I hear the usual Masai Mara is like being in a queue of traffic looking at a bunch of bored lions…

With a strong pound v Rand exchange rate I suggest South Africa:
#1 Self-drive safari in Kruger. Huge national park, drive yourself round at your pace in an ordinary car. North of the park is very empty – south busy. Best time of year is our Summer. Pretty much guaranteed to see everything you’d want to see.
#2 Madikwe park in South Africa. Private lodges only so guided trips only. Options from modestly luxurious to super luxury. Not at all crowded. Not malarial.
#3 Private Game Reserves, Kruger. Along the west edge of the main park are a series of private reserve. Ultra luxurious and ultra expensive.

Have also been to Botswana Okavango which was utterly fantastic but is now utterly fantastically expensive.

Have a look at Naturetrek – we did one through them in Zambia, really good, though I’ve heard that particualr tour’s been discontinued now. I’m sure they do something else in Africa though!

We did a self drive in Kruger and it was fantastic. Probably didn’t see as much as an organised tour but had some amazing experiences that were vastly improved by being on our own. In a hire car surrounded by a herd of elephants or 6 feet from a rhino. We did a couple of organised things including an MTB ride into the scrub. The guide had a gun rack on his bike.

not norway

The guide had a gun rack on his bike.

Riding in the Rockies my friend always had a gun (the excuse was mountain lions, but he is really just a gun nut):

Side arm on a mountain bike? by brf, on Flickr

Here is our guide doing some tracking

I’ve been on a couple of trips which I really enjoyed, though not the cheapest!

We did an overland trip through Botswana with ‘& beyond’ where you are with a single guide for a week in a truck spending two nights at a series of camps out in the bush – loved this trip as we built a really good relationship with our guide and being out somewhere remote in a tent overnight was magical.

More recently I’ve been to South Luangwa in Zambia which is much quieter than Kenya or S Africa, and offers the chance to stay in small camps in the park. You can also walk with a guide through the bush and see animals from a more vulnerable perspective. We went with Norman Carr safaris who had fantastically knowledgeable and friendly guides and camp hosts – this is what makes the trip.

We booked both trips through Hartley’s Safaris who will tailor a trip to your budget and expectations then book all the internal flights etc, which makes life easy.

I’m desperate to go back as soon as possible, maybe self driving Namibia next though this will be more for the scenery than the wildlife.

It depends entirely on your budget. Some of the cheapest will be self drive in places like Kruger, Addo Elephant Park or Etosha in Namibia. They all have a wide range of accomodation options and are easily done as self-drive.

Chobe, Moremi etc in Botswana are worlds apart both in budget and experience. Zambia is also pretty awesome.

I have little experience of East Africa.

Self drive through Longleat?

+1 self drive through the Kruger in SA we had a really great trip. You can pick up extra guided bits too early morning and late ones especially. We did a night Safari with a buffet on a hillside surrounded by guides with rifles for the millennium new year.

you can camp or glamp or stay in a whole array of accommodation. we stayed in some self catering thatched bungalows. We went some SA Family of mine, we either ate either Braai (BBQ) or did a potjiekos pronounced something like Poi-kee, game stew to you and I or used the restaurants in camp. you can spend as much or as little with in reason as you like.

we’d like to go back in a few years when baby29ers a bit older

My wife’s parents became birdwatchers when they were living in Africa. Took them a couple of safari trips to realise you might not see big things every time, but there are always birds.

I did some photographic work at Ol Pejeta in Kenya, google it. Amazing place, there is a whole variety of accomodation on the conservancy from small luxury tented camps, Pelican house (semi self catering), to the larger Sweetwaters tented camp and Rift valley adventures camp which does expeditions up mount Kenya and arranges bike rides through the conservancy.

Ol Pejeta is about 3 to 4 hours drive from the airport, really depends on traffic.

Pm me if you want more info.

I would recommend Botswana, if only for the pleasure of seeing that rare beast: an African country that’s doing pretty well because the leaders are not looting it and seem to be running it for the benefit of its citizens rather than themselves and their cronies. It’s easy to reach, affordable, small amd has fantastic game including one reserve just outside the capital.

Last time I was there I met the president’s brother in a cafe.

My wife did this

http://www.inthesaddle.com/rides/view/16_macatoo_okavango-delta_botswana

one of the rides that inspired me to get on a horse. Pricey and you need to be a very good rider. Supposed to be one of the best safari trips there is. Nothing gets you closer to a lion than riding its lunch.

Went to Phinda forest lodge earlier this year, great place

Thula Thula for “luxury”

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park for camping and cabins http://www.sanparks.org/parks/kgalagadi/

Three or four days is enough imvho…

globalti

Did you see the King of Spain?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/15/spain-king-juan-carlos-hunting

+1 for Botswana.The Okavango Delta is breathtaking. Check out this lot – http://www.maun-backpackers.com/
They helped organise various guided and self-driven safaris and adventure stuff for us for ££££££’s less than mainstream companies. Definitely recommend them.

29erKeith – Member
We did a night Safari with a buffet on a hillside surrounded by guides with rifles for the millennium new year.

So if a lion or whatever other dangerous creature decided to come and investigate the good smells coming from the buffet it would be shot? At least you were having a good millenium eh. Next time please do it without the rifles.

So if a lion or whatever other dangerous creature decided to come and investigate the good smells coming from the buffet it would be shot? At least you were having a good millenium eh. Next time please do it without the rifles.

Spot the wannabe environmentalist who doesn’t have a clue…

Self drive Namibia – Waterburg Plateau, Etosha National ParK, Skeleton Coast, Sossusvlei (largest sand dunes in the world). We took three weeks to do the trip and it is without doubt the best trip I have ever done. Best to do it in the dry season when the animals are round the water holes and the roads are not washed away!

Please explain as I’m obviously too stupid to understand

one very board lion…

I would recommend Botswana as well. I used to manage a camp out there called Oddballs
run by Okavango safaris. I’ve traveled to quite a few places in Africa and Botswana is hard to beat for wildlife. Also relatively safe place to travel as well.

oh yeah really no need for a gun too if you use a bit of common sense

Don’t write off the Masai Mara. We had a fantastic trip there a couple of years ago, really quiet too. No more than 3 cars on any animal, and usually just our land rover.

Might depend on the time of year, we went in November, and had brilliant views of all the animals and loads of birds too.

Stunning place, I cannot wait to go back.

I got married in Keyna, 20 years ago so not really current. The only bit of advice I’d offer is, you’re unlikely to do it again so do the longest one possible.

We did Mombasa to Nairobi then up to Tree Tops for a night. Back to Nairobi then first class overnight sleeper back to Mombassa. Safari lodges were the best available and the whole thing was like a trip back in time.