twins77

Looking for some feedback on a trip for family of four this June to either East Africa or South Africa. Trying to decide which will be a better fit. I have researched Tanzania, Kenya and much of the East. Finding that there are closed vehicles in the large parks. I am reading a lot of comments on mosquitoes and tsi tsi flies and have had several proposals from different companies. Some say East June is not a good time of year high grass hard to see the animals others say its wonderful. Not sure we want spend 12 days in a vehicle though we want to see wildlife! We have about 15-17 days and I did consider incorporating both areas. Botswana looks amazing quite remote and it has the land and water option. I am not sure there is enough abundance of wildlife I hear it can be scarce at times. I have had one person tell me June is the worst time to travel to East Africa and we will not see any of the migration at all.
Botswana and Vic Falls and Capetown with Mozambique is another option or East - Tanzania areas ending in Zanzibar or possibly with a Gorilla trek. We are a family of four twin 19.5 year old twin boys. I welcome any suggestions on which area they might enjoy more. I really do not think we can go wrong after my research both seem amazing, just having a hard time deciding. Thank you for any help and or recommendations of the best go to person. I have spoken to many companies from A&K to Thomson to Micato and cannot seem to decide which or who is the best fit. Thanks in advance.

christabir

“I hear it can be scarce at times” referring to Botswana wildlife. Where on earth did you hear that?! No, there might not be the open savannah with herds of antelope or a migration but there is plenty of wildlife. June is high or the end of shoulder season in Botswana - good time to visit.

My biggest problems with Botswana are the outrageous cost and the lack of rhinos. Footsteps in Africa has a few good more affordable options and combine with 3 nights in Kruger for the rhinos and different ecosystem. You could also arrange a mobile safari for a wonderful experience at a more reasonable cost. No, no camping required and are fully serviced. Availability at this late date (I know! It’s 7 months away but they sell out early) might be difficult. Many/most Botswana lodges require using an agent so if you decide on a camp or lodge co you want to use, contact them for recommendations.

Instead of Mozambique, you could easily visit the S Africa KwaZulu Natal coast. So much to do and the Indian Ocean is beautiful. Mountains, excellent public and private game reserves, beaches, great golf, the fun in St Lucia and Oribi Gorge, diving at Aliwal Shoals and Sodwana Bay, San Art and beauty of Giants Castle.... It’s my favorite area of S Africa. Keep in mind June is winter so it might be a bit cold but KZN is the warmest area during that time. Just fly to Durban for easy access. Rocktail and Thonga are two popular exclusive lodges on the beach in the gorgeous iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

plambers

Hi. We did our first family safari with teens last June for 2 weeks in Kenya. We loved it so much we are returning next year.

We were there the last 2 weeks of June. Weather was perfect-cool in the mornings and then shorts and t shirts on by noon. One day we had an hour of rain-other than that sunny blue skies.

Migration started a bit early but since we were always in private conservancies, we chose not to go into the main reserve.

I would suggest you reach out to a private safari planner rather than Micato et al. Prices are similar and you will have a more intimate experience. We stayed in tented camps for 2 out of 3 of our lodgings and treasured the experience.

Vehicles and guide quality should be of utmost importance.

Botswana is very expensive btw.

Happy planning.

traveler318

Not an expert, but have been to Tanzania twice 2008 and 2016) and South Africa/Botswana twice (2012 and this year). All were great, but I buck the general wisdom here and think Tanzania is the best bet for you. Yes, there can be crowds, but the herds you see are much larger, the landscape is the quintessential "out of Africa" savannah, and you can book a private vehicle guided safari for just the four of you for less money than shared vehicles cost in Botswana. You can do one light aircraft flight or none, depending upon your timing, and see varied landscapes including Ngorongoro Crater. June is a little dicey regarding reliably seeing the migration, however. I've been in July and February.

I also advise you to steer away from the big agencies like Micato and A&K and book with a smaller company. The itineraries from these companies often use the larger lodges, and with a smaller company, you can use more tented camps. I've traveled with Africa Dream Safaris (California) twice, but also got good proposals and pricing from Acces2Tanzania (midwest somewhere, have forgotten) and The Africa Adventure Company (Florida).

We added gorilla tracking to our 2016 trip and that was indescribable.

Best of luck.

plambers

fyi, there are certain places like kicheche camps that will give you a private vehicle for parties of 4 or more. that is a great value as a pv costs $330 a day!

gpotvin

We have found the following to be helpful: http://www.africa-adventure.com/best-time-to-go.html It shows the best times for much of Africa in regard to game viewing.

gpotvin

If you decide to go to East Africa I would suggest using Susan Wood at http://www.awaytoafricasafaris.com/about_us.php. We used her in 2010 and we're pleased with every aspect of our safari. She is in New Hampshire, which makes communicating easy. We used Roy Safaris. We have referred two couples on separate trips and both couples reported great satisfaction with Susan and their trips.

twins77

Thank you all so much. I am researching all of your amazing suggestions. I welcome any other info anyone can share. I am looking at some private concessions though I had one company tell me yesterday they are not usually in the best game viewing areas? Each tour company large or small has a different opinion. I do know one thing we would like a private vehicle, yes Botswana is the highest priced.
I am torn on the Gorilla trek. I have inquire about it and permits can range $$$$ it looks like an unbelievable experience. Those that included was it before your safari began? I have heard one can trek for up to 10 hours a day.
East or South both of these destinations seem to just be absolutely amazing and places I will want to revisit and I have not even gotten there yet. That is always a sign of a good trip in the making.

amyb

I used Access2Tanzania and their sister company Treks2Rwanda for both traditional safari and gorilla trekking, although on two different trips. If you were to do that together, they could arrange the logistics between countries. When I did the gorillas this year, we spent 5 days in Rwanda, then a travel day to get to the Maasai Mara in Kenya where we spent 6 days on safari.

For safari, I don't think you can beat the Mara in Kenya. Particularly in the conservancies where vehicle traffic is far less than the main Reserve. Olare Motorogi and Mara North conservancies are plush with cats. We saw 65 individual cats in 6 days this year! Some over and over again, they are quite easy to find. I'd also recommend time in Nairobi National Park, as it's the most accessible rhino sightings I've ever had. Within 15 minutes entering the park, I saw 12 and others are reporting similarly reliable sightings. It doesn't get better than that!

Hands down, gorilla trekking is the most incredible travel experience I've had, and I've been all over and done some pretty amazing things. You will seldom trek for 10 hours a day unless you have a very active gorilla group that is on the move while you're heading toward them. Our longest was about 90 minutes up, an hour with the gorillas and just over an hour down, the second day was shorter because it was flatter ground. They send trackers up ahead of you to find them and follow them and you head in that direction. But to be within arm's length of the silverback or have a baby walk right up to you and hold its arms up like it wants to be picked up (tempting!!!) is incredible. They do not know the rules of keeping distance, so you just stay put and let them walk around you!

Gardyloo

Have you ruled out South Africa? With 15-17 days you could include visits to several areas - safari in the north (Kruger area) or over by the Botswana border (Madikwe) or closer to the coast (KwaZulu Natal) - as well as areas like the Garden Route, Cape Town, winelands, etc.

You'd encounter a variety of weather conditions - probably dry and pleasantly cool in the north, warm on the Indian Ocean, possibly a bit cloudy, even rainy around Cape Town, but all of it's gorgeous, and the sheer variety will blow your mind.

You can rent a vehicle and drive yourselves - it's very economical, facilities and roads are excellent, there's a huge range of high-quality accommodations everywhere, and driving becomes part of the adventure.

I'd certainly expand your research to include this as a possibility.

plambers

we visited the laikpia region and mara for our first safari and are returning for 12 days purely in the mara next summer. we are doing all kicheche camps, but staying in 3 different private concessions.

as amybatt says, mara north is amazing. we saw so many lions and cheetah, and witnessed a cheetah kill. elephants everywhere, and we even saw wild dogs in the mara!!

we hardly ever saw another vehicle and the mara landcape is iconic and so lovely. the Kenyan people are wonderful too.

plambers

and if you do choose Kenya, you can book a private visit at the david sheldrick elephant orphanage. it will be just you and 25 or so baby orphaned elephants! you can pet them, play soccer with them and hug them and enjoy there awesomeness!!

KathBC

Plambers what is the cost for a private visit st DSWT?

amyb

KathBC, it was $550 when I did it in February. But that's for however many in your group, not per person.

plambers

KathyBC, it was $550. it it booked a year in advance!!

christabir

If they’re allowing the general public to play with the “baby orphaned elephants”, Sheldrick has lost their way. It’s an orphanage - but any wildlife that has hunan contact like that will never have the opportunity to be freed into the wild someday. Too bad, they used to do such great work.

CaliNurse

Hi Twins.

Are you and this company talking about the private conservancies around the Mara in Kenya? I'd be quite skeptical about the motivation for whomever told you this:

"I am looking at some private concessions though I had one company tell me yesterday they are not usually in the best game viewing areas?"

Au contraire,, game viewing was fantastic at the Olare Motorogi Conservancy where I stayed at a GW Lion camp (Kicheche Bush is also there) and I hope to get to Mara North Conservancy some day.

However, you can stay at a conservancy and also visit the Main reserve. It doesn't have to be one or the other. Should you stay in a conservancy, you should take the opportunity, included in most packages from companies like Gamewatchers, Kicheche, to drive into the main reserve. I believe this is standard during a three night conservancy stay: drive on safari one day into the neighboring main Masai Mara Reserve. Highly recommend this if you will be there in June. Although its timing is unpredictable, (usual occurs some time between June and August) you may see the amazing wildebeest migration, and if you're super-lucky, a Mara River crossing . The main river crossing points are not in the conservancies. And there is scenery in the main reserve you don't get in the conservancies.

FirstWTraveller

Another vote for Tanzania, the wildlife, the landscapes and the people were truly incredible. We traveled with Happy World Safaris and I highly recommend them. It was My first time to Africa and to mention it was a trip of a lifetime

Next year I am planning for Botswana and I am already in love with Africa

amyb

Christabir, what a horribly ignorant and unfortunate judgment you share on this thread about Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. If you've not seen it yet, please watch this video about the 40 years of their work. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mwGErZMe8qw If you don't have time for that, and to educate those unfamiliar with the Sheldricks' work, I offer you this:

-- 200+ orphaned elephants have been hand-raised and reintegrated into the wild, and 25 wild-born elephants have been born to former orphans
-- three reintegration units are run outside of Nairobi where orphans "graduate" to be "stepped out" to freedom into Tsavo National Park
-- taking animals in beyond just elephants: kudu, giraffe, ostrich, rhinos have all benefitted from "rehabbing" with DSWT before returning to the wild
-- three light aircraft and two helicopters run anti-poaching patrols daily
-- a medical team travels all over Kenya and works with Kenya Wildlife Service to treat animals who have been injured by humans or other animals, from poisoned spears to snare injuries to attacks by other wildlife (most notably, Siena, the Marsh Pride lioness who was horrifically gored by a buffalo 3 years ago. Had she not been treated her young milk-dependent cubs would have died without her)
-- anti-snare patrols who scour the bush to find and remove snares
-- purchase of land for conservation and wildlife security (most recently in Meru where endangered rhinos will be protected in an rhino sanctuary they are establishing)
-- establishing new sources of water in drought-riddled areas

I've been blessed to visit Sheldricks twice and meet the keepers that take care of the 12 orphans I've fostered. These men sleep in stables with the babies who are prone to nightmares from losing their mothers and/or seeing them killed. They work 25 days straight, only seeing their families for 5 days a month, because consistency in care is critical to the orphans. When one of my fosters succumbed to a snare wound in March 2016 a month after I'd first seen him, I was so sad. Imagine though a year later when I saw the keeper who cared for him and I thanked him for all he did for Simotua, his eyes filled with tears and he was beside himself. "We can't save them all, but that one really hurt, we thought we had him over it". A year later.

Go ahead, tell me that they're not doing good work anymore.

I've asked Edwin, the head keeper in Nairobi, what I can do beyond give money. He said to me "talk about us, tell our story, tell the elephants' story, share your photos". That's why I've posted this. I cannot let a comment like christabir's lie like it's gospel. Watch the video, visit the orphanage if you get near Nairobi, the morning visit is only $5, the evening visit for foster parents is free. You don't need the private visit to see the good they've done and continue to do.

ekscrunchy

It is not true, as Christa writes, that you cannot see rhino in Botswana. We saw some just a few months ago, in Moremi.

Christa you might offer better advice if you realize that not all posters here have the same proccupation with saving money that you have. Some of us WANT so visit luxury camps, if not for the fancy wine list, for the great guiding, comfy accommodations, roomy vehicles often with few guests sharing, and a hundred other factors. What suits you is not necessariy going to suit me. If I want to spend money on luxury camps' I don't want to get creamed here for doing so.