Recommend me an African Safari - last week of July...
Discussion
My post from a very recent thread (linked below)...
We did Zambia and Botswana last year.
We stayed at the Royal Livingstone right on the banks of the Zambezi beside the Victoria Falls (amazing, to die for) http://www.suninternational.com/fallsresort/royal-... - which was rather nice. Hotel is in the falls national park, zebra, giraffe, and monkeys all resident in hotel grounds, hippos often to be seen from the decking over the Zambezi. Free access to the falls too.
From there we did Chobe National Park, http://wikitravel.org/en/Chobe_National_Park an hour or so's drive from the hotel, over the border in Botswana, and did a half day drive and a half day by boat on the river. Utterly amazing, saw the odd other jeep and boat, but never more than one at a time and typically no more than two or three times an hour max. The whole crossing the border 'thing' was a lot of fun too.
We also did a helicopter flight over the falls and a not-entirely-legal helicopter bush 'safari', chasing down giraffe.
We had a mad night out at The Pub and Grille in Livingstone, despite being told not to venture into town by many, and drank a huge amount of beer, met some great locals and didn't return to hotel until 3am. Which would typically be OK, just not when your pick up for a flight to Jo'burg was at 7.30...
Good times, wherever you go you will have memories you will never, ever, forget.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
We did Zambia and Botswana last year.
We stayed at the Royal Livingstone right on the banks of the Zambezi beside the Victoria Falls (amazing, to die for) http://www.suninternational.com/fallsresort/royal-... - which was rather nice. Hotel is in the falls national park, zebra, giraffe, and monkeys all resident in hotel grounds, hippos often to be seen from the decking over the Zambezi. Free access to the falls too.
From there we did Chobe National Park, http://wikitravel.org/en/Chobe_National_Park an hour or so's drive from the hotel, over the border in Botswana, and did a half day drive and a half day by boat on the river. Utterly amazing, saw the odd other jeep and boat, but never more than one at a time and typically no more than two or three times an hour max. The whole crossing the border 'thing' was a lot of fun too.
We also did a helicopter flight over the falls and a not-entirely-legal helicopter bush 'safari', chasing down giraffe.
We had a mad night out at The Pub and Grille in Livingstone, despite being told not to venture into town by many, and drank a huge amount of beer, met some great locals and didn't return to hotel until 3am. Which would typically be OK, just not when your pick up for a flight to Jo'burg was at 7.30...
Good times, wherever you go you will have memories you will never, ever, forget.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
We loved the northern circuit in Tanzania - could have missed Lake Manyara, but Serengeti and Ngorongoro could define the word 'epic' (before adverts took it and abused it).
Wasn't overly taken by Zanzibar though, not given the cost of a holiday vs what you got (actually thought Barbados was more sensible, if you look at holiday cost-vs-local incomes).
Do some googling as to:-
- where the great migration is in July (suspect Masai Mara). Decide if that's important or not - it's supposed to be a truly stunning spectacle, but you'll find yourself among crowds. We chose to avoid it and had a lovely, rather more private holiday as a result.
- where the wet/dry seasons are.
Tanzania / Kenya / S.Africa are the obvious 3 destinations, but there are others too. Depends how adventurous you are and whether the animals or the overall experience are the most important thing. (it'll be easier to see the "Big 5" in the more-travelled locations)
Wasn't overly taken by Zanzibar though, not given the cost of a holiday vs what you got (actually thought Barbados was more sensible, if you look at holiday cost-vs-local incomes).
Do some googling as to:-
- where the great migration is in July (suspect Masai Mara). Decide if that's important or not - it's supposed to be a truly stunning spectacle, but you'll find yourself among crowds. We chose to avoid it and had a lovely, rather more private holiday as a result.
- where the wet/dry seasons are.
Tanzania / Kenya / S.Africa are the obvious 3 destinations, but there are others too. Depends how adventurous you are and whether the animals or the overall experience are the most important thing. (it'll be easier to see the "Big 5" in the more-travelled locations)
I went to Tanzania a few years back and did a safari in the Ruaha National Park. It was fantastic!
As for a nice place to stay we were camping (it was a World Challenge expedition with school) so I couldn't give good recommendation for that. We did stay at the Riverside Campsite in Iringa which had some brilliant looking wooden buildings to stay in. They also did brilliant food, it was a nice site beside a river.
Regardless of where you go it's a great thing to do, I really do hope to go back some day.
Heres a few of my photos:
As for a nice place to stay we were camping (it was a World Challenge expedition with school) so I couldn't give good recommendation for that. We did stay at the Riverside Campsite in Iringa which had some brilliant looking wooden buildings to stay in. They also did brilliant food, it was a nice site beside a river.
Regardless of where you go it's a great thing to do, I really do hope to go back some day.
Heres a few of my photos:
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