re: the Reef, check out Green Island where I stayed, pretty awesome and very close to the Daintree Rainforest where if you so desire you can continue in safari mode with rainforest animals....I don't see why booking a private vehicle makes you a 'nazi'. Nobody minds if others go out in a separate car - and then you're not too tired of those people and can really enjoy their company at dinner :)

Suicide month? Really? I was in Botswana/Zimbabwe in October 2003 and thought the weather was perfect. We all wore shorts and t-shirts during the day, but needed a light jacket for morning and evening game drives. This being the end of the dry season, we were able to see all kinds of wildlife, because they stayed near the water holes and were very easy to find. Camped beside dry river beds often, and had animals in camp every night. Suicide month- I don't think so!

Cubanancy,
Glad you had good weather. But weather is variable in Africa, just like it is in...say Washington DC. August in Washington, or October in Botswana may be lovely, or it may be a scorcher. When I was in Bots in the last 3 weeks of September, we had one week that was warm & pleasant, one week where it was sweltering with temps over 100 degrees and then the next week a real cold wave came through (with rare snowstorms in the Drakensbergs) and we wore everything we had as well as the ponchos ponchos provided, and we were STILL cold on the game drives. So I experienced the whole range of things in one trip.

Look, this info (and the moniker suicide month) comes from people who live in these areas, and I think their experience is a little more extensive than our short trips. Do a search, I'm not making this up. Even some of the WS camp reports use the term when they talk about how hot it is.
People who live there say temps of 40 C and even higher are not unusual and are expected during this season.
If you live there, well that's life. But if you are planning $10,000 (+/-) per person vacation, most people prefer not to take their chance that they are the unlucky ones to be there during the very regular heat waves. Unless they are sure that such weather wouldn't compromise the fun of the trip for them. I rather like hot weather (especially when I don't have to really do anything), but if people don't expect this type of weather they could be in for a rude awakening. One young woman I met during that very hot week had a breakdown because she couldn't handle the heat. It pretty much ruined the vacation for her and her husband.

I'd like to second Tashak's post -- heat tolerance varies immensely from person to person, so 'nice' for one person can be 'unbearable' for another. This is why having the actual temperatures helps, since each person probably knows what temperatures work well for them.

Cheers,
Julian

Rocco, you have the safari angle covered, but I wanted to make a few suggestions re hotels in Sydney and BA.

I believe the Sydney Four Seasons is the former Regent, which is a non-descript high rise in Circular Quay. I haven't stayed at the Observatory but it looks a lot nicer. I have stayed at the Park Hyatt (great location, especially if you get a room overlooking Opera House), and I also stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Circular Quay, now the Sir Stamford -- its much nicer than the Four Seasons.

BA -- Alvear is stuffy. Better, IMHO, to check out the new Park Hyatt, which is to open soon and looks great. I have only once been to BA and stayed at the then Park Hyatt, now Four Seasons, and its OK, but nothing special.

Michael

Dear Rocco, this is the first time I have read your recent Botswana posts in detail.. as we are considering another safari 2007... I must say, you live an extremely exciting life for someone who hails from San Gabriel valley ;) (We are in LA/Glendale)

I am so thankful for all of your research on this board, I will most likely hit you up if we decide on Botswana vs Zambia in Spring'07

Wow, it must be late.. "hit you up" sounds a bit like teen slang for something unmentionable.. I meant to write hit you up for ADVICE~! mea culpa!~

Thyra,

You sure did have me excited there, for about one minute! ;)

Personally, I love living in the San Gabriel Valley. I have been here my entire life, mostly in the foothill communities and I rarely go over to the Westside. I did actually look at homes in the Rossmoyne area of Glendale but ultimately passed. Beautiful area but wouldn't be convenient for work.

Hehe...you speak of the SGV as if I live in Fontana or somewhere. You know, Pasadena is about three miles east of Glendale! :)

Anyway, living where I do has its rewards...here is what my dogs and I wake up to every morning:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoVie...d=208197115205

It is the best place for my dogs, as well:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoVie...d=687705115205

http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoVie...d=619025115205

Yes, when you do get ready to commit to Zambia or Botswana, do "hit me up." Who knows, by then I may even have my own tour operation to Southern Africa! :)

If I ever do start my own operation, my number one priority will be to get people on safari at the best places for the least money, and being honest about it all. Botswana = 30% commissionable to agents, Zambia = 20% commissionable. Is it any surprise where most tour operators are going to recommend???

Rocco, first of all why do you spend all of this money on Africa when you could just take pics of Scooter and Shy????? You must be Loco not Rocco! :)
Anyway, interesting what you say about the commissions on the Bots/Zambia trips, I actually sent a query to ATR and as expected, got a response ASAP, suggesting with our budget Tanzania would be a better fit. My only concern with TZ is that it would be just like Kenya (but of course we did a lodge style trip in Kenya and this time want to stay in tents).. it must be the commissions that push BTWWANA/ZAMB over the limit for us. Well Rocco.. if you do get that business out of the ground send me an email!

Scooter, at 12" tall and weighing in at 37 pounds, just isn't able to send chills up my spine the same way as one of these guys:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoVie...d=905737806105

Or, for that matter, he is not even able to scare me as much as one of these girls:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoVie...d=470531644105

;)

Michael,

Thanks for the Buenos Aires recommendations. I will definitely take it under advisement.

Anyway, if I end up choosing Buenos Aires, I would do it for three nights on the way over and three nights on the way back, preferably for Friday/Saturday/Sunday night stays. What would be more perfect is if I could find a Rovos Rail that would transport me up to Victoria Falls or back from Victoria Falls, something like this:

(November 2006)(Full Moon Nov. 05th)

11/03 - 11/05 Buenos Aires (3)
11/06 Westcliff (1) (same day arrival)
11/07 - 11/09 Kings Pool (3)
11/10 - 11/12 Vumbura Plains (3)
11/13 - 11/15 Kwara Island (3)
11/16 Depart JNB - Buenos Aires
11/17 - 11/19 Buenos Aires (3)
11/20 - Depart Buenos Aires to LAX
11/21 - Arrive LAX

(I checked the dates for Rovos Rail and they will not work out)

Rocco,

I've experienced Linyanti and the Delta after the first rains and I would NOT recommend that you make your first Botswana trip during November - it could be a 'little' disappointing.

Mitch