South Africa & Zimbabwe Aug. 09

Old Mar 9th, 2009, 05:58 PM
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South Africa & Zimbabwe Aug. 09

Wow. I have been lurking on this forum for over a year to help plan my first safari and have tried many times to register so that I could post questions. I have finally made it through the registration process. It doesn't seem too difficult, so I must be technologically challenged. My boyfriend and I will be taking our first safari in Aug 2009 and here is a description of the itinerary.

Aug 15th - Washington D.C. to Cape Town
Aug 16th - Cape Town - Vineyard Hotel
Aug 17th - Cape Peninsula and Constantia tour with private car/driver
Aug 18th - Full Day Shark Diving in Shark Alley
Aug 19th - Flight to Kirkman's Kamp in Sabi Sand Game Reserve (2 nights)
Aug 21st - Flight to Kings Camp in Timbavati Nature Reserve (2 nights)
Aug 23rd - Flight to Johannesburg for an overnight stay
Aug 24th - Flight to Somalisa Camp in Hwange National Park (2 nights)
Aug 26th - Flight to Victoria Falls (2 nights) Not sure of lodging yet on this one.
Aug 28th - Flight back to Johannesburg then to D.C.

There is a lot of movement on this itinerary, but it is by our choice. My TA advised against quite so much moving, but we like to be on the move, especially if it is our first trip to a new place. I guess we like to get a variety of tastes so we can pick our favorites for return trips. I have spent time researching almost everything about our trip...from tips to needed medications/immunizations. I do have one question though. Is it best to travel with a carry-on only and can this really be done with the weight restrictions on the light aircraft? This is what I am aiming for, but 17lbs doesn't seem like a lot for two weeks worth of travel. Our international flights will be on South African Airways, which I have not traveled on before, so I am hoping for the best. If you have any advice/suggestions/comments on our trip, please respond. My only fear is that with so many flights, I may forget where I'm headed next!
adkinsek is offline  
Old Mar 9th, 2009, 06:36 PM
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If you can manage a carryon only that is best. On the light aircraft, your belongings will likely all be tucked in the back of the plane or in the luggage bins underneath, leaving you with nothing but a camera. But there is no danger of losing your luggage on the small planes because you watch it being loaded. To reduce your luggage weight, wear your binocs and wear a safari vest stuffed with the heavier stuff.

You'll have a great variety on your trip.
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Old Mar 9th, 2009, 06:56 PM
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I have not heard of a 17 pound limit before. In Botswana and on Sefofane Air, the limit was increased to over 40 pounds per passenger. Check with your TA again and be certain of the limitation. Heck, my camera gear weighs over 35 lbs. As mentioned above, you can always stuff small heavey items into pockets (safari vests). Do realize that the underplane storage space is able to accomodate only certain dimensions of luggage, regardless of weight. On one safari our friends had to sit with their wheeled soft sided luggage on their laps. Their luggage met the weight requirement but the wheels prevented it from fitting into the space beneath the plane. If you are originating in Great Britain or flying through Heathrow your initial weight limit might be only 17 pounds. If originating in the U.S., overall size and dimensions will be important, not weight.
Chuck
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Old Mar 10th, 2009, 02:48 PM
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I assumed the 17 was kilograms, not pounds.
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Old Mar 10th, 2009, 03:02 PM
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We are going to Zimbabwe in May and have 3 internal flights with Sefofane and have been told the baggage limit is 12kg. It has been increased in Botswana but not Zim.
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Old Mar 11th, 2009, 05:08 AM
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That you all for the information. The 17 lb (8kg) limit is from South African Airways website, but since I have not flown with them before, I did not know if this was really enforced. I will definately use the advice about a safari vest to allow more in our carryon.
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Old Mar 11th, 2009, 05:21 PM
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Oh, it is 17 lbs. I never wear the vest on an actual safari, just on the plane.
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Old Jun 23rd, 2009, 11:31 PM
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We are just back from Zim and flew with Sefofane to Hwangi and then on to Mana Pools. The weight limit was definately 12kg and our bags were weighed and a label put on them with the weight showing at Vic falls airport.
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Old Jun 24th, 2009, 03:58 AM
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I've got to agree with Lynn: it must be 17 kg, not 17 lb.

I see you're still not settled on Vic Falls lodging. If you stay in Zimbabwe to see the Falls I can recommend the Ilala Lodge---http://www.ilalalodge.com. I thought it was a good hotel and value. My wife and I booked a Zambezi sunset cruise through the hotel and lucked out by having only one other couple on the boat (it was March). The cruise, during which you get fairly close to hippos and flocks of birds skimming the water as the sun goes down, actually was the highlight of our stay at the Falls.

Steve
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Old Jun 24th, 2009, 07:00 AM
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Well, I stand corrected as the SAA site does specify 8 kg for the carry-on. As Chuck says, my photo gear weighs way more than that. But should you decide to use checked baggage, make sure you don't put any of your electronic or camera/video gear in those bags or you might be really disappointed when you reach your destination.
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Old Jun 25th, 2009, 06:40 AM
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I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed the Zambezi sunset cruise because we are also booked for that activity. Our TA ended up booking us at the Victoria Falls Hotel. I have looked at the website and hope that it is as nice as it sounds. I am counting down the days until we leave!
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