I'm having withdrawls but at least now I have two trips confirmed with deposits paid for 2009 to look forward to.

First trip is a bit of a whirlwind in late August/early September:

Kenya
1 nt. Nairobi Serena
3 nt Mara Intrepids
1 nt Ngong House

Rwanda
2 nt Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge w/
2 gorilla treks
1 nt Kigali Serena

South Africa
1 nt Metcourt Laurel
Zambia -- Victoria Falls
2 nt Tongabezi

Botswana
4 nt Mapula Lodge

Second trip is focused on walking in October (yes I know its hot):

Zambia Bush Camp Company walking circuit in South Luangwa
1 nt Mfuwe Lodge
2 nt Bilimungwe Camp
2 nt Chindeni Camp
1 nt Chamilandu Camp
2 nt Sindabezi Island(Vic Falls)

Botswana
3 nt Mapula Lodge
3 nt Linyanti Bush Camp

I'm very excited for both trips.

Lucky you, PB! And lucky us, when we get to read your trip reports.

Hey, have you had a chance to watch the series "Long Way Down" with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman riding their motorcycles from Scotland to Cape Town? (it's just finishing up on the Fox Reality Channel and will be out on DVD in the U.S. this month) I thought of you during the Botswana episode because they stayed at Mapula Lodge and Doctor was their guide. I know you're a big fan of that lodge, so I thought I'd mention it.

Sounds great -- seems too early to book international airfare. I only have one Africa trip booked for 2009 (Gabon, plus Sao Tome, Nigeria and Cameroon in August), but I have one other trip that would fall within this thread (in May, to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon).

I've never done two safaris in one year, although I have done two trips to Africa in 2001 (Ghana and South Africa) and 2005 (Madagascar and Tunisia).

Sounds like you have two amazing trips planned.

When will you be in Rwanda? Might we cross paths? Aug 10, 11, 12, 13, 14?

What's a $15 surcharge when you've got these kinds of itineraries!

MDK: thanks for that, luckily another friend in the U.K. alreted me to Mapula on that series so I have it all on TiVo. I will try and give it a view soon.

Thit_Cho: It is too early still for the international air so I will need to wrangle that part together in the next couple months but the lodging is booked and confirmed. Wish I could squeeze in Gabon too but that will have to be a different year, I will be excited to hear of your experience though.

Lynn: very sorry to see I will miss you at the gorillas. Originally I looked at the middle of the month but ended up going later so my treks are on August 30 & 31. If I knew I could have had the super Lynn animal kharma I would have planned to coincide with your visit, at least you can prepare them for my arrival.

PB - I did exactly that same Bushcamp itinerary minus the Falls in late Sept. in 2004. One nice feature of those camps is that all 3 had some nice game viewing opportunities right from Camp as they were adjacent to water sources. Chendeni on an oxbow lagoon, Chamalundu on the Luangwa and Bilimungwe on a small water hole.