napamatt

Kaye

I have responded, but you can also try my other e-mail.

[email protected]

napamatt

Rocco

Which properties does Simbambilli have traversing rights over?

africa_lover

countdown is over.

acuallym i am waiting at Heathrow airport until i can board my connecting flight to johannesburg

I wish you all a pleasant fodors chat-time

i will report on my trip when i get back.

africa, here i come

jandj

Hi Everyone,
What a fantastic idea this is!!! My husband and I are leaving May 30 for a birding/wildlife safari. We have our own guide and driver. Here's our itinerary:

Maasai Safari Lodge, Arusha - 2 days

Tarangire Safari Lodge - 3 days

Gibbs Farm - 2 days

Spekebay Lodge, Lake Victoria - 2 days

Seronera Wildlife Lodge - 1 day

Serengeti Wildlife Lodge - 1 day

Eunoto Retreat, (for Lake Manyara) - 2 days

Bon voyage and safe landings to all!

laguna92688

about 6 weeks!
June 28-LAX-LHR
June 30-LHR-CPT
4 nights at Sheraton, Cape Town
July 5-CPT-Kruger Park
July 5-7-Gomo Gomo Game Reserve
July 7-8-Tshukudu Game Lodge
July 9-Pretoria
July 10-JNB-LAX
My 5 year old daughter is almost more excited than me!

Roccco

Napamatt,

Although I would have to double check, I am pretty sure that Simbambili holds traversing rights to cross over into each Djuma, Chitwa Chitwa and Elephant Plains. While Simbambili is obviously one of the smallest reserves in the Sabi Sand, it is blessed with one of the very strongest leopard presences, and rhino, lion, and wild dog also frequent this part of the Sabi Sand, as well as buffalo, giraffe and elephants.

Simbambili is definitely one of the nicer places, as far as accomodations go, in the entire Sabi Sand, especially if one is visiting between October - April when they will be able to make good use of the private plunge pools that are featured with each room.

There is rarely a Leopards Of Simbambili update that goes by where there is not a leopard kill:

http://www.tagasafaris.co.za/african...est-events.htm

I just think that Simbambili (or one of the other luxury lodges in the Sabi Sand) is the perfect sendoff after first spending time in Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe or Namibia for the main safari, followed by time in Cape Town, but then with a final few nights in the Sabi Sand where one is almost guaranteed some close up action with leopards and lions. Perhaps the flora of the Sabi Sand does not compare with other destinations, but the fauna definitely compensates.

tuskerdave

hi there, 14days to go!!!!! trip posted up above some place lol.
david
ps, i forgot to mention. while in the mara this time. i am going to hire 2 masai friends of my driver. we are going to spend the day lion tracking INSIDE the mara. as long as the ground is good for it. we're doing it. hey, even if the ground isn't good. i still would like to do some walking in the mara. with my masai.
will keep you posted on this.

serengeti

We are leaving on the 25th May 2005 ..

SFO > AMS > JRO
Arusha -- 1 Night
Tarangire -- 1 Night
Manyara -- 2 Nights
Serengeti -- 4 Nights
Ngorongoro -- 2 Nights

Back to SFO on the 8th of June...

Camera -- Digital Rebel/Nikon N65(Bkup)
Lens -- 100-400 USM IS L Lens
-- 17-40 USM L Lens
-- 28-80 (for the Nikon)

LUCRECIA

In 34 days I go to Morocco!!

Sarvowinner

Hi we (Parents & 14 yr old daughter) leave Sydney for a RTW trip (with One World) - Xmas in Toronto with family, two nights in London and then onto Dar es Salaam.

01JAN2006 Arusha : Moivaro Coffee Lodge
02JAN2006 Safari : Karatu Gibbs Farm
03JAN2006 Safari : Serengeti Olduvai Camp
04JAN2006 Safari : Serengeti Ronjo Fly-camp
05JAN2006 Safari : Serengeti Ronjo Fly-camp
06JAN2006 Safari : Serengeti Ndutu Lodge
07JAN2006 Safari : Serengeti Ndutu Lodge
08JAN2006 Safari : Ngorongoro Serena Lodge

followed by three nights in Zanzibar 2 nights at Pongwe Beach & one night at Dhow Palace in Stone Town.

Then onto South Africa with AIr Tanzania: Durban (visiting friends) Capetown (touring wine country and Garden Route) and Victoria Falls before flying back Sydney for Australia Day (Jan 26). We haven't spent much time on the SA portion yet!

JazzDrew

4 hours for us!

Thanks to all who have guided us through our planning our first safari. We honestly would not have done this without the help. Thanks!

I must admit that I am quite anxious and excited at the same time. Every possible worst-case senerio has run through my mind the past couple days. And some of the recent threads concerning malaria medication, cholera outbreaks, and animal attacks have not been comforting! The logical side of me knows these won't happen to us, but the parent and husband in me is panicing a bit. Oh well, we will be on the plane in a few hours and I'm sure I will feel better. I suspect I'll laugh at myself when I re-read this when we return.

Again thanks to everyone and I promise a trip report when we return.

JazzDrew

sandi

JazzDrew -

You all will be just fine. Enjoy your trip. We'll be here waiting on your tales and photos. Happy travels.

suzic

Hello, I have been lurking, and admiring your posts for several months- So Time to Join in!!

I depart in 93 days (Sept 21), LAX- LHR-JHB one night in joberg, then on to Maun- Moremi (3 nights mobile tented camp- Xakanaxa). Fly in to another camp- island on the delta- 3 nights (mobile tented). Friday the 30th on to Vic Falls- Ilala Lodge- 2 nights. Monday Oct 3- on to Matusadona-Rhino Lodge- 2 nights. Then on to Mana Pools- Kariba 3 nights- mokoro& mobile camp. Then onto Joberg 1 night. Rocktail Bay Lodge- Richards Bay SA- Oct 9th thru 14th. SCUBA trips planned, sightseeing, and maybe Hluluwe. I so wish that I were leaving tomorrow!!! This is my dream vacation- but I am quite sure I will be going back again and again. I thank God for letting me live thru a horrible car accident 12/03- that I shouldn't have survived! Now I am taking the time to have some FUN!!!

I am sure that I will have LOTS of pics, and will post them when I return!! Thanks Suzic

Roccco

Suzi,

THAT sounds like a great itinerary! Nice to see you triumph over that unfortunate car accident and having the clearheadedness to plan such an extraordinary holiday. You just never know...that is why I refuse to put off traveling.

You will be departing LAX on the very same day as I arrive home at LAX from my 3 weeks Zambian / South African holiday!

Roccco

By the way, I am down to 72 days away!

Here is my own 2005 itinerary:

8/30 - Depart LAX - London

8/31 - 9 hour layover in London. Day trip to explore London. Overnight flight to Johannesburg.

9/01 - Arrive Joburg. Transfer to Lusaka, Zambia. Light air transfer to Lower Zambezi National Park. Kasaka River Lodge, LZNP (3)

9/04 - Chongwe River Camp, LZNP (3)

9/07 - Light air transfer to Mfuwe, near South Luangwa National Park. Luangwa River Lodge, SLNP (3)

9/10 - Puku Ridge, SLNP (3)

9/13 - Light air transfer to Lusaka. Lusaka - Joburg - Cape Town. Twelve Apostles Hotel (4)

9/17 - Cape Town - Nelspruit - Simbambili. Simbambili, Sabi Sand Game Reserve (3)

9/20 - Depart Simbambili - Nelspruit - Joburg. Overnight flight to London.

9/21 - Depart London to LAX. Same day arrival.

I have absolutely no regrets over my chosen itinerary. While I would like to one day visit Kafue National Park and North Luangwa National Park, each in Zambia, I don't quite have Lower Zambezi and South Luangwa out of my system yet.

I had momentarily questioned my decision to spend 3 nights in the Sabi Sand, but with the recent Fodorite trip reports on Simbambili, I have no question, whatsoever, about my decision to save 3 nights at Simbambili for last. Although this stay coincides with a full moon, at Simbambili I don't think it will matter. Leopards are seemingly everywhere at Simbambili, usually seen in broad daylight, so a full moon probably will not bother them in the slightest!

suzic

Wow Rocco, that sounds simply wonderful. I can't wait to go, and am sure that I will enjoy hearing all about your trip also, when I return. I am positive that this may be my first Africa (or overseas for that matter) trip, that it will not be my last!! I am actually looking into retiring in SA, and will probably look at property in my next trip! The addiction has begun!! Enjoy the countdown, and even more so your trip everyone!!! Suzic

Bo2642

Just purusing the boards in anticipation of our upcoming trip and ran across this thread.
In a little over 50 hours, my good travel partner Jeri, and I will be on our way to LAX. We're two ladies "of an age", just into the 60's. Sounds old, but we are young at heart, active, energitic, and curious about our world. Have done some great trips and seen some amazing things over the past 7 or 8 years, the latest fantastic destination(s) being Vietnam and Cambodia just this past December. This will be our first African experience, however, and we can hardly wait. I just want to say how much I've enjoyed going through the postings on this board over the past few months. Many thanks to all who have contributed not only answers to questions but also advice, opinions, and, certainly, photos.
While I'm quite taken with all of you who plan independent and/or private safaris, we dedided, at least for this first visit, to make a decision on where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see, and then place ourselves in the hands of a tour operator, in this case 2Afrika. We are comfortable with their Grand Combo Safari to Tanzania and Kenya (2afrika.com). To the basic itinerary, we've added a balloon ride in the Masai Mara, and on our last day, which will be in Nairobi, we've added the Karen Blixen House, the Machushla House for lunch, the Giraffe Center, and the Carivore for dinner. What an eating orgy! Touristy, yes, but I think that we would be sorry to miss them.
The flight will be tiring, so wish us some good zzzz'S. It's LAX to London; 4 1/2 layover, then Kenya Airways to Nairobi with an almost immediate connection to Kilimanjaro, arriving in time for lunch at the Kirurumu Luxury Tented Lodge. I'm wanting to try to figure out how many hours flying time, but my brain won't let me. Maybe I don't really want to know. At any rate, I've got some books. It would probably be a good thing, too, to make sure I have something to put me to sleep. Does Kenya Airways serve any sort of alcohol? If not, there's always good old Tylenol PM.
Our itinerary will put us into the following lodgings:
TANZANIA: Kirurumu Lodge, 1 nt; Serengeti Sopa , 2 nts; Ngorongoro Sopa 2 nts; return to Arusha; few hours at leisure; flight to Nairobi.
KENYA: Inter-Continental, l nt. (just a place to take a breath and get a little sleep before starting off again); Serena Mountain Lodge, 1 nt; Lake Nakuru Lodge, 1 nt; and Siana Springs Intrepids Tented Safar Camp, 3 nts.
Then return to Nairobi, the last day Nariobi activities, and that long, long flight home.
We will, of course, have our game drives and other activities to, from, and during our stays at the various lodges.
I do imagine that it will be the same for us as others have indicated: we'll begin making plans to return even before our flight touches down at our home airport.
Once again, many thanks for all the postings. I've taken immense pleasure in reading them through the months.

SuDe

To Bo2642--
Happy travels, you first timers! Have a marvelous time and don't forget to post a report and lots of pictures upon your return.

atravelynn

Bo2642,

Have a great trip the majority of the guests you run into will be "of an age", young at heart, active, energitic, and curious about our world.

I have 43 days to go if I've counted correctly.

skipilu

Hey, Bo2642,
You're just hitting your stride at 60ish. More power to you and your friend in planning and enjoying your travels. I'll be interested in hearing how you liked you 2afrika trip. I've never been to Africa before, either. I am just starting to plan, and I've been taking a serious look at 2Afrika's offerings. They seem to have a good reputation, and others on this board have evidently been happy with their services.
You guys have a good time. We'll be waiting for your report when you return.