CA
35-50 years of age
Review about Tarangire National Park by Roxanne
our lodge was in with the animals and I felt more a part of life in the park.
CA
35-50 years of age
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Roxanne
The birds were amazing in the waters edge.
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.
CA
35-50 years of age
Review about Arusha National Park by Roxanne
I only sat and had lunch in a lodge here so never really safaried here.
SG
35-50 years of age
Breathtaking Okavango, like a painting!
The aerial view of Okavango Delta was unexpectedly breathtaking. The patterns made by the islands, waterways, vegetations were like a constantly changing large canvas of painting by nature. It was a sheer joy watching giraffes, herds of elephants and buffaloes wading in the water.
I had 2 nights of bush camping, coming and going by the local canoes called mokoros. During the bush walks, we had to keep a safe distance from animals, so we could not get as close to them as in a vehicle. A pangolin visited our camp site at night.
We didn't feel very safe in a camp site in Maun. We were told to keep all our belongings in the truck, just had only the necessities in our tents. We were told that tents were slashed and stuff stolen in the middle of the night previously.
The river safari was a special experience, to watch herds of elephants, crocodiles, hippos and buffaloes by the river bank from the water. The land safari was less impressive though.
35-50 years of age
Review about Zimbabwe by Swenglishnick & Zimgirl
Zimbabwe offers such a broad spectrum of wildlife, birding and scenery and the fact that it is still not over-run with tourists means that you will be one of the few enjoying these pleasures!
under20 years of age
Unforgettable experience in a country so far unspoilt by mass tourism
In the south of the country, near the border with Zimbabwe, lies Mosi-oa-Tunga National Park, near to Zambia's biggest tourist attraction, the Victoria Falls. The wildlife includes giraffes, zebra, warthogs, elephants, antelope and a variety of smaller animals. At the time of our party's visit (mid-July) it was a relatively dry season with temperatures in the mid-20s), making the park's environment and ambiance exactly as one would picture a safari park - parched scrubland and bright blue skies. The park is not necessarily hugely extensive, yet the animals within its limits are something definitely worth seeing, especially the birds on the banks of the Zambezi River which flows through the park. However, the most unforgettable experience of visiting this beautiful area was an opportunity to see the last remaining white rhino in Zambia, the only one having not been poached in the country.
After a fantastic day in the park, we stopped on our journey back towards our accommodation to see a herd of elephants, outside the park underneath a road bridge. The impression which we were left with was that it was not only the park which offered a host of wildlife watching opportunities, but the wider area was a simply fantastic place to immerse oneself in a safari environment. I would say it is imperative to visit Mosi-oa-Tunga because tourism revenue will encourage conservation efforts in the area and further improve the safari experience, providing money does not go to spoil the unspoilt and genuine atmosphere which makes this area so wonderful.
CA
Unique eco-system in Botswana
We stayed at Kwando's Tau Pan lodge in the CKGR for three nights in January, 2011. The CKGR was quite different than the lush concessions up north and the differences were really interesting. The wide expanses of the pans were beautiful. It was very peaceful and quiet. We saw very few people.
We found the accommodation at Tau Pan excellent. The lodge is very new with spacious rooms. We had a large indoor and outdoor shower and an indoor and outdoor sitting room. The food was always excellent and fresh. The lodge uses new Range Rovers with roofs for transportation. Unlike the other Kwando concessions that we visited (Kwara and Lebala) there was less 'off roading' per the CKGR rules. We enjoyed seeing lots of wildlife although not in such abundance as in other parts of Botswana. The steenbocks pronking at dusk was a highlight as was hearing a lion roaring though the night. We are not 'birders' but we found the bird life in the CKGR diverse and interesting.
Our guides we excellent and we particularly enjoyed the guided walk by the bushman, Scupa. He showed us how to find tubers for water, set snares, make soap out of a plant etc.
We met another couple on the bush plan on the way out who had stayed at Kwando's other lodge, Nxai Pan and loved it.
Zimbabwe is a fabulous adventure location with wonderful locals and wildlife.
I loved my safari experience in Zimbabwe. I visited Zim on a missions trip and at the end of our 3 week stay we went to a safari camp. Not only was it beautiful but the weather was perfect, cool at night, sunny and dry during the day. The food was incredible. A little something for everyone. I highly recommend visiting this wonderful country!
US
20-35 years of age
Truly unique destination that can only be considered, 'mars-like'
Our trip originated out of swakupmond with a brief visit to Walvis Bay to enjoy the dolphin and oyster cruise (highly recommend if you like oysters and champagne.) We climbed the dunes on foot which was shortly followed by a trip on ATVs. Both exciting in their own right as I've never experienced dunes of that size and that expansive.
We headed north from swakupmond to drive up the skeleton coast on our way to Etosha. We stopped by the Cape Cross seal colony, which was amazing. Definitely make this stop.
One note, this is definitely a trip where the site really is that there isn't much to see. It's so barren a landscape that you're amazed that people live near or around this area. You feel like you're on another planet. As such, make sure you have the right car and spare tires. Set the pressure in your tires correctly. Bring water and food as well; just in case.
Our whole trip was a self-drive and organized by a 3rd party agency.