Hi! We traveled May 28 to June 7. We did not have the option of sleeping in the Kalahari and because of Covid the train ride was not offered. Victoria Falls was amazing!! We got soaked but that was part of the fun! We were so pleased with the entire tour!
Cape Town was a beautiful city but we were discouraged from travelling on our own downtown. Waterfront was safe to wander.Our activities included going to the top of Table Mountain...amazing views! Toured downtown Cape Town by bus. Stopped at District 6 Museum.Our hotel was in walking distance of the waterfront so we had free time to wander. We went to the Cape of Good Hope and visited Boulders, known for African Penguins. We also had a dinner in a private home of a chef! We really had wonderful weather as our Tour Director kept repeating.
Thanks for your report,Bob and Lisa! I am looking forward to starting this tour on September 10. It sounds like a wonderful trip! Why was sleeping in the Kalahari not offered?
The weather is not suitable earlier in the year, that’s the usual reason, That general experience on the quad bikes, the sky jumping, the walking off into the wilderness and just thinking about life and then sleeping under the stars was one of our all night experiences. Although we would like to experience Botswana at another time of year, we would hate to miss the time in the desert. The Camp leader was from Belgium and was awesome.
Bob and Lisa Hi.
So you did get to go and saw the Penguins at Boulders... I guess, I will have to put on hold my 1/2 day tour to the Penguins till I get to talk to the TD.- I like Penguins but not to drive down twice to see them again..
Thanks for the info.
mil
Hello all. I've been on 12 Tauck trips and I'm true blue to Tauck. Maybe all of you who are expert in the South Africa tours can lend your opinion or thoughts on my question that I asked once before but quite a while ago. I'm am diligently trying to dot the i's and cross the t's. I know some of you have assisted me and I'm still in a pickle. I am literally wishy-washy on deciding which tour to take, and ultimately, I know I will choose one. My husband and I are considering Botswana, SA & Zambia and comparing it to An Elegant Safari and also comparing it to the Wildlife Odyssey. How does one even decide??? We are seniors on the younger side, and also treating two children in their 30's so all this will be a pretty penny to say the least, but I am looking at the experience more than the added expense among these 3 different trips. They all look spectacular and they all have pluses and minuses. I have been to Kenya and Tanzania exactly 22 years ago with A&K, which is a long time ago, and I'm not one to repeat trips when I haven't seen other places. Plus, the current A&K trips, in my opinion, appear limited and not enough sights to see so that takes care of that. The Botswana, SA & Zambia does not include the elephant sanctuary but the rhino walk is offered. The other two trips offer the Elephant Sanctuary. Is the elephant experience at the sanctuary worth the while to add on my own dime before the trip if I choose that trip? Are the salt pans not to be missed? Capetown and Johannesburg are cities but do they take away from the safari experience and viewing the wildlife and also are those cities safe? I am not so interested in the wine experience when I can do that at any place and anytime. Thank you so much and I will consider and process all the input given.
Ourtravels. I think you need to figure out which is most important because you have mentioned all the differences. I can’t answer to Odysessy because we had to cancel because of lack of flights. That is the only tour we haven’t tried. Johannesburg is not safe to go around on your own, but you won’t be doing that anyway. We love CapeTown and for us, the Kalahari experience,both the sleeping out on the salt pan and the meerkats climbing over you are just wonderful. Personally, I’ve seen so many elephants, I don’t see the big deal needing to go to a sanctuary but of course I’ve been there. I’ve sat on elephant both at the age of two and in Laos on the Vietnam, Cambodia Laos tour but not for long, my elephant got naughty. Personally we also think the cultural experiences of Elegant SA is important. Like you, we like to drink wine but would prefer other site seeing, a wine tasting is a wine tasting and yes you can do it anywhere. I just remember that on our Elegant SA dinner and wine tasting, the service was slow and we were being called back to the bus before we had finished eating.
Mil you don’t need layers for sleeping out on the Kalahari, just your day clothes, the duvet they give you and their hot water bottle is plenty. You can see I was just wearing my long sleeve t shirt, admitted I was a bit heavier then, but otherwise that was enough
OurTravels34 HI!
from what I have heard, people love Botswana, SA & Zambia , it is hard to compare them.. but from the homework I have done.. I believe the Botswana, SA & Zambia it is very complete.
I also did K&T and love it, now I was looking for something with Cape T. included and also the Okavango Delta, something amazing and not to be missed.
The wine experience, I have it here in Woodinville, Wa. State. Yakima Valley or Walla Walla Wa. so wine is not my priority.
Botswana has the largest elephant population in Africa.. so I'm sure you'll see a lot of them. Also, in Livingstone there is The Elephant Cafe.- where by the way... I'm having lunch after interacting with the elephants. ( see youtube videos)
I think one question for you to ask yourself would be:
do u want luxury with limited exposure to what Africa can offer
do you want to see just the animals
or do you want to have some of both, plus the chance to see amazing natural wonders..
and expereince heli. rides, canoes in the Delta, possible sleeping out at the salt pan.etc..
My opinion...
If you did the K&T, do Botswana, SA & Zambia.
OurTravels, here is my two cents for all it’s worth. Without repeating what British and mil have already expressed, I vote for the Z, B and SA tour even though I won’t be taking it until early September. I was on the Elegant Advenure in March 2020 right before the world shut down. I loved the accommodations, and fell so in love with Cape Town that I have to go back. My TD on the Elegant trip told me his favorite tour to lead is the Z, B and SA tour so that’s why I signed on for it. Granted, March is not the best time to see wildlife in Kruger, and I was a bit disappointed after experiencing the wonderful Serengheti on my Tanzania trip. Bottom line: if you want the best safari experience take the Z, B and SA trip. Elegant is elegant indeed, but it would be my second choice.
“…: if you want the best safari experience”. In my opinion it would not be the Z,B, and SA. That trip we loved, and would have done it again, but it is not “the best safari experience”. Z,B, and SA is about half safari, and half touring. We loved the safari camps in Botswana, and if the trip was two weeks in Botswana, we would have done it again. The reason we have done K&T three times, is it is the “Classic” safari. It is all safari. It is all about the animals. There is no Cape Town, there is no Cape of Good Hope, there is no table top mountain, there is no dinner at a private home, there is no Victoria Falls, … just animals from sunrise until sunset or beyond. Each of our three K&T trips were very different, and our last was probably better than the first two put together. If you want half touring, half safari, then do Z,B, and SA. On the other hand, if you are going to travel ten thousand miles to see the animals, then K&T would be your trip.
Sealord - On my K&T in 2015 I recall a tour trip to the Arusha Cultural Center, a visit to a Masai village, and a visit to a center, I forget the name, that helped local women. All were interesting, but not exactly just animals from sunrise to sunset.
Indeed Sam. A ‘fairy tale’ starts out with, “Once Upon A Time”, and a ‘sea story’ starts out with, “This Is No Sh*t”. If you count them up there are seven different hotels/camps on the K&T trip. Perhaps I should have said, you will see animals every day, and you are ‘moving’ from sunrise to sunset every day … except one. During the venue changes, and at the Mt. Kenya Safari Club, which they look at as a ‘rest stop’, there are ‘touring; opportunities. On ‘Z,B, and SA you are mostly touring the first couple days, then a week or so of safari, then you are touring for the remainder. Now that you fly to the Four Seasons, instead of driving, you get an additional game drive upon arrival. The day of the cultural center you fly from the Four Seasons to Arusha, then lunch at the cultural center, then game drive to Amboseli. The ‘local women’ experience is the weaving school near the Mt. Kenya Safari Club. We skip that and go horse back riding, which is like a safari on horseback. You actually can get closer to the animals when riding a horse. The Masai Village visit is also followed by a four or five hour game drive. There is also a visit to the Jane Goodall chimpanzee place, which is now mostly closed cuz the chimps can get covid, but they can’t be vaccinated. You game drive in, and then go to lunch. I can only think of one day when you don’t do any game drive, and that is only if you don’t ride horses.
Thank you, thank you and thank you all for taking the time to answer my questions. That is a lot of information that I will process and share with the family.
You see Ourtravels, it’s really up to you. Everyone feels differently.
I would add you see a bigger variety of animals in Botswana, SA, Zambia tour, such as Meerkats and wild dogs or painted dogs as they are sometimes called, we also saw a honey Badger, very rare…..
Sealord, I bow to you and your experiences which are so much greater than mine. Playing catch up here at age 72 🦁🦒🦏🦓I ask myself why I spent so much time in Europe as a younger woman. Italy, five times - come on now. How much “la dolce vita” does one need? 🥰
I, too, wish I had taken some of the "exotic" tours when younger. However, I do not regret touring the same European countries over and over because it has afforded me the opportunity to become completely immersed in the culture, mores and language of those countries.
South Africa, An Elegant Adventure is definitely on my wish list.
cathyandsteve Hi :0
You will not be disappointed with K&T and just heads up, there is no such of thing as going to Africa just once... Africa all together is very addicting in every way.. north for its culture & food (Morocco-Egypt) to mention some.. then Kenya & Tanz ( all animals and tribes),- Zanzibar (beaches) and the ultimate Mana Pools in Zimbabwe , which it will be my next African destination.. before I died.
Then you have the gorrillas in Rwanda & Uganda... so many amazing places.. LOVE IT!
kfnknfzk Hello
So, I think in order to grow and be able to enjoy as we are doing with all these exotic trips you need to star with the basic's journeys-
Start learning and admirering art, history, culture and the different societies..
By visiting the old continent , you get all these information and historical background; it also creates an interest and makes you feel like you want to get more involved with other countries and their people .. from there you will start connecting.. and you'll feel to move on to the next level. Exotic & adventures..
So, don't regret the many trips you did to Europe , they are all precious in many ways.. and today, that experience has helped you to recognize the beauty of other places and their people. You learn and see how the simplicity of other places are in part their happiness .. some countries may be very poor, but also very human and friendly.
To become a real-world traveler takes time and different journeys... I believe your heart and mind will dictate how ready you are for the next level, the next adventure.. you cannot jump from going to Disney to a trip to Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand , you would not appreciate the events that happen there or the government structure , colonization etc...
Thanks, mil. I appreciate your feedback. For us, the issue is time...especially for my husband. Slower paced tours are now the norm for us and that is okay.
We went to Nobu on our own when we had to find dinner ourselves. We reserved a table and the restaurant was almost empty, a big surprise. We have eaten at a Nobu restaurant before and this one was really nothing special from what I remember.
Comments
British Hi, hope you're enjoying Alaska.
LB and I are in the same group- next Sept. 2022
Have a great trip.
Hi! We traveled May 28 to June 7. We did not have the option of sleeping in the Kalahari and because of Covid the train ride was not offered. Victoria Falls was amazing!! We got soaked but that was part of the fun! We were so pleased with the entire tour!
Cape Town was a beautiful city but we were discouraged from travelling on our own downtown. Waterfront was safe to wander.Our activities included going to the top of Table Mountain...amazing views! Toured downtown Cape Town by bus. Stopped at District 6 Museum.Our hotel was in walking distance of the waterfront so we had free time to wander. We went to the Cape of Good Hope and visited Boulders, known for African Penguins. We also had a dinner in a private home of a chef! We really had wonderful weather as our Tour Director kept repeating.
Thanks for your report,Bob and Lisa! I am looking forward to starting this tour on September 10. It sounds like a wonderful trip! Why was sleeping in the Kalahari not offered?
The weather is not suitable earlier in the year, that’s the usual reason, That general experience on the quad bikes, the sky jumping, the walking off into the wilderness and just thinking about life and then sleeping under the stars was one of our all night experiences. Although we would like to experience Botswana at another time of year, we would hate to miss the time in the desert. The Camp leader was from Belgium and was awesome.
British you got the flagger... he/she missed you
I hope we do the night camp, I'm packing for it.. layer layer layers...
great pics.
Bob and Lisa Hi.
So you did get to go and saw the Penguins at Boulders... I guess, I will have to put on hold my 1/2 day tour to the Penguins till I get to talk to the TD.- I like Penguins but not to drive down twice to see them again..
Thanks for the info.
mil
Hello all. I've been on 12 Tauck trips and I'm true blue to Tauck. Maybe all of you who are expert in the South Africa tours can lend your opinion or thoughts on my question that I asked once before but quite a while ago. I'm am diligently trying to dot the i's and cross the t's. I know some of you have assisted me and I'm still in a pickle. I am literally wishy-washy on deciding which tour to take, and ultimately, I know I will choose one. My husband and I are considering Botswana, SA & Zambia and comparing it to An Elegant Safari and also comparing it to the Wildlife Odyssey. How does one even decide??? We are seniors on the younger side, and also treating two children in their 30's so all this will be a pretty penny to say the least, but I am looking at the experience more than the added expense among these 3 different trips. They all look spectacular and they all have pluses and minuses. I have been to Kenya and Tanzania exactly 22 years ago with A&K, which is a long time ago, and I'm not one to repeat trips when I haven't seen other places. Plus, the current A&K trips, in my opinion, appear limited and not enough sights to see so that takes care of that. The Botswana, SA & Zambia does not include the elephant sanctuary but the rhino walk is offered. The other two trips offer the Elephant Sanctuary. Is the elephant experience at the sanctuary worth the while to add on my own dime before the trip if I choose that trip? Are the salt pans not to be missed? Capetown and Johannesburg are cities but do they take away from the safari experience and viewing the wildlife and also are those cities safe? I am not so interested in the wine experience when I can do that at any place and anytime. Thank you so much and I will consider and process all the input given.
Ourtravels. I think you need to figure out which is most important because you have mentioned all the differences. I can’t answer to Odysessy because we had to cancel because of lack of flights. That is the only tour we haven’t tried. Johannesburg is not safe to go around on your own, but you won’t be doing that anyway. We love CapeTown and for us, the Kalahari experience,both the sleeping out on the salt pan and the meerkats climbing over you are just wonderful. Personally, I’ve seen so many elephants, I don’t see the big deal needing to go to a sanctuary but of course I’ve been there. I’ve sat on elephant both at the age of two and in Laos on the Vietnam, Cambodia Laos tour but not for long, my elephant got naughty. Personally we also think the cultural experiences of Elegant SA is important. Like you, we like to drink wine but would prefer other site seeing, a wine tasting is a wine tasting and yes you can do it anywhere. I just remember that on our Elegant SA dinner and wine tasting, the service was slow and we were being called back to the bus before we had finished eating.
Mil you don’t need layers for sleeping out on the Kalahari, just your day clothes, the duvet they give you and their hot water bottle is plenty. You can see I was just wearing my long sleeve t shirt, admitted I was a bit heavier then, but otherwise that was enough
Thank you, lady . Good to know... something less to pack
OurTravels34 HI!
from what I have heard, people love Botswana, SA & Zambia , it is hard to compare them.. but from the homework I have done.. I believe the Botswana, SA & Zambia it is very complete.
I also did K&T and love it, now I was looking for something with Cape T. included and also the Okavango Delta, something amazing and not to be missed.
The wine experience, I have it here in Woodinville, Wa. State. Yakima Valley or Walla Walla Wa. so wine is not my priority.
Botswana has the largest elephant population in Africa.. so I'm sure you'll see a lot of them. Also, in Livingstone there is The Elephant Cafe.- where by the way... I'm having lunch after interacting with the elephants. ( see youtube videos)
I think one question for you to ask yourself would be:
My opinion...
If you did the K&T, do Botswana, SA & Zambia.
OurTravels, here is my two cents for all it’s worth. Without repeating what British and mil have already expressed, I vote for the Z, B and SA tour even though I won’t be taking it until early September. I was on the Elegant Advenure in March 2020 right before the world shut down. I loved the accommodations, and fell so in love with Cape Town that I have to go back. My TD on the Elegant trip told me his favorite tour to lead is the Z, B and SA tour so that’s why I signed on for it. Granted, March is not the best time to see wildlife in Kruger, and I was a bit disappointed after experiencing the wonderful Serengheti on my Tanzania trip. Bottom line: if you want the best safari experience take the Z, B and SA trip. Elegant is elegant indeed, but it would be my second choice.
British, what month did you sleep in the Kalahari? I want a pic like yours!
Pretty sure it was September, yep, just checked, those pics were Sept 26th
“…: if you want the best safari experience”. In my opinion it would not be the Z,B, and SA. That trip we loved, and would have done it again, but it is not “the best safari experience”. Z,B, and SA is about half safari, and half touring. We loved the safari camps in Botswana, and if the trip was two weeks in Botswana, we would have done it again. The reason we have done K&T three times, is it is the “Classic” safari. It is all safari. It is all about the animals. There is no Cape Town, there is no Cape of Good Hope, there is no table top mountain, there is no dinner at a private home, there is no Victoria Falls, … just animals from sunrise until sunset or beyond. Each of our three K&T trips were very different, and our last was probably better than the first two put together. If you want half touring, half safari, then do Z,B, and SA. On the other hand, if you are going to travel ten thousand miles to see the animals, then K&T would be your trip.
Sealord - On my K&T in 2015 I recall a tour trip to the Arusha Cultural Center, a visit to a Masai village, and a visit to a center, I forget the name, that helped local women. All were interesting, but not exactly just animals from sunrise to sunset.
Indeed Sam. A ‘fairy tale’ starts out with, “Once Upon A Time”, and a ‘sea story’ starts out with, “This Is No Sh*t”. If you count them up there are seven different hotels/camps on the K&T trip. Perhaps I should have said, you will see animals every day, and you are ‘moving’ from sunrise to sunset every day … except one. During the venue changes, and at the Mt. Kenya Safari Club, which they look at as a ‘rest stop’, there are ‘touring; opportunities. On ‘Z,B, and SA you are mostly touring the first couple days, then a week or so of safari, then you are touring for the remainder. Now that you fly to the Four Seasons, instead of driving, you get an additional game drive upon arrival. The day of the cultural center you fly from the Four Seasons to Arusha, then lunch at the cultural center, then game drive to Amboseli. The ‘local women’ experience is the weaving school near the Mt. Kenya Safari Club. We skip that and go horse back riding, which is like a safari on horseback. You actually can get closer to the animals when riding a horse. The Masai Village visit is also followed by a four or five hour game drive. There is also a visit to the Jane Goodall chimpanzee place, which is now mostly closed cuz the chimps can get covid, but they can’t be vaccinated. You game drive in, and then go to lunch. I can only think of one day when you don’t do any game drive, and that is only if you don’t ride horses.
Thank you, thank you and thank you all for taking the time to answer my questions. That is a lot of information that I will process and share with the family.
You see Ourtravels, it’s really up to you. Everyone feels differently.
I would add you see a bigger variety of animals in Botswana, SA, Zambia tour, such as Meerkats and wild dogs or painted dogs as they are sometimes called, we also saw a honey Badger, very rare…..
Sealord, I bow to you and your experiences which are so much greater than mine. Playing catch up here at age 72 🦁🦒🦏🦓I ask myself why I spent so much time in Europe as a younger woman. Italy, five times - come on now. How much “la dolce vita” does one need? 🥰
British: I certainly do see the varying opinions. Heaven help me but I will make up my mind. I appreciate everyone's opinions.
I, too, wish I had taken some of the "exotic" tours when younger. However, I do not regret touring the same European countries over and over because it has afforded me the opportunity to become completely immersed in the culture, mores and language of those countries.
South Africa, An Elegant Adventure is definitely on my wish list.
Ladybombay, I'm not sure I can jump as high as Brittish... i'm 1/2 her height.
Hey here is a joke for all the animal lovers and excuse me for the bad word, but I think it's cute.
cathyandsteve Hi :0
You will not be disappointed with K&T and just heads up, there is no such of thing as going to Africa just once... Africa all together is very addicting in every way.. north for its culture & food (Morocco-Egypt) to mention some.. then Kenya & Tanz ( all animals and tribes),- Zanzibar (beaches) and the ultimate Mana Pools in Zimbabwe , which it will be my next African destination.. before I died.
Then you have the gorrillas in Rwanda & Uganda... so many amazing places.. LOVE IT!
kfnknfzk Hello
So, I think in order to grow and be able to enjoy as we are doing with all these exotic trips you need to star with the basic's journeys-
Start learning and admirering art, history, culture and the different societies..
By visiting the old continent , you get all these information and historical background; it also creates an interest and makes you feel like you want to get more involved with other countries and their people .. from there you will start connecting.. and you'll feel to move on to the next level. Exotic & adventures..
So, don't regret the many trips you did to Europe , they are all precious in many ways.. and today, that experience has helped you to recognize the beauty of other places and their people. You learn and see how the simplicity of other places are in part their happiness .. some countries may be very poor, but also very human and friendly.
To become a real-world traveler takes time and different journeys... I believe your heart and mind will dictate how ready you are for the next level, the next adventure.. you cannot jump from going to Disney to a trip to Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand , you would not appreciate the events that happen there or the government structure , colonization etc...
Thanks, mil. I appreciate your feedback. For us, the issue is time...especially for my husband. Slower paced tours are now the norm for us and that is okay.
Hello everyone.
I have a short question.
@ the One&Only Cape Town, is the farewell or any dinner at the Nobu Rest. ?
please advise.
Thanks
We went to Nobu on our own when we had to find dinner ourselves. We reserved a table and the restaurant was almost empty, a big surprise. We have eaten at a Nobu restaurant before and this one was really nothing special from what I remember.
Thank you both.