traveller2007

I am holding a reservation on a 8 night/9 day trip to all of the above, due to take place in February.
1st day The trip flies into Jo'burg arriving in the morning; then you take a connecting flight to Zambia (Livingstone) for just one night.

2nd day You spend just one morning at the Falls (night before on the Zambezi river). Then you transfer to Chobe for 3 nights.
3-4th day - Chobe
Day 5 - fly to Livingstone, connect to fly to Cape Town
Day 6, 7 and 8 - in Cape Town (including a tour of the wine route and Cape Point0

The trip covers some exciting places, and I have never been to Africa.But my fear is, that it involves a lot of transferring and not much unwinding. Accommodation is at nr the Falls (The Sun-something Hotel),and then at a safari lodge in Chobe. Cape Town the hotel is mid-range (3 star).
I know all these kinds of safari and multi-centre tours are expensive when they involve safaris and transfers - I am just not convinced I want to spend almost 6weeks salary on a 8 day trip (about US$45000 with flights from Britain) Its more expensive for me as I have to pay the single supplement - but on the plus side my parents are on the same tour, so I will know some people (I usually dont have that luxury and end up travelling alone).
Has anyone else done this? Would you recommend it? Is it worth spending all the money, plus the extra hassle of getting a visa for Zambia beforehand (even though I will only b there 24 hrs). I went to Cambodia last year for 12 days - also expensive but a little less than this - but felt it was really worth it.
Any comments? I need to decide really quickly (tomorrow evening!)

annhig

hi traveller,

IMHO your instinct that it is too rushed is dead on the money.

point one - you will be dead[beat] by th etime you get to the falls. as you say you only get half a day there anyway, so perhaps that won't matter.

point two - I've never been to Chobe but I bet it deserves more than 2 days - all your tour gives it.

point three- cape town deserves 3 days [possibly 3 weeks!] all to itself, without tours to the winelands. it won't matter though - you'll be too tired to enjoy it.

you don't say how much your trip is costing - but with all that moving around it won't be cheap.

I wouldn't consider fitting a trip like that into less than 12 days, plus flights.

but I think you knew that?

regards, ann

traveller2007

Thanks for your quick reply, Ann! I realised I made a typo - the trip will cost about US$4,500 (about £2,500) which I thinks is normal for a trip covering such a huge distance. But as you say, its not only the cost that concerns me!

I know I'd love to see all these places though. Im in my early 30s - I know I was concerned now that my parents (in late 60s) might find it tiring too when they first booked this.

divine54

fly into (lusaka)livingstone for the falls and overnight at sussi lodge (santuarylodges.com)

cross the river to kasane by boat and stay for 3 nights at chobe chilwero lodge (www.santuarylodges.com)
fly down to maun and stay for 3 nights at a okavango camp and forget about cape town.

that's what i would do.

div

sandi

Eight days including intl flights at $500/person/nt as a single isn't all that expensive for Africa for some people. This price, however, doesn't include the extras as Visa (none for SA, or Bots and I believe they've lowered fee or eliminated the one for Zam), gratuities, inoculations and malaria meds, souvenirs, meals not included, etc.)

However, the rushing about is the issue as I see it. Granted you don't really need more than half-day to tour the Falls. The 3/days for Chobe are fine, but it's going to be tight and hectic with only 3/days in Cape Town.

Though I see the 3/days at Chobe and CPT as more time transferring to/from airports and the actual flights... each between 2.5-3/hrs, than actual game viewing or sightseeing.

For a trip like this with long intl flight at a reasonable pace on the ground, would be a minimum 12/days. It's up to you.

LAleslie

I'd wait until you have a bit more time, or at least decide which sites are more important to you.
If you really want to see Cape Town AND go on safari, I might skip the falls and spend time in a Sabi Sand-area lodge in South Africa. The huge herds of elephant at Chobe--one of its biggest draws IMHO--won't be there in February. Or do the Falls and Chobe (I'd recommend the Chobe Game Lodge, which is INSIDE the national park, an important distinction) save Cape Town for later.

CarlaM

I did something similar for my first trip in Nov/Dec 2005. Had 10 flights with over 20k miles and I was beat when I got home but it was worth it. A very rushed and non-relaxing trip.

4 nights in Capetown,3 nights Vic Falls, 2 nights Chobe,1 night JNB

My photos can be viewed at www.pbase.com/carlam

Cost was a little over $3500 including ALL air.

I was hooked the minute I arrived and just had my 2nd trip this past July. Can't wait to get the 3rd on the books.

atravelynn

(Don't go)
If you will be able to visit Africa again some day with a little more time and if you can plan your stay for when the wildlife is best (Feb is not so good for Chobe), then I'd wait.

(Go)
If it looks like you may not get another shot at Africa or not for a long time, then go.

(Go)
I'm assuming you meant $4500, not $45,000. With the international flight, that's not too bad going as a single.

(Don't Go)
If you are paying much more above the $4500, then I don't think it is that much of a deal.

(Go)
The 1/2 day at the falls is not so bad. I've done that. You'll certainly have enough time to see the falls and in Feb they should be flowing well after the short rains.

(Go)
If your dream trip to Africa included seeing Vic Falls, spending a few days on safari, then doing a wine tour in Cape Town, I'd be inclined to go because this trip does exactly that.

(Don't go)
If your dream trip is more safari and less city, then wait until you can plan it the way you want, either doing a solo trip or joining one of many the group trips that regularly depart for Africa.

Let us know what you do.

traveller2007

Wow, thanks for all your responses! It;s not an easy decision as Im suffering in the winter cold and would like to at least have the promise of somwehre warm to go....but I am thinking of a relaxing trip, not a busy rushing about one!
So I have more or less decided against this trip for the moment. I can think of more relaxing trips I can take with my parents next year and as for me (still young!) I think I would like to break it up a bit and maybe do parts of it separately - Id love to go to S. Africa but would probably like to spend a few leisurely days in CT, and also see winelands, and Zulunatal area. I have heard Kruger National Park is also pretty amazing for animals.

As for falls - I can't really justify 1 day in a country and then rushing off to the next.
So many ideas and places to go...! Thanks to you all again.

divine54

traveller
if you don't like the idea of getting to the falls for one day:
what about making it a solely zambian safari - depending on time of year.

from feb-may incl. livingstone is fine but from auf to dec you should go to the zim side! but's an easy crossing over the bridge and done.
then proceed to lower zambesi and south luangwa. for 9 days: wonderful!

second safari solely bot combined with krueger - 12 days plus cape town make it 16-17 day.

countless options.........

frankly - i fly down for a extended weekend. but i am based in europe..

div

luangwablondes

All this seems too expensive to me.

From Livingstone:
"...tales of woe from tour operators who are bemoaning
the fact that there are few tourists coming to town."

With websites like this http://tinyurl.com/6oa797
showing some great deals. Rand flucuates around 10 to the dollar currently.

I would look for a better deal before making adecision. Who knows what prices will be in the future with the way the US gubbermint is printing money.

traveller2007

Just to clarify - I am based in London, which is great as that means no time difference with S. Africa.

Funnily enough I went to bed last night having made the decision not to go. But I had a very surreal dream about Africa - beautiful animals and nature, and in it my parents were having a great time but I wasnt able to join in! I woke up feeling that I would like to share this particular experience with them. It may sound silly, but as they get older (and my dad has been ill) I wonder if I will one day look back and wish we had also done this together. I may soon be relocated to an other office with work and see them even less than I do now.
So I have the booking form and am filling it in tomorrow and just got the time off work. Yes, its more money than I have ever spent on a trip before, but perhaps I wont regret it if its as good as everyone says it is in this region.
Thanks again though for all your help - I do appreciate it. And if I love it I have lots of great ideas of how, when and where to return to thanks to you all!

atravelynn

Family bonding time trumps all! Have fun and report back on it, please.

Shumba

As I live in Botswana, I would avoid Chobe like the plague in February. You may wonder what all the fuss is about.

Overall, the package is far too rushed. I would stick with a Sabi Sand property and Cape Town. Far better game viewing at that time of year.

Just my 2 Pula worth.

Halifax_Deb

Go, you won't regret it. You need more time in Cape Town though. We spent 2 weeks in Africa in May 2005. We had 2 nights in Victoria Falls to get over the long flight and jetlag (Zambezi Sun - the highlight of our trip), one night at a game reserve near Joburg, one night in Sun City (the low point of the trip, should have spent 2 days at the game reserve instead), then a week at a timeshare near Cape Town. See pictures on our web site www.brucelarter.ca/SouthAfrica.html
It was our most expensive trip (probably about $10000 for the 2 of us with flights from Canada) but by far the best. We figured this would be the only time we would ever go to South Africa (because of the distance) but now we want to go back! We arranged through Lisa Wium at www.africanrainbow.com, she was excellent and I would highly recommend her. She arranged everything and all we had to do was hand over our 17 vouchers (for transportation, flights, hotels, etc) at the appropriate time.

traveller2007

Thanks again for all the info - Halifax Deb: I think I will also be staying at the Zambezi Sun Hotel.Sadly only for one night thought (thats my biggest disappointment with the tour).

Id love more time in Cape Town, but as atravelynn said, this trip combines it all - I would like to see the three things she mentions (falls, winelands/CT, safari)

Ill def report back and if I do like it all, perhaps Id like to go on safari for longer. What I didnt realise is that on safari you apparently wake up early and go out for a few hours - come back in the middle of the day and then go out again in the late afternoon. I assumed (wrongly) you get up early and are out all day and wouldnt be going out later!

Shumba - what is wrong with Chobe in February? I have heard (also here, from LAleslie) that the herds of elephants wont be there at that time. But as the main reason I wanted to go was to get some warmer weather than London and a break from the dark days, February it is! I had heard Botswana is one of the nicest places to go on safari (as opposed to Kenya).

Shumba

Botswana is a nice place to on safari, though the chobe river front is similar to Kenya. Lots of tourists. Large hotels and day trippers from Vic Falls. It is far different from the private reserves that many report on here.

As for the time of year;

1) It is the middle of the rainy season. Last Feb it rained solidly for almost 2 weeks, causing massive floods. The same could easily happen.

2) Chobe is mainly Kalahari Apple leaf and Mopane in its interior. From May-Ocober, the only water supplied is from the Chobe river, hence the large herds.

From November to May, the pans deep in the park sustain the wildlife, so they are no longer based along the river front.

3) You cannont drive offroad in Chobe. Which will limit your game viewing during the green season.

4) Grasses are high which means that whilst driving along the road, lions could easily be lying 20 metres away and you cant see them.

traveller2007

I understand now! I didnt realise it was so seasonal. Thanks for the info. But as I said, the point was that my parents wanted to make a trip in Jan or Feb due to the horrid english weather. But now I am thinking maybe I will need an umbrella and raincoat in Botswana too....!

CarlaM

The only unexpected part of my trip was the lack of elephants at Chobe as I had read there were tens of thousands and we only saw a few. But they are not there during the rainy season.

More photos:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLan...localeid=en_US

atravelynn

You probably won't see many eles, you'll probably get rained on, you'll probably wish you had more time at the falls, and it will probably be one of the best trips you've ever taken.

As you mention, you can return under other circumstances some day. You may be able to go to Africa with your parents just this one.