Karen and I recently completed our first trip to Africa, encompassing safari camps in South Africa, Tanzania, and Kenya. In a word, it was MAGIC! We hope that everyone has a chance to visit these beautiful, wild countries someday. If you’re the least bit adventuresome, and don’t mind traveling on your own, then we encourage you to do so.
However, if traveling in groups is more comfortable, then don’t let that stop you. We saw groups from Abercrombie & Kent, and Tauck, but to us, it seemed like they were always waiting around for others in their group before doing anything. When your time on safari is limited in a beautiful place like Africa, why not maximize your time? We were often the only 2 people in the safari vehicle, while we saw many others filled to capacity with 8-10 guests. This limits getting an unobstructed photo, or just viewing the wildlife.
Our safari adventures started in South Africa at Sabi Sands Reserve, which is adjacent to the famous Kruger National Park. Wildlife can roam freely between these 2 areas, but safari vehicle access to the Reserve is limited to only those from a lodge/camp located in the Reserve. Ours was Simbambili, which we highly recommend.
In spite of our travel advisor advising against including east Africa in our plans, we were adamant about the possibility of viewing and photographing the Great Migration in Kenya or Tanzania, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. East Africa is indeed a good ways from South Africa…a 4 hour non-stop flight from Johannesburg to Nairobi, Kenya! Our first camp for 3 nights was “And Beyond…Kichwa Tembo,” in the heart of the Masai Mara Conservation, and complete with its own airstrip. Here, we saw thousands of Wildebeests that may have been the last part of the Great Migration, where they end their northward journey to greener grazing, and start turning back south. While we witnessed a small Mara river crossing here, there was more in store for us at our next stop, the famous Serengeti!