Awesome South Africa - What's Next
 

Just back from our Awesome Adventure in Africa and a big thanks to all who contributed to all my many questions and issues for my first trip....with many more as I too have caught the bug! So, what's next? Many I met said Norogorongo (sp?) Crater is a must see...along with the Serengeti. I put off on that earlier as I had read of so many ppl and buses and trucks lining the roads. What do you real Africa experts think and,if it is the place for me, what time of year as I have to start the big budget plan right now!
Our trip was even better than I could have ever imagined, from watching my DH bungee in Vic Falls, to swimming elies in Chobe on to Ngala Tented (dearly loved everyone in that camp) and then to Exeter in Sabi Sands. We had awesome weather, and I used the non-heated pools daily to wake me up and get me ready for the next meal! A full report is in the works with pictures galore. I thought June a great time as we never had too many occupants in our rovers/cruisers - maybe max 6 one day. One day we had both am and pm to ourselves and it was a delight. I loved learning about the trees and spoor as much as seeing the birds (unbelievable) and game. The people were the real selling point for me as they are so genuine and the large smiles that awoke me every am with a fresh brewed cup of coffee and lulled me to sleep by drawing a huge bath with bubbles every night. In between they delighted me with stories of their families and questioned me on all the different species I observed each day. It was one heck of an adventure and we are ready for the next trip - where shall it be (in Africa, of course). Thanks for any help AGAIN. D.

Welcome back and glad your trip was so successful you want to go again.

You may have seen this when planning your first trip.


http://www.africa-adventure.com/dsp_besttime.html

I've only been to Tanzania in mid-July. But there are positive reports from many times of year. The best migration time in the Serengeti is late Jan to early March.

Atravelynn: thanks so much; I had quickly passed over that months ago and totally forgot. You are so good on this forum to quickly throw in a thread or two that we tend to forget about. February is supposed to be tops; but I fear it would be closer to June before I could even think about it financially so I suppose I could put off a year - oh but that is so far far away. Like everyone else who returns, I am so eager to return. on the other hand its fun to live vicariously through everyone's postings! thanks again, D.

Welcome back. I look forward to your trip report.

I'm trying to figure out where to go next as well!

CW

Ah, the "where do we go next" question. We go through this all the time, so many places to see just never enough time. Thanks to everyone here we have been picking some great trips.

I have a lot of info on trips I have taken at http://www.bombasticlife.com maybe this can help some of you next time you have the "where do we go next" question.

I wrote an almost identical post after I returned from South Africa two years ago. A year later we traveled to Northern India where we visited Dehli, Varanasi, Agra, and Jaipur. We also went on a tiger safari when we stayed at the Oberoi in Rathambore. We saw a tigress and her three cubs. Very cool, but definitely different than an African safari.

This January we are traveling back to East Africa. We are doing a safari in Kenya, a gorilla trek in Rwanda, and a beach vacation at Mnemba in Tanzania (Zanzibar).

After returning from South Africa, I convinced myself that I would never be able to top such an amazing vacation. But now I realize that it was just the beginning.

Hey thanks Andrew and Dr.Andrea - your posts both arrived at the best time - we had divied up researching tasks..DH on India and myself to East Africa. Love your site "Bombastic", Andrew and have started taking notes...I hope to encourage DH on another African journey. Though there are numerous journeys to take in life, my feelings are still strongly aligned with Africa. So thanks for the insight on India, Dr. A; and Andrew I am now hooked on reading your postings on Bombastic. Will let you know what we decide. We have some time as we have commitments until end of 08, so I imagine it will be 09. But never to early to start planning! Thx. D.

quick question to DrAndrea. I have a choice of going to SAfrica or to India (Ranthambore/South India).

As you've been to both which would you choose? thanks

sueday,

Greetings from India!!! Both destinations completely different - no comparison whatsoever!!! If it's pure gameviewing you wish - Africa without a question!!! Can't go wrong with any of the countries - SA, Bots etc etc.,

India - If you wish to take in a lot of culture, this is the place to come to! Yes, South India is awesome!!! Kerala in particular .... "God's own Country" as is marketed in the West. Temples towns Madurai, Trichy etc etc., in the South. For Tiger viewing, i would not recommend Ranthambore any longer - mismanaged park! If it's luxury you seek - i think CCAfrica have set up Africa style lodges in association with the Taj group checkout www.tajsafaris.com
I have not been there yet........

Cheers,
Hari

Great to hear you had such a good trip. I look forward to hearing more especially about Ngala tented and exeter as we are off to both soon ( leadwood) and its so nice to read how others found it before we go.

Great question, Dana,

Here we are, Ruth and I, getting ready to go on our "last minute" safari in less than a month--and back to the same parks (and in the case of Chiawa/Old Mondoro) the same camp as last year.

Sooo, we're already thinking about what next. And, returning to India keeps coming back up, Hari. As you say, so different, but so amazing. We'll definitely want to be picking your brain about southern India. At the same time, I don't know how to pull it off, but when we visited last, my daughter took us to a remote village outside of Darjeeling which is the middle of one of the tea plantations. The people were wonderful, and there were three girls, about 10 years old I think who followed us everywhere, singing, smiling, and laughing the whole while. I'd love to return, see how they are doing, and take them pictures that I took of them. They were a major reason that now we travel with a battery powered portable printer.

As for places in the future in Africa. There was a thread awhile back of someone's trip to both Rwanda and Uganda. Looking at her (I think) wonderful pictures of the gorillas was such an emotional experience, I can't imagine what it must be like to actually see them in person.

Botwana and the Okavango. The great migration, perhaps with a mobile safari, as, I think ( but could be wrong), that the odds are a bit better of not being in big crowds. Would like to tour South Africa, seeing the country, tasting the wines, getting up close to a white shark), but recognizing that it will be more of a tourist excrsion rather than a wilderness safari.

Mozambique, Tanzania for diving as well as for wildlife. Zimbabwe--maybe.

Jim: You'd love our tea plantations here in the South in Ooty (the nilgri hills). Less touristy compared to Darjeeling. Ofcourse, hell of a lot more to do here......