Questions for Kavey
Jul 8th, 2004, 04:17 PM
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Questions for Kavey
Welcome back from your trip! I am anxiously awaiting further instalments of your trip report. I don't want to ask you to jump ahead, but can you give some brief impressions on Jack's Camp and Little Mombo. I need to finalize my itinerary soon and I am trying to decide if we should spend 2 or 3 nights at Jack's Camp? As for Little Mombo, we currently have 4 nights booked, but if you had the same service concerns as other posters, we may reduce our stay to 3 nights. Thanks for your help.
Jul 9th, 2004, 12:55 AM
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For Jack's Camp I would definitely advise 3 nights. They have such a series of activities that are just marvellous including time spent with an habituated family of meerkats and also with brown hyena!
As with most camps they can't provide a separate guide and car for each group and hence, whilst you might find on arrival that those activities that are most important to you _could_ be fitted into a two night stay you might find that you end up missing one that you want to do (such as the famous quad bikes over the pans). They themselves recommend 3 days because they try and ensure that all guests staying 3 nights do all their activities. We stayed 4 nights and could easily have stayed another night. We found it a magical experience and so unlike ANY OTHER CAMP.
We had great service at Little Mombo. The manager Elmari (also known as Ella) was the best manager we had anywhere on the trip. In a couple of weeks she will be joined by Dave who was managing at Jack's when we visited. He's another very attentive and professional manager. They will make a dynamite team. The guide, Tsile, was good. Not as incredible as B.K. who we had last time but he was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, had a deep understanding of the area having worked at Old Mombo and being back at New Mombo for some years, and was able to take us to some great sightings. We stayed 4 nights and enjoyed every night but would agree that 3 nights would still be an excellent option and one that many other guests did.
That said we had some very good sightings indeed at Savute including an entire afternoon/evening game drive with a pack of 16 wild dogs on the hunt, another afternoon spent with a group of 3 cheetah brothers and eles and zebras and so on. No leopards whereas we saw 3 in Mombo for long periods of time.
The Jouberts are filming leopards at Mombo right now, they have been doing so for at least 12 months, and they are radioing guides so guests benefit from their spotting too. Very generous.
Also adored Tubu Tree though this may be because we had the best guide of our entire trip, Grant, for our stay here rather than because of the specific sightings, though these were excellent.
I would say definitely try and spend 3 nights at Jack's.
Then what's the rest of your itinerary?
As with most camps they can't provide a separate guide and car for each group and hence, whilst you might find on arrival that those activities that are most important to you _could_ be fitted into a two night stay you might find that you end up missing one that you want to do (such as the famous quad bikes over the pans). They themselves recommend 3 days because they try and ensure that all guests staying 3 nights do all their activities. We stayed 4 nights and could easily have stayed another night. We found it a magical experience and so unlike ANY OTHER CAMP.
We had great service at Little Mombo. The manager Elmari (also known as Ella) was the best manager we had anywhere on the trip. In a couple of weeks she will be joined by Dave who was managing at Jack's when we visited. He's another very attentive and professional manager. They will make a dynamite team. The guide, Tsile, was good. Not as incredible as B.K. who we had last time but he was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, had a deep understanding of the area having worked at Old Mombo and being back at New Mombo for some years, and was able to take us to some great sightings. We stayed 4 nights and enjoyed every night but would agree that 3 nights would still be an excellent option and one that many other guests did.
That said we had some very good sightings indeed at Savute including an entire afternoon/evening game drive with a pack of 16 wild dogs on the hunt, another afternoon spent with a group of 3 cheetah brothers and eles and zebras and so on. No leopards whereas we saw 3 in Mombo for long periods of time.
The Jouberts are filming leopards at Mombo right now, they have been doing so for at least 12 months, and they are radioing guides so guests benefit from their spotting too. Very generous.
Also adored Tubu Tree though this may be because we had the best guide of our entire trip, Grant, for our stay here rather than because of the specific sightings, though these were excellent.
I would say definitely try and spend 3 nights at Jack's.
Then what's the rest of your itinerary?
Jul 9th, 2004, 03:19 AM
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I remember (I think) that you also asked Tashak about Jack's Camp in the past and wanted to update her information since Jack's has undergone an update since her visit.
The tents at Jack's Camp are now equivalent in size to the standard WS tents - the older slightly smaller ones have been moved to the staff area for their accommodation (which used to be in igloo style camping tents). The bathrooms now feature standard (not bucket) showers and fully flushing toilets (that are a blast - you sit on a throne-like commode not a toilet as we know them). The furniture is beautiful but be aware that the beds are HIGH. So high that you are provided with steps to get into them! We were given a double room which was very sweet but the double is a small one and short too - even I found it short and my husband who is 6 foot 6 found it very short. Didn't matter though, we just slept cuddled and curled up so we didn't fall out! The other thing I like about the tents is that the interior fabric is a beautiful patterned terracotta and makes such a change from the standard khaki tent interiors. Lovely! All tents have an outdoor shower too.
San Camp is still as Jack's used to be - bucket showers and smaller tents - from what we were told - we didn't see it.
I remember (I think) that you also asked Tashak about Jack's Camp in the past and wanted to update her information since Jack's has undergone an update since her visit.
The tents at Jack's Camp are now equivalent in size to the standard WS tents - the older slightly smaller ones have been moved to the staff area for their accommodation (which used to be in igloo style camping tents). The bathrooms now feature standard (not bucket) showers and fully flushing toilets (that are a blast - you sit on a throne-like commode not a toilet as we know them). The furniture is beautiful but be aware that the beds are HIGH. So high that you are provided with steps to get into them! We were given a double room which was very sweet but the double is a small one and short too - even I found it short and my husband who is 6 foot 6 found it very short. Didn't matter though, we just slept cuddled and curled up so we didn't fall out! The other thing I like about the tents is that the interior fabric is a beautiful patterned terracotta and makes such a change from the standard khaki tent interiors. Lovely! All tents have an outdoor shower too.
San Camp is still as Jack's used to be - bucket showers and smaller tents - from what we were told - we didn't see it.
Jul 9th, 2004, 08:37 AM
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Kavey, thanks for the updates on camps...and glad you had such a super time!!
Also, I agree with Kavey...you are cutting things too short if you don't give Jack's at least 3 nights. It is very, very special...nothing else like it in the world (except maybe San Camp?) Four nights would be heaven!!
Also, I agree with Kavey...you are cutting things too short if you don't give Jack's at least 3 nights. It is very, very special...nothing else like it in the world (except maybe San Camp?) Four nights would be heaven!!
Jul 9th, 2004, 04:24 PM
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Thanks for your quick response Kavey. I was aware that changes had recently been made to Jack's Camp, so I wanted to make sure that the changes had been well implemented. It sounds like a wonderful camp, so we will definitely keep our reservation at 3 nights.
The rest of our itinerary for next year is as follows:
5 nights Cape Town - Table Bay Hotel or Twelve Apostles
2 nights Hermanus - The Marine
2 nights Knysna - Phantom Forest
2 nights George - Fancourt
1 night Jo'burg
4 nights Singita - Lebombo
1 night Jo'burg
3 nights Jack's Camp
4 nights Little Mombo
The rest of our itinerary for next year is as follows:
5 nights Cape Town - Table Bay Hotel or Twelve Apostles
2 nights Hermanus - The Marine
2 nights Knysna - Phantom Forest
2 nights George - Fancourt
1 night Jo'burg
4 nights Singita - Lebombo
1 night Jo'burg
3 nights Jack's Camp
4 nights Little Mombo
Jul 10th, 2004, 01:47 AM
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I know you'll love Jack's... everyone does!
As for Mombo, you know that the accommodation, whilst wonderful, is not Singita standard right? It's a very different ambiance that they are aiming for...
As for Mombo, you know that the accommodation, whilst wonderful, is not Singita standard right? It's a very different ambiance that they are aiming for...
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