Ruthie_C

Thanks already to Cindy and Div for their responses on the other thread. I thought I'd try with a more specific thread title to see what other views are out there.The story is.....

We're off to Botswana at the end of December (flying from Oz on 26th Dec, one night in JNB then on to Maun) with originally the following itinerary:

2 nights Makgadikgadi Camp
2 nights Deception Valley Lodge
2 nights Delta Camp
4 nights Mapula Lodge

However we've just been told by our agent that Makgadikgadi Camp is closed so she has moved us to Meno a Kwena. We've read some very mixed views about this place so we are really looking for some alternatives.

You can tell from our choices that our budget is mid-range rather than top end. So Jack's is out of the question but we'd love your views on what other alternatives there are.

San Camp could be an option but I'm not sure how expensive they are; I've also seen on a couple of websites a camp called Leroo-La-Tau; anyone have any information about this?

As always and what this forum is best for ........ Help Please!!!

Treepol

Hi Ruthie C,

I was booked to stay at Makgadikgadi Camp in early July, however was upgraded to San Camp because Makgadikgadi is closed.

I asked about Leroo-la-tau and was told it was closed for refurbishment, and had possibly been sold. I'm sorry, but I can't remember the details now.

Rates for San Camp are available at http://www.unchartedafrica.com/page.php?p_id=13, however, I think our guide said San was a seasonal camp and it may not be open in December. I had a quick look at the Uncharted Africa website but couldn't find any details to confirm this either way.

I'm busy wrting a trip report on Botswana at the moment, however, I have posted some comments on San Camp on another thread at
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...18&start=0

The only other option I can think of is maybe a mobile camp and I would recommend Masson Safaris and Wilderness Dawning having travelled happily with both. Not sure if this is practical in the wet season though.

Good luck with the alternative,



Pol.

atravelynn

Have not been, but am very interested in Planet Baobab.

San was wonderful, but I paid pre-upgrade prices.

bots

Dear Ruthie, your agent is wrong, Makgadikgadi camp has been taken over by Uncharted Africa and is now Kalahari Camp. So its not closed.It is in the same location and has been refurbished.2 Nights is about US$1000, depending who you use.Your Agent should know this.

Ruthie_C

Thanks everyone and yes, Bots, we have now discovered this so we have contacted our agent to ask why we have to move if the camp is still there. Will let you know what the response is.

Also we now know San isn't an option for the wet season - pity!

Lynneb

Meno a Kwena is quite a long way from Deception Valley. I wouldn't recommend it as a base to visit that area.

cybor

For location, if I could do it again, I would pick Sans or Camp Kalahari (or is it Kalahari Camp?)
Your close enough to the pans and Meerkats.
To keep the cost down you could do a fly camp one night in the desert and the camp the next. The over night in the desert after riding quad bikes as the meerkat visit, is not to be missed.

I stayed at Planet Baobab recently and was not impressed. Very poorly run and quite far from the pan activities.
What you think you'll be saving by staying there gets added back in for excursions, drinks etc.

I'll try to finish my Botswana, Zimbabwe trip report up soon.

PredatorBiologist

Ruthie: As Bots says Makgadikgadi Camp has been taken over and rebranded by Uncharted Africa as Camp Kalahari. Assuming you are already booked with a confirming deposit your agent should fight if necessary to keep you there at your agreed upon rate. Uncharted Africa has their own mobile operation + Jack's Camp so if they will not have that camp ready yet they have other options they could substitute to keep you on the pans just like they upgraded Pol to San Camp. Anything less and you will not truly be on the pans so I would not accept other options for that area.

If they absolutely offer no solution on the pans I would forget that area on this trip, there is no quad biking at that time but it is still magical. Instead I would add a night to Deception Valley Lodge and do an all day drive into the CKGR, there will be an extra charge but you will save money by not having a flight to Makgadikgadi and back. Then you could add your other night to any of the camps depending on what you most want to do.

My last suggestion would probably blow the budget but due to no flights to the pans and back might be close would be to arrange a 2 night mobile into the CKGR either departing from or dropping off at Deception Valley Lodge. It's common for mobile operators to use DVL on the way in or out but if there are just 2 of you the mobile pricing might be a bit high. If doable I think that would be an exceptional option.

Ruthie_C

We've done some more investigation and it does seem that sticking with Camp Kalahari is the best option. But we've had a re-quote from the agent and it's added more than we expected to stay in the same camp!

Bill, we booked through Island Safaris who are the agent for the Footsteps in Africa properties - we were convinced by your wonderful trip report from last November. I will contact the agent again and see if there's anything she can do - we really like the itinerary we had and don't want to change it and miss the Pans.

PredatorBiologist

Ruthie: I would try and hold firm with the agent for them and/or Uncharted Africa to eat the cost since you made a deposit based on a quoted rate.

If you want shoot me an email at [email protected]

It is a great itinerary and I'd like to see you get it worked out.

divine54

ruthie,
as PB stressed you got a quotation and based on that you transferred a deposit payment; sealed in my opinion. should be binding for both AGENT and client.
just insist!

div

IslandSafari

I was alerted to these postings - I am the General Manager of Island-Safari.com.
Firstly I apologise for misunderstandings that have arisen between our Consultant Elize and Ruthie C, and let me clarify quite clearly that Ruthie C can stay at Makgadikgadi Camp and will not be required to pay any more than was originally quoted.
The whole situation arose because the lease on Makgadikgadi Camp was taken over by Uncharted Africa in June 2008, they immediately closed the Camp for refurbishments - which is when Ruthie C asked about alternatives.
Prior to that the owner had a contract with Footsteps in Africa to market and take reservations for Makgadikgadi Camp.
Ruthie C was correctly quoted for Makgadikgadi Camp using the Footstep's rates that were in force at the time.
Uncharted Africa have now issued new (increased) rates for Makgadikgadi Camp which they have also decided to re-name Camp Kalahari.
However these new rates apply only for new bookings - and do not apply to existing confirmed bookings such as Ruthie C's
Once again I apologise for this misunderstanding
Nigel Garner
General Manager
Island-Safari.com

divine54

dear nigel,

very professional performance!

div

Ruthie_C

Well I'm delighted and the power of the Fodor's forum has come through again.

Nigel has confirmed to us that we're back to plan A with no impact to us. I'm also aware that his organisation are having to make up the difference as the new camp owners have put prices up - it's what you would always hope for from a good agent. Thanks to Nigel for his very quick intervention on this.

Thanks also everyone for your support - now it's back to counting down the weeks!

(And Kaye we're off to the Coorong this weekend - more birding but a sadly depleted Wetlands area due to the drought in SA)

bots

Well done to the power of fodors.Amazing how from closed camp to no problem.