US
50-65 years of age
The natural beauty and diversity of the Okavango Delta can't be beat anywhere in Africa.
We traveled August 13-28 and included Cape Town, Victoria Falls/Livingston, Chobe National Park, Moremi Reserve and the Okavango Delta. We booked through a gay African Holiday Specialist - Savvy Navigator and Southern Destinations - because as gay travelers to Africa, it was important to us to stay at gay-friendly properties. We stayed at Chobe Under Canvas, Baines Camp, and Eagle Island. The sheer volume and diversity of wildlife in Chobe can spoil the rest of a holiday. Wildlife is so abundant that I'd recommend going to Chobe at the end of a safari trip, rather than the beginning. You will be blown away. We went to Chobe first, and then had such high expectations at Baines and Eagle Island, that we felt let down. If you do the other direction, and go to Chobe last, you will experience the wildlife of the Okavango and Moremi and appreciate those environments and then get hit with a climax at Chobe. That said, and as this is supposed to be a review of Okavango and not other parts of Botswana, Okavango did NOT disappoint. It is remarkably beautiful. I grew up in South Florida and there were parts of Okavango that reminded me of the Florida Everglades (except that the Everglades doesn't have elephants, giraffe, leopards, antelope, jackal, honey badger, etc.). We were in Okavango in August so it was Winter, and the dry season. There were NO mosquitoes and the days got into the 80s F. No rain, in fact, no clouds the entire trip, (even in Cape Town, which is supposed to be rainy in August). Eagle Island is a luxury camp with wonderful accommodations and good, not great, food. All of the other camps allowed for communal dining, a feature I enjoyed because you can interract with people from all parts of the world, or you can eat alone. Eagle Island doesn't encourage the communal dining and is more like a "hotel" in that respect. Eagle Island gets high marks for its guides (our guide, Chris, has been transferred to another Orient Express property), and activities, which include, motor boating and makoro, fishing, walking safaris, village tour (recommended), and relaxing. The focus, though is on water activities. Eagle Island also provides a helicopter ride for guests included in the price. What a treat to be able to see the animals from the air, and to see the Okavango islands and waterways from a vantage point you could not get otherwise. Bird viewing is quite special in Okavango. Birding - excellent in Okavango, various varieties of storks, egrets, bee eaters, kingfishers, vultures, herons, bustards, and the beautiful starlings, rollers, etc. I would have liked to have seen more eagle species, e.g. Martial, Crowned, etc., but missed them and only saw the Fish Eagle.
US
20-35 years of age
Review about Zimbabwe by Simone
Zimbabwe is a very depressed and troubled country right now. It's very pricey to be there for a long period of time. It helps to have a local act as your tour guide for the whole trip, as we did.
20-35 years of age
Review about Lake Mburo National Park by pummel
We didn't see a great deal of wildlife in the Lake Mburo park, but we did a fun boat trip and there was a LOT of birdlife.
20-35 years of age
Review about Queen Elizabeth National Park by pummel
We saw a lot of wildlife in QE park - the boat trip was BRILLIANT, we saw a pride of lions eating a kill, ended up driving through a herd of elephant and saw all manner of other creatures. It seemed more developed than elsewhere with some fairly big hotel-style lodges (we stayed in a small lodge a bit more out of the way) which was the only negative I can think of.
ES
20-35 years of age
Review about Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve by alejandro corellano
We visited the park at wrong time, midday ! But we were lucky to see some rare species. Do not visit at this time, go there very early in the morning or at the end of the day to watch and hear a lot of Birds. Arabuko is very difficult to see, inform yourself before at the office reception of the park
We found a very nice guide at the park for 2 hours walking arround.
ES
20-35 years of age
Very accesible, close to coast tourist city Malindi. Good for 1 or 2 days of safari. My First safari
It´s been my first safari in Africa. After 2 days (24 hours into the park) I was a bit upset, because we´ve seen lions and cheetah so far, and no leopards, but, and this is very good point, I learned that luck is very important in a safari. Some friends we´re there same days and they had seen these animals very close.
Lots of elephants and anthilops, jirafes, zebras, baboons, hipos, big eagles...
We were travelled from Malindi directly in a big Land Cruiser 4wd to 8 people, just my wife and me, with the guide and the driver, and we got a good price.
We stayed in a lodge a little bit elevated on a hill, with 2 water holes. At night I experienced the visit of lions, water buffalos, more elephants... from a bunker that lets you watch them very close. Very nice view of landscape at sunrise and sunset.
More questions you can contact me in you tube, http://bit.ly/mSSw6P
ES
20-35 years of age
Review about Kenya by alejandro corellano
Good variety of diferent eviroments, from safari close to the sea, to the center of the country. Everywhere you will find a good place to experience wildlife.
Review about Skeleton Coast National Park by Daniel Mac Alister
Good scenery , a lot of tourists though which is a pity.
Review about Damaraland by Daniel Mac Alister
Amazing scenery here, for us there was not so much wildlife after being to Etosha,
but we got to see some desert elephants as well as lizards and birds - also very few tourists so great bush vibe!
US
65+ years of age
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by DennisK
This is a small park near Arusha and had the most visitors we encountered. Because of the season, it has the least animals. However, we did see the flamingos!