20-35 years of age
Excellent for mountain gorillas, and for a good not too touristy safari experience
I found Uganda to be a fantastic place. The highlight was, without doubt, the mountain gorillas which were truly breathtaking when seen in their natural environment. I found the way the treks were organized to be very good, making the whole experience accessible, but without it feeling too sanitised. I also enjoyed the other parts of my trip - while the game drives are not up to the quality in terms of number of animals that you might find in other reserves (so I am told - this is my only experience of safaris so far) what is great is that they are a lot quieter than other reserves in other countries. We saw a post-kill pride of lions ripping apart a warthog carcass and there were only a total of 6 or 7 vehicles around - something I believe is not likely to happen in places such as Tanzania which are more developed. The lodges were, without exception, fantastic - great food, nice atmosphere and friendly staff. The trip was expensive, but we did a lot - several boat trips, chimpanzee trekking and of course the gorilla trekking. It might not be somewhere you consider unless you are either a birder (Uganda is meant to be great for birds) or going to see the Gorillas, but for me it was a perfect place for mixing safari and trekking.
35-50 years of age
An excellent park for most of Africa's animals.
We spent an excellent 2 full days here with Kiboko Safari tours (based in Lilongwe) in October 2010. The weather was hot, but not unbearable. We saw practically everything - hippos, giraffe, lions, zebra, crocodiles, civerts, many birds, elephants, monkeys, antelope, buffalo, chameleon, etc. The photos and video of what we saw are on here:
http://hpjw.co.uk/holidays/1011Zambia/
The journey from Lilongwe was about 5 hours, half on tarmac, half on dust roads. Our camp (Track and Trail lodge) was at the side of the river where the hippos spent all day and you could relax with a cool drink between the morning and evening game drives. The food was perfectly acceptable and our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. All in all a great place to visit. We have previously visited Chobe, Kruger and Etosha, and this is probably our favourite of the 4.
US
20-35 years of age
Zimbabwe was a fantastic wilderness experience with a great cultural vibe.
Our trip was absolutely fabulous - a trip of a lifetime! The scenery was gorgeous; the weather was perfect while we were there. Our accommodations in the bush were way better than expected, but still provided the rustic feel we were going for. I don't know who cooked our food, but if it was over an open fire, that chef was brilliant and way better at cooking in the bush than I would ever be. Our trip incorporated land rovers, station wagons, canoes and more. All worked out well for each situation. The wildlife was incredible and our walking safari guide, Gary, from Sengwa Safari's was top notch. I had a very up close encounter with an elephant that was just amazing and we saw several lions with their cubs while out for a drive. There were too many other animal sightings to mention, but that was a good thing! We ended our trip in Victoria Falls where we had a great white water rafting and bungee jumping experience. Seriously, this was the best vacation I've ever been on. I hope to repeat it some day with my husband.
SE
20-35 years of age
Review about Kenya by Robert Pielmalm
There are much to see and it offers everything one can expect in terms of wildlife and animals.
You will not regret a trip to Zimbabwe.
My husband and I were part of a tour group that visited Zimbabwe in February of 2010. I came away with wonderful memories and an incredible respect for the people of that country. I felt so welcomed into this land, so foreign to my experience, and found its citizens warm and eager to explain their lives. We stayed at the breath-taking Victoria Falls Hotel. I could not have wished for a more beautiful setting and we even did the "foofie slide" over the Zambezi River-- an even more "breath-taking" experience. Victoria Falls itself was an unforgettable experience.
We visited several markets (one for visitors and one for residents) and even had a chance to have a meal with a local family and compare our lives. Our local tour guides were amazing people who made our experience even more meaningful.
While in Zimbabwe, we boarded a jeep, hoping for sightings of the rare Black Rhino at the Victoria Falls Private Game Reserve. We had a great view of a pair of these huge animals, and also saw elephants, zebra, impala, warthogs and baboons. And birds galore! Even more fun was spotting the warthogs, monkeys and elephant tracks around our hotel itself. We also visited a lion-rehabilitation center, getting to pose with three huge cubs, and rode an elephant through the brush while learning about elephants from our guide.
The animals in Zimbabwe were amazing, but what made the Zimbabwean experience truly memorable for me were the people of this country, so courageous and generous. I hope to return some day.
Portland, Oregon, USA
US
35-50 years of age
Wild beauty
Matetsi was a dream. The lodge was not full, which was very nice for us, but we found ourselves wishing more people would spend time there for the good of those who depend on tourism for a living. The service was top notch and everyone we met was genuinely friendly and lovely. We had perfect weather (not too hot, no rain) and we saw wildlife we hadn't seen in south africa, botswana, or tanzania -- wild dogs. We also saw african fishing eagles, elephants, giraffes, leopards, and lots and lots of wildlife. Amazing. The food was also top notch, but we found ourselves feeling very guilty eating such luxurious meals while food was difficult to come by in town. I would return to Zimbabwe in a heartbeat.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Private Safari, Beautiful Country & a Very Nice Driver
I've been to Uganda before & fell in love with the country, it's people & nature. I wanted to experience this with my girlfriend so Matoke Tours adviced us to go to Kidepo Valley ( North Uganda ). A hell of a ride, however, what you see & experience along the road is amazing. The north of Uganda is not yet touristic so you get the best Africa experience value for your money. The scenery is beautifull and you won't find a lot of other tourists in the Parc. The accommodation is this parc is basic but perfect.
After Kidepo, we went to Murchison Falls ( 6 hrs drive ) and stayed at Nile Safari Lodge. If you are a romantic person, check it out! Small, personal, nice staff & a beautifull view over Murchison.
Matoke tours did it for me again!
Thanks again.
Ps. Our driver was Sam and i recommend him
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome
Our trip was absolutely flawless. We saw almost all the animals we wanted to see (no honey badger!) and got incredible photos. Everywhere we went we felt completely taken care of, picked up at the airport, taken on game drives, made fantastic dinners. It was my first time to Africa so I'm not sure if trips there are always so incredible but Bushtracks made it seem easy. We'll be going again!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Best Trip
I cannot say enough about what a wonderful trip this was. Valentine took such good care of us so we just had to sit back and enjoy the amazing scenery. Every detail was taken care of and Valentine was patient with all our questions. I couldn't imagine going to Africa without Valentine! Looking back it is one of the greatest travel experiences I've had.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Unforgettable experience from beginning to the end !!!
We are regular travellers to Kenya and made quite a lot of safaris over the last 10 years. In 2010 we went to Tanzania for the first time and booked a 4 days safari with Ajabu Adventures. We thought we had it all in the passed experiences but booking a safari with this company was amazing. From the first email contact till the day of departure for safari, everything was arranged in a personal way and with passion. We knew from the start that this would become a wonderful 4 days of adventure. The owners of Ajabu Adventure are Dutch and they put their hearts and souls into the business. The best quality is their service. They really feel responsible for giving you the best moments of your life. Almost everything is possible to arrange and they help you with great suggestions. The driver/guide we had was experienced in knowledge and a suberb driver as well. They have great 4x4 cars, very comfortable. The lunch package was a surpise... no paper boxes but a great picknick basket and real crockery. We saw some tourists looking with an envied eye, included some monkeys :-). We are planning to visit Tanzania again in January 2013 and will book again with Ajabu Adventures. We can sincerely recommend Ajabu Adventures if quality, hospitality, customer service and value for money is important to you!