CheetahGirl

Hello!
I just found this section of the Fodor's site by accident when I read an article about Little Kwara and Googled it to learn more. One of the hits was this site. I can't even begin to say how great this message board is! I'm at work and must to log off soon or I'll get nothing done. I've been enthralled reading all the old posts. Definitely going to have to come back tonite and read more from home. It is so awesome to read posts from people who clearly have the same passion for the bush that I do. And it's cool to see how willing the more experienced folks are to share their knowledge with the less experienced.

Anyway, enough rambling. I'm headed for my eighth trip at the beginning of September. I've visited Kenya, South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, but never Zambia - unless you count three hours spent on the other side of the Zambezi from Vic Falls to take the helicopter ride over the Falls.

I know it is going to be great, but I'd love to hear from some people who've been there - particularly about how it compares to Botswana and/or South Africa. We will be visiting two camps - Tafika in the South Luangwa and Sausage Tree in the Lower Zambezi. We'll finish our trip with three nights each at Mombo and King's Pool in Botswana - both of which I've previously visited.

I'd appreciate any insight from all you well traveled bush lovers!!

Susan

cooncat3

Welcome Susan! Sounds like a great trip! I cannot offer you any Botswana comparisons, but I just got back from Zambia and if you've read my posts, you know I loved Tafika. You must do the microlight flight!

Cheers,
Sharon

CheetahGirl

Well, fortunately I don't really need much Botswana info since I've been there five times. But I DO need the Zambia insights. Can you direct me to any particular thread where you post about Zambia and Tafika? The travel company I booked with strongly recommends the microlight, so I was hoping to do that. Can't wait until September!

Also -- I LOVE how everyone posts links to their photos. That's another thing that makes this board such a great place to visit!!

cooncat3

Susan - just click on my name for my somewhat inane posts. Better yet, do a Zambia search, and you'll find all kinds of great posts. If you have specific Tafika questions, feel free to ask. The camp is lovely, the food is fabulous, the guides are wonderful. What more can I say? Oh...the showers have the most unbelieveable water pressure!

CheetahGirl

I'll search around for your posts tonight and I'm sure I'll have questions. I'm cracking up you mentioned water pressure. I'm going with my mom and brother and my mom will be THRILLED. She is a water pressure FREAK. Bad water pressure can literally ruin a vacation for her.

Thanks again!

CheetahGirl

Oh - duh - I do have one immediate question. What kind of animals did you see at Tafika?

cooncat3

I went in June, which is not prime game viewing time. I did get a fleeting glimpse of a leopard as she crossed the road. Plus - hippo, of course, baboon, ellie, zebra, giraffe, bush buck, buffalo, elephant shrew, spitting cobra, many, many birds, impala, puku, crocs, hmm I'll have to think more about it but that covers it pretty well. The game is not as plentiful as what you Botswana veterans are used to, I will warn you about that.

Roccco

Hi CheetahGirl,

Welcome to the greatest travel forum on Earth!

I apologize for the enermous size of this photogallery, but if you have an hour to kill, here is my photoalbum from my September 2005 Zambian safari:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/rocco/ma...__south_africa

I stayed at:

Luangwa River Lodge, South Luangwa
Puku Ridge, South Luangwa
Kasaka River Lodge, Lower Zambezi
Chongwe River Camp, Lower Zambezi

Sounds like you have an amazing trip lined up!

CheetahGirl

Yea - That's what I've heard, but I think if you really love the bush, you don't have to see a lion or leopard around evey corner -- although that would NOT upset me!

cooncat3

I agree, Susan. I loved Zambia. It felt very wild, and I like it like that!

cooncat3

Would you mind telling us how many nights you've got at each place, and how you came to choose your camps?

(We're a snoopy lot, on this forum...)

CheetahGirl

Oh good grief, no! I LOOOOVE to chat about my trips - probably to the point of being obnoxious - so snoop away. On this trip, we'll be one night in Jo'berg, then three nights at Tafika, three at Sausage Tree Camp in the Lower Zambezi NP, three at Mombo in Moremi and three at King's Pool in Linyanti. I picked both Zambia camps because they were recommended by the travel company I used for this trip - The Africa Adventure Company. I'd never worked with them before, but had heard several good recommendations about them. I was familiar with Sausage Tree, but had never heard of Tafika. Marc Nolting, the guy that runs AAC, LOVES Tafika, so we went with it. As for Bots, I've been to Mombo twice and Kings Pool once and wanted to go back to each.

I will tell you, everything I've learned that has helped me plan my trips has either been through intense internet research or talking to other people on safari. There's nothing like first-hand knowledge, so I am one of those people at mealtime at the camps that quizzes the other people about where they've been, their favorite camps, their travel agents - everything. For example, I would never have known to go to Duba Plains if I hadn't learned about it from a British couple at another camp. But, it also helped that they were very specific about what to expect and the best time to go. Based on their recommendation, we got exactly what we were expecting - lions, buffalo and death (of the buffalo! saw two kills in 45 minutes), but not much more beyond that other than great ellie sightings. If I had been unaware of Duba's "specialty" beforehand, the camp may have disappointed, but it delivered the expected goods in spades.

Don't know if that was what you were looking for ...?

cybor

Hi Cheetah,
I used Africa Adventure for my recent trip to E. Africa. I mostly worked with Allison, Mark's wife. After a rather rough start with them at the beginning of my research, AAC more than made up for the first mishaps in spades.

Our trip was flawless and well planned. Any changes made were always in our favor. I basically told them what I wanted and they delivered. Our ground company was Tanzanian Photographic Safari co. who offer the same trips directly as AAC but at a higher premium.

Atravelynn has also used AAC as well.
Good luck with your trip, it sounds wonderful.
Sherry

CheetahGirl

Thanks, Sherry. I guess now that I found this place and everyone is so nice, I'll be obligated to post a report of my own when I return! Where in East Africa did you go?

CheetahGirl

Rocco -- just saw your post. Somehow I missed it earlier. Can't wait to look at your pix. Gotta go work out now, but will check them out 2nite!

I've only been looking around this afternoon - and NOT working at all - and this is such a great forum. Love it already. Of course, it may get me fired ... ;-)

Susan

cybor

We started in Tanzania, cut thru Nairobi and then went out on a catamaran around the Seychelles - my trip report and pics. are in the East Africa index, if interested. My next trip may be to Botswania with a Zambian side trip to cut costs. I haven't and probably don't want to price it out - soon, though. Also, going down the Zambezi does sound appealing. Are you taking a private trip?
Sherry

matnikstym

Cheetah~ I stayed at Tafika in March, Emerald season, only water activities. The camp was very nice, great location, the microlight was an amazing thing to do! my trip report on Tafika is at: http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34779548 a couple posts down and you'll get to the Tafika part. Some pics from there including some from the microlight is at: www.kodakgallery.com/dennisinzambia
return to zambia album.
You're really going to love the camp and microlight. Saw mostly pukus, hippos and crocs, a few elephants is all, but it was in March, the birds were fantastic and I'm not/wasn't a birder!