US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Moremi Game Reserve by Ross
Moremi is a great place to see wildlife in its natural setting -- we camped right next to a lagoon with hippos grazing and snorting within 10 feet of our tent at night.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Traveling w/Open Heart was a community connected, heart centered ultimate animal kingdom experience!
From beginning to end I felt safe and well taken care of by Tom and Laura and all the people they contracted with; from drivers, lodges and local villages to internal air travel and eateries. After a day of regrouping, at a beautiful lodge near the airport, from a long day of travel; our second day- first day of Safari was so memorable. I remember thinking I could go home now and the travel would be totally worth it! The sound in the air, the color of the sky and the abundant variety of wild animals was more than I could have ever imagined! The crazy thing is- it only got better: each day unfolded to awe me in it's own unique way. One early morning an elephant strolled by my tent and stopped to graze on the tree right in front of me, monkeys foraged around the camp and hippos sang in the river. A unique aspect of Open Heart Safari is their grassroots community efforts and the connection with the locals. One night we visited and stayed over night in huts at a traditional village. The adults were welcoming, children playful, and the food delicious. Africa was a musical menagerie. Its a memory I will carry with me always.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Masai Mara and the Laikipia Plateau
In Kenya we visited both the Masai Mara and the Laikipia Plateau (Mugie). Both very different but also both very good for wildlife viewing. Laikipia being the more exclusive destination and thus often being the only car at a sighting. Especially the possibility to off-road is magical. The Mara is a place you need to share with many other tourists, but the number of game is excellent. Maybe we where luckily but we did see a lot of active (hunting, fighting cuddling) lions which was for me something I've only seen happen so often in the Mara.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing Big 5 safaris and awesome bush lodge experience with VivaSafari.
I had an incredible time in South Africa with VivaSafari during my stay at both Tremisana and Marc's treehouse lodge. I want to thank all the staff at both lodges and all the guides who took us on safaris in Balule and Kruger. I got to say that we were very lucky with our sighting, including a leopard on a night time safari, 3 black rhinos, all the big fives, hyenas, hippos, baboons, and other beautiful species like ground hornbills and a saddlebilled stork.
Also a pleasure to stop by the Blyde River Canyon's 3 rondavelles spots on the way back to Joburg. Wildlife, scenery, accomodations and great food all made it a truly special trip to me. South Africa has always been a favorite of mine for wildlife photo safaris and scenery, and this is without a doubt one of the best times I've had on a trip.
I would highly recommend this safari, and can honestly say I just wish I could have stayed another 5 days !
All my thanks again to every person at Viva Safari, Tremisana and Marc's treehouse lodge for making all of this possible.
Martin
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Chobe National Park by Ross
Chobe is the jewel in Botswana's wildlife crown -- just take a trip down the Chobe RIver and you'll see why. There are animals everywhere here, from swimming elephants to lounging leopards. Don't expect to be the only one watching that pride of lions, but if you can eschew the luxury lodges and do some camping out in the wilderness, that's the way to experience Africa. Try to stay two days or more, since every day you'll see something different. And one more thing -- be ready to feel very depressed when it's time to leave.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Best Safari ever😍
Short travel report Uganda January/February 2024
We left almost on time on January 24th shortly after 11 a.m. from Nuremberg's Albrecht Dürer Airport via Istanbul to Entebbe. When we arrived there, we were met by our two guides Elli and Joseph at around 6 a.m. and taken to the Seven Seasons Hotel to relax. In the afternoon we went on our first trip to the Entebbe Botanical Garden. This was founded by the English in 1902 during the colonial period and has a large variety of plants, shrubs and trees. We were also able to observe the first species of monkeys such as mantled monkeys and vervet monkeys.
The next day we set off early in the morning to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. In this great park we were able to admire 13 rhinos while tracking with a local ranger. The sight was simply indescribable, we got to within about 20m of these wonderful animals. After a short night at the Bomah Hotel in Gulu, we continued to the Zebra Lodge in Kidepo Valley National Park for 2 nights.
This park is located across borders in the drier north of Uganda on the borders with Kenya and South Sudan. On the game drives we were able to see huge herds of buffalo, lots of elephants, bumbas (warthogs), some giraffes and various types of impala. This savannah landscape there is simply indescribably beautiful. A highlight was the visit to Idi Amin's former residence in the Katurum Lodge park.
After another night at the Bomah Hotel, due to the longer distance, we went to Murchison Falls National Park. Here the Pakuba Safari Lodge was our accommodation for 2 days. It is located in the middle of the park with a small waterhole and a wonderful pool that gave us our first slight sunburn. On our game drives we had lots of animal sightings, saw our first lions in Uganda and, as a highlight, a leopard in its tree hideout. We ended the evening by the campfire with guitar music and singing from our new Canadian friends Beggi and Tom.
It can really continue like this!! The next day, after the morning game drive and lunch in the lodge, we went to the Nile for a boat trip upstream to the Murchison Falls. Along the Nile we saw buffalo, elephants, monitor lizards and some large crocodiles, as well as many species of birds. But the view of the waterfall from below was already very impressive, but it was about to get even better.
The trip directly to the falls was only planned for the next day, but Elli, our guide, had a feeling and after a short drive and a short walk we arrived at the top of the waterfall. The rushing and roaring, the spray, the play of light until sunset, just amazing, fantastic and indescribably beautiful. An impression that will last forever!!
Early in the morning when we left the Pakuba Lodge, a herd of elephants was standing almost directly in front of our room, leisurely making their way around the grounds, which delayed our departure a little. But we reached the Kibale Forest Camp in time for lunch. In the afternoon we went on an excursion to the “country and its people” including a medicine man, coffee roastery, basket weaving and banana beer brewery. A must if you want to get to know the culture of these great people. In addition to the beer tasting, there was also a great homemade banana schnapps. The way back to the camp took a little longer!!
The next morning we set off for a wonderful walk in the forest before going chimpanzee trekking in the Kibale National Park in the afternoon. After a few mud holes, wet shoes and dripping trousers, there they were, the chimpanzees. It was wonderful to be able to observe our closest relatives up close, simply unforgettable moments!!
On the 10th day of our tour through Uganda we continued across the equator to the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Here we stayed at the Buffalo Safari Lodge. During the game drives we were able to see a lioness with her 4 cubs, but the absolute highlight was a bull elephant who visited us while we were swimming in the lodge's pool and drank a few liters of water from the pool with his trunk. Another highlight that you won't forget!!
The next day we went on a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake Edouard with Lake George. Here too we were able to see lots of elephants, buffalo, many species of birds and hippos. This time we only saw small crocodiles. But a boat trip like this is just awesome, highly recommended!!
After 2 nights in the Buffalo Lodge, we went to the highlands, to the rainforest of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, to the Rushaga Gorilla Camp. The temperature difference was really big, in the evening hot water bottles were put in our beds so that we were nice and warm.
After breakfast and a very short drive, the lodge is about 300m from the starting point of the gorilla trek. We were greeted by a dance group and after a detailed briefing we set off. In total we were on the road for about three and a half hours, up and down hills, through the thicket, over small streams and mud holes, but after about 80 minutes of extreme conditions we were able to see them. A mountain gorilla family, the silverback with about 14 family members, we were sometimes only about 2 meters away from these amazing creatures. Unfortunately, after 10 minutes it started to rain very heavily and the animals hid under a large bush. I quickly threw on a ponch and followed the family. We overlooked the fact that the poncho was over our feet and we had to go headfirst into a mud hole. After about 30 minutes of heavy rain, the gorillas came out of their hiding place again and we were given an extra hour to take photos before heading back to the starting point. A small detour was necessary because our path crossed that of an elephant. After receiving our gorilla certificate, we went back to Rushaga Camp to shower and change before we reflected on our experiences in the evening around the campfire.
Day 14 of our trip had already arrived, and we headed to Lake Bunyonyi with incredibly heavy legs and sore muscles. There we were taken by boat to a small island called Habuhdro Island. A wonderful gem for relaxing, where you could just unwind with a good, cold Nile beer. A dream island that you could walk around in just under 15 minutes.
After a good night's sleep, we took the boat back to civilization the next morning after breakfast and then on to Lake Mburo National Park. Here, too, we had a wonderful lodge with a view of the park's wide valley, the Kigarama Wilderness Lodge. On our last game drive in the park, we saw lots of giraffes, buffalo, antelopes and also some hippos. We were also able to leave our jeep and get within about 4 meters of the giraffes, who were watching us curiously.
But unfortunately our adventure slowly came to an end the next day. We stayed at the Seven Seasons for a few more hours and then drove to the airport at 3 a.m. the next morning where we flew back home to Nuremberg on time with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul.
Special thanks go to our two guides Joseph and Elli!! We had a lot of fun with them during the 16 days. They took us safely and reliably across Uganda and brought us much closer to the wildlife, nature and culture through their knowledge.
Also Sedrick, the boss of Ngoni Safaris who planned this unique tour for us, and all the staff at the hotels and lodges. We were warmly welcomed and entertained everywhere. We will definitely travel to this great country again!!
To paraphrase Hemingway:
“If I’ve ever seen magic, it was in Africa”
(automatic translation from German)
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nxai Pan National Park Is Well Off the Beaten Path...Which Is Why You Want to Go There
There are two great reasons to visit Botswana’s Nxai Pan National Park east of the city of Maun.
First of all, you’ll see wildlife here on this baobab-dotted salt pan that you may not see elsewhere in Botswana. First on my list is the Oryx or Gemsbok. These shy, stocky antelope, incredibly well adapted to life with limited water, roam this sandy wilderness where their long, sharp horns and striking black-and-white faces signal their presence in the tall grass. Two other “boks” of note are the small and light-footed springbok, with facial markings reminiscent of kabuki dancers, that graze the dry pan in significant numbers, and the even smaller Steenbok, a Bambi-like creature with markedly oversized ears that lives a more solitary life. I also saw hartebeest here, as well as bat-eared fox, honey badger and brown hyena – these in addition to the more familiar attractions: giraffe, elephant, kudu, lion, cheetah, wildebeest, zebra, jackal, et al. And for those more keyed into the feathered set, you’ll be wearing out your binoculars for sure. You won’t need them to see the many ostriches, but you will want a closer look at all the eagles (including brown snake, booted, tawny, martial and bateleur) and the pale chanting goshawk, lanner falcon and Dickinson’s kestrel. I can drop plenty more names – kori bustard, red-billed quelea, ant-eating chat, northern black korhaan, double-banded courser, swallow-tailed bee eater, African hoopoe – but need I go on? And one side note – park management keeps the Nxai Pan waterhole supplied with water all year round, so you can always find wildlife there taking advantage of this government handout.
And second of all, though in the high season (Botswana’s winter) you may not see as many animals here as in a park like Chobe, for instance, there is one species you’ll be happy to see less of, and that’s people. In Nxai Pan, you’ll often feel like you’re the only one who thought of taking a safari in Africa. Part of the reason for this is Nxai Pan’s relative inaccessibility – once you drive through the gate, expect at least a two-hour drive along a treacherously sandy “road” to get to the campgrounds (I say at least two hours since you may spend a third hour or so helping some unfortunate fellow visitor get their mired vehicle moving again). But don’t let this scare you off – after all, this is why you came to Africa instead of some safari park in Florida.
All told, if you’re in northern Botswana and feel like getting off the well-beaten path to Chobe and the Okavango, visit Nxai Pan – it’s well worth it.
LC
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Nxai Pan National Park by Horst M. Vogel
Gosh, we enjoyed this park too with elephants at the campsite and a leopard sitting on top of a termite mound. It's remote and that's what makes it very beautiful indeed ... provided you love solitude. Nxai Pan was also once our springboard for an adventureous trip along the historic cattle trail all the way up north to Pandamatenga. Afterwards, our radiator needed a thorough cleaning from seeds though.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great wildlife to photo - great guides!
We went with friends to tour the major parks in Kenya, and our guides were fantastic. Very thoughtful, they knew where to go to get great photo shots of animals, and went out of their way to take care of us. I happened to forget my camera's recharger in a hotel room early in the tour... I called the hotel and they found it, so our Image Travel tour guides made arrangements and delivered to me before my batteries ran out. This is saying A LOT considering the traffic and the roads! I would have been sick to have missed all the great photo shots, but they made sure all was taken care of. We thoroughly enjoyed the guides, the parks, the narration... everything. Couldn't be happier.
LC
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Moremi Game Reserve by Horst M. Vogel
Again, the Moremi GR is another pearl in the string of Botswana's game reserves and national parks. Don't miss it!