Patty

Rocco doesn't need more temptation What are the new developments in Shaba?

bwanamitch

Patty,

I had to search for it... here it is:
Joy's Camp

See the newsletter at Cheli & Peacock:
http://www.chelipeacock.com/newsletter.htm

Mitch

afrigalah

That's interesting news. Cheli's a good operator. The camp will be a bit big for my taste, though. That does seem to be the trend, and I was disappointed when Linyanti Explorations added two tents to Selinda even though I love the place. It's pleasing that they've kept Zibalianja down to three tents, and just as pleasing that they kept Motswiri to three when changing over from hunting to photographic.

Nyamera

I was in Samburu for 4 nights in mid June and I’m sorry to say there were some crowds. One time 7 vehicles were watching two cheetahs eating an impala – something I didn’t experience when I was in the Mara in June 2003, it was almost empty – and definitely not in Tsavo last year. On the other hand, on some game drives there where almost no vehicles at all and, as said, the elephants are amazing and Samburu is extremely beautiful. It’s not that difficult to see leopards and I even saw a pack of 7 wild dogs!

Yes, you have to pay separate fees for Samburu and Buffalo Springs. I bought one ticket for Buffalo Springs at the airstrip and three tickets for Samburu at the other side of the bridge.

atravelynn

mnt10018

Another consideration is price. With a mobile experience, you may have equalized the pricing, but Botswana is pricier than Kenya, as a rule.

If you think you would travel again to Africa, you might want to do Kenya this trip since you will be there at a perfect time for the migration. Another trip may not hit the migration so well.

With a mobile tented experience, you would avoid crowds, which are much less to begin with in Botswana. However Little Governor's is in an area of the Mara that is less populated than the southern part.

Amboseli, Samburu, and the Mara offer a nice contrast of geographic areas and even animal species. I'd be interested in how that compares with the locations you'd be visiting in Botswana.

Is the wildlife similar? Parts of Botswana have offered the most diverse and interesting savanna wildlife I've seen in Africa. The Mara is a very close second and also has the migration going on when you'd be there, which cannot be duplicated in Southern Africa.

Samburu has some species unique to that region that are not found in Botswana or
more southern regions of Kenya. These include the Grevy Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Somali Ostrich, and Gerenuk.

There are some antelope that you'll find in Botswana that are not seen in Kenya, such as the Kudu.

Never stayed at Intrepids but have stayed at Little Governor's. There was an elephant at the buffet for several of our lunches and warthogs roaming about camp much of the time.

The camp overlooks a lagoon that was frequented by elephants and antelope.

You cross a small river by boat to get to the camp. It was delightful.

Back to your original question, whichever trip you choose, at the end you'll probably declare, "This was certainly the right decision."

sandi

atravelynn -

FYI - We saw lots of Kudu in Kenya. Up north in the Laikipia are, but not down south in the Mara.

atravelynn

So that's where the Kudu are hiding!