African Safari/BeachTrip possible in 2 weeks?
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African Safari/BeachTrip possible in 2 weeks?
My husband and I (late 30's) unexpectedly have the second week of August off from work and really want to use that time to travel. Experienced travelers from USA comfortable with long flights, self booking hotels, trains, flights across NZ, Austrailia, Europe, Greece, Hawaii, Thailand, Wondering if possible to book at 9-10 day(total) to Aftica to do a safari/beach trip. Heard this combo is possible in Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa/Cape town. Would be a nice bonus to have a food/wine seen( i know its a reach). Any suggestions. Would like to keep the trip to $4K.
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In your limited budget and time, you could do a Kruger/Cape Town (excellent food scene) or a trip to the east coast and do safari and beach in KwaZulu Natal. I love safari and save it for last. Always save the best for last.
Flights take about 2 days to get there, 1 day back so you only have 6-7 days on tge ground. I wouldn't go that far for such a short time but it's your holiday.
Just fly to Johannesburg and then to Cape Town for 3-4 nights. There are excellent guest houses and Airbnb's all over the city, even near the ocean. Then fly direct to one of the three Kruger airports and transfer to be of the more affordable, but very nice, safari lodges. Try Senalala, Nkorho, Baobab Ridge, nThambo, nDzuti... There are more but see if any of those look like what you'd like. Stay at least 3 nights. Game drives, meals and other services are included at almost all of them. At this late date, availability will be very difficult. Be flexible.
Or even less expensively you can do a self drive safari in Kruger National Park. It's just like going to Yellowstone but they have lions and elephants (and so much more) instead of bears and bison. It's tons of fun - we do it on every visit. See www.SanParks.org for info and booking. It's best to do 2 camps for 2 nights each. Choose main rest camps so you have restaurants and shops. 2 favorites are Satara and Lower Sabie but Skukuza is big so gas lots of services - even a golf course that is very fun. You can do that for about $150 per night for both of you. Private lodges are $200 at the VERY low end to well over $1000 per person per night.
Or for great beach, you can fly to Durban via JNB. Then hit the beaches of Balito or Uhmlanga. At a higher budget, you can do Rocktail or Thonga - both are excellent. Then do safari at Tembe Elephant Park or Rhino River Lodge in Manyoni (there are others). Maybe not for foodies, but the food at these lodges is pretty good - more local and yummy. If beach is important, I'd definitely choose this option as the beaches and water in Cape Town are much colder. The Indian Ocean is warm and gorgeous. If you have an "extra" couple of days, the little town of St Lucia is very fun! It's on the edge of the beautiful iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Fly back to JNB from Durban or Richards Bay (or drive, which is what we do).
It'll be tough in your budget and short time with international flights. But my husband and I do it all the time. We are done with the expensive safaris and go often, great and very affordably.
Flights take about 2 days to get there, 1 day back so you only have 6-7 days on tge ground. I wouldn't go that far for such a short time but it's your holiday.
Just fly to Johannesburg and then to Cape Town for 3-4 nights. There are excellent guest houses and Airbnb's all over the city, even near the ocean. Then fly direct to one of the three Kruger airports and transfer to be of the more affordable, but very nice, safari lodges. Try Senalala, Nkorho, Baobab Ridge, nThambo, nDzuti... There are more but see if any of those look like what you'd like. Stay at least 3 nights. Game drives, meals and other services are included at almost all of them. At this late date, availability will be very difficult. Be flexible.
Or even less expensively you can do a self drive safari in Kruger National Park. It's just like going to Yellowstone but they have lions and elephants (and so much more) instead of bears and bison. It's tons of fun - we do it on every visit. See www.SanParks.org for info and booking. It's best to do 2 camps for 2 nights each. Choose main rest camps so you have restaurants and shops. 2 favorites are Satara and Lower Sabie but Skukuza is big so gas lots of services - even a golf course that is very fun. You can do that for about $150 per night for both of you. Private lodges are $200 at the VERY low end to well over $1000 per person per night.
Or for great beach, you can fly to Durban via JNB. Then hit the beaches of Balito or Uhmlanga. At a higher budget, you can do Rocktail or Thonga - both are excellent. Then do safari at Tembe Elephant Park or Rhino River Lodge in Manyoni (there are others). Maybe not for foodies, but the food at these lodges is pretty good - more local and yummy. If beach is important, I'd definitely choose this option as the beaches and water in Cape Town are much colder. The Indian Ocean is warm and gorgeous. If you have an "extra" couple of days, the little town of St Lucia is very fun! It's on the edge of the beautiful iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Fly back to JNB from Durban or Richards Bay (or drive, which is what we do).
It'll be tough in your budget and short time with international flights. But my husband and I do it all the time. We are done with the expensive safaris and go often, great and very affordably.
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A tight squeeze.Both,$4k and 9-10 days
The three good destinations suggested above are great combinations.
Look for an airline which flies direct to which ever African country you are planning (saves flying time and layovers).
South African, Ethiopian and Kenyan airlines fly in,to and from the United States.Check with their respective websites.
Northern Circuit( restricted to day trips to Tarangire,Lake Manyara,Ngorongoro and parts of the Serengeti,with stays outside of the parks) in Tanzania with Zanzibar (fantastic beach destination with the historical Stone Town).
Lodges and camps in Tanzania too are top-end $$$s.The low end ones do budget camping trips,a 5 days,fullboard as low as $ 1000 pp, all inclusive !!....and they would not have heard of anything called a complaint/suggestion/grievance redressal book
Ethiopian Airlines and Kenyan fly to Kilimanjaro. Precision Air has daily flights to Zanzibar from Arusha air field.
The other combo is in Kenya.The Mara or Amboseli or Tsavo combined with Mombassa. Camps in Mara ( and Kenya ) cost a lot.
Nairobi is the destination for the above.A low cost camp in Mara would be this at the Mara's Oloolaimutia gate.
http://www.enchorowildlifecamp.com/index.html
The third good option is what Christabir suggested.South Africa.With direct flights to Capetown and Johannesburg from the US.
The three good destinations suggested above are great combinations.
Look for an airline which flies direct to which ever African country you are planning (saves flying time and layovers).
South African, Ethiopian and Kenyan airlines fly in,to and from the United States.Check with their respective websites.
Northern Circuit( restricted to day trips to Tarangire,Lake Manyara,Ngorongoro and parts of the Serengeti,with stays outside of the parks) in Tanzania with Zanzibar (fantastic beach destination with the historical Stone Town).
Lodges and camps in Tanzania too are top-end $$$s.The low end ones do budget camping trips,a 5 days,fullboard as low as $ 1000 pp, all inclusive !!....and they would not have heard of anything called a complaint/suggestion/grievance redressal book
Ethiopian Airlines and Kenyan fly to Kilimanjaro. Precision Air has daily flights to Zanzibar from Arusha air field.
The other combo is in Kenya.The Mara or Amboseli or Tsavo combined with Mombassa. Camps in Mara ( and Kenya ) cost a lot.
Nairobi is the destination for the above.A low cost camp in Mara would be this at the Mara's Oloolaimutia gate.
http://www.enchorowildlifecamp.com/index.html
The third good option is what Christabir suggested.South Africa.With direct flights to Capetown and Johannesburg from the US.
#8
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Thank you all for your input. We found a good deal on a flight,so we are headed to Greek islands. I'll be back later this year to ask more about planning a trip to Africa, hopefully for next year