FF

Any and all responses welcome - thanks!

N1120A

I haven't, nor to I keep Kosher, but I just returned from a safari and dietary restrictions came up in conversation. The manager noted that many of the camps will cater to religious dietary needs if given enough notice and with a large enough group to make it worth while. Could be something you talk to a travel agent about.

awardticket

I used AKS a few years ago before he got big, and while it was still somewhat affordable.

tslizzy

I was just there in novemeber and used celeste from cele africa tours a jewish woman in jnb she arranged my hotel in capetown for shabat incl. Kosher food and also the safari in the sabi sabi lodge with 3 GLATT kosher meals daily.

awardticket

Prices?

tslizzy

approx. 7000.00
but it depands on which game reserve you go to thats were the diff. in money comes in

FF

US$ we assume. For how many nights?

Kagehitokiri

FF if you dont need rabbi certified etc (sorry if im using wrong terms) i would recommend checking directly with camps/operators. you could also talk to travel agents especially africa specialists. basically whenever possible get direct rates so you know what they are, to avoid a situation where you are paying a bunch of middlemen a bunch of markups.

obviously, if you need on the ground people preparing/overseeing food, that will add cost, but even in that situation if you know direct rates you can see that cost, as opposed to just getting a "total price" with unknown markups.

FF

Generally pretty good - but expensive. We were at Kings Camp in Timbavati. The major problem was that the kosher kitchen is located a few hundred metres from the private lodge (Waterbuck Lodge) and the food was almost cold by the time we got it. Lunch was fine - mostly cold Milchig stuff anyway and I think they koshered the Waterbuck kitchen as Milchig so less of a problem with distance to the main kitchen.

Other "problem" issue was the local dancing show - very inappropriate for a kosher organisation.

In summary - I'd definitely recommend them, but get them to tighten up on the food temperature! If you're in the main Kings Camp Lodge then I don't think you'll have a problem as you'll be close to the kosher kitchen.

em0616

Why can't one simply travel to South Africa, rent a car and go to the game parks yourself? The parks have plenty of accommodation, and you can book safari trips with the parks themselves. The major supermarkets are loaded with products with the South African Beis Din kashrut symbol? I think it's outrageous how much Safari operators charge vs. how much the locals pay for the exact same trips!

see: e.g. http://sanpark.co.za/parks/kruger/

Otherwise, this company has an excellent reputation.

FF

But it's not the same trips at all, is it? One is using ones own car / not being allowed off road / no guide / microwave meals / OK-ish accommodation and the other is a Five Star experience with freshly cooked meals etc etc. You pays your money and you takes your choice, and there's a market for both extremes and everything in between.

We've been on safaris where we took our own meat (from Trevors / Maxi's) and did braais ourselves and koshered part of the kitchen, had pre-packaged meals from Joburg / had the full works from AKS, and they were all different and exciting. It's also very different when one gets into ones own car in SA and drives a few hours to the Kruger for a couple of days to when one flies halfway around the world to get there.

Is the AKS price outrageous? Depends on what your view is and what you're paying for..... Are the Mount Nelson / Saxony Hotels "outrageous" compared to the Kosher B+B in Balfour Park?

cheesedawg

EM: Not being in a private reserve sucks. There's a huge difference between 10+ jeeps instantly surrounding animals vs. at most 3. Also having a guide is excellent -- going off road, through shallow water, tracking animals by prints, etc.

I stayed at Mala Mala, a private reserve next to Kruger, in 2010. They have fantastic game viewing and claimed they could serve kosher food (I didn't know about this and don't strictly eat K food outside of the house).

I personally would first find camps/lodges that are to my liking (based on price and interests, eg game viewing, luxury, etc.) and then see what can be done for kosher food.