SG
35-50 years of age
Breathtaking Okavango, like a painting!
The aerial view of Okavango Delta was unexpectedly breathtaking. The patterns made by the islands, waterways, vegetations were like a constantly changing large canvas of painting by nature. It was a sheer joy watching giraffes, herds of elephants and buffaloes wading in the water.
I had 2 nights of bush camping, coming and going by the local canoes called mokoros. During the bush walks, we had to keep a safe distance from animals, so we could not get as close to them as in a vehicle. A pangolin visited our camp site at night.
We didn't feel very safe in a camp site in Maun. We were told to keep all our belongings in the truck, just had only the necessities in our tents. We were told that tents were slashed and stuff stolen in the middle of the night previously.
The river safari was a special experience, to watch herds of elephants, crocodiles, hippos and buffaloes by the river bank from the water. The land safari was less impressive though.
US
20-35 years of age
Review about South Luangwa National Park by Amanda Gardner
Excellent wildlife viewing, not crowded. Great access to Mozambique and Malawi.
US
20-35 years of age
Friendly people, chill vibe, excellent wildlife viewing.
Absolutely awesome wildlife, from the ubiquitous impala to the stealthy leopard. Hippos, crocs, birds of all sorts, as well as elephants, rhinos, lions, bush pigs, hyenas, springboks, giraffes, birds... You name it, you can probably see it in Zambia.
35-50 years of age
Review about Matobo National Park by Swenglishnick & Zimgirl
A stunning setting amongst the breath-taking kopjes.
35-50 years of age
Review about Zambezi National Park by Swenglishnick & Zimgirl
This park benefits from the awe-inspiring Vic Falls and you see a good selection of wildlife passing along the river.
35-50 years of age
Enjoying a great park on a budget
We visited Hwange in December which is a little far into the rainy season to see the most animals. The best time to visit is in September when the water holes are great places to spot the wide range of animals in the park.
We stayed in the rustic National Parks cottages which, even in the middle of shortages that were affecting Zimbabwe, were great places to stay and very cost-effective.
We did not have a 4x4 but found there to be ample routes around the park for a normal 2 wheel drive car. We saw a wide selection of antelope, giraffe, cheetah and zebra. We were sad to miss out on the elephants but they had disappeared off into the bush because of the rains. We also got great views of the Black Rhino at the nearby Hwange Safari Lodge.
When we were not self-driving, we went on some excellent guided drives with extremely knowledgeable local guides.
At that time of year, the birding was excellent and could fill in the periods when the larger game was not visible.
under20 years of age
Review about Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park by squidy837
It provided an enchanting experience.
CA
20-35 years of age
Wilderness Adventure Camp
On the Western border of Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the largest parks in Uganda, and is home to a myriad of wildlife and geographical features. My personal experience at Queen Elizabeth National Park was at an outdoor wilderness camp near the city of Ishasha.
The lodge we stayed at was called Wilderness Adventure Camp. The lodge was a beautiful large dining hall, open to the wild on three sides. It also is on the shore of the Ngtungwe River, which as the guide says has an old resident hippo (and you will probably hear it grunting throughout the night).
One of the most unique features was the sleeping arrangements... Tents. I was very excited to go camping on the savannah (although in reality you are in more of a jungle than a plain). To my delight, the tents were incredibly clean, relatively bug free and had a porta-potty within. They were actually cleaner than many of the upper end resorts I stayed at.
The game drive started out quite well, one of the first sights you see is the natural destruction caused by elephants. If you think teenage vandals are bad, you should see what a bored herd of elephant can get up to!
All the normal animals you'd expect to see are there: oribies, antelope, buffalo, waterbuck, warthogs, monkeys, baboons. The big draws are the elephants and lions. Oh wait, did I say lions, I meant tree lions!
That was definitely the highlight of the park for me. I never thought I would get to see lions hanging out in a tree. Hell, lions sleeping on the ground are pretty cool in my book. To up the ante even more, our guide had tea and coffee for us so we sat in our vehicle under a lion having tea and cookies.
The drive ended with us returning to the lodge at dusk with a storm raging behind us over the Blue Mountains in the Congo. It was one of the most beautiful and memorable experiences of my life.
35-50 years of age
Review about Zimbabwe by Swenglishnick & Zimgirl
Zimbabwe offers such a broad spectrum of wildlife, birding and scenery and the fact that it is still not over-run with tourists means that you will be one of the few enjoying these pleasures!
under20 years of age
Unforgettable experience in a country so far unspoilt by mass tourism
In the south of the country, near the border with Zimbabwe, lies Mosi-oa-Tunga National Park, near to Zambia's biggest tourist attraction, the Victoria Falls. The wildlife includes giraffes, zebra, warthogs, elephants, antelope and a variety of smaller animals. At the time of our party's visit (mid-July) it was a relatively dry season with temperatures in the mid-20s), making the park's environment and ambiance exactly as one would picture a safari park - parched scrubland and bright blue skies. The park is not necessarily hugely extensive, yet the animals within its limits are something definitely worth seeing, especially the birds on the banks of the Zambezi River which flows through the park. However, the most unforgettable experience of visiting this beautiful area was an opportunity to see the last remaining white rhino in Zambia, the only one having not been poached in the country.
After a fantastic day in the park, we stopped on our journey back towards our accommodation to see a herd of elephants, outside the park underneath a road bridge. The impression which we were left with was that it was not only the park which offered a host of wildlife watching opportunities, but the wider area was a simply fantastic place to immerse oneself in a safari environment. I would say it is imperative to visit Mosi-oa-Tunga because tourism revenue will encourage conservation efforts in the area and further improve the safari experience, providing money does not go to spoil the unspoilt and genuine atmosphere which makes this area so wonderful.