Discussion
A suggestion In the family for this year's holiday is a safari. Would like to combine a safari with some time somewhere nice doing nothing (beach probably). I'm too old and grumpy to do tents and stuff and Mrs V8 likes to be pampered (and is concerned about the stories one hears of things that can happen to tourists in some places). We are a family of 5; kids between 11 and 16 years old.
The tinterweb has lots of suggestions, and some frightening indications of typical prices, so over to you guys.
Any suggestions, experience, recommendations, watch-points, etc greatly welcomed.
Thanks
The tinterweb has lots of suggestions, and some frightening indications of typical prices, so over to you guys.
Any suggestions, experience, recommendations, watch-points, etc greatly welcomed.
Thanks
Where ever you decide to go won't be that cheap as safari = Africa = pricey flights.
If you can stretch to South Africa for the flights then I'd suggest a trip to Johannesburg, hire a car (something tall like a 2wd X Trail) and drive to Kruger; about 4 to 5 hrs easy driving and really enjoyable. Take a look at Malelane Sun Hotel which is right outside one of the main gates into southern Kruger. You can drive yourself around the park - we did for a week and saw everything except leopard. The hotel is right next to the river & you can sit by the bar and watch elephant and hippo come down for a drink in the evening! Prices for the hotel are a fraction of Lodge prices and you can still pay for a day or twos worth of game drives should you wish.
Barring the cost of flights I reckon this must be one of the cheapest way to 'do' a safari though you can get cheaper by renting a house outside Kruger and do the self catering thing. We did rent a house & drive ourselves but didn't find it as restful as a hotel.
You can then take a flight somewhere sunny - Cape town if you go Nov to Mar or Dubai / Egypt / Med Apr to Oct.
If you can stretch to South Africa for the flights then I'd suggest a trip to Johannesburg, hire a car (something tall like a 2wd X Trail) and drive to Kruger; about 4 to 5 hrs easy driving and really enjoyable. Take a look at Malelane Sun Hotel which is right outside one of the main gates into southern Kruger. You can drive yourself around the park - we did for a week and saw everything except leopard. The hotel is right next to the river & you can sit by the bar and watch elephant and hippo come down for a drink in the evening! Prices for the hotel are a fraction of Lodge prices and you can still pay for a day or twos worth of game drives should you wish.
Barring the cost of flights I reckon this must be one of the cheapest way to 'do' a safari though you can get cheaper by renting a house outside Kruger and do the self catering thing. We did rent a house & drive ourselves but didn't find it as restful as a hotel.
You can then take a flight somewhere sunny - Cape town if you go Nov to Mar or Dubai / Egypt / Med Apr to Oct.
pointedstarman said:
Where ever you decide to go won't be that cheap as safari = Africa = pricey flights.
Depending on where he's looking to stay, the flights will be the least of his worries. Hell, the best lodges make even top London hotels look cheap.OP: It is possible to go on safari with pretty much any budget but it might help people make suggestions if you have a ballpark price range that you're prepared to share?
Mara Intrepids is an excellent camp. Last time we went, we spent a week or so with friends in Diani, just outside Mombassa, and booked the Safari locally. It was a fraction of the price when compared with booking from over here. I also highly recommend a dawn balloon flight. I think we paid £100 / head to include a 2 hour flight, followed by a champagne breakfast in the middle of nowhere - absolutely breathtaking). Especially, as the balloon pilot landed it on the back of the recovery vehicle; truly stunning flying.
LooneyTunes said:
Depending on where he's looking to stay, the flights will be the least of his worries. Hell, the best lodges make even top London hotels look cheap.
OP: It is possible to go on safari with pretty much any budget but it might help people make suggestions if you have a ballpark price range that you're prepared to share?
Cheers. No fixed limited, although the "10k pp with economy flights" that I found is a bit OTT. Without flights, what is available for what?OP: It is possible to go on safari with pretty much any budget but it might help people make suggestions if you have a ballpark price range that you're prepared to share?
Have a look at this site, which should give you some ideas: http://www.tanzaniaodyssey.com/all-lodges---video-...
Personally I'd spend all of my budget on better safari lodges and skip the beach - the higher end lodges can offer a much nicer experience (e.g. own vehicle for your group, better food, less crowded reserves, etc).
Do speak to a decent travel agent though as getting the logistics to work can be quite complex.
Personally I'd spend all of my budget on better safari lodges and skip the beach - the higher end lodges can offer a much nicer experience (e.g. own vehicle for your group, better food, less crowded reserves, etc).
Do speak to a decent travel agent though as getting the logistics to work can be quite complex.
LooneyTunes said:
pointedstarman said:
Where ever you decide to go won't be that cheap as safari = Africa = pricey flights.
Depending on where he's looking to stay, the flights will be the least of his worries. Hell, the best lodges make even top London hotels look cheap.OP: It is possible to go on safari with pretty much any budget but it might help people make suggestions if you have a ballpark price range that you're prepared to share?
If you do decide on a lodge look at Tinga. We stayed there and they were brilliant and, for a good quality lodge, reasonably priced.
We have done this twice,so fully recommend it :- Fly with Emirates to Johannesburg with stop over in Dubai.Stay at ( sablelodge.co.za ) which is about 1.5hr drive from airport.Sable lodge is a private lodge on the Mabula game reserve and you will have the whole place to yourself and the use of your very own guide.All people staying at Sable can have the full use of all the facilities at the main Mabula complex,restaurant,bars,swimming pool,sports etc and it is only a few mins drive down a track.We found this much better and cheaper than a typical safari holiday we had in Kenya,"hotel" in the bush,mini bus with ten others for a game drive,so many vehicles it was like the M25!.When we went out at Sable Lodge it was just us and our guide in an open top 4x4 in the bush up close and personal with beautiful animals.Another idea for you?? spend a few days at the MontyCasino complex in Johannesburg,its massive and I`m sure the kids will love the place.Of course all this will cost you an arm and a leg but there is no way to get a family to Africa for a safari holiday on the cheep. 
It's possible to do the accomodation on a budget if you wish. A 2 bed bungalow at one of the Kruger rest camps (i.e. inside the park overnight) can be had for as little as £100 per night and access to the park is free (saving about £25 per day vs outside the park). Has to be said at this price it's very basic but youpays your money....
Take a look at Krugerpark.co.za - it provides details of accommodation from £100 per night up to over £500 pppn.
Take a look at Krugerpark.co.za - it provides details of accommodation from £100 per night up to over £500 pppn.
You could combine Tanzania with Zanzibar (KLM via Schipol probably best flights, logistically, although KLM aren't a 5* airline), or Kenya with their beach resorts (May well end up Kenyan Airways, or BA perhaps - neither any better).
But budget and safaris aren't words you tend to hear together without the word 'tent' somewhere in the sentence. Best bet would be to go on TripAdvisor, get a shortlist of local providers and go to them direct - UK middlemen tend to add a SUBSTANTIAL mark-up. You will be losing ABTA protection though, so getting references is critical...as is making sure you're happy with what they're offering.
...which means doing a LOT of research beforehand. Some good stuff on here (I've posted some stuff about TZ, and Fezant Pluckah has posted some safari info, and both our threads had a lot of good contributors helping us), but if you've the time to do the research, TA and Fodors forums are the best places.
Re: tents - "permanent camps" aren't really tents, they're mini-villas with canvas walls. Sometimes better than the proper hotels, too.
But budget and safaris aren't words you tend to hear together without the word 'tent' somewhere in the sentence. Best bet would be to go on TripAdvisor, get a shortlist of local providers and go to them direct - UK middlemen tend to add a SUBSTANTIAL mark-up. You will be losing ABTA protection though, so getting references is critical...as is making sure you're happy with what they're offering.
...which means doing a LOT of research beforehand. Some good stuff on here (I've posted some stuff about TZ, and Fezant Pluckah has posted some safari info, and both our threads had a lot of good contributors helping us), but if you've the time to do the research, TA and Fodors forums are the best places.
Re: tents - "permanent camps" aren't really tents, they're mini-villas with canvas walls. Sometimes better than the proper hotels, too.
We did South Africa.
Flew to Cape Town (12 hour overnight flight) and then immediately changed planes and flew to Port Elizabeth. We were picked up and transfered to the Shamwari Game Reserve.
Advantage of being this far south is no malaria. As you have young(ish) kids, anti-malarials are a bit of a pain to administer and my wife (a paediatrician) didn't want to do it.
Shamwari is great but you realise it is a bit "Disneyland" after a few days. It is clearly managed. The lodge we stayed in was very comfortable.
After five days of Safari, we drove along the garden route (very, very, pretty) with lots of stops and vineyards along the way. Ended up in Cape Town. Stayed at the Cape Grace rather than the trendier Camps Bay. Trouble with beaches around Cape Town is that the sea is freezing.
Probably a bit too bull-market to repeat but SA was stunningly cheap once we were there - meal for five in the 5* Cape Grace with one of the top wines was less than£20 a head.
Flew to Cape Town (12 hour overnight flight) and then immediately changed planes and flew to Port Elizabeth. We were picked up and transfered to the Shamwari Game Reserve.
Advantage of being this far south is no malaria. As you have young(ish) kids, anti-malarials are a bit of a pain to administer and my wife (a paediatrician) didn't want to do it.
Shamwari is great but you realise it is a bit "Disneyland" after a few days. It is clearly managed. The lodge we stayed in was very comfortable.
After five days of Safari, we drove along the garden route (very, very, pretty) with lots of stops and vineyards along the way. Ended up in Cape Town. Stayed at the Cape Grace rather than the trendier Camps Bay. Trouble with beaches around Cape Town is that the sea is freezing.
Probably a bit too bull-market to repeat but SA was stunningly cheap once we were there - meal for five in the 5* Cape Grace with one of the top wines was less than£20 a head.
About 3 years ago we (2 adults, 3 kids) did about 9 days in Kenya, staying in the Whitesands Hotel on the beach near Mombasa ("African" 5 star - but v.comfortable) flights with Kenya Airways (surprisingly good) for about £5k + spending money whilst we were there. We did a 2-day safari in the Tsavo East safari park with our own private jeep and guide, for about £5-600, booked independently. If I did it again, I would spend a bit more on the safari lodge we stayed in because the one we chose, whilst in a fantastic location, with pool and its own watering hole and hide , was in need of refurbishment, but otherwise it was great, and we saw 4 of the Big 5 (didn't see any rhino). The only time we saw a crowd of other safari vehicles was when a leopard was spotted, otherwise we were pretty much on our own.
It is well worth booking your own safari vehicle so you can decide your itinerary and spread out a bit in the jeep. A particular highlight for my kids was barrelling along dirt roads at 50mph with their heads stuck out of the observation roof; that, and being charged by an elephant.
We also did a great snorkelling trip with an outfit called Pilli Pippa, who operate off an Arab dhow near the Tanzanian border - well-run operation with great staff, good safety, nice food and plenty to see.
I would get yourself over to the Kenya forum on Tripadvisor where a friendly crowd can give you more info on current prices, recommendations, time of year to go, travel operators to use etc. You can spend an absolute fortune on a safari holiday and plenty of people will tell you such and such is the only place to go, and you absolutely must sleep in a tent with a chandelier etc, but there are plenty of lower-cost ways to do it, and ours was a fabulous experience.
It is well worth booking your own safari vehicle so you can decide your itinerary and spread out a bit in the jeep. A particular highlight for my kids was barrelling along dirt roads at 50mph with their heads stuck out of the observation roof; that, and being charged by an elephant.
We also did a great snorkelling trip with an outfit called Pilli Pippa, who operate off an Arab dhow near the Tanzanian border - well-run operation with great staff, good safety, nice food and plenty to see.
I would get yourself over to the Kenya forum on Tripadvisor where a friendly crowd can give you more info on current prices, recommendations, time of year to go, travel operators to use etc. You can spend an absolute fortune on a safari holiday and plenty of people will tell you such and such is the only place to go, and you absolutely must sleep in a tent with a chandelier etc, but there are plenty of lower-cost ways to do it, and ours was a fabulous experience.
From personal experience I would recommend Kenya but I think wherever you go you will have an amazing experience.
We stayed at the Sentido Neptune Palm Beach Resort in Ukunda which is just south of Mombasa. With its white sandy beaches and bath warm water (Indian ocean) it was amazing and I couldn’t recommend it enough. ( I am bias though as we went there on our honeymoon.)
For Safari we used a local guy which I had found using trip advisor before we went. Met up with him the day we got to our resort and booked our safari going to Voi Safari Lodge in tsavo east and Salt lick lodge in tsavo west. We had our own private driver and a jeep to ourselves for the 3 days we went. The company is JT Safaris and the website is www.julius-safaris.com and although it seems to good to be true due to all the reviews on trip advisor he really is genuine and cheaper than the tour operators.
To give you an idea what we paid the Honeymoon it’s self was roughly £2300 all inclusive for 15 nights and I think we paid about £700 for the safari so works out to about £1500 per person.
We did go at the start of June though which is the end of the rainy season but had 30 degree sunshine almost every day.
One thing I would be careful about is when booking the hotel and safari through a travel agent they tend to make you book out of your room whilst on safari (save themselves some money) and then book you back in when you get back.
We stayed at the Sentido Neptune Palm Beach Resort in Ukunda which is just south of Mombasa. With its white sandy beaches and bath warm water (Indian ocean) it was amazing and I couldn’t recommend it enough. ( I am bias though as we went there on our honeymoon.)
For Safari we used a local guy which I had found using trip advisor before we went. Met up with him the day we got to our resort and booked our safari going to Voi Safari Lodge in tsavo east and Salt lick lodge in tsavo west. We had our own private driver and a jeep to ourselves for the 3 days we went. The company is JT Safaris and the website is www.julius-safaris.com and although it seems to good to be true due to all the reviews on trip advisor he really is genuine and cheaper than the tour operators.
To give you an idea what we paid the Honeymoon it’s self was roughly £2300 all inclusive for 15 nights and I think we paid about £700 for the safari so works out to about £1500 per person.
We did go at the start of June though which is the end of the rainy season but had 30 degree sunshine almost every day.
One thing I would be careful about is when booking the hotel and safari through a travel agent they tend to make you book out of your room whilst on safari (save themselves some money) and then book you back in when you get back.
If malaria is an issue and you fancy South Africa you can also try Addo National Park. It's at the eastern end of the Garden Route and has, I believe, the largest population of elephants in SA and is the 3rd biggest park in SA so should give you a 'genuine' experience.
http://sanparks.org.za/parks/addo/
There's a good range of accommodation that isn't as expensive as you'd think.
http://sanparks.org.za/parks/addo/
There's a good range of accommodation that isn't as expensive as you'd think.
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