hlphillips2

My husband and I have ten days for vacation at the end of November, and would love to see wildlife in Africa. From what I've read though, I'm afraid that time of the year we won't see as much wildlife. Any suggestions for camps or tours where we might see a lot? Or are we better off postponing for a better time of the year (which may mean 2005)?

SusanLynne

Hi there! There a a number of places where the wildlife viewing is "good" at that time of the year. Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti (not the southeastern area), Tarangire and Selous - all in Tanzania. In Kenya, Amboseli would not be bad that time of the year, nor would the Mara. Bostwana would also be not bad for November, excluding Nxai Pan and Makgadikgadi areas. There are numerous options for that time of the year. Namibia and South Africa would be other options. Good luck in your planning!

sandi

We have only done safari in November (end-Nov/beg-Dec - Thanksgiving time) and have been successful in both East Africa and Southern Africa at that time of year

But you have to remember, we're talking about animals and regardless the fact that many in these areas are accustomed to vehicles and humans - they still have their own timetables and really couldn't care if we were there or not.

The only place I was disappointed was at Chobe, known for it's large herds of elephants (some 30,000) and all I saw were 3, yes 3! But, we had a wonderful time at the camp and on the river where we came up-close-&-personal with hippos and visited a croc farm.

And while we were in Kenya after Migration time (July/Aug), we came across a "reverse" migration - apparently when the wildebeast and zebra headed back from the Mara to the Serengetti they ran into fires - and simply turned around and surprised us!

And it wasn't until my 4th trip to Africa that I saw my first Leopard. So there are never any guarantees.

SusanLynne already mentioned some "good" viewing options, though we weren't all that impressed with the Ngorongoro Crater, though Tarangire was great - both in Tanzania; and I understand the Selous is the best and least visited in Tanzania. But we loved Amboseli, the Mara and Samburu in Kenya. Botswana, especially the Delta area is just plain expensive, but doable.

What you don't indicate is whether you want to travel with a group or independently, nor the type of budget you're working with.

For group tours, OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel - check their website www.oat.com or www.overseasadventuretravel.com - I believe it's the former) is very good and has excellent prices, but I don't think they have a trip for less than 14-days.

For independent tours and depending on your budget you can do anything and I'm sure there will be lots of input from posters who have been once you give us some more information.

teresaandgreg

We were in Tanzania the last two weeks of September last year and saw an abundance of animals in Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and the Serengeti. We went with Kibo Safaris based out of Arusha. We booked the trip with Borton Overseas here in the U.S.

We did a mobile camping safari, and saw every animal that you can imagine. I think East Africa would be an idea place to spend some time in in November.

hlphillips2

Totally understand the animals have their own agendas. Same as the weather! I just want to hedge our bets.

Thank you so much for your feedback! I've always vacationed independently, so I'm not adverse to continuing the trend, but I'm also not against a tour group of a medium or smaller scale. Especially considering my unfamiliarity with the continent. Budget-wise we're probably middle of the road -- not the five star camps, but not sleeping in tents.

I'll definitely check out OAT and some other tour groups I've seen on this board. Pinpointing our destination has been the hardest part!

SusanLynne

We used a Tanzanian-based company for our tip. We found Roy Safaris Ltd. (website is www.roysafaris.com) to be the most reasonably priced for our private safari. My husband and I went to the Masai Mara and Amboseli in Kenya. Then hopped across the border to go to the Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Selous. It was for 15 days and was glorious. Everything went like clock-work, no problems. I would urge you to consider a private safari. During our stay in the Mara, we had the privilege of witnessing a wildebeest crossing of the Mara River. We waited nearly three hours before it happened, but it finally did. My point is that we chose to wait that amount of time. We had numerous other tour vehicles packed with people sit and wait for five minutes before moving on. They missed a spectacular experience, but that happens when you travel with a group of people. Not everyone is interested in seeing the same things. Good luck with your planning.

LizFrazier

See the "Reduced fares to South Africa" thread just below this one. I'm sure you will. Wouldn't hurt to contact Ken and check him out. He says he'll beat anyone elses offer.

LizFrazier

PS. Don't say I sent you because it won't do you any good. :->

hlphillips2

I was so excited to see that thread about reduced fares! I'll definitely check it out -- thanks!