35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Easy Way To Get Out Of The City And See The Big 5
I live in Johannesburg and was hosting family members from the United States. After several days taking in the sites in and around the city, we wanted to get out of town to see some wildlife. We booked an all-day game drive in Pilanesberg with transportation to and from our residence. This was my first time visiting Pilanesberg, and I was not sure what to expect. We saw almost all of the Big 5 -- lion, rhinoceros, elephant, and even a leopard! However, we did not see a Cape buffalo. Impressively, we did get to see some interaction between elephants and lions when the elephants chased the lions away from a shady area.
The game drive vehicle was one of the largest I've seen, sitting at least 20. That wasn't ideal, but we sat in the front so we could hear the very-knowledgeable driver and it didn't feel like we were crammed onto an amusement park safari ride. During the lunch break, giraffes and other wildlife (mostly birds) visited the restaurant located inside the reserve. The restaurant itself had a nice selection of food -- even given the fact we had the limited menu created specifically for the game drive guests. The establishment was totally full, so the service was a bit slow.
Norman Muchacheni with Nhlalala Travel Agency provided transportation to and from the reserve. He was friendly and knowledgeable about the area and sites we passed. He arrived promptly for pick up and provided refreshments for the ride. Plus, the van was very clean. It was overall a great day and game drive experience.
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Magnificent!
Only until I set foot on this place I understand why people say you will be obsessed with it. It was truly an experience that you’ll remember for the lifetime. I really enjoyed seeing the lions and cheetahs as they are such beautiful creatures and of course as well as the others. The scenery is so so different from other places in the world as here you feel that what the planet should be. Hope all these beautiful animals can live forever without their territories being invaded and destroyed. Thank you Marurumi Safaris and our guide peter brought us this magnificent trip!!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dunes as far as the eyes can see!
My brief trip was mainly around the Sossusvlei area of Namib Naukluft National Park. The thought of seeing sand dunes may not sound enticing at first but the dunes in Namibia are magical. There’s something alluring about the expanse of the desert - its endless curves of the dunes and the soft sand enveloping my feet. My highlight was the views on the top of the dune aptly named “Big Daddy”. It was well worth the 1 hour clamber to the top in the sweltering desert heat. The surreal landscape of Deadvlei will always leave an indelible image in my mind. Deadvlei is otherworldly and unmissable.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
We had a 12 day safari visiting 5 different parks. The whole experience was absolutely amazing. Our trip was arranged by apodiformes and they were brilliant at organizing exactly what we wanted. Our driver Kevin made our experience truly magnificent making sure we saw everything. It was wonderful to see the animals in their natural habitat and so many different species. My husband is also very interested in birds and Kevin was very good at spotting birds and identifying them. All the parks were wonderful and each offered something different. The one not to miss would have to be Maasai Mara where the abundance and variety of animals was truly amazing. It was also great to meet the Maasai people who still live in a very traditional way.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Ruaha National Park by camselrac1
Very changing landscapes, a lot of animals, few tourists, great guides and very nice ecolodge
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Beautiful country, incredible wildlife, wonderful people
I've travelled to Kenya a few times over the years - first as a backpacker 20 years ago, more recently for safaris, as wildlife photography is one of my passions. My most recent trip was with my 12-year-old son in October 2023. We travelled to Buffalo Springs and Samburu National Reserves in central Kenya, Lake Nakuru to the south-west and finally down to the Masai Mara where Kenya meets the Tanzanian border. We travelled with Spirit of Kenya Safaris and had an incredible trip. Kenya is a spectacular, varied country, with extraordinary wildlife, which is why I keep coming back. I'm already planning the next trip. You can see photos from the last one here: https://jameshopkirk.com/return-to-kenya
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful place, amazing landscapes and wildlife, few tourists
Wildlife so great in a natural environment, no habitation except a few ecolodges and rangers. Ecolodge wonderful, without fences, animals passing by day and night, food simple but good, meals taken on a big table with everyone in the lodge, very nice guides well trained speaking english very well and sometimes even french !
Great differences in environment, between the lakes, hills, bush, hotsprings, forest...
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari-experience with "it started in Africa"
In February 2015 we did a 5day safari including Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro. Everything was perfectly organised. Our guide/driver was very friendly and competent/professional. We even saw the "big5" and a lion-hunt!!! The guide always looked for our wishes, e.g. for crocodiles. The car and camping equipment was in a very good condition; our cook made delicious food.
The nature, the mass and diversity of animals in Tanzania are unique and amazing. It was the best we ever experiecend. "It started in Africa" was a perfect partner for our perfect holiday: everything was well organized.
CH
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Lovely and beautyful country with a huge wildlife
Probably the most exciting trip I ever made! Beautiful landscape, stunning wildlife and friendly people.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Nairobi National Park by Sue Green LRPS (suebg1)
I would not choose this place as a single destination