Africa was amazing. We went to see the wildlife, and there was plenty of that. Only saw one rhino and one leopard. Missed out on the flamingoes as they had migrated further north.
The best part, the Masai Mara (Kenya) and the Serengeti (Tanzania), which are really the same park, just with a border through it. The animals migrate between these parks each year. They were in open grass land, so it was easy to see the animals, and we got to within metres of them.
We did a day trip to Chobe, in Botswana, the wild life from the boat trip was amazing, especially the elephant families.
In Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, we went rhino hunting in Rhodes Matapos National Park. Walked around the park in single file behind the "rhino hunter". But did not find any rhinos. A nice day out, and we saw assorted wildlife.
At Antelope Park, near Gweru in Zimbabwe, the walk with the lion cubs was something we will never forget. We could pat them, even walk behind them holding their tails. These lion cubs were raising money for the lion breeding program there, which hopes to eventually return lions to the wild'
Kruger, however was a disappointment, partly because we only had one night there, and partly because we were on the truck, which was only allowed on bitumen roads.
The beaches were also great, and all had white sand. Zanzibar, Vilanculos and Inhambane (Tanzania and Mozambique) gave us some well deserved rest days. At Lake Malawi, swimming in fresh water was also fantastic. The lake is like an ocean.
We enjoyed our adventure activities, ballooning over the Masai Mara was fantastic, even though at $500 each it hurt the budget. The microlyte flying over Victoria Falls and swimming at the top of the falls was excellent. The elephant ride at Antelope Park was very uncomfortable though. Sunset cruises are always pleasant. The snorkelling was probably the most disappointing of the activities we did, but mainly because we have been spoilt by other parts of the world. On each snorkelling day, the sea was rough, and the currents strong, which limited the visibility. Still had nice outings though.
The camping trip(Kumka AF19) was an easy way to see lots of Africa with no hassles. Food was good, our tent was cozy and we had good air mattresses. We stayed in camp sites in beautiful locations, often out of town, so did not mingle much with the locals. Most campsites had a bar, and often a restaurant as well. They were all fenced, with guards on the gates. And the pace was quite relaxed. Like all tours, you didn't get to stop where you wanted, and we drove past many excellent photo opportunities.
We also enjoyed the last few days on our own, with the freedom to do exactly what we wanted to.
If you are considering an African holiday, go!! It was fantastic.
