He he he, for that price I could come with you and be your guide :t:
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First safari trip to Africa - which country? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter katastrofa
- Start date
He he he, for that price I could come with you and be your guide :t:
Dave Williams
Well-known member
£8000 is a lot of money to most but it doesn't go too far when it comes to safari trips in many places. We were quoted that for a week in Botswana without air fares getting there.
We ended up taking a self drive trip to Namibia in January and I have a blog that might help you decide if it's for you.( link at the bottom of the page).
Certainly in Namibia's Etosha NP I see little point of having guided trip, in fact in lots of places the same thing applies , because your vehicle can't go off road. The only advantage is that guides are on the phone to each other when they spot animals I guess.
To me the big advantage is you can stop as long as you like and when you like if you have control. I wouldn't want to be in a group but that's my personal view.
The wet season is cheaper and better for birds but it also makes animals harder to find as they don't need to visit the water holes if there is an abundance of it.
I would also warn that it can be a cruel world and only the strongest survive. You might witness some distressful sights on your travels.
Ah just noticed that you don't drive as per Jos's post. You need to consider getting ba driver too then. Probably not as expensive as you think.
We ended up taking a self drive trip to Namibia in January and I have a blog that might help you decide if it's for you.( link at the bottom of the page).
Certainly in Namibia's Etosha NP I see little point of having guided trip, in fact in lots of places the same thing applies , because your vehicle can't go off road. The only advantage is that guides are on the phone to each other when they spot animals I guess.
To me the big advantage is you can stop as long as you like and when you like if you have control. I wouldn't want to be in a group but that's my personal view.
The wet season is cheaper and better for birds but it also makes animals harder to find as they don't need to visit the water holes if there is an abundance of it.
I would also warn that it can be a cruel world and only the strongest survive. You might witness some distressful sights on your travels.
Ah just noticed that you don't drive as per Jos's post. You need to consider getting ba driver too then. Probably not as expensive as you think.
kitefarrago
Well-known member
For your stated preferences I would second Josh's suggestion of Namibia. Spend some time in Etosha, where lions, elephants and giraffes are certainly present (although lions aren't always easy to find), and think about which other parts of the country you would like to see, then make sure you leave enough time to get out and walk (which is possible pretty much anywhere you're likely to stay apart from Etosha).
Botswana has become hugely expensive, and I think Kenya (and possibly Tanzanya) is headed the same way. This is a combination of fees for national parks plus safari camps charging prices that are quite breath-taking if you look at the costs per night (even if everything bar alcoholic drinks is usually included).
For walking within a national park, the usual recommendations are Luangwa in Zambia and Mana Pools in Zimbabwe. I haven't visited those places, but certainly while guides carry guns it is incredibly rare that an animal is injured, and as I understand it these incidents are investigated and could well result in the guide losing his or her license, so they have a very strong incentive not to do anything stupid. Judging by trip reports I have read these places do allow visitors to experience life `in the bush' in a way that's not possible in most other places.
Andrea
Botswana has become hugely expensive, and I think Kenya (and possibly Tanzanya) is headed the same way. This is a combination of fees for national parks plus safari camps charging prices that are quite breath-taking if you look at the costs per night (even if everything bar alcoholic drinks is usually included).
For walking within a national park, the usual recommendations are Luangwa in Zambia and Mana Pools in Zimbabwe. I haven't visited those places, but certainly while guides carry guns it is incredibly rare that an animal is injured, and as I understand it these incidents are investigated and could well result in the guide losing his or her license, so they have a very strong incentive not to do anything stupid. Judging by trip reports I have read these places do allow visitors to experience life `in the bush' in a way that's not possible in most other places.
Andrea
For a first time visit to Africa, I probably wouldn't recommend today's Zimbabwe, but Mana Pools is certainly magical - it is also one of the few major national parks with big predators where you are allowed to walk as you wish without guides - spent six months in and out of Mana Pools and it goes down as one of my favourite all-time places, wonderful memories of sitting against a termite mound with a pack of Wild Dogs under the adjacent tree, an elderly Lion that had somehow managed to kill a Crocodile, being 'rocked to sleep' by an Elephant using the open top truck I was sleeping in as a scratching post, etc.
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
We spent time in Etosha in 2010, nowhere near the number of animals of Kruger, didn't see a single cat or Hyena, just Elephants and Black Rhino at the viewing areas, perhaps we were just unlucky?
A
A
Several years ago we spent two weeks in this place: http://www.inyangalodge.com/
The last week, we were the only people there, so we got to completely set the tone. It looked like they were more frequently having hunting guests (for antilopes and the like) but the guide was very capable of finding birds as well, though I had to id some of them myself
We saw lots of elephants, giraffes, hippo's etc, but no Rhino and no leopard. Lions probably about 5, including the one that was just outside the fence behind our cabin one night.
The lodge is located in a private area just across the river from Kruger itself. The area around the lodge itself is fenced with a drinking hole just on the other side of the fence making observations easy. Walking inside that fence was free at any time. Walking outside they did not want you to do unless in company with the guide that carried a rifle. He did not use it, but it still felt like a good idea.
Day trips into the main Kruger was easy enough to arrange - we had only one included but decided to add one extra for a fee. The poaching unfortunately made Rhinos a hit or miss thing even inside the main Kruger park. This area was in the middle of Kruger, we did not get to north or south ends.
We had one afternoon trip to a place (some type of private reserve) where they had a huge area fenced in with animals including lions, rhinos, elephants, etc. but no fence around the living quarters. That had the advantage that there was a wild born cheetah which had been fostered up because of the mother was killed by a lion. This Cheetah was now adult, caught its own food, but still came to the central area to get petted by people. I still prefer the fence around the living quarters, but places without are also available.
This was a trip very different than most we make (we usually drive ourselves) but I think this could easily be done for the kind of money you are looking at, and with really good results.
We actually added three days by Victoria Falls (by an extra flight). This was a quite touristic area but I still enjoyed it.
Niels
The last week, we were the only people there, so we got to completely set the tone. It looked like they were more frequently having hunting guests (for antilopes and the like) but the guide was very capable of finding birds as well, though I had to id some of them myself
We saw lots of elephants, giraffes, hippo's etc, but no Rhino and no leopard. Lions probably about 5, including the one that was just outside the fence behind our cabin one night. The lodge is located in a private area just across the river from Kruger itself. The area around the lodge itself is fenced with a drinking hole just on the other side of the fence making observations easy. Walking inside that fence was free at any time. Walking outside they did not want you to do unless in company with the guide that carried a rifle. He did not use it, but it still felt like a good idea.
Day trips into the main Kruger was easy enough to arrange - we had only one included but decided to add one extra for a fee. The poaching unfortunately made Rhinos a hit or miss thing even inside the main Kruger park. This area was in the middle of Kruger, we did not get to north or south ends.
We had one afternoon trip to a place (some type of private reserve) where they had a huge area fenced in with animals including lions, rhinos, elephants, etc. but no fence around the living quarters. That had the advantage that there was a wild born cheetah which had been fostered up because of the mother was killed by a lion. This Cheetah was now adult, caught its own food, but still came to the central area to get petted by people. I still prefer the fence around the living quarters, but places without are also available.
This was a trip very different than most we make (we usually drive ourselves) but I think this could easily be done for the kind of money you are looking at, and with really good results.
We actually added three days by Victoria Falls (by an extra flight). This was a quite touristic area but I still enjoyed it.
Niels
How often do you meet hunters while going on a bloodless safari? I don't mind seeing a lion kill and eat a gazelle, but have a very strong aversion to humans shooting animals for fun.
david kelly
Drive-by Birder
I think you were unlucky, I spent a few days there in 1998 and saw plenty of lions and hyenas. Lots of other mammals too. I actually think we were quite unlucky not to see cheetahs but nothing is guaranteed when looking for wildlife.
David
Dave Williams
Well-known member
Took us 9 days before we saw our only big cats but it was worth the wait!
Attachments
To be clear: no hunters were present during our period there. I think if you choose exactly the same place you should make sure no hunters will be accepted during your period. However, another reason to give this description is that this was not the only place with similar service in the area (some less likely to accept hunters, I believe)
Niels
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
The poaching goes on in the more remote areas of the park. In the South, we were seeing small groups of Rhino all day every day with a max of over twenty on one day.
Attached is just one group of many in the Satara area.
A
Attachments
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Several years ago we spent two weeks in this place: http://www.inyangalodge.com/
The last week, we were the only people there, so we got to completely set the tone. It looked like they were more frequently having hunting guests (for antilopes and the like) but the guide was very capable of finding birds as well, though I had to id some of them myself
The lodge is located in a private area just across the river from Kruger itself. The area around the lodge itself is fenced with a drinking hole just on the other side of the fence making observations easy. Walking inside that fence was free at any time. Walking outside they did not want you to do unless in company with the guide that carried a rifle. He did not use it, but it still felt like a good idea.
Day trips into the main Kruger was easy enough to arrange - we had only one included but decided to add one extra for a fee. The poaching unfortunately made Rhinos a hit or miss thing even inside the main Kruger park. This area was in the middle of Kruger, we did not get to north or south ends.
We had one afternoon trip to a place (some type of private reserve) where they had a huge area fenced in with animals including lions, rhinos, elephants, etc. but no fence around the living quarters. That had the advantage that there was a wild born cheetah which had been fostered up because of the mother was killed by a lion. This Cheetah was now adult, caught its own food, but still came to the central area to get petted by people. I still prefer the fence around the living quarters, but places without are also available.
This was a trip very different than most we make (we usually drive ourselves) but I think this could easily be done for the kind of money you are looking at, and with really good results.
We actually added three days by Victoria Falls (by an extra flight). This was a quite touristic area but I still enjoyed it.
Niels
This is fine if that's what you want Niels but aren't they like miniature zoos where due to their relatively small size, you're guaranteed to see the animals which could almost be deemed captive?
I'd also take issue with a camp that basically buys animals to be shot but that' a personal thing?
A
What time of year?
Unfortunately not only in the more remote areas. Fortunately, due to effective action by the South African authorities, it is dropping compared to two years ago ...but still way too high. Saw a very active pursuit of poachers three weeks ago - in an area a little north of Satara, a helicopter zigzagging an area, a light plane circuiting and truckloads of troops hurtling in.
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
We were there in November, we saw next to nothing in Etosha.
We saw more just on the transit Road in Chobe as we passed through.
Re the poaching in Kruger, they have a board in many places, with running totals of poached animals but Rhinos and certainly Elephants, were in impressive numbers when we were there a couple of years ago. The amount of Elephants that are now in Kruger, I'm really surprised that there aren't more incidents, there really are some idiots that visit the parks. I shouted at one group of Asians, in nice summer clothes and sling back shoes for getting out of their car and approaching a Giraffe for a photo. When I shouted at them to warn of the Buffalo's and Rhinos we'd seen just a few hundred metres away, they looked really shocked and ran back to their car, they seemed to have no idea of the place that they were in!
We had one heard of Buffalo that held us up for half an hour as the crossed the road, many hundreds of them!
A
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Had the rains started?
If not, you were exceptionally unlucky - generally the period October-November (till rains) is excellent.
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
No rain.
We saw distant Zebra and the usual stuff, one herd of Elephants at a watering hole and a Jackal inside the compound as we watched a GS Cuckoo.
My wife was rushed to the medicle centre after stepping on a scorpion as we came back from the waterhhole at night so that was notable!
A
I must not have been very good at describing what the area was like. The majority of what we saw were truly wild animals, with that cheetah as the closest to a captive that I know we saw. The animals just outside the lodge we stayed in could have freely chosen to cross the river and been in the true Kruger park, they were not bought in or anything like that. I am not sure where the guests that might have come with shooting in mind did that -- as I said none were present during our time there.
The other place (called a private reserve): I do not know if they had any hunting, but they had a central area where people wanting to see wildlife came and stayed. We saw a couple of their lions but not all of them -- and the lions had young, so again not necessitating any to be brought in from elsewhere. The Antelopes we saw were about equally easy or difficult to approach as those living on the Kruger side of the river -- not excessively scared (as hunting could have led to) and also not excessively easy to approach (as captive bred animals would have been).
So to reiterate: it did not feel like we visited a Zoo (I have been in wildlife parks elsewhere so have a feeling I would know). I only wrote about our experience because this is one of the ways you can visit without having your own vehicle. I don't think you can go and stay in the camps inside Kruger unless you either rent a vehicle (in the OP's case with a driver) or you go with one of the organized tours which probably means more people around and higher cost.
Niels
Thanks for all answers, I've learned a lot about different aspects of going to safaris!
About poaching, what areas of Africa are least affected by poachers?
About poaching, what areas of Africa are least affected by poachers?
