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South Africa Safari

cindyldoe

10+ Posts
I've been thinking lately about places I'd like to visit while I'm still able. I'm 65 and in decent shape and health, but it's something I think about. An African safari is something I'd always considered out of our price range. So, I started looking into it, and a mid-range safari is possible. It's very overwhelming when you first start info gathering, but I've made some progress.
Does anyone have information or experience to share? I'd appreciate anything you can offer.

Thanks,
Cindy
 
We did a Safari in Tanzania in February 2020 (in our late 60's) and it was fantastic - so glad we did it. We went with another couple and had a private guide. The outfitter we used was Safari Infinity - https://safari-infinity.com/ - and they did an outstanding job tailoring the safari to what we wanted in terms of time, what we saw and experienced, the types of accommodations and cost. The communication was great. They answered every question we had. I highly recommend them. The guide we used through them was named Mooshe Monah (although he goes by Monah) and he was an absolute pleasure - he grew up as a Massai but went ot college and has a degree in the ecosciences. You can check out Safari Infinity's reeviews on TripAdvisor, including ours. Monah has also recently opened his own guide and outfitting business with his brother (also a great guide). He still does work for Safari Infinity, but I would have no hesitation working directly with him. I have his contact info if you are interested. I can give you a lot of detail about our trip so feel free to direct message me with any questions you have.
 
We did a Safari in Tanzania in February 2020 (in our late 60's) and it was fantastic - so glad we did it. We went with another couple and had a private guide. The outfitter we used was Safari Infinity - https://safari-infinity.com/ - and they did an outstanding job tailoring the safari to what we wanted in terms of time, what we saw and experienced, the types of accommodations and cost. The communication was great. They answered every question we had. I highly recommend them. The guide we used through them was named Mooshe Monah (although he goes by Monah) and he was an absolute pleasure - he grew up as a Massai but went ot college and has a degree in the ecosciences. You can check out Safari Infinity's reeviews on TripAdvisor, including ours. Monah has also recently opened his own guide and outfitting business with his brother (also a great guide). He still does work for Safari Infinity, but I would have no hesitation working directly with him. I have his contact info if you are interested. I can give you a lot of detail about our trip so feel free to direct message me with any questions you have.
Thank you Penn! I'll check that out and let you know.
 
Hi, my wife and I are experienced wildlife photographers and conservationists. We do safari type trips regularly. We are going to Tanzania for the 4th.time this February (2023) If you want some serious guidance and advice please send a private message.
 
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Do let us know how your trip planning is going. We won't get back there for a bit, so all we have at the moment is to enjoy vicariously through others. :)
 
Hi, as said before I am very happy to share my knowledge on wildlfe with anybody. My wife and I do illustrated talks to the likes of WIs, U3As and other social groups and I write articles for a national travel magazine. We were in Zambia and India in 2022 and off to Tanzania in two weeks time to visit some favourite places. As Penn231 has implied it is a veritable haven of wildlife and certainly 65 is nowhere near too old. Booking with local companies can be fraught with danger but we can recommend people who we have trusted for many years in all these countries including Tanzania.
Wonderful that Tanzania is, you need to go to the right places at the right time to maximise on sightings. Please message me if you want some serious advice.
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How timely your post is! I too am 65 and starting to think seriously about going on some type of safari. My husband, who is my favorite travel partner, has little to no interest -- even though I have pitched a trip to South Africa where we could combine many different types of cultural, wine and food experiences we'd both enjoy with a 3-4 night safari -- so I am thinking about going on my own.
I've looked into some group tours from OAT and Road Scholar, but in terms of East Africa, many of the group tours involve lots and lots of driving between locations and only a short stay in each. There is a Road Scholar birding trip which seems very appealing to me. I've also reached out to Safari Lifestyles, as they have some planned tours in Botswana that tick most of the boxes.
In terms of budget, traveling solo and wanting my own room already pushes the bar from mid to upper range, but that is non-negotiable for me.
Would love to hear more about your research and plans!
 
My husband, who is my favorite travel partner, has little to no interest -

Just a little encouragement. When I decided I wanted to have a safari experience, my wife was also totally disinterested. In order to sweeten the pot, we decided to start the trip with some time in Amsterdam. KLM has non-stop flights to Kilimanjaro, so it was a logical place. We also tacked on a couple of weeks in Nice, France afterwards. But the bottom line is that my wife loved the safari and is extremely happy that we did it. It is an experience like no other.

My enthusiasm for the trip sparked a couple that are good friends to join us in Africa (they also flew to Amsterdam but did not do pre- or post- safari traveling). Either with just you and your husband or another couple (another couple would reduce the per person cost), arranging a private guide with an itinerary tailored to your interest in what to see, driving distances, types of accommodations, etc. is reasonably priced.

Definitely go - East Africa (Tanzania in particular has a lot to offer). Different experiences at different times of the year. Reach out to GDB (who seems very experienced) as he has offered, or to me ,for more encouragement or ideas.
 
I can see that you have done some research but none of the names you have mentioned ring a bell.
We are pure wildlife people and as photographers we travel as a couple. Whilst we enjoy meeting and chatting to people in the lodges, during the day it is full on game drives (safaris). I am sure that the type of company that we use would not suit you, but certainly East Africa is the place. Botswana is expensive. Tanzania is good for birding and so is Ethiopia and Zambia. If you do travel by yourself, a group tour is advisable for security. Of course the Kruger is full of wildlife, you can self drive, and as you say you can combine it with other interests. The places we go to have little else to offer, except for visits to villages and local schools etc, which we do not want.
Sorry I cannot be more help. I do hope you get to see the wildlife; it's difficult not to get hooked !
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Yes, I didn't see Penn251's post......
Why not combine the safari with something else completely different. Then travel to Kilimanjaro International, be picked up and drive via Arusha to Lake Manyara and on to Ngorogoro Crater. These are two fabulous places where you need to spend a day only in each. The Crater is the largest extinct volcano in the world and the caldera is approx 100 sq.miles. It holds the largest density of lions in the whole of Africa. Fairly close by in the Conservation Area is the famous museum 'The Origins of Man' where they have relics dating back to the first hominids. A fascinating place where us humans first branched out from the apes. All that could be done in 3-5 days. The company we use is EASTCO or the East African Safari Touring Co based in Arusha. You would be very safe with them. Have a look on Tripadvisor, but I can give you more details if necessary. We are going with them again on the 19th.February. See attached if you want to contact us.
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thanks for the suggestions and encouragement! I was an anthropology major in college back in the mid-70's, so Olduvai Gorge, the Leakey family and Australopithecus are all emblazoned on my brain :~).
 
Glad to read so many had a great experience. I hope I'm going to like our trip this coming April, but I have such a bad taste in my mouth over this that I doubt it. The trip was instigated by two other couple friends we often travel with.

We were supposed to take the trip in April 2020. A week in Cape Town, and then the safari. I've already lost $2100 on local airline and transfer companies that have gone bankrupt, and our safari company (Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge) who has had our $8000 interest free since October, 2019, now wants another $1000 because their prices have gone up since 2019, WTF! They refused to refund our money, so it's go or lose $8000.

And of course we have to go through all the shots and pills and associated expenses all over again. I told my wife, we will never, ever visit a 3rd world country again.
 
NoSpin, I truly hope your April trip far exceeds your wildest expectations. It wouldn't be easy for me to put all of these mishaps behind me and go with an open attitude, but I hope you are able to do so.
 
Well NoSpin, I am sure you will enjoy your safari holiday, It is a great part of the world. SabiSabi really is a luxury lodge in a private reserve, and the actual wildlife should be full on.
Assuming you don't stray from the lodge and reserve, you won't experience the 'third world' that you hinted at. You will be in a protected environment.
I understand your annoyance and frustration, and even with our sort of experience, it would have been difficult to avoid the costs you are in for and the fait accompli you face. Let us not forget who caused all these problems in the first instance. Many private travel companies around the world have suffered greatly, and many have not survived.
Without knowing your itinerary and timescales, and considering where you are going, the costs you mentioned do not seem too excessive. Of course there are cheaper alternatives, one of which we will be on tomorrow. We are off to Tanzania.
If you need any advice on photography, let me know......?
Best wishes
 

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