Review about Serengeti National Park by Donal C Wells
Endless plains, short and long grass, Acacia trees. distant mountains, kopjes, and thousands of wildebeest and zebras migrating. Add lions, gazelles, giraffes, elephants, Kori Bustards, Secretary birds, leopard tortoise, and the occasional leopard in a tree and it's hard to beat. The road is horrible, so prepare to a jarring ride. But you'll stop frequently to view the animals and scenery, so don't worry.
Review about Ruaha National Park by Donal C Wells
Uncrowded, walking safari along Great Ruaha River, great numbers of elephants, giraffes, crocs, hippos, zebras, and also mongoose, lions, yellow baboons, rock hyrax, warthogs, impalas, etc. Stay in a rustic banda along the river and make your own dinner to eat as you watch elephants and hippos play in the river below.
The Land That Time Forgot
Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater (actually a caldera, but let's not quibble) and enteri a cool and quiet world belonging to lions, rhinos, hippos, elephants wildebeest, zebras, hyenas, Thompson gazelles, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, jackals, and any number of birds and smaller creatures--just about everything but giraffes. Twenty kilometers in diameter and seemingly flat, the crater hides springs, lakes, and forests (and a few nice bathrooms) where you'll find the animals that don't usually roam the broad grasslands. Humans intrude in pop-top Land Cruisers, but our early-June visit found only a handful. Our guide, Peter, told us later visitors would find hundreds of vehicles and an occasional traffic jam near an especially interesting animal. Don't let that stop you. You'll be goggle-eyed focusing on the animals.
Photographers should take their longest telephoto lenses ((I used my 150-600mm zoom the most), but there are many occasions, as when a lion pride or elephant walks right in front of your vehicle, that a normal or wide angle lens is essential. The rhino is the rarest animal (we were very lucky to see seven) and keeps its distance. so even with a 600mm I couldn't fill a frame.
If possible find accommodations on the rim. Think hard before spending big bucks for a room view into the Crater, because it's often obscured by mist and clouds. We loved our stay at the Rhino Lodge--excellent food, comfortable, rustic rooms, attentive staff, and exceptional service. When we had three flats in our own Land Cruiser and needed assistance driving up from Serengeti, Rhino Lodge sent us a Land Cruiser and two guides to shepherd us up the last two hours after dark. (Cost? $25) The manager and his wife met us and kept our dinner warm.
Rhino Lodge also arranged a Land Cruiser, excellent box lunch and guide (Peter) for our day trip into the Crater, and it was a day all of us will treasure forever. Nothing like a knowledgable, friendly driver/guide, a pop-top for viewing and ten hours watching thousands of animals in a habitat they chose to live in.
Be prepared for very cool and damp weather on the rim and even in the Crater early and late--down sweater or Polartec and a rain jacket will do--and a light shirt for the warm, sunny days.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Serengeti National Park by Davide Manicardi
a very large National Park
possibility to rest in the park near the animals
possibility to see the Great Migration in a large part of the year (not in August, the animals were at Masai Mara National Park)
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by Davide Manicardi
so big variety of animals in a limited zone.
so easy to see rare animals because the different guides coperate with each other
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Evocative sunset
We visited Lake Manyara National Park only in the afternoon because our plane was in late so we weren't able to visit all the park (organization of the guides is the most important requirement for this travels).
The park is very large and offer a good opportunity for the birdwatching. We were able to see storks, hornbills, flamingos, ibis, baboons, zebras, gnu, buffalo, hippos, gazelles, antelopes.
I know the park is a good place to see the leopards activity not only in the night but we unfortunately weren't able to see them. We visited the park until the sunset, the light is so warm and weak and all the photo we took have so nice colours. At the end of the day we covered the near hills so we could admire the Lake from the top of the hills...it is so long and suggestive.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Pilanesberg Game Reserve by awatkinson69
A little too commercial for my liking. But the surroundings are great.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park by awatkinson69
Never have I seen so many lion, leopard or cheetah than on my trip here. The wildlife was dramatically different to other Parks I'd visited - so a welcome change. But the roads are hellish - so take a 4x4.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Karoo National Park by awatkinson69
My trip was before lion were reintroduced and the Park re-stocked - so game viewing wasn't particularly great. However, the Park itself is beautiful with great accommodation that lifts your spirits.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve by awatkinson69
The Park is incredibly beautiful. But for its size, the network of roads is too small. The variety of game is there - but on the several times I've visited I've been disappointed by what I've spotted.