Hugh06

Two 50 year old couples going on our first safari. Flying from New York, only have a week or so for our first sampling of safari life. Going end of August 2010. Need it to be a non-malaria area - a couple of us have not great reactions to medications etc.
Looking for decent value but not in tents/rustic accomodation.
Have two options in mind. First - fly into Johanesburg and drive to Pilanesberg and stay there for 3 or 4 nights - outside the gates (any good recommendations?) and then 3-4 nights in Madikwe.
Second option is to fly into Port Elizabeth and then spend 3-4 nights in the SAN run Addo Elephant park (love the value) and then to a private reserve (thoughts on a good one, trying not to spend $500/night per person) to pick up any animals that we won't have seen at Addo.
I realize these are fenced in reserves but would prefer the feel to be as natural as possible and the topography to be intertesting.
Appreciate the help!

Hugh06

Anyone got anything for me?
Thanks.

cary999

Well, of all those places I've been only to Madikwe. It was ok. I have a friend who liked Pilanesberg, but then again, it was their first and only safari. I'd choose that option over the other. Other thought is - it's a long flight over to stay for just a week.

regards - tom

Gardyloo

First, just a comment - we've been to the Kruger-area reserves (Sabi Sand, Kruger itself, Balule) several times in the August time frame, and neither of us has ever been bitten by a mosquito there. Anecdotal for sure, but it's a data point.

We've been to Madikwe twice and Addo once, both in late August/early September. While Addo is fun and quite affordable, I really don't think it compares to Madikwe in terms of wildlife diversity.

There are predators in Addo, but we didn't see any. Lots of elephants of course, also various antelope, warthogs, ostriches etc. but nothing like the range of Madikwe or Kruger.

If an internal flight is in the offing, then I might suggest something a little different. Go to Madikwe (an easy drive from/to Joburg) then catch a plane to Cape Town and drive up to the West Coast National Park (90 min. from CT) and spend a couple of days around Paternoster. Around late August/early September the wildflowers in the whole area (Paternoster, Darling, and farther up into Namaqualand) are breathtaking, and the coastal scenery is fabulous. (For example, http://gardyloo.us/aug24b%20044s.jpg, http://gardyloo.us/aug24b%20016s.jpg, http://gardyloo.us/aug24b%20066s.jpg. Just a suggestion for "safari plus" for a few days.

Treepol

Hugh06,

I enjoyed a visit to Addo in 2004 shortly after the lions were reintroduced. We didn't see lions, but we did see a rhino and plenty of elephants. We stayed at the Zuurberg Mountain Inn, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Unfortunately, there has since been a fire on the property and I don't know how many of the older buildings that gave the place much of its charm have been rebuilt, http://www.addo.co.za/. The Inn has an amazing location along an escarpment with views towards Addo NP.

Kwandwe Game Reserve is situated in a malaria free area of the Eastern Cape and may be of interest to you http://www.andbeyondafrica.com/luxur...e_game_reserve

I've not stayed there myself, so have nothing based on experience to share with you.

Have you considered St Lucia and the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi NP? I'm not sure about its malaria status but it is a great park for elephant and rhino - we saw so many. Cats are present but we didn't see any.

I like Gardyloo's suggestion of a wildlfower tour and can suggest http://www.kalaharisafaris.co.za/tourh.htm

Happy planning,



Pol

christabir

The timeframe you are going is the low season for mosquitoes. Wear long sleeves and pants (it's winter - it's cold!) and use bug spray with lots of DEET. There are malaria maps that you can check out. I'd also rather be sick from Malarone (malaria med) in S Africa than healthy as a horse at home.

It is a bit of sticker shock, but the private reserves are well worth it. Also, tents in S Africa at the reserves are not the tents that we erect ourselves in a park. They have real beds, furniture and most have doors instead of zippers. In my opinion, I'd rather go to the Sabi Sands area near Kruger for 3-4 days and 3-4 days in Cape Town than Mad/Pil or Ad/Priv for my first S Africa experience. Check out http://www.sabisand.co.za/ for all the options. You might also consider Timbavati.

Another option I would look into is Mashatu - we absolutely loved it there and might be more in your price range. I loved tented camp, but the main camp is still "affordable" and more high end.

I know - I didn't answer your question. Talk to your doctor about it.

Hugh06

Thanks folks for jumping in. We are now leaning towards Madikwe but...christabir has got me thinking. Based on what I had researched and heard here it seems that Madikwe would give us the best safari like experience (diversity of animals and setting) but it has always been in the back of my mind - will it just be a bit too artifical as compared to Kruger and the private reserves in that area? Are Kruger and resorts like sabisand that much better (cause they sure look a lot more expensive than compared to a Tau in Madikwe).
And if they are that much better are they worth the risk of not feeling well while we are there. I am prone to motion sickness, so I won't be really loving the driving and/or small planes to get there and possibly the bumpy reserve trails, so if I've also got to worry about a reaction to malaria medication I may have a once in a lifetime trip - the wrong way.
So as I asked earlier, will I be disappointed in Madikwe and should I roll the dice on a Kruger private reserve (but not at $600-$700 night pp).
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

MyDogKyle

I've only been to Madikwe and Pilanesberg and not to the other places you mention, so I can't really compare them. But we had a marvelous time at Madikwe with some incredible sightings of wild dogs, rhinos, elephants, lions, hyenas, and even cheetah. The only time I ever felt it was "artificial" was when we encountered the fence, which was exactly once in 3.5 days. So I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Madikwe. I was working on a volunteer project that took place partly in Pilanesberg, so my experience of that park was pretty unique. I thought the landscapes were amazing, and we saw lots of great wildlife there, too. It felt a bit more "artificial" than Madikwe due to the paved roads and self-drivers (sometimes lots of vehicles parked at a sighting), but we still enjoyed our time there. We also went in late August, and it seemed to be a terrific time for wildlife sightings in both places. I'm starting a trip report about our experience, if you want to know more specifically what we saw. Just for the sake of comparison, I've also been to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda, and I did not find Madikwe a disappointment in any way.

cary999

Hugh06 - Sometimes I'm confused when you talk about Kruger. When you say Kruger for me it means Kruger National Park, period. And not the private camps that border Kruger National Park, in the Sabi Sand and Timbavati reserves. Here's a map of that area that might help-
http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/...ea07d9246g.jpg

Kruger (National Park) is a great experience -but- I would not do it as my only safari experience. You are too limited in viewing capability (no off road) and the density of "big 5" sightings is much lower than in a private camp. For instance, we just came back from Kruger and two other private camps, Kings Camp and Kirkmans Kamp (my trip report out tomorrow). In Kruger for 6 days we saw one leopard and one pride of lions. In the private camps we saw leopards and lions every day. You are going on safari for only 6-8 days, you need the "concentrated safari experience"

regards - tom

christabir

Hugh-

From personal experience - had a significant fever for 6 days in Africa (Botswana). Best time of my life!

My husband got sick every time we went away (even within the US). But we discovered that if you take a Pepto every day it wards off all (most) of the problems he used to have. We had no side effects from Malarone or tap water last time with the help of a little pink pill (we chose not to take the Malarone when we were in S Africa in June 2009). And if you think you'll be sick, you will. Self-fulfilling prophesy.

How do your travel mates feel about where they go? Are they all OK with only going to malaria free areas or would they like to go to the private reserves outside Kruger. It's expensive to get to S Africa - I'd prefer to get the best experience I could especially since you're only there a week (like tom said). Check out the website I gave you - not all of them are so expensive (I was just there in June and can't afford $600pp/pn). Interesting you used the term "safari-like". That kind of sums it up. BTW - you can drive to Sabi Sands to avoid the flight. Lots of people here do it regularly.

cary999

christabir - that web site you gave has a very neat map of Sabi Sand showing camps with shared traversing.
http://www.sabisand.co.za/ssw-map.html
Except - why is MalaMala totally ignored, not named on the map, do you know?

regards - tom

KK01

Tom,

Mala Mala is no longer part of the Sabi Sands. They broke all ties in 2007.

From their website: "It is here, strategically sandwiched between the Kruger National Park and the Sabi Sand Wildtuin, that the MalaMala Game Reserve is situated."

Regards,

KK

christabir

tom -

Love that website. I find it very helpful knowing who shares what - and it highlights them perfectly. It also has links to each camp to compare their attributes easily.

Mala Mala is an odd duck. They seem to do their own thing. But they are very successful and lots of people love their experiences there!

cary999

Well, knock me over with a feather.
Also from the MM website "....and lies sandwiched between the [Kruger] National Park and the Sabi Sand Reserve."
Thanks KK.

regards - tom

andybiggs

Let's just say that there are personality differences between MM and some of the other properties nearby.

Hugh06

Christabir - the rest of the group was of the mindset that if we can get a great safari experience without the hassle of malaria medication than let's do that. Now the question is can Madikwe measure up, or come close to Sabi Sand, (and you're right there were some reasonable prices in Sabi Sand, I particularly liked the look and value of Elephant Plains).
Anyone else done Madikwe and something in Sabi Sand?
Thanks.

cary999

I've been to Madikwe, Madikwe Hills Lodge for 5 nights in 2007. That lodge was gorgeous as are other Lodges there. As for -game drives/viewing- it was just ok, I won't be going back. However, others here like Madikwe better than I do. I've been to three camps in Sabi Sand: MalaMala, Leopard Hills, and Kirkmans Kamp. All of those camps -for game viewing- were two notches above Madikwe, IMHO.

You say you want a "a great safari experience". I'd put it this way- that at Madikwe you will have a good experience but you want Sabi Sand for a great experience.

regards - tom

Hugh06

Appreciate your insight.
Thanks Tom.

Gardyloo

We've stayed at Buffalo Ridge in Madikwe twice (like it because it's community-owned/operated) and at three lodges in Sabi Sand - Nkhoro, Elephant Plains, and Chitwa Chitwa.

The game viewing is indeed better at the Sabi Sand lodges; the big difference (for us) has been leopards, which while present in Madikwe are not as frequently seen as in SS. However there are some compensating factors - wild dogs, for instance.

One sees fences in SS about as often as one does in Madikwe. They're really not a factor IMO. Madikwe was converted from farming use to a game reserve more recently than the conversions at SS, so while there's plenty of evidence of human habitation in both reserves, it's a bit more evident in Madikwe.

From a practical viewpoint, though, Madikwe is way easier to get to from Joburg if you're driving - about half the time compared to SS.

If the (very low) risk of Malaria in mid-winter is a deal breaker, then Madikwe is your best bet by far. If you can tolerate the risk, then you'll be happy with the game viewing in SS and the wider variety of lodgings available. But Madikwe is no slouch, that's for sure.

napamatt_2

Been to both areas, if the malaria med is a big deal (frankly I wouldn't take it in winter, only in summer anyway) and its your first safari, then Madikwe is a good option. Prices are lower, lodges are excellent, no meds. The game viewing will generally be less good. Then again (as with any lodge or area), you might get that NatGeo moment, you never know.