aestuo

Hi all,

Thanks for your previous input regarding botswana and visas. I still dream of Botswana, and I've also mapped out a dream trip to Zambia...but I've been doing research regarding visas and have found out that both myself and my fiance will not need visas for South Africa. (quick background if you didn't read my other posts - i am a US citizen and my fiance will eventually be a US Permanent Resident but still a citizen of Ecuador, and I was concerned as to how difficult it would be to get visas for african countries. We are hoping to do a belated honeymoon in 2011, perhaps for our 1-yr anniversary)

Anyway, I have done lots of research about Botswana and Zambia, but know very little about South Africa. I would love to get folks' input on a couple things.

First question - Our wedding anniversary will be in May, as well as my fiance's birthday so that would be a great month to go. However, July is my birthday and it seems that is prime time for good game viewing in most areas in Africa. Is July much better in S. Africa too?

Second - i am not sure where to start with exploring locations in S. Africa! I do know we will not want to do a self-drive. I also know that I love permanent tented camps and prefer those over lodges. My favorite place during my first safari to Tanzania in 2007 was Swala Camp. I stayed at both Swala and Migration Camp (as well as some lodges), and while both were great, i did prefer Swala. Mbuzi Mawe was also good. I was not a fan of the Serena lodges - nothing wrong with them, i just prefer the more intimate tented camp experience. We'll have 2 weeks to travel, and i'm contemplating something beach-y for the last few days of the trip.

Oh and one last thing (this is a question for S. Africa but also perhaps a general one) - how far in advance should we book the safari if we want our best chance at 1st choices? For tanzania I booked 1 year in advance. Does the same rule apply for S. Africa, or will we have more time?

Thanks everyone!

cary999

RE South Africa, remember World Cup there June 11-July 11.

I usually go to SA in Sep (5 times) but went once in May and it was great, if you don't mind cool mornings. (Winter there). In fact may go back this May, or maybe end of July (after World Cup).

Pemanent tented camps? Ngala Tented first to come to mind, also small camp. Six tents, 12 guests, around $500pppn (I have not been there) -
http://www.andbeyondafrica.com/luxur...la_tented_camp

Ngala Tented is in the Timbavati reserve, may be others in Sabi Sand reserve? I hope others respond, I'm looking for camp ideas this May or July. Some camps book almost year in advance so selection may be limited even now. I haven't yet started to inquire yet for May/July. Although I suspect May will be easier to get than July.

regards - tom

christabir

Tanda Tula is a tented camp also in Timbavati. I love tented camps, too. For beach, I understand Rocktail Bay and Rocktail Beach are great. Very secluded and private beaches. We went to S Africa last year at the end of May/beginning of June and had a great time. It's their fall so the foliage and water holes are starting to dry out. You could probably get availability this year in May if you are so inclined. It might be a little early to make reservations now for next year, but I'm sure they'd welcome it. Some of the really popular places sell out a year in advance for sure. I would also prefer to go in Sept for both wildlife viewing and weather, with June - Sept being prime time. But we experienced rain last year, apparently the first time it's rained in June in years. We still loved it!

It surprises me that visas to Botswana would be a problem. Planning a year out for bots is common if you change your mind. It's really a special place. DH and I are planning a month in Sept 2016 for their 50th year of independence.

atravelynn

2016 is the most distant travel planning date I have seen to date. Please keep us updated on your plans Christabir!

I had some rain and gale force winds the end of June in South Africa. Just before that was snow in Johannesburg.

If it's 2011, then no World Cup problems. Congrats on your marriage and great choice for a honeymoon.

I think wildlife viewing would be slightly better in July than May. Also see if pricing makes a difference, you could decide based on that.

I booked a year in advance, but I was trying to get the sole no-single supplement room at one lodge, which booked up way in advance. But a while ago I was investigating the availability of space at a place in South AFrica in June-July about 6 months in advance at the height of the recession and lots of dates were already booked up so that a 4-nt stay was almost impossible.

For my SA safari spots I chose Phinda in KwaZulu-Natal and Mala Mala in the Sabi Sands. I think a Phinda/Sabi Sands combo was ideal. There've been changes at Mala Mala, so don't know about that accommodation currently, but there are loads of Sabi Sands possiblities that would give you a great experience.

Tents: Not as common in South Africa. Tom mentions Ngala for a tented Sabi Sands camp. Never been but from what I've heard it is nice for walking and birding, but the wildlife viewing is not consistently as good as some other places.

Phinda has 4 different lodges. I stayed at Forest Lodge--glass cottages in a Sand Forest. You could walk through trails and see nyala (antelope), impala, vervets. Fantastic. Phinda also has a Walking Trails Tented Camp that I'd like to try. When I investigated for my 2007 trip, the walking camp even had the advantage of being less costly.

Phinda is a cheetah conservation concession of 55,000 acres, and just so you are aware, it is fenced.

I did a detailed report w/pics on Phinda. If you search for key words in "Phinda, where the h is silent but the rhino flatulence is not" it is on the forum.

Can't help with beachy, other than it is cold in July. But if you like great white sharks, July is perfect for them in Cape Town. Whales too.

Your visa concern is a valid one. I think it would dictate where I spent my honeymoon so as not to have a problem while on this special holiday.

aestuo

whoops sorry guys if i just confused you. i realize i posted under my previous member name. i changed it to avoid detection from folks in my previous life. but oh well, screwed that one up. i'll repost here and see if someone can delete my previous message.
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thanks guys! okay so based on your suggestion and more research, what do you think of this kind of mix? [i'm tossing the beach in favor of more safari time, and now thinking perhaps late aug/early sept might be best. would love your thoughts on timing though - we're pretty open. I included Garonga because it's a tented camp and i have a serious soft spot for hammocks, and then Ngala also for tented experience. The other two got rave reviews by various folks here]

i think we'd get 14 nights, and i'm thinking 2 3-night stays and 2 4-night stays at these places:

Garonga (Makalali)
Ngala Tented Camp (Timbavati)
Londolozi Tree (Sabi Sands)
Phinda Forest (KwaZulu-Natal)

Am I trying to do too much? Are 3-4 nights each a good length? Which ones would you choose to do the 4-night stays at? And can you suggest the best order for these? And one more question...do you think these are varied enough that it wouldn't seem repetitive/boring?

Thanks for everyone's input!

atravelynn

Don't know about Garonga or the area of Makalali. Your comments will be informative.

You might consider 4 at Phinda so you could do 2 at Forest Lodge in the northern part and 2 in the southern part. Mountain Lodge, in the south, is the same level as Forest Lodge. Even if you stay put in Forest Lodge, Phinda has 7 activities (or more) in addition to game drives that you could do, so 4 nights could be necessary to accomplish everything at Phinda.

I'd do 4 in Sabi Sands.

With nature it will not be reptitive or boring, even if you spent your whole time at Sabi Sands or at Phinda. Always different. (I have not been to the other places, but doubt those would be boring either.)

aestuo

thanks atravelynn! in the south of phinda, would you recommend the rock lodge over the mountain, or vice versa?

christabir

It looks perfect to me. Four nights in the second two camps would be my preference. Are you planning just safari or are you visiting other places as well? (Cape Town?). Have you figured out any logistics? We arranged drivers for our transfers and seeing a tiny bit of Africa, even just driving through, was great. I'm a fan of the Blyde River Canyon that you can visit on your way to/from the Kruger Region if you get a ride. Phinda is a flight, I believe, from Kruger. Whatever you decide, we want a trip report! It really sounds like a great trip.

(atravelynn - we have been planning to be in Bots in 2016 since our visit in 2006!! We love it and want to be there for their celebration of 50 years).

aestuo

christabir - planning just safari. there's too many places I want to go in SA - will have to come back for the rest of them! My fiance and I are both nature and wildlife people, so safari is definitely our top priority. I haven't figured out any logistics yet...I'm sort of "pre-planning" right now (costs, places to stay, time of year), with the intent to start figuring out all the logistics when we are one year away. Of course - I'm still utterly confused about when to go! I'm trying to work out all the pros and cons of when to go...weather, cost, wildlife...and WAITING.

And yes, I AM going to do a trip report this time! I'm so lame because I think I promised one after my tanzania trip and never did it. And I really regret that because the trip reports are unbelievably helpful. I guess I could still write one, but it was in 2007 so some things may have changed. do you think it's still helpful?

christabir

aestou-

There is another thread going on that is discussing Pafuri/Mashatu instead of Phinda. You might want to take a look - I have no idea what kind of budget you have, but that option is a bit less expensive.

As you said, you'll be back to see more of SA at another time. I love the safari part, too.

Still May or July? I think they are both good times to go.

atravelynn

I've only been to Forest Lodge at Phinda. Forest and Mountain are the same price level, which is less than Vlei (north) or Rock (south).

aestuo

I'm actually able to go anytime from may-sept. only caveat is that I want to go in a time period including one of the US holidays so I can add an extra day to the vacation. I'm nixing the time around 4th of July though since it’s during the South African School holidays.

Overall, it seems that late aug/early sept is the best as far as wildlife viewing and weather (it's warmer than the rest of that window, right?)

However, based upon rack rates for 2010 and approximate airfare costs, it seems I could save probably around $2500 (between two people) if we were to go in May or June. May seems like it would be warmer than June (We are not huge fans of cold ), but June is further into the dry season so I imagine it would have better wildlife viewing? Though the trip reports here from May seem really good too.

Another advantage of May (or June) is that we don't have to wait as long! May is also our wedding date (and my fiance's birthday month) so it could be cool to have our belated honeymoon right around our 1-year anniversary.

But, I'm wondering if since we're coming all this way and spending such a huge amount for the experience, should we just be patient, cough up the extra dough and go when it is best for wildlife viewing – late aug/sept?

I'm probably totally over-thinking this...but any thoughts, opinions, or advice would be much appreciated!

(oh - christabir - thanks for the tip on the other thread! unfort. i think mashatu is in botswana and we are trying to just do South Africa to avoid any potential visa issues.)

christabir

I forgot about the visa issue. Sorry.

Some of the camp websites have animal diaries. Check them out to see if the wildlife viewing in the past year(s) is good in May.

We have travelled to S Africa in Sept and June. Wildlife viewing amazing (in our limited experience). We needed earmuffs and mittens both times, but according to the staff it was odd weather. But it always warmed up during the day.

Phinda has a special on luxurylink.com. You might want to check it out just for the price comparison for different months. They change their specials from time to time, so check back every once in a while. Rarely Ngala is there as well.

Ngala and Phinda are both andbeyond properties, so you might be able to get discount for long stay at two camps. No guarantees for prices for next year, but it will give you some idea.

atravelynn

I was in Phinda in late June and early July. My guide said his fav time at Phinda was May. I was in Sabi Sands in late June and it was great.

As for cold, it was the first time in a quarter of a century that they had snow in Johannesburg, so it was chilly in the mornings.

I'd go when you can stay the longest if your choices are between May and Sept. And I'd choose the $2500 savings.

If you were considering somewhere else like maybe some places in N. Botswana or Tarangire in Tanzania, even the Maasai Mara in Kenya if it was the migration you wanted to see, I'd say wait till Aug/Sept if you can.

Check this chart for viewing conditions and temps.

http://www.africa-adventure.com/best_time_to_go