My husband and I and another couple are planning a trip to South Africa in October, 2010. Need opinions...here's a sample itinerary in the works...

Fly from US to Cape Town -- spend 4 nights in Cape Town (this is the easy part)

2 nights in Rattrays Mala Mala or 2 nights in Kings Camp

4 nights at either Singita's Lebombo or Sweni

We'd love to go to Botswana too but we feel we'd save about $2000 to $3000 USD a couple by not going there. Cape Town is set but if anyone has the "perfect" scenario for a somewhat luxury safari, please, please let me know. Thanks.

We recently stayed in Cape Town and the Winelands for 6 nights (after flying directly from the US), the 3 nights at Earth Lodge Sabi Sabi and 4 nights at Vlei Lodge Phinda. We were able to get better pricing by staying at least 3 (or in the case of Phinda, 4 nights). The trip was just about perfect. And we made the same decision to skip Botswana because of the additional cost. There was enough of a contrast between Sabi Sabi and Phinda that it worked out well.

Thanks for the info. It is very useful.

When we visited the exchange rate was very very good, so our stay at Singita was cheap (compared to today's) prices. Which leads me to the fact that we had $$$ for a few days in Botswana.

We spent 4/nts CPT, 1/nt VFA, 3/nts Chobe, 1/nt JNB, 5/nts Kruger split between 2/camps (3 of which at Singita).

If you'd prefer not to stretch the budget, you can be assured the lodging chosen will be delightfully luxurious with plenty of great game viewing and delicious food/drink.

Gather it's 6/nts you have for safari. It's ideal to spend at least 3/nts per camp, so you can certainly split the time. But there are lots of "specials" being offered, and if you can get one of those "stay 4/nts and pay 3/nts" that's serious consideration.

I'm sure you'll really enjoy your stay in CPT and then at Kruger,, that you'll want to return, in which case that can be a Botswana trip.

Francy
2000 to 3000US/couple doesn't take you far in Botswana anyway. The flights JNB-Maun set you back around 800US$/couple and a decent camp in Oct in the Delta asks (no credit crunch impact considered) for at least 800 pppd.

As From DC pointed out different sceneries within SA makes much more sense and you can use that for a reason to do Botswana next time ;-)

I would rather combine Singita's Boulders with Sweni or Lebombo than with Mala Mala 2 nights - spending 3 or 4 nights in each.

Or you go for a completely different scenery and do Madikwe reserve (north of JNB) and stay at MATEYA:http://www.mateyasafari.com/

That would make sense in my opinion. In Madikwe you have the chance of seeing brown hyena, leopard, lion, elephant and cheetah.
Madikwe is malaria-free and Mateya is the best money can buy in that reserve! And compared to Singita more personal but still offering a more classy luxury. Only 5 chalets - very intimate.

Madikwe was created as a reserve some 10 years ago. There is a program "operation phoenix" which deals with the effort to settle more than 10000 animals in the reserve. Interesting background info.

Happy planning!

SV

i strongly endorse rattrays. there are 8 chalets, which are amazing. you are 4 to a vehicle and if you want to get leopard pix, this is a great place.

Thanks Sandi and SV for your comments. Singita's Lebombo and Sweni offer a fourth night free when booking three which is a great consideration. We initially thought that we'd do 6 nights of safari and with a "free" night at a Singita property, that leaves two nights at another place. I can't believe how much time I've spent investigating all of this.

SV...do you think we can do just 2 nights at Singita's Boulders and 4 nights (taking advantage of the "free" one) at either Lebombo or Sweni (which, by the way, do you think is better...Lebombo or Sweni).

Thanks for your interest everybody!

Fran

Sweni is intimate and Lebombo 15 accommodations. That's really a matter of preferences. Both are outstanding having excellent management, great food. It's the size that matters to many.

But why not split it into 3 and 3? Should not be a problem within one company unless they are pushing the Kruger venues.

2 nights Boulders will be fine despite I HATE spending less than 3 nights in one place. It's just a hope "across the street" from Kruger to Sabi Sands. I would definately give it a go.

SV

"2 nights in Rattrays Mala Mala or 2 nights in Kings Camp"
Have you looked into how you would transfer from either of these camps to Singita? It might be a little easier form Rattrays than from Kings Camp. Rattrays you would drive over (10 miles, 30 minutes?). Kings Camp you would charter flight, about 10 minutes in the air, less than an hour total.

The terrain between Kings Camp and Rattrays and Singita is different but not really by much. You know, I'd lean towards staying at Kings Camp. Kings Camp is simpler, not so much super uber high end as Rattrays and Singita and would be a nice comparison to Singita. I like Kings Camp, will be there in Sept for 8 nights, my fourth time there.

I would not got to Mateya, Madikwe Reserve for 2 nights. Two nights not worth the time and cost to get there. Five nights, ok. Always consider the transfer time and cost between camps to be sure it is worth it. And I agree with SV, I will not spend less than 3 nights in a camp.

regards - tom

Tom (cary999) - singita sweni and singita lebombo are over 50 miles east-northeast from malamala. singita boulders and ebony are about 14 miles strait west from malamala. i drove from singita boudlers to malamala last december and it took 60 minutes. boulders and ebony are in the sabi sands while sweni and lebombo are private concessions inside the kruger national park on the mozambique border.

IMO the game viewing at boulders and ebony is better than the game viewing anywhere inside the kruger INCLUDING sweni and lebombo.

Fran - since you mentioned the word budget, then usually that indicates to me that singita should not be in your plan. at the current exchange rate it is going to be $400 more per person per night than rattrays. also, rattrays is on a larger property more interior to the ecosystem. i find the game viewing at malamala spectacular!

if i was a traveler (as opposed to an agent), i would not go to any camp in the sabi sands and then switch to another nearby camp. you should choose one property in the sabi sands (rattrays) and then go to a totally different ecosystem like phinda or tuli. tuli is a less expensive way of seeing a unique part of SE botswana. the tuli reserves have the highest land to human ratio anywhere south of the kalahari. i think a great combo would be mashatu (in the tuli) and rattrays OR nitani (in the tuli) and lion sands OR rattrays and phinda vlei. i have been to all these places and stayed at vlei just two months ago. we saw 31 rhino and 5 cheetah on ONE game drive at phinda. we saw the big five every game drive at malamala (rattrays).

yes - phinda does have stay4pay3 right now.

Tom - i hope you take notice and appreciate that i now capitalized your first name and Fran's name!

Fran - if you ignore my advis and go to rattrays and then sweni/lebombo there are three ways i would recommend doing this.
1 - charter plane from AAM airstrip to singita air strip (20 min).
2 - get a driver (3.5 hr).
3 - in a rental car. you can get a pass from management at malamala (at check-out) to drive out the sabi sabi toulon gate at skekuza. this will save you one hour and you can enter the kruger through a non-public gate. toulon is on kirkman camps southern border with the KNP. from this entry point, it is about 90 minutes to singita lebombo and sweni.

hope this helps.

craig beal

Many many thanks craig - T and F works for you but the others are broken?

And thanks for the correction on Singita. I just had in my head that those camps were in Sabi Sand. Your information on the details of camp transfers is important to maximize safari camp time and minimize hassle. It is too easily overlooked when choosing camps. I don't know whether TAs just don't bother to consider it or choose not to confuse their clients with more choices and details. My TA knows me better, he knows I will be checking on such .

regards - tom

Hi francifree

I would agree with Craig, as I am a big MalaMala fan. I would be staying at Rattray's and Mashatu in eastern Botswana. Although my time at each is considerably longer, so I am not sure I would bother with a few days in Botswana. But for pure luxury, I would be at Rattray's.

Kind regards

Kaye

Wow...I thank you all so much. I am going to print this info out and may/will have additional questions.

With regard to "budget..." our budget would be for 6 nights a total of about $14,000 USD for two. What's the best scenario?

Thanks.

Fran

14K for6 nights.............Singita Sweni 3 and Boulders 3(6for5).
As one poster pointed out: Sweni is a Kruger-experience in the mountains (more or less) and Boulders is Sabi Sands - big cat (especially leopard country) besides the fact that both lodges are completely different in style/experience!
I bet they do a game drive transferring you all from one lodge to the other. Or just throw the rest of the budget out and order a heli transfer
Don't forget some bottles of http://www.champagne-roederer.com/en/harvest/flash.html
and open (at least one) as soon as you are airborne ;-)

SV

Sounds good to me - I would do it in a heartbeat!

SV

Fran - regarding budget, i wrote approximate costs below.

keep in mind, most of these services are priced in rand and fluctuate with currency. malamala, mashatu, and nitani are priced in dollars and everything else is rand based. i assumed 8.0 for an exchange rate as the rand has hovered around there the past two months (today it is around 7.75)

all prices are per person:
(JNB-AAM) johannesburg to malamala commercial flight = approx $300
malamala ratrrays = $875 per night X 3 = $2,625
shuttle flight to phinda = $675
phinda vlei = $815 per night X 3 = $2,445
shuttle flught to JNB = $400

total = $6,145 per person. this is all-inclusive round trip from Johannesburg. only thing not included is tips everywhere and alcohol at malamala.

note: phinda rates double on october 1 every year (ZAR 3,850 to ZAR 6,525 per night per person). any chance you can reverse this itinerary and go to phinda first during the last three days of september? this would save you almost $1,200 per person.

craig beal

Those are some helpful prices.

I think Phinda first is a good idea anyway, regardless of the lower price because the biggest concentration of animals is in Sabi Sands, which is a good place to end.

To save $, would you consider Mala Mala Main Lodge instead of Rattrays? I stayed at Main and thought it was very nice. Then at Phinda, Vlei is more expensive than Forest Lodge. Though there are more people in the Forest Lodge glass cottages than Vlei, the location in the sand forest is beautiful and you can walk the paths and birdwatch, look at monkeys, and watch for antelope. Forest Lodge was fantastic.