HariS

Wow!!! PB, i have a strange feeling that this pack of 4 is a branch off from the Selinda pack? Any confirmations of that?

Can you access Chobe NP from Linyanti camp? and do they do game drives into the park?

Any info appreciated .... thks

nyama

As said, LBC is 3.5 kms from Linyanti Gate. Not sure if they make game drives into the park. Why should they? They have their concession. Why paying extra park fees?

HariS

Thanks, Nyama .... i don't know i guess at times it's nice to drive into different areas of the park if access is available? especially, if one parks themselves in one camp for a week or so!

PredatorBiologist

Hari: not positive but fairly sure they can enter the park but probably do so very infrequently.

As for the dogs it would not surprise me at all if one of the sexes of the pack was dispersers from the Selinda pack -- most likely the females who may have detected wandering males passing their vicinity and then emigrated from the Selinda pack to form a new pack.

nyama

sniktawk -- are you talking about Neimba Springs?

amolkarnik -- I guess Pound Sterling land is similar happy.

amolkarnik

Its very good right now. Locking into future trips at current GBP-USD rates. I sincerely hope that they dont start quoting in Euros though. The pounds being battered there.

HariS

Thanks, Bill ..... Linyanti bushcamp sounds intriguing and perhaps the gameviewing is pretty good just as in the entire greater Linyanti system.

nyama

I asked Beks regarding game drives in Chobe NP. He told me that they hardly ever need to go into the park, however if they are tracking wild dogs or something specific then they have access to the park.

HariS

Thanks, Nyama ..... tracking wild dogs, eh? then i guess we can track through the park and sniff them out .....

africaddict

Quote:
"Author: amolkarnik
Thanks everyone. Rates for November 2008 are a very reasonable $450 pppn."


Are the rates for September higher?
My wife and I are looking at staying here in 2009.(Which I suppose would mean an increase of at least 10%?)

November, I guess, being off peak?
Would this time of year still be viable?

Cheers
Marc

HariS

Nyama or anyone else,

Do you know the total traversing size of the Linyanti bushcamp concession in terms of area?

Thanks
Hari

lisa

amolkarnik -- I am starting to think that we are planning very similar trips! 7 nights at Kgalagadi plus 4 nights at Mapula, and looking for something else too. We are going in December though. We are now looking at Savute Under Canvas as a possibility...maybe...

amolkarnik

africaddict - I think the Sep 2008 rates are around 700. November viability is borderline. Perhaps on par with Lebala/Lagoon and other river system camps, but I am going to take my chances. I'd prefer not to patronise WS camps and I'll be visiting Lebala this March.

lisa- yes the trips do look almost identical. I am at Urikaruus 2n, Kieliekrankie 1n, Nossob 2n, and KTC 2n in KTP.

lisa

amolkarnik -- Very interesting. I think we are going to do 1 night at either Twee Rivieren or Kieliekrankie, 3 nights at Nossob, and 3 nights at Kalahari Tented Camp. (Sorry, don't mean to hijack this thread, now back to your regularly scheduled programming...)

amolkarnik

I normally try and get atleast 3 nights at one camp, but KTP I am told is as much about vistas as it is about predators. I had planned to spend the last night at TR, but I;ve swapped it for a night in Upington.

HariS

Amol,

Why would you think November is borderline? If the rains haven't started then the viewing could be even better - although, last two years they have been seeing a bit of early rains in Botswana. Once again, i need to point out that some travel agents will try to tell you that High season is the best and only time to go - you obviously know why they do this!

The predators etc etc., will move through their core territories and hence you always have a chance seeing them. Obviously, need to find them when they are around.

In my observations of Green season vs High Season, when the rains start- the buffalo herds will completely disappear into the mopane after a few rains. You may still see some elephant herds, though .... ofcourse, the dogs will be highly mobile this time of the year and you'd better hope that it's more hit than miss .....

amolkarnik

Hari - November borderline because of the timing of the rains. If they arive early and have had a few heavy showers than the large heards are very likely to have dispersed. If not, and thats what I am sincerely hoping for, then I'll be in luck.

Camp operators it appears have successfully managed to raise the profile of whats termed the the 'Green Season' and are slowly raising prices accordingly. In fact, pricing details on the CCA website for Sandibe are curiously missing for the shoulder period. Wonder why?

HariS

True. Not long ago, whole of June was shoulder season. I think October was also. Can't remember for sure.

lisa

We are still tinkering with our itinerary too and may have to swap our one night at TR/Kieliekrankie for a night in Upington if we have to. I hope not though.

Some of the trip reports on the sanparks website actually make KTC sound like it's pretty decent for predator sightings.

amolkarnik

lisa - I originally had the last night planned for TR. Since then, I received an update fromm SAA rescheduling the flight to JoBurg to 1100 from 1145. I just dont think the hassle of getting out of TR and enduring the 3 hour drive to Upington, dropping the car off and getting the flight without any leeway whatsoever was worth it.

I have worked out that I can leave KTP around 4 pm and still make it to Upington before dark.