safari...
- Thread starter wijcc
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Visited South Africa for two weeks in February, to stay with my girlfriends cousin on the buffalo farm/reserve that she lives on. We went out there because she was marrying one of the managers of the reserve.
So we got to stay in the "camp" there (I say camp, but it has proper accommodation huts, was ring fenced, had a swimming pool, etc) and go out safari pretty much whenever we wanted.
It was absolutely fantastic. We got incredibly close to animals I never thought I'd see in the flesh. We got within about 20 metres of black rhino, got to see herds of buffalo at dawn, and came within touching distance of some elephants on a game drive at a park nearby.
We also went out with some drinks once on a late game drive, parked the game vehicle up and sat and had a drink while the sun went down behind the Drakensberg Mountains.
Utterly incredible. If you get the opportunity, grab it with both hands. I'm at work right now, but if you want I can post up some pictures I took out there; I'm by no means a great photographer, but even I managed some decent shots of the wildlife.
So we got to stay in the "camp" there (I say camp, but it has proper accommodation huts, was ring fenced, had a swimming pool, etc) and go out safari pretty much whenever we wanted.
It was absolutely fantastic. We got incredibly close to animals I never thought I'd see in the flesh. We got within about 20 metres of black rhino, got to see herds of buffalo at dawn, and came within touching distance of some elephants on a game drive at a park nearby.
We also went out with some drinks once on a late game drive, parked the game vehicle up and sat and had a drink while the sun went down behind the Drakensberg Mountains.
Utterly incredible. If you get the opportunity, grab it with both hands. I'm at work right now, but if you want I can post up some pictures I took out there; I'm by no means a great photographer, but even I managed some decent shots of the wildlife.
Wherever you go try to get a day of horseback safari in. Animals that would normally run if you are on foot will allow horses to get relatively close. Had a wonderful time in Zimbabwe 10 years ago before it totally fell apart. We managed to get within 10 meters of buck and giraffes. Truly lovely experience. Zimbabwe is the best country I have been to in Africa. Pity it is being destroyed.
Botswana and the Okavango delta is another wonderful place, but can get expensive. I went with a group of school friends and hired makoros with polers to take us through the delta area. Just made camp at night on a decent sized island every night and spent the best 10 days of my life for next to no money (makoro and guy to pole it was around £1 per day plus maize meal and promise to catch fish every day for them)
Botswana and the Okavango delta is another wonderful place, but can get expensive. I went with a group of school friends and hired makoros with polers to take us through the delta area. Just made camp at night on a decent sized island every night and spent the best 10 days of my life for next to no money (makoro and guy to pole it was around £1 per day plus maize meal and promise to catch fish every day for them)
When did you do the makoro trip? Did you just turn up at a station and organise it when you got there or pre planned? That's what I want to do at some point in the near future. Unfortunately GAdventures cut the number of nights from 2-1 on their trip because people got bored of sitting around apparenly.
Did that 20 years ago. A tour group were looking to get wild adventure tours going and needed test subjects. They organised the transport from Pretoria to Shorobe (a couple of minivans with trailers for luggage), gave us food supplies for the time and introduced us to various polers so that we could hire their makoros, for the fee of R300 per person (£30). Once there we were left with the makoros and polers to make our own way out and back to the camp.
One the way back we went to the Makgadikgadi pans to see the flamingos. Great sight to see a pink line stretching covering the horizon.
The days were a bit boring as the water was high, and not many animals about. But we would wake early to do walking trips and get pole during the heat of the day. Stopped early enough to get an evening walk as well.
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Right booked myself a 8 day safari trip to Kenya.. £2300 each including international & domestic flights, most meals, 6 nights camping and 1 nights hotel stay. The most expensive holiday i have ever booked and cost more than my car!!
Can anyone recommend a good but cheap binoculars to buy for the trip?
Can anyone recommend a good but cheap binoculars to buy for the trip?
Anyone done a safari in Tanzania?
Also in october, im out there and trying to decide what i can afford, also lookin g at goiing to zanzibar, but seems a shame to go all the way out there and not do a safari.
Ayone done any short ones(like two/three days). Are there ones which are far less comercialised? And actually kind of camp out, eat regional food and have local guides that love what they do.
Got to sit down on sat and work out costs and see what i can afford/fit in.
Also in october, im out there and trying to decide what i can afford, also lookin g at goiing to zanzibar, but seems a shame to go all the way out there and not do a safari.
Ayone done any short ones(like two/three days). Are there ones which are far less comercialised? And actually kind of camp out, eat regional food and have local guides that love what they do.
Got to sit down on sat and work out costs and see what i can afford/fit in.
I know the OP has already booked, but I did my own Safari around Kruger a few years ago. I booked everything myself - flights, car hire, rest camps etc. Didn't come to much money at all and I had a great time. We did organised safaris from the rest stops, had a braai every night, stayed in some really nice rooms (Olifants rest camp was a highlight for me, looking down from the top and seeing animals crossing the river https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=o...KuyAGA7oDACw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1467&bih=499) and got to see the big 5 and take our time going between camps as we had our own car.
My only regret is going with my ***** of an ex and spending money on her.
My only regret is going with my ***** of an ex and spending money on her.
When I went, I was staying in Hoedspruit, just outside of the Kruger park. We did go for a game drive into the Kruger, but unfortunately didn't see much. We had better luck at the Thornybush reserve nearer our camp....saw a lion up close, and got very close to elephants.
Bumping an old thread
Looking into this at the moment for September for 7 - 10 days. Ideally we'd prefer not to camp however happy to do this for a part of the stay, just not all. It would also be cool to do a couple of beach days somewhere?
Not really sure what area to look at? From reading the above Kenya/Zimbabwe stand out, however with all of the troubles at the moment are these safe enough?
I've contacted a few companies with quotes coming back at around 3k pp for a 7 day safari & beach (Tanzania & Zanzibar?) Does this sound reasonable ?
Looking into this at the moment for September for 7 - 10 days. Ideally we'd prefer not to camp however happy to do this for a part of the stay, just not all. It would also be cool to do a couple of beach days somewhere?
Not really sure what area to look at? From reading the above Kenya/Zimbabwe stand out, however with all of the troubles at the moment are these safe enough?
I've contacted a few companies with quotes coming back at around 3k pp for a 7 day safari & beach (Tanzania & Zanzibar?) Does this sound reasonable ?