Review about Linyanti Concession by evimeyer
This is a very lush area with lagoons, swamps, alluvial islands, marshes, flood plains, riparian forests and lush inland forests. Hippos and elephants rule the area. Lots of birds of all kind.
The blooming desert filled with wildlife
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is an incredible safari destination during the emerald season (rainy season), when the desert provides lots of vegetation due to the frequent daily thunderstorms. It really is much more of a semi-arid area than a desert, with expansive grasslands and savannah, in which the wildlife roams, hides and hunts. The scenery is breathtaking, the wildlife abundant. I had a particular interest in birds during my trip to Botswana and knew that many migratory birds escaping the cold European winter can be found in sub-saharan Africa. I was absolutely astounded by the numbers of Storks of various kinds in the Kalahari Game Reserve. Hundreds of them were flying high up in the air in kettle formation, or satiating themselves in the grassland and water holes. The amount of mammal species was great as well and their behavior wonderful to observe from the Land Cruiser. Since there is more vegetation during the emerald (rainy, summer) season, the wildlife might be a little more difficult to spot than during Botswana's winter. But a good guide can make up for that and enable you to observe some very interesting hunting and eating behavior.
The scenery was beautiful due to the vegetation and blooms. We experienced rain in the afternoon once in four days, but I understand that it can rain daily. Since our Land Cruisers had a sun/rain roof and very comfortable ponchos, we really were not affected at all by the rain. The temperature was very hot during the middle of the day, but all game drives took place either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The hottest time was siesta time at camp. In the Central Kalahari Game Reserve night drives are not permitted and all vehicles have to be back at camp when it gets dark.
We stayed at the Kalahari Plains Camp, which was a nice basic camp with really delicious food. The "tents" were clean and comfortable, the shower only salt water, with one fresh water faucet at the bathroom sink.
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve was our first of three camps in Botswana, and definitely a great introduction to the country.
An authentic safari experience
This is the place to go for an authentic safari experience. The park is huge and the wildlife abundant but the number of other vehicles very minimal. As a result, on numerous occasions we found animals in the wild such as lions and elephants and were the only vehicle present. This is a big contrast to stories we have heard of 10-15 cars for each viewing in the more well known game parks in Kenya and Tanzania. Our trip was also much better value than the larger parks. Would recommend to all.
Tanda Tula Private Game Reserve a unique and simply wonderful life experience
My family and I all enjoyed a holiday of a life time during our 5 day stay at Tanda Tula game reserve within Timbavati Nature reserve. The tented accommodation exceeded expectations, with wonderful views of the wildlife from our own veranda. A real family atmosphere amongst the Tanda Tula team is evident, the food simply amazing, the local music and dancing truly captures the essence of the mood of wild Africa. The attention to detail and customer service from the team within the camp is simply world class. The guides (Foremen and Given in our case) are wonderful people, friendly, extremely knowledgable and are willing to tailor the drives to your individual requests. We completed a total of 12 drives during our time along with a number of short safari walks. I am sure some luck was on our side as we were privileged to witness a number of rare sightings, such as honey badgers, african wild cat and a leopard stalk which ended in a successful kill. Weather was fantastic during our time not too hot during the day and comfortable during the evening. Overall an amazing experience!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Jinja by KVaughn49
Jinja is more of a 'rest' area and viewing the Nile River than a wildlife destination, although we saw more monkeys and smaller wildlife there.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime African experience!!
To actually see wildlife in their natural environment was a stunning and unique experience. The numerous elephants, water buffaloes, Impalas and Kob antelope made our safari with our guide, Sam, a breathtaking
tour of the QE National Park. The Kazinga Channel cruise was awe-inspiring, as we ventured very near elephants, hippos, water buffaloes, and crocodiles! The more amazing photos I gathered were of the numerous fish-eagles, one of which had a talapia fish held in its talons as it flew and landed on a tree branch!!
We had accommodations at the Mweya Lodge which was fantastic! The views of the Rwenzori Mountains and the Kazinga Channel from its mountaintop location was great! One could see elephants and other wildlife walking about the shores of the Kazinga Channel from the patio of our room! The food is first-rate and the rooms were luxurious as well. The general manager and host at the Mweya Lodge was very friendly and gave us historical accounts and other information on the area.
The QE Nat'l Park was a difficult drive and the weather was warm but it accounts for the African 'experience'.
Uganda is truly the "Pearl of Africa" !!
An incredible two day experience
We visited Sabi Sabi in mid March 2015. Our ranger picked us up at the airport and before we reached the lodge we had memorable animal encounters with elephants, giraffes, impala's, and nyala's. Our ranger (Eve) and tracker (Donald) were assigned to us for our full stay which provided for good continuity. They were both great. As it turned out, we had the vehicle to ourselves which made it like a private tour. Ranger Eve asked what we liked to look for and adjusted to meet our interests that included looking for birds. We saw all the big 5 and had special (at least to me) encounters with cheetahs, wild dogs, and leopards. We took a nature hike with the ranger and saw two leopards on foot. We saw a large number of birds in the bush. The weather had been quite dry, so we did not see many wading birds. The accommodations were first class. Very spacious, private, and clean. The food was served buffet style but there was a wide variety and of very good quality. The included house wines were also quite good. The cakes available at the afternoon high tea were exceptionally good. They are worth eating even if you are not hungry. It was a nice touch to have our ranger join us for dinner both nights. This allowed us to learn a lot more about Sabi and SA and added to our overall experience. Yes, it is expensive but I would say it is still a good value based on the personal service we received. You are going to remember the experience more than you are going to miss the few hundred bucks. By the way, on the way back to the airport we saw lions.
Review about Botswana by evimeyer
Botswana has a heavy emphasis on conservation and very experienced and helpful guides.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Uganda by KVaughn49
I was not disappointed in experiencing the wildlife and other animals, as well as the scenery of Uganda! My Nikon experienced over 1800 'clicks'! The photography was phenomenal!