post safari excursion ideas
 

I've booked my Botswana safari for June 2006, ending in Vic Falls June 12. Was thinking of going to Capetown after, but I am told it's cold and rainy that time of year. Any opinions or suggestions?

How about a visit to Namibia - the sand dunes of the Namib Rand Desert are a beautiful sight - either at Sossusvlei where the really big dunes (and dead vlei and current vlei are located) or at a favourite place of mine, in the NamibRand Nature Reserve.

It's a lovely time of year to be there too.

Hello,

Yes, Cape Town can be cold and rainy in June, though it can also be nice and sunny. The weather isn't everything, however -- I was there for a week in 2004 and it rained 6 out of 7 days, but I still really enjoyed my time there. The main weather-related problem was the inability to do as much outdoors as I had planned.

If you want a city break after your time on safari, Durban in South Africa is at its best at that time of year -- it's winter, but since Durban has a tropical climate this means warm days and cool nights (Durban can be unbearably hot and humid at other times of the year). The area around Durban in KwaZuluNatal is also very nice -- there's historical battlefields sights, game reserves, and cosy country inns.

The Panorama Route, also in South Africa, is very nice at that time of year.

You will benefit from low season pricing throughout SA.

Cheers,
Julian

Oooh and also near Durban is St Lucia and the associated Wetlands area - beautiful wetlands and coastal resorts to visit.

Another fantastic excursion is head for the islands of Mozambique -- beautiful beaches and incredible snorkeling/diving and June is a great time of year to go.

Thanks for the ideas. They all sound great, but we find kavey's suggestion for Namibia the most appealing (hard choice, however). Do you think we can do a short trip there on our own, or is it better to book a tour? Any suggestions for a good agent?
Thanks!

June is the official start of winter in most Capetownians minds. However it is certainly not the wettest month. August is by far the wettest followed by July. In June you are likely to have rain perhaps 1 day out of 5 and the rest of the days are superb with sunshine, little wind and temperatures around the low 20's.

Who are you booking the Botswana safari with? Depending on how many days you're talking about and how many places in Namibia you'd visit you can either have the same agent arrange or book with a local Namibian operator who can meet you off the plane (from Maun in Botswana into Windhoek into Namibia) and look after your transfers and bookings in Namibia.

Let's work out more what appeals to you and then best way to book it?

Namibia is a fantastic choice. It is easy to self drive or you can take in-country flights to save time. If you only have a couple of days you can pick an area to focus on like the Namib desert or Etosha. With 10 days you can have a great trip hitting most of the hot spots.

sorry for the length of the last post. I hit the wrong button and it got posted while I was editing it. Oh well.

We begin in Botswana 6/1/06 and are doing Duma Tau for 3 nights, Sandibe and Nxabega for 2 each, then Impalila in Namibia for 2 nights and ending 6/12 in Vic Falls with 2 nights at the Zambezi Sun. The price is fair and quite competitive, but it is substantial. I'd like to be more budget conscious in Namibia. I got some information about a 9-day group tour for 1695 US (supposedly $1000 less then the regular price), visiting Windhoek - Sossusvlei - Swakopmund - Etosha National Park. ( http://www.wildafricasafari.com/ - look under time limited travel specials.) Problem is that there can be up to 25 people in the group and I could not cope. Like Kavey, my friend and I much prefer doing things on our own and meeting up with nice people along the way. Predator Biologist, we are a little too chicken to do a self-drive tour. If possible, I am interested in visiting - - Windhoek, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay for a cruise, Skelton Coast, Etosha National Park. I suspect we would be better off booking something locally in Namibia. I like the idea of having a guide meet us there. Aand I'd love to hear more about the Namib Rand Nature reserve. Any suggestions?

Poppys,

A number of people here (not myself) have been very happy with the services of Cardboard Box - I think that's the correct name...

I booked with Wilderness even for the last trip which was just one night in Windhoek and 4 at Wolwedans Dune Lodge (not a WS property) because they were doing the rest of my trip and it made a lot more sense. I wish I could remember the name of the local operator they entrusted our Namibian portion to but I just can't remember...

:o(

I have read about Cardboard Box also. A lot of people seem to like them, so I'll get in touch. If the name of your local guide twigs, let me know? Thanks.