US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Self-Drive Garden Route and Kruger Park
We took a self-drive visit for about a week on the Garden Route and then two nights in Kruger Park, a very condensed version of my self-drive visit in 1985. We really enjoyed being able to drive ourselves and look at things as long as we wished, or as short as we wished. We stayed ion Skukuza Camp the first night and Letaba on the second night. It was a fantastic visit and we saw four of the Big 5. While I first visited Kruger Park in 1985 this visit was more "successful" as I did not see any cats or rhino that time. My wife and I really enjoyed spending her birthday in Kruger Park...a rather unusual place for Americans to spend birthdays! :). My wife even enjoyed driving on the "wrong" side of the road for an hour! We could have easily spent another two nights there!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Magical trip of a lifetime!
There are no words to express our level of gratitude and satisfaction with Dania and the amazing staff of Extraordinary Journeys. From our first conversation expressing our hopeful "wish list" of our Africa experiences until we arrived back in the US, this trip was an effortless, all insecurities erased, trip to a magical wonderland. Within days, Dania had the entire trip planned, our wish list and so much more completed. Nothing was left out, from personal guides, greeters at airports, internal flights within Africa, helicopter transfers and accommodations booked in the most beautiful romantic places we have ever stayed. We travel a lot, but nothing has ever compared to the magic we experienced in South Africa, Zimbabwe and the islands of Mozambique. Our safari time at And Beyond Leadwood Lodge was surreal. Multiple encounters with leopards, lions, rhino, giraffes, hippos, elephants and more all while surrounded in pure luxury and beauty. Staff, service and food amazing here and everywhere in Africa.
In all of our travels around the world, nothing has come close to our Africa experience. This 13 night journey, thanks to Extraordinary Journeys ,allowed us to experience a trip of a lifetime, surpassing all our hopes and wishes. There was not one glitch in the entire trip, Extraordinary Journeys thought of everything! A heartfelt thanks( even though we did leave a piece of our heart in Africa) we will be traveling with EJ again
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Kruger National Park by piazzi1969
Good views of Leopard, lion, elephants, many white rhino, honey badgers, wild dogs and the highlight was a cheetah and a fair number of birds although less than in Sabi Sands.
We stayed at Lukimbi in South Krüger. To sum things up: Friendly, good guide, good food, nice lodge with a nice room (number 9, without a nice view though), many mammals seen and some nice bird species such as Ground Hornbill and Secretary Bird.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve by piazzi1969
This was the final park visited. Overall very similar to the other destinations mentioned above and below, but staff in the park seemed less friendly.
Less animals and birds seen here and during one of the drives our car was packed with 10 people although other cars were almost empty. The weather was dry.
We stayed at the Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge. Very nice rooms, good food, less friendly staff although our guide was very friendly and knowledgable, and overall less wildlife sums up the two nights w stayed here.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Arid bush landscape with good mammal sightings
The wildlife in Sabi Sands was great with good views of several leopards and lions, many elephants, spotted hyena and white rhino and even a couple of black rhino during our two night stay. Highlight was a pack of wild dogs that had just killed an impala and watching a group of spotted hyena at their den. A nice black mamba showed well besides the car on one of our game drives and the bird life around the lodge (Nkorho Bush Lodge) was very good. Just in the bush there were fewer birds than expected.
The lodge itself was very nicely situated with very comfortable rooms and very friendly guides and staff. The game drives were well organized and the guides knew their wildlife well. The guides also always put the wildlife first which was very positive, but still did all they could to allow for good close sightings and for taking photographs without causing the animals any disturbance.
The weather was a mix of sun, cloud and some rain but the temperatures remained mild.
The cars during the drive could seat 10 people, but we were never more than 7 which was very comfortable. It did rain a couple of times, and it was a little disappointing that the cars did not have a roof. We were nevertheless supplied with rain protection, but with heavy rain it was necessary to return to the lodge.
During both morning and evening drives it was relatively cold, mainly due to the strong wind. Both a Jumper and jacket were usually necessary, at least for me.
Food was OK although that would not be a reason to return. Everything else would be a reason to return though.
CA
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Arusha National Park has beautiful landscapes and unique animals
My father and I spent one day in Arusha National Park prior to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Upon arrival, we weren't expecting to see much as the park is close to the city of Arusha, but there are many different species of wildlife visible in the park. Our tour guide knew all of the park areas and took us to his favourite spots. We saw giraffes, zebras, monkeys, baboons, hippos, flamingos, plenty of birds, and even a few elephants!
The location of the park is great because we were able to see many animals within close proximity to the city. As a photographer, there were many opportunities for closeup photographs with elephants, giraffes, and zebras. I would recommend the park to anyone because of its size and ability to see a large variety of animals.
While staying in Tanzania, I stayed in Moshi. The national park was less than a 45 minute drive. The transportation was great and our guide was very knowledgeable. Visiting in July was great. The weather was good. We were only able to see Kilimanjaro during dusk because of the quick weather changes in the mountain areas, but it never rained and was fairly sunny throughout the day.
I would recommend a visit to Tanzania and Arusha National Park. It was an incredible experience and I wish to go back!
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about South Africa by piazzi1969
Very good views of a number of mammals, especially leopards, elephants and white rhino but fewer bird species than expected. This could have been due to the very dry months prior to our visit with rains only beginning a day or two before our arrival. During the course of our stay the bush started to turn green so I can imagine that the scenic beauty will be much better in the weeks and months to come.
CA
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Tanzania by Eric Dewar
Tanzania was an incredible country. It was my first trip to Africa. All of the locals were very knowledgable. The areas are safe and the scenery is incredible. I would recommend this destination.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Second Safari with Maasai Magic Safaris
This was my second trip with Maasai Magic Safaris and everyday was like it was preplanned for us by Disney. Being a photographer I was real happy with their newly purchased Landcruisers that are configured with photographers in mind. Setting for four, the vehicle allowed us to move around without getting in each others way. Many times on safari you seem 6-7 people jammed into a vehicle and I couldn't imagine traveling this way. Gabriel was our guide again and he is so full of information on animals and knows their behavior, almost predicting what they will do next. His customer service and attention to detail is top notch and he understands the needs of customers.
The tour itinerary was perfect in every way as well as the accommodations, especially the Kitela African Spa Lodge, which was a favorite.
Thank you Maasai Magic Safaris for another wonderful lifetime experience.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great first safari experience and introduction to the incredible animals of South Africa!
We had an amazing time on our Moriti Safari!
Our guide William met us at the airport and then drove us out to our first stop at Tshukudu Lodge. Even though we arrived late in the day, William and our game driver made the extra effort to take us out on a game drive on our first night. Our trip coincided with an ongoing drought, but we still saw tons of animals on every game drive. It was also really great to see how much the rangers at Tshukudu cared for all of the animals on their reserve. There had been insufficient rainfall to support vegetation for grazers, so the rangers had supplied extra food and piped in water to the watering holes as necessary.
The highlight of our visit at Tshukudu was almost certainly walking with the cheetahs on the reserve on the morning of our second day. There are three cheetahs that were orphaned as cubs and grew up around humans, so cannot be released. It was truly awesome to be able to interact with a wild animal up close and to experience just how fast and how silently a cheetah can move when it is running.
One of our favorite parts of the trip was our trip to the Moholoholo Rehabilitation Center, which cares for animals that cannot be released back into the wild (injured, too comfortable around humans) and works to educate visitors about the threats to wild animal populations. Definitely a worthwhile stop!
The last part of our Safari trip was at the Klaserie lodge and wow was this place luxurious! Being so far from towns and other people was really a great experience and it made us feel like we were truly in the wild on our drives. Our camp was right next to a watering hole and we could sit out and watch elephants and warthogs come to drink during the day. We even spotted a leopard, hyena, and honeybadger on night drives (all of the guides had incredible vision!).
We were very well taken care of on this trip, and probably gained a few pounds from some delicious food at Klaserie. Our safari with Moriti was a great introduction (and re-introduction) to South Africa for us. I hope we are able to visit this beautiful place again someday!