Southern Africa, here we come!
Dec 8th, 2003, 05:11 PM
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Southern Africa, here we come!
Couldn't stand it any longer. Bit the bullet and booked our flights on British Airways for our May 2004 trip:
BWI to London with a night staying over in London (arriving 8 something in the AM booked at Marriott London Chancery Court for the night free with points
and leaving 7:20PM the next evening) arriving in Cape Town about 8AM the next day. Hopefully I can earn miles although bought the tics through a consolidator. I'll ask when I call to get seat assignments. Including the taxes and stayover in London (which actually only cost about $50pp in taxes) those RT tickets cost us $2200 total, which seems to be a decent fare. Of course someone will probably run another special in March for a couple hundred less, but I think this is a decent fare. I always seem to remind people of their beloved Aunt Helen, so maybe we'll luck into an upgrade on one leg or another of the flight. But that sleepover in London gives me something sweet to look forward to if that doesn't happen.
Tomorrow I'll fax ccafrica authorization to charge my in-Africa flights as well as our Botswana safari. whew. I think I'll be gift wrapping mosquito repellent for my DH for Christmas.
We'll bookend the 6 night safari (Sandibe, Savute Safari Lodge, then Nxebega...2 nts each...a ccafrica "special" for $1586pp) with 3 nights in Cape Town and then 4 nts with a drive around the winelands, etc. Probably could have saved aobut $500 if we had done the whole Cape Town/winelands in consecutive days and ended with the safari (or vice versa) but I just liked the way this kind of a trip felt. I think it will be nicely paced and we'll enjoy each segment.
At the end, we'll fly back to Baltimore with "only" about a 5 hour layover at Heathrow, arriving home at 4:20PM on a Friday. Just in time for rush hour on the BW Parkway but that's not too bad. We'll have an entire weekend to recover before I have to head back to work.
BWI to London with a night staying over in London (arriving 8 something in the AM booked at Marriott London Chancery Court for the night free with points
and leaving 7:20PM the next evening) arriving in Cape Town about 8AM the next day. Hopefully I can earn miles although bought the tics through a consolidator. I'll ask when I call to get seat assignments. Including the taxes and stayover in London (which actually only cost about $50pp in taxes) those RT tickets cost us $2200 total, which seems to be a decent fare. Of course someone will probably run another special in March for a couple hundred less, but I think this is a decent fare. I always seem to remind people of their beloved Aunt Helen, so maybe we'll luck into an upgrade on one leg or another of the flight. But that sleepover in London gives me something sweet to look forward to if that doesn't happen. Tomorrow I'll fax ccafrica authorization to charge my in-Africa flights as well as our Botswana safari. whew. I think I'll be gift wrapping mosquito repellent for my DH for Christmas.
We'll bookend the 6 night safari (Sandibe, Savute Safari Lodge, then Nxebega...2 nts each...a ccafrica "special" for $1586pp) with 3 nights in Cape Town and then 4 nts with a drive around the winelands, etc. Probably could have saved aobut $500 if we had done the whole Cape Town/winelands in consecutive days and ended with the safari (or vice versa) but I just liked the way this kind of a trip felt. I think it will be nicely paced and we'll enjoy each segment.
At the end, we'll fly back to Baltimore with "only" about a 5 hour layover at Heathrow, arriving home at 4:20PM on a Friday. Just in time for rush hour on the BW Parkway
but that's not too bad. We'll have an entire weekend to recover before I have to head back to work.
Dec 9th, 2003, 10:37 AM
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Ever since we returned I've been eyeing that CCA package in SA! Although your trip still a while away I'll be eager to hear how you like the camps. We may be doing the same thing next fall (once I convince DH that we can do Europe on the cheap).
Am I reading your itinerary correctly? Is your trip for 16 days in total? You'll have an incredible time.
Am I reading your itinerary correctly? Is your trip for 16 days in total? You'll have an incredible time.
Dec 9th, 2003, 01:01 PM
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Yes -- 13 nights in Africa -- one in London and those others in the air 
I've been fortunate to work for the same company for nearly 25 years and get tons of leave. If I don't make myself take at least one long trip each year, I end up losing leave. And THAT's a dreadful thing to do.
I've been fortunate to work for the same company for nearly 25 years and get tons of leave. If I don't make myself take at least one long trip each year, I end up losing leave. And THAT's a dreadful thing to do.
Dec 17th, 2003, 03:26 PM
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eeeeeeee! I'm positively giddy. Got our airline tickets in the mail. Arranged for trip cancellation insurance, etc. What a cool Christmas present for us! eeeeeeeee! (and we're actually heading to San Diego and LA for Christmas, leaving this slushy, icey Northeastern US behind!)
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