US
50-65 years of age
Beautiful Wild Free Ranging Animals - Magnificent Sunsets and River Scenery
From the comfort of the river, one can see Hippos [X], Elephants [X], BIRDS [X], Monkeys [X]. Of course, be sure to go to Victoria Falls too! Lovely Dinner Sunset Cruise (took it twice). Enjoyable Elephant Ride.There's ultralight gliding, white water rafting, and the Livingstone Museum.
Bring mosquito repellent. I was there in June/July and the mozzies came out at dusk.
US
50-65 years of age
Review about Matobo National Park by Kwali
Matobo (Matopos) has amazing for its scenery, historic/cultural and geologic interest, more than wildlife. balancing rocks and 10,000 year old cave paintings.
Review about Hwange National Park by Kwali
My intro to Hwange was a chase of an impala by 2 Cape Hunting Dogs as we drove into the park. How can you beat seeing a coordinated hunt and kill by one of the most rare predators in Africa?!
Review about Gonarezhou National Park by Kwali
The only reason it didn't get 5 stars for wildlife is because it is (was is 1999) more wild and has less infrastructure for ready-made game viewing.
Great Wild Experience
I visited Mana Pools in 1999 and Loved it! It was my last trip before leaving Zimbabwe after spending a semester there over the previous 4 months. When I was there it was the only national park in Zimbabwe that A) had big game, and B) allowed you to move around on foot. I did not feel comfortable walking around the bush though, a decision I stand by with all the wildlife I saw!
My first experience there was a close encounter with a baboon as I unloaded my groceries from my vehicle - the baboon grabbed a bag and took off! I was warned by travelers in the adjacent campsite that it is important to bring "zip straps" to "lock" your tent zippers so baboons can't steal your gear and food while you're away from your site.
I also saw an elephant walk through the camp ground, hyenas outside our tent at night, and later, while driving, had a beautiful view of a mother and baby elephant walking together across the road.
Overall it was one of the most exciting camping trips I have ever been on (the fact that I slept in a tent, while most visitors used campers/RVs/caravans, surely added to the adrenaline rush). And I am making that assessment after visiting Hwange, Gonarezhou, Malilangwe (private game reserve), Chimanimani, Matopos, Vic Falls, and other sites around the country.
NZ
50-65 years of age
Review about Okavango Delta by Bruceontour
A place where one has to go as we were on a very small part of this huge expanse of inland water. With the previous heavy rain, the whole water level was high resulting in animals being displaced.
NZ
50-65 years of age
Review about Chobe National Park by Bruceontour
Just our luck that the setting sun was in the wrong angle ie animals between us and the sun and therefore were backlit. Despite this with more time we would have been rewarded like the other travellers we had met on route including some of our own group who had separated from us the previous day to start another tour and what they saw.
NZ
50-65 years of age
Being "poled along" like a gondola, the thousands of stars & evening constant animal noises (frogs).
After a month travelling overland with Acacia Africa from Nairobi on route to Capetown, we hit Botswana. I was expecting more animals as the travellers we met heading north who had just left here had reported plenty to see. But alas not for us. But this is Africa (TIA). It is not a zoo as we humans are privileged to be in the animals natural habit. While a disappointment, I will remember Botswana for:
- lying in and being poled along in a mokoro, a dug out canoe. Listening to the bird and insect life with the reeds being brushed aside. Thank goodness we had a modern fiberglass mokoro as the wooden ones made out of single sausage tree that takes 80 years to grow, but only last 5 - 6 years leak! We had to take everything in and then take out again everything including all of our rubbish. The sky was blue, few clouds and the sun was rising. It was a simply a magic feeling moving along at a gentle pace. So different to the truck travel.
- On the bush walks saw more homo sapiens from other overland groups moving across the open plain than the few animals - zebras, buffaloes plus bird life.
- The evening will be remembered for the brilliant display of stars with a little light spillage plus hearing the hundreds of frogs croaking away ...
- To cap off our visit, the flight over just a small part of the 16,000 sq km Okavango Delta where the 360 degree vista from above rewarded me with my pictures of "textures and colours". We saw elephants and wildebeests from above. It was well worth the US$60 cost. To cap it off, as we left on the last flight, it was sunset as we headed back to Maun airport.
So ... yes, I was a bit disappointed with both Chobe National Park and Okavango Delta re seeing animals living in their natural environment, but I still have many wonderful memories to take away with me: being "poled along" like a gondola - the thousands of stars and evening animal noises.
Read and see my Botswana photoblog at:
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bruceontour/2/1268479817/tpod.html
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bruceontour/2/1268480129/tpod.html