AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect organisation of the trip, amazing experiencd
Organisation of the trip by Peter was very professional and effective. Oeter managed it well and above our expectations and found solution for each problem. The trip was great, our guide Abdul and cook Ibrahim were really amazing and trying to fulfil all our requests. Programm was very intense eith great timing. We highly recommend 3-days safari in Ngorongoro and Serengeti with Peter, you will never forget it:-)
SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Enjoyed a short but great safari in Tsavo East!
I went on a 2-day safari trip to Tsavo east national park and Taita Hills. My tour guide was very knowledgeable about both the animals and the parks and genuinely a nice person (be sure to ask for him if your going to Tsavo!). Acommodation was amazing and from the lodge I could see animals roaming around just outside the facilities. I was able to see lions, elephants, buffalos, giraffes, zebras, ostriches impalas among other animals. Also fairly cheap compared to other operators.
5/5
I had a great experience with Hillman GMA. Very professional and fast responses via e-mail.
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great advantaure combined with excellent lodging
Already very helpful when preparing our first safari tour, very service oriented, up to excellence assistance during our stay in Krugerpark. We will definitively come back. We saw all big five and even more. The ranger are very experienced and acting in accordance to the nature
Efficient and helpful - operator Judie
Communication was good. We enjoyed our stay at Mkuze and found the accommodation in tented safari tents comfortable.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Family Safari trip
I emailed several companies and somehow I narrowed it down to Sunny and one other company. The main reason I picked Sunny is because Jessica impressed me with her prompt replies every time I emailed her. She was very accommodating and answered every question that I had. Met her in person on day 1 and I knew that very minute that we will have a fantastic time. David was our official driver and guide during our 5 day Safari and like Jessica, he was very courteous, kind, and he made sure we had a safe, smooth and a worry free safari. David knew the parks really well and he took time to answer all our questions. He also happily shared his safari knowledge and experiences to us. My sincere thanks to Jessica and David for taking care of my family during our trip. We had an amazing trip and hope to be back again someday.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Sabi Sand Game Reserve by Kathryn
We saw just about everything that could be seen by daylight: lions and leopards (almost daily), Africa wild dogs, spotted hyenas and their young, elephant herds, giraffes, rhinos, Cape buffalo, tortoises, hippos, giant land snails, dung beetles, baboons, vervet monkeys, half a dozen kinds of antelope, and birds galore. Only one crocodile because the river was dry. No cheetahs, which are less common there and difficult to spot because of the tree density.
Our &Beyond guides from Kirkman's Kamp were incredibly knowledgeable. They knew the mammals, birds, insects, plants. When they found out we were more interested in insects, plants and soil/geology than the average safari-goer, they made sure to point out more of these features and give us opportunities to discover.
It rained one of six game drives. The safari vehicles are open, so raincoats and ponchos were a must. Some people in our group opted not to go out, but we went and didn't regret it. The rains brought African wild dogs, and the rain was not cold so it wasn't too uncomfortable.
The other days were hot and dry (we went in March, late summer, in a drought year). That meant few mosquitos. We forgot about the heat when we were watching animals, and when the vehicles were moving we had a breeze.
In the private reserves, it's permitted to be out on game drives after dark. We did not do any specifically night drives, but drove back at dusk/nightfall on our afternoon safaris. We saw nightjars, the Southern constellations and a few other things.
Staying in a private reserve afforded us the opportunity to go off-road in appropriate conditions and meant few encounters with other safari vehicles. Because of this, we got closer/better viewing of lions, leopards, elephants and rhinos than we might have otherwise.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great variety of wildlife big and small
We stayed in two of the private reserves that are part of the Kruger Park system: Sabi Sands and Ngala Reserve. Staying in private reserves afforded us the opportunity to go off-road in appropriate conditions and meant few encounters with other safari vehicles. However, it also meant we did not have permission to cross boundaries into the park proper or other reserves—a downside when trying to track African wild dogs, but the downside goes both ways (you can't cross from the park proper into the reserves, either).
We saw just about everything that could be seen by daylight: lions and leopards (almost daily), Africa wild dogs (two days out of six), jackals, spotted hyenas and their young, elephant herds, giraffes, rhinos, Cape buffalo, terrapins, tortoises, hippos, giant land snails, dung beetles, wildebeest, baboon spiders, baboons, vervet monkeys, half a dozen kinds of antelope, and birds galore. Only one crocodile because the rivers were dry. No cheetahs, which are less common there and difficult to spot because of the tree density. (The areas we stayed were not open savannah, but rather dense savannah and veld.)
Our &Beyond guides from Kirkman's Kamp and Ngala Tented Camp were incredibly knowledgeable. They knew the mammals, birds, insects, plants. When they found out we were more interested in insects, plants and soil/geology than the average safari-goer, they made accommodations to get us off the vehicle now and again to look at termite mounds, watch dung beetles, squint at mites, inspect flowers, or admire the dirt.
It rained two days of six (two of eleven game drives). The safari vehicles are open, so raincoats and ponchos were a must. Some people in our group opted not to go out, but we went and didn't regret it. Both times, the rains brought African wild dogs, and the rain was not cold so it wasn't too uncomfortable.
The other days were hot and dry (we went in March, late summer, in a drought year). That meant few mosquitos. We forgot about the heat when we were watching animals, and when the vehicles were moving we had a breeze.
In the private reserves, it's permitted to be out on game drives after dark. We did not do any specifically night drives, but drove back at dusk/nightfall on our afternoon safaris. I appreciated that at Ngala they had red filters on the headlights, which don't interfere with animals' night vision. We saw nightjars, a hippo, and a few other things.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A gorgeous park with amazing elephant and hippo viewing, as well as good birding opportunities.
I'd been on safari at other locations for about ten days already in South Africa, and I'd previously been on two safaris in Kenya and Tanzania, but here we saw the highest concentration of elephants and for the first time got to observe them at length as they drank and played in and around a large body of water. Being able to view wildlife from a boat on the river was also a new experience and allowed us to see a different array of behaviors.
Chobe is also the only place I've seem hippos out and about in large numbers during the day. This is apparently because they need to spend more time eating because of the fierce competition for resources from the large elephant population.
The scenery was gorgeous, especially from the river. I appreciated the number and variety of birds that could be viewed on the river even in midday.
We were there only for a day trip. The weather was hot but not oppressive, and the boat and jeep both had shades to protect from the sun. A rainshower came while we were having lunch but left as quickly as it came and did not interfere our game drives/boating.
We had previously stayed on private reserves in South Africa and our guides in Chobe, while knowledgeable, did not seem to have the same depth/variety of knowledge. For example, our group had a lot of interest in plant life, and our guides did not know much beyond the major grasses and trees. Perhaps they knew them in the local language, but not in English or Latin. Since this was just a day trip for us, though, we didn't have a lot of time to study plants so it wasn't a major drawback.
Our lunch was good and there appeared to be a variety of accommodations in town for varying budgets. The roads to and from the park were wonderful. I was pleasantly surprised by the way drivers observed the speed limit.
The town near Chobe is well built-out, so you don't feel like you're in the middle of nowhere. However, there were some lodges located within the park or on the river, and these had more of a remote feel.
On the drive/boat ride we encountered other vehicles, but there were no "traffic jams." All vehicles/boats I saw had guides, and there were never more than three vehicles (but usually one) at a single viewing spot. Drivers were careful not to block each others' sight lines.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about South Africa by Kathryn
We saw everything from African penguins to zebras. In addition to Kruger, we were in the Cape, which has fantastic scenery and fascinating plant life. Naturally, not all of South Africa has a "bush vibe" since it's got lots of cities and a big population, but you can get that vibe in the parks if you pick the right places.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Botswana by Kathryn
We were only there for a day, but Botswana is a lovely contrast to Zimbabwe. Border control was efficient, infrastructure was good, and local residents did not seem to have the air of hopelessness that was present among many in Zimbabwe thanks to its economic difficulties.