NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Jeroen
We really enjoyed the Hippo's and the massive number of Pelicans, Storks and Herons on the lake, what a great sight! But also the Baboons, Lions, Elephants and other animals in the bush were great sightings. Although it is a somewhat smaller park it was perfect for our first park of our first Safari.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Can't imagine there is a better park than the Serengeti
Last August I did my first Safari and visited the Serengeti with my wife and my 2 children (12 and 10)
We were in one word: overwhelmed! Never saw such a number of wildlife (number of animals as well as diversity). It was if I was live in a National Geographic documentary. Our guide Jamal showed us many different kind of animals and explained their behaviour. Our children really loved it. So I can recommend everybody who loves to see animals in their natural habitat to visit these breathtaking Endless Plains.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had the Experience of a Lifetime!!
My family and I Went on a safari tour with Open Africa Safaris January 2015 and we enjoyed it 100%! The communication and service was excellent! We were able to see the animals at a close distance and the tour guide, Tonny Montana was patient and made sure that we were able to get good pictures and videos. We were also provided lunches, which were fulfilling. We plan on going on another safari tour to Serengeti in December 2015 with Open Africa Safaris and I request Tonny Montana as our guide.I will definitely recommend Open Africa Safaris to my friends and anyone looking for an excellent safari tour! This was one of the best experiences of my life!! Thanks alot!!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing scenery, beautiful weather & lovely people.
Although we didn’t see a lot of South Africa, what we did see was amazing. It was a very last minute decision to travel to SA to join our daughter & boyfriend on their last two weeks of travelling. It was so much better than we thought it could be. Fantastic scenery, friendly people & amazing wildlife. And coming from England, no jet lag & reasonably priced accommodation & food with very good vegan options in all the restaurants we visited. And they drive on the left! We did find the poverty difficult to deal with, and load shedding every day was sometimes inconvenient. But we are definitely hoping to come back in the whale watching season. So, all in all I would recommend a visit! Also, you must visit to the Panthera Big Cat Sanctuary who are doing such fantastic work with rescued cats & trying to educate people as to the atrocities that go on regarding canned hunting, lion breeding etc.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Blessed to have been witness to the beauty
I have been to alot of parks but Samburu takes the cake.The accomodation and was wonderful cannot say enough about it ,I stayed at Sarova ,the guide was good and well informed but what blew me away was the place the weather was dry if it was hot i guess i didn't really notice as i said the guide was good but the loudest voice was nature itself seeing the elephants in their herd and in the backdrop of the scenery, I felt a shift in my consciousness and felt as though the world had let me in on a secret and in that moment i felt small,honored and blessed,the lions were also awesome since they were full we went close...i mean really close .Overall it was a spectacular holiday it was as if the animals got a memo and came out to show themselves...bellissima
US
Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kosen makes you feel like you are the biggest VIP on the planet!
I went to Tanzania with Kosen Safaris last March, and had an exceptional experience. I have been on safari before, to Kenya, and certainly enjoyed it, but with Kosen it was totally different. Kosen Safaris prides itself on a customized experience and lives up to its promise. They will do everything humanly possible to ensure that you are happy - including finding elusive animals! (How do they DO that?!) They made me feel like the most important person in Africa; as if my comfort and contentment were their only priority. And every client felt the same way as I did!
Navigating the visa process, ground transfers, park entrance fees, police road blocks, et cetera is nothing short of daunting. Kosen Safari staffers are experienced and professional at handling all the details, making it seamless. I found our driver/guide to be knowledgeable and educated about the flora and fauna of the area, both is a :"bookish" way, as in higher education, and also in a personal, hands-on way, as in having had loads of personal experience and history with the wildlife.
I came away with lifelong memories, of course - how could you not - but more than that, I came away feeling like I had been treated to a safari designed exclusively and uniquely for ME. Africa has cast its spell on me and I'll be back - but only if Kosen is in the driver's seat!
Amazing experience - recommended!
We went in the low season and almost had the park to ourselves. I believe we only saw 4 other cars over the entire journey! The park itself is great; next time we'd also like to do a night safari!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Garden Route with Safari
We worked with Laurette at Pembury Tours, and had an awesome experience. We came from the US and the communication was great. A lot of planning and details went into our itinerary on their part. They also gave us great suggestions and advice. It really took all the headache and worry out of planning and booking. I would highly recommend working with them to sort out your trip plans!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Your Adventure with Expert Guidance
I usually book my own travel for my wife and I, but I was so overwhelmed with options on this one I turned to Go2Africa, and I am extremely glad I did. The top three reasons why they are awesome: 1) It was my trip. I never felt like I wasn't in control of what I was going to do and they listened to exactly what we wanted to do. 2) They are experts both in the service providers and in Africa. The level of communication ahead of time and during was excellent. All my questions (even the crazy ones) were answered quickly and with an expert response. They worked with us to craft exactly the trip we wanted. 3) They really do want you to have a good experience and are available to make last minute bookings and help out if anything does go wrong. Having that resource really helped keep the vacation mindset going.
Suggestions for those considering booking a trip to Africa. 1) Use a travel agent, preferably a local one like Go 2 Africa. Having somebody to make the phone calls for you, and who knows the specific areas and operators is really beneficial. 2) Do your own research as well. Look into the details of the bookings, verify the locations and inclusions are in line with what you are expecting. Ask questions and be comfortable with your trip far ahead of time. 3) Make the trip your own
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unsullied, unmissable, unforgettable
Despite all the articles and reviews we'd read of the Ngorongoro crater, we were still overwhelmed by what we saw when we went there. For us it was the most wonderful introduction to an East African safari. In a single day, we saw elephants, lions, rhino, hippos and countless other animals, but as exciting as it was to see these big beasts, we were just as happy to see the beautiful birds and trees. The landscape of the crater is more varied than we expected, it's by no means just flat plain.
Arriving at the end of March, we were lucky with the weather. We expected rain, but it all fell overnight. Days were quite overcast, which kept the temperature down (but beware of UV nonetheless, I got sunburned even through the cloud!). Probably the best thing about going at this time of year is that others don't. Our guide (the excellent James from Tanzania Serengeti Adventure) told us that at peak times there can be 3 or 4 times as many vehicles in the park, which might well make it a wee bit claustrophobic.
What else is there ? The night before we entered Ngorongoro, we really enjoyed our stay at the Kirurumu Tented Lodge; these are the definitely the tents for us - concrete floor, walls in the bathroom and a thatched roof. Only the sides were canvas. Real luxury living, and the most fabulous view over the rift valley. The Rhino Lodge, our overnight home when we came out of the crater isn't quite so inspiring, but nonetheless, it was a pleasant experience. In fact all the accommodation on our safari was well above what we're used to, and hence what we expected.
All in all, a fabulous experience I would recommend to anyone.
