SE
20-35 years of age
Review about Masai Mara National Reserve by Robert Pielmalm
I could experinces so much within only two days.
SE
20-35 years of age
It was an OK experience, but not more.
In the summer of 2011 I visited Tsavo West National Park in Kenya. I was there for two days and I had for some reasons my own driver with no other tourists in the same vehicle. I spent the night at Kiliguni Serena Safari Lodge, which is located in the park.
As I went to the park I imagined the park of consisting of a big savannah with a dense of population of animals. This picture was totally spoiled as I came there, because instead of a savannah there were only some roads through a landscape characterized by a lot of trees and bushes. This had two consequences. Firstly, it was not to easy to discover the animals and when we have found them, the threes and the bushes covered them so that I could not see them clearly and after a while they could be hidden again. Secondly, there were no opportunities to drive close to the animals and really encounter them. It was only possible to drive on the roads and the animals were hardly close to the road.
Concerning animals I observed many of the animals I had expected, but I could never observe the series of the big five. Rhino and leopard lacked. I could only see lions once and they were then quite far away. If the lack of rhinos and leopards and the only single encounter of lions were just bad luck or an indication of not so many interesting animals in the park, I do not know for sure. However, I think that the case was the later and that is also what I heard, when I spoke to locals. I also had the opportunity to leave the vehicle and take a walk with an armed ranger along a water source connected to a river. It was a little bit exciting to walk in the park, because I never knew what would happen. At the same time, I felt safe and I felt that I could trust the ranger. By the river we saw one small crocodile and a hippo.
Concerning accommodation, I really liked the Kiliguni Serena Safari Lodge. The hotel has high standards and I had buffet for breakfast, lunch and supper. The food is good and I really liked the supper with its rich supply of different kinds of foods and desserts. One side of the dining room consisted of a big balcony, from which I could observe animals from my table as the same time having my dinner. Quite close to the balcony there is a little water source and animals came there to drink. My best experience of the trip was at supper, when approximately ten elephants of different sizes came to drink. At one side of the source there is a spotlight, so that it was possible to the see the elephants in action. This is a memory that I never will forget.
To summarize, the trip had some highlights, but I also visited another National Park in Kenya, namely Masai Mara and Tsavo West does not due to its landscape offer the what I expected in terms of encountering of animals and my purpose of going there was of course to do that. If the choice was between Tsavo West and Masai Mara I would definitely chose Masai Mara. So, if somebody planning to go to Tsavo West I would recommend to evaluate the options of parks.
Review about Kruger National Park by ian
All in one package, incredible!
Majestic and Captivating
My wife and I wanted a break from city life, and the Sabi Sands Game Reserve was just what we wanted. The Sabi Sands boasts some amazing wildlife. Africa's big 5 can be found here, lion, buffalo, elephant, leopard and rhino. All of which we had the pleasure of viewing on our brief stay. Not to be outdone by the big animals, the bird life is incredible! I've never seen such a variety of bird life in all my travels. Within the first hour we had spotted over 30 species of birds. Amazing.
Visiting the reserve during the African winter month of June was a great idea, as the bush can get incredibly hot during the summer. Going on early morning game drives with a slight chill in the air and then to warm up to t-shirt weather, just wonderful.
The whole experience of the Sabi Sands was fantastic. Accomodation was well beyond what we expected, the variety of wildlife was outstanding.
We look forward to going back next year to experience the wonders of the Sabi Sands again, this time for longer!
You will not regret a trip to Zimbabwe.
My husband and I were part of a tour group that visited Zimbabwe in February of 2010. I came away with wonderful memories and an incredible respect for the people of that country. I felt so welcomed into this land, so foreign to my experience, and found its citizens warm and eager to explain their lives. We stayed at the breath-taking Victoria Falls Hotel. I could not have wished for a more beautiful setting and we even did the "foofie slide" over the Zambezi River-- an even more "breath-taking" experience. Victoria Falls itself was an unforgettable experience.
We visited several markets (one for visitors and one for residents) and even had a chance to have a meal with a local family and compare our lives. Our local tour guides were amazing people who made our experience even more meaningful.
While in Zimbabwe, we boarded a jeep, hoping for sightings of the rare Black Rhino at the Victoria Falls Private Game Reserve. We had a great view of a pair of these huge animals, and also saw elephants, zebra, impala, warthogs and baboons. And birds galore! Even more fun was spotting the warthogs, monkeys and elephant tracks around our hotel itself. We also visited a lion-rehabilitation center, getting to pose with three huge cubs, and rode an elephant through the brush while learning about elephants from our guide.
The animals in Zimbabwe were amazing, but what made the Zimbabwean experience truly memorable for me were the people of this country, so courageous and generous. I hope to return some day.
Portland, Oregon, USA
NL
35-50 years of age
SE
20-35 years of age
Review about Kenya by Robert Pilemalm
There are so much to see and Kenya really agrees with the picture of wildlife I had before I came there.
35-50 years of age
A beautiful country being slowly crushed by one man's intransigence
While I wasn't in Zim for wildlife, what we saw was fantastic. The weather was perfect, the scenery stunning. As you would expect the only issues were those which could be traced from the economic situation.
SE
20-35 years of age
Review about Kenya by Robert Pielmalm
There are much to see and it offers everything one can expect in terms of wildlife and animals.
Review about South Africa by ian
Can view well over 70% of all lands animals in South Africa, the weather and scenery is breath taking. People are knowledgeable about their surrounds and friendly.