Chobe National Park (Botswana)

Advantages: Amazing scenery, almost no tourists
Disadvantages: we did not see all the animals we wanted to see....

Chobe National park was my first destination in Africa and also the first Safari I had ever done. The whole trip was about four years ago, but I have to say it still is one of the best memories of my life. The Park is very close to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, so if you are staying there it is easy to just cross the border and go to Botswana. The drive to the Park is quite but not that exciting. Watch out if you are going by yourself, because the ...
...may end up stuck in Botswana. That is what happened to me anyway. We stayed with a lovely Botswanian family,who were the most hostpitable people ever. They had a camp just outside the park and also operated the tours into the park. unfortunately I have forgotten their name, so I cannot reckommend people there. The park is fabulous and sports everything you could wish for in wildlife. Unfortunately however we did only see 2 of the "big 5". Lions ... Read review

Advantages: Not many tourists, easy to get around without being on a tour
Disadvantages: Wildlife is less abundant than in some parts of Africa

...-made itinerary for us, was waiting to take us to our hotel. Heinitzburg Hotel, Windhoek is a great place to stay at the beginning and end of a safari trip in Namibia (or Botswana which is easily accessible by small plane from here too) This splendid old castle which has been extended and converted into a luxury hotel, with a fine wine cellar, good food and a terrace with views over Windhoek. We briefly ventured into Windhoek (I had been before a few years earlier for a trip to the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park in Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, but that is the subject of a future review) There are the usual African tourist shopping opportunities, but I didn't sample anything more cultural there. We had our car delivered to the hotel and set off into the wilderness. Our first stop was Sossusvlei, 4 to 5 hours drive away, stopping only... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Beautiful country, wonderful wildlife
Disadvantages: Infrastructure isn't the best

...Bulawayo to Victoria Falls (roughly 10 hours driving). One thing that I distinctly remember about Bulawayo was that the sign telling me to turn left to Victoria Falls had a tree growing over it. As a result we got lost, and this cost us about an hour. This sort of thing is normal in Zimbabwe, so you must always leave enough time in your travels for the unexpected. Victoria Falls is the must visit spot in Zimbabwe. Horseriding safaris, canoeing safaris, evening trips on the upper Zambezi and of course the white water rafting and bungy jumping were all available. It is also definitely worth the time to visit the Falls themselves, and for those with a little more time, a trip across to the Zambian side of the Falls can also be included. We also took a couple of days to travel across to Chobe National Park in Botswana. This was a great... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful