US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Evening at Phinda
We did a late afternoon/evening visit to Phinda while on a cruise that spent 2 nights in Richards Bay.
We arrived at Phinda about 3 PM and went directy to the drive. We saw lots of giraffes, zebras and impala in addition to the cheetahs, water buffalo, elephants and nyala.
Without a doubt the highlight of the drive was when we came across two cheetahs eating a freshly killed impala. Our vehicle got to within a few feet of the cheetah and we stayed for half an hour watching them each, pull at the carcass, look nervously about and then return to eating. We could hear them breaking bones and smell the carcass. It was an unbelievable experience that according to our guide and others we met later a true rarity – many people go on numerous safaris and never see big cats eating a fresh kill.
When we left the cats we saw a very sad scene that reminded us of the wildness of the real animal kingdom. We came across a dead baby giraffe with its umbilical cord still attached. Our guide looked at it closely but could not determine what had killed it. There were no bite marks but he theorized it could have been a snake bite or just some birth problem. Another possibility was that it could just have fallen over. A little known fact, at least to us, was that if a giraffe falls over it cannot get up. They sleep on their knees.
When my wife asked what they would do with the giraffe the guide said they would leave it here and it would be eaten by the only two animals that would eat an animal they did not kill – vultures and hyenas.
Following our drive we went to the Mountain Lodge which was used for part of the filming of Out of Africa in 2008. We had an excellent buffet dinner that actually included grilled Impala which was very tender and at least I thought was good enough for seconds.
Following dinner we were treated to a slightly touristy Zulu dance presentation and headed back to the ship arriving at approximately 10:30.
We loved our experience at Phinda!!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about South Africa by quilttyme
South Africa has all the animals and they are obviously pretty easy to see.
There are many ways to see them from 5+ Star resorts to more run of the mill camps.
My concern is that it seems in South Africa that the animals are somewhat contained especially on the numerous private reserves. That certainly makes them easy to see but you feel a little like they are corraled for human viewing - still fun but not totally 'natural'.
We are planning a safari to Tanzania and Kenya - places where the animals roam pretty freely and we are the ones who are fenced in.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about |Ai-|Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park by muchas641
wonderful desert-feeling, wonderful landscape!
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve by muchas641
Wildlife - very great!
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Camdeboo National Park by muchas641
Desolution Valley, a wonderful landscape.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Augrabies Falls National Park by muchas641
very wonderful landscape - really!
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
wonderful landscape
Wonderful landscape, scenic, no very dangerous animals, not to much visitors,
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unreconstructed urbanite gives the bush a chance
I travel to photograph city things: architecture, sculpture, graffitti . . . but on a cruise from Mauritius to Cape Town in January 2009 I thought that if I was ever going to see wildlife beyond the cats of Rome or the poodles of Park Avenue, now was the moment. It was beautiful and I enjoyed the 2-day, overnight experience. I have no basis, however, for comparing Phinda with other game preserves; one other guest complained loud and long that some park she had visited in Zimbabwe had a lot more critters - she seemed especially vexed by the dearth of giraffes at Phinda. I got out of it what I expected--a novice's introduction. The guides were rugged and handsome and the impromptu afternoon tea on a hilltop was a real touch of colonial nostalgia. What few photos I took are viewable at http://www.flickr.com/photos/virginiagent/sets/72157612306934389/, in the set labelled "A Beast in View," a line of verse from Dryden.
A virgin Park with fewer visitors and scenenic drives.
I first visited Meru National park in December 2007, The first thing that you notice as soon as you enter the National Park is that the landscape, vegetation and soil are very much different from all the other Parks in Kenya.
There are very few open rolling savannah plains you see in Masai Mara. The place is dotted with small hills and kopjes all over and finally you dont get any of the dreaded black cotton soil you find in other parks. The soil here is red in colour and so are the elephants who regularly spray themselves with the soil.
Meru National Park is a very virgin park, in that not many visitors visit the place for many reasons. The main reason I guess is the distance you have to travel, number of animals you get to see and the dreaded Tsetse Fly. But once you are in the Park you get to see all the Big Five of Kenya and much more.
The wildlife of Meru is very shy, in that they are not used to vehicles driving along the roads amongst them. As soon as they hear or see an approaching vehicle their basic instinct is to run into the bushed. This not only happens with the smaller animals but also the bigger Elephant's and Buffalo's. But on the other hand the little you get to see is totally different from the other wildlife watching experience in the other National Parks of Kenya.
You get to see Elephant Bull's whose tusks are so long that you dont get to see the bottom tips because the Bull himself cannot lift his head high up because of the weight. An old hunter tale comes to mind where a Hunter went hunting and tracked a certain Elephant for 7 days waiting to see the bottom tips of his Tusks before he could decide whether to go ahead or not.
Whilst out on a Game Drive you have to frive very slowly and keep looking out for wildlife as they are camouflaged very well and blend into there surroundings amazingly well. You get to see all the common Antelopes, herbivores including the Oryx and Grevy's Zebra which is listed as critically endangered by IUCN. Lion, Cheetah and Leopard are also commonly sighted in the Park.
Generally the experience is very different from any other National Park you visit in Kenya but the memories remain for a longer time.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Zulu Nyala Game Reserve by Steve Gray from York
A small fences reserve. A great first safari.