Most of the posts (while great!) relate to US based tour companies. We are a 50+yo couple from Western Australia, looking to make our first trip to Africa anytime August-October 2011. So you can imagine what we want to see - just some of the iconic landscape and and animals really! Looking for a tour that is simple, very comfortable, well run, safe. At this stage we're thinking Botswana? Kruger Park? All suggestions as to tour operatiors/tours very welcome!

Genna2,

I live in Tasmania and am heading off for my 4th African safari next year. I have made various bookings with US, UK and African-based companies and only once used an Australian based agent. I have found from Australia that it is so expensive going through an Australian middle man that it has the potential to shave one or two weeks off the time I can spend in Africa.

For Botswana I'd recommend a private mobile safari with Massons www.massonsafaris.com or Alwyn Myburgh for whom I have seen a couple of recommendations http://alwynmyburgh.com/ The Migration Routes safari offered by Wilderness Safaris http://www.wilderness-safaris.com/bo...rations_route/ has been positively reviewed by some first time safari travellers - sorry I can't find the review.

Alternatively, you might like to compare Botswana pricing with East Africa operators. I have travelled with Good Earth tours twice now and recommend them.

Happy planning,


Pol.

We just recently went to Africa on our first safari. We were at our wits end trying to find an agent here in Australia that we felt understood our needs well enough to trust. I very nearly booked with an agent in the states or the UK, but decided to give it one more try finding a good agent here. I contacted Wilderness Safaris, and they gave me the name of an agent they recommend here in Australia. He was fantastic! Right from the word go he understood exactly what we wanted. If you would like more information, please email me and I will send them to you. I have already recommended some other people to him, and they were also very happy.

I can't comment on how much of a price difference there would be, because we didn't try to book our trip ourselves, but his advice was great and everything went very smoothly for us.

The question is why you have the need for an agent based in your own country?
Trips are quite easy to plan with companies in other parts of the world and they are also trustworthy.
maybe my recent topic on my experience while booking might be of some help;
http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...-itinerary.cfm

I ended up with a company based in my own country after all, but can definitely also recommend the others like Rhino Africa (based in South Africa) and Tanzania odyssey (they also book to other countries, based in the UK)

Hi Genna
I am a felow Aussie and can reccommend African Encounter (Elaine and Peter) based in Australia for a local expert and also Rhino Africa based in Cape Town (Monique)for excellent prices and service.
Enjoy what will not be your last trip to Africa
Elaine

Excellent help everyone, ta! I guess there is no need for agent o be in Oz, providing ther's a recommendation they're reliable. You know, visions of thousands of dollars disappearing into the Internet, arriving in Africa to nothing... Would be bad!

Any specific tours anyone can recommend though?

Depends really on what you want; do you wanted the 'real' nature or wont you mind the tarmac and waterholes. Do you want tented camps (more private and also 'real' experience). Specific wildlife interests? (wild dogs, birds, elephants, etc. Etc.) are you tied to a certain period of the year and duration, Budget?
if you provide a view agents with information like that they will come up with some nice proposals, and of course the people on this board can comment