Very low water levels in the Delta, but the wildlife more than made up for it
Our safari took in two lodges on opposite sides of Moremi; Sango Lodge, in the Kwai concession in the east, and Pom Pom Lodge in the west.
We only went into the Moremi Game Reserve proper on one occasion: the rest of the time was spent in the other concessions, which at the time of our visit was where the most accessible wildlife (and in particular, of course, the predators) was to be found.
Sango was impeccable. A wonderful low key lodge, with superb, friendly staff and with two packs of Wild Dogs nearby. A brilliant few days.
Pom Pom lacked some of the special character of Sango, and didn't feel quite so special. Our guide and the wildlife that he was able to show us were both brilliant, so perhaps this is more a comment on how great Sango was, rather than a negative review for Pom Pom.
Kruger - The rewarding NP
The Kruger National Park is unlike any other park I have ever been to. Having been to many National Parks, Nature Reserves and Game Farms throughout Southern Africa my idea of the ‘bush’ consists of long, dusty roads that rattle your car apart (Which has happened to me on several occasions), ablution blocks that consist of a whole in the ground for you to do your business and a bucket full of holes to be used as a shower if anything! These for me all make up part of the overall experience, which is why I was so surprised to find tarred roads, supermarkets and fully equipped ablution blocks (you can even do your laundry there!) in the Kruger NP and for those willing to spend a little extra there is luxury accommodation to be enjoyed. At first I wasn’t sure if I liked this about the park because this meant that every guy and his dog (Pets aren’t allowed) could drive through in their tiny little car causing traffic jams at every sighting of a lion or leopard or any other members of the ‘BIG 5’. However that is exactly what is so great about the park; it is one of the very few places you can drive though by yourself and see the ‘BIG 5’ on your first day. I often hear people talking about Kruger and boasting about how early in the day they had seen the entire big 5. That’s just the ‘BIG 5’ that everyone has built a hype around, the park offers way more of just about anything, being a birder the Kruger is a great place to see over 550 species of birds thanks to the large diversity of habitat, it is hard to leave the park without a photo of the beautiful Bateleur or Lilac-breatsted Roller. Overall I was able to overlook the traffic jams and commercial traits because the park always delivers.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had a very nice trip with Nyati Travel
On our 4 day trip we went from Mutare to Great Zimbabwe Ruins, Lake Muturikwi (Lake Kyle) Recreational Park, Chivero Recreational Park and back to Harare. We really had a great time. The driver provided, Alec, first of all was a very good driver. He was also kind, helpful and patient. He listened to what we wanted and had some good suggestions himself. We enjoyed the beautiful landscape and the wildlife. We will be sure to recommend Nyati to others!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Safari in the rain
Wonderful trip filled with WOW moments. Unfortunately the roads were not good due to the rains but on a positive note everything was very lush and we saw almost all the animal species.
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
glad we chose Chalo africa
as i said... everything was well taken care of and will surely get intouch with you when we plan our next safari
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well-organized and relaxing safari
I went on a safari to Murchison Falls National Park with my wife, infant child and two relatives. Our driver picked us up from our home in Kampala and stayed with us throughout the whole trip, including taking us on a game drive in the park. Mr. Olaaka of Steady Safaris was very helpful in arranging the trip and managed to keep the price of our tour very low. We stayed at the Paraa Safari Lodge, which we greatly enjoyed. Overall, we were very satisfied with the services of Steady Safaris and would not hesitate to recommend them to others.
Review about Queen Elizabeth National Park by RedCany0n
Beholding groups of lions napping in trees was spectacular!
Review about Murchison Falls National Park by RedCany0n
The Nile and the scenery were gorgeous. Our safari camp was also beautiful, and local youth sang and performed traditional dances around our fire at night. Hippos roamed around our cabin. Wow!
Review about Mgahinga Gorilla National Park by RedCany0n
The golden monkeys were delightful, and the guides seemed to respect them and be very conservation minded.
Our Encounter with Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park
My husband and I enjoyed our unforgettable day experiencing wild chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park, Uganda. We visited the park in September 2013, having hired a safari guide to drive us from Kampala to visit Uganda’s national parks. We were especially eager to behold the wild primates in this extraordinary part of the world, and after our day in the Kibale Forest, we visited the mountain gorillas in Bwindi National Park and the golden monkeys in Mgahinga National Park.
At Kibale (as with the gorillas in Bwindi), a team of rangers had been tracking the chimpanzees and communicated their whereabouts via walkie talkies to the ranger guides, who led groups of visitors through the forest to find them. There were about a dozen visitors per group, and there were several groups. The duration of the hike depended on where the chimps were, and our hike through the forest that day was about an hour long, following a trail and slightly difficult, given the heat and humidity. An older man, carrying cameras and gear, seemed struggle with the hike, but the rest of the group, comprised of adults of various ages, managed it well.
Once we reached the chimpanzees, we left the trail and cut through the forest to stand beneath them, as they were high in the trees. We used binoculars and watched the chimpanzees, up in the trees, eating, resting and mating. There were females with babies, and males. The chimpanzees seemed rather nonchalant about the human visitors, below, having grown accustomed to being observed by rangers and the daily crowd of tourists. Occasionally, they urinated from the trees and the group of humans would dodge the downpour.
We learned that the female chimpanzees freely roamed the forest, passing through the territories of the males as they wished. The dominant males spent much time and energy maintaining their territories and determining status with one another. A female in estrus approached a young male, who granted her request for mating, and one realized that chimpanzee reality did not match the prevailing patriarchal interpretation of males being “in charge,” like human autocrats.
The groups of visitors were spread out in the forest with our assigned guides and had one hour to be in the midst of the chimpanzees. During our experience, the older man, who had been struggling on the trail, had a diabetic seizure and collapsed. The other tourists assisted him as our guide called for help. He gradually recovered and was escorted back to where the vehicles were parked.
After that incident, some of the male chimpanzees descended from the trees and briefly paused near us before traveling together across the forest floor. One stopped near me, giving me the wonderful opportunity to be in his presence for a few minutes. The tourists rushed after the chimps, moving quietly yet quickly through the brush, snapping photos. The male chimps sat together for a moment in a group, surrounded by photographers, before dispersing into the forest. We felt fortunate to have been so close to them, as encountering them on the ground felt very different and more intimate than watching them from a distance in trees, silhouetted against the midday sky.
After our hour with the chimps, we hiked back to where our hired safari guide was waiting of us. Despite the eager tourists with their cameras, the human behavior -on the part of the visitors, rangers and guides at Kibale – felt relatively respectful, and we were satisfied with what appeared to be a good conservation effort on the part of the national park staff to sustain the forest and this wild population of chimpanzees. It was, overall, an exhilarating and beautiful experience. My husband and I will always treasure the memory of that moment of connection, in the wilderness, with our closest primate relatives.