NeoPatrick

I'm looking at traveling to Africa and doing a trip with OAT next June or July. I'm having a hard time deciding between two itineraries. I've never been before and doubt I ever will again. The first one is easier with my one World Pass and I can also easily add in Cape Town on my own. Getting to Nairobi on my own is a little more involved for the second itinerary. Both are around two weeks actual travel in Africa.

#1: Johannesburg
Chobe
Capriva
Mudumu
Okavango
Hwange
Victoria Falls
Johannesburg

#2: Nairobi
Lake Naivasha/Lake Nakuru
Amboseli
Tarangire
Lake Manyara
Karatu
Ngorongora Crater
Olduvai Gorge
Serengeti
Arusha
Nairobi

P_M

Hi Patrick. It's always good to see you, even just in cybor-space.

I'm hoping to take a trip similar to #1 since Vic Falls is high on my bucket list. Can you provide a link please? I'm looking at OAT's page but I can't find that one.

In case you are interested in another option I'm also looking at Smartours' South Africa/Vic Falls tour. Just FYI.

I hope someone else can answer your questions.

NeoPatrick

Here you go:

http://www.oattravel.com/Trips/2011/...fari-2011.aspx

One of the things I like about the OAT tour is the no single supplement and the small size of the group. I'll look at that Smart Tour as well.

And yes, Victoria Falls is on my bucket list as well. As our Capetown and Johannesburg.

atravelynn

I think I've seen where you can combine the two itineraries and get a price break. But that might be out of the question.

If you want to see Vic Falls, then #1. If you want to see the migration then #2.

You may have already reviewed these threads. The trips may have changed since these reports too.
Actually gone--Ultimate
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...4&tid=35085119

actually gone—East Africa by Ann NYC
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...4&tid=34897294 report
http://www.winkflash.com/photo/publi...?u=ajennerjahn pics

If #2 means you'd stay longer with the Cape Town extension and #1 would not allow additional days, I'd tend to do #1.

Also June-July is an excellent time to view (or dive with) the Great White Sharks, boats departing Cape Town. If you enjoy cities, this would be a chance to visit the world renowned Cape Town.

#1 is a more typical first and only trip to Africa itinerary.

NeoPatrick

Do I remember that Smartours does not credit for not using their airfare? I'd like to do this all on a One World pass, and OAT will do land tour only. I just looked at the Smartour, and it seems a lot less "safari" than I want -- and I'd easily do Capetown and Johannesburg on my own.

NeoPatrick

I would stay on my own in both Cape Town and in Johannesburg for a few days each, regardless of which tour I did. I would not do the extensions offered by OAT for either.
Yes, I think combining two of them would be more safari (and more money) than I'm ready for.

P_M

Patrick, actually they do offer credit for not using their flights. Last time I checked it's $800.

Whatever you choose I hope you have a wonderful time.

sandi

Find on #1, strange that on Days 5-7, not being familiar with the accommodation shown... is it in VFA or Chobe? If in Chobe, then fine... if in VFA, wonder why you travel back-n-forth daily to sleep. I'd get that clarified.

Also clarify, if with OAT and not using their flights, whether they'll provide meet/greet and transfers on arrival/departure. Often not, so ascertain cost for them to do this... can be costly.

You have time to plan, so check other options and ask lots of questions.

Note: Over the years have had friend/acquaintances interested in the OAT #1 and had this cancelled on them last minute... insufficient participants signed up. Scurried around to find another company to handle similar itinerary. Unlike some companies who will go out with minimum 2/paxs, OAT is not one of them.

NeoPatrick

I'm curious if those cancellations have been happening recently? I know they used to, but haven't heard of that lately.

I don't worry about the meet and greet since I'd plan to arrive a day or so before the group anyway. I'm doing that with the OAT tour I'm joining in Bangkok for Vietnam.

sandi, I read the detailed itinerary as flying to Victoria Falls Airport on Day 5, but transfering across the border from there to the lodge at Chobe and staying there for three days. The actual visit to Victoria Falls and the stay there is at the end of the trip before returning to Johannesburg.

ShayTay

I'd opt for the Kenya/Tanzania trip. OAT's southern Africa trip is short on game viewing. For instance, you probably won't see much game in the Caprivi Strip (it's all in Angola... Fodor's joke!) If you look at OAT's itinerary they show "nature drives" for those days, not game drives... big clue! If this is your first and maybe only safari, I think the Africa that you picture with the open savannahs, Migration herds, etc. will be in East Africa.

Marija

Patrick, the Great Migration is one of the most amazing things we've ever seen. Victoria Falls is of course impressive but for us just not in the same league as the Migration. I'd definitely opt for East Africa for a first safari.

NeoPatrick

Wow. I spent much of today reading the Fodors Guide -- The Complete African Safari Planner. And taking into account the months I will be traveling, they were saying much the opposite of those last two posts. I was finding great support for doing the other tour in July and probably seeing a greater variety (if not numbers) of animals. I'm not sure that it is huge herds of animals I'm "expecting" to see. In fact, I'm not sure exactly what I'm hoping for.

And ShayTay, just today I was reading a post of yours saying Botswana was your favorite place in Africa -- now you seem to be saying something else. Why? Is it the time or what?

ShellCat

I did have a friend who went with OAT last December and she had a really nice time. Her trip was rescheduled to a later date due lack of people, but OAT gave her plenty of time prior to her booking the air ticket. She did the Kenya tour, then went to Vic Falls on her own.

I have flown over Chobe and the number of elephants was truly amazing. Victoria Falls really depends on what time of the year you go, always amazing, but in November the water levels are low, less water, but interesting tours to the edge of the falls with a guide.

I love Botswana, the people, game viewing, and climate. My next trip is up north, so should prove interesting. Capetown should be experienced at least once. Or twice.

Regardless of which tour you go on, you will see the most amazing things. Enjoy.

NeoPatrick

Well, cancellation or changes DO scare me a bit. I'll be flying on a One World pass and once that is booked -- at least six months before going, I am totally unable to change the order of places I'm going to (a number of destinations). So if they changed the dates of the trip, too bad -- I'm still going to be going to South Africa at the time I originally schedule and would have to work out something else to do for the three weeks or so I'll have scheduled there in July.

sandi

NP - sorry, but I hadn't read the "detailed" itinerary, why the summary of those few days threw me.

As ShayTay - yup, Caprivi is often void of game as "they're in Angola (us insiders remember Dennis).

For Jun/Jul, East Africa would be the place to be for the migration, which herds you'll find in Serengeti during June/July. There is so much game in both countries during this period.

You can still use your One World Pass to fly into JNB and/or CPT, spend a few days (4/dys CPT, 1-2/dys JNB), fly up to VFA for 2/dys... then back to JNB for flight to Nairobi/NBO to commence the OAT #2 safari.

atravelynn

July is a good time for either itinerary.

Many of us love Botswana like ShayTay, but looking at the overall itineraries, the few days in Botswana's Okavango Delta may not be enough to sway us into picking #2.

Though I've never been to the Caprivi Strip, from what I know it is not a wildlife hotspot and "nature drives" (well spotted, ShayTay) confirms that.

If there is a possibility of cancellation (I thought the cancelling problem affected mostly OAT's cruises, not the land trips, but guess it's all trips from these comments) you could see which of the two trips had more people signed up, so less chance for cancellation.

NeoPatrick

Here's what OAT's itinerary says about the Caprivi Strip. It may not be teeming with wildlife, but sounds like a pretty nice experience (mostly by boat?) if this is accurate:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Early this morning, we board a minibus that takes us to Kasane, Botswana. From here, we catch a short light aircraft flight to the Kwando airstrip near our Namibia lodge, our home for the next three nights.

Lianshulu is a Lozi (local language) name meaning “the place of spring hares”. Our lodge is located on the banks of the Kwando River that separates Namibia from Botswana.

This region is known as the Caprivi Strip, an oddly shaped panhandle of land bordered by Botswana to the south and Angola and Zambia to the north. The landscape here is flat, and marked with expanses of mopane and terminalia broadleaf forests. We stay on a private reserve in Mudumu National Park, on the banks of the Kwando River with its peaceful backwaters and lagoons—a lush oasis in the primarily arid country of Namibia.

After some time at leisure, we board pontoon boats for a sunset cruise of the Kwando River. Over 70% of Namibia’s known bird species were recorded in Mudumu, and the river is teeming with more than 400 of them, including the African jacana, whitefronted bee eater, yellow-billed and red-billed hornbills, water thick-knee, rufous-bellied heron, and many more. Watch for both the fish eagle and the snake eagle.

Waterborne wildlife is abundant as well, including hippo, crocodile, and the Cape clawless otter. We’re bound to enjoy many sightings during our sunset cruise. We’ll return to the lodge for dinner.

Please note: Due to seasonal flooding in the Caprivi Strip we may need to take a boat on the Kwando River to and from our vehicles for the daily activities. Your Trip Leader will assess you of current conditions when you arrive in the Caprivi Strip."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

And then the next day is this -- one of the things I like about OAT tours -- more "local cultural experiences"--

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

After breakfast, we enjoy a game drive en route to a local village, where we have the opportunity to see firsthand what life is like in an East Caprivian community. We will visit a family’s khuta (hut), where we learn about the traditional tools used in daily household chores. We have the opportunity to walk around with our village host or on our own. Also, we may visit a local school depending on the day of the week and the time of the year.

NeoPatrick

Hmmm. And from Fodors Ultimate Safari Planner --

"Caprivi Strip is one of Namibia's best kept secrets",
"Because it's relatively unknown as a tourist area, you'll get the feeling here that you are truly alone with nature", and
"Between July and October you'll see plenty of game, including hippos, elephants, buffalo, roan and sable antelope, kudu, zebra, and maybe even wild dogs. Mahango is great for bird watching, with more species than any other Namibian park."

Marija

Patrick--
Assuming you have netflix rent:

http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Africa_..._IMAX/11547388

matnikstym

I've been to most of the places on the #1 trip and it doesn't seem to be well thought out. 3 days in Chobe/Vic Falls is fine. 3 days in Caprivi is too much and if doing boating activities, you will be on the same river you just spent 3 days on. The game viewing in Caprivi was non-existent, the animals had gone to Angola. Okavango should have more time. Hwange can be done in a day. Though I loved Hwange, you will be going on the same roads and waterholes for 3 days. Then back to Victoria Falls? I thought that was covered in the first 3 days.
I'd opt for the East Africa trip.