HK
20-35 years of age
Genuinely unique experience with the gorillas
After hours of labouring up and down muddy, slippery hilltops and cutting our way though the thickest vegetation we've ever seen, we suddenly hear our guide tell us to stop. We rested for a few minutes but it wasn't our needs for a break that he had in mind. Our guide began making a grunting noise, which we quickly learned to be for the purpose of notifying the silverback of our presence.
While we could see nothing but a wall of green and could hear little more than our heavy breathing and our hearts thumping, it was quickly learned that we were now just 4-5 meters away from a family of gorillas. These creatures somehow found this mangle of shrubs, brush and wood suitable for living. I guess this is why they call this place the impenetrable forest. Yet they seemed so at home and so at ease here.
After a couple minutes of waiting, like something out of a movie, a dark and massive creature opened the wall of shrubs and walked towards us a few steps. Now, I’m a decent-sized man (1.88cm, 100kg) but this old boy dwarfed me in size as he walked directly past me, passing no more than 1 meter away, followed by two smaller females. I remained crouched on the ground, trying to keep my camera steady, thinking to myself, ““How could this be? How could we so suddenly be this close to such imposing, dangerous creatures, yet feel at ease?” Had this been some big cat, I think we would have all panicked but instead of feeling of great calm befell upon our group of six, as there seemed nothing threatening about the gorillas at all even as we were in the wild, their home, playing by their rules.
We spent an hour here with a family of eight gorillas, etching memories in our minds that we will not soon be forgotten. The silverback encounter was the highlight for me personally while others in the group enjoyed watching the young, baby gorilla climb trees and play with his auntie. The hour we spent with the gorillas seemed to pass quickly and it was soon time for us to depart.
Then it was a return trip, up and down muddy slopes and through extremely thick brush and shrubs until we had reached our rendezvous point, where a van awaited to return us to our accommodation. We returned with another small group of six that had set off to find a separate family of gorillas nearby. We compared photos and short stories about our day with the gorillas and marvelled at how unique, special and amazing our experience had been. Sadly, we noted and recognized the poor prospects for the gorillas in the long term and felt thankful that we had been able to visit and spent time with them while there was still opportunity to do so. We only hoped and continue to do so to this day, that others, interested in wildlife, conservation and the welfare of the gorillas manage to visit Bwindi Impenetrable NP and spend a day with the gorillas while it the opportunity remains.
SA
20-35 years of age
Review about Masai Mara National Reserve by lslay78
More wildlife here than anywhere else we went. A must-see!
35-50 years of age
Review about South Luangwa National Park by Andrew W
A great park with a high density of a lot of species. Great diversity of habitat.
35-50 years of age
Review about North Luangwa National Park by Andrew W
This is a wild and exciting place which feels remote from the rest of the world.
35-50 years of age
Some of the best game-veiwing in the world and some of the most amazing lodges
Having visited North and South Luangwa parks several times I can say that they are some of my favourites in south and east Africa.
The north and the south have very different characters and are run very differently. The south has more accommodation options and a greater network of trails and is more vistited but has such an incredible diversity of habitat that it doesn't seem over-developed. There is so much to see that guides don't rush their clients around. The place teems with life and the diversity of species is fantastic. The variety of accommodation provides a variety of prices and most people should find something to suit them.
The north is a much more exclusive place with just three camps within the park. There is a limited network of roads and all the camps specialise in walking safaris. The park is truly wild and exploring it on foot literally brings you face to face with that. Staying in one these places is not just staying in a game park but more case of being part of it. The sights, sounds and smells of the park are unsullied. The stars and the animal chorus at night are sublime. However, with this awsome experience comes an awesome pricetag. If you do manage to do it, though, you will never forget it.
Just writing this review has made me want to go back.
US
50-65 years of age
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by club60
A fantastic ecosystem to explore. You would think that the wildlife would be content to remain in the Crater but they make nightly visits to the Serena Lodge which is perched right on the Crater rim.
US
50-65 years of age
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by club60
It was our first stop so memorable for that. The elephants and flamingos are standouts here.
US
50-65 years of age
A Trip of a Lifetime
The Serengeti National Park was one of 4 parks we visited in Tanzania. The incredible expanse of grasslands is overwhelming and it's teeming with wildlife. We were able to watch a huge pride of lions as the moved into position for the night's adventures. Our guide knew just where to find every animal on the plains. We saw leopards (plural) with their kills in the trees on both days. Cheetah were the first animals we saw as we entered the park - how beautiful! Elephants, giraffe, monkeys, hippos, birds (the Rollers are beautiful), were also everywhere.
The Serengeti Serena lodge was one of my trip favorites. I thought the food was excellent and you really felt like you were right among the landscape as we were. If having two Cape Buffalo right outside your hut is not enough excitement, you're just jaded. The service and accommodations were excellent too.
The weather was dry and not too hot. If it rained, we didn't see it.
Our guide and LandCruiser through Leopard tours were first rate. He knew so much and was so gracious explaining the land, the wildlife and the culture of his much loved country.
US
50-65 years of age
Review about Tanzania by club60
We saw everything we came to see and in the time we allotted ourselves.
US
35-50 years of age
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by Mark
Ngorongoro has a huge number of wild animals within a fairly small space.