I thought every single day was the best day of my life... Until the next day came along and overtook it, and then the next day and the next...
The Okavango Delta is pure magic. Easily the best place to see wildlife in Africa (and I have been to most of them on Contiki's). Its remote, there are barely any other tourists on safari out there and it felt like we were truly in Africa, experiencing it for how it should be and not a tourist destination to see wildlife. The camping set up there is awesome, you arrive and everything is set up from your tents and bedding, to a fire place to sit around at night, to a dining tent and chill tent on the river to watch elephants come downt to drink in the middle of the day - right in front of us! On the Game Drives we saw lions and even Wild Dogs (Painted Wolf) pups as well as the adults on the hunt. The safari vehicles had fridges to keep the beers cold, charge ports for our phones and a roof to climb on to watch the sunset over the Delta's waterways while lions were calling in the distance.
The Meerkats at the salt pans were amazing to see go about their day without even giving us a glance as we got close for photos and the sunset on the pans where you can see the horizon 360 degrees around you was extra special.
And Chobe was out of this world... That sunset on the river when everyone had left the park but we stayed in it at Contiki Special Campsite, plus the leopard in the tree... Goosebumps...
And I nearly forgot the adrendline and pure adventure of Victoria Falls. Bungeeing, rafting, heli flights, walking safaris... It has everything to get the heart racing but also some activity from sitting on safari vehicles. I guess some of the activities are pricey, but I felt super safe doing everything and would always rather pay a higher price for safety on the adventurous activities. I'd reccomend them all! The accommodation here felt so fancy with swimming pool, the spray of the falls in the distance, elephants drinking at the waterhole in front and out the back you could safely walk into town to do some shopping or exploring...
A trip I could VERY easily do again and again. Every safari drive is different with varying chances of seeing different animals doing different things (drinking/eating/hunting/playing with babies etc etc). Every drive felt special and unique...
The Africa bug has bitten me hard - I cant wait to go back
Natural landmarks sightseeing
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Camping, Hotel, Lodge, Tent
Age Range
18-35 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Victoria Falls, Maun, Chobe Nati
Victoria Falls, Maun, Chobe National Park, Makgadikgadi Pans, Okavango Delta
Our Culture and Wildlife of Madagascar tour was terrific. We thoroughly enjoyed our day and night walks to see lemurs, chameleons and more. We also experienced many aspects of the local culture, and we especially enjoyed the coastal lakes area of the Pangalanes, a tropical paradise. Our guide was informative and keen, and our accomodation was very comfortable.
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Perfect mix of Safari, beaches, adventure and adrenaline. The knowledge and of the trip manager and all the safari guides was exceptional and their passion and love for Africa was contagious.
AdventureNational parks
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Camping, Guest House, Tent
Age Range
18-35 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Chobe
Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park, Kruger National Park, Johannesburg, Kasane
This is an outstanding tour that involves significant road travel, superb landscapes and wildlife sightings together with excellent accommodation. Our guide (Nonki) is a lovely lady who treated us very well while maintaining the schedule appropriately.
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Lodge, Sleeper Bus
Age Range
18-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Kasane, Victoria Falls, Chobe Ri
Kasane, Victoria Falls, Chobe River, Nata, Moremi, Maun, Okavango Delta, Caprivi Strip, Chobe National Park
A group of 4 climbers from India, along with 3 friends from the UK, completed an arduous climb via the 7-day Machame Route with Aardvark Expeditions, and they exceeded our every expectation along the way.
The first impression we had of Aardvark Expeditions (Philemon Joel) was one of speed in responding to our requests, providing clear directions, and making truthful declarations about what to expect when we booked. Booking our climb was made easy due to the assistance provided by the sales team.
During the actual climb, the guiding team of Bariki and Jonathan performed exceptionally well. They were vigilant in their monitoring of climbers, supported us when altitude sickness hit, and continuously provided motivation throughout our trek on the mountain.
The summit day was incredibly emotional, and all Aardvark Expeditions staff were there at the summit to celebrate with us for achieving our goal. This is a company that genuinely cares about every person who climbs for them. A five-star rating does not do enough justice for the value provided by the staff at Aardvark Expeditions.
A great trip led by our expert driver/guide Colin. We saw lots of wildlife, drove through ever changing landscape and stayed in excellent accommodation. The only downside was long driving days with no aircon in the truck.
Adventure
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Guest House, Hotel, Sleeper Bus
Age Range
18-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Victoria Falls, Fish River Canyo
Victoria Falls, Fish River Canyon, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Augrabies Falls National Park, Namaqualand, Cape Town, Chobe River, Okavango Delta, Kavango, Etosha National Park, Damaraland, Swakopmund, Sossusvlei
Really enjoyed our time on this safari. Wonderful guide and cook, very caring. They accommodated dietary needs and were very patient with everyone in the group. The safari was beyond amazing. Absolutely loved it.
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Camping, Hotel, Tent
Age Range
5-79 yrs
Operated in
english, french, german, italian, spanish
Destinations
Arusha, Lake Manyara National Pa
Arusha, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater
Trip overall was terrific. Changes that could be made to future safaris. Game drives should only go out early morning, return to camp by 11am. 2nd game drive should start about 3pm until sunset. Rest at camp from 11am to 3pm. Boxed lunches should be deleted as they were well below standard & not terrible. Rift Valley Photographic Lodge was below standard & one night is plenty. The road in & out of the Lodge was absolutely terrible. My room had a terrible smell from shower drain & I was moved. The next room had no hot water until I chased it up. Swimming pools were all empty. Cut out long village walk as too hot & drive onto next lodge. You need at least 2 full days in the fantastic Ambroseli park. Masai Mara should be 2 full days experience & 2 full days in Ngorongoro Crater. Completely drop day 8 cultural experience etc from itinerary. We were all charged USD20 to visit Masia village but found out later Masai visit was free in initerary. The jeep in Kenya was old & very uncomfortable. The jeep in Tanzania was modern, a good ride & very uncomfortable. That part of the tour needs to be looked due to jeep travelling time.
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Lodge
Age Range
18-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Arusha, Nairobi, Tarangire Natio
Arusha, Nairobi, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Masai Village, Serengeti, Lake Victoria, Masai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park
This trip was amazing. We had an experience that we never could have got from staying in a lodge. Yes the nights were cold and a tent is not luxury but I would not have wanted to miss a second of it. If you are open to some adventure and bush camping then I highly recommend this trip.
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Lodge, Camping, Tent
Age Range
18-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Victoria Falls, Maun, Central Ka
Victoria Falls, Maun, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Okavango Delta, Moremi, Chobe National Park