Hi,
Again needing some help to organize a trip. You are so helpful. We are going to arrive at Johannesburg on the 3er. of January staying about 20 days.
Main interests are:
Animal Reserve
Sun City no more than two days just for curiosity.
Port Elizabeth, Durban, Garden route, and Cape Town where we have to take the plain to come back.
Transportation by rented car, plane or train???
I have read that Mala Mala is one of the best reserves but we are four and can not afford the rates $ 500 per person per day.
I suppose that there are other possibilities.
I will appreciate any suggestion. Thanks to all of you.

Elephant Plains in Sabi Sands has piqued my interest as a less expensive option. I have no personal experience and am planning my 1st South Africa trip, myself.

These posts are favorable to Elephant Plains:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34613648

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34647330

Also, last year in Botswana I met a lovely Canadian couple who own a travel agency and were on their 22nd Africa trip. They highly recommended Elephant Plains, saying "you don't have to spend huge sums to see great game."

Lynn,

With rack rates of R1760 pps (about $280) for a luxury suite at Elephant Plains, it is a tremendous value. Visitors to EP share a traversing area with Chitwa Chitwa and Simbambili, and all of the rangers from these lodges act in cooperation, making wildlife much easier to find.

Another excellent value in the Sabi Sand is Nkorho Bush Lodge:

www.nkorho.com

Nkorho is located within the sizeable Djuma concession of the Sabi Sand and from my experience at Vuyatela a couple years ago, I know that the Djuma rangers and the Nkorho rangers cooperate with each other, again making for a better gameviewing experience.

Nkorho has excellent rates at only R1450 pps (until August 31, 2006, but then only going up marginally to R1595 starting on Sept 01st 2006 until August 31st 2007).

The great thing about the Sabi Sand is that even the very moderately priced lodges such as Elephant Plains and Nkorho Bush Lodge are great looking lodges and wherever you are in the Sabi Sand, you are nearly guaranteed strong gameviewing.

Hi--just back from Simambili--Elephant Plains share the same traversing rights. Seemed to me that they were alongside us and enjoyed the same game-viweing oppurtunities. Ex. game BTW. Talked to two girls who were staying at E Plains and they seemed very happy with the lodge...

Haven't been to Elephant Plains but a friend raved about it and felt the game viewing was second to none.

Lynn: Aren't all Canadian couples lovely?

dlo,

Might you be half of such a couple? Now that you mention it, the ones I've met have all been lovely, indeed.