My BF and travelled to SA/Botswana last year and we loved it so much that we are beginning plans to go back with our three teens (15,16,17) in July 2009. We wanted to definately include Capetown, Atleast one full day in J'burg, and two camps in Kruger. Our TA has strongly suggested including Botswana to add to the experience for our teens. We are uncertain if we want to increase our stay and expense. Any suggestions?

Hi GDKSS

Have no idea who or what a BF is, but in regards to your question I shall attempt a response.

I do not know what information you gave the agent. But you seem to have a reasonably clear idea of what you want to do and to add onto that a stay in Botswana of any length for 5 adults with airfares would be quite expensive. It seems you wish to spend some time in Capetown and Johannesburg and a couple of camps in Kruger, so if that is what your budget is and the amount of time you wish to spend timewise, then it does not really matter what your travel agent suggests, strongly or otherwise!

Only you can decide if you can afford the extra time and expense, maybe get an idea of what the travel agent is suggesting, but it will not be cheap when paying for 5 adults.

Kind regards

Kaye

I believe BF is a best friend. I love Botswana but unless the extra expense of taking your kids there is no big deal, I would concentrate on South Africa.

If you did choose Botswana, I'd definitely include some water activities in the delta, maybe 2 nights. To keep costs in check, perhaps the remaining 3 at Chobe Game Lodge with a couple of wildlife cruises on the Chobe River. There are loads of activities you can do from there, including village visits and a day trip to Vic Falls.

But if you want lots of activities and cultural elements, you can include a township visit near Cape Town and the cheetah conservation area not far from Durban that includes Phinda lodges. Activities at Phinda include rhino tracking on foot (check ages), canoeing, walking, visits to local homesteads, aerial safaris, tracking collared leopards, etc.

No matter where you end up, you have 3 lucky teens between you.

Hi GDKSS,

of course I have not met your teens, but having travelled reasonably extensively with mine [now 20 and 17 and STILL holidaying with us so we must be doing something right, if only paying for them!] I've got a few ideas about what makes a successful trip.

1. involve them in the planning. what do the kids want to do? i started our planning by thinking about a 10 day safari in wast africa, and we ended with a 12 day trip to SA, with just 3 days Safari. it was their choice to do a variety of activities, and they were dead right.

2.don't bank on everyone being rivetted by watching animals all the time. we came across one family in SA where the girls, aged 15 & 13 were obviously having the worst time. they would have killed to be in Paris or Rome.

3.What does Botswana offer that the other places don't? are those things that your party is going to be interested in? is that justified by the extra expense?

4. as you are travelling in July,when you are in SA you have the opportunity to see whales - hermanus is a good spot, just to watch from the shore or go on a boat trip.

5. my kids really liked visiting the penguins at Simonstown, going up Table Mountain, bird-spotting at Kirstenbosch, and the trip to the cape of good hope. to make the most of that area, you need at least 3 full days, 4 or 5 would be better.

6.after that, we did the garden route - a flower safari at grootbos, whale-watching, and [in the case of our son], trying out the world's highest bungy jump at Bloukrans. the kids loved these different activities, but even if they hadn't, the next day we were doing something different.

7.we ended with 3 days of safari - 1 night at schotia which the kids loved for its informal atmosphere and electricity-free lodgings, and shamwari, which was a bit too luxurious for us. [never thought i'd find myself writing that sentence]. for us that was quite enough.

my main message - don't bank on the kids wanting to spend your whole trip watching animals from a landrover; if they do enjoy it, then you can always come back.

regards, ann

All your responses truly helped. I think we will stick to our original ideas and get some input from our teens as well. As for BF, I'm not very current on the correct abbreviations, it stands for Boyfriend. Thanks Again all!

I know BFF is best friends forever so minus an F, I concluded best friend. The boyfriend is lucky, along with the teens, to be heading to Africa.