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Get close to the animals at Nairobi National Park
Nairobi National Park is a great place to go if you want to see Kenyan animals up close - the animals are rather used to cars and therefore come closer than they do in other parks while still being wild.
You can make the experience into exactly what you want to - if you just want an escape from Nairobi for a couple of hours or if you want to bring a picknick and stay there the whole day. As with all safaris, it is best to go in the early morning or late evening to increase your chances of seeing animals. When I went, I did however go in the middle of the day and still saw plenty of animals (even lioness with cubs).
The day started out sunny but soon rain clouds gathered creating a beautifully dramatic landscape. Even though Nairobi National Park is smaller than other parks in Kenya, you can still feel like you are far off from the city at times - in some parts of the park you can get beautiful pictures of animals with the city skyline as a backdrop and in other parts you feel like you are in the middle of no where.
If in Nairobi, I would definitely recommend going to the Nairobi National Park but you should also take the opportunity and go to some of the larger parks / game reserves in Kenya. My favorite so far is Buffalo Springs but I have still to many more to visit! Something to keep in mind is that KWS (Kenya Wildlife Service) parks are much more expensive than other parks, especially for a non-resident, which is something to keep in mind when planning a trip to Kenya. But it's worth going!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A variety of wildlife in a beautiful environment
Murchison Falls National Park is a large, beautiful park in Uganda. I visited the park for my first safari and I had a wonderful experience. I saw a variety of wildlife, experienced the stunning landscape and relaxed at night at a wonderful lodge. I hired a guide to take me into the park and guide me through it which worked nicely. My favorite part of the experience was seeing the elephants. We were even chases off at one point by an elephant. The park staff are lovely, the falls at amazing, and it seemed like a very good place to experience the wonders of Ugandan wildlife.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Pilanesberg Game Reserve by crafty1tutu (Ann Cameron)
It is a much smaller park than Kruger, so the animals are more confined and easier to spot, especially if your time there is limited.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Addo Elephant National Park by crafty1tutu (Ann Cameron)
We only had about three hours there as part of a tour of the Eastern Cape, so not much time to see many animals. We did see two herds of elephants drinking at the dam which was an amazing sight to see.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A magical holiday
We have been to South Africa a few times and on three occasions have spent time in Kruger National Park. On our last trip in 2014 we booked a cottage in Marloth Park for 10 days and spent each day in Kruger driving ourselves around. We saw many and varied animals and the thrill of the day was searching out new animals. We normally travel in the cooler months as it is more pleasant and comfortable being in the car and the animals are more active. We also find that the dry foliage also makes it easier to spot the animals. Although most of the eating areas have been taken over by commercial businesses, there is no trouble finding a place to eat (it had more atmosphere before when run by smaller businesses). A lot of people may feel safer travelling with a guide, but we have always enjoyed driving ourselves around without any problems. You just have to be aware that there are wild animals about and be alert and not get too close to them, so that they feel threatened. It is a magical trip - one that everyone should strive to do at least once in a lifetime.
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Review about Kenya by Ellinor Johansson
Kenya is a beautiful country with a lot of nature! I have lived in Kenya for half a year (normally live in Sweden) and really like it here. Kenya is often portrayed as being unsafe making people reluctant to travel. As long as you follow travel recommendations, you will feel as safe in Kenya as you do elsewhere. I would definitely recommend anyone seeking a genuine African experience to come to Kenya! I'm glad I did and couldn't have wished for a better time!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about South Africa by crafty1tutu (Ann Cameron)
It is a wonderful place to visit and see different cultures and animals in the wild and not confined in cages.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely amazing safari and experience in Tanzania
I’ve just returned with two friends from Tanzania after the most amazing safari experience with African Scenic Safaris. I choose African Scenic Safaris after my sister highly recommended them to me based on a safari she did with them a few years ago.
First and foremost, our guide, John, was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely professional, always informative and accommodating to our needs, friendly and fun, excellent at spotting the animals, and importantly a great and safe driver. He really looked after us from the moment he picked us up.
Our chef, Charles, was also fabulous, providing us with outstanding delicious food every day in abundance. The quality, quantity and variety of food throughout the trip was exceptional.
We did a 5 night 6 day trip which felt like the perfect length. We spent 5 days with the animals and the final day with the bushmen up at Lake Eyasi. We got to see the big 5 up close and learnt so much about the animals from our guide John whilst observing them. Amanda was so helpful with organising everything with us, as we were changing dates, deciding itinerary, and changing numbers of those going etc. She helped us with organising accommodation around the safari also.
I was highly impressed with everything with the trip from start to finish, from ease of organisation, the quality of the jeep and tent, the high standard, volume and tastiness of all the food to the professionalism and craic of our guide.
It was a truly amazing experience that I will never forget, and hope I will get to experience again in the future.
Geraldine
Ireland
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful safari experience
We recently completed a 5 day safari with Open Africa, and it was a truly memorable experience. As other reviewers have mentioned, Anton is a great guide who has a deep knowledge of the land and wildlife, and worked tirelessly to ensure we saw everything we wanted to see (big 5 checked off!). He is experienced, friendly, and just the person you want to lead you on safari. A gorgeous sunrise with giraffes in the foreground, having breakfast amidst the incredible migrating wildebeest herd, and watching lion cubs playing in the sun were just some of the highlights of our trip. We also had guide-in-training Sam along with us, and getting to know the 2 guides and hearing their stories were highlights in themselves. Above all of that, John is extremely responsive to emails and communicated closely with us from the moment we inquired about the safari, all the way to after the trip. While we experienced one or two logistics issues while on the trip, John was quick to help resolve them afterwards in a professional manner. (Make sure to double-confirm the flights and itinerary before hand!) I would recommend Open Africa to anyone who wishes to visit Tanzania for a magical experience.