50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
24 years of top-class safaris
I first went with Bushbuck from the UK in 1988 and have been back many times since. It's great to lie in my tent in a truly peaceful African night and appreciate the atmosphere of the wild. All the guides have been professional, the drivers expert mechanics and the cooks are magicians. I love the flexibility of Bushbuck bookings; they will take me where I want to go and make all the arrangements seamless.
Their own camp sites in the Mara are wonderfully private, and that's what I prefer, but they do arrange for lodge-stays on request; the customer is king!
I have tried other companies, especially when I lived and worked for a few years as a professor in Nairobi, but kept coming back to Bushbuck for their reliability and personal touch.
I'd be delighted to recommend Bushbuck to anyone who wants to experience Africa, its scenery and its wildlife.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Dave is the Master of Masters
My wife & I had an ordeal getting to Kruger because of weather conditions at the end of our flight from the USA. Nevertheless, when we got into Nelspruit airport it seemed evident things were changing. Dave met us inside the terminal with a broad grin and a hearty welcome. He barely allowed us to touch our bags, taking them himself to his truck & loading them in the back. He was courteous to my wife and gracious to us the whole time of the tour, which lasted two days.
When I first booked the tour I selected Kruger Flexi Tours because of their attitude. We had an unforgiving schedule and we needed assurances as to being able to meet our return plane. Most of the other tours we contacted were set in their schedules and, while accommodating to an extent, did not seem interested in our business. Dave on the other hand had always the same response: not a problem, we'll do it your way.
From the moment we entered the park Dave seemed to have a sense where to find the animals and within less than half an hour we'd seen about 15 different species including 3 of the big five. When we found a Sable, Dave was ecstatic, since their sightings are so rare. He bought us a delicious lunch and by the end of the afternoon drive we'd found over 20 mammals plus many birds & crocs. His guide books were always handy as were his binoculars and his knowledge of the local flora and fauna always turned out to be accurate.
That evening, as part of the tour, we enjoyed a night drive with the rangers. We we returned to the camp, Dave was at our cabin with the makings of a superb braai which included T-bones, cold beer, veggies grilled in foil and his own mushroom grill. Amarula settled the evening & Dave left to stay with a friend while my wife & I collapsed into the cabin.
The next morning we awoke to find Dave out back with breakfast ready for us: oatmeal, fruit and assorted bread with milk and juice. We started our day with another drive and he went right to the lions we had heard since dawn.
After Kruger, Dave took us to the majors around the area: Lisbon Falls, Bourke’s Luck Potholes & the Blyde Canyon and God’s Window after which we ate at Harrie’s Pancakes. Despite the fact that two busses of tourists were crowded into Harrie's, when the lady saw Dave come in she made room for us right away.
The trip back to Nelspruit was uneventful and got us to the airport in plenty of time for out flight.
The cost of the tour was a bargain and having Dave with his local knowledge and enthusiastic companionship made it the best tour my wife and I have had in years.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Safari
I, Costanza and Silvia want really thank Nik for the love he transfers to us about nature, animals and the Kruger Park. It was our first Safari and it was a fantastic experience, we learned a lot and we met all the amazing inhabitants of the Kruger Park. Special and unforgettable the barbecue that Nik made for us in one of the incredible starry nights at the park. Company was absolutely great and we would like to thank also Irina for that. Thanks a lot also to Christine who worked for us and made this amazing experience happen to us. Thanks again Nik, it was a very big pleasure meeting you.
US
Superlative unbeatable wildlife viewing
We chose Mala Mala Rattrays because of its reputation for amazing wildlife viewing and we were not disappointed! Mala Mala has the Sand River running through it and abuts Kruger National Park. It is a huge private reserve (I believe it is the largest of the private reserves in the area) comprising 33,000 acres. Only vehicles from the Mala Mala camps are allowed on the reserve and they are allowed to go off road (unlike Kruger). There were never any more than 3 vehicles allowed at a sighting and we were frequently the only vehicle present. We chose to stay at Rattrays because there are no more than 4 people in each vehicle. The khayas are huge and luxurious with his and her bathrooms, plunge pool, and deck overlooking the Sand River. Mala Mala's motto is "It is all about the wildlife" and if you are interested in seeing the "Big Five" and more, this is the place for you. We were not disappointed! Highlights of our 4 night/5 day stay with our fantastic ranger, Greg Baldwin, were seeing a leopard dragging her freshly killed impala along the ground to a tree (our first night drive!) and the next morning (our second game drive) sitting among a pack of wild dogs as they consumed their kill and fought off a hyena. We experienced the excitement of following the dogs off road and watched them run down another antelope. The rest of our game drives were also wonderful and we had many leopard sightings, elephants, cape buffalo, lion, rhino, hyenas, warthogs, giraffes, mongoose, jenet, wildebeast, baboons, vervet monkeys, zebras, vultures, raptors, different types of storks, and a wide variety of antelope. I suspect that going during the dry season enhanced our wildlife viewing as the animals were mostly concentrated around the river. It is unbelievable how close you are able to get to the animals, just don't stand up in the range rover and you will be just fine. We appreciated the care the rangers took to minimally disturb the animals while we were observing them. You will be very very busy and we barely had enough down time to download our pictures between the early morning game drives, bush walks, meals, and night drives. Others have complained about the food which is served buffet style (we liked it just fine, we did have better food at other places during our trip to South Africa, but no place could beat Mala Mala in terms of the quality of the wildlife viewing and level of service and hospitality). If you want fantastic wildlife viewing that is unbeatable, come to Mala Mala! Yes, staying at Rattrays is expensive, but worth every penny!
US
Review about South Africa by vsalcreek
The wildlife was abundant and we experienced a very high level of customer service and hospitality at every place we visited in South Africa.
One of the best holidays we've ever had! 5 stars!
We had an amazing holiday! AndBeyond safari lodges were fantastic. We were blown away by the high standards and superior service. Everyone remembered our names, and all staff were wonderfully friendly. Nothing was too much trouble. The accommodation in Exeter River Lodge was a real highlight. A truly stunning suite, and although it was a bit too cold to use the private plunge pool (we missed the 40C day and had 25C weather for much of our stay), we did enjoy sitting outside watching the Nyala, warthog, monkeys and lions wander by. This is absolutely the place to go if you're on honeymoon or want a romantic getaway.
The AndBeyond game rangers and trackers were excellent - both at Exeter River and particularly at Ngala, where I'm sure because of our tracker (Fanny) we seemed to see more wildlife than anyone else! Rhino, lion, several leopard (incl. cubs), buffalo, dwarf mongoose, cheetah, wildebeest, African wild dogs and pups, hyena and pups (they were surprisingly cute!), elephant (incl. lots of babies), yellow-billed hornbills and lots more.
Additionally the food was an unexpected highlight of our stay in the AndBeyond lodges. Every day we were impressed at the spread and quality of the food. We asked for many of the recipes and ended up buying their recipe book. Really, it was divine! If there was any criticism it would simply be that there was too much food and it was too irresistible - we came back weighing 1-2 kg heavier than before we left :-)
The staff were incredibly helpful and welcomed us warmly and professionally with airport transfers from the remote airport (where part of the Ngala rangers role was to chase any animals off the airstrip!). The short flights (10mins) between lodges were definitely the way to go (saved a 2-3 hour drive through uneven terrain). We really didn't want to leave when our guide and tracker returned us to the little bush airport (well, runway) for the final time.
We then had 3 days at Royal Chundu in Zambia to see Victoria Falls. Royal Chundu River Lodge was amazing! It was a bit of a treck to get there - an hour's drive from Livingstone, mostly along an unfinished and very bumpy road. By the time we arrived we were feeling slightly motion sick and starting to wonder whether it would all be worth the long drive there. But it absolutely was! When we stepped out of the car and into the resort it was the most serene and peaceful place, instantly dissolving any doubts we may have had. There was an infinity pool overlooking the Zambezi, the restaurant tables also overlooked the Zambezi. There was a welcome drink waiting for us and a beauty therapist ready to give us a shoulder massage whilst we completed the paperwork. The chef at the Royal Chundu was amazing - he trained under a 2 Michelin star chef and I have to say the evening food was divine - both in presentation, innovation and taste. And the room was amazing! Both Royal Chundu and Exeter River were stunning places to stay - probably the nicest places we have ever stayed at before.
The only slight disappointment with the Zambia trip was that the Vic Falls were very dry when we went (mid-late October), as the rains hadn't started yet. So it was a little like looking at a regular waterfall. So the views from the helicopter ride were not the stunning gush that we had hoped for, and there was no roar of water from the falls. But being in low season did mean we got to swim in Devils Pool - right on the edge of the falls, which was very very good! Apparently you can't do that in high season as I guess there is too much risk.
This trip has honestly been one of the best holidays we've ever been on, which is saying a lot as we are both well travelled. We can't recommend enough the lodges we stayed at: Exeter River Lodge, Ngala Lodge and (in Zambia) Royal Chundu (River Lodge). We also thoroughly recommend Ute Sonnenberg of Roho Ya Chui for organising this amazing holiday. She was enormously helpful and even added a wonderful personal touch of collecting us at the airport when we returned from the safari. She truly helped to make this trip so great.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great experience in Zimbabwe
My wife and I had a wonderful time in Zimbabwe - Mostly because of our exellant Guide Josseph Moyo- I highly recommend African Coast travel.
The best Safaris
I have booked 3 safaris with Mark and Celeste. They provide absolutely the best safari experience. They answer every question and are very knowledgeable about all aspects of the safari experience. Plan to continue booking with Taga Safaris again and again.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond Amazing!
Let's get the mundane stuff out of the way. The lodging, food and bar were outstanding. The staff was friendly and eager to please. The safari vehicles were open and as comfortable as one could expect. Our Ranger was extremely knowledgable and was great at getting us in the best position for photos while being respectful of the animals. As a private reserve, we had it all to ourselves. Most of the time, we were the only vehicle in sight. At most there would be one other vehicle (this is carefully controlled). That is HUGE! Great for viewing/photos and great for the animals.
Now on to the good stuff: The wildlife.
The abundance and variety of wildlife was astounding. The Sand River flows through the reserve and draws the wildlife to it. As we were being shown our room (all with a view of the river) a herd of elephants came down for a drink. It just got better from there. Our first morning game drive gave us the Big 5 before we stopped for lunch! Before the day was over we had also seen cheetah and wild dogs to round out Africa's Super Seven. Our evening game drive that day ended with a lioness and her three week old cubs on one of their first ventures out of the den. Absolutely amazing! I would return to MalaMala in a heartbeat.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Hwange National Park by BiJian Fan
Hwange NP has a landscape of typical African savanna, it is rather easy to find animals at the waterholes in dry season.