US
20-35 years of age
Review about South Africa by Carly S
South Africans are exceptionally welcoming and are eager to share with you the bounty of their land. The biodiversity of the region is astounding and sure to please visitors of all ages.
US
20-35 years of age
Review about Uganda by Jean-Pierre
The parks were more affordable than other countries. The country is small so it is easy to travel from Kampala, the capital, to the parks. The wildlife is diverse and the birding is fantastic. Best of all the Ugandan people are friendly and accomodating.
A relatively small country with an endless variety of landscapes and wildlife.
The wildlife was like nothing I've seen before in my life. Giraffes, lions, monkeys, wildebeest...just about everything you usually picture about Africa, except real and in close proximity. At one point, we even had an elephant blocking the road! That's just something you can't experience in the states. The weather in June was surprisingly mild with highs in the 80s. Scenery was fantastic. I couldn't believe the vast array of landscapes, from vast plains to craggy mountain ridges. Food was starchy and filling. Not the best food ever, but something you could handle for a few weeks. Overall, though, an incredible experience with wonderful people.
US
20-35 years of age
Review about South Africa by spalexan
From A to Z, SA has everything I saw at the zoo as a child, but wild. no fences. no feeding times. no safety of your own backyard.. maybe one of those things isn't true, but SA is definitely a once in a lifetime destination for any tourist.
20-35 years of age
Review about Namibia by Jofie Lamprecht
Namibia has a diversity making it unique in Africa and indeed the World. From the World's oldest desert to sub-tropical climates in the Zambezi Region - all brimming with diverse wildlife.
US
20-35 years of age
A park experience beyond your Wildest dreams
I loved my trip to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park - it exceeded every expectation. I was able to see lions, cheetahs, giraffes, gemsboks, springboks, blue wildebeests, red hartebeests, sociable weavers, crowned plovers, fiscal shrikes, brubrus, African drongos, tawny eagles, meerkats - and so much more. As a child, I dreamed of being close to wild lions; at the Kgalagadi, this dream came true - two lions were only feet from our vehicle!
My group arranged to stay at a barracks in the middle of the park - don't worry there was a fence - which means we were surrounded by the sounds of the night. A sight I will never forget is seeing the Kgalagadi yawning open around us as the sun rose. This location also gave us the opportunity to rise early and to view parts of the park before other tourists could reach them.
The services provided at the main points of entry were more than enough to meet the needs of the average visitor - clean bathrooms, postcards for sale, and even ice cream! There is nothing like a cool treat in the heat of the Kgalagadi.
I cherish my memories from the trip and look forward to returning to such a beautiful place one day soon.
US
20-35 years of age
The best safari experience to be had in Uganda.
I saw a diverse variety of wildlife with and without the guide. Even around the lodge you can get very close to the animals. The river trip was the highlight of the safari. Just make sure that you stay on the left side of the boat to get the best views. The guides were friendly and went out of their way to track down a lion for us. I also spent time in the Kazinga fishing village located in QEP and was amazed at how people could live in such proximity to the wildlife.
Review about Queen Elizabeth National Park by Jess Hoffert
Didn't see too many birds, but saw a lot of everything else: giraffes, hippos, zebras, elephants, etc.
US
20-35 years of age
Escape to the beach.. without the water
Kgalagadi, pronounced by making a "k" sound followed by 2 successive throat clearings, is the real Kalahari. Real as in the small trees and bush on the nearest town on the map, a town called Hotazel, are replaced by sand. So much sand that Sand Surfing is a local sport. The temps while we were there were just over 40C during the day, a hint of sun, but luckily the nights cooled off to the low 20's- desert living at its finest.
Along with the day drives where all the animals are fast asleep by the watering holes in the rarity that is the shade, the Kgalagadi comes alive in the night time. with only 1 night in the park, to the night drive we went.
The best way to make friends when stuck in a confined space? Beer. Between a dozen people 'stuck' in the moving elevator that was the open topped Land Rover for our night drive, we were the guys dragging a cooler of beer onto the bakkie (bakkie = truck in the SA). 15 minutes in, the whole drive was friends. Sadly this was about the same time we got away from the camp and back into park. While the temperatures fell the animals rose. The bakkie was equipped with a few spotlights, so we took turns spotting the animals. Over the course of the drive, of all the animals we saw, by far the most exciting was an African Wild Cat. More rare than lions, the african wild cat was out hunting alone, had a moment in the spotlight, and was gone.
From the beachless dunes, to the black maned lion, to the beers with paap 'n vleis, the Kgalagadi was an excellent escape from anything resembling a cookie-cutter holiday package and the memories I walked away with won't be found in any other park in Africa.
Klaar
20-35 years of age
Etosha - The Great White Place
The harshest paradise, supporting an amazing array of life - 4 of the big 5, 5 of the photographers big seven with fantastic wildlife viewing and photographic opportunities with a stark white back ground.