IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Great African Safari!
1. “It seemed that we were at another planet – ourselves Aliens, and the vast wildlife and wilderness – its true inhabitants” – There is not an iota of exaggeration in what I say, to describe the Great African Safari at Maasai Mara. The “Absolute Holiday Safari Experience” started with the introduction to the one man Army – David. He methodically chalked out our schedule(of almost entire East Africa), painstakingly working out each detail to perfection. We were introduced to our group, which in addition to five of us, were three Germans – one of who symbolically termed us “The Lion Squad” :-) .
2. The journey, to the “God’s Own” Maasai Mara, started with our pick up from Nairobi, a short break at the view point of the Great Rift Valley, and on-wards to the National Park. The very sight of the camp rejuvenated us, seemed to bring us closer to nature, with the well laid out tented accommodation, amidst picturesque flora, neatly scooped out of the jungle.
3. Sooner we found ourselves entering the huge gates of the Maasai Mara National Park, against an overcast sky. This, coupled with the first appearance of the tall giraffes, popping their heads up and out of the trees, reminded me of an early scene of the famous ‘Jurassic Park’ movie, I watched as a kid. The next couple of days went in total awe, credit goes to our guide Mr Jackson – 11 years of experience in the field, no doubt why some of us believed he had instincts that of a Cheetah….literally! A scene which seemed to us of a lone vulture sitting atop a tree, presented an inference to Jackson about the presence of a “Cat” – just finished relinquishing his prey – and voila! “Cat” it was – there we saw a lion sitting smartly upright in magnanimity, as if reassuring his kingship! Few meters beside him lay the half eaten carcass of a zebra, which would have contributed to the up gradation of the gene pool of his herd, when the weakest of the lot, lagged behind and got discarded – law of nature! …..for survival of the fittest!
4. All credit goes to Jackson who made us spot the ‘Big Five(lion, elephant, African buffalo, rhino and leopard), apart from almost three dozen wild animal and birds. One could just close his eyes, think of an animal and the very next moment it was in front of you. We criss-crossed the entire Maasai Mara National Park, going as far as the Mara river, famous for the great migration which takes place across it, bordering Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.
5. The trip also gave us a peek into the lifestyle of the Maasai tribe, still unadulterated by the modern world. The evenings spent at the camp were equally interesting. Sipping into our favourite drinks(which one can either carry or buy from the small but well stocked bar counter), we indulged in topics ranging from the Indian Sub-continent to the European Union, and to the Aryan race with our German counterparts, not to mention, other tourists were at liberty to join up and free lance conversation. The food was excellent at all meals. The staff was very co-operative, and though we carried valuables, nothing went missing. In fact the only disheartening aspect was the fact that we had to return, and the two nights and three days spent at Maasai Mara, seemed over in a flash.
6. In a special way I would like to mention the unparalleled co-operation by our tour manager Mr David, of Absolute Holiday Safaris Ltd. I have seen many ‘contacts’ do business – but very few touch our hearts – David was beyond doubt, one of them. Also I would like to mention Cyrus, who guided us well around Nairobi. Thank you for your unflinching dedication. In the end I would like to conclude by saying :-
“There are two kinds of people on the Earth!
The ones who have been to Maasai Mara…..
And the ones who have not!”
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Spectacular landscapes, desert and empty roads
Spectacular landscapes, desert and empty roads
Definitely recommend as landscapes change when you move around
Seen plenty of orynx
lovely tour and great itinerary
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful Zambia
Zambia is a country that I had not ventured but perhaps I was saving it to understand it’s beauty after having visited many of the more frequented African countries.
The Zambezi River is a phenomenal place to get close to wildlife via canoe or motorboat. Watching a family of elephants swim across the river was special as was experiencing hippos so close. Don’t leave Zambia off your bucket list-you will be sorry!!
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
dream come true
It was my childhood dream to go to Masai Mara and see the wildlife, specially the big five. Absolute holiday safari made it possible. They have an excellent team and the customer service was too good. In this I specially want to make mention of David, our contact person in Nairobi and for the whole trip. Excellent man and a brother. He was like always available when needed. I would also like to make mention of Kennedy , our guide and Joseph , the manager of the camp in Masai Mara where we stayed. Both the person were very very friendly and went out of their way to make our trip a memorable one. Overall an awesome experience and I'm definetly coming back again. Thanks David, Kennedy, Joseph and absolute safari.
Contrasting scenery, wild animals and great food
We arrived in Johannesburg and went on a 1 day safari the next day. We were picked up promptly at our hotel, but then spent a long time driving around the suburbs of JB, picking other group members. ( around 3hrs)
The safari was in ope n trucks and conducted by local guides. We saw 3 of the Big 5 ( no Buffalo, but a view of moving grass about 200m away, that we were told was a Leopard.Flew to Cape Town and joined a 3 day excursion, with just the 2 of us as travellers. I preferred this tour. Visited the Ostrich Farm, did some WineTasting, drove through some beautiful scenery and townships. Accommodation was mid range **s, but quite comfortable. Meals were organised by the tour operator, and except for one, were very nice.
The Cango caves tour was on Day 2. We opted for the adventure tour..... almost 3 km underground, some of it bent over or crawling on your stomach. At one point, we had to ascend through a "chimney" and then "post" ourselves through a "post box " slit, before sliding head first down the rock below. It was a lot of fun. Recommend you try the "templates"" up top before going on this tour. I'm really glad we did this element, rather than the normal cave tour. A traditional South African lunch, saw us served with Ostrich. Delicious
Another day safari, where we saw 4 Big 5 animals ( no Leopard), but did see a Cheetah and her cubs instead. A private park with no as much bush cover as the first Safari.but we appreciated seeing the animals up close.
Day trips from Cape Town included Cape Point/Cape of Good Hope, the Penguin Colony and some really nice seafood at Seapoint.
This was my 3rd trip to SA and I still get a buzz from seeing the animals in their natural habitat, as well as other local places.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything was great!
Everything about my experience in Kruger through Outlook was wonderful. It was all high quality, including the guides, drivers, food, and accommodation. Everyone was so helpful and friendly and made for a great experience! Hopefully I can return one day and I would definitely use Outlook again.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
5 day Safari in ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara
It was excellent experience. Smooth booking to actual tour was fabulous. Every resort was very beautiful and sumptuous in facilities.
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
safari au parc mikuni
Hello tanzania offre des safaris sur mesure a un prix raisonnable! Tout est inclus. Hotels et repas. Le choix des hotels est bon ainsi que la nourriture. Le guide est competent agreable. Je ne peux que recommander cette compagnie
QA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Safari Experience
My wife and I traveled for 9 days through Tanzania, and had an amazing trip. Monique was extremely helpful in helping us plan our itinerary via email exchanges. After meeting other people on similar safaris, I was very pleased with the parks we visited, our route and our length of stay at each destination. We started in Arusha, and spent a few days at Tarangire NP, Lake Manayara NP, Ngorongoro Crater, and Serengeti NP, in that order. This was really great because it meant our travel between destinations was relatively short, and each park had something amazing to offer. Overall, the entire planning of the trip was very good. A planner met us at the airport and walked us through every detail of the trip, and our guide, Malley, was excellent at taking us from place to place and making sure everything was ok. The lodges and tented camps were all excellent... a lot better than what I was expecting (and much better than previous trips to other African countries). I would definitely use Giltedge Africa (formerly Southern Africa Travel) again to help plan other future trips.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
One of the World’s Greatest Safari Destinations
If you’re looking for a classic African safari experience, visiting Tanzania is one of if not the best places in the world to visit. The abundance of wildlife, picturesque scenery, and kindness of people we interacted with was remarkable. When combined with the beachside, oceanfront opportunities in Zanzibar, Tanzania should be near the very top of anyone’s travel wish list.
