20-35 years of age
Big beasts, big leaves, big spices
Day one of our trek proper and we were picked up early by our guide (Beerman), who was going to be our driver and tracker for the next three days. We also had our first experience with “African Time” – tell the chef you need breakfast early because you are leaving at 7.30 – “no problems, we will be ready at 7″, only for it to arrive at 8.15 (it was only fruit and muesli!!!)
Anyway, we still didn’t really know what to expect – so we met with our guide for the three day safari (Beerman) and rode off towards the Serengeti National Park. The drive up took about 5 hours and we first had to go through the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation area (Ngorongoro means “cowbell” in Masai because apparently that is what the word sounds like.) We didn’t go into the crater on the first day, instead we drove around the rim and down into the plains of the Serengeti. First of all we were so excited to see anything we stopped to take pictures of whatever we saw, no matter how far away they were. But once we got down onto the vast plain, there were no shortage of things to look at – especially wildebeest, impala and zebra, which are in total abundance.
Approaching dusk, we pulled into our campsite for the night – not exactly completely in the bush (there was at least a toilet (long drop, not very pleasant) but there was no fences and nothing to stop the animals coming in…
Beerman and some others from the safari company cooked us dinner and we were a little disconcerted that they slept in the caged off area that served as the kitchen while we were out in the open!! We managed not to get eaten alive although everyone (apart from me) heard a pride of Lion killing a buffalo scarily close to our campsite.
And that was just day one!!!Day two in the Serengeti started (after swapping stories of hearing lion in the night – some other group got a little over-excited and claimed that the lion were walking in between our tents!!!) with an early morning game drive – we left about 6.30 so any notion of this being a relaxing holiday soon got abandoned.
It wasn’t looking like being a terribly successful morning – we saw a herd of elephant in the distance, a water buck and some interesting birds (as well as the ever present impala and a few buffalo).
Then possibly the highlight of our tour thus far; going back through the main plains of the serengeti we spotted a cheetah in the distance. There were three about two hundred metres to our left and we watched them walking for about 10 minutes. Then, when we thought they were just going to wander off, they suddenly changed direction and headed towards the road. It turns out that they had spotted an Impala standing on a termite mound 300 metres to the right of our road. We watched them, a mother and two young, cross the road right in front of us and then slowly approach and stalk the impala right up until the final chase. The kill happened just over the brow of the hill so we did not see that (and neither impala or cheetah were seen again so we new they had made the kill) but that didn’t stop it being an amazing site!!!
That night we camped on the crater rim, which was alot colder than we had been used to. Also the campsite (another bush camp) was also occupied by an old (and grumpy) buffalo who grazed the site during the night and chased anybody who dared to go to the loo.
Surviving the night on the Crater rim with the not-so-friendly buffalo, day three of our Serengeti excursion started early again (6am) and straight after breakfast we descended through the mist into the crater itself, a massive caldera. David Attenborough could possibly tell you why but there is but there is an unbelievably amount of animals in the one location. Unlike the plains of the Serengeti, these animals do not migrate so there is always alot to see. The first thing we say as soon as we reached the bottom was this massive bull elephant. We had a distant view of a black Rhine, saw some Zebra giving themselves a sandbath and then spotted the aftermath of a lion kill. The Hyena were fighting over the carcass.
The real bush vibe
Botswana is relatively unknown to tourists, yet provides all the wildlife and scenery you expect from a safari. When booking always ask for the possibility to stay inside the parks. There are private camping areas so it will be only you, the guide(s) and the wildlife. One night when sitting around the campfire in one of the parks a huge male elephant came rushing through the bushes and passed us within 10 meters. These kind of thrills are almost impossible in other African countries.
We stayed here with a guide and a cook on a private safari, while staying as much as possible inside the parks. As sidetrips we took a flight above the Okavanga Delta and spent two days in nearby Zambia to visit the Victoria Falls including a helicopter flight. Both were fantastic experiences well worth the money.
As the infrastructure inside the parks (and sometimes also outside the parks) is not always developed, do not try to attempt to book a self-drive unless you are very experienced in off-road driving.
US
A transformative life experience of connecting with wildlife, wilderness, and local communities.
I made a big commitment in this trip in terms of time and money. However, once the trip got underway, I never second guessed whether or not I had a made a good decision. By the time 2 weeks had passed, I felt like the entire trip had been planned and carried out exactly for my own benefit. The "heart-opening" activities we participated in, including movement, poems, reflections, and sharing our reactions and purposes with the group, were incredibly effective in opening my heart to the deeply meaningful experiences of the wilderness, wildlife, and local cultures we visited. By the time the trip was over, I felt as if a major transformation in my life had been initiated.
I always felt comfortable in our accommodations, which were usually stunning and oftentimes felt magical. The flow and atmosphere of the trip were great, combining a variety of activities with plenty of time to rest and relax. Tom's passion, knowledge of Africa, and sense of humor lit up the atmosphere. The local guides in the parks were professional, entertaining, and knowledgable. The only "crowds" we saw were groups of animals - we hardly ever came across other people. Tom and Laura's connections allowed us to meet people and learn about the challenges facing both rural and urban communities, including conservation and poverty.
Here are some of my highlights:
- Nature: The serene, quiet beauty of the African bush, the nobility of the beautiful wildlife, the immense starry night sky, and getting to witness the natural order of the different types of animals, each one with its own place in the ecosystem, co-existing and acting out their part. It all helped me feel like I was part of an amazing unified existence.
- The people: It was amazing to me how in Kawaza, a rural village with no electricity, plumbing, and little possessions, everyone appeared to be so full of life and happiness. I saw more joyful people in one morning in Kawaza than I see in a year in Philadelphia.
- The close connections and open hearted sharing amongst the group helped me connect with the wildlife and communities we met in a meaningful way.
- The "zebra" meditation: Sitting down to reflect, and a few moments later discovering a zebra peeking out at me from only a few inches away. I alternated between feeling terrified and calm.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This was the trip of a life time
Going to Eastern Africa was a dream of mine since I was a little girl. When I got married, my husband and I went on our honeymoon. We wanted to experience the Mt. Gorillas as part of our journey. Ken and his driver Alfie gave us an experience I will never forget in this life time. Ken worked very hard to make sure everything went well and went out of his way to change things around so we experienced things that were important to us. Our trip was booked to see Mt. Gorilla but Ken made sure we drove through the rural country side so we could see what life was like in the villages. We stopped in a small town and had lunch at a local restaurant (eating like the locals is very important to us; if we wanted to eat like we do at home we would stay at home) and went to a local market (which is one of my favorite things to do when traveling. Nothing tells you more about people than their market) We got to see Lake Bunyonyi, which was spectacular and where Alfie stopped the jeep for me so I could see a local man's baskets (he was walking down the road, transporting them on his head). They bought me a basket, which is now a treasured piece in my home. Ken is passionate about conservation and we had some educational and meaningful conversations about Uganda and it's natural wildlife. But the Mt. Gorilla's were by far the highlight of the trip. We were informed we might hike for hours to see the Gorilla and even then there was no guarantee. We hiked about 45 minutes through thick forest and then we saw them. Being so close and personal with them was a spiritual experience. At one point, a little toddler looked at me. I gazed right in his eyes and we held that for about ten seconds. After that, that little tot stayed close to me the entire time we were there (we were only allowed an hour with them for their well being), including pulling my hair (we are not allowed to touch them but I guess they didn't know they were not supposed to touch us!) and swinging over my head and throwing sticks at me. I just loved it! The mama was close by and made a grunting sound at first. I actually told her, "Don't worry. I won't hurt your baby." She looked at me and then didn't grunt at me anymore (but she kept close by). To see those magnificent animals, our cousins-I was convinced 100%- was auspicious. Words really can not describe our time with them.The silver back was this enormous creature who was clearly in charge. I loved watching him and how we led his family. We followed the group for an hour as they foraged and roamed for an hour. I was sad to leave them and I think about our time with them often (I have several photographs in our home and at work to remind me of this very rare and special experience.) I would recommend Ken in a heartbeat. You will not have a better guide than him and you will not have a better experience. Uganda is a lovely place that will remain in your heart.
BR
35-50 years of age
The Adventure of a Wildlife
In Africa, for driving a car from one place to another, you must travel a lot. The paths are long and roads are poorly maintained, then the journey by car, from Tete, on Mozambique, to the Luangwa National Park, on Zambia, was absurdly tiresome, entitled to an electrical fault in the rental car. So, we had to distribute the contents of the damaged car, including people, for the other remaining cars. Lucky we were in a very large group.
Safaris in the Luangwa National Park were different from those made in the Kruger Park, South Africa. They are wilder and more close of local people's lives. The villages of the region are practically within the park and there are no fences enclosing the area. After the damaged car episode, we arrived too late and we went to the park in searching for our lodge, which was located into the park. The plates looked old and were not in good conditions, especially for us that we were tired and concerned about driving at night, in a national park full of wildlife in Africa.
So we started some feelings about being lost. We had to return to the starting point and then we found another lodge where we asked for guidance. They said we should just to move on and we did it, until we found a road forked and we did not know what to do. We choose one way to found a bridge wich we couldn't see clearly, in the darkness, if we could cross or not. It was almost a letter "V", entering to the center of the crossing stream and seemed that was broken on the half. We couldn't see the whole path far ahead. On guy in the car was opening the car's door to go out there and see better, when we shouted all together "don't go out of the car!!" We hold him by the shirt and closed the car’s door again, almost in panic. The driver put the car in a way that we could see clearly the bridge path, so finally we crossed the bridge to find just after that a herd of elephants crossing the road.
I had seen these scenes at Kruger Park, on South Africa, that was the first wildlife experience for the others. You can imagine the reaction of a person who was never seen an elephant, to find a whole herd in the middle of the night, crossing the road just in front of the vehicle. There were the most oddest reactions, which began smoothly with no one showing their own fear, but in few seconds everybody were lost in their own emotions and some even began to pray quietly while others gave the most absurd guidelines for the driver. "Speed up this car, let's go at once," was all that was heard in a voice full of fear, while the driver, a brazilian guy, stuck by the scene and driving for the first time in the oposite seat of Brazil, remained in shock. I asked him to avoid sudden gestures, high beams and horn, to stop the car and wait the herd leaving. Everyone then got relaxed and finally enjoyed that wonderful scene of wildlife.
We started again our searching for the lost lodge, and then we could saw a plate were it was written "Wild Life". That was the Lodge's name, but in that time we were so excited that we started to think that it was simply stating the place where we were at that time, because we were truly in the "Wildlife".
Luangwa National Park is actually much more wilder and less under control than the Kruger Park, with far fewer animals in it. The safari guide in the next day explained that, because Luangwa is a natural park, not being allowed to acquire animals from other regions. All animals were borned and raised there, spontaneously. He also said to us that, due to the hunters, there are a very low adult males population of rhinos, lions and buffalos. Hunters could buy a lion to hunt for something like five thousand dollars. They could bring home the animal skin and teeth. Should be a nice prize, but I still prefer to take my pictures.
Some animals are almost unique in Luangwa National Park, such as their zebra, whose pattern of two colors only exists in Luangwa and some few regions of Malawi and Zimbabwe. The pattern is really beautiful, more than the other one that I knew at Kruger Park, which had beige tones between the white and black stripes.
During a safari I saw a large group of young lions resting. They were so young that it was just a little furry manes, pending down from their faces, as happens with some human adolescents. It was really a wonderful feeling, to see the animals there so loose, so free and so close to us.
Impalas are the wild animals fast food. They are found in large groups in all safaris I've ever done. In Luangwa, there was also another animal very like him, but with a weird white mark on his ass. The safari guide told us a very old story about that, regarding to the bible. Noah finished painting his ark in a hurry and shipped all the animals when the ink was still fresh. That animal was the first to use the bathroom and because of that it got a stamped with the brand of toilet seat on his ass.
Safari is a lottery, with many different surprises. Sometimes we are fortunate, some less so. A couple who were with us saw a lions hunting, last night safari. They said the feeling were incredible, and you could hear the lions chewing the impala's bones as if they were tiny chicken wings. Hyenas came and fought tough for a piece, dragging it down near the river and eventually loose the game for a crocodile emerged from the water.
These are the feelings of life, the big ones eating small ones, even in nature, which is by itself more than perfect.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing safari, amazing guides.
My wife Shirley and I went on safari with Hazina Afrika in February, 2012. This was our second Tanzanian safari, and we thought we had seen it all the first time (different operator). We could not have been more wrong.
We flew to Ndutu in the Serengeti, then travelled south, over to Ngorongoro, before returning to Arusha 6 days later. Staying at a combination of permanent lodges and temporary camps, we saw incredible wildlife. Our guides Fazal and Rama (we were with a group hiring 2 vehicles, and we switched drivers from day to day) were very knowledgeable about the area, the wildlife and animal behaviours, something I was not aware of from our previous safari. From a wildebeest birth in the Serengeti to a zebra "kill" in Ngorongoro, plus a stop in a TRUE Maasai village (not like the tourist trap we visited on our first safari) we saw incredible sights, and made several new Tanzanian friends as well. I would highly recommend Hazania Afrika to anyone going on safari in Tanzania. If you want to climb Kili, they can arrange that too (we hired our own guide for Kili, but if we go again we will book through Hazina).
The best Safari in Uganda
My name is Anna from USA together with my husband Collin have completed a 10 days primate tour safari with Gatatu Safaris,It has been a very nice safari with our guide George is the most guide we think he could provide with clients correct information, he took us through various national parks in Uganda and Queen Elizabeth together with Bwindi Impenetrable National park has been our best adventure where we saw gorilla’s and Game drive around Queen Elizabeth!
While around lake bunyonyi,we slept at birdnest and food production was the best however we visited the community around lake bunyonyi where we spent a day with Mwendo needy children and orphan project of which Gatatu Safaris support actually sponsored a child which has been our dream for his Education
With our good experience with Gatatu Safaris as a travel company in Uganda, we highly recommend them with their good experience they offer, we have booked another safari for our daughters with Gatatu,we are leaving Uganda soon but we hope to come back!
Zambia is an extraordinary country because of its lovely people and beautiful wildlife and scenery.
The wildlife was amazing. I went on safari in Tanzania after Zambia and I think I saw more interesting animals in Zambia. The scenery -- the bush, the rural areas, Vic Falls -- was all amazing as well. Accommodation was easy to find in general and not too expensive. I liked the food - nshima, fish, beef - a lot. We didn't really use any guides or private transport. For more information, you can read about my experiences in Zambia on my blog at www.aperturezambia.blogspot.com .
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellence is what they strive for
Their sellection of routes, hotel/safari lodges, and travel planning was so good and well thought. They are a company that mind their reputation and therefore are accountable and transparent in dealing with their clinents and other stake holders in the industry. They are professional in all their dealings and execution of their duties. Working for them as a freelance guide was the best ever and I wish other companies could learn from them. It was such fun being in the field on their safari.
A destination with many different landscapes
For a country that is predominantly desert Namibia is surprisingly well covered with good bush. It is also one of the cleanest countries in Africa with excellent roads. We started our trip in the capital,Windhoek, and first went north to Okonjima near Otjiwarongo. Run by the Hanssen family, this private reserve is home to the Africat Foundation, who specialise in cheetah and leopard conservation. The accommodation is excellent, as is the wildlife viewing albeit in a slightly artificial situation. All the cats are radio collared which makes finding them easier, and it is one of the few places where you can walk close to cheetah.
We then spent a week in Etosha, staying in all three camps inside the park all of which had both good and bad points, but overall were of reasonable standard if quite expensive. But what an experience! Etosha is everything you have ever heard about this world famous park and more. Huge herds of plains animals, and of course their predators, excellent bird life especially raptors, and some special sightings of the beautiful, elusive African wildcat. Each camp has a floodlit waterhole with good viewing offering a very different view of animal behaviour.
From there we moved to Walvis Bay, an unlovely town, for a disappointing sea safari. But the landscape along the coast is breathtaking.