20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about South Luangwa National Park by Graeme
Game density and diversity are both excellent in the park, with four of the Big Five present as well as hippos, giraffes, greater kudu, spotted hyenas and many other incredible species. The park's vistas over the river are beautiful, however it is scrubbier woodland further into the park, presenting a more complicated backdrop for photography. The bush vibe is largely great, however it was slightly undermined at times by self-drive vehicles crowding into view or ignoring the etiquette that drivers and guides overwhelmingly adhere to. Birding is similarly excellent- I spotted around 90 species while I was in the park, including stars like martial eagles, grey-crowned cranes and so many more.
US
Knowledgeable guide, chef and assistant were able to find so many interesting things for us!
Wildlife was great, food was plentiful and tasty, and accommodations better than I would expect for the remoteness of the area. We were comfortable and well cared for. Guides (1 for each part of the trip) knew the areas very well and passed on their knowledge all along the way. I learned a lot and saw a lot.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Superb
I used Gondwana Tours to organise my entire tour, and it was absolutely superb. July is a brilliant time to visit South Luangwa, with cool mornings, warm afternoons and mild evenings, all perfect for wildlife watching. Accommodation with Flatdogs Camp and Nkonzi Bush Camp was to a brilliant standard, with great food, comfortable beds and knowledgeable, insightful guides. Wildlife density and diversity are both excellent, including four of the Big Five. My absolute highlight was being able to get really close to leopards, providing some amazing opportunities for photos with these beautiful cats. I would go back in an instant!
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fabulous trip with great wildlife experience
The trip was managed excellently, all the necessities were taken care very nicely. We had a great time experiencing the wildlife at Masai Mara
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic safari, well-organised, fun and good value
Very well-organised 2-day safari in Lake Nakuru National Park, with stops in Hell's Gate and Lake Naivasha. We saw giraffes, zebras, rhinos and two lions - far exceeded expectations! Customised itinerary to suit our travel times, good value. Accommodation at Eagle Hill Palace hotel in Nakuru was comfortable, food was good.
LK
Amazing experience spending time with animals and witnessing their way of life
Masai Mara and Amboseli had many things to offer with live action to wildlife. Weather was amazing with sunny days and cool breeze. Balloon safari was spectacular and think it’s one of those experiences one must have. Roads to Amboseli was very bad though and roads to Masai Mara is already being constructed 60%
Food was amazing and we love the luxury camping experiences having lions roar next to your tent most of the nights! So thrilling
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience
I went on a tour with Golden Rwanda completely by chance as I was attending a conference in Rwanda and a fellow conference attendee invited me to join her. She was far more prepared than I was, and had researched various tour operators thoroughly. I was very happy with her choice. Golden Rwanda Safaris is a small local company, but they do tours all over Rwanda and the surrounding countries. We ended up staying in Rwanda, spending a 1.5 days in Akagera national Park, (where we saw so many animals, including lions, hippos, impalas, giraffes, zebras, baboons, buffalo, elephants, warthogs etc). Seeing lions was theoretically the most exciting because they were introduced in the past few years from South Africa, but I prefer seeing the colorful animals (zebras, giraffes) and the more active ones (baffoons & impalas).
We had two separate guides for the two halves of our trip (Frank and Fabrice) and both were terrific, both on the trip logistics and also the wildlife. I enjoyed chatting with them and learning about their stories and Rwanda as much as I enjoyed the wildlife.
Note on gorillas: I was too stingy to pay $1500 for the gorilla permit in Rwanda, too scared to explore going to Congo, and permits were all gone in Uganda ($600) because I was literally looking for them the same week. However, the company arranges gorilla treks in all 3 countries and they assured me that Congo was safe for tourists. In the end, I'm very happy with the company and my trip :)
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Top Notch Travel Services
I engaged Sarah Morris and her team at Ker & Downey Africa to plan a fairly complex adventure that included a safari in Kenya, the pyramids in Cairo and a Nile cruise. I can't say enough about the attention to detail during the planning phase and the genuine focus on making sure our final vacation itinerary would fulfill our travel goals. Once we were on the ground, the K&D team was with us every step of the way - morning, noon and night - should anything need adjustment. I highly recommend Ker & Downey Africa should you be interested in luxury travel in Africa. You won't be disappointed.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Superbly organized and implemented from start to finish...I HIGHLY recommend African Scenic Safaris!
Our African Scenic safari was seamlessly organized and incredibly well done. We spent 10 nights and 11 days enjoying game drives where we not only spotted animals, but were provided with a detailed explanation of their behavior by our amazing guide, Tom. His depth of knowledge and interest in the wildlife and landscape added so much to our already incredible game drives. Tom often knew what the animals were going to do or where they would head next and carefully positioned our vehicle to gain the best possible way for viewing and photographing the animals.
I have to add that the safari vehicle itself was in great condition both mechanically and the interior, with a small refrigerator to keep water cold, a charging station and plenty of room for everyone to have a wonderful view at all times. The seats were comfortable and water was in the car ready for us daily. Tom took care of all the lunch logistics at each camp so that we could head out and maximize our time for spotting animals. Our own wishes as to which animals we were interested in finding each day were prioritized, and our guide used his networking skills and knowledge to get us there.
While planning our safari, my many questions were answered promptly and in detail by Simbo and the African Safari staff. I felt that organizing my safari to suit our timing and what we wanted to see was a priority to them. The wildebeast migration was a tremendous spectacle!
I can't recommend African Scenic Safari enough and would not hesitate to recommend them to friends and family. A safari is an amazing experience and the folks at African Scenic Safaris made it easy, comfortable and incredibly enjoyable.
BE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We really enjoyed Uganda tour: game drives, walks and lodging!
Before flighing to Uganda I frequently mailed Encounter Africa Safaris with questions and itinerary change requests. They always responded promptly and friendly. In Uganda we where in the good hands of guide/driver Steven, a friendly and talkative companion who learned us many many things on culture, nature, history and economy.
The 4WD van was comfortable, cleaned several times during the tour. Water bottles where always available and there were enough stop overs.
