African Safari Travel Misconceptions and Lessons Learned
 

Last March we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with a trip of a lifetime to South Africa, Zambia and Botswana. I spent a year researching and planning, worrying and anticipating. We loved the trip and learned so much, most notably that we had nothing to be fearful or worry about.

I kept a detailed blog of our 3 week adventure and if you're interested you can read all about our misconceptions and lessons learned here: http://wp.me/p3cJtv-Pf

Excellent, Gayle. Thank you for sharing your impressions and experiences...and your packing list!!

Anyone with fears and concerns should read your report. Happy 25th.

Thank you. My pleasure.

Thanks for taking the time to! Lots of great information!

Wonderful report with excellent insight. I'm sorry to hear that your experience at Vumburu Plains was less than perfect. We just spent 5 nights there this past November and it was amazing. Must really be dependent on the timing. We saw many, many animals and I took a gazillion photos. We spent 22 nights in Botswana in 5 different Wilderness Safari camps, from November 10 to December 5. The weather and landscape were perfect and the cost is about 60% less than high season. Consider a November schedule on your next trip.

Funny about Vumbura. I've heard and read other disparate accounts like those expressed here. My own experience was great.

We really enjoyed many aspects of Vumbura. We recognize and understand wildlife sightings can't be predicted.

Thanks Gayle - I too am freaking due to the horror stories of Johannesburg about the thought of checking our luggage. So I'm even trying to keep the weight down to 17 lbs to carry on! We're headed that way in June. Appreciated the packing list! I may take a look at those folders and cubes. I've used a couple of small cubes from another source that I liked but haven't used the folders.

Patandhank, we didn't have a minutes trouble with luggage in JNB. In fact, we made that wrong turn that Gayle outlines on our return from Maun thru JNB. Because we were in the wrong place, we didn't retrieve our luggage for nearly an hour. It sat unattended in the luggage claims area. When we finally cleared properly, it was right there waiting for us. No hassle.

Don't know your plans, but Wilderness Safari camps do laundry so beautifully that we really could have traveled as light as a carry-on.

Knowing what I know now, we could have managed with carry on. TC is right, the laundry service was fabulous everywhere we went. That said, I was just as freaked out, having heard horror stories about lost, pilfered and slashed bags. We locked our duffels and they were fine. I wouldn't hesitate to check them next time either.