A stunning introduction to Africa
This was my first trip to southern Africa after years of journeying around South America, North America, Europe and Asia. I was looking for a unique experience that would encompass affordability, adventure, wildlife, scenic beauty and a uniquely African experience . Zambia seemed to fit the bill and fulfilled my expectations. I chose to go during the green season when crowds were lower. Although animals were not as easy to view in parks such as Kafue, the birding made up for it. My itinerary went from Victoria Falls, with a side trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana, to the Lower Zambezi River for 2 days of canoeing and finally to South Luangwa. I was impressed with the professionalism of the guides, especially on the Lower Zambezi River and in South Luangua National Park. I had many highlights on this trip, but I would choose the Microlight flight over Victoria Falls , the canoeing trip on the Zambezi River and my time in South Luangwa National Park. The canoeing offered me close proximity to hippos, elephants and the peaceful tranquility of camping on the Lower Zambezi River. South Luangwa gave me all the cat sightings I was hoping for. The birding was simply incredible, rivaling the animal sightings. As a modest traveler, the lodging was to my liking, mostly in tents. Marula Lodge, outside of South Luangwa National Park, was very welcoming. I loved camping next to the river and the outdoor showers. The restaurant had tasty food and guiding was exceptionally professional. The country is very scenic, especially along the rivers. Big sky unsets were very memorable. I guess that if I were to alter anything on the itinerary during the green season, it would have be increased time on the Zabesi River and at South Luangwa National park at the expense of Kafue National Park. Although I felt like Kafue National Park to myself, the grass was too high for wildlife viewing during green season. Overall the trip was terrific and made for a satisfying 1st experience in Africa. Finally, I would like to thank Denver of Denssafari for organizing a superb itinerary at an affordable price. I look forward to my return to the region in the next year or two.
BE
Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about South Africa by HHM
Excellent natural parks, great landscape, good infrastructure to support tourism, relatively well connected, reasonable prices and wide range of options for hotels and restaurants.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Tanzania by Katie
Accommodating and friendly locals, amazing sights, easy flights and tour booking.
BE
Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Kruger National Park by HHM
A large natural park, with rich wildlife, excellent infrastructure
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Chimpanzees - Up close and personal
My trip to Gombe National Park was a dream come true and even then, exceeded my expectations. A longtime fan of Jane Goodall's work, I was overjoyed to be in the very park where she and many others worked and lived with the Chimpanzee community. The luxury tented camp at the park is just that - a luxury with running water, toilet and shower as well as a full bed and couch all on a raised platform right off Lake Tanganyika's beach. My park guide was very knowledgeable about the Chimpanzees but also about other local fauna and flora, including traditionally used and medicinal plants that abound in Gombe forest. Two well-experienced chimp trackers worked over radio to locate the troops for viewing and I was lucky enough to spend time with two separate chimp families. One curious chimp came quite close! The experience of Gombe is unforgettable and well worth the trip.
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
The safari experience was unbelievable. Stephen made the communication really easy from the beginning and even after the trip he was helping us all the time.
I would recommend this company to everyone heading to Africa.
Thanks a lot agsin for the good service
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mmilo tours was very accommodating, professional and fun! The whole Safari experience was amazing
everything went smoothly and the itinerary was followed perfectly
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Experience
My wife and I have nothing but praise for James and his team. They did absolutely everything that they could to make our time in Kenya memorable and comfortable. Excluding travel time, we were with the team for 14 days and we enjoyed every day! The accommodations that they booked for us were top-notch; clean, comfortable with good food and service. Our drivers (Dan & John) were more like friends that we had known for years than tour guides that we had just met. We cannot thank them enough for their willingness to do everything that they could to ensure that we saw and did everything that we wished to.
Our group from Canada was divided into two vehicles while on the "game drives" in the Masai Mara preserve and both drivers (John and Evans) did phenomenal work to make sure that we saw all the animals on our wish lists (the two leopards were particularly spectacular) and they were very knowledgeable.
I would like to list all the sights that they made available to us but it's too long...highlights only: Bike ride through Hell's Gate National Park, two nights and boat ride on Lake Naivasha, hike at the Menengai Crater, visit to Ol Pejeta Animal Conservancy and, of course, game drives in the Masai Mara.
Many thanks to James, Joan, Evans, Dan and John!
I've reviewed a lot of places on TripAdvisor and have never given a 5-star rating for anything; this trip was deserving.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My first time on a Safari and my family and I had a wonderful experience with sana Safaris.
We all had a good time. The tour met my expectation. The staff at the Mara Sopa was wonderful and very friendly and I hope they continue their good work. That is a place I would visit again. The food was awesome and the food presentation was good. The tour driver was knowledgeable and communicated very well. Such an awesome tour guide. Wonderful experience.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
3 Days Gombe Stream Safari
After trying to arrange travel on my own to Gombe Stream, I am so glad that I decided to work with Gombe Track for what turned out to be a once in a lifetime trip to the Reserve for chimpanzee viewing. Here are a few of what I found to be the biggest challenges to arranging my own travel: 1) there is one flight to Kigoma every Sun, Mon, Weds and Fri only, 2) Gombe is accessible by boat only and catching a public boat or hiring your own on the spot is not guaranteed, 3) you may only visit Gombe on a 24 hour maximum permit. Joshua with Gombe Track was responsive in multiple e-mail communications about the 3 day itinerary. I was all set to travel to Gombe followed by another safari elsewhere in Tanzania when Joshua let me know that the flight times had changed. Fortunately, although I lost some money, I was able to re-book my subsequent flight and shift my subsequent safari schedule one day ahead. Despite this uncontrollable change in flights, my experiences with Gombe Track Safari were excellent. All the drivers provided were on time to meet me at the hotel and airport. James (driver) was especially helpful in explaining local sites and culture. Hotel accommodations in Kigoma included a private room with bathroom. Hotel staff, however, did not seem to be aware of my affiliation with Gombe Track Safari and tried to charge me for diner that was actually included with the safari package. The boat booked for transport to Gombe Stream was on time, well equipped with new safety equipment, and the captain (Baraka) well experienced with the route and lake conditions. The safari chef, Amos, was very accommodating and prepared more food than I could eat, including fresh caught lake fish. The “Luxury Tented Camp” in Gombe Reserve was by far the nicest platform tent accommodation I have even seen. It was fully equipped with a shower, toilet, and large bed! The park guides are very experienced and mine worked with two trackers to locate a large Chimp troops, which I was lucky enough to watch for quite some time. Although Gombe is off the beaten tourist track, it is worth a visit for anyone interested in Jane Goodall’s work or the Lake Tanganyika area.