Recommendation for a South African tour, please
 

My friend and I are planning to go to South Africa next January. I know a lot of you do this trip on your own, but we would like to take a tour--we're sort of old and a little tired of trip planning. We're interested in being in J'berg and Capetown for a few days each, and going to some game parks. We're a bit overwhelmed by the amount of tours available and the options. We've both been to East Africa once before, but this is a first for SA. Our budget is flexible-we could go up to $6,000 for 14+ days (not including airfare). Many thanks for any help.

Meant to say $6000 per person. Hope someone can tell us who they've used. Thanks.

From my trip report: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35086423

"On most previous trips we went with groups, but this time we felt that could do it by ourselves, which would give us more flexibility and personal choices. We had this private tour planned by Julian Harrison of Premier Tours of Philadelphia, who is a SA specialist." He plans trips according to your budget and choices.

There is much more to read. ((*))

For my first visit last fall, I used a CapeTown based agency who I was very satisfied with; the agent's name is
Liesl the the agency is Southern Destinations; they have a toll free phone number and are quick to respond to e-mail queries:

www.southerndestinations.com

Here is my report; although I did not finish the Botswana section, you can read about Capetown, the Blue Train, and the Sabi Sands:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35088021

Thank you both for your recommendations. I read both your reports and they were very helpful. I can see that the way to go is to work with an agency and plan what we want to do. I can also see that I may need to revise my budget!

Nancy,

you do not need to review your budget if that is for ground arrangements only, you can get a mid class holiday for that if your agent recommends properties that fit into that budget.

I recently had honeymooners that did the following:
3 nights V&A - cape Town
2 nights D'ouwe Werf - Winelands
3 nights Elephant Hide - Garden route
1 night Windermere - Port Elizabeth
3 nights Tanda Tula - Timbavati
3 nights Kirkmans - Sabi Sands

and that trip came in at just over $6000.00 so you can do it with clever planning!

Doogle, thank you. I had not heard of Tanda Tula, and that looks very good. I am more than a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices for game viewing just from J'Berg. We've pretty much decided to concentrate on trips from there, and not try and do Capetown. What do you think of doing Pafuri and Phinda (I love birding as well as game viewing), and then one of the reserves in Kruger, perhaps Tanda Tula? We want to spend three days in J'berg and probably three days in each of three reserves. Does this itinerary make sense? Of course, my friend has indicated a desire to go to Madagascar too, but I'm not sure that's feasible. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be able to do three game parks in SA and Madagascar too for our budget ($6000 land for each of us). We're going in January and not certain about weather in Madagascar then either. In any case, I'm pretty confused, but I do appreciate your feedback. Any further advice you have would be greatly welcomed.

Hi Nancy

January in Madagascar is really no advisable it is the start of Monsoon season and it definatly will not all fit into the 6000 budget.

With what you have said you have liked you could look at doing something like the following:

Arrive Johanensburg
Overnight at a guest house in Johannesburg for 2 nights.
Do a City tour of Johanensburg the best one that I know is The Spear of the Nation with Robin Binckes.
You can then fly from Johannesburg to Kruger (Phinda is in Northern Natal and can be very costly) in Kruger I would suggest that you do 3 nights in a guest house like Chilli Pepper Lodge and that you get a guide to do 2 full day trips with you, one into Kruger so that you get a feel of the National Park and then one full day of the area and ask him to emphasise birding as the nature in this area is amazing and the waterfalls and canyons have to be seen. Here I would suggest a gentleman called Garth McFarlane of Mcfarlane safaris, they also offer good packages.
You can then do 3 nights at Tanda Tula and 3 nights at Pafuri, this is way way way up north but very special and really interesting. Garth also does extensions into Mozambique where you could get to swim with dolphins that may also intrest you as a little bit of a different feel.

I think if you do a trip like this you will definatly not be disspointed.

Doogle:
Thank you so much for the suggested itinerary and recommendations for city tours and safaris. You have really helped clarify things for me. Would you have a specific recommendation for a guest house in J'berg? Do you know anything about possible day trips to Ndebele...the one that Wilro did has apparently been discontinued.

In addition to what you suggested (or perhaps having to cut something out), we have decided to do three days of snorkling at the end of the trip on the Indian Ocean instead of going to Madagascar...much prefer that to monsoons! Several people have recommended Rocktail Bay Lodge. Would you have other suggestions in that area?

I so appreciate your taking the time to help.
Nancy

Rocktail Bay is great, quiet a walk to the beach but it is beautiful, you can also look at Thonga beach Lodge, just ensure you buy plenty sun block when you get here, as my husband and I spent a morning snorkelling at Rocktail Bay in March a few years ago and he was purple with sunburn and he put 100% block out on that you get in England!!! If you are going to Rocktail Bay you can also do Phinda or Thanda which are awesome game experiances. I think Thonga is a little bit more cost effective, to Rocktail Bay, but the reports on it have not been that fantastic, but I think it is a great property.

If you do Johanensburg day tours with Robin Binckes he will set up an awesome cultural tour for you as well, he has access to places not many of us know!

Great info again, thanks! Thonga beach looks beautiful and it might be nicer to be closer to the water. And I've written Robin Binckes to find out if he can take us to Ndebele. His tours look terrific, and I know we will take one. Good to know about the sunblock because I burn easily. I'm exploring Phinda as well. Your expertise is fabulous!