So I’m a bit biased here, but I think safaris are the best vacation. They work for couples, old and young. Families with kids of most ages. Multi-generational trips? You bet. Boredom? Nope. Every day is different. And you never know what that day will bring.
Safaris get you out in nature. Yes, you will see some amazing animals, but you will also be out in the open: either in the rainforests of Madagascar or driving across the Serengeti plains, or skimming the water of the Okavango Delta. If you like nature, you’ll love going on safari.
And yes, the animals can be amazing. And not just the big cats and the high profile game like elephants and giraffes. I’m not a birder, but seeing some of the amazing bird life along the way can be breathtaking. You won’t find many of these species at your backyard feeder.
And I love searching out and finding the smaller animals as well. Mongoose, civets, duikers, lizards, pangolins. They don’t have to be cute to be fascinating. The safari landscape is big and foreboding, but small creatures find a way to survive (at least temporarily) and can sometimes pop up quite close to you.
And the landscapes are mind-boggling. The Great Rift Valley is a massive geological formation running from Ethiopia to Mozambique. It has created some striking vistas in East Africa. The Zambezi River and Victoria Falls create an awe-inspiring site as “The Smoke that Thunders” crashes down into the Batonka Gorge. The Namib Desert with its massive dunes rolls right up to the ocean. Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi are massive, water-filled fissures (thanks to that Great Rift Valley geology pulling and pushing land masses) that are teeming with life.
Africa has mountains like Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru, as well as Mount Mulanje down in Malawi. And the lush green Blyde Canyon’s beauty in South Africa is rivaled by the massive and dusty Fish River Canyon in Namibia.
So hiking, mountaineering, zip-lining, white water rafting, swimming, fishing, boating, and canoeing are all possible activities you can mix in while on safari. That’s right, you can do more than just stare at animals if you want.
And then … and then there’s the sun.
You’ll be able to see plenty of sunrises while on safari, as most game drives start early so rousting you out of bed is important. And they are gorgeous and welcomed each day, but for me, it’s the sunsets. It’s like the sun knows you are out on safari and wants to give you a little something extra as the day winds down. The sparkle of the last rays on the river as you meander along on your sundowner cruise. The warm glow lighting up streaks in the sky in the plains over the Kalahari Desert. Or that silhouetted giraffe looking out over the scrubland with the sun backlighting her for a few brief moments before nightfall.
Adventure Life is always an excellent choice when planning complicated, extreme, or exotic vacations or expeditions. They provide friendly professional services and advice and are enthusiastic and encouraging in helping us to prepare and thoroughly enjoy our trip. They handle all the details which greatly reduces the stress of planning a difficult trip. I'm very impressed with Adventure Life and definitely recommend them to friends and family.
Scott Trochim
2 days ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
4 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
5 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
