Help - have decided on last minute Safari - Where would you go?
 

Yesterday I decided instead of going to France on our way home from living overseas for the past year and since we probably will not be on this continent again that we would try to get in a Safari, (decided before Bachelor). I have had some advice on getting a tour but wanted to rely again on Fodorites. Do you have suggestions for tours out of Johannesburg, want to take in a few days in the Cape Town area, see the wine country and then proceed on somewhere to get the most we can from seeing the wildlife and beautiful country. I would want a small tour company and one that is constantly with you. Safety and being able to rely on their expertise is what I would like. Any help appreciated as I am not sure how far in advance these things have to be done so time probably is not on my side.

I can recommend Go2Africa. They are quite flexible in creating an itinerary.

www.travelzoo.com/vacations/africa/810817

super sales right now might have a look...

There is no need to book any kind of tour. It will be less expensive to go on this type of trip by yourself instead of being hindered by a group of strangers and paying the costs of a tour escort that IS NOT your safari guide.

Go2Africa is a really good company and a competitor of my company. They would be one of many companies you could work with to put an FIT/bespoke/private (whatever you want to cal it) trip together. For people that don’t want to be alone or have safety concerns we simply book a person to meet you at every airport and transfer you everywhere you need to go.

For example:
Day 1 Arrive Jo’burg. Someone meets you and escorts you to the hotel or the shuttle.
Day 2 Escorted back to airport. Board scheduled flight to Sabi Sands for a three day safari at one of many safari lodges (depending on budget). Use a private road transfer from JNB (6 hr) to save money or fly to Nelspruit/MQP and road transfer 2 hours from there. In the approximate price range of $600 per person per night I like MalaMala Main Camp and Lion Sands River Lodge.
Day 3,4 Safari
Day 5 Sheduled (shared) road transfer 2hr to MQP. 2h10m flight to Cape Town. On arrival, get met and transferred to a hotel.
Day 6,7,8 Each day, join a different pre-booked scheduled tour group to do the typical sights (Peninsula, Robben Island, City, Table Mountain) etc. If you want to spend more you can do each tour privately. There are small group tours (8 people) and large (up to 36). The good thing with this is you don’t pay much and if you don’t like the 8-36 other people you never see them again and they are not with you the entire time you are in Africa – just one day.
Day 9,10 Transfer by road 60-90 minutes to the wine country. Spend two days.
Day 11 Go home.

Hope this helps. The main cost variables are just the safari lodge and the hotel choices and the choice of private or group tours.

Craig Beal – owner – Travel Beyond

Ghana has a lot of tourism centers, a place for site seeing. i bet you, you'll really have fun if you choose Ghana. I am currently in Ghana. i will be ready to help you if you wish to come to Ghana.Contacta@ [email protected]

Thank you for this information. I have never in all of my travels did a tour, never wanted to have someone else in control. I was thinking of flying on the Air Link to Cape Town and spending a few days there at the Waterfront. I would like the idea of some sort of guide for the wine tour because for safety concerns I don't think I want us to rent a car. Your information is very helpful Craig. The cost of these are staggering but then I think wow what if I had to pay the airfare, at least I am on the side of the world to go for it now.

In Cape Town they have a hop-on hop-off bus we used to see the highlights. We had a private guide for the Cape of Good Hope and winelands (2days). We took a cab to Kirstenbosch Gardens and Table Mt. Robben Island ferry is on the waterfront. RI was a highlight for us.

There are more affordable options for the private reserves around Kruger. We've been to Arathusa in Sabi Sands and are visiting Shindzela in June. Here is pixelpower's great research:

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...und-kruger.cfm

Although more difficult to get to, my favorite camp so far (granted, not a huge sampling) is Mashatu Tented. If far exceeded our expectations for wildlife viewing and service. The one we are anticipating the most is Tembe Elephant Park which is easy to access from Richards Bay.

Safety was not a major concern for us. It felt as safe as anyplace else we were unfamiliar with. Driving on the left - that's scary! Have to do it on this next trip. Yikes.

returntoyourseat, there's no reason at all for you to join a tour. South Africa is very easy to get around by yourself. And be wary of travel companies usch as Go2Africa and the one that Safari_Craig operates (and, obviously, would love for you to use): in my experience, they will invariably suggest highest priced programs.

The Kruger Park area is probably the best if you're interested in wildlife viewing. Do some searching in this forum, especially for recent posts by atravelynn, for some excellent suggestions.

[Just out of curiosity, Safari_Craig, have you been a client of Go2Africa?]

I'm sure self-drives and small operators can provide wonderful safaris for very reasonable prices, but I have to chime in to say that I used Go2Africa on my one and only safari, and I was very happy with them. They came in well under my budget, offered many alternatives (and responded to requests for additional options/substitutions), gave me the very private safari experience I craved, and generally took the stress out of my planning. I checked rack rates for several of the properties recommended and praised by users on this forum, and I thought that the itineraries recommended by Go2Africa were reasonable. I never felt that pressured to take the highest-priced options.

Again, I'm sure that people can do just as well -- and better, in many cases -- on their own, but I was very pleased to be able to rely on the expertise and convenience of working with a good travel consultant for my solo trip last year.

Windowless - no one is suggesting not using a safari "consultant". It's just not necessary to go with a group tour. Entirely different things. And not suggesting self-drive, either - road transfers and charter/scheduled flights are much easier for the first-timer, and sometimes the tenth-timer. But some people are more adventurous that I am and would be perfectly comfortable with a self drive.

returntoyourseat - you can find a safari agent in the area you live currently if you want to use a local agent. I use a local agent who only does safaris so they are "experts". You can do the same with an agent based in Africa. If you do some research before you go, you can tell the agent what camps and cities you want to visit and they will make the arrangements for you. Much easier than planning flights/transfers/tours on your own. And you have someone to help you if something goes wrong after you get there, which can happen anywhere.

I was just trying to respond to the "be wary of travel companies usch as Go2Africa and the one that Safari_Craig operates" part of the message. Obviously, it boils down to people's comfort levels, budgets, and time available for doing their own research; I was only hoping to stress that travel companies aren't inherently bad things.

returntoyourseat, I'd agree with all those who say you can easily do places like Cape Town, the Winelands and the Cape Peninsula on your own. Infrastructure in SA is excellent and road travel is easy. On my first trip to SA I drove about 1500-2000 km, doing places like the Cape Town region (Peninsula, several vineyards), Pilanesburg, and Kruger. I just avoided driving at night when I'd be tired and less focused on driving on the left side of the road. As already mentioned the HOHO bus is convenient for hopping around Cape Town.

I too have used an SA-based company for my bookings. I like the idea of having someone on the ground who can help me in case of a problem. The company does not charge its own booking fee, so I am paying the rates specified at the providers' sites (I research these pretty well, then tell the agent what I want). But, as christabir says, it's way more convenient to have someone do all your bookings for you.

returntouyourseat - good stuff. here is some more.

-not sure how rizzuto knows with such certainty what kind of program i will suggest unless he has been a client of mine. to my knowledge he has not. i know his real name and he is not in our database. also not sure why rizutto acting hostile toward me when there is an obvious solicitor from ghanna on this forum making an against-the-rules post?
-i have never been a client of go2africa. through my years of providing information on trip advisor and fodors i just know many people that have used them. they universally have very happy clients and rarely have i ever seen any complaint.

Here are some options for direct booked tours in addition to the hop-on hop-off.
-http://www.hyltonross.co.za/ This company operates daily group tours out of the Cape Town area.
-Mark Small will work directly with you for private touring. Many users of this forum have booked Cape Town private touring with him. He charges about 2,500 rand per day for his services no matter the number of people. http://www.smallworldtours.co.za/
-for the sake of transparency, i book most of my clients on touring with Tours and Trails (now Wilderness Cape Town). We have used them for over 25 years and I know most of the 25+ guides they contract. for clients that are not concerned with price and only concerned with the best service and no hassle, this company provides socially compatible guides with impeccible service and knowledge.

If you want to make a direct booking with a safari lodge in the Sabi Sands they will arrange transport for you from Nelspruit/MQP to the lodge. For example, MalaMala books their transfers through a company called Drive the Big Five. http://www.transfersandtours.co.za/.

Lion Sand uses a different company.

Both (and all others) will also book the FEDAIR charter if you want to fly to the lodge instead of drive.

All you need to do is book a direct flight from CPT to MQP on the internet and you have your safari done.

Before booking direct, you should make sure you know the total credit card fees and also what the exchange rate your credit card company uses to convert the money to dollars (assuming you are American). sometimes this can add significant cost.

craig beal - owner - travel beyond

Craig, I've read many of your posts in both this forum and on TripAdvisor. More often than not -- by a long shot -- your advice to prospective safari-goers focuses on hgh-end properties. In this thread, for example, you suggest Mala Mala and one of your very favorites, Lion Sands. Of all the various options for wildlife viewing, these two are, I'd estimate, in the top 5-7 percentile of costs. And of course you want to supply transfers.

Now it's true that luxury lodges can be terrific, and I've enjoyed plenty of them myself. But, Craig, you are here not so much to inform as you are to drum up business for the agent community, of which you are part. The OP and others could have a great vacation staying at lower-priced camps. For even less money, the OP could stay at lodges outside of Kruger, and take advantage of game drives organized through those lodges.

But those options don't provide any do-re-mi to travel agents.

Craig, the reason that I'm jumping all over you is that you're part of this Great Brotherhood of Safari Agents, who circle their wagons in praise of each other. I can think of no better example than your statement that "Go2Africa is a really good company" when you have never been a client of theirs. How can you possibly know if G2A provides good information if all of your information is 2nd-hand?

I have been a client of Go2Africa. They're marginally OK. I can understand why people like them, because they will suggest and put together top of the line trips. First-timers, maybe even 2nd- and 3rd-timers, will never know the difference.

But all of this is beyond the OP's interest, I suppose. But I will just reiterate and rephrase my earlier statement: Some of the posters here, such as Safari_Craig, are agents. Many of those agents promote high-end packages far more than they promote, or even discuss, lower-priced options. OP and anyone else would do well to be wary of those who both give suggestions and have a business interest in the outcome.

And, by the way, the Ghana fellow doesn't sound very trustworthy to me, either.

Good Posting information Safari_ Craig

I will have to keep you in mind


Thank You

Hi Rizzuto - fare enough. I am running a business to make money that is true and quite apparent for anyone visiting our web site or reading my posts. There is no money to be made in selling self drive itineraries in national parks or budget safari lodges outside the major reserves (think Protea Paul Kruger Gate or Chobe Safari Lodge in Kasane). Probably the least expensive camp I have sold in the Kruger ecosystem in the past 24 months is Elephant Plains and Nottens.

I personally like to self drive in the Kruger and drove the entire park north-to-south just three years ago visiting about five rest camps. Since that time, my company has sent over 5,000 people to Africa and four (4) of these people have gone on a self-drive in the Kruger (they spent the last two nights at MalaMala). There is virtually no demand in the market we serve for self-drive or budget trips. You are also correct that demand for these trips come from people on their 3rd or 4th trip to Africa. Of course, many people keep going on luxury safaris every few years for the rest of their life.

I think most people can see there is commercial interests that need to be considered when they accept (or not) my advice. People that can afford the services of a company like mine are usually pretty savvy and sophisticate consumers and don't easily get fleeced by unscrupulous operators.

There are many regulars on Fodors and Trip Advisor that have participated for years giving out advice and sharing their experiences for no obvious compensation. Like you and so many others, we participate because we love Africa, love to write, love to share, etc. It seems logical that people that are in the safari business may also have a desire to share their experiences just like regular travelers. Not everyone on here in the business has to have a commercial interest. As you may recall from our discussions years ago, I was a submarine officer in the US navy and a nuclear engineer in my prior careers. These careers did not provide experiences I got excited enough about to share with others…

Craig Beal – owner – Travel Beyond

I pretty much agree with your summary, Craig; thanks.

Cool. Over and out.

Craig

I waited a bit before responding, to see what the answers would be. Somehow I wished I had put my guesses in an envelope, and put the proof on youtube to open it now. I would have guessed 100% correct :-D

Here's my advice to the OP;

@returntoyourseat: I am not a travel agent, or tour operator, nor am I commissioned by them etc... I am an independent traveler.
From one traveler to the other; I assume you can see that some are trying to persuade you into certain companies, itineraries or destinations. There is actually nothing wrong with that, but I hope you are smart enough to see there are other possibilities.

As there are a zillion possibilities I am going to stick to some general tips for your 1st time to South Africa:

1) the biggest chunk in your budget will go to nights spent while on safari. By this I mean; the price of a night spent inside a park is lots more than the price spent on a night elsewhere. So, if you want to control your budget; here's where you can make the most difference.

There's a lot of lodges & camps out there. Those that are prices 1000$ per night for one room or more can certainly be cataloged as "luxurious". "Luxurious" does not mean you eat or sleep better there. My experience is that more reasonably priced lodges have equally comfy beds and equally great food. Perhaps even better. There's no difference in the professional level of the guides either. "Luxurious" rather means that they have facilities that you actually don't need (like airco, which closes out the bush experience at night, plus African nights are quite OK temperature-wise) or facilities that you barely have time to use (like a gym, a massage salon or a swimming pool).

About a year ago, I created a list of lodges that have prices of around 250$ pppn or less. I made this for my own purposes (my own trip was last September, I am returning in May), but decided to share it here. Since then, a lot of people seem to reference to it a lot. I see Christabir did so this time.

2) You can contact any of these lodges directly, but I have found out there's no need for that. Here's why; if you DO arrange your stay with them, then you need to arrange stuff like transfers yourself too, which can be cumbersome in the end (I did it but I can imagine some will not have the time/patience). The alternative; use an operator. This would be my 2nd tip. If you do this, my advice is to a) use a local - South-African - operator as there are less expensive and b) show them you have done your homework and know about prices & choices. You will get equal prices per night as booking directly, but the operator can take care of local flights, transfers, etc... For my second trip I am using Sun Safaris (http://www.sunsafaris.com/), which according to lots of people here and on other boards, seems to have quite a good reputation.

3) As the safari part is the most fun, I certainly would keep that for LAST in your trip.

Moving on to the non- safari part...

4) There's so much to see and do in South-Africa that you will need to skip some stuff (unless you can spend 2 months, haha). If I were you, I'd skip the wine region. In my eyes it's not so special as it is quite similar to (for instance) southern France or California. I'd stick to cape town (with Table Mountain, The Cape Point, The waterfront, Robben island etc) and then I'd do the garden route. Lots to see & do there (and "en route") as well; Swellendam & ostrich farms, Oudtshoorn, the Cango caves, Mossel Bay & Diaz' museum, the Outeniqua steamtrain, Knysna & Featherbed island, etc... Cape + garden route will take you at least a week. If you end in Port Elizabeth you can take a local flight to Jo'Burg and start the second part of your trip there

5) In and around Jo'burg the things people visit most is Pretoria, and then move on to the Drakensberge (to see Bourke's potholes, the Blyde Rivier canyon, Pilgrim's rest, God's window, etc...)

If you want my opinion I think it's best to skip Pretoria and fly straight away to Hoedspruit. You can easily visit the Drakensberge from there as well. There are great lodges in the Drakensberge mountains itself, or you could opt for one of the lodges near Kruger (but not IN the private reserves). These will be as cheap, but there might be more animals around (certainly if near water), and they can also arrange trips into Kruger (but safaris in private reserves are better hence the list I compiled). Anyway, a good lodge like that is Kubu Safari Lodge for instance, as it is inbetween the airport ans Timbavati gate, and as it's on the Klaserie river.

If you got more questions; just ask!

B.regs,

J.

I concur with Pixelpower's recomendation for Sun Safaris. The owner, Brett Thompson, is a friend of mine. I went on a ten day safari with him in Namibia back in 2006 and we see each other in Cape Town. He is extremly knowledgable and pricing, as noted, will be great. They will for sure provide good service and Sun Safaris can be considered more "boutique" than Go2Africa.

Craig Beal - owner - Travel Beyond

Excellent information and suggestions, pixelpower.

I might add that one of the less-publicized costs of safari-going is that of transfers, from one camp (or other accommodation) to another, and to/from airports.

The easiest method, and the costliest, is to let someone else arrange everything for you. In places like Botswana, it's difficult to do otherwise, but in South Africa you've got some options.

First off is getting from Johannesburg to the general Kruger area. Federal Air offers a direct service (technically a charter service) from Johannesburg airport to many camps. However, you can save yourself some money by taking the regularly-scheduled South African Airways flights (operated by SA Express) to Nelspruit (MQP) or Hoedspruit (HDS), then taking a land transfer to your accommodation. Better yet if you're looking to cut costs, rent a car at those airports, and drive yourself -- that gives you complete freedom to set your own schedules.

Hey Rizzuto,

Good points.

To keep transfer costs low, I used a logical sequence of camps, and where possible asked the lodges to transfer me (to and from the airport, and even to the next lodge. Worked OK, except when the entrance of one reserve is far away from the entrance of the next reserve (even though they join and lodges are not far apart, when seen from the air). For instance; Pungwe (Manyeleti) is actually real close to Gowrie gate and Elephant Plains (Sabi Sands).
My tip would be; if you really need a company for transfers, make sure to book all transfers with ONE company, and ask for a discount. We used "Eastgate" for that as a lot of lodges seemed to recommend them. http://www.eastgatesafaris.co.za

I actually used Federal Air to get from Kruger to Moz (Vilanculos) and Moz to JNB. The problem was that their online booking sucked big time. I eventually had to arrange all by email, and reread everything twice as they seem to make frequent mistakes. I guess the regular flights from SAA are more expensive than this charter, but hey... you get what you pay for.

@Craig;

Actually I am surprised that you also recommend Sun Safaris. I thought you were competitor of some sort. Can you tell me what your added value is, if people shop at Travel Beyond and you in turn shop at Sun Safaris?

Please note; this is a genuine question and in no way meant to bully you or anything. I understand perfectly that everyone needs/tries to make a living...

Thx,

J.

Hi Pixelpower -

I don't shop at Sun Safaris and they are in some ways a competitor as they do sell into the US market. So, I am not a client of their firm. I simply know the owner quite well. I have helped him with some legal work in the USA and we have traveled together. I trust their service enough that I have referred clients directly to Sun Safaris a few times in the past. I have done this for clients that inquire about lodges outside the fenced portion of the Kruger ecosystem IF no one at Travel Beyond has personally visited the lodge. I also refer any client asking to book Footsteps in Africa camps directly to Sun Safaris. These camps are in Botswana. Brett has been to most Footstep camps and no one at Travel Beyond has. When I refer people to Brett we do not ask for or accept compensation as we have added no value. I also refer all South Africans that get on our web site to Sun Safaris (I did it last month). This happens from time to time and people do not read close enough to see we are based in Minnesota, USA.

It would be very difficult for me to add any value to a Sun Safari service offering as they are a top-to-bottom good company. There are those few odd bookings once and a while where the client only wants to hand their money over to a US company. Travel Beyond is one of the few tour operators in the USA that is covered for bankruptcy protection by the major travel insurance companies and this is meaningful for a lot of agents and about 2% of the consumers out there.

Hope this helps.

Craig Beal - owner - Travel Beyond

Hey Craig,

It does help a lot! Thanks for the explanation. Now I get the picture.

What you do seems like a healthy way to do business. And quite sporty too, this passing on of customers to Sun Safaris.

Thx again,

J.

Interesting and civil discussion above, thanks everyone.

Remembering my first safari/trip to Africa in 2005, I needed a -lot- of help with the logistics, details, getting around from here-to-there. The lot of help was an agent. Decide what you want to do then work with an agent to tie it all together. There are advantages to working with an agent local -to you- (mine is just a few miles away) but sounds like not possible for you.

As for a recommendation for safari camp in all of South Africa, MalaMala. I have been to MM three times, as well as five other camps in the Timbavati and Sabi Sand reserves (adjacent to Kruger). MalaMala is the one I would go back to if I had to choose only one. (Second place would go to Kings Camp in the Timbavati). Cost is a factor in these choices, but secondary to my wildlife/safari experience.
regards - tom

Tom -- you're home! When will we hear all about it?

Aw-shucks, somebody remembered and missed me :)
Yeah, got back last night (Mar 3rd). Highlight was Ngorongoro Crater. Lake Manyara, Ndutu, Serengeti, ok. Kindly give me 2-3 weeks to write report, writing is a painful task for me. And to look over a few pictures for posting.

happy to be back - tom

returntoyourseat, have you already mentioned when you are planning the trip? Maybe you did and I missed it. I ask because you are wondering how far in advance you need to book. I just got my ticket to SA last friday leaving April 8 for 2.5 weeks and since last week I have been able to reserve for 6 nights at 3 different rest camps (Lower Sabie, Skukuza, Berg) for a self-driving portion and a 3 night all inclusive stay at Umkumbe. So at least for April there are still some places left, though the week after Easter things are almost completely booked. I have been working with the above mentioned Brett Thompson to organize the Umkumbe stay and I also want to say so far he has been really terrific. I think he has answered all my emails in under an hour ! We are then on to Cape Town for 6 nights where my partner is currently working so I will leave most of that to him to organise, but I do have a shark cage diving tour booked one day.

Hope you have a great trip, I cant wait.

cary999, I've been wondering abut you too. I'm always thinking about photo safaris and was looking forward to hearing about your thoughts on and impressions about the one you participated in. Best, Steve

We are planning our trip in April. We are planning on Cape Town at the Vitoria and Albert hotel for about four days and then we are going to Sabi Sabi for four days. I didn't go through an agency. I have done all the plans myself. I think it will be okay. I am used to making all the plans myself as far as airline tickets, hotels, and transport. Tne only portion I may consider getting some assistance with is some side trips in Cape Town and I have a recommendation from a friend who has used them. My husband has worked in South Africa but I have not been there, we have lived for the past year in Madagascar so I think I am prepared for some of the trip. The only thing that has me a bit concerned is coming in close contact with the animals which I am very excited about but still very apprehensive about. I know the location we have chosen is a luxury for us but my husband is trying to ease me into it for lack of a better word. It is our gift to ourselves for being away from home for so long. Still trying to decide whether to go to the wine country for a day. I think it sounds like beautiful countryside and we love trying new wines and meeting people who enjoy the same. Hope all of you planning trip have a great trip too, what a joy to be able to experience this trip.

Sounds like a good plan!

I am sure you meant Victoria & Alfred? This is a very well located hotel.

Good choice on the safari. Sabi Sabi is a fine safari lodge. They are one of the originals! The only drawbacks in my opinion are that the lodge has no river flowing through (or on the boundary) of the property and both parcels of Sabi Sabi’s land have fence-lines on them. The NE parcel has a fence on the western boundary and the SW parcel has a fence on the north and west boundary. When you drive from the NE parcel to the SW parcel each day you also have to go by the gate. Here is a map of the Sabi Sands maintained by the Sabi Sands trade organization so you can see the position of the lodge. http://www.sabisand.co.za/ssw-map.html

If you have not already made deposit to Sabi Sabi, I suggest you check if they are running any auctions on Luxury Link. For the past three or four years they have been selling their property through this auction site at pretty good discounts – usually up to 50%. They are the only lodge in the Sabi Sands that participates in last minute auctions on this site so this can be a pretty big savings. I just checked and it looks like they don’t have one right now, but they come and go all the time so I would check before making a payment. http://www.luxurylink.com/fivestar/l...e-game-reserve

You should also make sure you know the exchange rate used by your credit card company before you pay a lodge in Rand. The credit card companies mask their fees through a very unfavorable exchange rate or foreign currency transaction fee. You should investigate this before making payments versus using a company that can convert the Rand at a good rate and charge you in dollars. You could save up to 5%. For example, Luxury Link charges in dollars. I have found that Capital One has the lowest overall fees when making payments in Rand. Perhaps get a card before making big payments.

Craig Beal - owner - Travel Beyond

Thank you for the links Craig. I think I have most under control and am happy to say that I have gotten a Capital One card thanks to Fodorites a few months ago, perfect for points and traveling.

I am not sure about fences around the properties, not experienced enough to know the pros and cons of that. I have looked at many pics of Sabi Sabi and it looks like it offers a lot in viewing of the animals, I guess the pro of the fence would be more animals, and they may not be the case, all new for me. And to be honest a bit scary.

I am still looking for a wine tour to Stellenbosch if you know of a private tour from Cape Town.

Again thank you for all your posts. I have not done trip reports, I am going to make a real effort this time to do so...

HI There,

The fence I was referring to is a permiter fence around the entire Kruger, Sabi Sands, Timbavati ecosystem. There is no fence between the individual lodges in the Sabi Sands. Nor is there a fence between the Sabi Sands and the Kruger. Sabi Sabi is on the far western edge of the ecosystem thus the fence I was referring to above.

Hope this helps.

Wine tour: The concierge desk at the hotel you are staying with should be able to book this for a decent price.

Craig Beal - owner - Travel Beyond