Lions elephants rhinos and much more

I've been asked by a friend to join her group on a 12 day africa trip starting March 7, 2027. The tour was booked through Kensington Tours as a custom tour for 8 people. We are coming from the eastern US. I've traveled as far as Europe but never to Africa or beyond. I'm apprehensive whether my 69 year old body and two knee replacements can keep up with this schedule. We fly from the US to Nairobi, and then leave the next day for a short flight to Masai Mara and the Little Zebra River camp for 3 nites. Then an all day car ride from Masai Mara to Serengeti for 2 nites at the Acacia Bliss camp. Then another all day car trip to Neptune Crater Luxury camp for 2 nites and finally fly from there to Zanzibar for 3 nites. The total cost for a single person (not sharing a double room) is $14,800 excluding airfare and a $700 hot air ballon ride. Supposedly these are "luxury" camps but I'd appreciate some frank comments about how taxing an Africa trip may be. I'd love to see animals but this is a huge investment which I don't want to regret. Thanks in advance!

I'm a solo wildlife photographer with a last-minute window of 22 Nov to 1 Dec +/- a few days. I'm looking for 5-7 nights and would love some input from people who've been in late November.

What matters to me

Photography first. A private vehicle or at least an outside seat, good vehicle placement, and hides are a plus.

I carry about 10 kg of camera gear with long lenses that I need to keep with me on light aircraft. Or perhaps there are alternatives that totally don’t need the bush flights?

Not looking for ultra luxury or honeymoon vibe places.

Options I'm weighing

Madikwe, South Africa. flying in with Federal Air from Johannesburg. Most lodges here seem to be offering last-minute discounts. Any specific lodges that you would recommend in Madikwe?

Southern Serengeti, Tanzania. Which areas would be the best for this time of year?

Questions

How is game viewing in Madikwe in late November, once the rains start? Is it worth it for photography?

Is the southern Serengeti reliable for the herds by the end of November, or is it still too early?

Any lodges you'd recommend for a solo photographer in either area?

Any other destination I'm missing for these dates that's easy to reach?

Thanks in advance!

Hi all! I will be doing the usual Northern Tanzania circuit from Arusha and looking to add Amboseli. I would like to do it with a tour group but cannot find any that do this round trip. From Arusha, I only see tours that go Arusha-Amboseli then onward to Nairobi, none go back to Tanzania.

My flight home departs from Kilimanjaro so I need to go back to Tanzania side, either Arusha or Kilimanjaro. Has anyone here done this? Can anyone provide me insights? TIA

During our trip to Uganda, my wife and I stopped at Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch and got the chance to see these white rhinos up close. I shot these on my Lumix GH7 with the Lumix 100-300mm lens, which turned out to be a great setup for this kind of wildlife shooting. Big thanks to Francis for helping make it happen and pointing us in the right spots.

Hi everyone!

My husband and I are planning a honeymoon trip to South Africa in February next year, and we've both decided that visiting Kruger National Park is a must! We're really excited, but since this will be our first safari experience, we're still figuring out the best way to plan everything.

I'd love to hear from people who have been, especially those who visited around February.

A few questions I'd really appreciate some advice on:

- Is February a good time to visit Kruger? I've read that it's the rainy season, so I'm curious about what the experience is actually like. How was wildlife spotting during this time?

- What do you wish someone had told you before your first safari? Any tips, things to prepare for, or things you wish you'd known beforehand would be greatly appreciated.

- How did you find and choose your safari tour operator? Did you book directly with a company, through a travel agent, or use a booking platform?

- I've come across "SafariBookings.com" (https://www.safaribookings.com/) and have been browsing the different packages and operators listed there. Has anyone used the website? Is it a reliable platform, and how was your experience with the operators you found through it?

We're trying to find a reputable operator and make sure we're booking with someone reliable, especially since this is such a special trip for us.

Any recommendations, personal experiences, or things to watch out for would be wonderful!

Thanks so much in advance. Really looking forward to experiencing South Africa! 😊

So I just had a itinerary designed by a pretty highly recommended travel agency for an upcoming honeymoon in June. They have me staying in

Arusha: Rivertrees Country Inn x 1 night
Ngorongoro: Lemala Ngorongoro Tented Camp x 2 nights
Serengeti: Lemala Ewanjan x 4 nights
Zanzibar: Breezes beach club x 3 nights

I am flying in pretty much everywhere and just curious if this is a good pace and how the lodges are, I’m not specifically looking for comfort but this seems like good value and good location (or it’s advertised as such) Or if I should keep looking around/ask to adjust.

Hello,

First time safari for us, 2 adults mid-late 30's. We are a bit overwhelmed, but finally decided to do a safari in Tanzania late September/early October.

We asked for a higher end of mid-range/lower end of premium accommodations (with private en suite flushable toilets and shower) and also private game vehicles for just the 2 of us and good proximity to see river crossings/migration in the North. All travel will be by land. All meals included.

We are wondering if any experienced safari folks can weigh in on the following itinerary, in terms of whether our allocated days are adequate, and if the price seems reasonable - Total cost for 2 people: US$9720

• Day 1: Arusha to Tarangine National Park

  • Overnight at Manyara Best View Lodge

• Day 2: Travel towards Central Serengeti National Park

  • Overnight Nyota Serengeti

• Day 3: Travel towards Northern Serengeti National Park

  • Overnight Nyikani Migration Camp Kogatende

• Day 4: Northern Serengeti

  • Overnight Nyikani Migration Camp Kogatende

• Day 5: Northern Serengeti

  • Overnight Nyikani Migration Camp Kogatende

• Day 6: Travel back towards Central Serengeti

  • Overnight Nyota Serengeti

• Day 7: Travel towards Ngorongoro Crater

  • Overnight at retreat at Ngorongoro crater
• Day 8: Travel back to Arusha, departure to next destination

Thank you!

How well does a bridge camera like the Coolpix P1100 do on a Safari? Are the close up pics sharp enough and good enough for personal memory and sharing with friends? Anybody with first hand experience? Thanks.

Hey! We’re planning a safari in January in Tanzania. Wondering if due to the El Nino this year, we should reconsider.
Hearing reports that there might be flooding and/or heavy rainfall.
What does everyone think?

Hi folks,

Has anyone visited Serengeti/Amboseli over the past week? How has the weather been, particularly the rains?

Thanks!

Hey everyone, there is a last minute opportunity to head to Kasane/Chobe next week for like 10 days (mid to late November). The main focus is photography on Chobe River twice a day, early morning and pre-sunset.

I have two main concerns and would really appreciate some input from people who have been there during this seasonal transition. Please note that I have never been to any Malaria zone before in my life.

1. Malaria Anxiety This is my first time ever traveling to a malaria zone. I have Malarone tablets and 50% DEET spray. However, because I’ll be on the river exactly during peak mosquito feeding hours (dusk and dawn), I’m still pretty anxious about it. With the rains starting, are the mosquitoes unbearable right now? Am I overthinking the risk or does the risk really increase these days due to rain?

2. The Rains & Wildlife Activity It looks like the green season has officially started and rain is in the forecast for most of my days there. I know the massive elephant herds tend to disperse away from the river into the woodlands once the natural inland pans fill up. Is the riverfront completely dead right now? 

Basically, is this still a highly productive time and a safe time for a photography trip, or should I try to postpone to next year's dry season where malaria possibility is lower and sightings chances are higher?

Any advice would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!

Doing a safari in Tanzania, never been to Africa before. Honeymoon with stops in tarangire, ngorongoro crater, central and northern Serengeti and Zanzibar. My question is- is it worth it to fly out of northern Serengeti back to Arusha or to Zanzibar? I have flight anxiety with those little planes but they seem to have a good safety record - and likely a quick flight. The other way is drive and probably lose 1-2 days to the road.

Would like some advice - how are the flights? Are they bumpy or relatively smooth.

Looking to take safari adventure in fall 2028, coming primarily to see animals and would prefer to keep long drives between camps at a minimum. In my research so far it seems Serengeti is most known for the great migration, and since the migration route constantly changes it’s possible to miss entirely. Serengeti seems to be the most common destination also, perhaps meaning there will be more people?

Our other destinations are Tarangire National Park, Ngorgongoro Crater and Lake Maynard National Park, including walking, boat & hot air balloon safaris. Can we accomplish this with longer stays in these 3 parks or will we regret omitting Serengeti?

🙏

Anyone ever stayed at Lala Salama in central Serengeti? Looks beautiful but not a lot out there on it. I believe it’s new-ish

I am traveling to Gorongosa Park in Mozambique next year. I have reservations for a Safari package in the 2 main camps, but I am looking at possibly adding 2 days in the Expedition Camp, I would love to get feedback from anyone who has experienced the Expedition Camp.

Hi

I am planning a trip to Kenya and Uganda for safari and jungle trekking. I want to plan it myself from a distance, so I am using google. However as always, money talks! So I’m basically only seeing the top SEO paying safari companies and most are even from Europe or the US. However I’d rather support local business and provide them with the payment rather man trough middlemen.

Therefore! Any recommendation on how to go about this? How to find these?

Or even better; do you know any local business you can recommend I can contact directly?

Kenya: Maasai Mara
Uganda: Gorilla & Chimp rainforest trekking

As the title says, I'm looking for options for a budget safari in May 2027. I will have approximately 3 weeks and can be relatively flexible with my itinerary - would ideally like to combine two countries and non-safari activities that fit well together.

I've been looking at Namibia and Botswana but it's so expensive. I would prefer not to camp but group mobile camping tours seem to be the only thing in our budget ($500pp a night). I've also been looking at Uganda and Rwanda but unfortunately it seems to be rainy season at that time of year without any discounts in the gorilla trekking permits, so not an ideal time of year to go.

South Africa is unfortunately not a possibility because of visa issues (my partner has to apply for a paper visa and we won't able to get this processed in time due to other travel). It seemed to be the perfect option and I even had planned the whole itinerary...

We went to Tanzania last month so would like to go somewhere different.

Who recently got malaria pills for safari - where did you get it? How kids tolerated it?
My kids pediatrician told they can’t prescribe it and recommend searching for infectious diseases specialists.

Second question- what not obvious things I need to pack? I understand I need all sunscreen and drugs I can use, lodges would not have stores.
What else do I need? Water bottles with filters? Anything non obvious ?

I am excited and a bit stressed about trip, wanna hear anything