Our travelers’ favorite safari trips around the world

Curious to know what like-minded travelers are saying about us? We’ve rounded up our latest traveler stories for safari vacations taken this past year. From conservation-focused tours in Uganda to spotting jaguars in Brazil’s Pantanal, these are the epic wildlife experiences and encounters that our travelers loved and won’t soon forget.

Traveler stories round-up: unforgettable safari vacations

Lucille Marlene Manikkam’s trip to India

All arrangements were made to perfection with excellent accommodation and transport. [My local expert] Hema made constructive suggestions, always responded promptly and was in constant contact while we were on touring. The assistance provided at the airports in India and especially at the train station were marvelous.

Anne Price’s trip to Uganda

My recent two week trip to Uganda organised by Diane was truly the best tour I have ever been on. Diane helped me to arrange a bespoke tour that suited my specific interest in Wildlife Conservation. This enabled me to not only see the amazing wildlife and natural environment of Uganda but to also meet with and accompany local conservationists and rangers who shared their knowledge and experiences in the field.

As an example I spent some time at the Gorilla Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) Camp which I highly recommend and later also had the opportunity to meet with one of the Gorilla Doctors. I spent several hours tracking Gorillas and then Chimpanzees with rangers, I visited the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary and discussed the work they do for orphan chimpanzees with the head ranger, I fed giraffes and patted Rhinos at the wonderful Uganda Wildlife Education Centre.

In particular my guide for the two weeks, Martin, shared his expert knowledge and ensured I had a diverse and rich experience throughout my time. He was able to tailor the days to suit my interests and made sure I felt relaxed and comfortable as we journeyed into the unbelievable wilderness.

All the accommodation arranged for me was eco friendly and based on sustainable principles. The staff at Jetvillas, Bweza Gorilla Lodge, The Bush Lodge, Kibale Forest Lodge and finally Fort Murchison were all lovely, welcoming and professional and the food and rooms were unique and gorgeous. The settings were extraordinary including those within National Parks. My trip to Uganda was really very special and unique and I loved every minute of it.

Read more: Top tips for booking African safari vacations

Victor Leykin’s trip to Brazil

Our local travel experts were wonderful, professional, careful and friendly personnel. Many thanks to Thayana, Anna and Polyana. Same about the guides: Kelly in Rio de Janeiro and Bruno in Pantanal. It was my first trip to Brazil and I found the country absolutely marvellous.

As a wildlife enthusiast the Pantanal was, for me, a real treasure with its unbelievable beauty and fantastic biodiversity. I have seen many big cats in Africa and Asia, but jaguars in Porto Jofre really surprised me, not being as elusive as other big cats whom I had been lucky to encounter. Giant river otters are among the most attractive animals I have ever seen. In general, the trip was unforgettable.

CK’s trip to Kenya

TravelLocal connected us with a really great local agent in Kenya and gave us the reassurance we needed in working with a local agent, who were brilliant from the outset. Damaris listened to our requirements and tailored a bespoke itinerary for us. She was patient whilst we confirmed what we wanted and to our budget. Prior to our departure, we were supplied with a detailed itinerary and there was regular contact even on arrival.

The various legs of our holiday were spot on. Eco friendly places and on safari, accommodation was owned/run by locals. Our driver and guide for our 3 days of safari, James, made it extra special. He is highly experienced and went out of his way to ensure we had the best possible time.

From start to finish, this was a super special holiday with lots of lovely additional touches. We cannot thank Damaris enough for such a memorable holiday.

Read more: Our travelers’ favorite trips: unforgettable New Year journeys

Yachiyo Nishikawa’s trip to Sri Lanka

My husband and I had once-in-a-lifetime experiences in Sri Lanka. During 6-hour whale watching tour, they served us breakfast and lunch on the boat and unluckily we couldn’t see any whales on that day, but we saw many schools of spinner dolphins and some Riso’s dolphins. The view from the boat was fantastic!

In Yala, we enjoyed riding a jeep and going on a safari. Our guide was so nice to tell us where to look precisely. Thanks to him, we were able to see monkeys, buffaloes, mongooses, crocodiles, snakes, owls, various kinds of birds and even a leopard though we didn’t come across elephants. It was a lot of fun. Our driver added a one-hour bird watching tour in the lake in Yala to the itinerary and it proceeded in the heavy rain. The skipper was a lovely and funny guy and made us laugh a lot.

We would have not enjoyed ourselves so much without our chauffeur, who was also our guide. This private tour was expensive for us, but it was worth doing it. Our tour organizer and chauffeur gave us really unforgettable experiences.

Patrick Heller’s trip to South Africa

Our trip through South Africa and Eswatini was perfectly organized from start to finish – a true labor of love! A huge thank you to [our local expert] Bettina for the outstanding planning, the attentive service, and the seamless organization.

Every accommodation was thoughtfully chosen, the route was wonderfully coordinated, and the experiences were simply unique. It was an absolute dream vacation that we will never forget.

We can wholeheartedly recommend this local expert to everyone – with Bettina, Africa becomes a truly unforgettable experience.

Read  more: Our travelers’ favorite multi-country trips around the world

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