First time safari question

Old Apr 28th, 2016, 06:59 AM
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First time safari question

My fiance and I will be going on a safari for our honeymoon in August. Neither of us have been on a true African safari before. We're attempting to decide between 2 locations and curious as to what other travelers have thought of one or both:

1. Overland Safari therough the Northern Parks of Tanzania. This would gives us the opportunity to view the great migration up close, as well as the Ngongoro crater. We'd be largely driving from camp to camp (looks like around 2 hrs b/n if straight but I'm assuming we'll take longer to take in the wildlife), though there are times where we're at one camp and going on game drives and coming back.

2. Vic Falls and Zambia. We'd start with some relaxation in Vic falls before going down to the S Luangwa and splitting between 2 camps. This would be morning and night drives/walks based out of the camp.

I've been told that Tanzania/Kenya are the 'ultimate' first safari experiences, but am a little worried about the crowds. I'd rather go somewhere that's a little less crowded (other people is fine, I just don't want to see a dozen other vehicles circled around a single pride of lions - as an example). Zambia seems a little more remote but still has quality game viewing and opportunities to get close to the African bush.
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Old Apr 28th, 2016, 07:42 AM
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Hi -- Have not been to Zambia so I cannot comment.

But I have been to the Serengeti to see the migration. Chose a mobile camp to ensure great sightings, which was just what we received plus it was not crowded due to the fact that the camp moves to optimal locations. It was an astonishing experience that I will never forget. Just awesome! Then we drove to the Crater and stayed at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge which was divine, and of course, the Crater itself was fantastic, though it was a bit crowded. The drive from the Serengeti to the Crater was fantastic too with interesting stops along the way. We arranged for our Serengeti guide to take us and by then we had developed a nice relationship. We also added a trip to Lake Eyasi to see two very remote and old tribes. Drive was treacherous (and exciting) because of the roads but the experience has not been matched since. Oh, and we started in the Masai Mara at the beginning before a quick flight to the Serengeti. Fabulous.

Good luck. What an awesome honeymoon you will have whatever your choice.
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Old Apr 28th, 2016, 08:15 AM
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I don't really agree that there are particularly any safari destinations that are best for first timers. There are a lot of destinations that are excellent, it's just a matter of taste.

I've been on safari in lots of different African countries and South Luangwa in Zambia is my favourite. If you want "opportunities to get close to the African bush", I don't think you'll find a better place. The camps in South Luangwa are particularly special in style. And if you stay away from the central Mfuwe area, you certainly won't see any crowds.
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Old Apr 28th, 2016, 10:31 AM
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Congratulations.

It really depends on where you stay on those trips. If you stay in private reserves, crowds will not likely be an issue. If you stay in national parks, crowds could be a problem but not necessarily. Post the itineraries and you can get better feedback.

Are they group or private tours? I'd suggest a private tour. Stokeygirl is a wonderful resource for help in Zambia if you'd like to arrange a private tour.

It's a shame that so many people are concerned about crowds when going on safari. Like national parks in the U.S., I wonder if we are "loving beautiful places to death". I've been on quite a few safaris and have stayed in many private reserves and national parks in Southern Africa. I've been able to avoid crowds, usually on a tight budget.
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Old Apr 28th, 2016, 12:37 PM
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Lola, stokey, and christa - thanks for the information - it's really helpful.

Regarding private vs public: I know Tanzania is a private tour. It includes a Landcruiser and guide. For Zambia, I'm not 100% sure - my understanding is that we'd be more based in a camp and go for safaris in the morning and night, in which case we'd be in a vehicle with a couple of other people - which is completely fine. We're not opposed to meeting other people and in fact don't really want to spend the entire time in complete isolation - we just don't want to feel like we're at an amusement park.

See 'sample' itineraries below. These aren't set in stone and we are very open to suggestions.

Pricing is actually fairly different (it feels like we're getting a better deal in Zambia) but both are within our (somewhat undefined) budget.

Tanzania:
Arusha : Rivertrees
Tarangire : Mawe Ninga Camp
Tarangire : Mawe Ninga Camp
Ngorongoro Karatu : Gibbs Farm
Southcentral Serengeti : Olduvai Camp
Serengeti Mara : Lemala Mara Camp
Serengeti Mara : Lemala Mara Camp
Serengeti Mara : Lemala Mara Camp

Zambia:
Livingstone : Waterberry Lodge
Livingstone : Waterberry Lodge
Livingstone : Waterberry Lodge
South Luangwa : Kafunta River Lodge
South Luangwa : Kafunta River Lodge
South Luangwa : Kafunta Island Camp
South Luangwa : Kafunta Island Camp
South Luangwa : Kafunta River Lodge

As a side note: is there a significant difference amongst western focused travel operators? The Zambia trip, 2 different companies ended up with the exact itinerary. If we go with that curious on tips for what to look for when deciding on companies to go through.

Finally - Stokely girl, would love any advice or thoughts on arranging private tours.

Thanks!
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Old Apr 28th, 2016, 02:34 PM
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Mostly camps in Zambia will operate on a "fly in" basis ie you will join with others in open vehicles for game drives, or for walks. Some camps have a max of 6 per vehicle but there are some which have vehicles with only 2 rows of seats in which case the max would be 4.

I have stayed at Kafunta and Island Camp, which is walking only. They are nice options and definitely good value- my only reservation is that Kafunta is in the main central section of the reserve so busier than some of the remoter parts of the park. They are located next to a pontoon which gives access to the park a bit south of the main gate which is a bit quieter than the area right around the main gate. However, it would be nice to do some drives in one of the quieter areas like the north of the park. One option that is in the same ballpark price-wise as Kafunta is Lion Camp. However, if you are limited for time that might mean dropping Island Camp, and I also think having a more rustic bush camp in the itinerary is really good so it's a tough choice.

I do wonder whether, with only 5 nights on your first safari, you really want to spend 2 days exclusively walking. You won't see as much big game on a walk, and leaving only 3 days of drives could leave you disappointed if you do happen to have a run of bad luck on your drives. The walking only bushcamps are a great experience but with the Falls taking up 3 days, you only have 5 days on safari. Any chance you could add 3 nights? Or even 2 and then steal one from the Falls? If you could add a 3 night stop at Lion Camp to that itinerary it would be awesome.

Alternatively, I know Kafunta are currently building a new camp, 3 Rivers which is a bit closer to Kafunta than Island Camp and I believe is going to offer a bit more of a mix of walking/driving but still being in a "bush camp" style. Its worth looking into when it is scheduled to open and what activities they are going to offer. That may be a better option than Island Camp.

An alternative which would probably be a bit more expensive would be the Robin Pope camps, and split your time between Nkwali, which is close to Kafunta, and one of their camps in the Nsefu sector (either Nsefu Camp or Tena Tena).
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Old Apr 29th, 2016, 04:32 AM
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@stokeygirl

thanks for the suggestions. Interestingly, I also have alternative itineraries for the camps you suggested.

One would have me at Flatdogsf or 3 days and Lion Camp for 2

Another Nkwali for 3 days and Nsefu for 2.

We may try Nkwali and Nsefu if they're that much nicer than Kafunta.

Additionally, Flatdogs looks fine but a little in the midst of things. Curious if there's another camp you'd recommend pairing with Lion Camp?
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Old Apr 29th, 2016, 05:21 AM
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@goldendunetravel I appreciate the heads up, and we looked into Namibia originally. However, I don't think that it's quite the right safari feel for a honeymoon first safari.
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Old Apr 29th, 2016, 06:05 AM
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I probably wouldn't go with Flatdogs for a honeymoon, to be honest. And yes, it is in the busy main section of the park.

These are all nice camps, it's just it would be nicest to get a balance of two different areas, and have something with a bit more of a "close to nature" feel. With only 5 days, I probably wouldn't include a walking only camp as it's just too limiting for such a short safari. I do think 3 nights at the falls is probably too much- I would do 2 nights and then you can have 2 X 3 night stops in the park.

In terms of areas and being at a similar price level, I think Kafunta and Lion Camp would work together but they are both a similar style of camp, and not all that "close to nature". Both very nice though, and Kafunta has had a refurb since I stayed there. Another one which is in a nice location to pair with Lion Camp would be Puku Ridge, although again those would be two camps quite similar in style. For a contrast of styles you could pair Lion Camp with Kuyenda, which is more of a rustic "bush camp" style but they are in an area (close to Puku Ridge) where they are not limited to only walking. You will probably find they walk in the morning and drive in the afternoon, so if you could have 2 nights there and 3 at Lion Camp you would get a nice balance of walking and driving.

There are other camps that would pair well with Lion Camp, but it really depends on budget. Also, I suspect that with timings of incoming/outgoing flights it might make sense to have one camp near-ish to the airport and another further away. I'd suggest Lion Camp and Tafika as they would be very contrasting styles of camps on opposite sides of the river- but Tafika is quite pricey, and also they are both 2 to 2.5 hours drive from Mfuwe airport which could create a logistical problem. I would also probably only do this if you can do 3 nights at each.

Out of the options you've been given , I like Nkwali/Nsefu the best although I would probably put the 3 nights at Nsefu, as that is a lovely quiet game viewing area. Also, I have read comments that some people feel the chalets at Nsefu are a bit close together and lack privacy which for a honeymoon might be an issue. So you might want to consider Tena Tena instead of Nsefu- both are Robin Pope camps and both in the Nsefu sector.

Have a look online at the pictures of the camps and see which you like the look of, but I think the ideas I like best would be:
Lion Camp 3 nights, Kuyenda 2 nights
Tena Tena 3 nights, Nkwali 2 nights
Lion Camp 3 nights, Tafika 3 nights- I probably wouldn't try this combination unless you can add the extra night.

If those are coming in a bit pricey, I think Lion Camp/Kafunta will come in as a well priced alternative.
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Old Apr 29th, 2016, 05:32 PM
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Congrats on your upcoming wedding.

What great advice.

Tena Tena + Nkwali, which was one conclusion of stokeygirl would be a wonderful combo, if the price is not a deterrent.

Never been to Lion Camp/Kafunta. But I agree you do want some driving. You mention wanting to see lions without a lot of other vehicles, but if you are only walking in Zambia, then it is not real likely you'll see lions, except from a good distance. In the vehicle, you can get much closer. I have found the Zambian walking routine from permanent camps (like the Pope camps listed and Tafika) is often walk in the morning when it is cool. Drive in the afternoon which then continues into a night drive for nocturnal species.

Zambia would give you a more remote feeling than the other itineraries. But the migration and the sheer masses of wildes and zebra are in Kenya/Tanz. A good private guide can get you away from the crowds in Kenya and Tanz for most of the trip, with the exception of river crossings and some predator sightings. There is very little opportunity for night drives in Kenya and Tanz. In contrast, night drives are selling point for South Luangwa, Zambia.

No wrong answer. You can do an anniversary trip for the one the loses out in the honeymoon!
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Old Apr 29th, 2016, 11:20 PM
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I don't think camps like Tafika or the RPS camps have a "routine" which is why I suggest them. The RPS camps have the highest guide-guest ratio in the park, which means they have enough guides to be totally flexible. When I was at Tena Tena a couple of years ago, the camp was full and I think they were stretched as they had transfers in different directions to do in the morning, plus guests doing a game drive, and one couple wanted to walk. So they had a guide sent over from Nsefu so they had enough guides. Tafika also has quite a large guiding team for a small camp. Lion Camp and Kafunta, as slightly larger camps, have good flexibility. I doubt you would ever have a situation where you couldn't do your choice of walk/drive.

It's some of the smaller camps like Kuyenda where you may not have free choice of activities but may have to decide with other guests, or follow a set "routine" (usually walking in the morning, driving in the afternoon).
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Old May 2nd, 2016, 11:41 AM
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"I have found the Zambian walking routine from permanent camps (like the Pope camps listed and Tafika) is often walk in the morning when it is cool. Drive in the afternoon which then continues into a night drive for nocturnal species."

That "routine" I mention was not set and something I had to follow, but what I found worked well even on private outings because it coincided with optimal daily heat/weather conditions.

I definitely agree that Tafika and Robin Pope Camps do their utmost to accommodate the guests.

Do let us know what you decide.
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Old May 3rd, 2016, 04:24 PM
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Thanks for the advice everyone. Right now it looks like it's narrowed down to 2 options

1. Lion Camp and then Kafunta

2. The 2 Robin Pope camps.

Difference per person is under $1k and both are within our range, especially since I was able to use points to book business/first class (with a 15 hour stopover in Paris during the day) on the way to Zambia (back is looking like a nightmare 24 hrs total travel time in economy, but I may be able to scrape enough points for an upgrade).

I know people on this forum have been recommending both options (as has the couple of travel outfitters we've talked to), but would love to hear further opinions.
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Old May 3rd, 2016, 06:26 PM
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Do you want further options in South Luangwa, further options in Zambia, or further options in Southern/Eastern Africa?
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Old May 3rd, 2016, 09:18 PM
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I know you didn't ask, but here's an excellent safari I did a few years back in S Africa/SE Botswana (and am doing a similar one soon because I loved it so much): The options are for less expensive lodges in the same area.

Mashatu Main or Mashatu Tented, Serolo Safari Lodge (my choice as it is small and very personal service but very, very rustic), Tuli Safari Lodge
The Outpost or Pafuri Camp (a Return Africa lodge - my choice)
Kings Camp or Senalala (my choice as small and newer), nDzuti (nice very small lodge if availability!)

It's a great diverse option with three different ecosystems. Fly to the first one and fly back from the last one with road transfers in between. Three nights per lodge. Excellent. You can easily add Vic Falls at the front end from JNB.
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