Anyone do an African tour?

[BellBarbara]

We are just starting the research on this....looking to do a 2ish week tour including safaris. Tour companies you would recommend, not recommend?

My husband lived a few years in South Africa, but that was 40 years ago, so we definitely want to use a tour company.

Thanks!

 

[Souschef]

I used Micato Safaris and was very pleased with them

 

[Big_Hitter]

subscribed - DW wants to go visit her sister in Zambia (no, I'm not going)

 

[brett]

A few years ago we did a tour with Wild Wings Safari. We flew into J'burg and did a tour inside Kruger. The first few days there were six of us on the tour. On the second, just us. After that, through Wild Wings, we arranged travel to Zambia, Victoria Falls etc. This is a South African company. No fancy lodges in Kruger. We were very happy with the trip. We saw so much.

After Victoria Falls we flew to Port Elizabeth, rented a car for two weeks, and ended up in Cape Town.

We want to go back....and would definitely deal with Wild Wings again. South Africa is a wonderful country. It pains us to see the turmoil that that they have been going through over the past few years.

 

[travelover]

In 1996, I did a 3 week tour though National Wildlife which I believe they had subcontracted through International Expeditions, in Kenya and Tanzania. It involved many long hours packed in a van with a half dozen other people driving down dirt roads at little more than a crawl. We saw a lot of great wildlife, but if I was to do it again, I'd pay extra to fly between featured locations.

 

[Nemo2]

I'd pay extra to fly between featured locations.

Since the OP is contemplating a 2 week time frame, I'd suggest that using bush planes is essential, or at least highly desirable, (late wife & I were in Tanzania in 1988...due to fairly heavy rains the landing strip in the Selous, down by the Rufiji River, was washed out, so we had to drive from Dar....fun, but a short flight would have been eminently preferable).

Last African trip, to Botswana in 2010, DW & I flew from bush camp to bush camp......superb!

 

[travelover]

Since the OP is contemplating a 2 week time frame, I'd suggest that using bush planes is essential, or at least highly desirable, ...........

Yes, agree, but the added cost will get your attention.

 

[cbo111]

I did 6 days on safari in Tanzania and Kenya a few years ago. Awesome experience but near the end I grew a little weary from the dusty, bumpy dirt roads. As I recall, we were in the vehicle about 7 hours a day. I do not recall the tour group we used.

 

[Nemo2]

Yes, agree, but the added cost will get your attention.

Definitely. It may be that the OP's research would be well served by initially determining how much is viable in a 2 week (or so) visit..........(I recall, but not in any great detail, another thread a while back where a poster winnowed down a proposed extensive European trip into something more manageable.)

 

[savory]

Lived in RSA and toured many nearby countries from 2006-2008. We did all the touring on our own but I thought I would share some experiences. Great places to see and fun things include Ngorongoro Crater (best animal viewing safari), Great Ape Safari in Rwanda or Uganda (need to be healthy enough to make the walk but amazing to be the Great Apes in their environment), Zanzibar (a unique wonderful place), Capetown (for fun, museums and obviously Robbin Island), Vic Falls, Apartheid history in Jo'Burg (plus other sites), hluhluwe park in RSA is an alternative to Krueger (having said that Krueger was good), and if you could find a way to visit a more traditionally village in RSA, I think you would find that interesting.

I know this is more than two weeks. But, I hope this gives you some ideas. We loved RSA and people there. And, the neighboring countries were terrific too.

 

[Travelwanted]

I travelled to Jo-berg and Zimbabwe last August.

Absolutely amazing experience. We spent a couple nights in Jo-berg to acclimate to the time change and see the Mandela museum.

Then we flew into the bush. Spent about 10 nights in 2 different camps. Best vacation of my life...by far.

The trip was organized by a friend who specializes in African travel - her name is Julie and i'll include a link to her site. PM if you want more detailed info.

Eyes On You Safaris

camp #1: http://chilogorge.com/
camp #2: http://singita.com/lodge/singita-pamushana-lodge/

 

[BellBarbara]

thanks everyone. we decided to table the trip. with the election results and the likelihood of losing access to health insurance we are considering going back to work and cutting our travel budget in half.

 

[king smoothie]

thanks everyone. we decided to table the trip. with the election results and the likelihood of losing access to health insurance we are considering going back to work and cutting our travel budget in half.

Do you mean your retirement was entirely contingent on getting subsidized health insurance? With how often ACA comes up here I wonder how many others would be in the same boat.
That said, I think you are jumping the gun here.

 

[mpeirce]

Do you mean your retirement was entirely contingent on getting subsidized health insurance? With how often ACA comes up here I wonder how many others would be in the same boat.

I'd bet most folks here have multiple fall back plans ("reinforcements"). I know we do. Walking away from a successful career is such a big risk that most people check, and recheck (X4!) their plans before they make the leap. How else do you get to retire "early"?

That said, I think you are jumping the gun here.

Big time.

Maybe you are living on a financial razors edge, but many people just need to take a deep breath. Maybe a few deep breaths. Then put some distance between any life changing decisions and the overheated rhetoric of elections.

 

[travelover]

Do you mean your retirement was entirely contingent on getting subsidized health insurance? With how often ACA comes up here I wonder how many others would be in the same boat.
That said, I think you are jumping the gun here.

I didn't see where any subsidized health insurance was mentioned, just health insurance.

 

[brett]

IF you have a travel bucket list and the resources to accomplish items on the list in a travel fashion that you are comfortable with then my advice is get busy and do it while you have the health and the will to do it.

Don't make excuses. Find a way to make it happen. Africa was high on DW's list, not so much on mine. We went for a month, now it is high on my list for a return visit.

There are a number of ways to reduce the cost of a trip. Not all of the safari offering are $400-500 night fancy lodges. We found that the local TA's were pushing us this way. We went on the web and found alternatives with people based in RSA. For us it was much less expensive than dealing with a local TA. And we got, what we thought,was much better information.

 

[savory]

If you are confident and flexible, a trip to RSA and neighboring countries can be done inexpensively. Here are some thoughts:

1. Plan to stay at hostels
2. Hostels will have services for safaris and other sites
3. Car rental in RSA is fairly inexpensive.
4. Scheduling your own transportation - buses, trains, boats - can also be done if you are planning to go to other countries and not returning to your starting point.

Having lived in RSA, it was much easier to figure things out for traveling around there. But, we also visited Mozambique, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, & Tanzania in low cost, figure it out as you go, fashion.

Locals are more than willing to help. And, you will meet other people on your travels who will also provide advice.

I know the DIY, approach is not for everyone. It has worked well for us.

 

[Souschef]

IF you have a travel bucket list and the resources to accomplish items on the list in a travel fashion that you are comfortable with then my advice is get busy and do it while you have the health and the will to do it.

Don't make excuses. Find a way to make it happen. Africa was high on DW's list, not so much on mine. We went for a month, now it is high on my list for a return visit.

There are a number of ways to reduce the cost of a trip. Not all of the safari offering are $400-500 night fancy lodges. We found that the local TA's were pushing us this way. We went on the web and found alternatives with people based in RSA. For us it was much less expensive than dealing with a local TA. And we got, what we thought,was much better information.

I agree 100%! I have been active on both traumatic brain injury sites and on bereavement sites due to the injury and loss of my wife.
A recurrent thread on both these sites was -"We planned to do it after he retired but XXX happened and he/she/we were unable to do it."

 

[BellBarbara]

wow! a little harsh for a personal decision. we get no subsidy....not living close to the edge at all.

we have been retired for 5 years and have traveled plenty with about a 30k budget per year. we decided long before we retired that we would cut budget in years where we feel anxious...we will still do things like camping in our trailer, us/can roadtrips, etc.

i left this part off, but i am still recovering from a badly broken humerus which will remain a little vulnerable for up to a year. i would not want to be in africa and re-injure...

lastly, we were able to retire at 54 by being conservative when appropriate. we have 5 years until medicare, so will play it safe. this has worked for us so i don't see any reason to change course.

getting access to health insurance (and the resulting cobra period) may or may not be needed. i can't work now....

 

[Souschef]

i left this part off, but i am still recovering from a badly broken humerus which will remain a little vulnerable for up to a year. i would not want to be in Africa and re-injure...
getting access to health insurance (and the resulting cobra period) may or may not be needed. i can't work now....

I apologize if that seemed harsh- the part about the broken humerus puts an entirely different light on the subject. My late wife broke hers and had to have an open reduction with a steel plate and screws

Good decision! Getting bounced around on dirt roads in a safari vehicle is not a risk you should take

 

[BellBarbara]

I apologize if that seemed harsh- the part about the broken humerus puts an entirely different light on the subject. My late wife broke hers and had to have an open reduction with a steel plate and screws

Good decision! Getting bounced around on dirt roads in a safari vehicle is not a risk you should take

yes its a horrible injury. no surgery for me....yet. i am still in the period when the fracture can slip. really hope it doesn't.

we have a 11 day cruise in 4 weeks - did not buy insurance. will probably be the last time we skip the insurance.

i feel super humbled by the injury. i think my days of unbridled activities will slow down. i fell quite a distance while climbing on some granite rocks.

 

[BellBarbara]

also not a political statement, but it is reasonable to feel some uncertainty in the market, health insurance, etc. would feel wrong to us to pretend that 2017 will be the same as the last years (since economic recovery).

 

[Bamaman]

My sister and brother in law went on a camera safari where every 2 or 4 people went from bush camp to bush camp flying their own Cessna 210 plane. They had about 10 planes flying in formation.

They stayed in some incredibly plush tents and cabins. They were quite disappointed to see Victoria Falls with little water--the dry season.

But it sounds like a trip of a lifetime.

 

[BellBarbara]

i would not do a self tour as this would fall mostly on me for research and execution. dh is a wonderful man, but anything he might organize would be iffy. this is fine if in the us, not so much in africa.

when we went to spain he wanted to book the trains. turned out he did not go to the official website but clicked on something else - took a lot of effort to get the money back. he is not much for details.

some of the tour operators mentioned here would just be too expensive for us. we did find reasonably priced tours with good reviews from national geographic and lonely planet. will do more research when the time is right.

 

[BellBarbara]

we budget 15K per year for insurance. last year for the first time i had to pay about 5K out of pocket just for hyperthyroidism. we have about 20k in hsa but trying not to use it until something catastrophic happens. we are most concerned with the pre-existing issue - we would prob have to go into assigned pool to get no exclusions. so our fall back plan is to go back to work if we can't get what we need. just one of us.

happy to pay for it, just want no exclusions.