Where Should Will and Kate Honeymoon?
Mar 24th, 2011, 12:58 PM
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Where Should Will and Kate Honeymoon?
Can Fodor's Forum readers come up with a list of uber-resorts for the honeymoon of a lifetime? As of now, rumor says the royal superstars, Prince William and his lovely Kate, are headed for a week on the Scilly Isles (where there are more sheep than people). We think that's okay to catch the royal breath, but what about another week at one of our suggested resorts. The royal lovebirds desperately need a break: he's serving his country in the armed forces and she's about to join the rest of the Windsors in attending a thousand public functions (community center openings, etc.) a year. Their honeymoon destinations would not only need to be beautiful places, and perfect for memories-in-the-making, but they also would have to put a premium on privacy. Fabulous islands, exotic resorts, natural splendors: Can we come up with a list of spectacular getaways that are custom-made for their royal honeymoon? There's still time to send our recommendations to Windsor Castle!
Mar 24th, 2011, 04:46 PM
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Robert, you're thinking Seychelles from the looks of the tag.
I'm sure the Kenyans are hoping for another trip that would serve as bookends to the royal relationship. Can't purchase PR like that.
I'm sure the Kenyans are hoping for another trip that would serve as bookends to the royal relationship. Can't purchase PR like that.
Mar 26th, 2011, 08:56 PM
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Hi twaffle, yes, and I've been "thinking" about it, does that count??
Actually been selecting some shots to go with the report, processing and putting up on my smugmug site. A very time consuming task for me. Just for your eyes only, here they are (43)!!!
http://tomgraham.smugmug.com/SAFARI2011TANZANIA
I will start writing report tomorrow, that is a lot of work to me, I'd rather play with pictures
regards - tom
ps - so why am I here looking at this thread anyway? You know me, any chance I get to make a smart a$$ comment!!!
Actually been selecting some shots to go with the report, processing and putting up on my smugmug site. A very time consuming task for me. Just for your eyes only, here they are (43)!!!
http://tomgraham.smugmug.com/SAFARI2011TANZANIA
I will start writing report tomorrow, that is a lot of work to me, I'd rather play with pictures
regards - tom
ps - so why am I here looking at this thread anyway? You know me
, any chance I get to make a smart a$$ comment!!!
Mar 27th, 2011, 05:48 AM
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Thanks for sharing these images.
Having considered Tanzania for extended trip next February, I think I will stick to the private reserves in Bots & SA.
I couldn't stand having 9,10,11 vehicles all fighting for position - my idea of safari hell.
Having considered Tanzania for extended trip next February, I think I will stick to the private reserves in Bots & SA.
I couldn't stand having 9,10,11 vehicles all fighting for position - my idea of safari hell.
Mar 27th, 2011, 08:11 AM
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Great photos, Tom! Lbj2, you won't notice the other vehicles when you're at a great sighting. Most of the time, you won't have many, if any, other vehicles around you. I saw just as many vehicles at a cheetah sighting in Botswana's Savute last year. Botswana's private reserves won't have many vehicles, but also won't have the migration herds, something you shouldn't miss.
Mar 27th, 2011, 08:28 AM
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Shaytay, I would notice other vehicles, as they would prevent me from positioning myself in the perfect position. Which is more important to me than huge herds.
Savute is in a national park, so not really comparable to the trip I would be planning.
If I were to visit for the migration, I would choose the July-September section. It appears far more reliable than the Ndutu experience.
Savute is in a national park, so not really comparable to the trip I would be planning.
If I were to visit for the migration, I would choose the July-September section. It appears far more reliable than the Ndutu experience.
Mar 27th, 2011, 09:10 AM
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Agree with lbj2 on all counts.
Including that SA and Bots preferred for photography. That plus it is only in Ndutu that you can go off-road. For photography off-road is a must. I'll go into more detail in my report.
For migration herds I would likely do Kenya in Sep(?).
regards - tom
Including that SA and Bots preferred for photography. That plus it is only in Ndutu that you can go off-road. For photography off-road is a must. I'll go into more detail in my report.
For migration herds I would likely do Kenya in Sep(?).
regards - tom
Mar 27th, 2011, 06:32 PM
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Russell,
You would be extremely frustrated in the private reserves in SA, unless you have special privileges wrt photography before hand. Doesn't compare in anyway to the Kwando concessions that you are used to!
As to the Mara, I loved the off-season in 2008. I think it was early June.... There were hardly many vehicles around.
You would be extremely frustrated in the private reserves in SA, unless you have special privileges wrt photography before hand. Doesn't compare in anyway to the Kwando concessions that you are used to!
As to the Mara, I loved the off-season in 2008. I think it was early June.... There were hardly many vehicles around.
Mar 27th, 2011, 09:43 PM
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Hari, don't know what you mean by "You would be extremely frustrated in the private reserves in SA". In SA private reserves you can go off road and position any way you like. No special privileges required. Also, they control the number of vehicles at a sighting, typically 3, so you don't have 16 vehicles around a tree with a leopard in it. Yes, saw that in TZ.
regards - tom
regards - tom
Mar 28th, 2011, 01:02 AM
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Hi Tom,
Sorry if the post was mis-interpreted. Post was meant for Russell's specific interests wrt his photography where although, the vehicles at sightings are limited to 3 or 4 - the overall vehicle density in the Sabi Sands and surrounds (if this was Russell's place of interest) is a bit too high compared to what he's used to! Point of reference was the waiting in queue (many times the case, if not all) and the time limit at sightings (hence my reference to special privileges)
Hope you had a good trip to Tanzania - agree with you, 16 vehicles are not acceptable at all ...... I would specify to the guide though, that he needs to move off from the crowds and leave the others to jostle for spots at the sighting. I do hope you had several sightings where you managed to get away from the crowds .......
Hari
Sorry if the post was mis-interpreted. Post was meant for Russell's specific interests wrt his photography where although, the vehicles at sightings are limited to 3 or 4 - the overall vehicle density in the Sabi Sands and surrounds (if this was Russell's place of interest) is a bit too high compared to what he's used to! Point of reference was the waiting in queue (many times the case, if not all) and the time limit at sightings (hence my reference to special privileges)
Hope you had a good trip to Tanzania - agree with you, 16 vehicles are not acceptable at all ...... I would specify to the guide though, that he needs to move off from the crowds and leave the others to jostle for spots at the sighting. I do hope you had several sightings where you managed to get away from the crowds .......
Hari
Mar 28th, 2011, 03:23 AM
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I am guessing you are being sarcastic, jochen?
Vehicle densities in the private concessions are incredible. Take the kwando concession, they normally drive on around 80,000 hectares of their property. The other 120,000 is more wooded mopane or too far from the camps.
The SSGR is only 60,000 hectares. A maximum of 8 vehicles will drive the Kwando concession , split between two camps, 30kms apart .
Enough said.
Vehicle densities in the private concessions are incredible. Take the kwando concession, they normally drive on around 80,000 hectares of their property. The other 120,000 is more wooded mopane or too far from the camps.
The SSGR is only 60,000 hectares. A maximum of 8 vehicles will drive the Kwando concession , split between two camps, 30kms apart .
Enough said.
Mar 29th, 2011, 02:11 AM
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No, seriously. I am not sarcastic.
I'm not talking about number of vehicles per hectare, lbj2. I'm talking number of occupied seats per vehicle.
You can juggle as much as you want with whatever figure you want, but to me it's the end result that counts. Being:
1. the number of good sightings
2. the quality of those sightings
This is what I fork over the money for. To me, all the rest is fairly irrelevant.
The quality of a sighting is more influenced by the number of people in the vehicle then it is by the number of vehicles (which is low anyway, as it's in a private concession; the difference with a national park is huge).
But if you really want to elaborate on the number of vehicles;
In my experience there is no significant difference in number of vehicles per sighting when you compare private reserves near Kruger with private concessions in the delta.
In popular areas in the game reserves around Kruger, there may be a "queue" when there is a very good sighting, yes. But in practice, I hardly experienced those moments. And when I did, I thought the time spent at the sighting was enough.
Besides, this "popularity" can differ a lot, even in one particular reserve. For example; the west of Sabi Sands is a block shared by lots of lodges (Dulini, Idube, Inyati, Exeter, Ulusaba,...). There the number of vehicles can perhaps be too much. But to take another example; in the north of the park (EP, Arathusa, Djuma, Nkorho) the situation is better as not everyone can go everywhere (you'll have to check the traversing rights map on the Sabi Sands website for the exact situation). And yet another example; in the south of the reserve, Sabi Sabi shares territory with Nottens, and nobody else. I can safely assume sightings there are as "exclusive" as in the delta.
But what we must not forget, is that traversing rights can also be a positive. Not in quality of the sightings, but in quantity. After all; 2 trackers see more than one, and four see more than two.
You might even say there's a trade-off between quality and quantity somewhere. But then I'd say; in general the private reserves near Kruger are closer to the ideal situation than the concessions in the Okavango Delta.
B.regs,
J.
PS. Coming back on my 1st example of the western part of Sabi Sands; Ulusaba is on the short list of Tourism Of Tomorrow award winners for 2011. See: http://www.tourismfortomorrow.com/Wi...-game-reserve/
So it can't be <that> bad.
I'm not talking about number of vehicles per hectare, lbj2. I'm talking number of occupied seats per vehicle.
You can juggle as much as you want with whatever figure you want, but to me it's the end result that counts. Being:
1. the number of good sightings
2. the quality of those sightings
This is what I fork over the money for. To me, all the rest is fairly irrelevant.
The quality of a sighting is more influenced by the number of people in the vehicle then it is by the number of vehicles (which is low anyway, as it's in a private concession; the difference with a national park is huge).
But if you really want to elaborate on the number of vehicles;
In my experience there is no significant difference in number of vehicles per sighting when you compare private reserves near Kruger with private concessions in the delta.
In popular areas in the game reserves around Kruger, there may be a "queue" when there is a very good sighting, yes. But in practice, I hardly experienced those moments. And when I did, I thought the time spent at the sighting was enough.
Besides, this "popularity" can differ a lot, even in one particular reserve. For example; the west of Sabi Sands is a block shared by lots of lodges (Dulini, Idube, Inyati, Exeter, Ulusaba,...). There the number of vehicles can perhaps be too much. But to take another example; in the north of the park (EP, Arathusa, Djuma, Nkorho) the situation is better as not everyone can go everywhere (you'll have to check the traversing rights map on the Sabi Sands website for the exact situation). And yet another example; in the south of the reserve, Sabi Sabi shares territory with Nottens, and nobody else. I can safely assume sightings there are as "exclusive" as in the delta.
But what we must not forget, is that traversing rights can also be a positive. Not in quality of the sightings, but in quantity. After all; 2 trackers see more than one, and four see more than two.
You might even say there's a trade-off between quality and quantity somewhere. But then I'd say; in general the private reserves near Kruger are closer to the ideal situation than the concessions in the Okavango Delta.
B.regs,
J.
PS. Coming back on my 1st example of the western part of Sabi Sands; Ulusaba is on the short list of Tourism Of Tomorrow award winners for 2011. See: http://www.tourismfortomorrow.com/Wi...-game-reserve/
So it can't be <that> bad.
