safaris! - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**pinknic38** · 12-09-2007, 07:03 PM

I'm not sure how many of you TPers have been to Africa or want to go or would be interested in this sort of thing, but next on my list of things I want to do with my life includes an African safari. Cheesy and perhaps cliche, I know. A lot of the places I looked up it's just a bunch of rich people having picnics and bird watching in Zanzibar or something, but I did find one that looked pretty sweet and it is AMAZINGLY inexpensive, in my opinion anyway...

http://www.overlandafrica.com/tours_temp.asp?TourNo=197

This is like a 46 day trip for 880 bucks, plus a few more side expenses. Catch it, airfare isn't included. But to me it's still a good deal and very legit. You get to go to a lot of national parks, go white water rafting, see Victoria Falls, and it's kind of a happy medium between something well catered and planned out and roughing it. You get to see South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, and Zanzibar.

So to me, 46 days in Africa, meals included, lodging included (though more often than not you're camping out), for 880 bucks without airfare seems like a pretty good deal.

Anyway if you're thinking of a safari, that site is a good place to start. They have longer and shorter trips as well, with a wide variety of countries to see. One thing these sorts of trips do require in case you didn't know (cos I had no idea but I suppose it makes sense), is you must have traveler's insurance.

Anyhoo, I was very surprised how inexpensive such a thing is and thought I'd pass on the info.

**lauren313** · 12-10-2007, 01:06 AM

I had a look at the site Nic, cos I was amazed at how cheap it is, but I'm afraid it's waaaaay more expensive than that!! The $880 dollars is a sort of side payment, I think it's one you make locally, once you arrive. If you see in the price list, it says "Rates from: ZAR 14890 + Local rate: US$880"... ZAR 14890 works out to over $2200!!! So really the trip is costing $3000 without flights. Not such a sweet deal!

**mbo108** · 12-10-2007, 04:47 AM

i wish i had 46 days to spend in Africa! (or $3000 to spend anywhere). I'm thinking of doing 12-15 days there next (north american) fall. We're trying to decide between there or australia...Thanks for that link though.

**freakypete** · 12-10-2007, 04:51 AM

Its something id love to do, but I dont think I'd want to do it through a tour operator. Id hate to be tied to a schedule and not be able to go where i want when I want. Id much rather do it alone, even with the added hassle. Im sure once you got there youd be able to find people that would take you on safaris and stuff at a fraction of the price.

My parenty used to live in Zambia in the early 70s and Ive always wanted to go there since seeing their photos and cinefilm.

**simply_angelic** · 12-10-2007, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freakypete

Im sure once you got there youd be able to find people that would take you on safaris and stuff at a fraction of the price.

I'll let you know when I get there!

I really kind of just want to hybernate right now until the beginning of Jan....

**maracle** · 12-10-2007, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lauren313

Im sure once you got there youd be able to find people that would take you on safaris and stuff at a fraction of the price.

I'm sure this is true....after all they have to feed the animals something right??

Quote:

I really kind of just want to hybernate right now until the beginning of Jan....

I'm feeling the same way! Now I know you're all going to laugh at me because it's only 42 degrees outside. But this is absurd to me because yesterday it was 80 degrees and I had my air conditioning on. The temp shouldn't drop 40 degrees from one day to the next...

**lost in texas** · 12-10-2007, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maracle

I'm feeling the same way! Now I know you're all going to laugh at me because it's only 42 degrees outside. But this is absurd to me because yesterday it was 80 degrees and I had my air conditioning on. The temp shouldn't drop 40 degrees from one day to the next...

Haha... Texas life, eh? I'm a little father north and it varies between 35 in the morning to the mid 70s in the afternoon.

I've always wanted to do a safari too. Looking forward to hearing about SA..., SA.

**lauren313** · 12-10-2007, 08:46 AM

Brett!! Your quote says I said something that I didn't say! It was Pete's post, but for some reason it quoted me. Weird...

**joe7f** · 12-10-2007, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freakypete

Brett!! Your quote says I said something that I didn't say! It was Pete's post, but for some reason it quoted me. Weird...

Okay, I guess we'll have to look into this...

--Joey

**maracle** · 12-10-2007, 09:49 AM

Its nothing to do with the site, I just clicked reply on the wrong post, realized it wasn't what I meant to quote, and pasted in the right text. I forgot that the quote button also assigns the handle of the person who wrote the message. Like this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by joe7f

I love Celine Dion. She's my idol and I have all her CDs! Someday My dream is to meet her, and if she shakes my hand I will never wash it again!

:D

**joe7f** · 12-10-2007, 10:04 AM

--Joey

**lauren313** · 12-10-2007, 10:41 AM

Haha, that was too funny Brett. We all know Joe thinks it secretly though!

**pinknic38** · 12-10-2007, 11:00 AM

I did't see the + sign so I just thought it was 880 bucks end of story. DAMN. I was totally going to do it too. I have 46 days to do anything in the summer!!

and I know Joey secretly feels that way about Celine Dion... and I bet some of you all do too!!! :eek:

hurr111 · 12-11-2007, 06:59 AM

Before I decided to take my European trip I was considering a safari. I ended up deciding against it because it just seemed so expensive and too organized. I hope to get there sometime in the future, but if I do go I will do it on my own. Though 3000 for 46 days is still not that bad.

**maracle** · 12-11-2007, 07:23 AM

You can do safaris in India as well, I don't know if there are better values there. India has a lot of the same kinds of wildlife like tiger reserves and whatnot.

Or, jungle/rainforest tours can have some pretty nice wildlife too....the pampas tours in Bolivia were really cheap compared to the ones I saw offered in Peru.