Honeymoon - Best Destination - July ???
 

We are thinking of traveling to Africa for our honeymoon in July '07. I
have done a little research but have not been able to narrow down the
list of destinations, there is simply too much to choose from... Here's
a little info which should give you an idea as to what we are looking
for:

1. Luxury - We can rough it but given that it is our honeymoon I think
a luxury vacation is more appropriate. It should offer a good balance
between relaxation and adventure.

2. Wildlife - I am an amateur photographer so I would like to go
somewhere that will offer a great selection of wildlife of all kinds. I
have read that Kenya in July can be spectacular with the annual
migration. I have also looked into Botswana, Tanzania and South Africa.
Botswana appears to be a great destination as well, just wondering
whether I might regret not seeing the migration.

3. Must see destinations - As mentioned, the migration appears to be on
the "must-see" list. What about Victoria Falls?

4. Crowds - I would prefer a location which is less crowded, more
intimate.

5. Cost - We are flexible here, I would like to keep the total cost of
the Safari under $6000 per person.

Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Alan

Honeymoon - Best Destination - July ???
 

Also, I should mention that we would like to spend a few days at a
beach location. It looks like The Seychelles and Zanzibar are the top
beach destinations. Any preferences?

Honeymoon - Best Destination - July ???
 

In message .com
wrote:

We are thinking of traveling to Africa for our honeymoon in July '07. I
have done a little research but have not been able to narrow down the
list of destinations, there is simply too much to choose from... Here's
a little info which should give you an idea as to what we are looking
for:

1. Luxury - We can rough it but given that it is our honeymoon I think
a luxury vacation is more appropriate. It should offer a good balance
between relaxation and adventure.
Sounds fair enough, but what do *you* mean by 'adventure'?

2. Wildlife - I am an amateur photographer so I would like to go
somewhere that will offer a great selection of wildlife of all kinds. I
have read that Kenya in July can be spectacular with the annual
migration. I have also looked into Botswana, Tanzania and South Africa.
Botswana appears to be a great destination as well, just wondering
whether I might regret not seeing the migration.
The migration is well worth seeing, but to be sure of seeing it, make
sure you're in the Mara in the third week of July at the earliest.
Although the migration can be coming into the Mara in late June, you
could be unlucky. Earlier than that, safer in the Serengeti (Tx).
There are luxurious/romantic destinations everywhere.

3. Must see destinations - As mentioned, the migration appears to be on
the "must-see" list. What about Victoria Falls?
AFAIK, they aren't at their best in July, but I'll let other comment.

4. Crowds - I would prefer a location which is less crowded, more
intimate.
If you book a private safari for just the two of you (that would be my
choice, over top-of-the-range supadupa accommodation, but YMMV) you
just tell your driver/guide you want to stay away from crowds: even
get it written specifically into your itinerary. Even in the Mara and
Ngorongoro you can do this (the crowds are usually around the Big
Cats).
Remember, there's generally a reason why some places are more heavily
visited than others: you might go to a place where very few people
are, but you almost certainly won't get the volume of wildlife that
you do in the 'honey pots'. E.g. we were in the only vehicle in Ruma
NP the morning we were there. I thought Ruma was fantastic, the
wildlife was different, even a lot of the birds were different, but it
wasn't so concentrated, nor was it habituated to people, which some
people prefer, but might bother you, unless you have very long IS
lenses. Same in Selous, though that's much more visited nowadays, so
presumably the animals will be less skittish. I've never seen Ruma on
a 'published' 'general' safari from the UK.

5. Cost - We are flexible here, I would like to keep the total cost of
the Safari under $6000 per person.
Is that the safari alone, in which case your options are many, even in
Botswana, or has it to include your international flights?

As for Seychelles/Zanzibar: both have their attractions, Seychelles is
more pretty/romantic, Zanzibar is more 'exotic' in flavour. if you
just like to lie on the beach, I don't suppose it matters much.
If you like snorkelling, I found it *much* better off Chumbe Island
(off Ugunja) than off the allegedly good Seychelles site in July.
Internal flights add quite a bit to your safari costs, but beach
accommodation is normally much cheaper than safari accommodation.

Whatever you choose, you'll certainly have a fantastic time

Safari njema

Liz
--
http://www.v-liz.com Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; Seychelles; Galapagos
Photo galleries:
http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/f...emberID=165111
http://www.photoshopuser.com/napmem/...g.php?id=39466

Honeymoon - Best Destination - July ???
 

We are thinking of traveling to Africa for our honeymoon in July '07. I
have done a little research but have not been able to narrow down the
list of destinations, there is simply too much to choose from... Here's
a little info which should give you an idea as to what we are looking
for:

1. Luxury - We can rough it but given that it is our honeymoon I think
a luxury vacation is more appropriate. It should offer a good balance
between relaxation and adventure.
As Liz said - what do you mean by adventure?
Bear in mind distances and give yourself plenty of time at each place (many
'off the shelf' safaris stay only 2 nights in each lodge/camp; I think 3 is
a minimum to achieve any relaxation! )Also think about whether you want road
or air trips to lodges/camps. The roads can be long and dusty but you do get
to see life enroute. But the sights from the small planes can be amazing
too!

2. Wildlife - I am an amateur photographer so I would like to go
somewhere that will offer a great selection of wildlife of all kinds. I
have read that Kenya in July can be spectacular with the annual
migration. I have also looked into Botswana, Tanzania and South Africa.
Botswana appears to be a great destination as well, just wondering
whether I might regret not seeing the migration.
I've not managed to see the migration proper - tried in Tanzania but we were
about a week too late. Did still see some large herds tho.
My vote would probably go to Botswana; small camps but can be as luxurious
as you want. (I wont stay anywhere without an en-suite WC but some places
can be over-the-top in luxury in my opinion; I still want to feel as tho I'm
in Africa!)

3. Must see destinations - As mentioned, the migration appears to be on
the "must-see" list. What about Victoria Falls?
It would be on my list; its pretty spectacular even without a lot of water.
I think the first time we went was July and there was quite a lot of water,
but the second was in September when part of it was 'dry'.
Try to see it from both the Zambian and Zimbabwean sides; there are some
fantastic places to stay near the Falls (eg Tongabezi)

4. Crowds - I would prefer a location which is less crowded, more
intimate.
Go for small camps/lodges

5. Cost - We are flexible here, I would like to keep the total cost of
the Safari under $6000 per person.


Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Remember that it will be cold at night (esp in Botswana) and on early
morning game drives. You'll need warm clothes! In Botswana (and Zambia) the
drives are in open vehicles; Kenya and Tanzania usually not so you dont get
so cold. In the game parks in K and T you cant do night drives, which you
can in Botswana.

--
Rita Daggett

Honeymoon - Best Destination - July ???
 

Thanks for all of the information.

As far as adventure goes, we would probably like something which gave
us a good taste of Africa, both wildlife and culture. Admittedly a
safari probably is not the best cultural experience but I would think
there are ways to increase your exposure. We spent some time in Peru a
couple of years ago and had a great experience meeting the local
people. This may be less important as we will be on our honeymoon and
won't want an itinerary which is too extreme. The ten days in Peru were
exhausting.

I will have a 100-400mm IS lens (slow 5.6 at 400mm) with me but I would
like to get some close up shots as well. It sounds like the open air
vehicles in Botswana might be better for photography. I suppose we can
find a private safari in Kenya which would offer the same flexibility.

Do you have any recommendations on which tour group to use?

Thanks,
Alan

Honeymoon - Best Destination - July ???
 

Hi Alan

One or two things to add - mostly covered.

The migration *is* worth seeing, if you are in the right place.
We were lucky enough to have an extra trip over to the Mara river with our
tour and saw a lot of the carnage etc (if that kind of thing appeals!).

400mm IS at f5.6 should be fine - particularly if you are on digital with
the option to increase the ISO if you need it. Either way, take a bean bag -
its the best form of support by far when poking your head through a safari
vehicle roof.

For Kenya safaris I can recommend Eyes on Africa (www.eyesonafrica.org) who
will set up whatever tour you want (and will make suggestions too). If you
wish, they will provide a personal guide/transport etc -which they have done
for me - and do understand about photography requirements (for example
switching the engine off when stationary, and getting the light behind you
etc)

We also went to Zanzibar on one occasion and it is an excellent escape for
romantics!
Have a couple of days in Stonetown first if you can - to walk about the
winding alleys, see the harbour and the sites, before having a few days on
the east coast for sea and sand.

Last point, if you go to Tanzanire, you might consider the Tarangire
conservation area - just outside the Tarangire National Park. Its run by the
locals, rather than a big multinational, and offers a bit more wilderness
without the risks!
The rooms are treehouses, and the elephant drink from the swimming pool!

More info here - http://www.tomalin.org/bedford/index.htm

Treehouse and elephant here -
http://www.tomalin.org/charles/tanza...e/103_0331.jpg
http://www.tomalin.org/charles/tanza...007_034Nik.JPG

Whatever you do, have fun and I suspect you'll be back!

Charles


wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks for all of the information.

As far as adventure goes, we would probably like something which gave
us a good taste of Africa, both wildlife and culture. Admittedly a
safari probably is not the best cultural experience but I would think
there are ways to increase your exposure. We spent some time in Peru a
couple of years ago and had a great experience meeting the local
people. This may be less important as we will be on our honeymoon and
won't want an itinerary which is too extreme. The ten days in Peru were
exhausting.

I will have a 100-400mm IS lens (slow 5.6 at 400mm) with me but I would
like to get some close up shots as well. It sounds like the open air
vehicles in Botswana might be better for photography. I suppose we can
find a private safari in Kenya which would offer the same flexibility.

Do you have any recommendations on which tour group to use?

Thanks,
Alan

Honeymoon - Best Destination - July ???
 

In message .com
wrote:

Thanks for all of the information.

As far as adventure goes, we would probably like something which gave
us a good taste of Africa, both wildlife and culture. Admittedly a
safari probably is not the best cultural experience but I would think
there are ways to increase your exposure. We spent some time in Peru a
couple of years ago and had a great experience meeting the local
people. This may be less important as we will be on our honeymoon and
won't want an itinerary which is too extreme. The ten days in Peru were
exhausting.
In Kenya, you can generally visit tribal villages pretty easily. You
pay usually between 10 and 20 USD per person, but you get pressured
into buying stuff you don't want at the end of your visit. You
shouldn't feel guilty if you don't want anything, as your entry fee is
substantial in local terms, but if you're the only ones there, as we
were, it's difficult. You can often arrange these visits via lodges,
but if you wanted to be sure, you could have it written into your
itinerary.
In Tanzania, you can often visit tribal or local villages too, but we
didn't see them offered so often out of lodges. Again, if getting a
tailor-made trip you could get visits built in to your itinerary.

I will have a 100-400mm IS lens (slow 5.6 at 400mm) with me but I would
like to get some close up shots as well. It sounds like the open air
vehicles in Botswana might be better for photography. I suppose we can
find a private safari in Kenya which would offer the same flexibility.
I didn't find the open air vehicles in Selous or in Namibia any better
than the open hatch-top minibuses which are generally used in Kenya or
the open hatch-top 4x4 in Tanzania.
What will make the most difference is having a private, tailor-made
tour, then *you* do what you want to do and don't have to compromise
with non-photographers, i.e. you can choose when to stay longer at a
particular place, waiting for a cloud to shift, or an animal to turn,
or to move on. Also you can set your own itinerary.

Do you have any recommendations on which tour group to use?
The last time someone asked here which company I used, I told him and
got well slagged off *by him* for promoting a company! (If you really
want to know, it's in my site, or google back, or email!)
So I'll just say that there are lots of good companies. If they link
with reputable operators in your country they will be fine.

If you decide to go with a tour group, make sure that a window seat is
clearly shown as guaranteed. The smaller the group, the better.
Whether with a group or private, make sure that you get everything in
writing before you book. If it's not on the itinerary, you won't get
it, or you'll need to pay extra. Read the itinerary very carefully. If
you can't work out why one trip is much cheaper than the other, it
might be 'hinted at': for example I read an itinerary which had
entries like:

Day 3 Optional pre-breakfast game drive.
Breakfast at lodge
Post breakfast nature walk with lodge naturalist
Afternoon: what will you choose: catching up with your reading
and relaxing around the pool or a game drive?

.... what might not be immediately obvious from that is that the only
thing that is 'included' in the tour price is the nature walk. The
game drives cost extra: probably about 40USD each, maybe more by now!

You'll have a great time.
And don't assume you'll only go once!

Safari njema

Liz

--
http://www.v-liz.com Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Galapagos
Photo galleries:
http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/free/gallery.asp?memberID=165111"
http://www.photoshopuser.com/napmem/...g.php?id=39466

Honeymoon - Best Destination - July ???
 

On 22 Apr 2006 17:05:13 -0700, wrote:

I will have a 100-400mm IS lens (slow 5.6 at 400mm) with me but I would
like to get some close up shots as well. It sounds like the open air
vehicles in Botswana might be better for photography. I suppose we can
find a private safari in Kenya which would offer the same flexibility.

Alan,

that's about the ideal lens for the purpose. You still need to
lean it against the window frame or rest it on a bean bag. Take
one with you!

I don't think you need open vehicles. In Kenya you typically
have the choice of taking photos directly out of the window if
you have a window seat (some safari companies can guarantee one)
or to stand up and take photos out of the roof hatch, where you
can lean the camera on the edge. Works pretty well.

The biggest problem in my personal view is not the vehicle, but
the driver. To be fair, the driver only tries to get everybody
the best experience, but he has to be as impatient as his
passengers, so one might as well say, the biggest enemy of the
tourist is the tourist. (:-)

If you spend more money, you will often get a better experience,
fewer people in the car, better drivers, less impatient fellow
tourists, even a biologist, who can explain the things you see,
but that comes only above $600 per double per night.

See http://www.michna.com/kenya.htm for check lists and safari
background information.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

Honeymoon - Best Destination - July ???
 

In message . com,
writes
Thanks again for all the information.

Based on all of your feedback our current plan is to price out a trip
which will include:

1. An eight day safari which includes 1 night in Nairobi followed by 6
nights on safari. One package which interests us includes three nights
at Elsa's Kopje and three nights at Cottar's 1920 camp. The two three
night stays are based on recommendations received above. Any thoughts
on those two locations?

2. 3 nights in Zanzibar. Here we are thinking about staying at the
Palms or an equivalent hotel. The Palms is expensive but should be a
nice treat to cap off our honeymoon.

Thanks!
-Alan

Alan,
If you can afford it your choices above sound perfect! I wish I was
going!
Elsa`s Kopje looks wonderful as does Cottar`s camp, another
alternative would be Finch Hatton`s, which is in the Tsavo reserve.
The Palms on Zanzibar looks luxurious and perfect for a honeymoon, I
would say you couldn`t improve on your choice of places to stay.
Pat.
--
Pat Anderson

Honeymoon - Best Destination - July ???
 

In message . com
wrote:

Thanks again for all the information.

Based on all of your feedback our current plan is to price out a trip
which will include:

1. An eight day safari which includes 1 night in Nairobi followed by 6
nights on safari. One package which interests us includes three nights
at Elsa's Kopje and three nights at Cottar's 1920 camp. The two three
night stays are based on recommendations received above. Any thoughts
on those two locations?

Elsa's Kopje looks to be *very* romantic, in fact they were offering
weddings there a while back (becoming more common in various lodges,
even the 'mainstream' Ol Tukai). I really fancied going there for our
25th last year, but again couldn't persuade D. to go anywhere (so we
spent our SW several thousand miles apart!) I wonder how much game
there is in that area, though, or how habituated it is? The last I
heard was that it's fantastic for scenery, not so good for close-up
animals.
Does anyone have recent experience?

2. 3 nights in Zanzibar. Here we are thinking about staying at the
Palms or an equivalent hotel. The Palms is expensive but should be a
nice treat to cap off our honeymoon.
:-)

Safari njema!

Liz


--
http://www.v-liz.com Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Galapagos
Photo galleries:
http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/free/gallery.asp?memberID=165111"
http://www.photoshopuser.com/napmem/...g.php?id=39466