Etosha : An incredible once in a lifetime experience
I would like to do my best to write of my amazing experience in this wonderful place,
I have always wanted to go to Namibia - I think my first time falling in love with this amazing country was seeing a BBC documentary on the Skeleton coast when I was about 10.
20 years later and I finally went on a safari/trekking tour of the country - Etosha national park was our first stop.
We were in a group of about 10 and all got on very well, I was with a bunch of crazy Italians ! -great fun!
The 1st place we stayed in was called Okaukuejo , it was close to the Etosha pan , we were lucky to get our tents near a fantastic waterhole - that always had animals drinking and was floodlit at night - but this did not disturb the animals.
We went to the waterhole and had a fantastic view of a herd of Elephants drinking, then a group of Giraffe and Zebra came along - I must say it was a very emotional experience.
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This was high afternoon and the temperature must have been in the mid 30's, but there was sheltered seats so it wasn't too bad, later on in the evening with fading temperatures and softer light we went out for a drive around the park - perfect for taking pictures with the low sun.
There was plenty of Springbok to be seen ! (more than 20,000 in Etosha :) ), also plenty of Zebra and some giraffe and then later we were very lucky to see a pride of Lions.
That evening we had an excellent cooked meal eating outside in the cool African night .
We spoke with our guides over dinner and I must say I felt like a kid with him telling us great stories about the wildlife in Namibia.
We were about to go to the Waterhole when we heard the roar of Lions !! - they sounded so close ,
but we were in the safety of the enclosed camp - still it was quite a buzz to hear.
We went to the waterhole and were treated to a multitude of animals drinking - including the Pride of Lions that decided to chase off a few Giraffes, some Rhino came along too and then a few Elephants, it was a totally different experience to see these animals at night and was very happy to have witnessed it.
Coming back to my tent there were some Jackals about !, they were harmless enough as long as you didn't feed them or harass them - also we had to leave our shoes in the tent, as people would wake up in the morning to find them all chewed up !! - the Jackals it seemed aren't so different from our own domesticated dogs!!
That night I went to bed with the sound of Lions calling - pure heaven !!.
Early the next morning (6 am) we had a short breakfast and went on a safari drive , again the light was perfect for taking pictures , we were really lucky to see another pride of lions and then shortly after a pair of Lions crossed right in front of us - I got this fantastic shot :
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We took more drives that day and returned to the campsite in the evening ,where again we went to the waterhole for some night viewing - we saw some Rhino and their young drinking.
Later that night the Lions showed up again and scared some Giraffe away!.
A cocky young male Lion tried to stalk the Rhino - but he was having none of it and soon intimidated the Lion off.
Next day (3rd and last full day in Etosha) We went to the campsite at Namutoni - this was a nice campsite that also had a floodlit waterhole - although it was a lot quieter than the one at Okaukuejo.
Before we arrived we took an early morning drive and were treated to the site of two Cheetah and then a Leopard !! - They were quite far off and I wish I could have gotten better pictures but I didn't expect to see them at all so was very happy.
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Then we saw a Spotted Hyaena !! , this is a very rare sighting in Etosha so was thrilled to see him!!
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The final night we could hear the distant sounds of Hyaena's ! - I never did like this animal before this trip but have learned to appreciate them since.
So an amazing few days were had in Etosha, we left on the 4th morning and continued an incredible journey for almost another 2 weeks across this fascinating country.
Review about Tanzania by peter the safari maniac
Off the beaten track safaris in game reserves plus Kilimanjaro climbing no country in Africa can compare. For Birders you have Eden on Earth lotsa places to go. Forget the normal serengeti ngorongoro and tarangire Northern circuit. Thats for beginners,you need to go to game reserves and new national parks to truly appreciate the vastness and beauty of nature . Try it....:-)
65+ years of age
The scale is right, the place is delightful, the staff are great, the animals are abundant.
Everything about the Hide in Hwange works well. The rooms are comfortable without being unnecessarily opulent and are right for the location. The travel arrangements ( you are picked up from the Park Entrance) work really well, there is abundant game and a wide choice of excursions and drives. The staff, with whom you eat the exceptionally good food, are extremely knowledgeable and hard working. Its a rare destination and not to be missed.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Game Drives and Guided Tours Around Victoria Falls
Our experience with African Coast Travel and Tours was great. Our Guide, Joseph, was very attentive starting with our collection from the airport, assisting with bags and providing water and helping to organise our time in Victoria Falls. He recommended a trip to Chobe in Botswana which was great. A really positive experience in which we were able to view the animals from a boat and also in a normal game drive. The rangers were very informative and the transportation and immigration clearance went off without a hitch. The trip to Chobe was definitely a highlight of our trip and we are very grateful for the suggestion from Joseph.
Joseph remained our guide for our four days in Victoria Falls and arranged for our tour to Livingstone and again the immigration clearance and transportation worked well. Included with this tour was a visit to the Zambian side of the Falls in which Joseph was able to help find all the good photo spots and arranged an excursion to Livingstone Island. Definitely one of our best memories was our later visit to the Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls in which Joseph again took us to all the best spots to take photos and explained about Dr Livingstone's discovery (as the first European) of the Falls.
Transportation was excellent, comfortable and safe for all the tours we attended. One of the travellers was a vegetarian and this was catered for appropriately and questions were asked to confirm what food could be eaten on our first day to ensure meals would be available. Joseph also organised and communicated to us the time for collection for the next day and warned us if we were arriving late to organise for a late meal in the evenings.
Overall we were very happy with our time in Victoria Falls and the efforts provided by African Coast Travel & Tours.
50-65 years of age
Review about South Africa by niknikjw
In the northern part of the country, we stayed with a friend on a private game reserve and were able to see the local wildlife up really close (incl. antelope, zebra and giraffe). We also visited another private game reserve a few kilometers away where we were driven all over in an open topped truck. That was a lot of fun. There was a lot of wildlife in some very beautiful countryside.
The southern coast is also stunningly beautiful and you'll see plenty of wildlife there as well.
Review about Zambezi National Park by jdlevrec
Lots of wildlife - birds, animals, plants, etc. A good amount of tourists, but not enough to be bothered by the amount of people!
Short Trip to Tarangire and Ngorongoro
My partner and I recently returned from a conference in Arusha and had the opportunity to visit Tarangire National Park and Ngorongoro on a short trip organized by E-Trip Africa. Tarangire is a fabulous park - we saw numerous elephant, 5 lions with 3 cubs, several herds of zebra, impala and wildebeest, and even a rare leopard on a "sausage tree"!
We then continued to Ngorongoro where we spent the night on the crater rim, so that we could get down to the floor early in the morning. The views are amazing and we had the most magical sunset. The crater was filled with animals. I wanted to see Rhinoceroses, which we saw 4 in the first few hours. Our driver was fabulous - his knowledge, experience and passion made the trip quite enjoyable!
I would love to return to spend more time here. Not sure if we will focus on the Serengeti or the Southern Parks on our next trip, or maybe both :)
IT
35-50 years of age
Review about South Africa by DARIO.PURPURA
is the most incredible country I've ever seen
US
65+ years of age
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by DennisK
This is a must see destination! The view of the crater from above allows you to digest all the geological information you will read and that the guide will tell you. It is also a natural zoo, rich with water and vegetation that supports many wildlife.
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Fantastic Experience
Our safari to Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania surpassed our expectations in terms of the number of different animals we saw, how close we were able to come up to them, how well organized it was, the level of service and the fine acccommodations. Chris was very helpful and knowledgeable throughout the planning stages. It made us very relaxed knowing that that we had someone with his experience guiding us as we discussed the trip with him, both by phone and email. We would highly recommend Safari Partners to anyone, any age, thinking of taking a safari. It ranks as one of the best trips we have ever taken.