AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good service and great communication!
We spent 3 days in Mikumi. Great park and great lodge (another lodge than we reserved but great, too)... we saw lion cougars, giraffes, elefants and all kind of animals you expect. Driver very polite. Thank you!
HK
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
the driver is extremely friendly and hard working
the last two tents are a bit disappointed otherwise the whole trip is very exciting and interesting. Everything has been good taking care of. If the living place and food can be improve a little then will be more attractive.
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing safaris in camps In Amboseli and Masai Mara
The safaris booked on internet where as per my expectations.
There were safaris in camps and I must say the camp in Masai Mara was really great.
The one in Amboseli was good: what an experience to face the Kilimanjaro when waking up!
Mathew has taken good care of me being there the 1st morning before I joined the group.
He was also there when I came back to Nairobi so we could debrief the safari.
All in all no bad surprise as I was wondering how it would go when booking on internet.
Happy with the choice of Tropical Vacations.
Maybe not as much lions as I expected, but this is the beauty of safaris as this is not an exact science and you never know in the morning which animals you are going to see. Of course if in Amboseli you don't see elephants then you can consider your guide is very bad. I've seen several groups of elephants there so no complain.
I loved Phinda for its beauty and variety of experiences
My dad and I visited Phinda Game Reserve on a safari to South Africa a few years ago. It had been recommended to us as a nice alternative to the private game reserves outside of Kruger. We had spent a week in Timbavati and Sabi Sands and wanted to safari in a different part of South Africa. Phinda is an excellent place to do that. We stayed at two properties in Phinda: Vlei Lodge and Rock Lodge in order to get a feel for different parts of the reserve. The lodges and rooms are first rate. Great views of the surrounding wilderness, plunge pools and big bathrooms, outdoor showers and mini bars---I can't think of anything they missed.
But I'm more about the wildlife than the accomodations and we had been told that Phinda is the best place in South Africa to see cheetah and had some great sightings in the few days we were there. A mother and cubs, and then two brothers hunting (we didn't see a chase). Other guests were intent upon photographing cheetahs hunting and I'm not certain if they were successful, but it's definitely a good place to observe cheetah.
Rhinos both white and black are also a feature of Phinda and we saw both while we were there. We watched a black rhino mother and calf casually feeding for a half hour or so. We also saw several white rhino including mother and calf as well.
Other highlights included elephant and lions and giraffe. Night drives are possible as well. There's really a great variety of activities and we took advantage of them. We went fishing in the Indian Ocean out of Sodwanna Bay and caught tuna and saw humpback whales. We took the Flight of the Fish Eagle to get a lay of the land and it was absolutely stunning! We left out of the airstrip in Phinda and flew over the sand forest, the estuarine areas and lakes and then over the dunes and out over the ocean. This was a spectacular flight. We spotted numerous whales (humpbacks) and even a whale shark. We loved the perspective from the air!
We also visited a zulu village for a little local culture. I thought it was a beautiful place with a lot of unique things to see and do. The only negative comment and it really shouldn't be taken negatively is that, to me, it had a little of that "managed" feel. I've been to Africa multiple times and there is a slight difference between one of the national parks and a privately managed game reserve. I would highly recommend it as a supplement to your South African safari and there are definitely some unique things to see and do here!
If you'd like to see some of the videos I took while at Phinda---search Phinda and Gunter32804 on Youtube and it will give you a flavor of the place. Hope this is helpful!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Worth a repeat - which I will presently
All services except 2 (Jambojet services were lousy; nobody for pick up from KSM airport) were perfect. Next time please advice on the various services available.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Efficient booking service
Bookings were as requested and the coupon was issued by email in a timely manner. The Royal Livingstone had our reservations in hand on arrival.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Some issues but guides went above and beyond
It seems like Wildebeest could have prepared better for our tour. I still believe it was a great value for the price. There were several small issues but the guides were very nice and the accommodations great.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The 8-day trip was relaxing, well-organized, and of great value
The communications in planning this trip were very good, the service was excellent, and the trip generally lived up to our expectations--even though when we booked it we did not exactly know what to expect. The first thing to understand is that this the 8-day safari is not a constant trip in the bush. Our director from Africa-Zim, Blessing, is wonderful--very organized and professional, as well as informative. Moreover, it was only our family on this tour--me, my husband, and our adult daughter, and we really appreciated the flexibility this trip offered. The first day we traveled from Livingstone to the Chobe Safari Hotel. The hotel was luxurious and the service was great, as was the boat tour on the Chobe river that we took the afternoon we arrived. The guide on the boat was superb in his ability to spot and talk about wildlife. The next day, we went to the Chobe game reserve, and once again, the sights were spectacular, and the expert guide made the 3-4 hour outing quite wonderful. The following day we drove about 7 hours to Maun and the Sedia Hotel. The hotel is not the best; the outing to the Okavanga Delta was very interesting, but we saw little wild life, in part because of the season. Nothing was scheduled for the next day in Maun, so my husband and I paid extra for a trip to the Moremi Game Reserve. It was a long drive, but once again, the guide was absolutely wonderful and it was well worth the added expense. The following day we spent in the Africa-Zim air-conditioned, comfortable van driving back to Victoria Falls. The Rainbow hotel was lovely, with a view of Victoria Falls and all the amenities one would want. We had a great time touring Victorian Falls the following day. Blessing then took us to the exquisite, historical Victoria Falls Hotel for a wonderful lunch, and then a celebratory dinner of authentic Africa cuisine at the Bhoma Hotel (with music, drums, singing, and dancing) our last night. It had been my husband's birthday the day before, and Blessing went out of his way to have the restaurant present him with a birthday cake. We had a wonderful trip. The only slight downside were the long drives between Chobe, the Okavanga Delta and back to Vic Falls, but the scenery was interesting, the air conditioned van very comfortable, and we really enjoyed talking to Blessing and learned a huge amount from our conversations with him. We had a wonderful trip for a very reasonable price and I strongly recommend Africa-Zim. Thank you so very much, Blessing.
vast and remote
4.000 km² and just a few guests... this is Khaudum NP. More or less impossible to travel in rainy season because of water and mud, deep sand in dry season and a mixture of both in between (March to May and October to November).
You will find 2 camps - Sikereti in the south, about 40 or 50 KM north of the southern entrance. Some shady places, 2 showers with cold water, 2 toilets - thats it. No electrical power, no comfort. It's for people who enjoy bush camping. Khaudum camp in the north, what means 100 KM south of the tar road will offer more - there is some building-work at the moment and in December 2014 travellers should find a new lodge and 6 or 8 campsites - offering some amenities.
Between these camps you drive some nasty tracks, deep sand, sometimes mud. Some of the tracks are overgrown with plants and bushes - so take care about the cooler of your car and clean it - the seeds will clog your Radiator!
Bring everything with you - if you have a problem with your car or if you get stucked there is nobody - think about water, food, recovery gear, GPS, maybe a Sat-phone to call help if you are in deep trouble. Fill up Diesel - you should be able to drive 500 KM on tar-roads to get through the deep sand of the park. Consumtion of the car at least doubles!
Best time to visit the park is the European summer - you might see Elephants Giraffe, Lions. Game leaves the park and trek to Botswana in the rainy season. To be able to travel the park you should have 4x4-experience and a reliable car - if you have the chance travel together to be able to help each other!
Until building-work is done the pad north of the Khaudum camp ist nasty to drive - the building trucks (huge and 6x6) make the sand deaper as it is normally. 3 days for the park are ok - first day to Sikereti camp and some game drive, second day from Sikereti to Khaudum camp, third day from Khaudum to Caprivi-camps. Ask the wardens at Sikereti - they might have some Information what tracks you can use and tracks that are not existing anymore. Try to find the water-holes and use the stands for game-viewing!
Khaudum is nothing for faint-hearted people but an adventure in a vast land!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing life experience in Kruger!
What an amazing trip. We were picked up at our hotel in Joburg and took the sightseeing drive to Hazyview. (Definitely stock up on the smoked macadamia nuts along the way!) Gods window and another great stop at a waterfall. Great sights. We arrived at Hippo Hollow and enjoyed staying in one of the garden chalets... it would have been nice to have a river view to watch the hippos at night and the elephants by day but all in all we were only 10 meters from the view so all was fine. We were picked up at 4pm for a night safari (it gets cold in April!) and actually saw a leopard eating an impala in a tree! Super rare and makes up for our not seeing a lion during the rest of our trip. The full day trips were very nice. less activity during mid-day but it was really nice to turn off the truck and soak in the sound and view from time to time. so peaceful.
What we did:
-1 night safari - Was ok but would not repeat. basically you shine a spotlight and drive slowly looking for eyes reflecting back at you. 99% are impala. we did a larger group with 10 people (strangers) and would not opt for that group size again. you lose all peaceful elements of the drive
-2 full day safari - definitely recommend a private tour or going with another couple you may know. its a long time to spend with strangers you may not care for
-1 1/2 day morning safari - this was fine as we were leaving for Joburg afterwards
What I would change...
-I would consider adding in a hike through the park with one of the trackers. This looks VERY cool!(and safe)
-I would consider staying at a camp inside the park. I actually would like to get deep into the [park and stray at one of the small camps... by camp I mean a small fenced in area with permanent tents and toilet. bare bones but very down to earth. May as well get very acquainted with the local beasts!
Ute and Roho Ya Chui did a great job and were very attentive of our needs during our trip. Its a fear that once you pay the broker is done with you but this was not the case with Ute. She is attentive and fast to respond during our trip. This is worth a lot and when we do another safari Ute will be receiving a call from us.
Enjoy your trip!
** Oh, one more thing. If you choose to do everything bay car/truck you cont need to buy all the safari gear listed on various sites. a tan shirt is more than enough. the animals cant see your legs in the truck and there are so many people moving through the park that you could have a flashing light on top of your head and the animals wouldn't care. okay, maybe that's an exaggeration but you get my point.
Enjoy!