Best spots in Africa?

[Thurisaz]

Me and my brother are planning a safari trip to Africa around August to November (preferably November as I've heard it to be best time for photography).
We want an operator and area in Africa giving us the best possible shots of mainly as wide a range of mammals as possible, but birds would be much appreciated too. The big five (with black &/or white rhino) is almost a must.

The help I need from the rest of you is to guide me to where in Africa to go. Our budget is absolutely maxed out at 3500-4000 US$ per person, not including trip TO Africa.

- We are mainly considering Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Botswana, and/or Kenya. So which would be best for our needs? (Never mind any talk about one country being safe or not)
- Okavango, Ngorongoro, Masai Mara, and Serengetti seem to be the best places, are they? and which one is probably the best that time of the year?
- Is trecking an experience not to be missed (which can't be done in Botswana)? Heard animals get more frightened by that than getting close by car! ?

I hope I can get some help and input on these questions. Later, when I know which area we would chose, I'll get back to you all again, with questions on specific operators to be considered.

Thanks all,

Mats

[Mark D Segal]

Mat,

Safety is an important consideration and you need to do your own research. I'll refrain from getting into specifics, because the situation varies from place to place and from time to time. Just kind advice not to ignore it.

I know Tanzania from years back because I lived there and photographed in numerous game parks. Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti are all along a "string" and very rich in all kinds of wild life. As well, you can visit Olduvai Gorge which is said to be one of the cradles of mankind.

Colleagues of mine have also been to Murcheson Falls and Queen Elizabeth parks in Uganda and they assure me these are spectacular - for example, you would find gorillas there. For a long while these were largely off-limits to outsiders because of high risk, but a senior Ugandan tourism official whom I had the pleasure to meet some months ago told me they are open for business, they are now safe and quite unique. I have not been there, but one of these days I would like to visit them.

[francois]

Me and my brother are planning a safari trip to Africa around August to November (preferably November as I've heard it to be best time for photography).
We want an operator and area in Africa giving us the best possible shots of mainly as wide a range of mammals as possible, but birds would be much appreciated too. The big five (with black &/or white rhino) is almost a must.

The help I need from the rest of you is to guide me to where in Africa to go. Our budget is absolutely maxed out at 3500-4000 US$ per person, not including trip TO Africa.

- We are mainly considering Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Botswana, and/or Kenya. So which would be best for our needs? (Never mind any talk about one country being safe or not)
- Okavango, Ngorongoro, Masai Mara, and Serengetti seem to be the best places, are they? and which one is probably the best that time of the year?
- Is trecking an experience not to be missed (which can't be done in Botswana)? Heard animals get more frightened by that than getting close by car! ?

I hope I can get some help and input on these questions. Later, when I know which area we would chose, I'll get back to you all again, with questions on specific operators to be considered.

Thanks all,

Mats
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Have you read Michael's articles about his African Safari?
[a href=\"http://www.luminous-landscape.com/locations/namibia-equipment.shtml]Namibia Equipment[/url]
An African Safari Primer
Shooting Big Game
African Photo Safari

There's some other articles on this website.
You should also visit Andy Biggs website. Finally, issue #13 of the Video Journal has a full chapter about Michael's African Safari in Tanzania (here).

[Thurisaz]

Safety is an important consideration and you need to do your own research.

Yes. I'm not taking safety lightly. I just don't want too much talk about that in my thread unless people have concrete advice on specific things to consider, specific for that area. If the country is not listed as very dangerous for whites, then I will go.
I've lived in 5 different countries, 5 years or more in each, all around the world (though none in Africa), so I do not dress like a European or American (to as much as I can influence it). No nice sneakers, no jewelry, no nice watch, no clothing looking like I'm off to a safari, etc.. I do not carry my camera equipment in bags looking like camera bags. I don't act in a tourist kind of way. Those are just some of my personal precautions when being abroad.

As well, you can visit Olduvai Gorge which is said to be one of the cradles of mankind.

That was a new one for me and I will be checking it out. Sounds interresting.

Colleagues of mine have also been to Murcheson Falls and Queen Elizabeth parks in Uganda and they assure me these are spectacular - for example, you would find gorillas there. For a long while these were largely off-limits to outsiders because of high risk, but a senior Ugandan tourism official whom I had the pleasure to meet some months ago told me they are open for business, they are now safe and quite unique. I have not been there, but one of these days I would like to visit them.

Gorillas is a separate dream trip of mine, one I will do another time. Great to hear that Uganda is less dangerous now for tourists. Now I know I can start planning such a trip then.

Thanks for your input. Much appreciate it.

[Mark D Segal]

Mats,

I understand why you don't want to dwell on safety in your thread, but based on what you say I feel obligated to bring to your attention certain aspects of what this problem is really about. Firstly, the kind of danger you can encounter is not confined to Whites, nor is it necessarily a variable depending on how you dress. The people who commit these crimes are sometimes desperate, and usually smart and devious. They can sniff their prey no matter how well disguised and no matter what vintage. Countries will never be listed as dangerous or not dangerous for Whites. That is not how it works. The usual modus operandi is that of armed gangs that prey on anything or anyone of potential value to them. The presence and activities of those gangs varies depending primarily on the effectiveness of law enforcement. A country becomes all of the sudden "danerous" when a gang gets away with mugging or even murdering one or more tourists, and it stays "dangerous" until the authorities arrest the perpetrators; then it stays "safe" until the next gang has an opportunity to do the same again. But all that said, most of East Africa is now reasonably safe and very few people have problems in the game parks there (Capital cities are another matter). So as I mentioned, the best protection is to keep informed of the  situation in each area before you travel, and don't assume your precautions, while correct ones, are fail-safe. Perhaps we've exhausted that matter now.

[Thurisaz]

Have you read Michael's articles about his African Safari?
Namibia Equipment
An African Safari Primer
Shooting Big Game
African Photo Safari

There's some other articles on this website.
You should also visit Andy Biggs website. Finally, issue #13 of the Video Journal has a full chapter about Michael's African Safari in Tanzania (here).
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=86860\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thanks for those links. Informative and good articles. Hadn't read them before.

I've talked to Andy Biggs about safari itineraries back in March and he told me that he could not accomodate us with our budget, at least not for a 2 week safari. We will see if we might shorten it to join one of his. We've increased our budget from when we first decided to go for a safari but my salary will not allow me to increase it further to be able to join his itineraries nor any with Eyes on Africa itineraries with David Cardinal and National Geographics images expert.

[Thurisaz]

So as I mentioned, the best protection is to keep informed of the  situation in each area before you travel, and don't assume your precautions, while correct ones, are fail-safe. Perhaps we've exhausted that matter now.

Yes. I get informed by contacting authorities in my country and independent sources on the net.
I don't assume my precautions are fail-safe. Nothing in life is. All you can do is minimize the dangers.
It's been the same way in the dictator ruled countries I've lived in. Caution and not acting like a foreigner DOES get you far though.