I need your help. I am trying to plan a trip for my entire family. My wife and three sons 16, 15, and 10 at the time I plan to go. What I'd like to do is take two weeks in the middle of August 2006. My plan is two days tavel there, two days travel back, five days hunting, five days game viewing and relaxing. I'd like to have luxury tented camps for the hunting. I need to fulfill my fantasies borne of old safari movies and Capstick books. While I'd love to hunt Cape Buffalo, plainsgame may be all that's possible given my timing. By the way, wife won't hunt, older two boys are likely, the youngest less so.

Here are my questions:

Is this a reasonable plan?

Will $30,000 cover it?

What are most suitable locations? I'm thinking RSA, Tanzania or Botswana. Zimbabwe scares me.

Who would be a good booking agent to work with? Don't take offense. I know many booking agents are on this forum. However, I recognize many of you primarily deal with hunters. I think my needs may be a bit out of the ordinary.

My apologies if this is on the wrong forum.

citori, I have just the place for you to consider in Tanzania where you can get everything that you want. First class luxury tented camp and you can hunt your buffalo and plains game. We also do cater to family hunts and have excellent photographic options as well. I would suggest that you consider going to our Lolkisale block in Masailand where we border the Tarangire Nationa Park, and a place that you and your family would love. I have many references for you to talk to as well who have come with their whole family etc. So, drop me a line and will give you all the details, but can assure you that this is exactly what you are looking for.

God Bless you for taking your family on a trip of a life time. I did a plains game hunt last year and wished with all my might my family was there to share the adventure. Things will change this year!

I will be flying to Cape Town and drop off my wife, and two daughters. My PH will have his wife and tracker pick them up at the airport. They will take a balloon ride thru the wine country, spending a couple of days having fun. They will then take a train to Kruger, where a vehicle will meet them and spend 4 days going thru the park. I in the mean time will be in Zimbabwe hunting buff and sable. We will meet up on Limpopo River area, where we will spend 2 weeks hunting for an eland and Limpopo bush buck.

It's my daughter's high school graduation present and my other daughter's college degree present. On the return trip, well we'll see. The cost is under your $30K trip. PM me and we can talk. Good man, take your family, they'll love you and you'll give them a life time of memories.

I think my needs may be a bit out of the ordinary.

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Try Lochi he will be able to help.

Hunters pay for conservation. Without funds from hunting the African game cannot survive.
www.affordableafricanhunting.com

Thank you for all the input I've received so far. I'd like people's opinion on the choice of location. From material I've received so far, I'm thinking Tanzania is the place for me. Originally I was leaning toward RSA. I am told that Tanzania will provide me with more of a "classic" safari experience. I'm told RSA can often be more like hunting in Texas (i.e. staying at a lodge vs tents,etc.). Nothing wrong with this, just not what I'm looking for. Tanzania can offer me good Buffalo, plenty of plains game, and I'd be close to Tarangire, Serengetti, Oldavie and Ngorogoro. I want to have my family with me the whole time so the idea of quick side trips is attractive.

Is my perception of the two correct? Any thoughts on Tanzania as a first choice?

BTW the boardmember that I spoke to about Tanzania gets glowing praise from his prior clients.

Citori - I think Tanzania would be a great choice, and in particular an area such as Lolkisale combined with a trip at least to Ngorongoro w/a personal guide and staying at one of the luxury lodges (which have been covered on this forum in the past if you do a search on something like "Serena" or Sopa"), plus a visit to a Masai Village (preferably one not too "commercialized") and some shopping in Arusha on the day you depart. I'd personally do a 7-day hunt plus 3-days site-seeing, and in fact looked very hard at this hunt before finally deciding on the Zambezi Valley for ele bull with my two sons (14 & 16). But factor in my wife and youngest child, and Lolkisale would have been the ticket (and still might be some day soon). Looking at the budget, as you probably know commercial airfare x 5 is a killer, and will be at least $10K right off the top. But there would be no charter, and you should be able to do this for at/around your target amount. Perhaps somebody who has done a hunt like this can provide more detail, as again, I have not done this but looked very hard at it as an option for the family. Good luck with whatever you decide, I'm sure it will be great!

If your budget allows I'd forget Serena and Sopa and instead go to the Ngorogoro Crater Lodge. It's expensive but quite simply fabulous.