rncheryl

We are a couple in our 70s, in good health and able to walk, use steps, etc. I had previously thought that an African Safari was too much for us to physically enjoy. Now I see an AMA Waterways Chobe River cruise with stays in Capetown and Victoria Falls. Would like to have your input.

ekscrunchy

There is almost no walking on a typical African safari. You cannot usually leave your camp, and game viewing is done from a vehicle. My brother-in-law just took his first safari at age 84 and he will celebrate his 85th in Zambia this spring. Game viewing from a river will greatly limit the amount of species you will see. I would not do this for a first, or third, safari. Many camps offer water activities in addition to land-based game viewing.

amyb

I second what ekscrunchy said on both counts. There isn't anything less active than safari, I don't think. The worst you'll do is climb in and out of a Land Cruiser and drive on potentially bumpy roads. The rest of the time you're walking a minute or so to/from you tent to the vehicle or dining area.

I also agree that you probably don't want to do a river cruise for your first safari, for the reasons she mentioned. I'd look to some place more plush with game and without the limiting factor of the boat. Tanzania and Kenya are good options, more affordable than Botswana and with very reliable game sightings. You also don't need an organized tour for that. You can get a custom safari for very reasonable money in both countries and be on your own schedules, not that of a larger group.

doug_stallings

I think a river cruise might be a nice option, but I just would just reiterate that the cruise portion lasts only 4 nights (less than half the trip) and includes trips ashore in safari vehicles. I think the crucial question is whether or not you are able to do that. If not, then I think a safari may not be the best idea for you. One option might be to choose an operator who caters to the needs of older travelers. A LOT of people who take safaris are older, so this is not uncommon. The other thing you should consider is the need for malaria prophylactics. If you can't take those, then a safari within one of the malaria-free zones in South Africa might be better for you. There are many options in the Eastern Cape in private game reserves (Kruger, South Africa's premier national park, is not in a malaria-free zone). But Chobe is a great park and offers a wide variety of wildlife, so it makes a good first-time safari destination.

sundowner

Walking to meals is the most strenuous part of a safari. Well, maybe walking to where the vehicle is parked could be a little farther.

I wouldn't give up a traditional safari to do a river cruise. Go to Kenya. The Mara. And have the trip of a lifetime. (I must have a dozen lives .)

ekscrunchy

Absolutely--the most strenuous part is walking to meals! And why go on a tour, anyway. Use a private safari planner; you will be taken in hand from the minute you leave the plane until the minute you get on again to go home. It's not like an independent trip to Europe where going without a tour means going around yourselves. Very different. For a combo of luxury plus adventure and enchantment, there is nothing that comes close to a mid- or high-end safari trip.

rncheryl

What great hints!

I have started working with a couple of safari/trip planners (just introductory emails now). Will see how it goes.

I read all of Laurieco's fabulous trip report and a couple of things concern me.
1. The long flight. DH did not do well on the flight to Australia. But I realize we need to get to Africa to see Africa.
2. The heat. Though we live in South Florida, neither one of us does well with prolonged heat exposure.
3. The bouncing/jarring ride in the safari vehicles; DH has chronic back issues and a bad exacerbation could be catastrophic.

No concerns about taking anti-Malaria meds. I would like to see CapeTown and environs and Victoria Falls, so am looking at tours centered in South Africa. Any specific comments on Kruger?

The adventure continues

laurieco

Thanks rncheryl! I’m glad you enjoyed my trip report. I’m hoping to finish it this weekend. The drives can be extremely rough, at least in Tanzania they were. Just hold on tight and take Dramamine. Believe me, it’s well worth it.

laurieco

Also, if you can upgrade to business class or premium economy, the flight won't be so bad. We used miles for biz class so if you have the miles, this would be a good time to use them. Otherwise, wear compression socks, and Ambien is your friend! The heat is not as bad as in south Florida. I know because my mother and brother and sister-in-law live in south Florida so I go there every 3 months or so. It's certainly not as humid as Florida. The only worse part is, you will be in a vehicle most of the time and there is no air conditioning. And when the vehicle is stopped, it can get very hot. You can plan your game drives to be in the early morning and late afternoon and evening so you're not out at the hottest time of the day, but sometimes it pays to be out in the middle of the day too. It's very doable though, and worth it. I can't wait to go on another safari!

amyb

Two points for you rncheryl....I’ve been to Miami twice and what killed me there wasn’t the heat but the humidity. It was ridiculous. In both Kenya and Tanzania, it’s been hot (80s) when I’m there, but very dry. So it doesn’t have that heavy oppressive atmosphere that sucks the life out of you. I can’t speak to Southern Africa, but know that there is a hot “suicide season” in October-November in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Not sure if that also applies in S. Africa.

If you want to cut down on the bumpy driving, do a fly-in safari in Kenya. Compared to Tanzania’s northern circuit, when there is a lot of driving between national parks, it’s just driving out looking for sightings at a leisurely pace and not nearly as bumpy as I found Tanzania. That said, it’s still a lot of just sitting in a vehicle.

I’m going to blissfully ignore the long flight question, as I’m about to take Kenya Airways’ new nonstop from JFK to Nairobi...15 hours. Gulp. It’s half the price of the routing through Europe though and gets me there mid-morning instead of late night, so it’s hard to refuse.

ekscrunchy

There was almost no heat to speak of on the 3 safari trips I've taken to SA and Botswana. You need to worry more about early morning cold if you go in high season. If you go in late September/October, it will e hot in mid day but if you are in a high end lodge you will have a/c in SA (not Botswana, probably, though, at least not where I've been in that country)

The top SA lodges are not IN Kruger Park but in the private reserves to the west of the park. Depending on your budget,
You can look at places like Londolozi which might be the best accommodatiion experience of my life and I have traveled a tremendous amount. These are very costly but there is no price on this type of experience in my opinion.

I would without a doubt forget the tours and book with a private safari planned based in Africa or at least FROM Africa. I have used Liesl Matthews five times now and she is fantastic..based in CapeTown but with an 800 number for US clients. Many people here have used her and I believe they were all very happy (I am thrilled) with her planning. Her company is SouthernDestinations.com, based in CapeTown.

The rand is very weak right now; you will not get much benefit from that if you are paying in dollars to a US tour company. You will do a lot better with an in country agent. I have yet to hear one good reason for anyone to take a tour to visit safari areas.

Personally, if you have to decide, I would skip the Falls entirely and spend more time on safari.

doug_stallings

You can also go in the winter when heat isn't an issue, so consider that. Kruger could be ideal because it has paved roads, even in some parts of the park, but I don't think you can avoid a bumpy ride in a safari vehicle. I can tell you that I've had a friend with back problems who had no trouble on a safari in South Africa and Zimbabwe (he just held onto the hand hold a the top of the vehicle to minimize bumps), but I can't promise you that you'll have so few issues or that this will work equally well for you.

The other thing you cannot avoid is the long flight. If that doesn't work for you, then I really think you should reconsider this trip. A 12+ hour flight is just unavoidable. You can't really even break it up into stages (a "stage" would be London and then 12 hours to Cape Town, or 10 or 11 hours to Dubai or Qatar and another 8 or 10 hours to Cape Town, actually add to your total flying time) because South Africa is really at the other end of the world. Flying business (or at least premium economy) might be a good idea to increase comfort and mitigate the issues.

diannelovestravel

My recommendation is that you consider South Africa for a number of reasons: exceptional game viewing, much easier access to quality healthcare, better extension options such as Cape Town and/or Victoria Falls, more permanent lodges and less camps with bucket showers/pump toilets if this is an issue for you, and lastly, a Rand that is still historically low so that you can maximize your dollar in comparison to other countries in Africa, such as Kenya and Tanzania that book in USD.

I would not worry about heat. The best game viewing would be between May and very early October which falls in their coolest time of year. Going in their winter lends itself well to game viewing since vegetation will be thinner which helps with tracking/spotting and also means fewer permanent water holes for animals to drink from. I have never had a client complain about the bumpiness of game drives nor the need for Draminine. Perhaps the excitement of what your game drive experience takes away a focus of a bumpy ride but I have never had an issue. I have just had some clients in their 70s return from their trips with no issues either. Only glowing reports of how fun it all is!

I would definitely recommend the private reserves than Kruger itself. The private reserves abut Kruger with a borderless fence so the animals move freely across the entire area. In the private reserves, you are allowed to go off-road, go on a game drive at night, and depart earlier in the AM than Kruger's gate that has strict entry and exit times. No off-road driving in Kruger so staying with an animal longer to track it and/or learn more about its behavior is not possible. Plus only those in the jeeps are staying in the reserves so there aren't locals driving around in their own cars, backpackers in buses etc. It is a more private experience. Jeeps are open air and not closed vehicles with pop up tops. Having said that, the lodges aren't all over the top expensive. There are still lodges to meet most budgets. You will also find in the private reserves that all your meals are included and many include your alcoholic beverages too! If you are particularly unsure of your level of adventure and need for amenities, then I would recommend South Africa.

A poster mentioned Londolozi which is one of my favorite lodges. It's definitely one of the most expensive lodges in Sabi but wow, what a great place to game drive and certainly their accommodation, food and service is divine.

As for the long flight, I would perhaps recommend that you consider a stopover at London or Paris to break the trip up. Many clients who hate long hauls opt for a full day tour or even stay a night or two. Not a bad idea to include in your adventure some more sights along the way! You could even see The Lion King in the West End of London as part of your trip! A great idea!

Happy to help!
Dianne

rncheryl

Dianne, thank you for your comments. Currently looking at the late August/early September time periods, Here is what has been proposed by one tour company.

4 nights at Kirkman’s Camp (Sabi Sands)

2 nights at Lanzerac Hotel & Spa (winelands)

3 nights at Victoria & Alfred Hotel (Capetown, base for day trips)

2 nights at Royal Livingstone Hotel & Spa( V. Falls)

I have asked to have an overnight at the Jo'burg airport on arrival to tame the jet lag beast, and will seriously consider an overnight in London as well. To compensate some costs, I have asked to decrease the Sabi Sands lodge to 3 nights. Also asked on price considerations for slightly less expensive lodging everywhere except on safari.

I really like the gent I am working with, Neil, of Jewel of Africa Safaris. He is obviously experienced and is very accommodating to my requests.

I had thought about doing Capetown first, followed by safari and falls. He was concerned about the extra costs in flights with this itinerary? (Much more expensive flight to Victoria Falls).

ekscrunchy

If you are on a budget, I would skip the Falls, and spend more time in CapeTown, or on safari. You can easily do the Winelands as a day trip; of course you will not see as much as you would with 2 overnights but you can surely see a couple of wineries and have lunch, and see the gorgeous scenery.
I am making those suggestions to emphasize the best parts and also to spend the money where you will get the best bang for your buck.

My sister hated the Royal Livingstone. It is very costly and she thought the service was bad. Also, going when you are, are you sure that the best viewing is on the Zambia side? i went in early October and we had to go to Zimbabwe to view the heavy flow.

diannelovestravel

If I were planning your trip, I would do Victoria Falls first (JNB - VFA) then Cape Town, then fly into SZK for your safari at Kirkmans, then fly from Skukuza to JNB for your departing flight.

If you want to spend some time in the wine region, I would rather see you stay in Franschhoek than Stellenbosch and I would stay within walking distance of the lovely town center and its main street of shops, galleries and restaurants. While you haven't disclosed a budget, judging by your other choices, I would look at Leeu House or Avondrood as better choices. If you wanted to say in Stellenbosch, I would look at Babylonstoren or Jordan, both are very special spots and worthy of a visit even if you don't stay there. Jordan has the most incredibly dining room (wall of glass) with an amazing view and I personally think their wines are some of the best in the region. Babylonstoren's gardens are a must to see. Totally incredible!

As for Victoria Falls, it does tend to be costly since it is quite touristy and books in USD. Historically, it draws interest for Cecil Rhodes and the famous bridge connecting Northern and Southern Africa. Architecturally, he was way ahead of his time. And from a nature standpoint, the Falls are one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World and depending upon the time of year, the views at different vantage points are spectacular.

I'm not sure if you have said what time of year you decided upon (?) but regardless, I recommend a stay on the Zimbabwe side (fly into VFA). The falls are always better from that view anyway. Of course, the best view is from a helicopter "Flight of the Angels"! There are many good choices for different budgets on the Zim side. Ilala is within walking distance of the Fall walk entry. Another option is Victoria Falls Safari Lodge where you can opt for a water hole facing room. My clients always rave about their stay at The Elephant Camp. It's a little more money but is fully inclusive with food, drink (even local brand alcohol) and many activities are included there with your stay, such as an Elephant Interaction with their resident herd, Zip Line Tree Canopy Tour, Sunset Cruise (if you stay 3 nights), lunch at Look Out Cafe which has great views of the gorge and all the thrill seekers doing their adrenalin activities. But the Falls aren't for everyone. Some prefer to spend more time on safari.

Happy to help
Dianne