AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very Accommodating
It was perfect from the get go, and very flexible. Pleasure to deal with, and out right professional guys.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wilderness at it´s best - a very knoledgeable and caring guide - and 15,000 hectars exclusively!
Shaun Taylor has developed a very special and unforgettable safari experience - beyond all expectations: Two to eight people stay exclusively in a very charming private home in the Klaserie Reserve (adjacent to Kruger Park), directly on the rocky banks of the Klaserie River. Nyeleti Camp consists of four round hats with thatched roof and central building, all this in a beautiful garden with pool and fire place overlooking the river. This Paradise is located only 1 1/2 hours driving from Hoedspruit (Eastgate) Airport - safari drive almost from the aiport gate on.
Shaun and Andres, his Shangan tracker, provide very instructive and fascinating game drives and nature walks - and their guest do not have to share the animal sightings with other cars!!! Actually, during our stay, five days this time, we have not seen more than three or four cars all together.
We have not missed the - sometimes quite noisy - radio communication between a number of safari cars, which in some lodges reminds of a taxi company in a big city - but this exclusivity and tranquility here implies some tracking and a little bit of patience. Even though, we had wonderful encounters with elephants, rhinos, lions at night, a big leopard, hyenas, buffalos, kudus, a lot of bird species ...nothing to be missed. Two activities per day are included, but spontanous extra activites like setting out camera traps sometimes could tempt even an experienced safari-addict.
Back in the lodge, Lindsey cares for Shaun´s guests, Lindsey has learned her profession in some very well reputated star-restaurants, and her cooking is outstanding, fromn a tender kudu filet melting in the mouth to a vegetarian cousine which could convert the most convinced meat eater.
I would recommand this special Klaserie experience to groups of four to eight people, we have been two couples, and we had a great time. Shaun outcompetes even the most luxury lodges and thi at a very fair price.
This was our second trip with Shaun, and it will defenitively not be our last one.
FI
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A trip to recall
We did the trip to Maasai Mara and Nakuru back in 2013 and I still remember it like it was yesterday. The Company was very dependable and took care of us with professional character. We had the privilage to get to know the real Kenyan way of living with low budget and safe setting.
If you are looking for the real deal without any hasle, choose them!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Experience! Highly Recommended!
Bubezi Safaris is a class A safari tour operator. Andy was our safari guide and I must say he exceeded my safari expectations. Andy is extremely knowledgeable of everything "the bush" has to offer. He took the time to answer our questions and moved at the pace of the clients. Not to mention he knows how to communicate with the animals! In the 4 day tour that we had, Andy strategically brought us to new areas of the park each day. He made sure we were comfortable throughout the day and would stop the vehicle at any moment to snap a photo. I know if I return back to Kruger, I will be using Bubezi Safaris without hesitation. Bubezi really knows how to cook up a proper Braai! Unbelievable experience. A+++.
Honeymoon w Safari Infinity
My wife and I decided to do our honeymoon in Tanzania and went with Safari Infinity after interviewing a number of Tanzania-based tour operators. They weren't the cheapest option, but they provided by far the best customer service. Lucia is the main person you will communicate with and she is very organized and responsive. If you have a question about your itinerary (and I had dozens and dozens) she will usually reply within a few hours, regardless of the time of day. Because it was our first safari, I was really clueless about the itinerary, lodging options, etc. and Lucia walked me through all of the details over the course of a few weeks. If you care about the details but don't know much about Safaris, you won't have a better partner to help you out than Lucia.
The safari itself was amazing, although I'm sure most people do have amazing safaris, regardless of the company they travel with. Our guide Kelly was a local guide who knew a ton about all the animals. He often took us off the beaten path so we weren't stuck with too many other cars. He was very friendly and we had a great time with him over the course of 8 days. The only thing we could complain about is that we didn't get to see a cheetah, but apparently it was the wrong season to see those cats. Honestly, the trip was amazing and I was sad on the last day to be flying out. We hope to be back on safari again in the near future.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience!
My two friends and I went on a 3-day Safari with Andy and Bubezi Safaris and we had a wonderful time. Andy is friendly, good humored and very knowledgable/passionate about wildlife. He's also very attentive to detail and goes out of his way to makes sure you are always taken care of from beginning to end.
We'd definitely recommend Andy and Bubezi to anyone considering a safari at Kruger!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An excellent safari experience
Sunny Safaris organized an excellent 4 day safari touring us through 3 different parks and conservation areas. Jessica replied promptly to deal with our questions and concerns. We were fortunate to have Abdul as our guide as he was knowledgeable and experienced. I would highly recommend using Sunny Safaris to anyone planning a safari.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve by Caroline
This is a wonderful park that I visit often. I always stay in park accommodation and although the camps vary in quality (love Nselweni) being in the park is the best. The tar roads are pretty bad with potholes but they are presently repairing them. The other roads are fine. The game viewing is generally good and I enjoy being able to use my own vehicle.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
This is an exceptional large South African Park to take at your own pace.
Spending a week in Kruger National Park earlier this year, having last visited as a child, was an awesome experience. The park is large so at no time is there a "canned" experience. As we used our own vehicle we were able to go at our own pace. I am a keen photographer so the ability to shoot from your own car (with a bean bag) is pleasure as being on the back of a truck can bring its own challenges. Less then two minutes into the park we saw lion! However, just being in a typical South Africa bush brings me joy and Kruger Park delivered this same experience whether the more unusual animals were around or not. We had fantastic beautiful, still, warm weather and spent every day and evening in shorts. We stayed at Lower Sabi in the tented accommodations and then in chalets at Berg en Dal. The tented accommodation (wooden structures with canvas sides) at Lower Sabi is on the river and couldn't have been more beautifully situated. The only small complaint was that neither of the camps were well equipped but that was a small price to pay. Baboons tore their way into our tent at Lower Sabi when we were out one day and the staff immediately apologised and cleared the huge mess they had made. The staff couldn't have been more accommodating in this regard and the camp does its best to keep baboons away. One of the things that makes the park so good is that the roads follow the river as much as they can, allowing good viewing.
TW
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A spectacular alternative to the crowded northern circuit and certainly worth a trip of its own.
Ruaha is my favorite Tanzanian national park due to its fairly remote location and the spectacular landscape. An incredible variety of wildlife and some very well-trained outfits operating there. Ruaha's remote location and massive area, two of the things that are most attractive, are also its main vulnerabilities. I had made many visits to the park when I lived in the area from 2005-2008 and was concerned when I returned earlier this year because of all of the accelerated poaching that's gone on in the area over the last several years. Ruaha's remote location and massive area, two of the things that are most attractive, are also its main vulnerabilities. The quality of safaris for guests however, remains mostly unchanged in my opinion. Most of the game viewing tracks are in a relatively small portion of the park that is well-protected. Having heard so much about how hard the park has been hit, I was surprised at the abundance of wildlife (this is of course not to minimize the scale of the problem in Ruaha, particularly farther afield in the north and out into the WMAs and game reserves).
I've stayed at River Lodge and Mwagusi in the past (only River Lodge on this visit) and have to say that both Chris and Peter Fox run top notch operations: well maintained camps, excellent food and services, and really do a spectacular job training their guides on Ruaha-specific flora and fauna.
Two recommendations:
1. "Ruaha National Park: An Intimate View" by Sue Stolberger, is probably the best guide out there to flowers, plants, and trees of miombo woodlands, not just in Ruaha but for most of the country. It's a bit cumbersome to navigate until you get used to it, as the plants aren't grouped taxonomically, but Sue's insights and comments more than make up for this minor setback. I've seen a number of guides even up on the northern circuit using it as a reference. It is tough to get a copy of, but the main gate of the Park has copies in their storage room if you ask specifically for it. That is where I purchased a copy in May. I think it was US$45.
2. "A Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Tanzania" by Charles and Lara Foley is another excellent resource that has recently become available and can be purchased more widely. It is also easy to use in the field as well with a good index that makes looking up details a breeze.