Comparing two itineraries. Both are 17 nights in length. The trip will be in August. Our goal for this trip is to see as many different types of environments as possible (hence the inclusion of the Kalahari/Pans) and have different experiences as this will be our first trip to Africa and likely the last for many years. I have my own thoughts on these right now, but wondering what the collective wisdom might have to add.

Option 1
Johannesberg: 1 night
San Camp: 3 nights
Kwestsani: 2 nights
Chitabe: 3 nights
Savuti: 2 nights
Vic Falls (Matetsi Water Lodge): 2 nights
Mana Canoe Trail: 3 nights
Ruckomechi Camp: 1 night

Option 2
Johannesberg: 1 night
Mana Canoe Trail: 3 nights
Ruckomechi Camp: 3 nights
Vic Falls (Victoria Falls Hotel): 2 nights
Savuti: 3 nights
Chitabe Lebala: 3 nights
San Camp (vs Kalahari Plains Camp): 2 nights

Certainly not your "classic" safari!
From where do you leave for back to USA?

regards - tom

Having been to all the camps you mention (except Kalahari PLains)I can forsee issues with both itineries, though prefer the second option.

For option one, I feel the time that you are spending in Mana is too short and the travelling times there are quite long. Whilst others may disagree, I feel that you could drop one night at San Camp and add that to Savuti.

Option 2 seems a better paced trip, with mainly 3 nights stays. In August, I would select San Camp over Kalahari Plains, where the best months are Dec-March.

I can see an issue with Joburg to Mana Canoe trail in a single day. The flight will probably not arrive at VFA until 1pm, then there is at least a one hour flight.

During my MCT, I was flown via Hwange and arrived too late to enjoy the first afternoon. Instead, three of us got driven to the first camp site.

My preference would be to do Ruckomechi first, then fly out of Chikwenya (last campsite) to Vic Falls. The Drive back to Ruckomechi in my experience more a transfer than a game drive.

August is not the greatest month to be on the Zambezi. The river flows West to East, and the strongish winds in that month, East to West. Something to think about.

MCT still remains my favourite experience in Africa.

Any thoughts in adding in Hwange National Park? You will see incredible densities of game compared to Savuti, (with current water levels) in my experience.

I have blogged on my experiences, two different visits in August & September 2007.

http://www.thesafariphotographer.com...ion-guide/1411

From there, you could then hit the Okavango, mixing a water camp with somewhere like Chitabe and San.

If possible:

Johannesberg: 1 night
Ruckomechi Camp: 1 nights
Mana Canoe Trail: 3 nights
Little Makalolo: 3 nights
Vic Falls (Victoria Falls Hotel): 2 nights
Water Camp: 2 nights (possibly L. Vumbura or Tubu Tree, where you will also be able to do the most extensive drives at this time of year)
Chitabe Lebala: 3 nights
San Camp: 2 nights

* I would also add that 1 night in Vic Falls maybe enough. I took my partner to Vic Falls on her first trip to Africa in Spetember. We arrived at 2pm and left 12 hours later. We managed a tour of the falls and helicopter trip and that was enough for us.

You may need more if you want to do adventure sports, though I feel that is a night that could be added to game viewing.

We would head to the US from either (option 1) Harare or (option 2) Maun. And, yes, my preference is for the second trip because I think the travel time seems more reasonable, but I was thinking about shifting around the order of things a bit as well. I was also wondering about a water camp in the Okevango but tor about which of the others to replace!

Of the 3 you now have before you, I like lbj2's. It gives you a water camp in the delta. Hwange is a great option instead of Savuti (though nothing wrong with Savuti) and probably will cost less. If you are going for different experiences, Hwange may provide you with large sable herds, which you cannot find elsewhere. You might see some sable at Little Vumbura, though. The pans of Hwange are unique and nothing like the Makgadikgadi Pans where San is. If you can manage with 1 nt Vic Falls, just to see the falls, then you could be back up to 3 nts at San Camp. I loved San and booked 4 nts there, but from a wildlife perspective, it is not the highlight of the trip, especially in August. Just so you know. There are other highlights though, and the meerkats will be present.

Good luck. You have nice options to work with.

I'm not expecting much wildlife at San. I really just want to experience the environment there more than anything else. I was thinking that a water camp with drive options would be a good fit (good to know that Little Vumbura and Tuba Tree both fit that bill). I'm torn! I'm sure we'll love whatever we do and whereever, but I want to make sure that we fully experience the Okevango and I don't think we will but just hitting Chitabe Lebala. But I'm not sure if it would make more sense to try to fit the Okenango experience into one camp with water and land options and go Savuti or just exchange Savuti for a water camp. We're pretty much at the max in terms of number of nights that we can do right now...

It seems lbj2's itinerary addresses all of your concerns. While it does not contain Savuti it has a Botswana land/water camp (Tubu Tree or LV) and it has a dry location (Chitabe).

A key question is: What does Savuti offer that Hwange does not? Both have sizeable ele populations, especially in Aug. Both have wild dog potential. Maybe cheetahs would be a little more likely in Savuti. I did not see one in either location. Leopard count for me is equal in the two spots. Lions were slightly better in Savuti but luck plays a huge role there. Sable and roan are rare sightings in Savuti, but sable herds are not that hard to see in Hwange. Accommodations are lovely in both places, but you do have a chance of sitting in the swimming pool at Little Makalolo and having eles come and drink. At least that used to be a possibility.

Is there anything lacking with lbj2's itinerary? It's 17 nights.

I've been in touch with my travel agent about some of those tweaks to the itinerary. We'll see what she's able to do! And yes, Hwange could be a nice addition to our desire for different environments with its open plain type of pans. Is Savuti, now that the channel is flowing, similar to Ruckomechi? I think we'd also like to do MCT toward the end of the trip, so we're not whipping out our cameras every time we see an elephant because we never have before...