Mike14c

Hello!

Thanks to several members whose suggestions and tips have helped shape our Botswanna trip for August 2006. We're bringing our 21 years old nephew for his first trip to Africa period, and its our first visit to Botswana.

Clearly, its important to get the mix of camps right to encounter diverse environmnets, wildlife and experience, so, Old Botswana hands, how does this sound:

2 Nights Jack's Camp
3 Nights Mombo
3 Nights Jao
3 Nights Sabi Sands (probably Londolozzi or the new camp at Mala Mala)

Any suggestiosn or comments would be most appriciated. THANKS!!!

Kavey

Sounds MARVELLOUS!
I don't know that I'd bother including just one camp in South Africa - means a lot of extra distance to fly and hence less time on safari - I'd probably opt for a camp in the Linyanti area such as Savuti or King's Pool - great for wild dog and elephants in particular.
That aside, it sounds fantastic!

napamatt

Mike

Mala Mala is great and I'm staying at Rattrays (the new camp) in January, so will report then. The main reason for MM would be Leopards, which if you are going to Mombo you should see in spades. So I would also opt for a Botswana only trip, Savuti, Duma Tau and Kings Pool are all in the Linyanti and would be good choices. The water hole at Savuti will get good elephants then and there maybe dogs denning in the area, particularly early in August. The only other thing I would question is 3 nights at Jao. I'm all about the game drives and so three nights at a water camp, might be exceesive. I'm not sure if Jao offers drive on Handa Island like Tubu Tree Camp, if they do, that would make a difference.

You might also consider Duba Plains for the awesome Lion, Buffalo interactions.

Kavey

In June 2004 Jao were certainly offering land drives... we were staying at Jacana and weren't interested in land drives as we'd chosen the camp specifically for water activities but staff explained that many of the guests that choose Jao don't seem to realise it's a water camp and that water activities are what it's ideally suited too (having chosen it purely on the basis of it's 6 paw accommodation and services) and often want drives. Drives necessitated a boat trip out to a landing area and were taken in the area near Tubu Tree camp.

tashak

Great itinerary-- but as others have said, I agree that another SA camp isn't neccessary, and you can use this time for more Botswana. You will see rhino at Mala Mala however, while you only "might" see them at Mombo.

And yes, Jao now does game drives, in the same area that the other camps in their concession (Tubu Tree and Kwetsani ) use. Tubu & Kwetsani both get fabulous reviews (do a search) so you might consider one of those instead of Jao...unless you really want to do the spa in the bush thing, or if you really "need" the huge extra spaces that the 6paw camps like Jao provide. But it is an extraordinarily beautiful and well-run concession, so I'd certainly include one of the Jao concession camps.

Lucky you, lucky nephew...perhaps you need an experienced nanny/minder for the young guy? I would volunteer...