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Just back from B,SA&Z!

taxare

Hello, just got back yesterday, still tired and jet lagged! I thought over the next week I would post some observations and answer questions to the best of my ability. I know British and Alan S have recommended reading the previous threads. I found them invaluable and I thank the previous posters for their insights. Here are a few observations based on previous questions that have come up.

1. Read the green book Tauck sends. Cover to cover. It is invaluable. Let me give you an example. The green book says that South Africa airports require two consecutive blank visa pages in our passports. One couple on our trip did not have that and were not permitted by the airline in Maun to go on our flight from Maun to Capetown. They had to go to the US embassy to get new passports and lost two days on the trip.

2. Yellow Fever cards-I would support previous recommendations to just get the vaccination. Our experience was at the border control between Zambia and Botswana they had the travelers under age 60 go to a separate office so they could check what countries they had been to and determine whether there were high yellow fever incidences where they came from. The rest of us just presented our passports and weren't asked. However, this can change at anytime, so IMHO, it's not worth the risk of not having your vaccination card.

3. Flights through Jo-Burg. We flew BA from the US to London to Jo-Burg to Livingstone. If you are on the same airline make sure they check your luggage all the way through. When you get to Jo-Burg you follow the international connections sign, check in at the airline desk show them your luggage tags and you are done, easy. Regional flights such as to LVI are still international connections. If you change airlines in Jo-Burg then you have to claim your bags and it will take time to recheck etc. Just make sure you have enough time. Things don't move quickly there.

4. Capetown water. They have had rain in Capetown but there is still a significant shortage. There are many restrooms especially in public areas that they provide hand sanitizer but no running water. There are signs everywhere including the One and Only hotel emphasizing the need to conserve, e.g. short showers. It is less of an immediate crisis than several months ago, but you should be aware they still have a big problem.

5. Safari drive bathroom breaks. Most of the drives were 3-4 hours. One in early morning and one in late afternoon. They generally stopped and took a break at around the 2.5 hour mark. All of the jeeps stopped at the same time and place. They designated one group of trees as "mens" and another with more trees "womens". This frankly was one of my concerns. It worked out fine. On other touring the tour director tried hard to find restrooms. As others have said, if you really need to go at other times, just tell the driver and they will find a safe place to stop.

6. Laundry-The laundry is included at all three camps in Botswana. Just have it ready before your game drive the first morning and it will be returned that evening. They did a nice job. If you need laundry in Capetown, the One and Only charges but the prices are very reasonable compared to US hotel prices.

Thats it for now, more details next thread. If you haven't gone yet, you will have a GREAT time!

Comments

British

It's so nice that when someone has asked questions here takes time to post about their trip and give great additional information. I think this is the first time we now know what can happen both with not having the two blank pages in a passport---wow! And what might happen if you do not get the Yellow fever shot, that's unnecessary extra stress even if eventually they decide to let you in---on a further note here, I wonder if you had previously been to a yellow fever prone country and you had not had the vaccine, might they refuse entry? Thanks taxare!

AlanS

Taxare- Thank you, thank you, thank you. Recent, real experiences. Now if only every potential traveler would read and heed!

Hmmm, I'm a bit surprised at the bathroom breaks!

We are going about this time next year (25 May - 5 June 2019). I have been watching the weather (WeatherUnderground) and it seems the Tauck temps for Botswana in the Before You Go have been pretty close to what I have researched and was seeing- daytime temps- very cool in the mornings 50's-60's, warming up to mid to high 70's during the day. Nighttime temps- sometimes dipping into the high 40's (brrrrrrrr).

Please correct me if I am wrong and please elaborate as necessary, but what kind of weather did you experience and did you have any trouble staying warm at night. I like to sleep when it is cool, but 40's & 50's are almost a bit too cool.

In view of the nighttime temps, were you afforded "the opportunity" on the Magakadiki Pans.

Did you go early and, if so, what did you do? At this point we are looking at arriving 2 days early and chilling the first afternoon, maybe walk the trail from the hotel to the park and falls, then, over the next day and a half, taking a microlight flight over the falls/up the river, elephant trek, Lion and/or Cheetah encounter.

Also, which visa did you get- single entry Zambia or Kaza Univisa. Did you cross the bridge into Zimbabwe? If so, any issues doing that. The reason I ask, is that if I don't see fares and routing I like with my preferred carrier, we will be flying Ethiopian Airlines (Dulles - Addis Ababa - Victoria Falls) so will be flying into Vic Falls Airport, Zimbabwe instead of Livingstone, Zambia. We flew with ET to K&T in 2015, great fares then and now, good flights, but I would like to avoid going to DC- from where we live it is about 5 hours whether we drive or fly : (

British

Alan, when I look at information about safaris in Botswana on the Expert Africa website it says May June can be near freezing at night. I am sure Sealord went in June, maybe he will also reply. In the 'Kalahari experience' you sleep fully clothed under pretty thick cuddly duvets on proper beds. It's healthy to sleep in the fifties.
I remain concerned that you might fly into Zimbabwe instead, I think it will be a gassed for you.

taxare

AlanS,
Our tour started on May 26 and our weather was perfect throughout. Our TD did say it was at least 5 degrees warmer than previous years. Our second night in Kalahari was the coolest, I would guess high 40's but that was the coolest the entire trip. They put the hot water bottles in the beds, but there were so many blankets that they weren't needed. I must admit the walk to/from the shower caused me to move faster than I usually do

. They did not offer the "opportunity" due to the fact that it is starting to be winter and sitting water where they set it up. In Botswana we did wear layers in the morning and evening drives, but the mornings warmed up quickly. We had some days approaching 80 degrees. We got the multiple kaza visa at the LVI airport. For some reason they only charged us $50 rather than $70, so we saved a few bucks. We went a few days early. In another thread I will discuss accommodations, however we were at the Royal Chundu rather than the Royal Livingstone. It was a beautiful property, however it made the logistics difficult and therefore we changed some of our plans. Rather than being 15 minutes from the airport and right next to the falls we were over an hour away from the falls. The rainy season was one of the wettest ever. The Zambezi river was very high and the falls were flowing at incredible volume and strength. We asked about going to the Zimbabwe side and were told that if it was summer, they would recommend it, but based on the falls strength they thought it wasn't worth it. We did the 30 minute microlight flight. The first 15 minutes you go around the falls twice and then over them and then the last 15 minutes you fly over the Mosi-oa-Tunya park looking at wildlife. The price is double ($360 plus $20 if you purchase the pictures) but we thought the 30 minutes was worth it. An exhilarating adventure. I heard that at least one vendor is no longer doing the elephant trek, you can have an elephant experience but no riding. At the Royal Chundu, we went to the local village, went on three river cruises, had massages and prepared for our upcoming tour. More to come.....

British

Showers, you were offered showers! Wow, our group had no such luxury, it was hotter of course, so we just headed back after breakfast and showered there.

AlanS

More great info!!! Now I remember, you were one of the ones surprised about the change in lodging from the Royal Livingstone to the Royal Chundu.

How was the line/wait getting your visa?

I guess I will need to set up my GoPro time-lapse star/sky shot at camp!

I have started trying to make contact with activity/excursion vendors. I just got an auto-reply from Batoka Sky, operators of the microlights, but they never got back to me. I sent an email to Livingston Adventures, "the" booking agent (or one of many booking agents.) They answered, but so far haven't replied to my follow-on email. I will be contacting the concierge at the Royal Livingston, too, to see what they can arrange.

I have two issues about the flight- first, I want to fly at the same time, a flight of two aircraft, as my wife- they said they had two microlights (and an ultralight) but couldn't guarantee we would fly at the same time. As I understand, each aircraft is scheduled separately so flights may or may not be in sync. I am willing to book now and pay a sizable deposit to ensure that happens, but it is not a show stopper if it doesn't happen. I just really don't want for either of us to have to wait 30 min. for each other.

The second issue- what is the best time to fly for sun angle and photography of the falls- I think mid-to late-morning. What time did you fly?

Who did you book your flights with and when? Was r/t transport provided between your lodge and the Batoka airstrip?

I assume you were on the BA flight that arrives at LVI at 1245? How many days early did you go? 3 river cruises? from the Royal Chundu? Same stuff or different? What were you originally planning to do if you had stayed at the Royal Livingstone?

Thanks, again!

Sealord

British wrote:

Showers, you were offered showers! Wow, our group had no such luxury, it was hotter of course, so we just headed back after breakfast and showered there.

I think she said the night on the pan was not offered. They stayed in the tents I believe. (;-)

taxare

Correct Sealord, and since it's not clear I'm a he

taxare

Back to Alan's questions:
1. We waited about 15-20 minutes to get through immigration and get our visa's at LVI. Yes we arrived at 12:45pm.
2. We booked our microlight through the hotel, I would think its would be easy through the concierge at the
Royal Livingstone. They had three microlights going at one time. Once you are there it's not as scheduled as
you might expect. Some people are doing 15 minutes and others are doing 30 minutes. My wife went first and then
I had to wait 15 minutes for someone's child to return. I don't believe they will fly in tandem, they fly the same route
but following another. I believe you have covered this in another thread, but you can't take anything thats loose on the
microlight including a camera. We flew in the afternoon, but part of that was due to our distance from Livingstone.
We got some excellent pictures from their wing camera, but I apologize I'm not enough of a photographer to answer
your question about sun angle, etc. The airstrip (all dirt by the way) is close to the Royal Livingstone.
3. The "cruises" at the Royal Chundu were around 90 minutes. Two were "sundowner" cruises, drinks, snacks, etc. but
with some wildlife sightings. The late morning one was because we hadn't seen any elephants yet and that time was
a good time to see them near the river. We originally were looking to do some shopping, perhaps the cheetah walk and
spend more time at the falls. The Royal Chundu management has decided not to book any animal experiences. They
don't want to get into that debate. I know the Royal Livingstone does book them.
4. Speaking of your star/sky shot. In our last night in Kalahari we saw an asteroid enter the atmosphere!!
It was an awesome sight!!!

https://inews.co.uk/video/asteroid-hurtles-towards-earth-and-disintegrates-over-botswana/

AlanS

taxare wrote:

Back to Alan's questions:

1. We waited about 15-20 minutes to get through immigration and get our visa's at LVI. Yes we arrived at 12:45pm.

2. We booked our microlight through the hotel, I would think its would be easy through the concierge at the Royal Livingstone. They had three microlights going at one time. Once you are there it's not as scheduled as you might expect. Some people are doing 15 minutes and others are doing 30 minutes. My wife went first and then I had to wait 15 minutes for someone's child to return. I don't believe they will fly in tandem, they fly the same route but following another. I believe you have covered this in another thread, but you can't take anything that's loose on the microlight including a camera. We flew in the afternoon, but part of that was due to our distance from Livingstone. We got some excellent pictures from their wing camera, but I apologize I'm not enough of a photographer to answer your question about sun angle, etc. The airstrip (all dirt by the way) is close to the RoyalLivingstone.

3. The "cruises" at the Royal Chundu were around 90 minutes. Two were "sundowner" cruises, drinks, snacks, etc. but with some wildlife sightings. The late morning one was because we hadn't seen any elephants yet and that time was a good time to see them near the river. We originally were looking to do some shopping, perhaps the cheetah walk and spend more time at the falls. The Royal Chundu management has decided not to book any animal experiences. They don't want to get into that debate. I know the Royal Livingstone does book them.

4. Speaking of your star/sky shot. In our last night in Kalahari we saw an asteroid enter the atmosphere!! It was an awesome sight!!!

https://inews.co.uk/video/asteroid-hurtles-towards-earth-and-disintegrates-over-botswana/

How about my wife's glasses? She really needs those to see. Will the helmet (and faceshield?) and maybe a keeper strap be sufficient? We both lost our sunglasses during a door-off helo flight in Hawaii several years ago!

I watched a ton of the online videos and also checked the location, layout, and condition of the airstrip on Google maps, satellite view, so know about the dirt runway. I just couldn't get a firm grip on orientation of the falls and what time of day is best for sun angle. I think I'll go with a morning flight.

I haven't contacted the concierge at the Royal Livingstone yet, but according to another forum member, they will send (email) a ton of stuff upon request.

Well, I'm pumped!!! Thanks again!

AlanS

taxare wrote:

AlanS,
We got the multiple kaza visa at the LVI airport. For some reason they only charged us $50 rather than $70, so we saved a few bucks. More to come.....

I hope you don't mind me editing out other stuff from the post, but I just wanted to highlight this point.

According to the Zambia website which was confirmed by the info I just received from the Royal Livingstone (subject of a separate thread) the regular price of the KAZA univisa is $50 per person. That is a deal! That one visa allows unlimited crossings between Zambia and Zimbabwe - satisfies the requirements of both countries and is good for 30 days! You can read about it at this link.

It started as a pilot project in 2014. The visa is a sticker and a few times they have run out. If that happens you'll just need to buy a single entry visa at Livingstone Airport. If you plan to visit Zimbabwe you'll need to get a multiple entry Zambia visa at the airport and a Zimbabwe visa at the border.)

Sealord

taxare wrote:

Correct Sealord, and since it's not clear I'm a he

Sorry. (;-). By the way, did you ever learn why you were staying at the Royal Chundu instead of the Royal Livingstone?

taxare

Alan, I just used croakies for my glasses for the flight and the game drives and no problem. I can't see worth a darn without my glasses.
Re: visa we received the sticker, they had a roll of them.

Sealord, I asked a couple of times and could not get an answer. The TD either did not know or couldn't say. We were bumped for some reason which still surprises me considering the amount of business that Tauck gives them.

Sealord

Maybe the Princess of Suffolk was there? (;-)

DawnC28

We will also be staying at the Royal Chundu when we go on our tour in August. Can you answer a couple of questions?

What room did you receive as part of the Tauck tour? Were you on the mainland, or the island?

Were the extra activities included in your stay, or did you pay extra for any? How much for the river tour?

Thanks so much!

taxare

They have ten rooms on the main property. With 20 people on the tour that uses them all. I suppose if you go early like we did, they might put you on the island before hand, but once the tour begins logistically it would be very difficult. The village tour, sunset and day river cruises were included in our Tauck rate.

British

DawnC28 wrote:

We will also be staying at the Royal Chundu when we go on our tour in August. Can you answer a couple of questions?

What room did you receive as part of the Tauck tour? Were you on the mainland, or the island?

Were the extra activities included in your stay, or did you pay extra for any? How much for the river tour?

Thanks so much!

Everything s included on Tauck tours.

DawnC28

British wrote:

Everything s included on Tauck tours.

Royal Chundu shows two rates - all inclusive and meals only. The all inclusive rate is about $300US higher. When I called Tauck to ask, they said it included all meals only, which is why I asked the question - if it is truly all inclusive, I will be a happy camper, as we are coming in a day early and could do a morning tour!

Were your tours before the "official" start to the Tauck Tour, or part of the Tauck Tour?

Thanks so much!

taxare

I read the same information that you did about the Royal Chundu rates and was curious as well. It's hard to describe but they are very low key about the village tour and the river "cruises". They were very happy to have all of the rooms filled by Tauck and couldn't do enough for the guests. They have three boats, two small that seat 4-6 passengers and the other a large pontoon that everyone can go on. Almost all of the Tauck guests arrived a day early. We had already gone to the village and they ran a few trips for the other guests. The whole experience takes about an hour including a five minute boat ride each way. The Royal Chundu employs residents of the village and they are understandably proud to show it off. They have a small "gift shop" where they sell some small souvenirs made by women in the village. The matriarch of the village Edith is incredible. If I recall the night before the official start of the tour they took everyone out for a sunset cruise. We didn't make it since we had gone for our microflights that afternoon. The "cruises"were one hour up and down the river enjoying the scenery and perhaps seeing some wildlife. The others we took with the guide/boat driver Moses were very informal as well. We were excited to see the first elephants and impala of our trip. This is a long winded answer to your question. That is they did not charge us for the village tour or "cruises". We of course paid for the microflights. In our opinion the Royal Chundu is a wonderful property. The rooms large and well appointed. The entire staff accommodating and gracious and the food fresh and excellent. The negative is that you are at least an hour away from Livingstone. There is nothing near the lodge, nothing. We had a wonderful stay there and would gladly return, but for touring purposes it made your day longer due to the logistics.

Dragonpatch

Taxare, thanks for the great summary. You really do us all a public service.

Did you need to take pre-medication for malaria? We are going in the super-hot time (October) and would prefer not to have to take un-needed meds for a number of reasons. On the other hand, nobody wants malaria....

British

On our last trip to Victoria Falls there were many mosquitoes in our room and we were bitten. We always take our Malaria meds, you just never know what the conditions will be and you need to begin them before you enter a Malaria zone.