Mohammed

Hi everyone and so sorry I could never get down to posting a detailed trip report yet. I have however processed my photos and posted to the web.

Just to very briefly summarize, we are a family of 4 and spent 15 nights in South Africa of which 7 nights were in Kruger NP, 3 nights along the stunning Panorama route, and 5 nights in magical Cape Town. Kruger and Panorama route was self driving in a rental car. In Cape town we had a fantastic private guide for two days - our very own Selwyn. Saw lots of wildlife, amazing landscapes, great food and wines, and above all met some really wonderful people in a vibrant country overflowing with what I like to call "the zen of living"!

Cost of holiday for 15 nights, includes luxury SUV car rental, domestic flights (JNB/NLP/CPT), all accomodations, extravagant food an wines, sight seeing, private guides, and incidental expenses was about US$ 7000 for our family of four. (this excludes international airfare and shopping)

Until I get down to writing a more detailed trip report please do enjoy the photos....

http://www.abidally.com/mp/South%20Africa%20Album/

divine54

mohammed
very nice pics!
congrats to your opportunity to photograph a puff adder and wild cat!

looking forward to your resport!

BTW
7000 for four for a good 2 weeks trip is very good value for money!

isabel25

Stunning photographs! I loved the vervet monkey and baby, the beautiful impala shots, the giraffe sillouette, the baboons drinking, the wild dogs, etc. etc. etc. And who knew that ground hornbills had such magnificent eyelashes?

So many of your photos have almost a painterly quality -- I love your cape buffalo photograph for that reason.

The Panorama Route looks fantastic. We'd decided against it, but after seeing your photographs I'm trying to figure out if we could squeeze in some time there.

Thanks so much for sharing!

SDtravelers

Mohammed, great pics and a beautiful family. It is wonderful to see a family travel and have so much fun! You must tell us all about it, where you stayed and car rental info. I am trying to talk my husband into going to S Africa in a few years to do a self drive, I have heard from people it is easy to do. My husband is a scaredy cat. Help me talk him into it
Looking forward to your report,
SD

thit_cho

Great photos, and you really saw a wide variety in Kruger. Its such an easy, affordable park, and one that I'd like to revisit. Thanks for sharing great sequence of photos.

Michael

cwn

Thanks, great pictures!!

I am so excited after seeing your pitures. We are doing the same areas in April 2009. Can't wait for your report.

Celia

Mohammed, your pictures say it all! They're super, and remind me so much of trips Jim and I have taken to SA over the years. Thanks so much for sharing them with us all.

Celia

net_warrior

Nice photos
Thanks for sharing

Dana_M

Wonderful photos Mohammed. Thanks for sharing.

PRLCH

Great pictures! What time of the year was your trip? And, which camps did you stay at in Kruger?

Mohammed

Thanks so much all for the kind comments. Especially I thanks all those Fodorites who gave me so much advice and sometimes very detailed information in the preceding months which enabled me to meticulously plan out my trip. It was invaluable information and I really appreciate that.

isabel - do try to fit in atleast a day to drive throught the panorama route, stopping by at the main sites. Especially the boat ride tour of the Blyde Dam is somethig spectacular, very different.

PRLCH - the camps we stayed in Kruger were Berg en Dal, Satara and Oliphants.

atravelynn

Thanks for the photos. Did you pay that pair of zebras to pose from several angles? Probably different zebras each time. You saw wild dogs and got some extreme closeups! I liked the sparring eles at the water's edge. Ground hornbill is a find. Not many of those in South Africa. The mother and baby vervet is a winning portrait.

There have been a few questions on taking families on your type of trip so your experience will be a helpful one.

annhig

Hi mohammed

lovely pics - thanks for posting.

Am i right in thinking that you stayed in the accommodation you can book through the sanparks site? what did you think of it?

how did you get from the panorama route to CPT?

looking forward to teh trip report proper,

regards, ann

zlaor

Fantastic photos and looks like you had a great time.
Now I have 5-7 years (until the kids are old enough) to convince the wife that we "need" to go.

ekscrunchy

Lovely photos..thanks!!

amolkarnik

Mohammed - Looks like you had some good game viewing.

The last picture - Bird of Paradise - Is it a flower called Bird of Paradise? Am I missing something?

ekscrunchy

Yes, the flower is Streilitzia Regina (I think) which is known as bird of paradise for its resemblance to the actual bird.

Mohammed

"annhig", yes the kruger accomodation was Sanparks and can be booked throgh their website at http://www.sanparks.com. You really need to book well in advance to get the best located rooms/bungalows. After circuiting the Panorama route we ended up in White River whih is very cloe to Nelspruit and took a direct flight from KMIA airport to Cape Town. KMIA airport is located 10 mins drive from White River. very easy peasy!

CarlaM

Great photos, great trip and great price! You did well!
Thanks for sharing &lt

Kathie

Thank you for sharing these wonderful photos, Mohammed! I look forward to your trip report.