uhoh_busted

We are planning a trip to SA this coming October and want to do a safari for about 10 days before or after visiting friends in Capetown. We had a fabulous time in Botswana back in 2004, and what we learned most was that 6 nights is too short! We had planned to do a longer OAT trip in 2009, but cancelled that due to a family health crisis. Really not keen on the OAT trip anymore, so trying to look for something that will give us a similar experience to Botswana, but more reasonably priced. (ccAfrica is now &Beyond, and beyond our budget anymore!) We're in our 60s but physically fit. We want to keep the on-the-ground costs between 6 to 10K for the two of us. Don't really need the twin tubs overlooking the plains....but not really into self-drive or overland adventures in a 12-seater bus.

Never been to Vic Falls, and would like to see it...but that isn't a must-do.

I've done a search for trip reports...seen a couple of planning discussions but not much in the way of reports...

ShayTay

My suggestion:

Fly from Cape Town to Kasane via whatever route is open to you (may not have flights every day)Alternate: fly to Vic Falls and transfer by road.
Spend 2 or 3 nights on the Ichobezi safari boat on the Chobe River. Great way to see Chobe!
Transfer via road to Victoria Falls. Spend one night and tour the Falls. More than 1 night isn't needed. The Falls will be low in October. Ilala Lodge is close to the Falls.
Transfer by road to Hwange NP and stay at Somalisa Camp 3 nights. Elephants all around; they like to drink from the camp pool while you're sitting just 10 feet away.
Transfer by road to Amalinda Camp near Bulawayo for 2 nights. Unique scenery and rhinos in Matobo Hills NP; San rock art
Fly back to JNB or CPT from Bulawayo.

I did most of this in 2010 at the end of a Botswana safari. I had been to Vic Falls before and didn't stay there. No internal flights are needed once you've arrived in Bots or Zim which cuts the costs.

christabir

ShayTay - that sounds like a nice trip!

You could do Mashatu, Pafuri (northern Kruger) and a Sabi Sand or Timbavati camp. Fly at beginning and the end, with private drivers camp to camp - all easy distances. Two of us did it for around $8000 in 2009 with charters, private transfers, Mashatu tented camp and Arathusa in Sabi Sand for ten nights. It's also doable with commercial flight to or from SS/Timbavati and a six hour driver to or from Mashatu. It was nice, with three different eco-systems. I would also add some time at Mopane Bush Lodge just outside Mashatu. It just looks interesting, with the possibility of visiting Venetia's wild dog project.

I have two S Africa trip reports, one is the above. The latest one was tons of fun, but not sure it's something you'd be interested in. (click on my name to find them)

Any of these look interesting? Only max eight people on most, and some are affordable:
http://www.eyesonafrica.net/scheduled-safaris.htm

uhoh_busted

Wow...thanks! Just the kind of responses I was looking for!

ShayTay

Good suggestions, too, Christabir! I spent some time over around Hoedspruit in October: Kapama, Mohlabetsi and Shindzela camps. I've also been to Mala Mala and Kirkman's in Sabi Sands... all good areas.

Africa Adventure Co. has several Zim safaris, given that the co-owner is from Zimbabwe. They could give you a quote for a safari there for the length of time. You'd have to keep in mind intra-Africa flights and visa costs, though.

uhoh_busted

Just got a really interesing and reasonable Zimbabwe quote from Zambezi Safari & Travel...while the trip they quoted us in'09 is now way out of our budget (to be fair, that quote was short notice and you can get great prices if they've got vacancy) but this takes us from JNB to Vic Falls for 2 nights at Ilala and land transfers take us first up river to Imbalala for 3 nights then to Hwange Davison's Camp for 4 nights, and includes flights from and back to JNB. I've been reading trip reports/reviews and thus far it all looks very promising. While 2 nights might be too long at Vic Falls, that first day we could still be jet-lagged anyway.

The international flight plan is likely to be SA Airways through Delta, RDU to JNB rt isn't bad, and we can fly to CPT and back for less than trying to just fly home from CPT, so that's not bad either.

Now I'm off to look for a good place to stay the first night we get in to JNB. That flight gets in in the evening, and if we take off on the safari, it would be around 1130 the next morning.

ShayTay

A South African I know with a tour company in the US was quite impressed with Imbalala Camp. That sounds like a good choice. One issue about flying to VFA, transferring to Botswana and back, is that you'll need a double entry visa for Zimbabwe ($75 vs $60 for single entry... a minor amount.) Ilala Lodge is in a great location, within easy walking distance of the Falls and the craft market next door. You can walk down to the colonial-era Victoria Falls Hotel from the Ilala, too.

If you're looking for overnight lodging at JNB, there is a City Lodge inside the airport. You can just walk there from the terminal, no shuttle needed. It's fairly new; I've touring the place and would recommend it.

uhoh_busted

Great - thanks.

We'll make our decision within the week, I think. I really haven't found any reasons NOT to do this trip I like spending 3 nights at one camp and 4 at the other. We tend to savor our experiences and I can easily see just hanging around camp at Davison's at least one afternoon. We LOVED all the camps we stayed in when we went to Botswana in 2004 and only spent 2 nights in each camp, so we left wanting more. Apparently, Oct is also good for fishing on the Zambezi and DH and I both enjoy that (we lived not far from the Chesapeake Bay for over 30 years).

uhoh_busted

Deposit sent, flights and trip insurance purchased. Touched base with our friends in Cape Town, and we're definately going in October!