In my last post, I was enthusing about a nine day fly-in safari which I just sampled in South Africa. It combines bush and beach lodges in an immensely relaxing way, flying from one lodge direct to another by small private plane.

We began the ‘bush’ part of our bush and beach fly-in safari with Rhino Post Safari Lodge and Rhino Post Plains Camp. Here you combine open vehicle game drives into the Kruger with a full-fledged walking safari. Have a look at our Bush and Beach Fly-in Safari with Isibindi to have a better sense of how it all works together.

Rhino Post Safari Lodge is a 16-bed lodge within a 12,000 hectare private concession in the Kruger National Park. The nature of a wilderness area is that there are no permanent structures, so Rhino Post Safari Lodge was built using natural materials of stone, wood, thatch and canvas to create an authentic bush ambience. Approximately 10km north-east of Skukuza, the concession shares a 15km boundary with Mala Mala in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, with game moving freely between the two reserves. Rhino Post focuses solely on game drives whilst its sister lodge, Plains Camp, and the sleep-out camp, focus on walking safaris. Usually clients stay at Safari Lodge before continuing to Plains Camp for walking safaris.

Rhino Post Plains Camp is the only private camp specializing in walking safaris in the Kruger. The concession comprises of environmentally sensitive areas previously unexplored, with huge diversity of both fauna and flora – an ideal setting for wilderness walking safaris. I really liked Plains Camp and would recommend this camp highly. Built in authentic pioneer tradition, Plains Camp has the feel of a 19th century naturalist’s bush camp. Mahogany furniture with brass hinges and leather straps, copper taps in the bathroom and various surveying tools and Africana memorablia complete the Out of Africa ambience. There’s an open sided mess tent with comfy chairs and books, a separate dining tent, open to one side, a small plunge pool for cooling off and four very comfortable en suite tents. After an early morning wake-up and an invigorating cup of fresh coffee in the lounge, you set off on foot. A walking safari affords the ultimate, close-to-the-wild experience, and a chance to focus on the smaller bush inhabitants including birds, insects and butterflies. 

The guiding is excellent. Fritz was our guide and he had a very pleasant manner – quiet, calm and confident. We were exceptionally lucky on our evening walk, encountering a huge herd of about 300 buffalo, and then later on enjoying drinks near a waterhole when a herd of elephant arrived to drink. However, as is usual on a walking safari, we mainly focused on the smaller aspects of the bush: why animals behave as they do, what trees are used for what purpose, which dung belonged to which animal and why, as well as bird-watching aplenty.
The heat of the day was spent at the camp, enjoying their small Africana book collection, our comfortable beds and the plunge pool overlooking the plains. Afternoon walks and sundowners completed a fulfilling bush experience before dinner back at the camp.

The Sleep-Out
You can also elect to sleep one night at The Sleep-Out. You walk from Plains Camp in the afternoon and arrive at the platforms in the early evening carrying a lightweight rucksack containing a change of clothes, a pillowcase, a sheet inner for the sleeping bag and refreshments. Four platforms (with additional guide’s platform) are raised 4 metres above the ground (safe from leopard). Each has a toilet and shower (on a level below the top platform). There is a tent with a mattress, sleeping bag with fresh sheet liner. Sundowners are enjoyed on the dining platform that overlooks a waterhole. The rumble of the elephant passing by or the roar of the lion at the waterhole are the only noises that might disturb guests in this peaceful wilderness. The following morning, you have a light snack before walking back to Plains Camp for a hearty brunch.

Though it is an adventurous option, you are with other people and it is fully guided. The only limitation would be your own attitude and tricky negotiation of the stairs if you need to go to the loo in the middle of the night!

This is a subject I’ve been meaning to address for a few months, ever since my last solo research trip with all three of my kids. I got chatting with another Mother who had encountered huge pressures when trying to identify suitable places to take the family on safari when travelling without the company another adult. We’ve now done a lot of thinking about the unique needs of Single Parent Families on Safari…

Most affordable - Ker & Downey ‘Family months’ in Botswana
Veteran safari operator Ker & Downey has several camps which are ideal for families. When parents are travelling solo with kids, the most suitable is the more affordable Okuti, in the renowned Moremi Game Reserve. Here, the activities (game drives in 4×4 open sided vehicles and motorboating) are safe for children age seven and above and there are two family units, so there is a chance that there may be other families with whom to share the bush experience.

During the “family months” of March to June and November, three nights fly-in safari ex Maun costs US$4102 (£2051), based on one adult and two children age 16 years and under, sharing a triple, inclusive of meals and snacks, beverages, game drives and boating and air transfers from Maun.

Larger families, especially with over 16s or in peak season, would be better suited to the Young Explorers programme, in which each family has sole use of a private camp. From July to October the cost of three nights ex Maun is from US$1838 to $2930 (£919 to £1465) per person, adult or child, depending on the size of the party.

Money no object - Kwando Safaris
Kwando Safaris has dedicated programmes, not only for children age 8 to 12 but also a scaled down version of Ranger Training for teenagers. Each family has a dedicated specialist professional guide and exclusive use of a vehicle but the parent can enjoy some private or adult time between game activities, as staff are allocated to handle the children while in camp to allow adults to get a break from full-on parenting as well. This programme is available year around. This programme is available year around at Kwando Safaris Kwara Camp, Lagoon Camp and Lebala Camp.

In the Shoulder Season from 01 April to 31 May and 01 November to 30 Nov, three nights fly-in safari to Kwando Kwara ex Maun costs US$6990 (£3495), based on one adult and two children age 16 years and under, sharing a triple, inclusive of meals and snacks, beverages, game drives and boating, specialist family guide, private vehicle and air transfers from Maun.

Best for youngsters - CCAfrica Nxabega and Sandibe
The sister lodges Nxabega and Sandibe are both suitable for single-parent families with children as young as six years. They can offer shortened game drives, child-minders can be booked for the evenings and videos, colouring books, and games are available.

Three nights fly-in safari ex Maun, based on one adult and two children age 6 to 11 years, sharing a triple, inclusive of meals and snacks, beverages, game drives and air transfers from Maun.
From March to May and November costs US$4225 (£2212)
From June to October costs US$5895 (£2947)

In the last 3 posts I’ve mentioned some of our favourite Safari Houses (exclusive use safari lodges typically sleeping 6 to 10 people). Examples given were Phinda Zuka Lodge in northern KwaZulu Natal, Tintswalo Manor House in the Greater Kruger Park, Uplands Manor in Kwandwe Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape and Little Tuningi in the Madikwe Game Reserve. However these lodges are certainly not the only options. Why don’t you check out our website for more information on the following Safari Houses in South Africa.

However these are by no means the only exclusive use safari lodges for family safaris and vacations in South Africa. Below I give a couple of other options…

Top of the Range
Royal Suite and Malewane Suite at Royal Malewane, Timbavati Game Reserve, Kruger
Little Madikwe, Madikwe Hills Game Lodge, Madikwe Game Reserve
Nare Suite, Jaci’s Safari Lodge, Madikwe Game Reserve

Or more Moderate options
The Homestead at Kariega Game Reserve, Eastern Cape
White Elephant Bush Lodge, Maputaland, Northern KwaZulu Natal

If you want to discuss any of these lodges in more detail, why not email me at kate@cedarberg.co.za or have a look on www.cedarberg-travel.com

Here are a couple of other options for your family safari in Africa - more in my series on exclusive use lodges or ‘Safari Houses. Phinda Zuka Lodge is in northern KwaZulu Natal, a low risk malaria area whilst Little Tuningi is in the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve. 

Phinda Zuka Lodge
Zuka Lodge at Phinda in northern KwaZulu Natal is probably my favourite lodge within the Phinda Private Game Reserve. It consists of four suites all set around a waterhole and is both stylish and eminently liveable at the same time with lost of exposed stonework and a lovely ambience. This is ideal for a family with older children or friends who like a little more privacy, as each cottage is set over 15 metres apart, (so I wouldn’t put small children in a separate chalet here!) Each bedroom is a blend of modern African décor and contemporary styling with a glorious bathroom featuring a free-standing bath and giant circular shower with exposed stonework

Little Tuningi
Little Tuningi is a satellite camp of Tuningi Safari Lodge, in the western side of the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve. Little Tuningi consists of a two bedroom family villa and a separate suite (so that it can sleep six to seven people in total with an extra bed in the two bedroom suite if necessary) and offers its own private boma area, dining room, lounge and private swimming pool. The décor is a mix of colonial and modern African influences and Little Tuningi has tried to bring the bush into the lodge as much as possible by using fully retractable doors and wide wraparound decks. One thing I like about Little Tuningi is that, because it is so close to the rest of Tuningi Safari Lodge, if you are a larger family group or perhaps two families traveling together, you can take Little Tuningi and a couple of extra rooms. This allows you to have the exclusive use of the swimming pool even though you’re a larger group.

If you want more information on these lodges or others in this series, please look at our website on www.cedarbergtravel.com or email me on kate@cedarberg.co.za

Continuing my blog about exclusive use Safari Houses which are perfect for family safaris or family vacations in South Africa. Today I’m going to talk about Tintswalo Manor..

Tintswalo Manor House
Tintswalo Manor House is a little gem of a place in the Manyeleti Private Game Reserve (with open borders into the Kruger National Park). The Manor House is a rather a grand name for a comfortable, rather than luxurious, private homestead in the bush overlooking an active waterhole. There are two reasons why I particularly like this lodge. Firstly it is not over-decorated and really does feel like home from home. It’s the sort of place that you and I might have if we owned a private lodge in the bush (!) – not at all pretentious with a relaxed feel about it. There are five bedrooms, one of which is accessed from the outside so that it’s ideal for a teenager or a nanny, wishing for more privacy. Another bedroom is only suitable as a children’s bedroom as its not en suite and is decorated in that way. The second reason is its reasonable pricing policy. It’s priced per person assuming a minimum of just four people, unlike most private safari houses which are priced per lodge. This means that it is still affordable even if only 5 or 6 people take the lodge, even though it can sleep up to 10.  

If you want more information about Tintswalo Manor or the luxurious Presidential Suite at Tintswalo Safari Lodge, have a look at www.cedarbergtravel.com or email us on kate@cedarberg.co.za

A few months ago I wrote about the Safari Houses of Zambia, where, for your African family safari, or for a party of friends, you take the whole safari lodge on an exclusive basis. However Zambia is certainly not alone in this respect. Over the next couple of posts, I’d like to highlight some of our favourite ‘Safari Houses’ in South Africa.

What I said in my previous blog still stands for South African Safari Houses: they are perfect for family vacations in Africa. These lodges usually come with their own ranger so that you have a private vehicle for your game drives and a private chef, sometimes even a house-keeper/butler as well. To myself “As you can imagine this leads to a much more relaxed and flexible South African family safari. No constant worrying about whether Johnny is making too much noise; no self-consciousness about an impromptu game of rugby on the lawn. You are free to choose your own game-viewing rhythm, heading out early one morning and taking it more relaxed another day. You can choose your own meal times and as importantly decide on what you all want to eat” This option is great for multi-generational family safaris where the grandparents may be joining children and grand children.

So moving on to some of our favourite family safari destinations in South Africa:

Four of our favorite South African Safari Houses are Uplands House, Tintswalo Manor House, Phinda Zuka Lodge and Little Tuningi. I will talk about Uplands House today.

Uplands House
Uplands House is part of Kwandwe Private Game Reserve in the malaria-free Eastern Cape. Uplands House was one of the original 19th century homesteads which was incorporated into Kwandwe reserve when it was returned to its natural bushveld. Uplands is an unashamedly Colonial experience with a gracious ambience which you’ll either love or find too retro for your personal tastes. There are three en suite bedrooms so it sleeps up to six adults or a mix of seven adults and children as one of the bedrooms can take an extra bed. It’s worth noting that one bedroom is definitely smarter than the others so it would work best for one family where the parents take the main bedroom.

Uplands House has proved so successful that Kwandwe Private Game Reserve has just opened a second private lodge or Safari House - Melton Mowbray Manor which, despite sounding to my mind like an English pork pie, is in reality a more contemporary take on the Safari House concept and is also slightly larger with four en suite bedrooms.

If you want to discuss this lodge in more detail, why not email me at kate@cedarberg.co.za or have a look on www.cedarberg-travel.com

I recently had the good fortune to spend a weekend at the Royal Malewane Lodge in the private Thornybush game reserve adjacent to the Kruger National Park. Royal Malewane Lodge is one of the most luxurious game lodges in the greater Kruger Park area and yet, as the weekend went on, I found that it wasn’t just the elegance of the lodge which was the drawcard. Rather it was the seamless mix of understated luxury, expert guiding, delicious cuisine, state of the art spa facilities and the friendly, personal service of the staff which makes Royal Malewane such a success.

Royal Malewane is clearly aimed at the discerning and well-travelled clientele. However what I particularly liked was that the service was delivered in a friendly and unassuming way so that everyone felt at home here very quickly. Our ranger was Juan Pinto, a level 3 SKS guide, with his tracker, Wilson who has attained the Master Tracker status. They made an excellent team: Juan was a fount of information and imparted this knowledge with quiet calm assurance coupled with a nice line in dry humour. As you’ll read later, our game-viewing experience at Royal Malewane (over four morning and afternoon game drives) was excellent, despite the slightly inhospitable weather.

Something I also really appreciated was Juan’s assistance with photography whilst on our drive. So many people have cameras which they really don’t know how to get the most out of, myself included, and Juan helpfully gave us a few tips on taking backlit shots of animals, how to deal with fading light conditions and sunset shots to name but a few examples.

Royal Malewane is exquisitely decorated, and unlike some recent game lodges, has not gone the ‘Manhattan meets the Bush’ route. This game lodge looks like a game lodge should look with a serene outlook and lots of quiet places to relax and read during the day. The suites offer unashamed luxury with four poster beds, (and a stool to climb into them), fireplaces, decadent bathrooms and wooden decks with a private sala. I can honestly say that I couldn’t think of anything more I would have wanted in my suite. Unique amongst the top lodges in South Africa, the Royal Malewane has two ultra-luxurious suites, the Royal and the Malewane Suites each with two en suite bedrooms and a large private sitting room and dining area. These suites have private entrance so that guests craving complete privacy can come and go as they please. If you take one of these suites, you have your own private chef, butler and ranger so you can really choose your own safari rhythm to suit you.

The food was delicious at Royal Malewane with lots of delicate flavours with options to eat before you left for your morning drive, a full breakfast on your return, lunch (if you could manage it), a plentiful afternoon tea and dinner. One particular feature of the lodge is that dinner is offered in a number of venues. For example, a romantic Bedouin dinner in the bush, with a selection of Cape Malay dishes, or a crystal dinner on the top deck. The Royal Malewane has recently won the Bush Banquet award for their alfresco culinary skills.

Of course I couldn’t resist trying out the Spa at Royal Malewane. This Spa is quite a unique selling point for Royal Malewane, with an extra length pool for swimming off the delicious food, several treatment rooms, an alfresco Jacuzzi as well as double Turkish baths for an indulgent coupley experience. What I also loved were the shaded ‘casetas’ where you can lounge on beds overlooking the pool, either before or after a treatment. I opted for a facial – one and a half hours of sheer bliss.

I was so relaxed afterwards that I half thought I might gently nod off on the game drive. However there was no danger of that as we embarked on one of the most interesting game drives that I’ve experienced. We headed to the far north of the reserve in search of cheetah which had been spotted in that vicinity. En route we came across three white rhino, including one baby, quietly grazing. After some adept tracking by Wilson and Juan, working in tandem with another Royal Malewane game vehicle, the three cheetah were located - camouflaged and resting after a hectic day of seeing off a rival cheetah which had strayed into their territory. We returned south, already feeling satisfied with our drive and stopped for sundowner drinks. I always enjoy learning about the constellations which are usually easily seen in the African sky but Juan went further. Producing a powerful telescope, he proceeded to show us Saturn, Venus, Mercury and various constellations such as Scorpio. Juan was adept at simplifying his extensive knowledge of the planets into easily digestible morsels, which was much appreciated by this novice star-gazer, and such was the interest generated that I’ve vowed to read up on it.

On continuing our drive, we happened on a large termite mound which was being used by hyenas as their hide. After watching the curious hyena youngsters practically sniffing the vehicle, we were continuing towards the lodge when we learnt that a pride of lions (that we’d seen earlier in the morning) had killed a young leopard cub. A female leopard had been escorting her two cubs when the lions had attacked, seeing the leopard as competition for scarce resources. By the time we got to the area, the mother leopard was very very wary. She had escaped from the lions but was guarding her dead cub from the hyenas who were also threatening her. It was a truly pitiful sight to see the tiny lifeless cub. However there was also no sign of the other cub. Had the lions taken him as well?

We would not know until the morning when on our final morning drive, we spotted the mother again and saw the other cub, alive and well, stashed high in a tree by his protective mother whilst she lay mourning her other cub. It provided a ray of hope after the sadness of the previous evening and made for the perfect end to a sublime weekend.

If you are thinking of a Family safari in Africa , and like the idea of children doing their own thing for part of the day, (so that you can slope off to your book or to the spa or more laudibly, on a game walk), then it makes sense to choose a safari lodge which actively welcomes children.

Lukimbi Safari Lodge certainly fits this bill. Lukimbi seems to have thought through the issues surrounding children on safari in a fair amount of detail, as I witnessed when I visited it with my family (husband Anton, and children Emma aged 10, Mark aged 7 and Torben aged 4). Lukimbi is in one of the private concessions in the Kruger. Though the Kruger National Park is an intermediate malaria area, the risks of malaria are dramatically lower in the winter months from May to August (when it is also the prime game-viewing time in the Kruger) so families shouldn’t just opt for the non-malaria areas if travelling during the northern hemisphere school holidays. The Kruger, along with the adjacent private game reserves of the Sabi Sands, Manyeleti and Timbavati, should definitely be on your short list.

In our experience, the staff at Lukimbi see children as equally important guests and have a thought-out programme for entertaining the children. Perhaps as importantly, a family-friendly lodge such as Lukimbi attracts families which means that there are usually other children around to provide ready-made playmates. This in turn makes the business of children eating earlier so much easier to manage, as they don’t feel that they are missing out on anything – very important with my children!

Usually younger children under six will be able to accompany their parents on game drives, (though this is not guaranteed if the child is hyper-active and unable to appreciate the possible dangers of the bush). In practice Lukimbi tries to put two families together in a vehicle so that your children’s needs and attention span can be more easily catered for. If there are several children at the lodge, they also organize special kids only drives which are enjoyable for children (and parents) alike.

When our children returned from their game drive (at 7pm or 7.30pm), they immediately had supper all together, then they headed to the children’s den to listen to safari stories and relax before bedtime whilst we got ready for dinner. Younger children can return to their room with a baby sitter if you wish, whilst older children can curl up in the den in sleeping bags to watch a dvd and fall asleep at their leisure.  (This play room/den is also supervised from 7am to 1pm and from 4pm until you take your children to bed. Games, wildlife movies and toys are available there. )

Activities for children includes game drives with their parents and other activities such as identifying animal tracks and making casts, face painting, bush treasure hunt, braaing marshmallows in the boma and bush movie nights for example. Special folders are provided on arrival for your kids to jot down notes on their drives, and mark off animal sightings.

What I particularly liked about the children’s safari programme at Lukimbi was that it had a sense of progression. If children stay 3 nights or more, your children (ideally 7 to 12 years) can participate in the Basic Tracker programme. See our Lukimbi entry in our website for more details.

The Okavango Delta, the jewel in the middle of the Kalahari Desert of    Botswana, is Africa’s largest and most beautiful oasis - an isolated, lush green paradise with some of the richest wildlife in the world. This exceedingly beautiful maze of waterways, lagoons, vast grassy plains and palm-fringed and wooded islands is home to crocodile, hippo, elephant, lion, leopard, hyena, giraffe, wild dog, rare antelope and around 400 bird species. We are often asked about the seasonal flooding of the Okavango Delta in Botswana – Why does it happen? When does it happen? Why do some lodges have water all year and others only during the flood? So I thought I’d try to address this issue in more depth…

Where does the source of the Okavango come from?
The source of the Okavango Delta lies in the extremely wet highlands of Angola to the north. From here the Cubango River flows south, through Namibia, away from the sea, gathering ever more water until it finally reaches Botswana, where the river becomes known as the Okavango. Here, the fate of the river is determined by a series of fault lines deep below the desert surface. Once the river passes over the first fault line, it splits into several channels forming a vast, fan-shaped, astonishingly luxuriant wilderness of flood plain and forest, stream and lagoon, the ideal breeding ground for an incredible diversity of wildlife. When the water meets the final two fault lines, the water is literally dammed and cannot go further. (Before the fault lines, the river flowed through the area which is now the Okavango Delta and the Makgadikgadi pans, and probably on to the Indian Ocean by flowing into the Limpopo river.)

When does it happen?
Something that often confuses people is that Botswana and the Okavango Delta has a summer rainfall and yet the flood occurs in the dry winter months. The rain falls during the summer and first seeps into the parched ground before the rivers start flowing. It takes months for the river flow to reach the Okavango Delta. (The flood travels very slowly at only a kilometre a day, partly because of the shallow gradient and because the swamp vegetation slows the water.) The flood starts coming into the northern reaches of the Okavango Delta in late April and makes its way steadily down reaching many camps sometime in June or possibly early July, depending on their precise location, and peaking in August. As it is the dry season, gradually the flood waters evaporate over the next few months, leaving their valuable salts and minerals in the ground, and the waters recede through October and November.

The evocative mokoro trips - a traditional dugout canoe made from an ebony or sausage tree - largely take place in these shallow waters and seasonal flood plains of the Okavango Delta. Gliding along in a mokoro, in total harmony with nature is an experience not to be missed.

Why do some lodges have water all year, others only during the flood and others not at all?
In the south-eastern part of the Delta lies a slightly higher area of land, known as Chiefs Island. This forms part of the Moremi Wildlife Reserve and the higher ground means that the waters never flood this area. The lodges here are predominantly land camps offering  game drives. If they’re on the edges of the Moremi, they may offer some water-based activities during July to September but this would be secondary to the main focus which is game drives. Prime examples would be Mombo Camp, Chief’s Camp and Khwai River Lodge.

To the north of the Moremi lie some deep river channels which are fed through the summer rains and then by the Okavango Delta. The camps in this area such as Kwara Camp, Vumburu Plains and Shinde are what is called ‘multi-activity’ camps (for want of a more elegant term) in that they offer a choice of water or land based game-viewing activities throughout the year because of the presence of these deep river channels.

Broadly speaking, to the south of the Moremi are the seasonal camps which focus on game drives in the green season and offer a mix of activities as the flood comes in. As the Okavango Delta flood varies from year to year, no-one can say precisely when the flood waters will arrive so if you are booking early on in the season, in June for example, there may be an element of luck (but the price usually reflects this). Depending on the camp’s exact location, land-based activities can be quite limited in the full flood so the camps literally become surrounded by water. The advantage is that the animals also get restricted to limited island areas making for excellent game-viewing on foot, by mokoro or by boat. Excellent examples would be Nxabega, Jao and Baines Camps.

Finally further towards the northern and western stretches of the Delta are the permanent water camps, which as their name suggests, offer boat-based game-viewing and game walks on the surrounding islands. The game-viewing is more limited here but the birding is excellent. It’s worth noting that mokoro trips are not usually on offer here as the water is too deep to pole. Examples would be Jacana and Eagle Island Camp. 

Point for the Safari Visitor
Change is the essence of the Okavango Delta. The delta changes from year to year depending on flood levels and rains and the flood constantly forges new channels which prevents the delta becoming silted up. This dynamic nature leads to great diversity of water depth, soils, vegetation and animal distribution. The exact location of each camp dictates what activities are available and when and this can vary within a short distance. Assuming you are booking well in advance, we’ll be able to match a particular camp to your needs.

It also follows that staying at two different camps in different habitats will give you the best feel for the dynamic mood of the Okavango Delta.

An area of confusion for clients is the luggage allowances in Botswana. The need for luggage allowances is due to the extensive use of small planes to get from one safari camp to another. Small planes have to be used given the soft landing conditions of the seasonally flooded Okavango Delta and other areas such as the Linyanti Swamps.

These planes can only take a maximum of 20kg of luggage per person, and preferably between 12 to 15kg. This maximum is for both your main bag and any carry-on luggage such as a handbag or camera. So if you are travelling with heavy photographic equipment, this must be included in the 20kg luggage allowance. This ruling is very strictly enforced due to safety considerations.

However there is another factor to consider. The main luggage is stored in a hold compartment either underneath or at the back of the plane. This space is limited and so each bag must not exceed certain dimensions. These maximum dimensions are a width of 25cm (10 inches); height of 30cm (12 inches) and length of 62cm (24 inches). The actual baggage compartment on light aircraft is only 25cm high so the pilots must be able to manipulate your bag into the compartment. If the bag is overstuffed, this becomes difficult and when it cannot be done, it results in frustration and embarrassment all round, not to mention delays at the airstrip while bags are repacked.

Before you become alarmed about running out of clean clothes whilst on safari, remember that all safari camps offer a complimentary laundry service in Botswana, and that the dress code is very casual.

If you are travelling to South Africa and Botswana, and wish to bring your full luggage allowance, then we can easily arrange excess luggage storage at Johannesburg. You’ll just need to spend a little longer when packing, to pack a bag for Botswana and a separate one for South Africa.

Another weight issue
The charter companies in Botswana work on an average of 90-100kg (200 to 220lbs) per person including luggage. Therefore if you are above average in weight (ie more than 120kg or 260llbs), we need to know this in advance so that we can warn the charter companies. If you are larger than average but your partner is not, it shouldn’t be a problem, as it all averages out, but if both of you are above average, then we need to know. In exceptional circumstances you may need to purchase an extra seat in the charter plane. (Of course the purchase of an extra seat in the plane is also an option if you absolutely cannot reduce your luggage to 20kg per person.)

For more information visit us at http://www.cedarberg-travel.com