lovetravellingoz

Hi all,

From those that have been to Chobe, how many days/nights do you believe is good to enjoy it in the context of someone who will also be visting a number of other parks..

I am just planning a trip and will also be visiting South Luangwa and various Parks/ Reserves in Kenya, Tanzania as well as Kruger.

I am thinking of adding Chobe as I will be visiting Victoria Falls, and to round out my experience. I know some do it as a day trip, but I would prefer to stay longer including an evening cruise. But how long?

As it is not my only park I am thinking 2/3 nights. But there is the land transfer each way from the Falls and back to an airport to fly to JNB, or Kruger, to factor in.

SafariCraig

Can you let me know where else you are going on safari and for how many days? I have been to every four star and above lodge in Zambia except Anabezi and I have been to many of the nicer properties in Kenya. Also, Chobe is very seasonal so I would need to know what time of year you are planning to give the best answer.

I you lay out the entire trip here I may be able to fill in the gaps or provide more useful commentary.

Craig Beal - owner - Travel Beyond
2011-2013 Travel & Leisure A-List agent for Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia

lovetravellingoz

Am aiming to be Victoria Falls mid-August.

So Chobe, Kruger and then Cape Town, Hermanus (for the whale watching) and The Garden Route after that. The train from JNB to either Port Elizabeth or CapeTown, Premier Classe looks good, and will add to the overall travel blend that I am seeking.

Before Victoria Falls, say Masai Mara, Amboseli, Mikumi, South Luangwa.

Plus various lakes, beaches and Zanzibar.

6 weeks all up.

I can either skip Chobe or not. From what I have read here it sounds like a good park to visit that will contrast with what else I am seeing.

I am thinking 2/3 nights. I will be doing same camping, but in Kruger and Chobe will more likely go for a lodge.

Philatravelgirl

I stayed 2 nights for Chobe after 2nights in the Okavango Delta for a walking safari at Oddballs. After Chobe I went to Vic falls (Zimbabwe) then to Sabi Sand/Kruger, Capetown, garden route to port Elizabeth before JNB flight home.
I enjoyed the midday cruise at Chobe and did a morning and evening game drive -saw so many animals so great photos.
I've posted safari on my blog - here are Chobe posts http://philatravelgirl.com/tag/botswana/

windycityf

I am curious about Chobe in February? I took advantage of the Air Canada business class deals and booked into JNB for February. Having already been I thought I would visit the Victoria Falls, maybe include a side safari to Botswana. I would be ok with a day trip. I was looking at the Victoria Falls Hotel.

Thanks

bhrubin

We visited Chobe Chilwero (A&K property) for 4 nights in May 2003 and enjoyed the stay. We previously spent a week in/around Cape Town, then 4 nights at Singita Ebony, then 2 nights at Vic Falls Lodge. We transferred from Vic Falls to Chobe by vehicle transfer for a few hours drive, and back the same way for our departure from Vic Falls to JNB for our onward flights home.

Chobe was a great park--lots of elephants, the largest density of elephants in the world at the time, I believe. We saw 4 of the Big 5 there (only missing the water buffalo), and it was considerably less pricey than Singita. However, you do miss the ability to go off-trail at Chobe since it is a public park--unlike at a place like Singita which is in the private concession of Sabi Sands, allowing you to go wherever your vehicle desires.

As with all safaris, we encourage you to spend as much time on any safari as you can afford--since the longer you stay, the more likely you are to see the many things you hope to see on safari. it is quite easier to get to see cities like Cape Town (even as much as I love Cape Town!) than to see things on safari, so spend as much time on safari as you can. Deciding between safaris is totally personal, but I also don't think you should go crazy trying to visit so many different lodges in one trip since you spend so much time traveling between them and want to enjoy the experience without the needless travel. Go to 1 or 2 lodges and enjoy them for longer. You can always return to try another lodge in another season.

Alpha Golf

I did the one-day trip from Vic Falls. It was fantastic, with vast numbers of elephants even during the day.

Highly recommended (and I'm from SA).

SAT Lawyer

Seconded (although I started and ended in Livingstone). Gotta be one of the best one-day trips anywhere.

lovetravellingoz

Thanks for the feedback.

I am currently planning on spending 2 nights in Kasane. In part this is due to fact that we want to catch the overnight train from Johannesburg and it does not depart every day. So a 2 night stop works in well, while leaving ample time to do some river safaris, as well as a game drive or two in Chobe.

We are arriving from Livingstone, but will fly out from Kasane to JNB as the flight is not that much more expensive, and it saves the time backtracking to Livingstone including the border crossing.

We will also e finishing in Kruger, and so one day less in Chobe will not make that much difference.
Another alternative would be to stay longer and do the Okavango Delta as well. Tempting.

But as we will have had a 26 day self-drive overland safari drive from Nairobi prior, I think it makes more sense to do the overnight train combined with Cape Town and the Garden route to have a break from the game reserves and game-spotting, before a final fling in in Kruger region to fiinish of the trip.

susiesan

For my 2015 trip I will now be in Botswana/Chobe area early April.

TA has us staying 2 nights on Pride of Zambezi for a water based safari, April 8+9, then 2 nights at Elephant Valley Lodge for a land based safari April 10+11. We will fly from Kasane to JNB on April 12 on SA 8307 @1:55pm.

My question is this: with a flight at 2:00pm will we be able to partake of a morning safari activity the last day at Elephant Valley? My understanding is they do their drives differently than the other lodges, leaving later after breakfast and returning at lunch time. If we don't get to do anything the last day I may look for a different lodge that has morning activities. I don't want April 12 to be nothing but a transfer day with nothing going on. Should I try contacting EV directly to ask about this?

If EV doesn't work out are there any suggestions for a camp/lodge in the same price range that would have a departure morning activity included?

east_of_the_sun

My husband and I have flown out of Kasane airport and as I recall it is 4 or 5 miles south-east of the town itself.
I don’t know how far the airport is from Elephant Valley Lodge.

However, if you decide to stay at Elephant Valley or decide to go to a different camp instead, you will still need to factor in how long the drive is from camp to airport and know what is the latest time you’re allowed to check-in for a 1:55 pm Airlink international flight.

susiesan

I have sent an email to EV to inquire about this very timing. I'm sure I'm not the only one who leaves from Kasane to KNB on that flight. I saw on their web site that complimentary airport transfer is provided so they must know what time to get to the airport prior to these flights.

lovetravellingoz

Hi Susie, as I posted in your thread I think such late activity is too late given that you are flying out at 2.PM.

susiesan

I heard from someone who stayed there and was able to request an early morning 5:00am game drive. They said EV was happy to accommodate them. But they were a family group and had their own private vehicle. I don't know if they would alter the schedule for 2 people.

I am waiting to hear from Elephant Valley direct an answer to me email 2 days ago. if I don't get an answer soon I may look into staying elsewhere near Chobe.

Any suggestions of a mid range priced camp that would have a game drive early in the morning that would get us back in time for a 2:00pm flight from Kasane airport? Craig, any place similar in price/stars to Elephant valley?

TWA44

We are planning to be in Southern Africa for most of the month of Feb 2016 for my husband's university sabbatical.

Initially I thought we'd prefer going to Etosha in Namibia over Kruger for a safari. But after some helpful replies on other FT threads and some additional research, we decided to do one or two safaris in the Kruger area (Sabi Sands and/or Timbavati. We're now considering whether to include Vic Falls on our itinerary, and if we do, I thought we should also consider a safari in Chobe.

I received two suggestions for Chobe area lodges: Elephant Valley Lodge or Muchenje Game Lodge. ​I know to take the ​reviews on Trip Advisor ​with a grain of salt, since there will always be some negative ones, but there were enough negative reviews for EVL to cross that one off as a possibility. (The game viewing was reported to be great but guests had multiple complaints re: communication between guests and staff, cleanliness, location, food, and responsiveness of the management of the lodge after a tent was slashed and belongings stolen.) Muchenje​ ​got much better reviews, including some from visitors who were there in Feb. and Mar. of previous years, who had great game viewing opportunities.

However, given it is the wet season, I'd be grateful for some recommendations:
1) Are there areas in/near Chobe where we'll have better or worse chances of seeing game during the green season?
2) If indeed it is worth going to Chobe even in the green season, can anyone recommend any lodges other than Muchenje to consider? While I'd like someplace nice, I am most interested in the guides and game, and do not need luxury accommodations or gourmet meals. We will probably not have a car.

@Johan Rebel, I've benefited from your many helpful comments on various Africa threads, both on FT and on SafariTalk.net. If you see this, I'd be most grateful for your advice. Suggestions from others in the know are most welcome too. Thanks very much!