As a starting point, check out these itineraries for pricing and places.


http://www.africa-adventure.com/safa...ve_game_safari
Add in Cape Town

http://www.africa-adventure.com/safa..._africa_safari
Add in Cape Town


http://www.africa-adventure.com/safa...ape_highlights


http://www.africa-adventure.com/safa...ania_and_kenya


http://www.africa-adventure.com/safa...a_and_tanzania

Fantastic info, all, thank you. I have my reading set for the next while... L

Also have a read-thru of the New East African Trip Reports, wonderfully prepared by LyndaS... some interesting itineraries and routings over these past few years. Will give you an idea of what can be accomplished given the number of days you have in-country.

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...port-index.cfm

Note: There haven't been recent inclusions, as Lynda and others who have assisted in this great project have gotten tied up with life - personal, business, etc. - it's another resource. Besides routing, suggestions of tour operators and/or outfitters used by the travelers reporting.

Pour a glass of wine, settle in for some good and interesting reads.

Hi BowenLindia,,Just to give a general idea of cost, and different modes of transport (flyig etc) Porini tented camps get great reviews:

http://www.porini.com/kenya.html?sub...mended-safaris

You wrote "with meals made for us." Do you mean a private cook just for the three of you ? The tented camps their own chefs/cooks, and will try to work with individual dietary preferences...but it is not just for your group.

Thanks, Sandi and Cali.

No, no fois gras just someone opening cans/cooking for the group. I am proud to say I am middle-aged and do not cook anymore...

LOL, same with me, Linda. Middle aged plus, and scant cooking!
I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the quality of food you'll find at the tented camps. No cans; no baked beans and frankfurters (-:

Cooking? I walk past the kitchen and wave; sometimes I do dust the top of range! :)

Off topic, but inspired by Sandi, I couldnt resist quoting this sign:

"My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance."

The quality of food you get on safari is excellent. On one of my safaris, a woman who had traveled all over the world said that the food we were having was the best she had ever had on a trip... and we were in a mobile tented camp in the middle of the Serengeti!

If you want to see Cape Town, then I'd think about Shamwari as the game viewing venue. We went there a couple of years ago and it was fantastic. Not madly crowded, lots of animals roaming in a 90 sq mile park, great guides and about an hour from PE.

http://www.shamwari.com

We booked via a travel agent here in the UK, but there were several Americans there during our stay. We stayed in the main house but there are several options for other spots in the reserve.

"No, no fois gras just someone opening cans/cooking for the group"

You'll get way beyond that. The food will be too good and you'll likely over indulge unless you have exceptional will power. If you stay at camps/lodges there will be a chef and staff to prepare full meals or offer extensive buffets.

I've been getting a couple of catalogs in the mail for "Discoveries by Vantage." You can google vantage travel. They advertise small group trips of 18-24. I personally do not consider that a small group, but if your vehicle is limited to 6-ish with everyone having their own window, the overall group size is not such a big deal. Since you wanted group travel, it's a possibility. 16 days Kenya/Tanz with air from $6200, for example. That one drives from Serengeti to Mara, a big, long drive, and only 2 nts Mara. They have some Southern Africa trips too, probably similar to OAT or Smart Travel.

I'd still look into a private trip for the 3 of you.

Hi Lynn, In a previous thread i recall you mentioned Lion World Safaris (Your friend had used them?)
Prices are excellent. Any other info or feedback you've received?

Thank you.

Lion World is very tempting with price and descent accommodations. However, even though a few who posted here really enjoyed, had to admit it was too much in too short a timeframe. Lots of time in-transit, often arriving at lodge/camp for late lunch - hot, tired, dirty (roads can be quite dusty) - and then out on afternoon game drive.

Believe of the other 'group' tours mentioned may be somewhat slower paced, with even a flight or two tossed into the mix. But don't discount a private safari yet.

Great add'l info, everyone.
SO pleased to read about the quality of the food as I was able to cook (note the past tense) quite poorly and unimaginatively all on my own...
Sandi, I have definitely not written off a private safari yet. I am hard-pressed at work right now and haven't read everyone's links yet. One of my friends just got back from 2 weeks in Venice (lucky gal) and we are planning on the 3 of us getting together in a couple of weeks or so. Africa will definitely be on the agenda. As I think we won't be able to afford our first thoughts of a total of 14 days in safari, I really want the logistics to make sense and I think a private safari would better work.
Linda

No other Lion World feedback.

---------------
$10 K is total budget

Say $2K for international flts, probably high

That's 8K left

Allow $1,200 for stuff like visa, travel insurance, vaccines. That's probably high, but the travel clinic and vaccines, malaria pills can get pricey.

So at $6800

Allow $1000 for tips, souvenirs, bottled water which is sometimes provided in the vehicle & sometimes not, plus other drinks, meals in airports, etc.

Down to $5800 for the land portion.

With 3 people you can easily do a trip for $450 per person per day. Especially in Kenya.


You mentioned 14 days. Knock out 2 for travel, that's 12 days on safari, really more like 11, but say 12.

$450 x 12 = $5400

Maybe you were even considering the tips, souvenirs, travel clinic, insurance to be in addition to the $10k. Then you have even more $ to work with.

What sort of trip was in your "first thoughts?"

Another question. Have you thought of rooming arrangements? Each having your own room/tent? Are 2 of you buddies who will share? You can get a double and a single room throughout the trip and rotate-everybody gets a turn in the single room every 3rd night.

Lynn and Sandi, thanks for update and opinion on LIon World. I went to E Africa this summer "solo"and next trip, i'd like to save some $ either in group tour, or traveling with friends.

Re: plane flight--if anything, with LindaBowen coming from West Coast,
I' d say $2,0000 is too low an estimate, ESPECIALLY with stopovers. Each stopover, esp'lly if it is London LHR, will add its airport taxes.

re bottled water--i 'd mistakenly thought it's always included. Is that only on private safaris?

Lynn, that breakdown is helpful. Don't know yet about my friends but my "first thoughts" are really that, see elephants, experience a very different culture, people and landscape.

We had initially thought about doing one stopover per leg but we'll discuss that further.

"You can get a double and a single room throughout the trip and rotate-everybody gets a turn in the single room every 3rd night." - that's what we discussed but I thought we would then be looking at a single supplement. We'll see what everyone offers.

Linda - some camps have family tents that would sleep more than two. That might be an option to look into also and might be cheaper than two separate tents.

I'm late to the party, but I just wanted to say this:

>>I haven't found anything yet for the remaining $7K and my friend's comfort level

This absolutely baffled me. There's a zillion options out there that are perfectly what you're looking for. I've done quite a bit of safaris in Kruger area, in private reserves, with private guide, in fantastic more-than-comfy camps, etc.. and not once paid HALF of that amount. And yes, that includes flights to/from Jo'burg.

I have a friend whose wife judged Kruger to be a bit too scary, more specifically because it is a malaria area. I compiled them an itinerary starting in Cape Town, visiting the wine region, the garden route (De Hoop Nature Reserve and Knysna) and ending with a safari in the malaria-free Amakhala Private Reserve near Port Elizabeth. Two weeks has cost them 3000$ pp, rental car and flight Port Elizabeth back to Cape Town included. The safari was all-in, the other places half board mostly. It included places like Majeka House, Kanonkop House, and an "African Elite" Waterfront appartment. If that's not comfortable enough then I wonder what is :-D

Seriously; where do you people find all these expensive itineraries??

Ciao,

J.

If you will be three, know that many of the lodges and even tented camps can accommodate 'triples.' Just be sure to indicate/ask when putting in your request... you can also for pricing of 2/sharing + single supplement, as comparison.

The accommodations themselves can be a family room/tent or even cottage. Ask. However, as already mentioned, each of you might prefer a night on their own, so even with the single supplement charge... you just divide the total of all three and each pays one-third. It's doable.

As the 'big dawg' (Bill Clinton) commented, 'it's in the math!' :)