Best company to use for Zambia/Zim/Bots
Jul 24th, 2009, 07:23 AM
#2
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www.go2africa.com is very well bespoken here.
I have not used them myself as I do the bookings directly because each camp/operator organises the transfers/taxi flights etc. That's sufficient for us.
Happy Planning!
SV
I have not used them myself as I do the bookings directly because each camp/operator organises the transfers/taxi flights etc. That's sufficient for us.
Happy Planning!
SV
Jul 24th, 2009, 01:18 PM
#3
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We used Micato (based in Nairobi & NYC). Have traveled with them 2x now - once in E. Africa and once in Zambia, S. Africa, and Bots. www.micatosafaris.com - they are awesome!! Happy to provide any other details about them, but they're the only co I've used so I can't really compare them to anyone else.
Cheers,
Erin
Cheers,
Erin
Jul 24th, 2009, 06:52 PM
#4
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sally,
i highly recommend you contact annie zambelli at africa wildlife safaris (aka natural focus). they are one of the best safari companies in australia IMO. they are a competitor of my company and i have met several of their principals on a few occasions. they do not charge more than booking direct as they have contracts with most of the major lodge chains: http://www.nfs.travel/
you will also get the benefit of australian consumer protection as this company is based in australie and i see that is where you are from.
before working with go2africa i would read this thread from trip advisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...th_Africa.html
it seems that three of their employees left in april to start their own company.
micato, go2africa, and nfs have the same business model. none of them own anything in africa on the ground except the people that own micator have a home outside nairobi that they use for clients. in my experience, micato does mark-up their prices more than the other two companies. they are a long established brand based in manhatten and their clients don't seem to mind paying a bit extra. from exact quotes i have seen, their mark-up is about 15% higher than the other companies i mentioned for an exact apples-to-apples itinerary.
good luck. i am going to kafue, lower zambezi, and south luangwe in two months. i will be staying at several wilderness safari camps, plus sausage tree, kulefu, and puku ridge. i am excited!
craig beal
i highly recommend you contact annie zambelli at africa wildlife safaris (aka natural focus). they are one of the best safari companies in australia IMO. they are a competitor of my company and i have met several of their principals on a few occasions. they do not charge more than booking direct as they have contracts with most of the major lodge chains: http://www.nfs.travel/
you will also get the benefit of australian consumer protection as this company is based in australie and i see that is where you are from.
before working with go2africa i would read this thread from trip advisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...th_Africa.html
it seems that three of their employees left in april to start their own company.
micato, go2africa, and nfs have the same business model. none of them own anything in africa on the ground except the people that own micator have a home outside nairobi that they use for clients. in my experience, micato does mark-up their prices more than the other two companies. they are a long established brand based in manhatten and their clients don't seem to mind paying a bit extra. from exact quotes i have seen, their mark-up is about 15% higher than the other companies i mentioned for an exact apples-to-apples itinerary.
good luck. i am going to kafue, lower zambezi, and south luangwe in two months. i will be staying at several wilderness safari camps, plus sausage tree, kulefu, and puku ridge. i am excited!
craig beal
Jul 24th, 2009, 06:58 PM
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Janine Krook left Go2Africa to start AfricanTravelExperts a few months back:
http://africantravelexperts.com/cate...t-our-experts/
I am sure Go2Africa will bounce back. They are a good company.
Craig Beal
http://africantravelexperts.com/cate...t-our-experts/
I am sure Go2Africa will bounce back. They are a good company.
Craig Beal
Jul 24th, 2009, 07:09 PM
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I've used Premier Tours in Philadelphia twice, for a 6-week South Africa/VicFalls/Botswana trip in 2006, and a 4-week 5-camp Botswana trip in 2007. Very highly reccommended for all of Southern Africa. Our agent there was Bob Berghaier, a former zookeeper in Philly. Knows Africa AND animals, and he works closely with Julian Harrison, the South African owner of Premier who's been in the business for years.
Jul 25th, 2009, 03:42 AM
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sally,
julian harrison owns premier tours. he is a friend (and competitor!) of mine and does VERY good work. he just got named as a "top safari specialist" by conde nast magazine for the fifth (or 6th) strait year? i also highly recommend premier. julian also is the writer of the fodors travel book for southern africa. i have a copy at the office...
IMO i don't think there is going to be any difference between the service you get from annie or premier so you really can just choose one.
craig beal
julian harrison owns premier tours. he is a friend (and competitor!) of mine and does VERY good work. he just got named as a "top safari specialist" by conde nast magazine for the fifth (or 6th) strait year? i also highly recommend premier. julian also is the writer of the fodors travel book for southern africa. i have a copy at the office...
IMO i don't think there is going to be any difference between the service you get from annie or premier so you really can just choose one.
craig beal
Jul 25th, 2009, 04:45 AM
#9
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SallyS,
In requesting an African company, did you want one that is located IN Africa or just a company that deals primarily WITH African travel?
What a time to be starting your own travel company.
In requesting an African company, did you want one that is located IN Africa or just a company that deals primarily WITH African travel?
What a time to be starting your own travel company.
Jul 25th, 2009, 01:43 PM
#10
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Lynn, we thought this time we'd deal directly with someone in Africa, hoping to save a few dollars. I guess we only need help getting from one place to the other, so I'll contact the lodges to see what they provide.
Thanks for your advice everyone, looking forward to reading your trip report Craig.
Thanks for your advice everyone, looking forward to reading your trip report Craig.
Jul 25th, 2009, 03:27 PM
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sally - the only problem i ran into planning my upcoming trip is the logistics from livingstone to lower zambezi and into zimbabwe. i wanted to go to mana pools and lower zambezi. these are not normally places that people would visit on one trip since lower zambezi (zambia) and mana pools (zimababwe) are the exact same ecosystem on opposite sides of the same river. people choose one or the other. several of the consultants at my office had been to lowe zam and mana pools but no me. most people get to lower zambezi by charter from lusaka as that is the cheapest way, BUT getting to lusaka from moremi or hwange is very inconvenient and expensive. pro flight flies daily from lower zambezi to lusaka for $150 per person.
anyway, since you are going to hwange, i would suggest you go to mana pools national park instead of lower zambezi. this will save you time and money and improve your experience. i think i am going to find (and you) that lower zambezi has higher tourist density than mana pools. i'll let you know.
it is the least expensive to go on this route JNB-HRE (harare), charter to mana pools, charter to hwange, charter to vic falls, then road transfer to kasane and charter to the moremi. that routing minimizes travel time, charter cost, and border crossings (visa).
IF the border post at Kariba becomes a viable option then you may be able to get from lower zambezi to hwange in one day. if not, lower zambezi to livingstone is a %400 charter flight with the most reliable charter companies.
i thought i would make these suggestions since you have now decided to book all this directly with the lodges. lodges, especially ones that are not under the same ownership, will not alway provide you the best advice on getting from one place to another. sometimes, it is not even in their best interests to do so. mostly, they simply don't know.
craig beal
anyway, since you are going to hwange, i would suggest you go to mana pools national park instead of lower zambezi. this will save you time and money and improve your experience. i think i am going to find (and you) that lower zambezi has higher tourist density than mana pools. i'll let you know.
it is the least expensive to go on this route JNB-HRE (harare), charter to mana pools, charter to hwange, charter to vic falls, then road transfer to kasane and charter to the moremi. that routing minimizes travel time, charter cost, and border crossings (visa).
IF the border post at Kariba becomes a viable option then you may be able to get from lower zambezi to hwange in one day. if not, lower zambezi to livingstone is a %400 charter flight with the most reliable charter companies.
i thought i would make these suggestions since you have now decided to book all this directly with the lodges. lodges, especially ones that are not under the same ownership, will not alway provide you the best advice on getting from one place to another. sometimes, it is not even in their best interests to do so. mostly, they simply don't know.
craig beal
Jul 26th, 2009, 04:28 PM
#13
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Craig just re read your response, and African Wildlife were the company we wanted to use to go to Kenya/Tan. But they let us down, made an appt to see her, flew from QLD to Vic especially and she'd taken the day off.
But thanks for the info above as I wasnt sure how to approach it.
LAleslie, the saving money = when we went in April, we booked through a local agent who went through another agent who booked through a Kenyan Safari Co, just trying to cut down on the "middlemen", where as we could have booked directly with the Kenyan Company.
But thanks for the info above as I wasnt sure how to approach it.
LAleslie, the saving money = when we went in April, we booked through a local agent who went through another agent who booked through a Kenyan Safari Co, just trying to cut down on the "middlemen", where as we could have booked directly with the Kenyan Company.
Jul 26th, 2009, 04:57 PM
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Just been checking out your webpage.
And I've been checking out the flight costs, wow expensive!
Have to sort out the most economical way to do it, and what the driving times are say between Hwange and Vic Falls etc
And I've been checking out the flight costs, wow expensive!
Have to sort out the most economical way to do it, and what the driving times are say between Hwange and Vic Falls etc
Jul 26th, 2009, 06:13 PM
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well - most people fly from hwange to vic falls but a road transfer is possible with most of the transfer companies in victoria falls.
what flight costs? you can fly on SAA using the following routes:
Australia-JNB
JNB-HRE
HRE-Mana Pools (charter)
Mana Pools-Hwange (charter)
Hwange-VFA (charter or road)
VFA-BBK (Kasane) by road
BBK-Chobe Chilwero by charter
Charter to Maun
MUB-JNB
JNB-Australia
craig beal
what flight costs? you can fly on SAA using the following routes:
Australia-JNB
JNB-HRE
HRE-Mana Pools (charter)
Mana Pools-Hwange (charter)
Hwange-VFA (charter or road)
VFA-BBK (Kasane) by road
BBK-Chobe Chilwero by charter
Charter to Maun
MUB-JNB
JNB-Australia
craig beal
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