US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Botswana by David Sullivan
Botswana felt exotic, with lots of wildlife easily seen, even just driving through town! The people are pleasant, and I never felt unsafe at any time.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very Special Experience
This was my first Safari experience and a colleague recommended that I should go to Mala Mala and it didn't disappoint. The excellent, knowledgeable guides and spotters, great wildlife viewing opportunities at the end of winter (September, dry season) fantastic accommodation and the fact that you could fly directly there from Johannesburg all were big positive points.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about South Africa by Markle1
The perfect tourist country. Beautiful countryside, friendly people, excellent food, plenty to do and see.
Review about Kibale National Park by erbsl99
I hole day with chimps is better then visiting the Gorillas
Unique place on earth: Murchison
We, a small group of 5 pax, stayed there for 1 night. I would recommend 2 days, because there is so much to see.
Wildlife - compared to other destinations like Kenia, Botswana, Tansania is not so rich, but good. Before visiting, I was a little concerned, that we would'nt see so much due to poaching in the past. But I was happy to watch a lot of animals.
Scenery is excellent - there is a great, unsurpassable variety. That's the big difference to Botswana, the country with the best Bush vibe - but the landscape is plain.
Weather was great, no rain, but green, vivid landscape.
Accomodation: we stayed for one night at Paara-Lodge, I really good lodge.
Guide: Our tour guide Akim was excellent, also the local guides tried their best to show us the country.
In my opinion this is propably the best place on earth for a safari due to the beautifulness, the scenery of the Nile-river, the Murchison-Fall and the wildlife.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Magnificent, as an hobby photographer, I couldn't capture it all
From our very first moment entering the Reserve accomodation I was impressed by the reception, personnel and food and as an extra we were also greeted by a young Bull Elephant who broke in inside the compound for a little threat. We didn't see the big 5 as everyone like to bragged about but we saw plenty of animals (lions, rhino, hippo, zebra, giraffe all sort of gazelles and antelopes, elan etc... and a mother chetah hunting down a young wildebeast with her 2 youngs. Fabulous photos. I didn't rate the birding high because birding wasn't my main focus, but I got a few shots of birds and I am sure that it could have been excellent.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about South Africa by ru_24_real
I was very impressed by Cap town, Port Elizabeth and the surrounding areas and I would go back in a minute given the opportunity to visit some more of this great country.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by Chris M.
If you're short on time and want to see big game, head straight to Ngorongoro. You'll see everything but giraffes here. There's so much wildlife it almost feels like a zoo.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was amazing, everything as I imagined an African safari would be.
We stayed at Ivory Lodge, which is on the border to Hwange National Park, I was a part of a tour group so we camped, but some of my fellow travelers upgraded into the tree houses and they said it was some of the best accommodation of the trip. At Ivory Lodge they have a water hole with a hide, so we spent most of the night watching for what would come to the water hole. We saw a herd of greater kudu and two bull elephants, the elephants were so close you could hear them breathing it was one of the best moments of my trip.
We spent two days at Ivory Lodge, on the first day they took us to the Painted Dog Conservation Centre. At the centre they has 3 rehabilitating dogs and its a place were they take local schools to educate the children and visitors about the plight of the Painted Dogs. Its very rare to see Painted Dogs in the wild so being able to just see some who one day will again be wild was wow. That afternoon we went on a sunset game drive in Hwange and we actually saw real Painted Dogs, so that was my unexpected highlight of the trip, we also saw a breeding herd of Elephants, Buffalo, lots of birds and a cheetah.
On the second day we spent on a whole day game drive, and saw much of the same animals, as well as three lions, and we ran into another herd of elephants they were so close you could have touched them and they weren't afraid they just checked us out and kept eating.
We went during the rainy season, but thankfully it didn't rain, but the park was all green and in full bloom, it was some of the best scenery in Zimbabwe. Our guide were all locals and new everything and always had an answer to our questions.
I would definetely go back it was an amazing couple of days
