Can anyone help with a recommendation for a hunt in RSA?

I have been before and hoped to go for DG in a place other than SA but this may not be possible. Looks like my wife wants to come along, and I would like to introduce her to Africa and hunting, but slowly. She is not the tented safari, up at 5 am type, at least not yet.

I was thinking there may be an outfitter or ranch in one of the Cape provinces ot Kwazuzlu Natal which has an upper end accommodation set up, super cook staff, swimming pool (I know, am I hunting or vacationing....) PLUS some interesting hunting. On my list are kudu, impala as well as many others that I think are not available in SA (buff, hippo, croc, leopard....) so I would settle for a nice accommodation environment with some interesting plains game.

The alternative is to leave her at home for 2 weeks and go to Zimbabwe alone.

Any help would be appreciated. If you have additional information about whether the outfitter or ranch has firearms available for rent, this would allow me to leave my rifles at home and continue on to Europe for another week of vacation.

Well, I hope you don't laugh at my list of requirements, and about the firearms, especially since I am receiving my Dakota Traveler 300 H&H and .375 H&H combo any day now.......

I would contact Tollie Jordaan at http://www.safari-in-africa.com

He treated my family and I wonderfully and we hunted all of the plains game I could afford. He has a contact or two for DG as well, but you will find that DG hunting is best done in Zim, Tanz, Zambia or Botswana.

I highly recommend Phillip Du Plessis, who trades under the name, Intrepid Safaris Africa.
website

I have hunted with Phillip twice, the second time at my wife's insistence. Your wife will love the accomodations, and will also love his wife, Anske.

His headquarters is in Limpopo Province, and he has quite a number of good concessions on which to hunt. He does have rifles available for nearly any species you would wish to hunt. If you take a look at the website, I am the old guy in the photo of with young guy and the dead buffalo. If you check his photos on another page from this year, you will get an idea of the quality of the animals to which he has access. Still another page has description of the accomodations you can expect. If you have any further questions, you can email me at
gnaugle@comcast.net

For your information, I don't book for Phillip. I don't think he uses a booking agent at this time, prefering to do his own bookings.

Try INGOGO SAFARIS, THEY HAVE EVREYTHING YOU WANT AT GOOD PRICES . THE ACCOMADATIONS ARE FIVE STAR. THE US REP IS BUTCH MEILINGER
HE IS OUT OF PA. 610 863 5678. HE WILL TREAT YOU WELL.

I would look at HHK's Lemco safari area. True luxury for the Bride, as well as reasonable prices on DG. http://www.hhksafaris.com

I would suggest Mafigeni Safaris. Contact Claude or Jill Kleynhans. My wife and I have hunted with Claude. We had a wonderful time! If I may be of further help contact me at rkmojo@aol.com

I would not hesitate to take my wife to Zimbabwe hunting with HHK safaris.
The people in Zim were very nice, much more so than SA.
Contact Graham Hingston at http://www.hhksafaris.com
Tell him what you want to hunt and that you are bringing your wife.

Take your own rifles, every time I handle my "African guns" I relive the adventure.

DO NOT go to Africa without shooting a buff and a cow elephant.

Get hold of Ray Atkinson and have him give you info for Pierre' Van Tonder in RSA. I hunted with him this past April and I can guarentee 5 star lodging/meals/etc. Pierre's wife Anneli is an excellent hostess (and driver!) and assured me if I brought my wife next time she would be perfectly entertained. Hunting was exceelent by the way and I wouldn't hestitate to use one of Pierre's rifles, they are taken care of by a true DG hunter. Good luck, wish my wife would consider going with me. Joe

My godfather and I took both of our wives on an excellent plains game hunt north of Grahamstown. We went with Russell Field. Great Accomodations. http://www.southafricanhunting.com

HHK at Lemco is a 5 star experience. My wife loved it.

I would highly recommend Coenraad Vermaak Safaris. They are the oldest outfitter in South Africa and have exclusive hunting rights in some of the best State Game Reserves, National Parks and some of the most luxurious Private Game Reserves in South Africa.

They offer dangerous game hunts for all of the "Big 5" as well as first-class plains game hunts in South Africa and in Botswana.

In addition to hunting safaris, they have a sister company, Coenraad Vermaak African Adventures, that specializes in custom designed tours and sightseeing trips all over Southern Africa.

Holly and I have hunted with them twice. Both times they lived up to their company's slogan, "Dedicated To Exceed Your Expectations."

Their office staff attends to every detail with unwavering professionalism and their PH's are very experienced hunters as well as great companions in the field and around the fire pit.

There are less expensive outfitters in South Africa, but if you want to be assured of a first-class hunting experience for you and a first-class safari experience for your wife, the few extra bucks will be money well spent.

Here are links to photos of our two hunt with Coenraad Vermaak Safaris:

CV Safaris, September, 2001

CV Safaris, June, 2005

Update

Thanks to all for the tips. I tried to book with Tollie, but his dates did not work. I ended up going, without my wife, to SA, Limpopo, and had a great hunt with a guy who goes to the SCI shows but who I have never seen mentioned ont his forum. I will write a trip report BUT the best news is that my wife is now sold on going and we are trying to get back again in the next few weeks, just need an outfitter who has availability (!)

You need to contact AR member Brad Rolston. He can make arrangements that will include your wife and things to do for her if she is not interested in hunting. My wife and my hunting friend's wife joined us this past June with Brad and all had a fantastic time. You can contact Brad at 585Rolstonae@iafrica.com. Once you have sent him an e-mail he will CALL you back within 24 hours. Or, send me a PM and I will give you more information and we can talk on the phone about our hunt with Brad.

I would strogly suggest that you contact Peter Harris at ++27(12)809-0435 or e-mail at info@africanskyhunting.co.za
If you are taking your wife, you could not ask for a better person to hunt with.

We had a fantastic hunt with Unico Hunting safaris in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The accomodations are 5 star, your wife will have the choice of lounging arounr the pool, going to the onsite spa for a massage,beauty treatment, facial, or whatever it is that ladies like. The food is fantastic, the service impecable, they bring a jeweler in if you so desire and their prices are reasonable, plus they have a shop onsite if curios are desired. Christo, Tania , and the entire Unico staff will make your stay an experience you will never forget. I am planning to return ASAP and bring my wife who loves both the bush and being pampered. PM me if you have any questions. Jerry Hoover

My only problem with Zim if your wife dosen't hunt and doesn't want to sit in camp reading etc. there isn't much for her to do vs RSA with many things to do from game veiwing to shopping. Even in Vic Falls the shopping is poor even for a male hunter like my self who will buy most anything. I would think someone could get you with a good operator in Natal. Of all the places I have hunted I think this would be the best introduction to Africa for your wife. I won't recomend anyone just the area. You can also hunt for one of the finest trophies in Africa - Nyala and at a reasonable price. I think Ann has a good operator in Natal.

Call Ray Atkinson. "Nuff said.

quote:

Originally posted by live4thestalk:
Update

Thanks to all for the tips. I tried to book with Tollie, but his dates did not work. I ended up going, without my wife, to SA, Limpopo, and had a great hunt with a guy who goes to the SCI shows but who I have never seen mentioned ont his forum. I will write a trip report BUT the best news is that my wife is now sold on going and we are trying to get back again in the next few weeks, just need an outfitter who has availability (!)

What species are uou looking at getting? Maybe I can help you.

quote:

Originally posted by 1115:
Call Ray Atkinson. "Nuff said.

Have you been paying attention to some of the other threads at the moment? Live4thestalk should book the hunt directly if he can....about an equal chance of being screwed over it seems.

JMHO,

JohnTheGreek

Also check out:

chamanzi.co.za

quote:

Originally posted by JohnTheGreek:

quote:

Originally posted by 1115:
Call Ray Atkinson. "Nuff said.

Have you been paying attention to some of the other threads at the moment? Live4thestalk should book the hunt directly if he can....about an equal chance of being screwed over it seems.

JMHO,

JohnTheGreek

I'm not sure what you mean by this.

Current thread is...

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6321043/m/837102853

And the back story is to be found here...

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tp...1043/m/832103933/p/1

Thank you, my understanding is that he wants to get back to SA in the next few weeks. This is very late in the season so the game quotas available for hunting on many concessions might already have been shot out. It would be wrong (and illegal in terms of SA laws) for an outfitter to offer a client a hunt if he didn't have the species that the client wants to hunt available so it makes sense to find out what species the client wants to hunt before offering him dates. I agree that he should try and book directly - that is why I replied to this topic.

Thanks to everyone, really great leads and information...but to set the record straight...I have already gone and come back, had a great hunt, so feel free to continue to post suggestions for the benefit of others, but my own situation has been resolved.