ranles

Wife and I are 71. Recent eye surgeries for both of us, now allow us to do a safari in Africa. We live in SAN, near the San Diego Safari Park. We retired in Escondido to be near this wonderful place dedicated to preservation of wild animal species.

Our Goal is to see lots of species in the open, and perhaps explore some of the remaining continent on our list.

When: we can go Mar-early Jun, or Sept-early Oct. We seem to believe the mid part of May to be good. Not so hot temp. Lower level of Mosseys. I know the bush will be up, so animals will be tougher to find? Miss the migration. Rains have stopped...right???

Where/how long: we want to fly into JNB. Skip Cape Town completely (time and money). We want to spend a few days in Jo. We want to do at least 2 Parks or park areas (maybe 3?). We want to do Victoria Falls.
Logistics seem to suggest, flying to JNB, staying a few days 3-5). Then going to Kruger NP or surrounds for a 3-5 day safari camp experience. Then fly to Vic Falls for 3-4 days. Then go to one or two more safari areas (Hwange or Zimbabwe NP or Chobe) for another 3-7 days total. I believe this could be 15-20 days.

Vantage offers a program of only 15 days, but it does generally cover most of what we want to do. They are hotel based, and we wanted to get at least one onsite safari camp experience on an average plus comfortable scale.

Budget: We will be flying business to JNB. We need to keep the total cost from there (in country costs) to about $500-900 range per day. We eat modestly (think Subway, where not included). Zero on alcohol, except modest priced red wine. No flight seeing, or crazy stuff (river rafting, bungee)..we are 71 and have a budget!

Other: Safaris need to be in a vehicle. Lodging needs to be in suite and bedding netted where appropriate. We would prefer a package or a couple we could piece together. Jo can be on our own. We have had yellow fever shots, and would likely take pills for malaria if recommended for the Falls area. Our style is sitting on a balcony watching with a glass of wine and binoculars when not active. We will not be renting a car.

Thank you for any suggestions. We know lots of people ask for help with travel to Africa. Feel free to give us links to your prior posts, if you believe they would be helpful. I have read several pages of posts, and they helped us make some parameters better.

johan rebel

• No migration in Kruger, at least nothing remotely similar to the Serengeti.
  
  
• May is when the grass is high and water still plentiful, but . . . . South Africa has been suffering from a severe drought for two years now.
  
  
• Yes, temperatures are on the way down in May, but can still be high.
  
  
• No reason to worry about mosquitos.
  
  
• Rain cannot be completely ruled out in May in Kruger. Note that different parts of South Africa have different rainy seasons.

Johan

Dianne_AfricaDirectUSA

Hi there Ranies!

Just a few thoughts for you..

I think that September - October might suit you better as you would be coming off SA winter and vegetation is thinner and more inclined to better game viewing. May is fine but grass tends to be longer typically due to the summer rains which can impact game viewing somewhat. However, as Johan has mentioned, it has been quite dry for a while now but that may change for next year.

You could organize your trip a number of ways but I would recommend Vic Falls as the connecting stay between your safari time in either Hwange/Zimbabwe/Chobe and SA.
It would serve as a great "switch up" to time in a jeep on game drive. As nature lovers and if you are interested in history, Vic Falls is a great place to enjoy a tour of the falls, Livingstone Island tour, the "Cape to Cairo" bridge tour (Rhodes), and more. Without partaking in any adventure activities, I think 2-3 nights would suffice.

I would recommend that you consider a Private Reserve in South Africa such as Sabi Sand/Timbavati/Manyeleti which have a fenceless border with Kruger and the animals move freely. Some of the benefits to staying in a private reserve is that the jeeps can drive off road so that you can follow an animal. It really improves game viewing and tracking. In National Parks, you are not allowed to drive off road nor allowed to do night drives. Only those staying in the private reserves are in jeeps game viewing so there is also a limit to the number of jeeps overall in the area. Sabi Sand is premier for leopard viewing so I would highly recommend a lodge search there. Plenty of choices in your budget range and all within an easy road transfer from one of the many reserve airports. Transfers can be arranged for you. Lastly, I would recommend a stay of 4-6 nights. If you were to extend to 6 nights, you could split your stay with 2 lodges of 3 nights each. But if you are leaning towards fewer nights, I would try to do 4 nights there if that's all you are doing in SA. Just so you know, there are certain days of the week, you can fly direct from MQP (one of the Kruger airports) to LIV which is in Zambia and is only a 20 mins transfer to Vic Falls. This would save you from having to go thru JNB and a possible overnight there between countries.

No yellow fever required unless you are coming from a country with yellow fever but always check with a travel medical doctor for your specific travel itinerary etc.

I have clients your age doing a similar trip and leaving the end of the month. They too chose to skip Cape Town. They are doing 3 nights Vic Falls, 3 nights Zambia then 6 nights in SA, split btw 2 lodges, one in Timbavati and one in Sabi Sand. Great trip!

You referenced "packages" as an option for booking. Please don't dismiss using an independent operator. Safari planners who operate independently, such as myself, do not push any one particular lodge nor use "canned" or "pre-set" itineraries. Lodge/hotel choices are selected based upon a clients' needs and budget. Logistics such as transfers/internal flights are arranged to thread the trip together and work specifically to your itinerary. A consulting fee is not charged for the planning. The rates you see online for lodges/hotels are what you would pay. I would look closely at any packages with regard to the establishments that are included as well as the logistics. Often transfers are long and flights are not at the best times to keep prices low. Often there are no savings at all. For what you are getting, it may cost more. Packages from 2 different entities can not be easily put together. Packages can work but look very closely at what you are getting and make sure that it fits your needs and your needs only. I'd cost compare for sure.

Happy to help!

Dianne
Africa Direct USA

myeurocrush

My biggest advice for saving money is to try to book directly with a local tour operator. By local, I mean in South Africa (the same agency that will actually take you on the trip. When I booked my Safari 2 years ago (I went to Tanzania not SA) we saved about 10 - 15 percent by booking directly with the tour operator in Kilimanjaro (where we flew in). There were a few agencies that specialize in Safaris that I contacted (all based in the US or UK) and they basically did the same exact thing the local tour operator did but at a higher price. The external agencies mostly just book you something with these local agencies anyway and just charge you a comission (unless you are doing a more complex trip with differnt guides or flights or something). We ended up booking with a company that I found highly reviewed on trip advisor based in Arusha/Kilamanjaro, and they were excellent. From the emails and planning of the whole trip, our accommodations and everything, to the welcome, and the guide, everything was superb. We travelled around to 3 national parks in a private jeep and our own guide, and were able to do they whole thing for about 800 USD per day including all meals, excluding tips. I have no idea what prices are like in South Africa though. Good luck with it all. Such a cool thing to do!

stimpy

For budget travelers, the government run camps are just fine. They are Holiday Inn level to me. See https://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruge...ommodation.php

Alpha Golf

Two comments:

1. I would recommend you skip Johannesburg. There's very little of tourist interest, it's not particularly safe and it's very hard to get around without a car. (I'm from there.)

2. Regardless of your budget, I think you'll be very pleased with how far your money goes, especially in restaurants. You can eat very nicely for not much more than you'd pay for fast food in the U.S. And the wine is excellent and shockingly cheap.

montrealer

A few thoughts, from someone just prepping for 2nd trip to Southern Africa.

- Echo suggestion to explore Sept/Oct. This is dry season at Kruger etc which makes it easier to see game concentrating around waterholes...

- ...and it is springtime in the different climate zone of the Western Cape. The fynbos is bloom is something to see!...

- ...and we found Cape Town + area more fascinating for a nature-focused visitor than JNB itself

- You mention flying business class to JNB. You may already be aware - every few months, at least from Canada but I think also from US, SA/UA/AC/LH tend to have a super sale on business class airfares to JNB, CPT etc. We bought in one such sale for our flight next month, came in under U$2000 pp return all in J class.

Enjoy!

6rugrats

Just back from a month in SA. Agree, skip Jo'berg, nothing there really. You'll be amazed at the strength of the dollar, your money will go far. Very, very drinkable wine for way under $10 US a bottle.

It would be a shame to miss Cape Town; could you consider starting your trip there?

ranles

Thanks for the comments.

We thought May was coolest in the day

Sept/Oct temps in the 90's and humid, reminds us of how unpleasant our two stays in Rio were?

Picked JO and no CT, because of simplicity. Seems Kruger (must for wife) and Vic Falls (must for both of us) we easiest flying to JO.

Straighten me out? Chobe, Hw.... and Zimbabwe from Vic Falls seems easy too.

We probably need to get a vendor. Any suggestions?

The Vantage "Best of Africa" has a 5 day post trip to Cape Town we could do. The trip is mostly hotels. The extention is CT, no gaming.

Anyone know Iganyana Tented Bush Camp, Hwange NP, Zimbabwe?

johan rebel

In the Lowveld and Bushveld, i.e. the prime game viewing areas in the northeast of the country, July and August are the coolest months. Very occasionally temperatures drop to 0°C/32°F at night. Northern KwaZulu-Natal, where most of the other reserves are located is slighty warmer at that time of year.

September is early spring and can be hit and miss. If cold fronts bring clouds, rain or drizzle and strong winds from the Indian Ocean it can be really miserable. Otherwise the weather is pretty pleasant.

October is really hot, especially if the rains are late and the sun shines all day.

Summer (November - February) is normally very hot and humid, with periods of rainy weather. Unless there's a drought on, that is.

March - June temperatures gradually drop and rainfall decreases, although this can vary considerably from year to year.

Johan

propitious

September would be best for the climate and game viewing in the lowveld.

Replace Jo'burg with Cape Town which is visually spectacular. From Cape Town, visit Hermanus at that time of year for southern right whales. Also do a Cape peninsular tour to Cape Point through the national park, taking in the African penguins at Boulders Beach.

TravelBeyond

Hi ranles,

This looks like the start to a great trip! Can I ask why you’d like to spend 3-5 days in Johannesburg? If you’re interested in learning more about Apartheid, the city has a lot to offer, but besides that, there isn’t much for tourists to do. I generally recommend a two night stay in Johannesburg, as many flights from the US arrive in the evening. On your full day, you should tour the Apartheid Museum and Soweto. I know you mentioned that you’d like to skip Cape Town, but if you’re interested in a city experience, I would hands down recommend Cape Town over Johannesburg. Cape Town is an extremely vibrant city with endless activities on offer. From the penguins at Boulders Beach to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned to the views from on top of Table Mountain (you ride a cable car up – so no hiking needs to be involved) – I truly feel like there is something for everyone here.

After your time in Johannesburg (or Cape Town!), you should continue to the Kruger National Park ecosystem on a private reserve. There are a few good options that should fit in your budget nicely. Hoedspruit Airport would be the best to fly into for these, as they are in a more northern section of the Kruger ecosystem. I recommend you choose one of the following properties:

• Kambaku Safari Lodge/Kambaku River Sands: Both of these properties are located in the Timbavati Game Reserve, adjacent to Kruger National Park. This region is known for exceptional leopard sightings (as well the general Big 5). A really cool thing about this reserve is that it is home to the famous White Lions, which can’t be seen anywhere else in the wild. In 2017, during the time period of March 1-31, May 1-June 30, and September 21-30, these properties offer a Pay 3/Stay 4 special. If you take advantage of this special, based on the rate of exchange, this comes to approx. $250 per person per night and $330 per person per night, respectively.
• Shindzela: This is a tented-style accommodation (meaning canvas walls, but you will still have a proper bed and en-suite facilities). It will be a much more rustic safari experience, but still is an awesome property! Shindzela is also located in the Timbavati. They offer game drives and walking safaris. The cost of Shindzela is approx. $150 per person per night, based on today’s rate of exchange. I recommend a 3 or 4 night stay here – if you stay 4 nights, the per night cost decreases slightly.

You should then transfer to the Nelspruit Airport and make use of the direct flight to Livingstone. This flight does NOT operate Thursdays and Sundays, so be sure to plan your itinerary accordingly. I recommend that you then cross over to the Zimbabwe side of the Falls and spend 2 nights at Ilala Lodge. This is a nice, clean hotel option, near the major shopping area and a short drive from the Falls (just a few minutes). This property comes in at $213 per person per night. Since you’re not interested in the more extreme activities in this area, there is no real reason to spend more than 2 nights in Victoria Falls.

Instead of a safari in Zimbabwe or Chobe, have you considered a safari in a private concession in Botswana? If you do this trip in March, I highly recommend visiting Kanana and Shinde. They both are $500 per person per night in March, which is slightly over your budget, however since you would be saving money in both South Africa and Victoria Falls, it would likely even out. Both are located in private concessions in the Okavango Delta. This region is AMAZING for game viewing and one of the best game viewing destinations in all of Africa (tied with the Kruger National Park ecosystem and the Masai Mara). I visited Shinde in March during my month-long Southern Africa trip this year and our Vice President, Jenny Mikkelson, visited Kanana in March as well. We loved our experience at these properties! I recommend 3 night stays at each property. If you stay 3 nights at Kanana, you can get a sleepout included in your stay. A sleepout experience is always fun as it makes you feel much closer to the animals and nature. I’ve experienced this in South Africa and loved waking up with the sun – it’s a moment I’ll never forget. They also have a glass-bottom mokoro (canoe). You should go to Kanana first and then to Shinde. Personally, Shinde is one of my all-time favorite properties. Not only did it have nice accommodations with a really welcoming main area (parts of the main area almost feel like a treehouse), but the game viewing was great. During one night drive, we came across five lions walking down the middle of the road and then found four more relaxing nearby. It was definitely a “hold your breath” moment! They also have water activities year-round, which allows for relaxing boat cruises or mokoro rides during your stay. I love properties that offer both water and land activities, as you’re able to mix and match your experiences. I find the water activities to be very peaceful. The $500 per person per night cost that I mentioned is valid March 1-31 so keep that in mind. The later you go in March, the better, because in a typical year, the rains should be ending by then and you’ll likely have better weather.

If you’re set on a safari experience in Zimbabwe, the best times to go are from July-September. If you push it into October, it’ll get HOT. I recommend looking into Ivory Lodge. This property is fairly rustic and wild, but definitely a hit! It is located just outside of the National Park in a private concession. Since it is outside of the park, once you return to the concession, you will be able to enjoy night drives as well.

In regards to your question about the migration, the Great Migration occurs in Kenya/Tanzania. Since you’re interested in South Africa and Victoria Falls (Southern Africa), I don’t recommend trying to also include a safari in Kenya/Tanzania (East Africa). Although they appear to be close on the map, it will add additional logistics/money to get there.

I hope this all helps! Best of luck planning your first trip to Africa – I truly fall in love with the experience every time I go and I’m sure you will as well.

Best,

Katie Blackstone – Safari Consultant – Travel Beyond

SFO777

Forget Joburg. If you go all the way to SA and do not spend time in Cape Town, you will be missing out on one of the most beautiful cities and nearby wine countries in the world.

johan rebel

They are occasionally seen in Kruger proper too.

Currently, "white" (a paler shade of tawny would be more accurate) lions occur mainly in the Giraffe and Ross prides. Both utilize the Kambaku traversing area, and even fight over it, but both also hold extensive territories outside it. The Giraffe pride does not quite go as far as Shindzela, but they get pretty close at times. Kambaku can go for weeks or even longer without seeing a white lion.

Shindzela is great value for money, by the way, and offers exclusive traversing on their own farm, which is something few lodges offer.

Johan

ranles

Thank you all.

We decided to work with the lady from SAA and one other travel agency working Africa. We could not find a "canned" safari that met our desires after checking out offering from several companies and agencies. A talk with the agent we use for cruises quickly disqualified her. As we are only going once, I believe 2 agents working on this is enough, but not unfair.

We are leaving our stay in Jo "open" pending airline rates/ff tickets. We now are looking Jo overnight, then off to Kruger. Return to Jo overnight, then on to Zimbabwe (VicFalls). Hwange and Chobe, then back to Jo. As we will do our own flights to and from JNB, we can decide if we want to stay a couple nights in Jo or not. Private reserves, so far.

If we do all safari in vehicles, can we get away with tennis shoes? I hate to buy boots (weight and cost) for one trip...We have a couple upscale camps, but none appear to have a dress code.

I am 5'11" and 210#'s (dressed as born). I read somewhere that there are weight limits on some in country flights. Any issue? Wife, not issue. These flights will be in coach.

Do people stick with soft sided luggage, or go to a duffle type? Pros/cons.

Camera and lens take up carry on allowance. I saw suggestions of leaving the extra lens home, as the jeeps get pretty close!? Similar reason, we plan not to take binoculars.

Is there a recommended Mossy repellant for where we are going? Likely the camps have repellant, but we have to, from and away-from. Important that we take what makes the most sense, weight and protection. I get bit, if anyone does!

Still looking at May...but September is not completely out.