JP
Exellent and well-organized safari.
I thoroughly enjoyed the service provided by Karibu Safaris. We got to see all the Big 5 and many more animals. The tented camp we stayed aｔ ,"Elephant Springs", was well kept and very comfortable. The meals provided throughout the experience were excellent.
The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was due to our driver. He was friendly enough and tried his best - driving over 100kms on our second day - but lacked the ability to interact with the clients on a scale that I have experienced on other safaris - this may have been due to an insufficient English language skills. It may also have been because we were in the back of a large mini-van and hearing was sometimes difficult. He also had a habit of driving close to other cars which meant 'eating' a lot of dust. It would have been easy to pull back a bit (say 50 metres) and avoid the dust. I understand he was sometimes in a hurry to get to rare animals (eg, rhino, cheetahs) when it was radioed through and I appreciate this. Also, he tended to drive off before we had finished photographing and on other safaris I have done the driver always made sure that we were ready to go.
The van we used had 8 people in it despite being promised that there would only be 7, with a window each. I suspect this was done to enhance profits. Admittedly I did change my dates a few times so maybe they had a good reason for this. This did not affect our safari so much as there were a couple of older ladies who had been on various safaris before and they were mostly happy to view from the windows. Make sure you are promised only 7 as it could get crowded at the top of the pop-up-top.
I think Karibu Safaris has a lot of promise. The driver we had just needs a few training tips and he will be fine. I would not hesitate to book them again.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Family Safari
I was a bit worried about booking with a group that did not have an office in the US and while there were some inconveniences, they were minor and were offset by the great service. The schedule of pick-ups, events, drop-offs were on time and as described in the plan. All of the drivers, tour guides, cooks, and service staff were wonderful. Rochelle at Kruger Tours worked hard to arrange a safari that worked for my family.
We went on the Tydon Camp Safari which is a true tented encampment. There are two Tydon camps, one right outside the gates of Sabi Sand and it has about 10 or so tents, a nice pool and lounge area, a large campfire area and a large eating area and library. The second camp, referred to as the "bush" camp, is inside Sabi Sands. It is smaller, more intimate version of the bigger camp but feels more rugged. There is not a pool in the bush camp and the fire area, lounge area, and food/library boma is much smaller, but the tents are identical (more on that in a second). There is access to a pool that is part of a small estate belonging to the owner of the land that the bush camp leases. The pool is right next door and is an easy walk.
The bush camp has four tents that support 8 guests, 1 guide and 3 cooks/service ladies who also reside at the camp. There were four of us in our family, my husband and our two adult kids, and we really clicked with the other four guest so that made it really special. That is a good thing because a lot of time is spent together. The tents are fabulous. Comfortable beds, carpeted, AC and heat, with a very nice bathroom. They are well appointed similar to a hotel room but still have the spirit of being in the bush. The routine is pretty much the same as with most safaris - get up way early and grab a cup of coffee, load up in the land rover, drive around looking for animals, come back and eat breakfast, relax, eat lunch, head out again in the land rover, come back, have drinks around the fire, eat dinner (in this case outside around the fire - way cool), have some more drinks around the fire and head off to bed. Dinner is a traditional African meal served on trays set up around the campfire accompanied by pudding for dessert. In addition to traditional vehicle safaris, Tydon offers a safari walk - not really for game viewing - more hands on type learning about animals, conservation, poop, tracks, that sort of thing. One of my favorite events and I really recommend it if that is your sort of thing.
Why the bush camp - well, its actually in the bush. It feels really exciting and at the same time it feels relatively safe. (There is an electrified wire around the camp and no wandering outside is allowed.) A few gazelle type grazers are often in the camp along with a few monkeys, but the wire kept out the elephants and buffalo and the cats didn't seem interested. There is no drive to get to the safari area - you wake up and you are in it. After lunch, you look out over the water hole and watch elephants come for their afternoon drink. One of the other guest hollers for you to grab your camera, that there is a Journey of Giraffe grazing right outside the tents area.
So now for the downside - Tydon has a relatively small area in Sabi that they are allowed to safari on and I became very familiar with the area. And while that made it feel special, it also felt limiting. We saw lots of animals but I wish they had more space. I believe that leopard is typically encountered at least once on a 5 day safari but we did not see any cats at Sabi. I am not a "check off the big 5" safari person but I think no cats would disappoint some folks. Even with the limited space, on the morning that we headed back to Joburg, I was wanting to be with the group that headed out on safari.
All in all, we absolutely loved South Africa, the adventure, the facilities and especially the staff and other guests. I recommend both Tydon and Kruger Park Tours. They are a great!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Queen Elizabeth National Park by JDA-Wildlif
We enjoyed crossing the equator and look a cruise on the Kazinga channel. The accomadations at Mweya Safari lodge were great - amazing laundry service !!!! Outstanding staff!!! They have a beautiful pool for afternoon swimming and cocktails.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Lake Mburo National Park by JDA-Wildlif
We went on a walking safari. Saw Zibras. Enjoyed a boat cruise.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Kibale National Park by JDA-Wildlif
Loved tracking the chimps !!! The rooms at the Primate Lodge were beautiful, the food was very good. We went to the Bigodi Swamp which was great for bird watching and saw monkeys.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Majestic park. Hike to the top of the falls well worth the effort. Unforgettable view.
We spent two days at Murchison Falls National Park ( family of 6 - 4 young adult kids ages 19-25). Murchison Falls is a beautiful park we hiked the falls, went on a game drive and river cruise. Our accommodations at Paraa Lodge were very comfortable. They have a beautiful swimming pool which offers spectacular views of the park. Great for a late afternoon swim. The hike to the top of the falls is well worth the effort. Standing at the top and feeling the power of the water is an amazing experience. The hike is not technically hard but it does get hot and can be slippery at times. I would recommend putting Murchison Falls on the list for a trip to Uganda.
Well rounded
The setting, scenery and wildlife is exquisite. It's the kind of experience we only see in films. The earthy energy was palpable. It put layers of balm on my nerves. In just two days I came back grounded and calm.
I stopped counting at 100 Elephants - too many to count :-). I was fortunate to be in the park at a good time of the year. I'm sorry I didn't see Kilimanjaro but therein lies the gift and authenticity of nature.
My guide, Leonard, was very knowledgeable across a lot of different subjects which made it really special for me. We discussed from wildlife, to nature, culture, personalities regardless of nationality, the origin of different nationalities across the world, Corinne Hoffman’s book “The White Maasai” etc… Leonard was attentive and picked up on the things that would make a difference to me and then made sure I experienced them – for example climbing up a hill to a truly special view point…..
Kibo Lodge was awesome.. It is truly authentic and the food was fresh and the staff so friendly and helpful
US
superfantasticawesomebreathtaking
www.tulivuadventure.co.tz gave me an awesome experience of a lifetime. Owners Joshua and Atken took well care of me as did the driver.
While on mission trip, I couldn't bear the entire cost of the trip. They made it affordable and were so dependable and trustworthy.
I loved the animals, saw lions, ngu, zebras, giraffe, and mostly all. The scenery was incredible and driver made sure we saw different entrance and exit points.
I took African several children and Mama with me and they had a blast!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Uganda by JDA-Wildlif
We went at the end of the rainy season and while we saw big game we might have seen more if we had gone during the dry season which forces the animals to the larger watering holes making them easier to view. But we loved the country - people are warm and welcoming, very polite. Uganda truly is "the pearl of Africa ",
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful Experience
Emanuel Melubo, one of the owners, was extremely helpful in answering all of my questions and getting me the best prices. He was extremely responsive and very prompt in responding to any messages I sent to him. He was thorough and detailed in responding to my questions and even anticipated some of my questions and was proactive in providing information about anything he thought I would need or want to know. Everything went so smoothly and was so easy. We even lucked out and got Emanuel as our driver for the safari. He was prompt in picking us up and extremely friendly in greeting us with a big smile and lots of excitement. During the trip he provided snacks and tons of information about the Tanzania, the crater, and the animals. He was very knowledgeable and very funny. We learned a lot and were very entertained. Emanuel again was extremely helpful in ensuring everything went smoothly and was to our liking. He catered the trip to us and what we wanted to see and how much time we wanted to spend in each place. He made sure the trip was well worth the cost and an amazing, unforgettable experience. I highly recommend him and his company to anyone interested in a safari in Tanzania. He will take great care of you and provide a wonderful safari.