US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceptional experience from Booking to Departure
I found Transtrek online, as I was booking a rather last minute safari after a business trip. Everything was handled perfectly, from the beginning. The lodges that were chosen suited my budget and were outstanding. Our driver was excellent...he knew a lot about animals and was very intuitive about vehicle placement for photos. In short, we were in excellent hands and I refer Transtrek without reservation.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An arid wilderness heaving with wildlife
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) is a really special place. It is extremely arid and hot, yet the wildlife and bird life (raptors in particular) are extremely abundant.
The park basically consists of two roads that run along the two (dry) riverbeds that run through the park, the Nossob and the Auob. Along the rivers, vast views are limited because they are both surrounded by the famous red dunes of the Kalahari, but that is not an issue because the water points are all along these rivers which attracts all the wildlife, plus the dunes really are beautiful.
I gave a 5 star rating for everything and I'm tempted to warn readers that I gave these rates based on an arid savanna benchmark where seeing a lion and a few birds within a few days is a good trip but that is far from the case in the KTP as you will find loads of wildlife!
Accommodation wise, I have camped at Mabuasehube on the Botswana side which was awesome (lions came in to drink our dirty shower water and would cause shivers right down our spines as their deep calls vibrated right through us in the night)! As well as in a research camp within the park close to Twee Rivieren, this camp is unavailable to tourists so not much use in me telling you about it. I also can't really speak for the rest of the accommodation as I have never stayed at any of the other camps. I can however, recommend going as deep into the park where there are less people and you can enjoy the true essence of being out in the bush. Otherwise, it doesn't really matter because you'll want to spend every woken moment out there game viewing.
If you are reading this and on the fence about wanting to go to the Kgalagadi Tranfrontier Park, do it. You will not be disappointed.
Enjoy!
Brendon.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about South Africa by Brendon White
Does this really need an explanation? South Africa is awesome.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The BEST safari company - guarenteed at a reasonable cost
If you are ready for the BEST safari, use this company!!!!! We had been looking at African Safari’s for a long time and finally decided to take the plunge. We did exhaustive research on big and small tour companies. Some had hundreds of reviews and some had only a few. We decided to go with Expedition Kenyan Safari’s because of the owner, Patrick. We asked numerous questions about travel, accommodations, shots needed, dress and many more. Patrick responded the very next day with answers and additional information that he felt we needed. When he said he would do something, he did it. Whether mailing us stuff, arranging hotels, arranging flights or emailing us. He did what he promised and followed up to insure our understanding. He took a personal interest in our piece of mind. Some people shy away from small companies, but with Patrick the service, professionalism, and client concern far outweighed big company bustle. The trip was amazing without any glitches. The driver (“Eagle Eye”) was extremely professional with great knowledge of all the animals, birds and plants that we spotted. He would also stop without hesitation whenever we needed to get a great snapshot. We heard many poor stories from other travelers about their big company experiences, no thank you.
Wes C.
US
Fanjove Private Island - A perfect get away
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. All the staff were amazing. We felt totally spoiled – exactly what we were looking for on our anniversary get away. They even had a special cake made for the occasion! The food was superb – fresh sea food every day. The prices for drinks were extremely reasonable – I was expecting the usual high remote resort prices but was truly astonished at the very reasonable prices. The bandas were picture perfect with a view to the sea. We loved sitting on the upper level watching the sea roll in. We had a really nice breeze. The snorkeling right off the beach was perfect – a nice swim with lot and lots of wildlife. We have been to a lot of places and we could not have asked for a more perfect vacation. We highly recommend Fanjove Private Island if you are looking for beautiful get away.
DK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had a very good trip, we were lucky to see all the animals. Only the leopard was mising.
Yeah, camp bastian and all other things were provided to us. The Driver took care of every our need.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
strong endorsement for Born Free
I can only echo what others have said about professionalism of Alana and staff, both in the US, in Tanzania and Kenya. The trip was without a hitch. Guide were knowledgeable about animals, plants and camera angles. Food was wonderful wherever we stayed. This recent travel was the second that Born Free has planned for me and I would not hesitate to recommend them.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime!
I recently experienced the Classic Tanzania Safari at the Comfort Level. Everyone in my group tour was astounded by the high quality of all aspects of our safari. Our guide (Emmelian) was beyond amazing. He was extremely knowledgeable about all the animals and plants we encountered. We saw many lions, leopards, giraffes, hippos, elephants, and buffalos at a close distance. We even saw a black rhino in the Ngorongoro Crater. In the Serengeti we saw a couple groups of lions kill a zebra and a buffalo. Emmelian was professional and personable. Everyone felt very comfortable with him, and we all had a lot of fun during the entire week. I highly recommend requesting Emmelian if you book a safari with Easy Travel. Mary Charles was our point of contact when we booked our safari. She was extremely courteous and professional at all times. She always promptly responded to our questions and concerns. A friend and I switched the dates of your safari about a month in advance, and Mary Charles had no problem with changing the dates at no additional cost. The lodges far surpassed my expectations, especially the Acacia Lodge. They were all the equivalent of a very nice hotel in the United States. Sometimes I forgot we were in rural Tanzania or even in a national park.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great Safari experience!
Antelope Safaris organized our safari covering Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro in May of 2015. The tour was well organized and our guide was excellent. Overall I was very happy with the trip and would recommend them to anyone looking for a great safari experience on a moderate budget.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari - Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro
Off we went on safari! For me the first time. And it was so cool!
At 06.00 we were ready! There was Elly, our driver. We then picked up the other girls and we were on our way to Tarangire. During our first safari day we have seen many animals, such as impalas, baboons, zebras, wildebeest, elephants, giraffes, ostriches and from afar even a leopard. Every time we saw an animal, we jumped up from our jeep. We only had to say 'stop' and we stopped. The roof was open, so we could see everything. And thus could make beautiful pictures. At the end of the day we saw two female lions. They kept unfortunately well hidden. With a satisfied feeling we went to the campsite. Here we could freshen up and we got dinner from our cook Patrick.
The second day we were in good spirits on the way to the Serengeti. We still wanted see a few animals: lions, leopards, hippos, rhinos, buffaloes, hyenas and cheetahs. Before we arrived at the Serengeti, we first had the Ngorongoro. What is a different landscape. Very nice to see. That bodes well for the last day. Finally arrived at the Serengeti. In the distance we saw a herd of elephants, which eventually crossed our path. Wow.
We had seen many new animals, namely gazelles, purple lizards, buffaloes, hyenas, hippos, a crocodile and finally a lion and a leopard closer.
Late in the afternoon we went to the campsite, which lay in the middle of the Serengeti. Here our tents were ready. This was very different from the camp. Snug in the tent. Our cook had again prepared a delicious meal, and then we went to sleep quickly. Our alarm clock the next day was already at 5 am. At night we had a visit from a Buffalo, who stood next to our tent. You don't see that often.
It was very special to see the sunrise the next morning in the Serengeti. Even today we have seen many new animals: cranes, secretary birds, pumba's (boars) and Dik-dik (small deer). As icing on the cake of that last morning in the Serengeti, we even found two cheetahs! These animals are very rare to see, and now there were two. What an extraordinary animals!
At the end of the morning we had a little lunch and breakfast at the camp and we drove back to Ngorongoro. This was quite a bit, so when we arrived at the campsite, we stayed there. Also this campsite again was very nice. It was a piece of green grass with large trees on a mountain overlooking the crater below. When we arrived we had visitors right away; zebras on the campsite! That was very nice. We all had to get used to the temperature in Ngorongoro. Here it was many times colder than in Tarangire and Serengeti. We showered (freezing!) and the rest of the day ate with four layers of clothes and a blanket around us. What a cold! Luckily we had a thick sleeping bag during the night.
Our last day of the safari. We only had a male lion and a rhinoceros standing on our list. And yes, have also seen these animals. From the distance, a rhino (one of the 15 remaining black rhinos in Ngorongoro). Yes the big five is spotted! A little further there lay 3 male and three female lions. In the middle of this group lay in a ditch a dead buffalo! They had clearly only just found it and only ate half of it. Now they lay dozing all six, tired of hunting. From a distance hyenas were leering to the carcass and also a group of jackals were just walking around that group of lions. What a special sight, this is real nature.
It was a fantastic experience! Thanks Elly, Patrick and Shemeji Safaris & Tours. It was great!