Hi everybody,

As I have mentioned in my prior posts we (our extended family) are going on two week holiday in Southern Africa July 2008 which includes Capetown, Kruger (Kings Camp), Chobe (Muchenje) and Vic Falls (Toka Leya). However, after reading several posts here, I am wondering if we are making a mistake by not also spending some time in the Delta. I am considering having my immediate family (2 adults 2 boys) staying on for an additional two days in the Delta.

I have gotten a quote for this add on from Safari-Island which is about $1575 per person including a flight from Livingstone, 2 nights at Mapula and a return light to Maun. Is this a fair price? If so, is the Delta experience so different from Chobe that it is worth an additional $6,000 (plus additional airfare from Maun to Jo-Burg) for 2 days in the Delta? Or should I just save up and return to Botswana in a less expensive season(although even then it would propbably be an expensive trip) ?

Thank you all for your time and invaluable advice.

Tara

Tara: the Delta is one of the special and unique places in all of Africa and definitely warrants a visit. Mapula is a brilliant lodge that I would highly recommend. I have posted a trip report recently that includes my stay at Mapula if you want more detail. In July you would have a good chance at seeing African wild dogs denning at Mapula -- such an event can obviously not be gauranteed but you would be at one of the places giving the best chance to see this rare and fascinating species as well as the rest of the abundant wildlife at Mapula. In July the rack rate is $600 per person per night at Mapula so the price quoted including the flights looks to be fair.

Even though Mapula is a bargain compared to other comparable camps in the area that is a lot of money for just a two night extension of your trip. It's impossible to predict the future but currently green season pricing can be more than 50% cheaper so your $6,000 would go a long way then, from Maun you could do about an 8 night fly in safari for two people to Mapula and some other wonderful lodges so saving and returning could be a great option but of course that means a second round of international air to get there which is also a huge expense.

Personally I would consider dropping the Kings Camp and focusing on Botswana. As long as you are doing Vic Falls and Chobe it makes more sense to me to stay in that area and have some days in the Delta and if time and budget allows after dropping King's Camp include either the Linyanti/Kwando area and/or the Kalahari desert to round out northern Botswana. I'm assuming you are likely losing a day somewhere getting to and from Kruger area to the rest of the itinerary, forcing a night in Joburg or getting you to the Falls very late in the day unless you are skipping a game drive. Focusing on the one geographic area should be more time efficient.

Then I'd focus on Kruger/South Africa itinerary on a different trip. Of course your needs/desires could be completely different than how I look at it and at King's Camp the experience will be somewhat different with more habituated animals concentrated into a smaller area that lends to great Big-5 viewing and lots of sightings in a short period of time compared to the large wildernesses of Botswana. You will likely see rhino too which you will not see in Botswana.

Hope that is helpful rather than confusing.

Hi PredatorBiologist,

Actually, it was your trip report that made me think we should really try see if we could go to Mapula in the Delta. You made it sound so incredible!

I do understand why you would suggest that we should drop Kruger and do more in Botswana and I agree with you, however, it took months for the 10 of us (those on the family holiday) to agree on a final itinerary and I really do not want to create any problems now. I wish I had done more research before the trip was finalized.

Do you think there might be a way to see the Delta for less than $6,000 for two nights that would be okay for us and our boys (9 & 11)?

Thanks your input is very appreicated.

Tara

Pom Pom camp in the delta has been around for a long time. The mgmt has changed a few times. It looked like one of the less expensive options in the Delta, but I did not compare it to Mapula.

I was checking e-gnu.com

A few days in the Okavango Delta would be a good idea.

Tara: sorry I forgot about your mention of extended family and totally understand that coordination issue. I think you will really love the complimentary nature of King's Camp with Chobe, I believe they will go very well together with different strengths. I didn't know your boys were so young either, they may well appreciate the ease of viewing at King's Camp more than the wilderness of the Delta so your current itinerary may be better for them anyway.

I looked through listed prices (2007) in the Brandt's Botswana guide and unfortunately there is almost nothing priced lower than Mapula. Lynn's suggestion of Pom Pom would be cheaper, listed at $440 pppn. Another option that may be even more economical would be Camp Okuti listed at $495 pppn but they also have a family unit and I'm guessing that would lower the cost. I really do not know anything about that camp other than it has been around for a long time and the Brandt guide indicates that it is a little dated, also it is next to Xakanaxa which has had some reports of pretty good game viewing so I believe it is a good area for wildlife viewing. The only other options that I could find that would be more significantly cheaper were either in poor wildlife areas or in all mokoro/walking areas which would be interesting but I think most of them walk with unarmed guides which I could not recommend with your children.

Perhaps someone can chime in on Pom Pom or Camp Okuti but I have not seen much on either of them around here. Even if it gets it down to $5,000 that's still a lot for a two day extension. I imagine you will all be hooked on Africa so it might be better to just start building the budget for a future trip where you can visit the camps you really want rather than settle. As I posted before that kind of money can buy you a lot more in the green season during your kids spring break in the future and you could visit the Delta and the desert and introduce your boys to the ways of the bushmen.

You are going to have an incredible family experience!

Camp Okuti has been upgraded and high season 2008 rates are US$660pppns.

I would suggest the following: Ker & Downey have a special programme for families with kids, Young Explorers. These are 3-night stays with the exclusive use of a camp, activities are designed around the interests of all family members (www.kerdowneybotswana.com/young-expl.html). Sounds like a unique family adventure.

High season 2008 rack rates for 3 night Young Explorer's Delta and a family of 4 persons are US$1749pp. You must add US$270pp for the flight from/to Maun.

Nyama: thanks for updating the rate on Camp Okuti, unfortunately no surprise to see another camp rising in price. Looks like there is almost nothing that isn't self-driving for under $600 pppn during the high season.

That Young Explorers program looks great, too bad it would run about $8,000 for 3 nights and thus probably not fit Tara's needs. Good one to keep in mind for families planning trips.

This person had 2 days at Pom Pom and while the entire trip was described as “THE BEST EVER” in caps, not much specific info per camp was given.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34526425

Africa Travel Resource (ATR) often gives frank reports about camps. Here is what it says about Pom Pom

<i>“Pom Pom is a rare thing in this area ... a relatively low cost camp in a high quality private concession.

Ultimately we tend to use this camp relatively rarely, resisting the temptation to shave the cost of a safari in favour of including a higher rated camp instead. But Pom Pom remains a pretty decent option when the better camps are fully booked.”</i>

That first sentence makes this place seem appealing to me because a high quality concession contributes more to a successful stay than fancy lodging, IMO.

When you look at Pom Pom’s website http://www.pompomcamp.com/ it looks pretty nice to me. I’d ask your agent about guiding or email directly to Pom Pom, which is as important as the quality concession.

A while back I was talking with a knowledgeable and friendly Africa agent in CA. We were discussing lodging and locations in general. His comment on Pom Pom, when it was managed by somebody else was: I have clients who are heirs to the _____ (a name we’d all recognize, but I’ll leave it out here) corporate fortune and they could go anywhere in the world. They choose to rent out Pom Pom and have for years. He could have been BS-ing me, but even back then it was not the highest priced option that would have given him the best commissions.

I have my eye on Pom Pom as other places are going through the roof with prices.

If Mapula is anywhere near the cost of Pom Pom, I think I’d opt for Mapula.

PB -- I know that Young Explorers doesn't fit into Tara's 2-days/$6000 frame. But I find it so fantastic for children that I would recommend planning a whole trip around it. In other camps kids are tolerated, here they're in the centre of interest. My figures are only official rack rates, so there is still room for negotiations. (Btw, in 2007 YE Delta was less than $7000.)

atravelynn -- I havn't been at Pom Pom, but I made it up to 3 kms south of the camp. It's a beautiful area.

Nyama: I agree, glad you posted Young Explorer's as it is a great find and should be helpful for some family planners -- perhaps even myself someday.

pb you can have a look at Oddballs camp,
close to Delta Camp.
5 Nights / 6 days US$1198.00
TENT: Total cost per person sharing rate: US$1198.00 for 5 days in season.
This is with flights.
www.okavangodelta.info/oddballsrates.htm

Bots: definitely Oddballs provides an amazing experience at a remarkable price. I think it would be a great way to go for someone on a tight budget but it is in the group that I mentioned above of cheaper camps that focus on walks with unarmed guides. I just did that at Delta Camp and think its great but I don't recommend it for a group with 9 &amp; 11 year old kids.

We had 3 days at PomPom at the end of August 2007 and were very satisfied with all aspects of this camp,and found it excellent value for money.

Game viewing was good and varied, although not in large numbers. We were particularly lucky with leopards, with four individual sightings.

The terrain is beautiful, with open plains studded with small clumps of trees, tracts of woodland,lagoons and watercourses, and the mekoro experience here is outstanding,

On our first day we shared the Landcruiser with an English couple and their two teenaged children. They were staying in the family unit, which I think was two Meru style tents joined by a communal bathroom.

We had arranged for a private vehicle and guide for one day, and the cost then was US$170-very reasonable when compared to other camps

Hi,

Thanks for everyone's input. The Young Explorers program sounds wonderful! I e-mailed it to the other family members to see if they would be interested, but it is expensive. Again, I wish I had done more research before the trip was finalized, there are just so many amazing things to do in Southern Africa it is very difficult to decide what to forego!

I am also looking into Pom Pom as an alternative to Mapula and am awaiting a quote from Island-Safari. After looking at the
Oddballs Camp website and other trip reports, while it does sound like a great place, I agree with PredatorBiologist that it would not be the right place for my children. Actually, if I remember correctly, the website states that children under 12 are not welcome.

Thank you all again for your time and expertize. I hope we can get to the Delta. I will let you know what the final outcome is. No matter what, it will be an amazing once in a lifetime experience for us !

Tara

Tara,

If you were to choose Young Explorers (win Lotto perhaps?), I'd ask you to say hello for me to one of their guides, Paul Moleseng. A magnificent young man...he was our guide at Selinda in August, 2002. Yvonne and I had him to ourselves for a couple of days because of the shortage of travellers on safari that year. It's a great pity YE is outside your budget...it has always looked a fine family venture to me.

John

Oddballs and Delta Camp takes kids under 12.
Peter Sandenberg the Owner's kids all grew up at the camps.

Here is an update. I just got the quote for Pom Pom and it is $1716 per person for two nights. So if its going to work it's going to be Mapula. Actually, the Young Explorer's option is probably the most economical since its for 3 nights, but either way, I better start playing Lotto as Afrigalah suggests!

So much for Pom Pom beating the high cost of Botswana.

Bots that is an excellent price as well as the price for the 7 day package that includes Chobe. Can anyone comment on:

1)How does the area where Oddballs and Chobe are located compare to other Botswana locations for game viewing during the rainy season (Dec-March period in this link)?

2)Link you provided Bots is from Green Pepper Travel. I did go to their website and they appear to be South African based. Anyone here ever deal with this outfit?

GreenDrake, search for dumelabotswana.