Where in Africa is best to go on Safari?

Question

Hi from England! My father is getting old and is not too well these days. When he was a baby, the family moved from Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) to England, and he has never left British shores since.

Without meaning to sound too morbid, he is in his twilight years and doe snot think he has long left. He is starting to slow down and does not move as well as he used to, but is a member of the old school and so stubbornly refuses to show any discomfort.

He has expressed a wish to see Africa again before his time comes, and would love to go on Safari. I have agreed to go with him, as a father and son trip, and organise it, but I do not know where to begin.

Where in Africa is best for Safari? Which countries/ regions are good for spotting wildlife and which have a good history of tourism? My father does not want to stay in a hotel, he wants to camp on the land or at the very least be in one of the old hunting lodges. We are aiming on spending a fortnight (2 weeks) away, do you think this would be long enough?

Thanks for any help.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

What about Tanzania??? Amazing. We went to Rufiji River Camp in the Selous National Park last year and it was not a disappointment. It's very intimate and natural. We flew by light aircraft from Dar es Salaam to get there. It's not like some of the huge ones on the Masai Mara where it's just crawling with jeeps or the ones in South Africa where the animals are almost tame. I know I'm generalising but I'd be dissappointed if I ended up in one of these places. Of course that's a personal opinion. Some people just want to see the animals no matter what the set up is like. At Rufiji it's so peacefull. YOu stay in tents which have concrete floors and en suite facilities. There are proper beds with mosquito nets which are sprayed every night. The staff are wonderful and are so discreet as all Tanzanians seem to be. At night, because it is very dark, you are escorted back to your tent by a MAsai warrier. They are often employed as security guards as they need very little sleep and they are brave. One night an elephant was eating from the tree right beside our tent. When the elephant moved on I heard the Masai appear from where he was watching it an follow it discreetly to wherever it was going.

At Rufiji they take you out on boat safari where you see wonderful birds, loads of hippo, water buffalo (if you're lucky like we were), crocodiles etc. On land we saw the usual suspects. I don't think they have Rhino there and we didn't see leopard but in real life you're extremely lucky to see a leopard. We did see a lion though and I was so emotional when I saw it.

http://www.rufijirivercamp.com/

The guy who owns it (Luigi) has been in Tanzania since the 1970s so I'll bet your Dad would like him. He's usually proping up the bar drinking coffee and smoking. You'd never gues that he was the owner, he's cool. It's also quite a small intimate site so you can talk to other guests if you feel like it. From there we went to Zanzibar and spent a few days in Stone Town and then a week in a beach resort. Stone town is amazing. YOu could also spend a day or two in Dar es Salaam as we did. It's worth seeing and your Dad may get something fromt that part of the trip too.

We booked the whole trip through Trailfinders. They were great.

I wouldn't take him to South Africa as that couldn't be further from the old Rhodesia that he left all those years ago. I think Malawi would also be lovely as would Mozambique. They are still very authentic. Get onto Trailfinders to start with and take it from there.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thanks!

Answer 2

go to Zimbabwe were it all started im sure the political turmoil has cooled down after the deal, y not ask him whether he wants to go there bcoz its probably were he wants to go, ask him. Or u can try Kenya, the sad thing is 2 of the best safari nations in africa r involved in political violence

Answer 3

That sounds really nice.

Youu can have safaris in Kenya
Im not sure if you can camp though,
But i hope this helps!

Answer 4

Tanzania Safari

Answer 5

Hi!
I went to Africa on safari this summer - it was amazing. I visited Tanzania on safari and i also went to Zanzibar.
Tanzania is amazing for wildlife. We spent a five days on safari, which we found was plenty. We saw everything - we went about five feet away from a fully grown male lion (which then growled at us), a pride of female lions about 10 feet away.. we saw a cheetah kill on our last day. We also saw a cheetah family, we saw rhinos up close. This was all in the wild, and it was purely something i had never experienced before - probaly the best feeling in the world.
I won't bore you to explain the trip fully, but the best places that we stayed at (to give the feeling of really being in the outback, which we were) were the camps. We stayed at a place called Olduvai Camp and Ronjo camp. At Olduvai, where we were taken off roading for a day, we were getting the chance to see animals in the open that people might not have ever even seen.
The Ngorogoro crater, a crated in the ground by a volcano which blew up millions of years ago, was a good place to go to see rhinos, hyenas and wilderbeest.
The serengeti was probaly the best national park. This was where we saw everything - the lion up close, the cheetah killing, the leopard in the tree feasting on its kill. This was where we stayed at Ronjo camp. The camps are run by proper Massai warriors and people.
Then, this is where we flew out to Zanzibar from - on our own private jet! In Zanzibar, we went to various beachy places(which are known as the most ideal locations in the world), and Stone Town. Stone Town is full of history and is definitely worth the visit.
I must warn you, seeing the whole African experience doesn't come cheap. But if you are prepared to spend the money then it is DEFINITELY worth it.

:)

Source(s):

tanzania and zanzibar 08!

Answer 6

Thanks for your question,
I am glad that you are willing to make a holiday with your dad this is very kind of you,
Am kenyan and we belive that we have to take good care of our parents as they advance in age,i encourage you to make a holiday with him.
I suggest my country kenya despite of the last elections post election violence kenya has maintained peace people are friendly and hospitable very welcoming as compared to other african countries.
Kenya is beautiful landscape wildlife,culture and people there is a wide selection of "things to see and do" i work for the youth hostels,Nairobi Youth Hostel we have a travel desk,accommodation and meals budget and more so quality.
you can visit our travel site www.africahomeadventure.com
email [e-mail]
you will get all the information on any program that would suit you drop us a note and we will try to assist you in your decision.
Warm Regards,
James M Gichohi