first timer
Nov 7, 2017, 4:36 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 149
first timer
where do you guys recommend I start to plan for a SA trip?
for 1st timers a groupon, tour company would be good?
or I can save lots of money trying to source/pay everything separately?
3-5 people going 1 50y.o. 1 48y.o, 1 13y.o.- possible 25y.o and 60y.o.
budget I saw a tour plan for about 16 day 3200 is good I could go 4-5K per person if needed
for 1st timers a groupon, tour company would be good?
or I can save lots of money trying to source/pay everything separately?
3-5 people going 1 50y.o. 1 48y.o, 1 13y.o.- possible 25y.o and 60y.o.
budget I saw a tour plan for about 16 day 3200 is good I could go 4-5K per person if needed
Nov 8, 2017, 8:44 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 149
OK I see this question gets asked a lot but cmon veterans remember your first time and give some good advice. I'm 10 pages into the Africa forum and 6 pages in to the search word "tours" and even more confused.
I'm guessing I have 16-17 days avail.
for planning purposes lets choose June 30-July16
JUne 30- Friday can take off or leave after work
1-2LAX-Dubai- stay one day for sure just to sightsee.
3-12 Dubai-?? (Victoria falls, chobe????)
not looking for luxury accomodations, Moderate to tent camps are fine with us inside the parks to optimize time and experience
I definitely wan to see the penguisn and cage dive with the great whites. wife will want to do half day or full day wine tour.
definite Safari to see Big 5, especially Lions
14-16 SA- HK 2 days Disney
July 16 Monday morning back to work
I'm guessing I have 16-17 days avail.
for planning purposes lets choose June 30-July16
JUne 30- Friday can take off or leave after work
1-2LAX-Dubai- stay one day for sure just to sightsee.
3-12 Dubai-?? (Victoria falls, chobe????)
not looking for luxury accomodations, Moderate to tent camps are fine with us inside the parks to optimize time and experience
I definitely wan to see the penguisn and cage dive with the great whites. wife will want to do half day or full day wine tour.
definite Safari to see Big 5, especially Lions
14-16 SA- HK 2 days Disney
July 16 Monday morning back to work
Nov 11, 2017, 6:21 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: JNB
Programs: Flying Blue, Miles and Smiles, Hhonors, ICHotels
Posts: 1,307
So, factoring in your travel days, you will have about 12 days on the ground?
I would arrive in JNB and then go to the Kruger Park for a few days. There are various camps that cater to various price points. Or, you can rent a vehicle, and stay at the SANParks accommodation and drive yourself around the park.
While you are there, and visas are not an issue, you can drive over to Maputo for about two days and experience another taste of Africa - hot, humid coast and plenty of seafood prepared in a typical Mozambique style: spicy and hot.
Then, get back to JNB and go to Cape Town - lots of wine farms, shark cage diving, surfing or even hiking up Table Mountain.
Or, instead of flying down and you get a good deal with the rental (unlimited mileage), you can of course drive down over, say three days - I have done this on several occasions. Instead of the usual N1 route, I have gone via Kimberly - you can stay at the Kimberly Club which is charming.
You can then join the N1 route, or continue west and follow the route down the west coast.
That way, you can enjoy the wildlife, some exotic coastal experience, the interior and the opposite coast (west coast), maybe some diving and finally, great food and wine.
Emirates fly out of CPT, so if you fly into JNB, you fly out of CPT, making your flights easier to plan.
I would arrive in JNB and then go to the Kruger Park for a few days. There are various camps that cater to various price points. Or, you can rent a vehicle, and stay at the SANParks accommodation and drive yourself around the park.
While you are there, and visas are not an issue, you can drive over to Maputo for about two days and experience another taste of Africa - hot, humid coast and plenty of seafood prepared in a typical Mozambique style: spicy and hot.
Then, get back to JNB and go to Cape Town - lots of wine farms, shark cage diving, surfing or even hiking up Table Mountain.
Or, instead of flying down and you get a good deal with the rental (unlimited mileage), you can of course drive down over, say three days - I have done this on several occasions. Instead of the usual N1 route, I have gone via Kimberly - you can stay at the Kimberly Club which is charming.
You can then join the N1 route, or continue west and follow the route down the west coast.
That way, you can enjoy the wildlife, some exotic coastal experience, the interior and the opposite coast (west coast), maybe some diving and finally, great food and wine.
Emirates fly out of CPT, so if you fly into JNB, you fly out of CPT, making your flights easier to plan.
Nov 11, 2017, 1:09 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA Gold. UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt (Lifetime Diamond downgraded to Explorist)
Posts: 6,776
I would not do an overall tour. The only place I would do an organized tour is inside Kruger if you don't feel up to planning it piecemeal.
I like the idea of 2 days in Maputo but may put it before Kruger if there is the possibility of flying nonstop from a Kruger airport such as NQP, to CPT which could streamline things a bit more. So LAX-DXB-JNB-MPM<2 days>Drive to Kruger?<4-5 days>NQP-CPT<5-6 days>CPT-DXB-LAX.
Since the exchange rate is very in favor of the USD, in Cape Town, I'd stay near the Waterfront, De Waterkant or Camps Bay areas renting a house or apartments. There are managed apartments which operate like hotels allowing for people to have their own space & privacy at reasonable price with services. For all but probably the 13 year old, one or two day trips to the wine areas is a good idea and the vineyard won't be boring to the 13 year old as there is plenty to see also depending on the vineyard. A trip down to the Cape to see the lighthouse, ride the funicular and see the penguins is a good 1/2-3/4 day trip. Cape Town and the area around it has a lot to offer from great food, to sites to see & a activities. We used Feel at Home in Cape Town & African Eagle and both were good. FAHCT for personalized tours and AE for longer distance group tours.
Be aware of the panhandling problem in cities but just be aware of yourself and you'll be fine.
I like the idea of 2 days in Maputo but may put it before Kruger if there is the possibility of flying nonstop from a Kruger airport such as NQP, to CPT which could streamline things a bit more. So LAX-DXB-JNB-MPM<2 days>Drive to Kruger?<4-5 days>NQP-CPT<5-6 days>CPT-DXB-LAX.
Since the exchange rate is very in favor of the USD, in Cape Town, I'd stay near the Waterfront, De Waterkant or Camps Bay areas renting a house or apartments. There are managed apartments which operate like hotels allowing for people to have their own space & privacy at reasonable price with services. For all but probably the 13 year old, one or two day trips to the wine areas is a good idea and the vineyard won't be boring to the 13 year old as there is plenty to see also depending on the vineyard. A trip down to the Cape to see the lighthouse, ride the funicular and see the penguins is a good 1/2-3/4 day trip. Cape Town and the area around it has a lot to offer from great food, to sites to see & a activities. We used Feel at Home in Cape Town & African Eagle and both were good. FAHCT for personalized tours and AE for longer distance group tours.
Be aware of the panhandling problem in cities but just be aware of yourself and you'll be fine.
Nov 11, 2017, 3:51 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Bath, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 1,002
So you are looking at being there the first half of July, that means mid-winter in the southern hemisphere. I would start with that.
Cape Town - not the best time to be there, as it can be cold and wet, equally you can have some beautiful days, it really is in the lap of the gods.
Kruger - winter is the dry season, and the later in the season you get the better the game viewing gets. July is a good time, still a bit away from the best time which would generally be at the end of the dry season. The day times in the safari areas will likely be glorious weather, but the early mornings and evenings will be very cool - they can get down to freezing in Kruger.
Victoria Falls - July is a good time to be there. The water is receding, but in July is usually still pretty spectacular - in July, I would personally suggest the Zimbabwe side. It is also a good time to visit Chobe, as it is starting to dry out and more game is starting to come down regularly to the river. Like in the Kruger area the days are likely to be fantastic, and the nights cool (though not as cold as Kruger).
I would maybe suggest something as follows:
3 July - DXB - CPT - day to relax and unwind. Remember your body clock is still going to be on LA time to a large degree. Hence I don't recommend starting with the safari as 6AM South Africa time wake up, will be around midnight/1AM for your body clock.
4 July - take a city tour, go up Table Mountain
5 July - full day Cape Peninsula tour - which will include a visit to the penguins.
6 July - you could split up this day - some doing shark cage diving and some doing winelands
7 July - fly Cape Town to Kruger - there are daily non-stop flight from Cape Town to 3 different airports in the Kruger region - MQP - Kruger Mpumalanga Airport just outside the park in the south, SZK - Skukuza Airport, inside the park in the southern area, and HDS - Eastgate/Hoedspruit Airport, just outside the park, but the access point to the private reserves like Timbavati, Thornybush, Kapama etc, as well as the central park. Which airport you fly into will probably be determined by which lodge you choose to visit. I would maybe recommend different options depending on how many of you end up travelling and what your room configuration would be. PM on safari at your lodge
8 July - on safari
9 July - on safari
10 July - AM on safari then flight to Johannesburg. Depending on flight time an afternoon city tour. Johannesburg has a much maligned reputation - and is actually quite a vibrant city, as long as you travel in safe hands.
11 July - Johannesburg to Victoria Falls. Afternoon visit the falls.
12 July - Full day for optional activities in the falls - there is a lot of choice here, depending on what you like, from white water rafting and bungee jumping to helicopters or paragliding over the falls etc. It is known as the adventure capital of Africa.
13 July - Victoria Falls - Johannesburg -> you would be in time for the early or late evening EK flight to DXB if that is the route you are taking. I gather the HK is Hong Kong - in which case you would also be able to connect to the SA flight JNB-HKG
Happy to help with rates if you need.
Cape Town - not the best time to be there, as it can be cold and wet, equally you can have some beautiful days, it really is in the lap of the gods.
Kruger - winter is the dry season, and the later in the season you get the better the game viewing gets. July is a good time, still a bit away from the best time which would generally be at the end of the dry season. The day times in the safari areas will likely be glorious weather, but the early mornings and evenings will be very cool - they can get down to freezing in Kruger.
Victoria Falls - July is a good time to be there. The water is receding, but in July is usually still pretty spectacular - in July, I would personally suggest the Zimbabwe side. It is also a good time to visit Chobe, as it is starting to dry out and more game is starting to come down regularly to the river. Like in the Kruger area the days are likely to be fantastic, and the nights cool (though not as cold as Kruger).
I would maybe suggest something as follows:
3 July - DXB - CPT - day to relax and unwind. Remember your body clock is still going to be on LA time to a large degree. Hence I don't recommend starting with the safari as 6AM South Africa time wake up, will be around midnight/1AM for your body clock.
4 July - take a city tour, go up Table Mountain
5 July - full day Cape Peninsula tour - which will include a visit to the penguins.
6 July - you could split up this day - some doing shark cage diving and some doing winelands
7 July - fly Cape Town to Kruger - there are daily non-stop flight from Cape Town to 3 different airports in the Kruger region - MQP - Kruger Mpumalanga Airport just outside the park in the south, SZK - Skukuza Airport, inside the park in the southern area, and HDS - Eastgate/Hoedspruit Airport, just outside the park, but the access point to the private reserves like Timbavati, Thornybush, Kapama etc, as well as the central park. Which airport you fly into will probably be determined by which lodge you choose to visit. I would maybe recommend different options depending on how many of you end up travelling and what your room configuration would be. PM on safari at your lodge
8 July - on safari
9 July - on safari
10 July - AM on safari then flight to Johannesburg. Depending on flight time an afternoon city tour. Johannesburg has a much maligned reputation - and is actually quite a vibrant city, as long as you travel in safe hands.
11 July - Johannesburg to Victoria Falls. Afternoon visit the falls.
12 July - Full day for optional activities in the falls - there is a lot of choice here, depending on what you like, from white water rafting and bungee jumping to helicopters or paragliding over the falls etc. It is known as the adventure capital of Africa.
13 July - Victoria Falls - Johannesburg -> you would be in time for the early or late evening EK flight to DXB if that is the route you are taking. I gather the HK is Hong Kong - in which case you would also be able to connect to the SA flight JNB-HKG
Happy to help with rates if you need.
Nov 12, 2017, 7:02 pm
#7
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Escondido CA USA
Programs: AS, UA, HY, Hil, Merr
Posts: 3,207
cxr
Why do you, your companions, etc want to go to SA?
The answer to this question will help a lot in deciding on where specifically to stay.
Where you are flying from will also help in deciding if Cape Town or Johannesburg works best as your first destination.
I choose to use a travel agent to book my time on safari's, in country transport, activities and countries. I picked a couple and let them come up with a plan based on what we wanted to accomplish on our trip, and what broadly we could spend in dollars and time.
Have you done a search on "trip reports"?
My report explains how we decided and where we went.
Our African Safari (s)
Good luck
Why do you, your companions, etc want to go to SA?
The answer to this question will help a lot in deciding on where specifically to stay.
Where you are flying from will also help in deciding if Cape Town or Johannesburg works best as your first destination.
I choose to use a travel agent to book my time on safari's, in country transport, activities and countries. I picked a couple and let them come up with a plan based on what we wanted to accomplish on our trip, and what broadly we could spend in dollars and time.
Have you done a search on "trip reports"?
My report explains how we decided and where we went.
Our African Safari (s)
Good luck
Nov 27, 2017, 10:13 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,826
If you really want to see Penguins, skip those at Simon's Town completely. Rent a car and head to Betty's Bay. It's a two-hour drive from Cape Town, and the section along the coast is very pretty. There must be 5-10 times the number of Penguins as Simon's Town, and 1/10th the number of tourists. Maybe even less. No long lines... no lines at all in fact. The photo below is only a small part of the colony. 
Penguins at Betty's Bay, South Africa
Penguins at Betty's Bay, South Africa
Nov 28, 2017, 8:15 pm
#9
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 108
If you plan on riding the cable car to the top of table mountain, not only is it weather dependent but it closes for annual maintenance. The 2017 dates were: 24 July to 6 August, 2017. Look into something called the Wild Card. It might save you money on admissions to various sites.
Feb 20, 2018, 4:20 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 149
Still trying to plan, received quotes from 2 travel agents 15-20K for 3 people
My budget is about 10K, is there wiggle room to get this down closer to my budget? economy flights look like 4-5K for the 3 of us. thinking Jun 29- July 13.
sample itinerary.
Day 01 Departure.
Day 02 Arrival Johannesburg.
Day 03 Travel by road Johannesburg - Karongwe Game Reserve.
Day 04 Karongwe Game Reserve.
Day 05 Travel by road Karongwe - Johannesburg.
Day 06 Travel by Flight Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Day 07 Road Day Trip to Chobe Nat Park, Botswana.
Day 08 Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Day 09 Travel by flight Victoria Falls - Cape Town.
Day 10 Cape Town.
Day 11 Cape Town.
Day 12 Cape Town.
Day 13 Departure - Flight Cape Town - Johannesburg - Home.
My budget is about 10K, is there wiggle room to get this down closer to my budget? economy flights look like 4-5K for the 3 of us. thinking Jun 29- July 13.
sample itinerary.
Day 01 Departure.
Day 02 Arrival Johannesburg.
Day 03 Travel by road Johannesburg - Karongwe Game Reserve.
Day 04 Karongwe Game Reserve.
Day 05 Travel by road Karongwe - Johannesburg.
Day 06 Travel by Flight Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Day 07 Road Day Trip to Chobe Nat Park, Botswana.
Day 08 Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Day 09 Travel by flight Victoria Falls - Cape Town.
Day 10 Cape Town.
Day 11 Cape Town.
Day 12 Cape Town.
Day 13 Departure - Flight Cape Town - Johannesburg - Home.
Feb 20, 2018, 9:44 pm
#12
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA Gold. UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt (Lifetime Diamond downgraded to Explorist)
Posts: 6,776
What is included in the travel agencies quotes?
That drive to Karongwe Game Reserve. will be anywhere from 4.5-6 hours each way. Seems like you're cramming a bit too much in my opinion. If I had to sacrifice anything it'd be the day trip which I'd replace with an extra in Game Reserve day.
That drive to Karongwe Game Reserve. will be anywhere from 4.5-6 hours each way. Seems like you're cramming a bit too much in my opinion. If I had to sacrifice anything it'd be the day trip which I'd replace with an extra in Game Reserve day.
Feb 21, 2018, 4:37 pm
#13
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Escondido CA USA
Programs: AS, UA, HY, Hil, Merr
Posts: 3,207
CXR
FF points and hotel points? Self drive? Save up and go later? Reconsider the amount to go? Camp? Reconsider your goals for the trip? Time of year?
We did moderate accomodations plus. We paid about $500 each per day for the in country portion including air in country, transport, 2 safaris/da, food, admissions, tours and lodging. Extras were points to get their, points for at few nights at the end in Jo Berg and tips along the way. At $500/da total for three, I don't think I would want to stay there! By then you are much younger. Our first go around with the TA's were 50-85% higher. We reiterated our budget, and one provided an alternative that fit (barely), and the outer still was $750! Remember our trip was FULL of Safaris, in three countries and had a lot of internal air, therefore costing a lot more. Your list looks like it should be available for materially less per day per person, especially if the 3 of you share a room. Room rates vary a lot in major cities, so you could down buy the choice of lodging there. We skipped Cape Town to save time and cut out some cost, but then we were only interested in Safari's (by vehicle and water) plus Vic Falls. We did 3 countries to help insure we saw the big five. Turns out our first stay in SoAfrica was the only place that was really possible (likely only 3 in Chobe, if your are lucky).
Check your total budget. In camp tends to include most everything. At a hotel in Cape Town likely includes only lodging. Your costs may be higher that your TA is giving you!
Hope that helps some.
FF points and hotel points? Self drive? Save up and go later? Reconsider the amount to go? Camp? Reconsider your goals for the trip? Time of year?
We did moderate accomodations plus. We paid about $500 each per day for the in country portion including air in country, transport, 2 safaris/da, food, admissions, tours and lodging. Extras were points to get their, points for at few nights at the end in Jo Berg and tips along the way. At $500/da total for three, I don't think I would want to stay there! By then you are much younger. Our first go around with the TA's were 50-85% higher. We reiterated our budget, and one provided an alternative that fit (barely), and the outer still was $750! Remember our trip was FULL of Safaris, in three countries and had a lot of internal air, therefore costing a lot more. Your list looks like it should be available for materially less per day per person, especially if the 3 of you share a room. Room rates vary a lot in major cities, so you could down buy the choice of lodging there. We skipped Cape Town to save time and cut out some cost, but then we were only interested in Safari's (by vehicle and water) plus Vic Falls. We did 3 countries to help insure we saw the big five. Turns out our first stay in SoAfrica was the only place that was really possible (likely only 3 in Chobe, if your are lucky).
Check your total budget. In camp tends to include most everything. At a hotel in Cape Town likely includes only lodging. Your costs may be higher that your TA is giving you!
Hope that helps some.
Last edited by ranles; Feb 21, 2018 at 4:40 pm Reason: omission