I was told of a safari package that included above ground lodging, with a see through floor positioned over a water hole that included infrared lighting so as to view wild life that visit the waterhole at night. Do you have any information about such accomodations?

Posted By patrice clement on November 16, 2010, 11:57 PM

My kids are 11 and I dream of taking them on safari sometime before they leave home. Are there specific ones for children? What is the best age to do this?

Posted By Theresa Izzillo on November 17, 2010, 1:08 PM

I hope you include by park what animals you most likely will see (and by time of year) and/or special attractions for each. I have been to many of the parks and after your 50th lion or your 10,000th Springbok, it is the secondary animals that really make a safari enjoyable.
Etosha- great price, great variance of animals and having a pool to swim in during the heat of the day is excellent.
Okavango- loved a game walk because you really were keen to your environment but did not see many species.
Ngorongoro- cannot beat all of the animals you see in less that a day.
Serengeti- Open plains make it so easy to see so many animals at once but the variance of animals is much smaller.

Posted By Steve on November 18, 2010, 9:51 AM

We're planning a trip to Kruger in South Africa in January -- doing a self-drive and staying in public camps the first few days, then trying a safari lodge for two days at the end of the trip. I got sticker shock, though, when checking lodge prices. What are the main differences between the lower-priced camps (such as Shindzela and GomoGomo, around $450-$600/day) and the luxury lodges ($800-$1000+/day)? If my main criteria are comfortable tents and great game drives, is it worth the money to book a higher-priced lodge?

I purchased Frommer's South Africa book hoping to get advice on good-value accommodations. The author, though, has an almost-exclusive focus on 5-star hotels and lodges and offers a very brief writeup on safari camps for those on a tighter budget than hers. Very disappointing.

Posted By Karen Walker on November 18, 2010, 10:32 AM

I'd like to get some advice about the need for medications to prevent malaria. I've taken malaria pills in the past and didn't enjoy the side effects. How great is the risk in south and central Kruger Park? Can I skip the pills if I'm careful about wearing long sleeves and using repellent? Any recommendations for a good mosquito repellent (to be purchased in the US or in South Africa) would also be appreciated.

Posted By Mike on November 18, 2010, 10:40 AM

Pretty much all the questions in the opener above, but,in anticipation of a 25th anniversary trip:

What would be areas/countries least impacted by the the 'green' aka 'wet' season?

Which destinations offer the most scenery and animal sightings for the money?

What are the big mistakes commonly made by first-timers that I should be sure to avoid?

Posted By Ilana on November 18, 2010, 11:02 AM

Pretty much all the questions in the opener above, but,in anticipation of a 25th anniversary trip:

What would be areas/countries least impacted by the the 'green' aka 'wet' season?

Which destinations offer the most scenery and animal sightings for the money?

What are the big mistakes commonly made by first-timers that I should be sure to avoid?

Posted By Ilana on November 18, 2010, 11:03 AM

All of the possible questions you mentioned are those I would like answered as we consider a possible photo safari.

Posted By Nessa on November 18, 2010, 1:09 PM

My question: Where were you when I was planning the trip I took last June?
Seriously though, two things I think would help people...
1-give them the real dope on the safari colored clothes. I spent a small fortune outfitting all 5 of us in khaki, when for our visit in June (Africa's winter) all we needed was a khaki jacket because everything else was covered all day! In fact one guy we met who had been on safari 5 times and seen everything out there, looked like a lilac breasted roller in a bugaboo ski jacket!
2-address the idea that if you work with a really good Africa specialist travel agent(they have to have actually gone there many times themselves!)that they can put together a custom itinerary for you for no more(but not any less;-)than going on a gruop tour with a major tour operator.
Look forward to seeing the article...maybe I'll glean some tips for my next trip!

Posted By Kathy on November 18, 2010, 2:20 PM

Please honestly address where you'll feel like one of the masses - which parks are so popular that as soon as you sight an animal, the guides are contacting each other and you're in the midst of traffic jam.

Posted By Sheila on November 18, 2010, 3:20 PM

Just returned from 15 day safari in Kenya and Tanzania.

Please include something about local outfitters being "o.k." Most U.S. based safari companies use the local providers anyway. The guides often work for several companies.

We arranged a private safari using all the same parks, lodges/tented camps, vehicles, (and as we found out--guides) for half to two-thirds the cost of the BIG names. In fact, the private tour turned out to be really no more for two weeks than the posted cost for a "small group" safari. And, having 2 versus 7 in the same size vehicle was much more comfortable.

Our only "leap of faith" was the bank/money transfer. But after reading many, many responses from Europeans, we felt this was an acceptable practice. The 3-5% cost for using a credit card IS there whether it is added on as a fee or melded into the total safari price.

A suggestion, even if you are using automobile transportation for the rest of the safari, forego the car from any Tanzanian park via Arusha back to Nairobi. Take a plane. What looks like a couple of hours drive is really a 12 hour experience due to bad, bad roads, a border crossing, and road construction delays.

The balloon ride IS worth the expense, especially if you've never taken one before.

And finally, we preferred the National Parks over the private reserves. They seemed fake to us.

As for the people who might consider "driving themselves." Why? Without the driver/guide we would have missed sooooo many animals. They're the experts and know where to spot animals in the bush.

Posted By Jerie Morrison on November 18, 2010, 9:06 PM

I want to take my 2 teenagers on a safari but am disappointed how very expensive the airfare and then the cost of the safari are. Please recommend a lower priced one 2 teenagers would enjoy along with their single mom. If I leave my kids home are there lower priced safaris that one doesn't get penalized for being single? Also do the lower priced tents or other accomodations have ceiling fans or air condition? Thanks!

Posted By H. Kaufman on November 19, 2010, 5:18 PM

As for air conditioning, it won't exist. The safari vehicles don't ever use it, and the lodges are very open-air by style with the rooms at a few of the places equipped with ceiling fans. The tented lodges have window panels that can open up to receive a breeze. I don't recall being very uncomfortable at night from the heat; and at higher elevations it was downright cold (Sweetwaters, Lake Nakuru Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, and Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, TZ). But, each of these places had hot water bottles warming our beds upon return from dinner. Word to the wise . . . have a good warm jacket (mine was down) for some places, and sleeveless and shorts for others. We were there in October. We never met up with a mosquito.

As for vehicles crowding around where there is an interesting animal spotting, it will happen. The guide vehicles are equipped with radios--sometimes you're the first there, sometimes the seventh. Without a guide, you would not see much on your own.

Two nights at Ngorongoro is a must. One day to get in and see some, perhaps, on the way, and one day full safari, then out. It can't be done well in less time.

Posted By Jerie Morrison on November 19, 2010, 10:37 PM

We just returned from Safari in Masai Mara. We were on a tight budget and had add on fares from San Francisco as well. H. Kaufman is SO right about the long rides on bumpy, potholded roads! Bounced enough for a lifetime...but would do it again for the marvelous experience. We used Friendly Planet for their Express Safari and other than it being a whirlwind trip, it was great. There are quite a few really great companies OAT for one which friends had suggested for us, but we had limited time and budget!

Posted By adrienne rosenthal on November 20, 2010, 6:28 PM

Is it practical to combine a good safari with a trip to see Victoria Falls? What is the best time of year to Safari? Is there a season to avoid?

My wife and I are 69 years old but still in reasonable physical condition. Will we be able to fully participate or are we getting too old?

Posted By Richard Price on November 22, 2010, 3:21 PM

I went on a self-planned and guided safari with three other adults and two children this past July/Augst.

We spent 4 nights at a safari lodge in Kasane, Botswana, 2 nights at the Victoria Falls Hotel in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and five nights in a guest house in Kruger.

In retrospect, I would have trimmed a day off of Kruger and added one to Vic Falls. The Vic Falls Hotel is one of the greatest hotels in the world, and, though expensive, it is a tremendous value for the quality.

We booked with the Chobe Safari Lodge in Kasane, but they overbooked and put us at the Mowana Safari Lodge. The Mowana was nice.

We used transfers to travel from the Vic Falls Airport to Kasane, then to the Vic Falls Hotel, then back to the airport. While in Vic Falls (the town), you should visit the Falls, which are indescribable. You can do a bungi jump from the bridge there, and the whitewater rafting is some of the best in the world (all of these activities can be easily booked at any hotel in Vic Falls).

We rented a van for the South African portion of the trip. It was a long drive from Joburg to Kruger, but we were glad that we had our own vehicle.

The guest houses in Kruger are an outstanding value. We stayed at the "ABSA Guest House" in Skukuza Camp. It was a huge house with six bedrooms, four full bathrooms, two powder rooms, a kitchen with two fridges, an indoor dining room, living room, plus an outdoor patio with a brai area. There were also bars both indoors and out. It overlooked a river, and we saw animals come to drink on a regular basis. The house was an incredible value.

Driving to Kruger National Park from Joburg airport after a long flight is pretty brutal. I recommend renting a car and staying somewhere near Joburg for the night, then traveling to the park the following morning. We used Kaia Manzi Lodge in Bronkhorstspruit, which fit the bill perfectly.

By planning and booking your safari on your own, you will pay about a third of what you'd spend for a fully guided safari. Africa is definitely an adventure, though. You can't pace your travel the way you can in the US or Europe. Expect delays and hassles, but they're worth it.

I hope this was useful...

Posted By A.R. White on November 22, 2010, 4:00 PM