at look out points for birding and these places have been strategically selected for its breath taking scenes.
We visited the place during the winter month and it got pretty cold especially in the mornings (weather reports say it's 0 degrees but be prepared to feel like its -15 degrees) so warm clothes must be packed before you visit. Bring a hat, a glove, scarves and extremely thick jackets or windbreakers. Your guide should also provide you with thick blankets during the safari just in case and will bring warm beverages and snacks for you too.
After the safari trip, my family and I also decided to go on a hot air balloon ride around the game reserve as we were encouraged to experience it because it will give a whole different perspective of the reserve. I would say it was truly quite an experience to be in a hot air balloon and although I must admit, you will not see as much animals as you would on the ground, being lifted up into the skies to experience the sun rising over the game reserve is a truly unforgettable experience on its own.
All in all, I could probably write a book on my mere three days of being there which was definitely not enough for me but Pilanesberg Game Reserve is one that I will be recommending to my friends and anyone who asks me about a safari experience on a first time trip to South Africa. I can definitely guarantee my return there some day to complete my check list of seeing all the Big Five and also to return with a better photography kit to re-capture everything as I lost all my photos in a house fire immediately after the trip. But this just gives me greater motivation to go back there as a photographer and I remain optimistic that my second time will be 10 times better than my first.
I highly highly recommend visiting Pilanesberg National Park if you can. It will truly be an unforgettable experience be it you go alone, with loved ones, or family members.
Review about Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve by ianh3000
Only had an afternoon here - so difficult to review as didn't travel that far within the park.
A bit lacking in atmosphere.
Staying in one of the larger lodges with lots of other people around & driving on tarmac roads a fair amount of the time with a number of private vehicles on the roads then I did think the actual safari experience was a bit lacking. (Private concessions & smaller lodges would be completely different). You do get close to the animals - closer than in a lot of places as they are used to the vehicles so it really depends what you go for. Having only spent a couple of days in one area then again it would make sense to go to different areas for slightly different experiences (although obviously if you drive down the same road an hour later you might see different things). Guides & vehicles are good. Weather wasn't particularly good when I was there - so this probably tempers the review !
We were captivated by the pulse of the bush and variety of wildlife encountered.
We were very fortunate to see plenty of wildlife & had the awesome experience of coming across a pride of lions with their zebra kill at 4.30am very near our camp. The recent drought had taken its toll on the vegetation but the scenery was still interesting. We stayed at Satara & Lower Sabie Camps which were both very adequate & allowed us to self-cater breakfast & lunch & to either bbq or eat in the restaurant for dinners. I would recommend taking your own groceries as the choices at the camps we somewhat limited. We self-drove which was fantastic because it gave us flexibility in gaming times & when we could stop. We were on the road each day at 4.30, back at camp for lunch, swim & rest then out again late afternoon. I am a keen photographer and was like a kid in a candy store with all the photo opportunities that Kruger National Park presented but I am now keen to visit Sabi Sands and/or Okavango Delta where I understand the sightings are more frequent per kilometre travelled. This trip has certainly put the unique African bush & wildlife in our hearts & we can't wait to return in the near future.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about South Africa by shawnleishman
I believe it is great depending on where you go but Pilanesberg Game Reserve definitely deserves 5 stars for all of those criteria. I am pretty sure the other Game Reserve will also be just as amazing. I live with my best friend who is a South African and all he has described to me has been accurate during my visit there therefore I would definitely go back some day to visit more of South Africa.
Review about South Africa by ianh3000
You probably don't get the wilderness experience you would get elsewhere - unless you go for the smaller lodges & private concessions.
Review about South Africa by annabelle500
Lots of animals & birds to sight in their natural habitat. The bush has a certain unique beauty about it but the drought had dried up a lot of creek beds & vegetation. It's exciting to witness wild animals in the wild - almost surreal at times.