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Self-drive in Botswana & SA
Hi all,
In October my husband and I are returning to Botswana, flying into Joburg. We plan to rent a vehicle for the 5 weeks we'll be there. I've found places that rent cars, and ones that rent 4WD trucks with full camping equipment. Does anyone rent SUV-type vehicles? We'd like the higher seating of an SUV but don't want to pay as much as we're seeing for the big trucks, when we can bring our own camping gear. Or, know anyplace in Joburg or Gabarone where we can rent for under $100 US/day? nancy |
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Self-drive in Botswana & SA
On Mar 14, 4:23 pm, Nancy wrote:
Hi all, In October my husband and I are returning to Botswana, flying into Joburg. We plan to rent a vehicle for the 5 weeks we'll be there. I've found places that rent cars, and ones that rent 4WD trucks with full camping equipment. Does anyone rent SUV-type vehicles? We'd like the higher seating of an SUV but don't want to pay as much as we're seeing for the big trucks, when we can bring our own camping gear. Or, know anyplace in Joburg or Gabarone where we can rent for under $100 US/day? nancy Just got back. We traveled on some gravel roads on every part of SA and had no problems. 10,000 km. We rented a Renault Clio with manual for $21 per day with THRIFTY. |
#3
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Self-drive in Botswana & SA
"Nancy" schreef in bericht ... Hi all, In October my husband and I are returning to Botswana, flying into Joburg. We plan to rent a vehicle for the 5 weeks we'll be there. I've found places that rent cars, and ones that rent 4WD trucks with full camping equipment. Does anyone rent SUV-type vehicles? We'd like the higher seating of an SUV but don't want to pay as much as we're seeing for the big trucks, when we can bring our own camping gear. Or, know anyplace in Joburg or Gabarone where we can rent for under $100 US/day? nancy Take a look at: www.come-along.nl But my Land Rover is occupied during october... Reg. Hans |
#4
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Self-drive in Botswana & SA
Nancy schreef:
In October my husband and I are returning to Botswana, flying into Joburg. We plan to rent a vehicle for the 5 weeks we'll be there. I've found places that rent cars, and ones that rent 4WD trucks with full camping equipment. Does anyone rent SUV-type vehicles? We'd like the higher seating of an SUV but don't want to pay as much as we're seeing for the big trucks, when we can bring our own camping gear. Or, know anyplace in Joburg or Gabarone where we can rent for under $100 US/day? Hi Nancy, it depends very much on where you want to travel. All parks in Botswana require a 4x4 vehicle to enter the park. And for a very good reason. Most of these renatl 4x4 vehicles don't just have camping equipment. that is not what makes them expensive. They are specially equipped for the rough African bush, with extra strong suspension, plated underside, long range fuel tanks, second battery, water tank etc etc. That kind of equipment makes these vehicles suitable for the bush, but also expensive. Please don't underestimate that! Please do not regard the bush and parks in Botswana as Amrican Style national parks. This is the true wilderness!!! As you mention you are returning to Botswana, I guess you have been there and you do know this. In my opinion the best place to rent a 4x4 is with Britz. http://www.britz.co.za/ They have an office in Jo'burg right next to the airport. Their vehicles are not most inexpensive ones, but they are well prepared and safe and their service is very good indeed. We have used them for many trips and will be using one of their Landrovers again in a few months. Regards, Hans |
#5
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Self-drive in Botswana & SA
A Toyota Hilux 4x4 will fit your needs perfectly. They are used
extensively by rental companies and locals alike, and can be rented without gear. Get a diesel engine for better fuel mileage/economy and torque and in our opinion, pay the extra money for a fully kitted out camper. A great value for what you get and over five weeks, you'll use the full equipment and enjoy the extra comforts - are you going to bring your own cozy camp chairs? We're giving you a gold mine here... contact bushlore.com for your rental. Read the testimonials and believe them. This company is rock solid and the camper you will get has all the necessary equipment to take you anywhere in the world and keep you comfortable and safe. Bushlore rents the Hilux without equipment, but with the equipment is were they really shine. There are many camper rental companies in South Africa, we've tried three of them, but none come close to Bushlore's, price, equipment list and overall concern for doing the best job possible. You'll see all types of rental campers in the park. We love the Landy station wagon (Defender), but used the Toyota Hilux out first time out without any problems at all. The Hilux drives and has an interior similar to a car. The camper price depends on the exchange rate, but at any price (well except if your currency plunges to some crazy lows against the rand) renting a 4x4 and doing the self drive thing is a super, super deal. It's very easy and so much, much cheaper than any other means of viewing wildlife. And in Bots, you get a big bang for your money. A fully equipped camper will cost more than $100. a day (if the $$ keeps getting stronger, maybe not), but what you get is unbelievable. A refrigerator, all sleeping gear - having the tent on the roof is a great feature you won't have when you bring your own ground tent. You'll have a good view above the ground and you won't have to worry about Hyenas biting your head - also full kitchen equipment, extra large fuel tanks (absolutely essential), water tanks, safety gear, full tank of diesel at pickup (remember, you want a diesel engine, for better fuel mileage/economy and torque) anything you'll need and more, a fully kitted out camper. Check out Fodor's scubatv posts, (that's us). You can track these posts back to when we inquired about renting a cheap sedan car ($23. / day) in Joberg and traveling into Bots. We then considered renting an SUV for around $100. and bringing our camping gear and some were available. Luckily for us, others did as we're doing and quickly steered us in the right direction. We caught on and now, three years later, we're planning our third self drive in a row, into Zambia and Zimbabwe. If game viewing is your goal, as you already know, it would be a mistake to travel into Botswana without a 4x4. It can be said, without getting much of an argument from anyone on the planet, that Bots host the world's best, the world's most abundant, and the world's most easily accessible wildlife. Wildlife is ubiquitous in Bots parks, and while the camps are filled, on the tracks you won't see many vehicles, just enough to know there are people around to help you out if needed. While a 4x4 is necessary, the tracks through the game parks can be driven by anyone who has experience and confidence driving a car. The roads are bumpy and quite sandy, but the 4x4's do all the work. There are a few places that are a bit harder to get to, but just don't go there. We've done this trip two years in a row (July/August), traveling from the states, renting a 4x4 in Joberg and driving up to Moremi and Chobe in Bots and Vic Falls, Hwange, Harare, Mana Pools, Chitake in Zimbabwe and then back. These routs are well traveled and documented on the internet. Our first time out, we had never driven a 4x4 until we pulled it out of the lot and two days later, we were tearing through the sand in Moremi. Extra notes: Call, fax, quickly, now, the Bots parks office to reserve your camping spots. Get a hold of Bushlore, they sellout all of their campers every year. Actually, most of the camper rental companies will be fully booked soon. It's a sellers market. |
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