Last year I done a 3 week tour around Kenya/Tanzania. Then I flew to Johannesburgh to do a 1 week tour of Kruger National Park. Who came out tops? Well, I had this silly notion that the "world famous" Kruger Nat Park would be the greatest place on earth, you know, since it has the "world famous" title. Boy was I WRONG! We hardly saw any animals. No big cats (which was my whole reason 4 doing a safari). You had to drive on a tarsealed road and the animals where there, but you couldnt see them cos they where hiding behind all the bush and trees. Now this in comparison to the Masai Mara,(heaven on earth). We saw the big 5! I got to see all the big cats! We drove on dirt roads (no thats the true africa!) We could drive off road (even better!) so we could get up close to the animals, and hey, if there was bush or trees in the way of seeing anything we could drive off the road and around the bush to see what was on the other side! The landscape was far better! The animal population was far better! Everything about it is ten times better than that Kruger. And who gave it the "world famous" title anyway? So I am writting to inform you that the Masai Mara is MUCH better!! Then the Serengetti, and then the Nogororong Crater! So if you are planning a trip to africa, dont waste your money on South Africa. I was highly disappointed with Kruger and after visiting Kenya for 3 weeks and then flying to "world famous" Kruger I was all excited thinking the best is yet to come. But I was badly let down, and if I had of known what I know now, I would not have spent my hard earned money on Kruger. Kenya is the best of africa!!
Masai Mara best place on earth
Re: Masai Mara best place on earth
Most professional safari guides will tell you that game watching is very much luck of the draw - you can't rely on wild animals to put on a show, and if you see anything then that's a bonus, especially elusive animals like the big cats. I've seen some spectacular wildlife in Kruger, and I've also had days there where I've seen very little. That's how it goes in any National Park.
Time of year makes a big difference, depending where you are. South Africa is a very long way from Kenya, and in the rainy season you could expect much thicker vegetation, making game harder to spot. It also offers much more diverse landscapes with very different habitats and wildlife to East Africa.
As for the roads, you should always stick to them, whatever they are surfaced with. Off road driving is illegal in the Masai Mara - it scares the wildlife and damages vegetation.
Re: Masai Mara best place on earth
Off road driving is illegal?? Well how come the tour company I was with went off the road? and the rest of the many tour vans/jeeps? Everybody was doing it and we got up close. And the animals didnt seem bothered by the whole thing.
I only posted my first letter to advise people who are planning to go to Kruger not to. Dont waste your money on that place! There are far better places in africa.....Botswana, Zambia, Kenya.
And yeah, I agree, it is like lotto, some days you get it and some days you dont. Take my advise, Masai Mara September, this is the migration and there was wildlife everywhere!!