What would you consider the ultimate safari (21 to 28 days in length)?

Masailand for Cats / Buff and PG.
Luanguwa
Selous for the full bag
Zambezi
Okavango
Or some other???

Well if we're dreaming on your dime...

Your number 1 on the list (Masiland) is on the top of my list too. May never happen but it's fun to dream.

Kyler

Either 28 days full bag in TZ or 28 days in CAR/Cameroon for Bongo, Derby Eland, Forest Elephant, etc. or 28 days in Botswana for the Big 4 and PG.

Tanzania no doubt. 28 days, split between the Selous and Maasailand, based on how fast I got my elephant and leopard in the Selous, then on to Maasailand for the rare and elusive East African royal antelope: lesser kudu, gerenuk, Tommy and Grants gazelles and fringe-eared oryx; and I just might or maybe probably would save a buff or perhaps two for Maasailand as well . . .

Add Ethiopia and CAR as options.

Has to be the big five. White Rhino in SA. Lion, Buffalo, Leopard in Mozambique. Elephant in Zimbabwe or Botswana. We can set you up, guarantee 3/5 in RW (elephant min is 80lb and that's very hard to do today, and leopard/lion are hard to predict but one of the two will make the book). The cost? A mere $100K.

Another vote for CAR/Cameroon. Head out on the plains for a Lord Derby Eland then into the forest for a Bongo and a forest elephant. Also throw in a sitatunga or Giant forest hog for good measure.

But then again, I could find a way to stretch this hunt out over several countries and months provided I had a nice fat bank account, something I DON'T have at the moment.

"What would you consider the ultimate safari?"

The next one, no, the last one, no I think it was the first one, no it'd have to be the last one I get to take, no.... sorry Beau, but they're ALL memorable for one reason or another. I understand what you're asking and yes there are things I haven't done and hope to but trying to rank them in such a way somehow seems to cheapen the others.
...every day you wake up breathing beats the hell out of the alturnative!

Ask ErikD, he's technically been on the "ultimate" african "safari". The only way what he did could be made better would be to have hunted every country along the way. Impossible these days I suspect.

JMHO,

John

Hugh

I suppose the ultimate safari depends on which trophies are most important to you. All the places you mentioned can produce some truly wonderful experiences with a wide variety of game available but in my mind Tanzania with Zambia as a close second produces the closest to what I would consider the "Ultimate Safari".

In Tanzania I would choose Masailand if buffalo, cats and the east African species were most important to me and the Selous if elephant was my main goal. Splitting the safari between both areas is possible but leaves you short of time if the lion is difficult or the right elephant keeps alluding you.

In Zambia you might need 31 days to cover everything but it would be a heck of an adventure. 18 days along the Luangwa should give you cats, buffalo, hippo, croc and more. 10 days in the north should produce big sable, roan, sitatunga, 2 days at Bangweulu will give an opportunity at black lechwe and huge tseesbe and one day at Blue lagoon should net you a Kafue lechwe.

Either country can also provide spectacular photo add-ons particularly Tanzania. Of course a few days fishing on the Zambesi from the Zambia side might be just the way to wind down a great adventure.

Mark