US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Botswana adventure
My 16 year old daughter and I joined Jane for a great time. It was my third time in Africa, but it was the time I learned the most about the true Africa. The staff was wonderful and we felt spoiled at all times. We felt safe and had lots of fun. The food was amazing, it was way more than I expected. I chose Ulinda's Safari because I got the feeling that it would be real and I would be given a one on one experience and we did. Im very glad that I chose them to expose my daughter to her first African adventure. I would recommended them to anybody who wants the real African experience. Thanks Jane!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely Satisfied After a Trip of a Lifetime!
I was a bit nervous to plan our honeymoon with someone I had never met before. I had looked around at local travel agents, but they really didn't have any expertise in Africa and I knew that we'd end up on some cookie-cutter trip. Chris is a true expert and has traveled to Africa several times. And let me tell you, he knows his stuff! I actually called him and spoke to him for a while before booking with him. He was so upfront with things and he ended up planning an incredible trip for us. (He's really nice too) I had told him that we wanted to hike with the mountain gorillas in either Rwanda or Uganda, and that we also wanted to go to Kenya and Tanzania. We wanted to do a mix of basic camping, tented camps, and lodging. He hooked it all up and checked in with us as he pieced it all together. He even suggested that we ended our trip in Zanzibar- and I'm so glad we did. It was a relaxing way to wind down after an adventurous 2 1/2 weeks. When I say that there was not one glitch during the total 3 weeks we were there, I truly mean it! We flew into Rwanda and we were immediately greeted by two extremely kind gentlemen who brought us straight to our hotel and gave us a run down of our schedule for the next three days we'd be there. The hotel was gorgeous. We were assigned to another driver that following morning and he came right on time and took care of us throughout our time in Rwanda. He was so great, I hated to leave him! He brought us back to the airport for our flight to Nairobi. Again, all our flight details were handed to us and we didn't have to worry about anything! Got picked up in Nairobi by another professional young woman who was so organized. She knew our entire agenda and went through it with us. Chris put us in a beautiful hotel in Nairobi where we felt very safe. Food was yummy too! During our trip in Kenya, we had a wonderful guide. He worked SO hard and was so professional. Everything was about us. He wanted to make sure we saw every animal, and he busted his behind until we did just that. We felt safe, and well taken care of! We stayed in tented camps in Kenya, and they were incredible! Even our journey from Kenya to Tanzania went so smoothly (I was a little nervous about the transportation). When we arrived in Tanzania, we were picked up for our 5 day camping tour. The guide and cook we traveled with were so sweet and they treated us like royalty. The cook worked so hard to prepare our meals, and his food was soooo good! When it was time to head to Zanzibar, we took a small flight (all arranged by Chris) and it was such a smooth transition.
We felt safe the entire time we were in Africa, and at every location. We never had to question anything. There was not one moment of confusion or miscommunication, not one issue with reservations, or transportation, nothing! To be honest, I was expecting something to go wrong, as things typically do when traveling for a long period of time.
Our trip was unforgettable. Rwanda may have been my favorite part of the trip. The country is beautiful, the people are friendly and hardworking, and seeing the gorillas was a dream come true. With that said, Kenya and Tanzania were a must see- truly breathtaking!
I would most definitely recommend The Safari Partners! You won't be sorry!!
NL
35-50 years of age
Ye it is the real Africa!
Zambia, Safari Experience 04MAY 2008
I found the Safari park “Track and Trail” from the internet and paid my fees in US dollars in advance. Everything went very smoothly. The safairi park is situated in South-Luangwa, which was recommened to me by relatives.
I was picked up at Mfuwe airport by kirsten, one of the owners, who took me in a jeep to the park, that in itself was quite an experience as we drove into the sunset. Safari parks aside, one of the most spectacular thinbgs about Zambia is her sunsets which alwasy leave me gobsmacked.
By the time we arrived at the campsite it was dark, where I enjoyed a few mosi beers, tot eh sopund of hippos grunting nearby. The rules of the site where “no walking around unsupervised” which meant drinking beer and the usual toilet trips were slightly annoying even if it was for my own safety. Please don’t get me wrong, I was actually terrrified walking around and didnt want to walk around on my own!! I took my beer backc to my beautiful chalet, where I saw a note and a whistle. More house rules, “If you meet an animal please blow this whistle – DO NOT USE FOR SPIDERS”. My first reaction was to go looking for spiders in the bed!! Sleeping for me was very difficult, I was not used to the great African orchestra of baboons, birds, frogs, bats, insects and above all the deep grunts and belches from the many hippos. I have to admit I did not get very much sleep, but I really did not mind the 05:00 call, where I was was met for breakfast. Derek, my guide, was extremely knowledgeable and not only did I see “the usual” elephants, bufalo, zebra, baboons and the like, but also teh very rare african wild dog. The entire safari was completed with stories, anecdotes, legends, science and traditions which I will not go into here.
After a siesta, we had a night safari, includinbg a small pinic in the wilderness. The night safari was astonishing and was “very african” you even got the feeling you were part of a David Attenborough documentary. The evening meal was served with love, wow, I had informed Kirsten I was a vegetarian, and she made the most wonderful meals. She even made her own peanutbutter which was better than any I have had in Holland.
The following day, I had another spectacular safari in the morning, and I was dropped off at Mfuwe airport form y flight.
If I can summarise:
location – excellent
Food – to die for
Wildlife – stunning
Staff – they went beyond the meaning of service
Beer – a little expensive
Would I recommend it? YES!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent and professional, had a great tour of Botswana!!
The trip was fantastic!! i especially enjoyed the knowledge of Anthony Washford who guided us on the trip, he was an amazing guide and new just about everything about the wildlife of this amazing country. I also enjoyed the fact that we camped wild most of the time and were so close to nature especially in Central Kalahari Game Reserve. We saw male lions fighting right on the edge of the campsite which was a thrilling experience. I would highly recommend Botswana to anybody who would like a taste of 'real Africa' and Anthony really made our trip for us!
50-65 years of age
Memories of Namibia: Stunning sunsets, alien landscapes, friendly locals, a wonderful holiday.
Namibia was the first third of a 2 week safari I did in 2009, which also included Botswana (Zambezi Region, Okavango Swamps, Chobe) and Zambia (Victoria Falls).
I began the safari in Swakopmund, spending three days there before meeting up with my minibus and travelling companions who were on their way up from Cape Town. I spent the time doing a morning desert safari, horseriding on a wide plain of sandstone hills that stretched for miles. The food at Swakopmund's abundant restaurants are of international standard, and are as varied as game pot roast to crayfish thermidor. The town itself is quaint and interesting, a remnant of its German ex-colonial history as a beach resort.
Having hooked up with my ride, we headed 120 km noth along the coast to Cape Cross, one of the largest colonies of Fur Seals in the world. The smell of 500 seals and their pups packed along a beach is something to be experienced. We then headed inland further north, to look at Bushman paintings and visit the village of one of the indigenous tribes, the Himba. We continued north and came into contact with another of the native Namibian peoples, the Ovambo with their brightly coloured European-style farm dresses and scarf hats folded in the shape of a buffalo's horns. Finally, we entered the gates of the Etosha Game Reserve, and were immediately greeted by the sight of a herd of zebra drinking from a waterhole. I have travelled the Kruger National Park several times, but game watch in Etosha is a totally different experience. Because the land is semi-arid or scrubland, animals cannot hide behing tall grass and so are much more visible. Etosha also boasts the springbok and gemsbok, majestic animals not common to the wilderness in South Africa. In the rivers, frequent sightings of crocodile and hippos can be made. And the birdlife is astounding too. Accomodation at the different campsites are well maintained and managed. There are options to stay at the comfortable bush cabins, or to pitch tent at the multiple campsites available, with easy access to hot water and other facilities.
Our guide was wonderful and highly knowledgable, as were the local guides throughout the tour who showed me the desert, the bushman paintings and the landscape. I thoroughly enjoyed this safari and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone interested in going.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had a very knowledgable guide, saw plenty of animals, delicious meals and a fantastic time.
What we saw with Savannah Explorers was truly amazing. David our guide was just brilliant. He was always punctual, a lot of fun, knew all about the animals and where to find them and just made it a great trip. Our accommodation and meals were fantastic and even the tented sites were really comfortable. We did Arusha NP, Tarangire NP, Manyara NP, Serengeti NP and the Ngorongoro Crater. We were very lucky to see Lion, Lepoard, Cheetah and so many elephants, wilderbeast, zebra, hyena, gazelle just so many animals. The weather was just perfect and we were lucky to be a bit early in the season so had sites generally to our selves. The vehicle we had was very comfortable and we would have no hesitation in recommending Savannah Explorers.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A truly amazing safari
The staff at Expedition Kenya Safari gave me a spectacular safari experience during my 7 day kenya safari in April. Patrick was very accommodating on our requests and communication via e mail and phone during the safari operation were smooth. Meshack met us at JKIA airport and it was a pleasure to have such an upbeat safari guide who was patient and took us on very exciting game drives. Our safari started at the Amboseli national park where we stayed at Amboseli serena. The lodge was pretty awesome and the Mt Kilimanjaro views were breathtaking. We ended our safari at the Maasai Mara and i will always treasure my safari in Kenya. What a beautiful country. Thank you Patrick and Meshack:)
20-35 years of age
Great choice for top end safaris
We drove through Botswana coming from Namibia via the north west border crossing, down the west of the Okavango panhandle to Maun, and then up to Chobe before heading into Zimbabwe.
Botswana is great. It has the flat, empty expanses of wilderness that most of us associate with Africa, but which are so hard to find nowadays with the vast population growth and land shortages which affect most African states. Driving from Namibia towards Maun it is pretty mindblowing to think that to the right of the road there is almost nothing but untouched wilderness stretching all the way to South Africa, whilst to the left of the road are the wetlands of the Okavango Delta followed by the Moremi Game Reserve, with its packs of African Wild Dogs.
Unfortunately, we were in a Honda Jazz. Small hatchbacks are not designed for Moremi, the Okagango or the Makgadikgadi Pans, so we stopped in Maun to consider our options. After two days searching in vain for a low-budget, organised camping trip into any one of the nearby parks, which involved me getting the car stuck in sand in the entrance to a hotel and having to be pushed out by local children, we gave up and drove to Chobe. The last hundred or so kilometres were done very slowly on a space saver spare tyre after we were eaten by a large pothole north of Francistown.
My only criticism of Botswana therefore is that there is very little infrastructure for the independent tourist; the entire tourism sector is geared towards high end fly-in safaris. Having said that, it will be the first country in Southern Africa that I return to - purely because I didn't have the money to see everything the first time around. To be truthful, I spent more on petrol than on seeing animals.
The only real exception to the rule is Chobe National Park. It is readily accessible from Victoria Falls and makes a great add on if you are visiting Livingstone or the Zimbabwean side. There are hotels in every price range, and you can park your small Japanese car outside the Avis office at the airport and leave it there. While you are spotting beasts, some poor Botswanan has the unenviable task of driving it the thousand and odd kilometers back to Johannesburg on a space saver as spare tyres of that size are not available anywhere further north.
Several hotels along the road in Chobe have boat and safari vehicle trips into the park, which is great. The boat trips get you close up to elephants, hippos, various antelopes and lots of birds, whilst the jeep safaris are great for lion and all the more common species - we saw a porcupine (the only one I have ever seen), and only just missed some wild dogs. Chobe is easily comparable to good National Parks in neighbouring countries, and it is something of a shame that it gets overshadowed by Botswana's star attractions further West.
If I come into money, I'll be straight back onto the plane to Botswana to do all the things I couldn't afford to do last time around. If you're on a budget, you'll do much better to stick to South Africa or Namibia, where your money will go much further.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organized, accomodating, knowledgable and fun
We are a family of 4 with children 11 and 13 years and went on a 12 day camping safari through northern Tanzania with Easy Travel. During the planning, Easy Travel was helpful and always quick to reply to our e-mails and many requests. All the details were taken care of for the safari from the pick up at the airport in Arusha to dropping us off at our next destination in Uganda. The safari itself was amazing - we saw tons of wildlife and, thanks to the sharp eyes of our guide Adriano, we witnessed a cheetah hunt a gazelle up close. Just incredible. It was the trip of a lifetime for us and we will always remember it fondly.
US
20-35 years of age
Review about Kruger National Park by jdlevrec
Great wildlife - tons and tons of animals accompanied by beautiful trees and plants. There were paved roads, lots of tourists and you could drive your own car in, but that didn't deter me from loving my trip to Kruger. The park is the size of a small country, so there is PLENTY of room and lots of places to go. The wildlife, scenery, accommodations, food, transportation, guide...everything was put together well for a wonderful trip. We traveled in a big truck that had tons of seats and room and a top. We camped in permanent tents at night and had bathrooms with running water right next to us. The food was all included, but the whole group helped cook the meals. Our guide was great and knew a TON of information about the park, but was also quite funny! I completely 100% recommend Kruger as a safari destination.