CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Serengeti National Park by Debbie McGee
We had three nights in the Serengeti. We had our boxed lunch at the Naabi Hill gate. And then animals. We saw: baboons, zebras, wildebeest, Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelles, giraffes, one lonely buffalo, a dik-dik for a very short period of time, a vulture, a Marabou crane, hartebeest, large group of elephants at a mud hole, suicidal guinea fowl continually running in front of the vehicle, and a large herd of impalas.
Best finds of the day: a pride of lions napping on the sunny rocks of a kopje, not long after we entered the park. A leopard sleeping in tree, barely visible in the pattern of the leaf shadows. A visibly cranky elephant, that raised its ears and trumpeted at us as we slowed down to watch a family near a stream (we moved on quickly!) and just before we left the park that evening, we watched two large hippos quickly exit their waterhole and move off in opposite directions in the bush. Left on its own was a smallish crocodile.
That night and the next we stayed at Ikoma Tented Camp. I loved it! At the attractive reception building we were greeted with juice and hot facecloths, and then escorted along a winding manicured path to our “tent”. This was more like a cabin with canvas walls, built on a stone platform, with a burlap and thatch roof, and a bathroom made of décor concrete, featuring shower, sink, and toilet. The beds had ample mosquito nets. Maybe the best part was our front porch with three chairs looking out into the Savannah. In fact, all the tents have a view facing the wild. In the evening, guards are stationed along the path to escort guests to the bar/restaurant, and they also patrol the camp throughout the night. Which is reassuring when you hear the hyenas!
After a good night’s sleep (except for the hyenas) we all had a hot shower, and after breakfast were off on our second day in the Serengeti.
Beside the usual elephants, zebras, giraffes and impalas, the day included ostrich, many hippos, a Monitor lizard, an African fish eagle, an adorable baby baboon, and two jackals. We had lunch at the Seronera Interpretation Centre, where we were up-close and personal with hyraxes and yellow mongoose. The big find of the day was a tree of lions – six females and one cub! We also found a leopard in a tree – this time we had a good view of his face.
After lunch we experienced our first rain shower. Big dark clouds had indicated that it was raining elsewhere, and we kept coming upon muddy roads. We got stuck briefly on our way to the Maasai kopje, but Thadei expertly extricated us with the use of the four-wheel drive. We decided to head for the camp a bit earlier than usual. I was looking forward to a beer in the dining tent. However, on the way home, the road diverged into two tracks – one deeply muddy, the other a small lake. We made the wrong choice, and ended up mired in the mud. Thadei took off his shoes, rolled up his pant legs and waded into the muck, but no amount of jacking seemed to work, and there was no wood or rocks to use as traction. So he radioed his fellow drivers for help. Since we were not allowed out of the vehicle, we used the time to look calm and peruse the guide books.
One vehicle (plus passengers) turned up, but the pull cable broke and they departed. A second call for assistance was made. Two vehicles (plus passengers) turned up, but the first one got us out on its own. The whole experience took about an hour. Then we rushed back to Ikoma. Thadei turned up as we were finishing supper, and we bought him a beer, toasting his heroic efforts in the mud. Then back to the tent, hot showers all round, and another sound sleep.
Up and at em. Breakfast, and away in the car just after 8 am. This was a day for just looking, no great distances to cover. We again had lunch at the Seronera Interpretation Centre, where we again saw many hyraxes, agama lizards and a few yellow mongoose. This time we took the "understanding the great migration" tour with a guide-in-training. And now I think I have finally grasped it!
This was a big giraffe day - they were everywhere. We also saw lots of elephants, impala, and two families of warthogs, a falcon, a vulture, and many agama lizards.
Happy times: visiting the interpreted hippo pool and seeing what seemed like a hundred of them, with two young crocodiles basking on rocks in the sun. We returned to the lion tree from yesterday, and again watched them snoozing – this time two cubs were visible. And for our daily leopard, this time we saw two of them in a tree – and a dead impala tucked up there with them!
At 5 o'clock we arrived at the Seronera Wildlife Lodge. Another amazing place, maybe even more unique than the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge. It is built into and around the giant rocks of a kopje. There are intricate carvings on- well, everything. It has to be seen. The pool and the viewing platform were spectacular, overlooking the Serengeti, giraffes grazing the tree tops, a hippo pool in the near distance, monkeys in the trees, and a magnificent sunset.
Supper in a large dining room, buffet style, food was fine, not spectacular. Service was good. Yes, this lodge is a trifle run down. But I defy any modern lodge to rival this one for creative and unique design and architecture. Did I mention the bar? You have to go.
For the first time, we started off at 6 am for a game drive. No one was about, we saw the sun come up, two jackals, and several zebras crossed in front of us. A balloon safari was being launched, and we watched them float away. The early morning light gorgeous. We stopped by the lion tree and watched as two female lions and a cub started to climb it. And then the magic moment: close to the road on a fallen tree, three female lions and at least nine cubs. A lion day care! We stayed for a long time and took many pictures. Thadei sent out word and before long at least ten other vehicles arrived, including a jeep with Serengeti lion scientists. We left and went for breakfast, very happy as you can imagine. On the road by 9:30am, the first thing we came across was a group of topi. Next we saw a hippo in a field, eating, covered in mud and birds. A little way down the road we saw a hippo climb out of a pond, and wander away. We watched for some time. It was clear he wasn't going back into that pond - he headed out of sight and we went on. I was thrilled because I love hippos and it was my first good look at them on land.
The Serengeti was all my childhood experience of watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom promised, and I’m glad we spent three days there. I hope to one day see the migration!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by Debbie McGee
Our second day took us to the Ngorongoro Crater - breathless stunning view from the rim and then - breathless stunning view while descending to the crater floor. We then drove around on red bumpy roads for four hours, animals everywhere. And wildflowers everywhere - patches of purple, yellow and white. Sand patches where zebra like to hang out. More vehicles than you can shake a stick at. The animals intermingle - zebras in with gazelles, wildebeest in with everybody.
We saw: elephants, zebras, Thompson's gazelles, wildebeest, Grant's gazelles, warthogs, flamingos, lions, cheetahs, Black Rhinos, hippos, buffalo (and birds on buffalo), Guinea fowl, Bustards, Crested cranes, hyenas, eagles, blue starlings (they will steal your food), Eland, ostrich, baboons, and a great little black bird with a long fluttering tail and a dipping flying pattern.
This was our first experience with using other vehicles to find animals. We saw several vehicles stopped on a road in the distance, and went to see what they were looking at. To our utter astonishment, it was a large male lion, sitting in a very awkward position on the side of the road. I thought something must be wrong with him – why was he alone in such a strange place? Some vehicles departed, and we edged up a few feet, and we suddenly noticed two other lions, a male and a female, sleeping right next to the other side of the road. I felt better then. The sitting lion got up and began wandering in amongst the vehicles, heading our way. Finally he came right over and settled down in the shade of our jeep. You can imagine the photo taking! I was so excited I texted his photo to my parents, at a cost of approximately half the children’s inheritance (as Nick helpfully pointed out)
We had lunch by a pond full of hippos, and enjoyed their loud bull-frog like sounds, the splash when they roll over and the sudden glimpse of their huge toothy mouths.
Other great events that day: a cheetah just sitting in a field, occasionally pacing and lying down. Another female lion, just lying sleeping a few feet from the track, (Gerry uploaded a picture of this one to Facebook, thereby disposing of the other half of the inheritance). And finally, something that amazed Thadei more than us, because it is apparently very rare, we saw ten black rhinos over the course of the day. The first was alone, the second sighting in a group of four, and the third in a group of five. They were pretty much seen in the distance, but it's very thrilling to see the classic silhouette.
On our way to the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, up the steep winding road, Gerry and I discovered that we preferred to stand in the vehicle, bracing ourselves against the bumps, with the wind in our face, and the spectacular view of the forest surrounding the crater. Bliss.
The Wildlife Lodge was exceptional. Every room has a crater view, and there is a long verandah where you can sit, perhaps have a cold beer or two, and watch the sun going down over the magic place (that would be the crater). The décor is wonderful, mid-century modern, beading on all the chair arms, and amazing huge stone and glass mosaics built into the walls of the lounge and the dining room. The rooms were very comfortable, the water was more or less hot, and we were delighted to be there.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Hard to pick, but Tarangire could be my favourite park.
We arrived the night before, staying at the Kirurumu Tented Camp. This was the nicest place we stayed on our trip, but also had the worst road of our trip leading to it. Reception is an elegant, airy building with a central corridor. Glass doors lead into an Internet room and the manager’s office. We were greeted with mango juice and hot cloths, and Maasai porters carried our bags to #10. Steps leading to a concrete verandah, canvas walls with sliding glass doors, three beds with nets, white duvets with colorful cloth blankets at foot of each bed, and a very spacious bathroom, with a flush toilet better than the one we have at home, and 2 sinks with facecloths! Plus a shower with enough hot water for the three of us. Paradise.
We settled in. Maasai men escorted us through darkening paths to the dining tent, which was surrounded with bushes covered in what looked like blue petunias. We had our best meal yet. A scrumptious butternut squash soup, tender pork chops in a tasty brown sauce, with lightly cooked green beans, carrots, and potato slices. An apricot walnut crumble cake for dessert. And the dining tent is fun, beautifully set with Maasai necklaces forming the placemats. Because the kitchen is in a separate building, they use silver plate covers to transport dishes. Great service – and playful. The waiter counted us in - 1, 2, 3 - and we would simultaneously remove the plate cover to reveal the food underneath. There is also a comfortable couch and a library of African books. So glad to have two nights here.
Tarangire National Park has a really nice entrance gate - well tended gardens, clean bathrooms, and a very tall wooden observation platform.
We begin the game drive. The weather is cool, and intermittently overcast. First off we see waterbucks. Then two different varieties of giraffe, a hilarious family of striped mongoose and two families of warthogs that let us take a good look at them before they trotted off - one had really big tusks. Then a family of dwarf yellow mongoose living in a termite mound. Speaking of which, termite mounds were everywhere, as were weaver nests, hanging from all the trees.
The Baobab trees are wonderful, looking very elvish to me. The grass long and green. Flowering bushes everywhere, covered in white petunia-like blossoms with delicate pink interiors. Little blue and yellow flowers by the side of the road, acacia trees, baobab trees, palm trees. The whole impression is of lushness and fertility.
We notice several vehicles gathered in the distance. Over we go. A female lion is wandering among the vehicles. Then we see the dead buffalo about 10 feet off the road. We notice some entrails and various organs about 5 feet from the road, and a big hole in the rear end of the buffalo. The female lion crosses the road and disappears into a thicket about 30 feet away.
A flock of African white-backed vultures arrive - why do they always pick the bare ugly trees? It’s like vulture central-casting. A Ranger Safaris' vehicle drives off the road, over to the thicket where the lioness had gone. A guide in another vehicle says there are more than 10 lions including a male in there. I was disgusted by the off-roading, but at least no one followed them.
The other vehicles leave and we settle in to wait. Thadei (our wonderful Safari Infinity guide) says the vultures will eventually go to the buffalo and that will draw the lions out. We back away from the carcass to give the vultures space. Sure enough, they start to circle! Eventually a couple of them land. We hear a loud grumble from the lion area, and look to see three females and a male emerge from the thicket. The vultures depart quickly.
The lions slowly make their way down to the carcass, with the male lion spraying copiously on his way. We notice a fourth lioness that must have been in the tall grass by the carcass all along. A female lion poops in the road and scrapes dirt over it like a cat. Then all five of them range themselves a yard or two from the carcass and just lie in the grass. Gerry says it’s a sentry system! One of the females returns to the clump - maybe there are cubs there.
One lioness nuzzles against another, purring. She then goes over to the male lion, licks him, rubs against him, then lies down and waves her tail enticingly. He licks her. She gets up, walks off and he follows. I hear a tourist say "they are going to get a room". But no, they just lie down a few feet from each other and start to doze, looking comfortable. We remain another 15 minutes or so, then decide to move on and check back later.
First thing we run into is a huge troop of baboons. There are many, many babies, including one that looks less than a week old. Some run along beside their moms, others ride on their backs, and still others cling to their mother's bellies. They are going to cross the river. It’s a wonderful sight - hundreds of baboons crossing the water, a few even walking on two feet. Some skirmishes, lots of squealing, shrieking and chucking sounds. The great baboon migration. Four reddish elephants in the background looking majestic.
We see a male ostrich with pink neck and legs - mating-ready apparently.
Lunch at the Matete lookout. The river is far below us. We watch a herd of elephants cross it as we eat. I am happy to see a green apple in my box. I put it and a bag of peanuts aside. Thadei leaves the table. Suddenly there is a thump and I look up to see a vervet monkey springing away, my green apple clenched firmly in his mouth. He lands on the fence across from me. Nick and I are in fits of laughter - nicely played, monkey!
The rest of the day is an easy pace. Just looking around. We see two battling waterbucks, a turquoise kingfisher, a hamercop stork, two monitor lizards swimming around, a saddle beak stork, a beautiful blue roller, flocks of teeny orange birds that look like flying poppies, a dik-dik, and a tawny eagle.
I love this park. The rolling hills, the trees, the river, the flowers. It's like a classic picture of Africa. Near the river, there are tall single stalks with one delicate purple blossom on top. The Tarangire River seemed to be drying up fast – it was flat and winding, but with a big expanse of sand on either side.
I want to watch some elephants for a while. This is not so easy. Two big ones cover themselves in mud, but they move away as soon as they are done. Thadei says the elephants here are wary of people, since they sometimes come into conflict with the agriculturalists outside the park. It's not surprising - even a single elephant could pretty much ruin a crop.
One elephant even looks like it might charge. We move on, find another group down the track, and watch some mothers and babies for a while. A little one rests its head on Mom's leg. Awww.
We decide to go back and see what's happening in lion land. To our utter delight, there are three small cubs tearing away at the organs on the ground, which are looking surprisingly fresh after a day in the sun. The kittens have a pretty hard time chewing - they don't seem to be able to get much of a mouthful.
The poor buffalo is looking emptier. There is another big hole near its neck. There are MANY flies. Only one female lion is nearby. We surmise the rest of them must be back in the bush fort.
Sure enough, slowly they emerge and come down to join the party. We count six juveniles, and three females. The cubs wander off to some nearby water, and are joined by the juveniles and one of the moms.
Three females start chewing on the buffalo. There is a small altercation. Two of them leave, and one remains tugging and scraping at the carcass. Clearly there is a hole in the side we can't see - she sticks her head inside and we can hear the chewing. Every time she pulls it out we see the blood on her face.
She tries to turn the carcass over by using its leg as a lever. It's too hard for her, and she looks around for help. Everyone is at the water. The male lion emerges from the thicket, and paces his way down to the lower field, spraying vigorously every few yards. He makes a wide circle, and then lies down near the crowd at the water.
The female lion is clearly going to succeed in turning the buffalo over. It seems we could stay there watching all night, because there is still a lot of buffalo to eat, and many lions to eat it. Not to mention the vultures. But the afternoon is getting on, and even though it is our last game drive, we want to have time for a shower and beer before supper and packing. Reluctantly we move off and go back to the lodge, stopping only briefly to check out a male and female buffalo weaver.
We return to camp around 5, happy to have a little time in our lovely tent before supper. We all shower, and sit on the porch with a beer, chatting and looking at photos.
Supper tonight is cream of pumpkin soup, Tilapia, and crème caramel. Not as delicious as the night before, but still good. Thadei drops in just as we are leaving. We arrange to leave at 8 am the next day. Can't believe the safari is ending!
Review about Kenya by ninara
Wildlife is abundant and diverse in national parks. Scenery is typically African, exotic for the European tourists.
KW
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Wildlife Safari Destination!
Tanzania has many national parks... Serengeti been the pick of them. Accommodations are quite good & standard over here. One could easily be disguised as Africa not having good accommodation but its surprisingly cool. African Hospitality is really good. We had booked our tour through Zed Safaris & they did a pretty good job!
Also, during the other half of our tour we had been to Zanizibar... just completes our African trip with amazing resorts. Tanzania or Wildlife Safari would be easily one of the best holidays we had or will have. Highly Recommended once in a lifetime!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Tanzania by Debbie McGee
We felt safe, and welcome. The people we met were genuinely friendly, our tour operator Safari Infinity was professional and helpful and our guide was fantastic. There seemed to be an effort on the part of the government to make sure the animals and their habitat were protected from the worst excesses of tourism. I would love to go there again.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Affordable Luxury Safari!
There is plenty to say about Ubon Safari. They absolutely shine on service and execution and most importantly price. Let me give you a run down. A knowledgeable guide/driver will be waiting for you at the airport in our case it was Kilimanjaro. We did the Lake Manyara/Serengeti/Ngorogoro crater 3 night /4 days all at the Serena Lodges(highly recommended) and we opted for the private jeep(highly recommended). Our guides name was Phillip, he was great and knew the terrain well with over 10 years of experience. Its very important to discuss your desires with him right out of the gates so he can deliver the right safari. We wanted to see all the big animals or as they as they say the big 5. Be prepared to be tossed around as the roads can be bumpy, it is a safari after all. You will encounter an array of animals and majestic landscapes that times out shine the animals. My advice is get up early of possible wear very comfortable clothing that fits loose and have your gourmet breakfast and head out into the wild. You will have box lunches(might want to let them know what you like to eat) on the road and be at your next luxury accommodations by 5-6 pm to relax and unwind.
The Serena Lodges(free wifi)are they way to go if possible(the views are amazing!) The service level is very high and the food is top notch. Ubon will call or email you to make sure your trip is excellent and any issues are resolved. In our case it was seamless and perfect. I really feel you do not have to wait to experience a luxury safari. We are very happy we went and we will be booking another one in the near future. Ubon will make it work for anyone. Lastly animals are unpredictable be patient and it will happen. Hakuna Matata- Don't worry, be happy!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Trip!
Our trip to South Africa exceeded our expectations. The trip was very well organized and the service was excellent. Our experience will bring us back to South Africa. I recommend this travel agency for SA tours. They make sure their customers have the best and safest experience. It is definitely a trip with lifetime memories. SA should be in everyone's list of places to go.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Completely custumer focused and perfect service
We had a wonderfull safari trip to Murchinsonfalls, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi Forest and Lake Mburo and at least to Jinja, after 8 weeks of volunteers work. Our guide was perfect en he pointed out the most beautiful things, animals, birds, bugs, trees and landscapes. It was unforgettable we would like to go back.
Thanks Matoke for this wonderful experience.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experience of a lifetime! Highly recommend Bramwel
My friends and I recently visited Tanzania for work and decided to do a safari in the area. We were staying in Dar-Es-Salam. We did our research and given the time constraints, we decided to enjoy the Ngorongoro Crater. We made our own flight arrangements from Dar to Arusha. The rest was taken care of Bramwel. William is very responsive and on time with every additional bit of information we asked for. We requested to stay in the Sopa Lodges - Best decision ever.
On Sat morning - We flew from Dar to Arusha. Julius was waiting for us at the airport with packed lunch boxes. He was our tour guide for the trip. He was really engaging and made our experience very memorable. Our flight was delayed a little so we headed straight to the crater. The sopa lodge is a great place! Excellent service and really good food. We spent Sunday exploring the crater, all day long. We drove to Serengeti on Monday with a stopover at the Masai village. We left crater Tuesday with a stop at the Lake Manyara and flight back to Dar on that day.
Overall it was a great trip. We will not trade anything out of this. We definitely recommend Bramwell and sure to use them again if we go on another trip.