I've been reading some great things on this thread about safari and was wondering if you all could help guide our decision for first time safari. We would gladly pay decently for a great experience ($400/night pp), but our top priority is great game viewing. We have been looking at Madikwe because we love the exclusivity of it, but are wondering for the $$$ and time we have (4 nights in December 2006) should we go to Botswana for a truly wild bush/gaming experience. Would love great advice from experienced safari people!!!

I would urge yot yo find the additional time to do Botswana properly instead of the Madikwe. Or reduce time in the Madikwe in order to combine it with Bots.

I tryly believe that the Bots experience is well worth having, even in December when temps can be high along with humidity.

If you have 4 days and realy want to see Botswana, I would suggest you fly to Livingstone ,cross into Chobe and do the boat cruises and safaris that the lodges have on offer.
You should be able to get a good deal over Dec in Botswana and it wont be overcrowded.
South Africa in December is peak season .

I agree that you should take the opportunity to go to Botswana. Madikwe has some great lodges and it can be easy to find lots of species but the wildlife viewing in Botswana can be much more exclusive (very few people, sometimes one camp only for a large concession) vs. many, many camps in Madikwe traversing the same areas and Botswana just has the big wilderness feel to compliment the wildlife viewing.

December is perfect with your budget because there are lots of great specials that time of year that should be under your requirement.

thanks so much. I've read up on Chobe and the Delta -- Chobe is great because of close proximity to Vic Falls, but sounds like it can get pretty overcrowded...would any of you PB, mkhonzo, or bots recommend one over the other? I'm also interested in combining a Capetown/Safari for the 6 nights...do you know any good operators that do such? Many thanks again.

Should you end up in Botswana up in Botswana, I recommend that you explore a variety of the parks in the various areas.

Choose camps that have you in the Moremi & the Delta, Chobe & the Linyanti/Kwando area.

If time permits and you are able to get into the Khalahari, do it.

Suggest you leave your email add & I'll be happy to offer you some agent/operator recco's/

sadly my only email is from work and I may get beaten with a wet noodle if I use it online Do you have an email address you wouldn't mind posting? I can write you then privately.

Hold on, I suggested that you go to Chobe for the 4 nights trying to split Botswana into 2 nights Chobe & 2 nights Okavango is Not a good idea. You will spend 1 of the 4 days travelling.Chobe is not overcrowded in Dec.Cape Town is.

thanks for the reply kitso. In December, do you think the game viewing will be great in Chobe? Or would I be better off forgoing Vic Falls and going to the delta or Moremi?

For December, Moremi and the delta will be far more productive in terms of game viewing. Chobe is renowned for it's large elephant herds and they move away after the early rains, which in a normal year occur towards early to mid November. Vic falls, will not hv much water in the falls that time of the year as the rainy season is just beginning. However, if you like adrenaline sports like white water rafting, i do recommend December as it is a perfect time on the rapids. They are the single best rapids i have ever been on!!!

Hari

I've travelled to many countries including Morocco and Egypt, but never anywhere in sub-Sahara Africa until now. In early November, I have a business trip to Capetown, so that seems like the golden opportunity to finally set aside 3-5 days afterwards for my First Safari. Like most first-timers, my main interest is to see as many of the Big 5 as possible, along with interesting scenery.

Like "travelgalnyc", I am wondering if Kruger or Botswana would be the best choice? I suppose a side trip to Victoria Falls is practical with a Botswana trip, but in early November has it decreased to a trickle?

Jim: I am partial to Botswana because I love the wilderness feel with small camps in huge areas, however, to see the most animals including the Big 5 with a fairly short amount of time 3-5 days you should consider going to the Sabi Sand area just outside of Kruger.

Travelgalnyc,

I just did my first safari in May and I would agree with the other posters, go for Botswana if you can! My time on safari in South Africa was really fun, but the Botswana experience was out of this world.