South Africa and Namibia for Feb. 2016

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
I was lucky enough to get in on the super cheap tickets to JNB that were available on 4/11/15, and as a result my husband and I will be spending 24 days on the ground in southern Africa, flying JFK>>JNB>>JFK. The fare popped just as we were trying to plan his sabbatical, and while we had not really considered SA as a possibility, once I snagged the tix and we started looking into it, we both agreed we'd keep the tix (despite that they are in coach ;) ) and go.

He is a sociologist and will find the history, culture and politics of SA of great interest, which will mean we'll want to spend time exploring cities as well rural areas that are home to both animals and people. We definitely want to do some safaris. @KennyBSAT suggested we also consider Namibia, telling me that @Deltahater really enjoyed his time there.

I am comfortable just sketching out an itinerary - as in how many days in each of the places we want to see, and in what order - and then working out the details on the ground after we get there. We did this quite successfully both when we spent a month in Costa Rica and when we spent a month in China.

@Matt commented (on another thread in this sub-forum) that prices are significantly better if you book safaris in Africa rather than setting it all up ahead of time. I am curious if this is true also for air/train travel and car rentals.

I have a bunch of Club Carlson points I'd like to use, esp. with the devaluation about to take effect. I already booked our first 2 nights at the Radisson Blu Gautrain Sandton to allow us some time to get over our jetlag and so H can see the apartheid museum in Soweto (it is his sabbatical, after all ;) .

I've read @Travelisfree 's posts on self-drive safaris and we are seriously considering that. Our thought was to perhaps mix and match self-drive with tours for the safari parts, renting a car for a day or two as we need it and booking a 1-2 day tour for places we'd prefer to have a guide or not drive ourselves

This week I will get some guidebooks which often have sample 21 day itineraries and I know I can find many more online, but if you have an itinerary for South Africa / Namibia that you'd like to share that would meet our needs, please do, even if it doesn't cover the full 24 days. Thanks!!
 
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niehlin2

Level 2 Member
This sounds like a great plan. You may consider Radisson Blu Waterfront Cape Town if you will visit Cape Town. My DH and I are visiting SA, Zimbabwe, and Botswana for 16 days next month. We will stay 4 nights at Radisson Blu Waterfront Cape Town.
 
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Barb

Level 2 Member
We're headed to to SA for two weeks in July. We have 4 nights of safari booked at two different lodges using an SA based agent. We plan to spend about a week in CPT and area and some time in JHB too. I'd be happy to share any tips once we're back.
 

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
I would recommend spending at least a week in Cape Town. It is one of the most fabulously beautiful spots on the planet and there is so much to see in and around the Cape. Use up those points, but consider also staying at a smaller guest house. I spent a week at one owned by a Dutch couple and in a residential neighborhood and it was a totally different experience than being in a hotel. Be sure to take the trip to Robben Island. Also, I took a Township Tour with Vamos. We spent time in Langa and it was really an important part of understanding the country and its history. I completely agree that you should go to Namibia. It is very unique and has highly developed tourism. It is easy to set up a safari or any kind of trip after you are on the ground. Be sure to find a way to go to the Namib Sand Sea as well as safari. I did not do safari in either country but have in other parts of Africa and the one thing I might suggest about self drive, is that to me one of the most important elements of safari is having someone who knows the terrain and knows how to spot the wildlife. My driver in Kenya saw things we did not see and then he was off taking us to it. So, that knowledge during the safari really mattered. Just my two cents. Sounds like a wonderful journey for you both!
 

niehlin2

Level 2 Member
We're headed to to SA for two weeks in July. We have 4 nights of safari booked at two different lodges using an SA based agent. We plan to spend about a week in CPT and area and some time in JHB too. I'd be happy to share any tips once we're back.
We also have 4 nights of safari booked at 2 different private game lodges using an SA based agent. There is so much to see and I wish we have more time.
 

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
We're headed to to SA for two weeks in July. We have 4 nights of safari booked at two different lodges using an SA based agent. We plan to spend about a week in CPT and area and some time in JHB too. I'd be happy to share any tips once we're back.
Thanks @Barb. I will look forward to your tips on your return.

Would you be willing to share the SA based agent you used to book the safaris, either here or via DM to me? I'd like to start researching that right away.

Thanks again.
 

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
I would recommend spending at least a week in Cape Town. It is one of the most fabulously beautiful spots on the planet and there is so much to see in and around the Cape. Use up those points, but consider also staying at a smaller guest house. I spent a week at one owned by a Dutch couple and in a residential neighborhood and it was a totally different experience than being in a hotel. Be sure to take the trip to Robben Island. Also, I took a Township Tour with Vamos. We spent time in Langa and it was really an important part of understanding the country and its history. I completely agree that you should go to Namibia. It is very unique and has highly developed tourism. It is easy to set up a safari or any kind of trip after you are on the ground. Be sure to find a way to go to the Namib Sand Sea as well as safari. I did not do safari in either country but have in other parts of Africa and the one thing I might suggest about self drive, is that to me one of the most important elements of safari is having someone who knows the terrain and knows how to spot the wildlife. My driver in Kenya saw things we did not see and then he was off taking us to it. So, that knowledge during the safari really mattered. Just my two cents. Sounds like a wonderful journey for you both!
Great advice, @smittytabb. Thanks!

Would you be willing to DM me the contact info for the guest house owned by the Dutch couple, and/or the site you used to set that up? It sounds exactly like what my H would want.

Thanks again!
 

niehlin2

Level 2 Member
I got the Etihad mistake airfare on 12/25. Did not have much time to plan. I booked with go2africa. The agent is Tracy Payne. A friend of mine went last year and highly recommended her. She is incredible. We booked some flights with Avios points and used hotel points but we also booked some flights and private game lodges through her. So it's a combination. We will visit Sabi Sand Games Reserve near Kruger NP, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Chobe NP in Botswana, and Cape Town. I would have consulted smittyabb first had I had enough time. It was crazy on the Xmas day with the mistake fares. I ended up booking two trips, one to Abu Dhabi/Dubai and the other to SA.

Here is Tracy's contact
tracy.payne@go2africa.com
1-866-438-8677
 

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
I got the Etihad mistake airfare on 12/25. Did not have much time to plan. I booked with go2africa. The agent is Tracy Payne. A friend of mine went last year and highly recommended her. She is incredible. We booked some flights with Avios points and used hotel points but we also booked some flights and private game lodges through her. So it's a combination. We will visit Sabi Sand Games Reserve near Kruger NP, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Chobe NP in Botswana, and Cape Town. I would have consulted smittyabb first had I had enough time. It was crazy on the Xmas day with the mistake fares. I ended up booking two trips, one to Abu Dhabi/Dubai and the other to SA.

Here is Tracy's contact
tracy.payne@go2africa.com
1-866-438-8677
Most helpful, thanks!!
 

bayguy

Level 2 Member
I am going to SA, Victoria Falls(Zimbabwe side) coming June. I am spending 5 days in Cape Town, 2.5 days in Victoria Falls, 5 days in Kruger national park(2 days self-safari & 3 days staying in Sabi Sands). My Sabi Sands and Victoria Falls plan was through Rhino Africa.

I will share more details if you are interested.
 

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
I am going to SA, Victoria Falls(Zimbabwe side) coming June. I am spending 5 days in Cape Town, 2.5 days in Victoria Falls, 5 days in Kruger national park(2 days self-safari & 3 days staying in Sabi Sands). My Sabi Sands and Victoria Falls plan was through Rhino Africa.

I will share more details if you are interested.
Thanks much. How will you get from SA >> Victoria Falls >> Krueger?
 

bayguy

Level 2 Member
CPT-JNB-VFA-JNB on Comair using BA Avios(No nonstop and you have to connect in JNB)

JNB-HDS(Hoedspruit) on SAA using United miles. When I booked 11 months back, It seems they have a nonstop from Zambia side(Livingatone) but you need to have Yellow fever shot.

Now, this requirement is removed, so you can fly from Skukuza(SZK) to Livingtone(LVI) nonstop.
 

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
CPT-JNB-VFA-JNB on Comair using BA Avios(No nonstop and you have to connect in JNB)

JNB-HDS(Hoedspruit) on SAA using United miles. When I booked 11 months back, It seems they have a nonstop from Zambia side(Livingatone) but you need to have Yellow fever shot.

Now, this requirement is removed, so you can fly from Skukuza(SZK) to Livingtone(LVI) nonstop.
Why not get the Yellow Fever shot?
 

bayguy

Level 2 Member
Somehow I didn't feel comfortable about yellow fever shots. Guess I have to take it next year for my planned trip to Peru & Bolivia.

Though Kruger is in malaria region, I am not sure if taking the preventives is a good idea especially for children as they have many side effects. I am planning to skip but will check with my doctor before my trip.
 

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
Somehow I didn't feel comfortable about yellow fever shots. Guess I have to take it next year for my planned trip to Peru & Bolivia.

Though Kruger is in malaria region, I am not sure if taking the preventives is a good idea especially for children as they have many side effects. I am planning to skip but will check with my doctor before my trip.
I skipped out of the shots and we learned in SA that they require them if you transit through an area that has any outbreaks. That meant for us we weren't required them to go into JoBurg, but they wouldn't allow us out of the airport on the return as we had visited other countries that they considered at risk.

They demanded that I take them at the airport in JoBurg and I talked them out of it.
 

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
For any talk of Safari I think it best to share datapoints, else we may all be talking past one another. Our safari was short, we did 3 nights I believe, staying an average hotel (clean, and somewhere you could sleep). The cost was about $300-$400 PP all inclusive. That was at ngorongoro national park.

I imagine that people would repackage that same trip at 3-6x the price we paid.
 

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
Matt is right. It is not always about where you are traveling in terms of Yellow Fever inoculation, but where you are go afterwards that wants to know that you are.

In terms of malaria meds, I have done a lot of research on this. I usually get the pills, but depending on how much I think I will risk exposure decide later whether or not to start taking them. I always take Malarone and think it has the least side effects.
 

Barb

Level 2 Member
For any talk of Safari I think it best to share datapoints, else we may all be talking past one another. Our safari was short, we did 3 nights I believe, staying an average hotel (clean, and somewhere you could sleep). The cost was about $300-$400 PP all inclusive. That was at ngorongoro national park.

I imagine that people would repackage that same trip at 3-6x the price we paid.
Here are my data points. I booked Nthambo Tree Camp in the Klaserie reserve for two nights and Arathusa in the Sabi Sands reserve for two nights. It was just under $250/pp/night, but that is with paying a single supplement for our daughter. That is all inclusive (game drives, walks, meals) but doesn't include alcohol or soft drinks. The price we paid was the same price that is on the lodges' website and the price on booking.com. These are nice lodges with great reviews, but far from the top end such as Lion Sands Tinga. (about $800 pp/night!)

I don't normally use an agent but I was in bit of a rush to book something since it turns out we are at Kruger during SA school holidays and during the peak viewing season (July) and lodges were getting very booked up. (virtually zero available inside Kruger Park proper, certainly nothing that would house three people). So using an agent allowed me to make provisional holds on properties until I made a final decision.

I've read that self-driving in Kruger Park is great fun and there are many types of accommodation available in the park that are reasonable. There are grocery stores and restaurants so it's easy to keep yourself fed. I think of it as very similar to the facilities at Yosemite, with the same availability issues i.e. if you want to be there during peak times, you need to book a year in advance.

So I think bayguy's idea of combining some time in the park and at a private reserve is excellent.
 

niehlin2

Level 2 Member
Hi Barb, my friends stayed at Arathusa last year. They were very happy. We trid to book Arathusa but it was sold out. We will stay at the Elephant Plain Game Lodge. We also will stay at Victoria Falla Hotel for 2 nights and Chobe Game Lodge for 2 nights.
 

zimnzam

Level 2 Member
I did a roadtrip 3 weeks long in Namibia in 2012 and cannot speak enough about this country. I'm a complete wildlife nut but travelling thru Namibia just blew me away, both in terms of landscapes and wildlife. I've also done South Africa in 2010, mainly Kruger and Makalali Game Reserve.....Kruger was just brilliant.

Special thing about both Namibia and Kruger area - they're very "roadtrip" friendly.
Since you have 24 days on ground, I'd highly recommend you include Namibia in your plans. I can also point you to the ground handler in Namibia who was extremely helpful in getting us the best rates for our last minute plans. And yes, the prices are certainly better that what one would find outside of Africa.

Windhoek is a fairly modern city with very friendly people, and you'd be surprised how well their road are maintained all over the country. And if going to Namibia, it'd be a crime to miss visiting Etosha National Park. I've had the best times there, so much so that I went back solo for 7 days before heading back to the US.

I believe you meant that your travel dates are in Feb 2016. If that's true, it can be a little tricky as it's the rainy season in Southern Africa due to which wildlife viewing may not be that good. Regardless, there's NO PLACE like Africa. If you want specifics on anything, feel free to DM me and I'll share all I know.
 

niehlin2

Level 2 Member
Wow! I got so inspired by reading this thread. Thanks Elaine for starting this thread and thanks everyone for all your valuable inputs. I definitely will have another trip to cover these great places I won't be able to go next month.
 

bayguy

Level 2 Member
I will give cost breakdown a little later(outside but felt I needed to respond). I am staying 2 days in Satara guest house(we are 2 adults & 2 kids). We are staying 3 nights at Elephant Plains(all inclusive). I am renting car for my 2 days self drive which will be picked at Satara by Avis. I also used Rhino Africa for my Zimbabwe stay of 2 nights at Illala lodge and airport pickup & drop.

I would love to spend more time on safari but couldn't get more than 3 weeks vacation. We are going via Hong Kong(2.5 days) and to get all 4 business class seats on CX/Com Air/SAA was a challenge.

More than the trip, I love the challenge of finding seats
 

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
Thanks, everyone, this thread has been a real education for me.

@zimnzam, We did check the weather in Feb. before deciding to keep the tix, and saw that it is the rainy season. But we didn't really think through the impact on animal viewing; hopefully we'll still have some good luck anyway. Your comment prompted me to google a bit ("best places to see wildlife during rainy season namibia") and I soon found this, about Etosha Nat'l Park:

Etosha, by contrast, even in the short wet season offers great game viewing opportunities all year long as there are no rivers, the bush is not as dense as the Kruger and wildlife concentrations, in general, are higher in Etosha. Rain falls in short powerful storms allowing plenty of game viewing and photographic activities before and afterwards. It being summer, the rains also bring a welcome cool to the air; and there's nothing quite like a summer thunderstorm. [http://www.namibia-tours-safaris.com/destinations/namibia/etosha-national-park/when-to-visit-etosha.htm]

Knowing about the rainy season and its impact on animal viewing actually may provide me with a good way to narrow the choices; that is, to plan an itinerary around the best places to go during the rainy season.

I will DM you re: the handler you mentioned. Thanks so much!!!
 

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
@zimnzam, I sent you a DM re: contact info for your recommended handler, so take a look when you have a moment. Thanks.

@Everyone, I picked up a trusty Lonely Planet for Southern Africa, reminding me fondly of the 5 months I spent with my then BF camping and hitchhiking around Europe and the British Isles back in - yikes! - 1973!! Said BF is now my husband and it is his sabbatical we'll be spending in southern Africa, shortly before he retires. How time does fly. I think we each left the states with $400-$600 in our pockets and we arrived home with a little money still there. Many of our meals were canned sardines smeared on fresh bread with a slice of local cheese on the side. This was back when the other big guidebook was Europe on $5 a Day. We have indeed come a long way....

I took the liberty of cutting and pasting some of the logistical info you all have so kindly shared here into an iPages file, specifically so he can read it as we make our plans. I hope that's not against any Forum rules. If anyone has a significant other who might also want to read such info, and it isn't a no-no, I am happy to share the file. Just DM me. That is, unless people who contributed here, @Matt, or any mods prefer I not share it. In that case I'll let him read it before I recycle it in tiny pieces ;) or toss it in the fireplace. Or I could make him eat it :eek: .
 

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
@zimnzam, I sent you a DM re: contact info for your recommended handler, so take a look when you have a moment. Thanks.

@Everyone, I picked up a trusty Lonely Planet for Southern Africa, reminding me fondly of the 5 months I spent with my then BF camping and hitchhiking around Europe and the British Isles back in - yikes! - 1973!! Said BF is now my husband and it is his sabbatical we'll be spending in southern Africa, shortly before he retires. How time does fly. I think we each left the states with $400-$600 in our pockets and we arrived home with a little money still there. Many of our meals were canned sardines smeared on fresh bread with a slice of local cheese on the side. This was back when the other big guidebook was Europe on $5 a Day. We have indeed come a long way....

I took the liberty of cutting and pasting some of the logistical info you all have so kindly shared here into an iPages file, specifically so he can read it as we make our plans. I hope that's not against any Forum rules. If anyone has a significant other who might also want to read such info, and it isn't a no-no, I am happy to share the file. Just DM me. That is, unless people who contributed here, @Matt, or any mods prefer I not share it. In that case I'll let him read it before I recycle it in tiny pieces ;) or toss it in the fireplace. Or I could make him eat it :eek: .
How about "Let's Go: Europe"? That made Europe on $5 a Day look expensive! Let's Go was my Bible during several backpacking trips through Europe. Packing light meant that you would pull out the pages you had used or weren't planning to use to make the book smaller.
 

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
How about "Let's Go: Europe"? That made Europe on $5 a Day look expensive! Let's Go was my Bible during several backpacking trips through Europe. Packing light meant that you would pull out the pages you had used or weren't planning to use to make the book smaller.
You are right! I was actually trying to remember if Lonely Planets were around in the early 70s. It may be the book I am remembering was a Let's Go Europe.

Another totally OT comment: We carried money in AMEX TCs in part so we could get mail c/o AMEX offices. So whenever we arrived in a city, our first stop was the local AMEX office to collect mail. The other advantage was that as we waited on line to get our letters, we'd talk to other travelers to share tips on the current city as well as future destinations. I think we hooked up with some folks traveling around in a VW bus at one office and then traveled with them through Spain. The snobby Amex employees were not always happy with all the scruffy young travelers who hung about and used their bathrooms, but as we all could flash a few AMEX TCs they couldn't throw us out. Funny to think about that when we now have so many AMEX cards in our wallets!
 

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
You are right! I was actually trying to remember if Lonely Planets were around in the early 70s. It may be the book I am remembering was a Let's Go Europe.

Another totally OT comment: We carried money in AMEX TCs in part so we could get mail c/o AMEX offices. So whenever we arrived in a city, our first stop was the local AMEX office to collect mail. The other advantage was that as we waited on line to get our letters, we'd talk to other travelers to share tips on the current city as well as future destinations. I think we hooked up with some folks traveling around in a VW bus at one office and then traveled with them through Spain. The snobby Amex employees were not always happy with all the scruffy young travelers who hung about and used their bathrooms, but as we all could flash a few AMEX TCs they couldn't throw us out. Funny to think about that when we now have so many AMEX cards in our wallets!
OMG...blast from the past. Yes, indeed I traveled around the world that way getting mail at every AMEX office along the way. Back then phone calls were too expensive and so that was the only way I heard from anyone was those letters. We would go to the AMEX office before we would check into the local youth hostel. That was back when the only hostels were those IYH ones where you would look for the sign with the tree and the house. Now there are all kinds of hostels much nicer than any that I stayed in. I remember having a membership card in the association in order to use the hostels.
 

zimnzam

Level 2 Member
Thanks, everyone, this thread has been a real education for me.

@zimnzam, We did check the weather in Feb. before deciding to keep the tix, and saw that it is the rainy season. But we didn't really think through the impact on animal viewing; hopefully we'll still have some good luck anyway. Your comment prompted me to google a bit ("best places to see wildlife during rainy season namibia") and I soon found this, about Etosha Nat'l Park:

Etosha, by contrast, even in the short wet season offers great game viewing opportunities all year long as there are no rivers, the bush is not as dense as the Kruger and wildlife concentrations, in general, are higher in Etosha. Rain falls in short powerful storms allowing plenty of game viewing and photographic activities before and afterwards. It being summer, the rains also bring a welcome cool to the air; and there's nothing quite like a summer thunderstorm. [http://www.namibia-tours-safaris.com/destinations/namibia/etosha-national-park/when-to-visit-etosha.htm]

Knowing about the rainy season and its impact on animal viewing actually may provide me with a good way to narrow the choices; that is, to plan an itinerary around the best places to go during the rainy season.

I will DM you re: the handler you mentioned. Thanks so much!!!

Hi Elaine,

I'm sure Etosha would be just wonderful even in the rainy season. It's a photographer's paradise at that time! The game would not be as high in nos (I saw 71 lions in 9 day stay in Etosha) compared to the dry season but this place is always a winner. There are 3 camps within the park, and I'd recommend you stay at Okaukuejo camp and Namutoni camp (the best, IMO), and keep Halali camp as the last preference based on the no. of days you spend in the park. The "green" season is also off season, so rates should be excellent too. Watching a thunderstorm brewing over the Etosha plains with giraffe and elephant in the foreground will be priceless :)

For my trip, I'd contacted a few operators out of which I went with The Cardboard Box
Code:
http://www.namibian.org/
. They were very quick in responding, gave excellent suggestions on our roadtrip itinerary, and got us great prices at all the lodges. Their website is a wealth of information; do not ignore the tiny sub-tabs on their pages as they have a lot of information in them plus you also find an interactive map for Namibia to get ideas.
The others I shortlisted were Chameleon Safaris and Wild-Dog Safaris of Namibia.

If you're going to stay in Kruger Park itself, Satara camp and Lower Sabie are highly recommended. Driving without a 4x4 would not be recommended as you wouldn't wanna get stuck in the wet cotton soil of the park in the rainy season. But what a treat it is to explore the park on one's own terms with just a map in hand :)

Oh you should be so excited for this trip, Elaine! Visiting Africa will change your life.
 

bayguy

Level 2 Member
As promised, here are quotes for my Africa trip:

Zimbabwe - 416$/adult and 216$/kid - This includes transport to & from airport, 2 days bed & breakfast at Ilala Lodge

Kruger - 9927 Rand/Adult and 4872 Rand/Kid - Includes 3 days car rental for self-drive(Hoedspruit to our Satara camp guesthouse), pickup from Satara to Elephant plains, 3 nights in 2 Rondavels, all game drives/meals etc. It also includes dropping us back to Hoedspruit airport.
 

Air Land and Sea

Level 2 Member
Hi Elaine,


If you're going to stay in Kruger Park itself, Satara camp and Lower Sabie are highly recommended. Driving without a 4x4 would not be recommended as you wouldn't wanna get stuck in the wet cotton soil of the park in the rainy season. But what a treat it is to explore the park on one's own terms with just a map in hand :)
We too stayed in Satara the end of August last year and it is the camp you want to stay in if you want to see the lion, leopard and cheetah - which we did see. In fact, about 12 lions were lying in the road about 5 km before the gates of Satara and we were almost late for the 6 PM gate closure. From there our son and his family went to Lower Sabie while we went with an outfitter. hat I didn't really comprehend is that with an outfitter they have to stay on "their land concession" and aren't allowed to go into the public part of Kruger. Sahara was amazing, make sure you bring a very strong flashlight as we would walk the perimeter fence at night to see the nocturnal animals. A great amphitheater with program s at night, swimming pool, mini market with great selection of wine, I just can't say enough great things about Satara.
 

bayguy

Level 2 Member
Thank you for your comments. I will be staying in the Guest House for 2 nights. How was the food in the Mugg & Bean restaurant? We are vegetarians and want to know if there are good veg options for breakfast & lunch. Also, are the guided rives worth(we will be staying for 3 nights in Elephant plains after Satara).
 

RTR

Level 2 Member
Thank you for your comments. I will be staying in the Guest House for 2 nights. How was the food in the Mugg & Bean restaurant? We are vegetarians and want to know if there are good veg options for breakfast & lunch. Also, are the guided rives worth(we will be staying for 3 nights in Elephant plains after Satara).
I think you will enjoy Elephant Plains. The guides were excellent. Our trip was in October & we had multiple sightings of the Big Five.
 
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