A completely unique, unrivalled experience!
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) is a long way from civilisation, but the trip is definitely worth it.
We stayed for approx. 10 days and in that time we saw a stunning selection of animals and birds, ranging from cheetahs, leopards and lions to springbok, wildebeest and tiny field mice.
The weather during our stay was just about right. Being winter in the desert, it did get cold at night (about -6 degrees Celsius), but temperatures reached 25-30 C during the day.
We stayed only in the three main camps of Twee Rivieren, Mata Mata and Nossob. The accommodation was comfortable, well equipped and clean. However, remember that the shops only have the bare essentials, so it is advised to take all supplies with you.
Of course, the highlights of the trip are always what you see not necessarily where you stay. Suffice it to say that you never know what is around the corner, but you can almost guarantee that every day will produce at least one stunning sighting - be it a cheetah kill, hyenas tending to their cubs, honey badgers foraging or bat-eared foxed frolicking in the dusk light.
The other sight that must be experienced is the African night sky. With no light pollution, the high altitude and clean air, the view of our universe is unbelievable. Look up at night and you will see satellites, falling stars and with some help from binoculars even some planets such as Saturn.
I can only recommend the KTP. I will definitely be returning in the future, hopefully many more times.
US
under20 years of age
Review about Tanzania by aserlemitsos
Tanzania has numerous national parks and game reserve that have some of the greatest wildlife in the world. Other than the famous Serengeti, Arusha, and Ngorogoro Crater, Tanzania has places like Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha National Park, and Mikumi National Park that offer game viewing that is just as spectacular but also offer a little more privacy with the animals.
35-50 years of age
Review about Tanzania by ETS
The undeveloped nature of the African Bush in Tanzania gives you the feeling of really being in the wild.
US
under20 years of age
An all-around African experience.
Landing on a dirt airstrip is a great way to land into this beautiful reserve. Immediately you are greeted by your personal guide, who takes you first thing on a game drive to your lodge, or in my case, the Manze Lake Camp. My experience went as follows: we told our guide that we wanted to see wild dogs. 20 minutes later, they were there laying in front of us. The lodge itself was excellent, you have a personal chalet, the food was served family style and tasted great. The next day we told our tour guide that we wanted to see mating lions. Again, 10 minutes later, they were there in front of us. This whole idea of seeing anything you want, sums up Selous Game Reserve. It is a magical place with great wildlife, food, and hospitality. If I could suggest one thing, it would be to go in the month of june, july, august, when it is colder there, any other time is very hot.
35-50 years of age
Game Viewing on demand
When we arrived at the airstrip in the Selous and met our guide for the weekend, he asked, "what do you hope to see while you are in the Selous?" Being a veteran game park visitor, I aimed high...my response...wild dogs. He laughed and said, "we don't see those very often." We sent off for the camp, intending to do a bit of game viewing en route.
About halfway through the trip to the camp, we saw some vultures circling and thought we would follow them to see if there was anything interesting. Soon we came across a pack of 4 adult wild dogs who had just finished eating their share of an impala they had brought down. They were engaging in all their post feast rituals (wild dog aficionados will know what I mean), while a nearby hyena took over the carcass, continuing to force the vultures to wait their turn. We watched this game-scape play itself out for a while- the hyena got fed up fending off the large birds alone and eventually tore off a hunk of carcass for himself, and left the bulk of it behind for the vultures to fight over. I am not sure how long we sat there- could have been a few minutes, could have been all afternoon- we were mesmerized. When the dogs were gone and the hyena was gone, it seemed time for us to move on as well. Our guide then, with a grin on his face, said, “okay, I found some wild dogs for you, what would you like to see next.” Without skipping a beat, I responded, “mating lions.” He laughed, and off we went.
We probably drove only another 5-10 minutes when we came upon a pride of lions- 3 adult females, each with cubs; a total of 7 cubs, of varying ages. Wow, this safari was only getting better. For quite a while, we watched these cubs frolic and play, as their mothers dozed, but it was getting late and lunch was waiting, so we pushed on to the lodge.
As we approached the lodge, not more that 300 meters from the gate, we came across the mating lions. It was spectacular. We watched them for nearly an hour, forgetting all about lunch. The remarkable anthropomorphic behavior- she nudges him, “come on dear”, he grunts, gets up, walks around her, mounts, nuzzles her in the ear, she complains, he gets off and flops on the other side of her, in a state of exhaustion and she rolls over on her back, as if to say, “if I put my legs up in the air like this, I think I am more likely to get pregnant.” It was fascinating!
And all of this was just on our way to the lodge!
35-50 years of age
Review about Mikumi National Park by ETS
There is bountiful wildlife in Mikumi. The fact that it is so easy to get to from Dar is both a plus and a minus.
CA
20-35 years of age
Wildlife disappointing compared to Serengeti area
Having done a safari in the Serengeti immediately before Uganda it was always going to be difficult to live up to expectations. The quantity and variety of wildlife was poor in comparison. The people in my group who were starting with Uganda were quite thrilled with what they saw so I may be being overly harsh. Our guide explained that much of the wildlife was decimated during the Idi Amin era and is still recovering so perhaps in the future it will improve. The campsites we used varied quite widely from fairly developed areas in Jinja/Kampala to merely a flat area near the river at Lake Mburo. The gorillas and Bwindi forest in general were amazing and did make the trip to Uganda worthwhile in my opinion.
Review about South Africa by Instinia
Besides the Kruger (and all the hundreds of private game reservers around), you have the Kalahari, Cape Town with Cape-Dutch vineyards, Garden Route, Drakensberg, Soweto and the West Coast. What more can you ask for within a 1000 km?
US
under20 years of age
Zambia, the real Africa.
Zambia is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. With multiple unique national parks, this country offers wildlife that is just as good if not better than countries like Tanzania or Kenya. Most importantly, Zambia offers something, that these other two don't, privacy. In my 15 years living in Zambia, I have never come across another safari truck, while on a game drive. People are very friendly, and crime is very low making Zambia the most ideal country to visit for safari.
IT
20-35 years of age
Heaven on earth
I've been to Africa many times, visited many countries, but my experience in Zimbabwe and Botswana was different. The scenic is amazing, you could drive for days without encountering any human being. If you travel by camping in a tent, then you really experience the beauty of that land. There are loads of animals, you smell the perfume of wildlife, you can enjoy a walking safari as you never did before. definetly one of the most beautiful places i've ever visited.