Itinerary Help-South Africa
 

we are planning 2 weeks in South Africa in June (third time on safari). What do you think of this itinerary based on desire for variety of animal sightings, topography and activities:

3 nights Capetown
3 nights Sabi Sands or Timbavati (another private reserve outside Kruger)
2 nights Madikwe
3 nights Phinda

I have been told that Madikwe’s game viewing is not great when compared to Sabi Sands and Phinda but I thought going there would be interesting in order to see the wild dogs.
I appreciate any feedback you can give me.

Have you been to any South African safari camps?
Where have you been on safari?

regards tom

Too much travel for me. Ditto tom's question. I would either do Madikwe or Phinda, not both. There is so much to do around Phinda.

Not to put down Madikwe, where I really want to go some time, but are the wild dog sightings there still reliable? Even if they are, 2 nights might not be enough time to have reasonable odds of seeing them. I personally want to visit Madikwe for the brown hyena, also an elusive species. I'd allow 4 nts minimum if there was something in particular I wanted to see.

"There is so much to do around Phinda."
Another night or two there would make sense.

Have fun.

atravelyn - I'm with you! Our next trip to S Africa is going to be all about wild dogs and brown hyena. Considering Madikwe (can't really afford Botwsana) and Khalagadi NP.

The two extra nights near Phinda could be in St Lucia. Lots of fun activities available there - horseback safaris and beach, kayak with crocs and hippos and a fun boat ride with hippos. We had a blast.

Hi!
Ditto as above.. Where have you gone on your prior safaris? This would be immensely helpful in making recommendations. I also agree that your plan involves a lot of moving around and too few nights at these places. But please provide more details on your past travels.
Best
Dianne
Africa Direct USA

Personally I loved Madikwe but it was 10 years ago and not as crowded. Saw wild dogs up close on each trip but have been told there was a rabies epidemic and less dogs now.

I have been to Phinda also. Again very good sightings especially cheetah and lion. Loved my horseback rise on the beach.

I stayed at Mala Mala for the leopards and again saw babies and a kill and one posing in a tree.

I guess I am just lucky! I don't mind moving around because I pack light and never unpack. But travel time eats up your viewing time

If dogs are your priority go to Madikwe but be sure there are still there.

Kim

On our last trip to Kruger we saw 3 packs of wild dogs including the 30+ pack between Orpen and Satara, then another pack in the Sabi Sands - over 50 dogs total. For a 2 week trip I would do mostly self driving in Kruger with a few nights in the Sabi Sands at the end.

Having been to all these places, I know they are all fantastic; each with their own animal specialities but also varied terrain and ecology. They will give you a good all-round taste of South African safari, so that next time you can venture into wilder places like Zambia perhaps? Or head to the open savanna of East Africa?

So, it’s not so much whether the destinations are right, it’s whether the order of travel is right and whether you want to traverse the whole of South Africa from far north to far south! Safari is all about early mornings, indulgent meals and game drives into the night, let alone guided walks and time to relax by the pool. It can be quite exhausting!

That’s why most people leave Cape Town to the end, when you can lie in, relax, take leisurely excursions or just chill out by the beach.

This advice comes from Fair Trade Safaris, a Not-for-Profit African Safari & Luxury Travel Operator, alleviating poverty through leisure travel.