50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve by Caroline
This is a wonderful park that I visit often. I always stay in park accommodation and although the camps vary in quality (love Nselweni) being in the park is the best. The tar roads are pretty bad with potholes but they are presently repairing them. The other roads are fine. The game viewing is generally good and I enjoy being able to use my own vehicle.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
This is an exceptional large South African Park to take at your own pace.
Spending a week in Kruger National Park earlier this year, having last visited as a child, was an awesome experience. The park is large so at no time is there a "canned" experience. As we used our own vehicle we were able to go at our own pace. I am a keen photographer so the ability to shoot from your own car (with a bean bag) is pleasure as being on the back of a truck can bring its own challenges. Less then two minutes into the park we saw lion! However, just being in a typical South Africa bush brings me joy and Kruger Park delivered this same experience whether the more unusual animals were around or not. We had fantastic beautiful, still, warm weather and spent every day and evening in shorts. We stayed at Lower Sabi in the tented accommodations and then in chalets at Berg en Dal. The tented accommodation (wooden structures with canvas sides) at Lower Sabi is on the river and couldn't have been more beautifully situated. The only small complaint was that neither of the camps were well equipped but that was a small price to pay. Baboons tore their way into our tent at Lower Sabi when we were out one day and the staff immediately apologised and cleared the huge mess they had made. The staff couldn't have been more accommodating in this regard and the camp does its best to keep baboons away. One of the things that makes the park so good is that the roads follow the river as much as they can, allowing good viewing.
TW
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A spectacular alternative to the crowded northern circuit and certainly worth a trip of its own.
Ruaha is my favorite Tanzanian national park due to its fairly remote location and the spectacular landscape. An incredible variety of wildlife and some very well-trained outfits operating there. Ruaha's remote location and massive area, two of the things that are most attractive, are also its main vulnerabilities. I had made many visits to the park when I lived in the area from 2005-2008 and was concerned when I returned earlier this year because of all of the accelerated poaching that's gone on in the area over the last several years. Ruaha's remote location and massive area, two of the things that are most attractive, are also its main vulnerabilities. The quality of safaris for guests however, remains mostly unchanged in my opinion. Most of the game viewing tracks are in a relatively small portion of the park that is well-protected. Having heard so much about how hard the park has been hit, I was surprised at the abundance of wildlife (this is of course not to minimize the scale of the problem in Ruaha, particularly farther afield in the north and out into the WMAs and game reserves).
I've stayed at River Lodge and Mwagusi in the past (only River Lodge on this visit) and have to say that both Chris and Peter Fox run top notch operations: well maintained camps, excellent food and services, and really do a spectacular job training their guides on Ruaha-specific flora and fauna.
Two recommendations:
1. "Ruaha National Park: An Intimate View" by Sue Stolberger, is probably the best guide out there to flowers, plants, and trees of miombo woodlands, not just in Ruaha but for most of the country. It's a bit cumbersome to navigate until you get used to it, as the plants aren't grouped taxonomically, but Sue's insights and comments more than make up for this minor setback. I've seen a number of guides even up on the northern circuit using it as a reference. It is tough to get a copy of, but the main gate of the Park has copies in their storage room if you ask specifically for it. That is where I purchased a copy in May. I think it was US$45.
2. "A Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Tanzania" by Charles and Lara Foley is another excellent resource that has recently become available and can be purchased more widely. It is also easy to use in the field as well with a good index that makes looking up details a breeze.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A magical day
Our group (of 9 people) booked the Chobe Full Day Trip hosted by Kalahari Tours (http://www.kalaharichobe.com). Apart from a delay in our border pick-up from Zambia, the day went smoothly.
After a quick morning tea, the first half of the day was spent in a boat on the Chobe River - we found our guides informative and entertaining. We were delighted by the amount of bird life along the river seeing, among many others, African Fish Eagles, White-fronted Bee-eaters and Great White Egrets. There was plenty of animal life along the banks too - crocodiles, elephants and hippos.
After lunch which was simple but filling, we spent the afternoon in a specially-modified 4x4 vehicle in the Chobe National Park. A highlight of this was seeing the after-math of a leopard-kill. We had a close (but safe) encounter with some elephants, and saw several baboons, impala and giraffes. Unfortunately no lions that day, and zebras were 'out-of-season' - their migratory pattern means they simply are not present in Chobe in June. Again, our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining.
I would thoroughly recommend a visit to Chobe National Park, and fully intend to go there myself when I am next in southern Africa. To see some pictures from that day, visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/s-haydon/albums/72157655902764278.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Samburu National Reserve by denis
great national park with abundant wildlife and beautiful sceneries
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Masai Mara National Reserve by denis
great national park with abundant wildlife and beautiful sceneries
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Aberdare National Park by denis
Everything was actually beyond my expectations
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Beauty beyond the obvious
Kenya is that one country that has been endowed with almost everything. Its wildlife is great and in ubandance. You will see all the big five at mara without struggle while if you are a fan of birding Nakuru will give you an ultimate experience. When it comes to the scenaries Kenya has various beautiful places, Mombasa beaches are awesome, the great rift valley and the slopes of Mt kenya. Kenya is also endowed with several wterfalls like the thompsons falls Zaina in Nyeri counnty tomention a few. facilities like the hells gate will leave your eyes wantinting to see more. its residents are friendly. you will love the intact culture from Samburu turkana and samburu people
under20 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
NgoroNgoro Crater
It was a lovely experience for me and my family as the staff was so polite and easy to talk to, although the long ride to the crater was made worth the wait by the breathtaking scenery down at the crater having animals only meters from your fingertips giving us a Tarzan experience that only we could receive with the Blue Ocean Services.
NZ
Our specific itinerary was accommodated, and staff were very professional and friendly
I contacted a number of companies for quotes and no other company could match sunny Safaris for price and the specific itinerary I requested.
Jesca, Marceli and Riziki the three staff we dealt with were excellent ambassadors for the company. Jesca communicated promptly and the guide Riziki, and cook Marceli provided an excellent experience for us in Serengeti.