US
35-50 years of age
Review about Tanzania by Rick Johnson
In addition to Lake Manyara NP, we also spent 2 days in Ngorongoro Crater and 3 days in the Serengeti. The same advice should be followed as with Lake Manyara: find a good guide. The variety and number of animals and birds to be seen is truly astounding. From the cheetah hunt to the hot-air balloon ride, every turn presents a new and unexpected pleasure.
A completely unique, unrivalled experience!
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) is a long way from civilisation, but the trip is definitely worth it.
We stayed for approx. 10 days and in that time we saw a stunning selection of animals and birds, ranging from cheetahs, leopards and lions to springbok, wildebeest and tiny field mice.
The weather during our stay was just about right. Being winter in the desert, it did get cold at night (about -6 degrees Celsius), but temperatures reached 25-30 C during the day.
We stayed only in the three main camps of Twee Rivieren, Mata Mata and Nossob. The accommodation was comfortable, well equipped and clean. However, remember that the shops only have the bare essentials, so it is advised to take all supplies with you.
Of course, the highlights of the trip are always what you see not necessarily where you stay. Suffice it to say that you never know what is around the corner, but you can almost guarantee that every day will produce at least one stunning sighting - be it a cheetah kill, hyenas tending to their cubs, honey badgers foraging or bat-eared foxed frolicking in the dusk light.
The other sight that must be experienced is the African night sky. With no light pollution, the high altitude and clean air, the view of our universe is unbelievable. Look up at night and you will see satellites, falling stars and with some help from binoculars even some planets such as Saturn.
I can only recommend the KTP. I will definitely be returning in the future, hopefully many more times.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great safari and great service!
This was the second safari that I've booked through Mark. I went to South Africa (Mala Mala) in 2001, and loved it so much and couldn't wait to get back. This time around, it was a last minute trip -- I emailed Mark about a month before I wanted to go, and he was able to book me lodges in both South Africa (Kirkman's Kamp) and Namibia (Sossusvlei Desert Lodge). He met me at the airport when I arrived in Johannesburg and we were able to chat for a bit before I flew out to the game reserve.
50-65 years of age
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
excellent
We used the services of Cardboard Box in 2010 and have used them again recently for a forthcoming trip, on both occasions they were outstanding. You can simply send them a rough itinerary and they will provide you with all sort of information and advice and will book everything for you. Everywhere we stayed last time was perfect. Not sure how they could improve their service. We'd recommend them to anyone.
Review about Tanzania by Ralph Winter
Extremely dense wildlife population in many national parks and the Ngorongoro conservation area near Arusha, asbolutely recommended.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awaken to Africa is the best!
My family and I went on safari with Awaken to Africa in August 2013. It was a life-changing 10 days and such an amazing experience. Grace booked everything for us and her suggestions were perfect. She asked great questions in order to get an idea of how we travel and what we like to do and made a perfect itinerary. Each camp was perfect and our guide, Justin, is amazing! Everything, from the visa process at the airport to heading back to JRO to depart, was easy and well planned. The safari itself was amazing and we were able to see a lot of animals including the wildebeest crossing the Mara river. Justin is very knowledgeable and very nice. He is a wonderful guide and I highly recommend him. I would definitely use Awaken to Africa again!
20-35 years of age
wild honeymoon
Always present sun and wild animals (including birds of all colours from the rainbow) created unforgettable atmosphere and wetted appetite to see even more. On safari we travelled in a car with big windows enabling to admire the landscape. Stopping 2 meters away from a lioness basking in the sun was breathtaking. Kenyan guide was very polite, helpful and tried to answer all possible questions, which seemed to be endless like the scenery around us. It was definitely our best decision to go for our honeymoon.
US
20-35 years of age
I would do it again
Wildlife, scenery, weather, accommodations, food, transport, our guide - all amazing. The guides knew where all the animals like to hang out. I was only here for 4 days, so I only saw a small portion of this reserve, and I would love to go back and spend more time on my own. I worry about the noise and pollution impact of so many diesel engines, the high number of tourists in the area, the seemingly high number of dirt roads, and water consumption due to tourism in a savanna setting that seems quite arid. The hotel we stayed at was very well maintained, the staff were wonderful, and the food was tasty. I loved the architecture, and thought it contributed to the "bush feel". I appreciated the commitment to electricity conservation and the fact that solar water heating was used. It was unfortunate that our drives happened in the mid-day when lighting is not very conducive to photography. I generally do not like being on organized tours - I prefer the freedom that going alone provides - but it was worth it to have a guide here since I wasn't well educated about the wildlife and it was my first time to Africa. I hope to visit this reserve again, as well as others in the region, and would like to do a walking safari. Our group's focus was on The Big Five and other large mammals so I didn't feel comfortable rating birding. I did see a number of pretty cool birds just by chance! Four days wasn't enough...I want to spend 4 months out here!
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great guide/driver fabulous scenery, lodges and itinerary.Couldnt ask for more but they fitted it in
Adjusted route to fit in all we wanted. Great guide, perfect organisation.