Having spent some time in Kenya last year I've really caught the "Africa bug" dunno what it is but it gets under your skin. I spend so much time re-living that trip and planning future trips.
So I want to hear who else has been, what are your stories and experiences? Must sees and places to avoid?
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My sister has booked for Botswana & Namibia departing May, trip involves some camping - she’s 75!
Interestingly she’s been put off Kenya by reports of over commercialisation, 70 land rovers following a cheetah.
Mara definitely felt like you were interfering at times, there was one point we were following a pride of lions stalking a herd of Buffalo but there were so many cars it gave away their position and prevented them maneuvering properly so they didn't get a kill. Everywhere else we had some amazing intimate moments where it was just us and the animals. You could go a while without seeing another car up close, if something big was happening then you might get 15 - 20 cars but nothing like the numbers omin Mara. But Mara is the best for big cats, by some distance.
It was also the only place our guide was willing to break the rules as he knew the rangers would take a bribe. Everywhere else he was a sticker for the rules as he was worried they would take his license. When the guides know that it led to a culture of pushing the rules and each driver was pushing slightly further than the one before.
Can also depend on your guide, our first guide was amazing, he read the animals behaviour and would use that to find interesting things. He could tell when a herd of impala were looking nervous and would go in that direction to find what predator they were worried about. He saw some jackals acting strange and there they were trying to seal a cheetahs kill. We met up with some friends later in the trip and had a new guide, he relied more on the radio to hear what was happening so by definition that meant we were around other cars much more.
Lamu / Manda - really laid back, beach, boats, seafood, step back in time.
S Africa / Cape Town is fab and fantastic wineries there and further along Garden Route - Robertson Valley a bit of a hidden gem.
Namibia is out of this world - I love deserts and the contrast of the orange sand and deep blue sky is seared in my memory. We did a balloon trip over the Namib Desert at sunrise which was spectacular. It’s v v empty - we did self drive and it’s a real adventure.
If anyone is contemplating a trip to any of the above, and especially Kenya, feel free to DM, and I’ll help if I can.
Like you, fancy Tanzania and Zanzibar (and Botswana).
Been to SA a couple of times. Once with pals and did Cape Town and drove to Durban and did hluhluwe imfolozi game reserve which was decent. Went darn to Margate as well
Went with the missus to Cape Town incl Camps Bay and then Stellenbosch for a few days (wedding). Stellenbosch is great (assuming you like vino).
Can do other trips from Cape Town to Boulder Beach (penguins) and down to the cape.
We also went to Sun City which is probably what you’d expect but went on a couple of good safaris in Pilanasberg reserve which were v good.
Love SA. If you can get to see some cricket, even better!
https://africatravelresource.com/
They were superb. Tailored our trip for us at our budget.
We visited the Ngorogoron crater for a day where you could see rhino, lion etc but driving on roads and quite busy so had a bit of a safari park feel; then went to Ndutu for the longest part (our highlight) where you could drive over the savannah, no roads, wherever you preferred and hence get more up close and personal with the animals and it was quiet (people wise). We spent a couple of hours watching a cheetah and her cubs tuck into a gazelle and also watched a pride of lions getting frisky right in front of us with no once else around. Plus ate lunch in a field of wilder beast with eagles and vulchers in the trees around; amongst many many other favourites.
Obviously spent a night in Serengeti but apart from a long distance leopard in a tree it was less populated with animals (which the tour group had warned us, saying at that time of yr the migration isn't there so we just stayed the one night). It was an unforgettable holiday. Then spent 5 nights in Zanzibar which if I am honest wasn't for me but then I am not a beach fan.
Some pictures of mine from the trip..
Wilderness, Nature's Valley and DeHoop my favs. DeHoop had sand dunes the height of 5-6 storey buildings with zebra and bok in the grass behind and whales in the sea in front. We watched a pod of dolphins and whales from the top of the hills by Nature's Valley and baboons coming out to the beach. It was magical.
Oudtshoorn we hired bikes from a youth hostel who took us to the top of a pass and we cycled downhill for the day stopping in caves and ostrich farms.
Picnicking at Bocshendal in Stellenbosch was a lovely bit of luxury. Just an amazing holiday.
Botswana is near the top of my bucket list but with 2 kids and the price of the place I am not sure I will ever make it
Gorilla tour is a must. So is the genocide monument/museum for different reasons.
It’s a brilliant place to visit from the Masai Mara to the Ngorongoro crater and everything in between. We saw four of the big five in a relatively short period and then had to wait nearly 10 days to see a Leopard near the crater, that had just killed a Dikdik and was dragging it up into a tree to keep away from the hyenas.
Had some great photos, which I’ve now unfortunately lost.
Namibia is still on my bucket list.
Went on self-drive in Namibia in 2008 - our best ever holiday. You MUST have a 4-wheel drive though, despite being told otherwise. We got stuck in a river bed and had to be towed out by the next passing tourists (who thankfully came by 90 minutes later!). We changed cars after that. The Skeleton coast is amazing; Dead Vlei unreal; and then there's the wildlife...up close with lions, cheetahs, rhinos, snakes, giraffes, zebras, warthogs and many different bird types. The only thing we missed was elephants (who had gone up to the mountains as one was having a baby!). Amazing trip booked through ExpertAfrica.
SA has it all, but of course other places are less developed and less westernised
So glad it worked out that way as Kenya was amazing. We stayed 3 weeks in a hotel in Malindi, north of Mombasa. Did safaris to Tsavo and Amboselli and spent a night at Voi Lodge, which was incredible.
Never to be forgotten memories.
Now planning on Rwanda to see the Gorrillas and Zambia to finally take the plunge into the Devils pool at Victoria Falls (didn’t have time when I was there). And I’m sure there are other places I will also consider when I get around to finalising another trip to Africa.