What are some of your favorite sidetrips after the hunt? I'm headed to Zim to hunt with Buzz the first 2 weeks of June. We'll be around Lake Kariba and I thought of either heading over to Vic Falls afterwards or maybe down to Cape Town for a couple of days. Shawn at Gracy's suggested both areas from her personal experience.

Any suggestions? I'll be by myself and looking for landscape scenery mostly...hence the Falls or Cape area ideas. I haven't been to either area and both of those are relatively inexpensive since I'll be close by.

Any favorite scenery photos from these places? That Cape area sounds interesting where the 2 oceans meet...wild penguins, etc.

When we hunted Zambia this past September, we went to the Zambia side of Vic Falls and enjoyed it. I hear the Zim side is much better. We also took a tour of Chobe National Park in Botswana, fished the Zabezi and went on an elephant back safari. I recommend all of the above.

I've seen the Falls from both sides, and the Zimbabwe side definitely has the best views. The Zambia side isn't bad, though.

Cape Town is okay, but see the Falls first. If you stay on the Zambia side, I ecommend the Thorntree Lodge. It is on the banks of the Zambezi, overlooking a hippo pool, at the edge of Livingstone less than ten minutes to the falls.

Bill Quimby

For those of you who stayed on the Vic side, where did you stay? What types of things did you do?

I think I would have to charter over to the falls from Lake Kariba. That sounds expensive.

I send you an e-mail. We own a villa on the Cape Garden route. You can not go wrong!

Maybe we can shoot a few Springbok while you are down there.....

Charl

info@infinito-safaris.com

If you are a confident horseman, then I highly recommend Limpopo Valley Horse Safaris in Botswana. It is in the Tuli where many of the great hunters roamed. The Tuli is where Botswana, RSA and Zimbabwe come together. I have galloped next to herds of giraffe, BW's , zebra, impala and eland. On my first trip, the guide, myself and a couple of German guys snuck up behind a herd of about 40 elephants and then stampeded them for about a quarter mile. Next to hunting, you can't get closer. They have the highest concentration of elephants in Africa. I have taken full charges from them while on horseback. So far, the horse has always been faster.


You can borrow money, but you can't borrow time. Go Now.

yukon delta,

We stayed at the Victoria Falls Hotel. It is expensive but the ambience if you will is unmatched and the restaurant is wonderful. You'll only want to stay a couple of nights so it probably won't break the bank. I think the Victoria Falls Hotel is part of the experience at the falls not just a place to sleep. The local baboon troop is a hoot too.

Mark

Victoria Falls by all means. I've been fortunate enough to go twice, and it is terrific. We stayed at the Safari Lodge and it was very nice.

If you are going that way getting out of Africa, Cape Town is lovely. A wonderful way to end the trip. Particularly nice if your wife is with you. Take time to go to Stellenbosch and take the wine tour. There is a wonderful restaurant in the little town that is incredible. Kudude

Cape Town, Kruger are a couple. Why not just take the blue train for the ultimate South African scenery or one of the other luxury trains and see it all for the unsurpassed "side trip"? (Cape Town to the Serengeti and all stops in between)

I don't know what the blue train is. Can someone direct me to more info?

Don't forget about your gun and the import regulations of some countries.

Well, hello Soldotna. I'm in Palmer.

So far, everything I've considered doesn't pose a firearms problem. If it does, I just won't be able to do it.

For the Blue Train go to www.luxurytrains.co.za or look at the ultimate 13 day trip from Cape Town to East Africa at www.interfacetravel.com/rotrain.htm

Thanks for the train info. Interesting but will probably have to be done another time. Would be a good trip with the wife.

I would guess you might be able to pay some gun service to hold your guns while you toured different countries, I don't know the rules. Last time I hunted Namibia and toured South Africa I borrowed a gun from the outfitter ( He had very nice guns ). I just didn't want to deal with the South africa gun laws. For me it was great idea, no worries about guns making connections, No waiting in lines and I didn't have to pay any gun permits or gun handlers. Guns to me are just tools.

Last year in Namibia at the end of the hunt I rent a car and went from Windhek to Oshakati to meet Flip, AR member, with him I went to Etosha, but it has been something like a touch and go, and then I went to his farms with him and shooted for meat on his land a warthog and some steenbuck and some dik dik, then went back to the capital and flew out of Namibia.

I planned 10 days of tour in Namibia next yearafter the hunt, and, by the way, any on suggestion on places to visit is wellcommed.

The Okavango Delta in Botswana - simply it's spectacular.
I also recommend the Victoria Falls Hotel and while you are there book lunch on Livingstone island on top of the Falls.

TerryR

Yukon Delta,

Besides the possibilities in surrounding countries such as the Okovango Delta, Etosha, Cape Town, Cape Agulas etc., you might want to consider what interesting sights can be seen within Zimbabwe itself. Staying within Zim will definately make gun storage easier, as Buzz can probably hold on to them for you while you see the sights. You've mentioned Vic Falls, which is worth seeing IMO, but there are other places as well, such as the Great Zimbabwe ruins down near Masvingo for example. If you're interested in a bit of Zim history and culture. Another option for you since you will be up at Kariba is a few days before the hunt walking and canoing in relativly nearby Mana Pools Nat. Park with Stretch Ferrera ( http://www.goliathsafaris.co.zw/ ). This will allow you to get close to more animals on foot than you will be able to while hunting, and give you a few days to acclimatize. Buzz knows Stretch and can easily set this up for you. Since Stretch is a retired PH, and former bush survival instructor from the military, he's also a goldmine of bush and animal knowledge.

You should see Victoria Falls since it is close. But for another location, and it appears that you are willing to travel some distance if you are thinking Cape Town (which is neat) I would suggest Tanzania. The Serengetti, Ngorangora Crater, Oldavi Gorge, Great Rift Valley and Kiliminjaro are all with 100 miles of each other. You fly to Arusha and you got it.

I toured Hwenge Nat. Park about 6 years ago. It was great, big sable, many, many elephants. From what i've read lately, it may be rpetty awful. Any local knowlege out there?

A few days fishing the surf of the Skeleton Coast in Nambia - highly recommended.

Brent