For my 60th birthday, my daughter has offered to go with me on a trip to Africa. She has been there before, to Kenya, and traveled around that area, so she would like to go someplace different. Of course I would love a safari, but I think I'll only be shooting a digital camera on this trip. I have always wanted to see Victoria Falls, lots of wildlife, and my daughter wants to explore the skelaton coast.
I am thinking Zim. Zambia, and Nambidia. I have never been out of the US so am as green as a gord when it comes to travel. Can my friends here on AR give me some ideas on what parks to go through that have lots of wildlife and the availability of public trans. from Zimbabwa or Zambia, down to the Skelaton coast? Is renting a car wise?
The tenative plan is to go in March of 2013 but that is open to change if that season is too rainy to get through the parks. Your ideas and expierence are most needed by me on this little venture. Thanks

March is still in the rainy season in the Caprivi, which is the area you would be transiting between Victoria Falls and the Skeleton Coast. Not only would the hot and possibly rainy weather potentially put a damper on your trip, but there may be problems with roads and bridges in the Caprivi at this time of year. I would advise waiting a bit later, perhaps May if you want to avoid the "summer" (high tourist season) crowds of June-August.

You would want to put Etosha National Park on your sightseeing list since it is virtually on your route.

While it is certainly possible to self-drive, you will be crossing some international borders and you will be in a left-side drive country which can really mess up your mind as an American driver. You might find it more satisfactory to hire a car and driver (or join another small group) so that you have someone local to navigate, arrange, dicker, and otherwise run interferance for you. This probably wouldn't cost very much more than doing the driving yourself.

As far as air transportation, you could start/finish on either end. Sounds like a great trip, especially with your daughter.

My wife Candy can assist with plans in Victoria Falls and she can quote you on her lodge in Hwange National Park, www.nehimba.com drop her an email on admin@nehimba.com for advice and approximate costs.

Mart

Namibia is BEAUTIFUL!
The Skeleton Coast is very nice.
Swakopmon is quite a friendly place with good food & plenty to do.
We were there in June '09, it was in the uper 30's (F) at night & into the 60's in the day.
This was a side trip from our safari with Hunters Namibia.

Contact Russell Caldecott in Victoria Falls. He runs 10 and 12 day photo safaris to Bots and Namibia as well as tours of the Vic falls area. Feedback in regards to the trips has been good.
russell@ultimatelodge.com

I too would recommend a later date. The water volume over the falls will be pretty high in March and the mist will obscure much of your view, but it will be tremendous I suppose. Game will also be pretty spread out and hard to locate.

Renting a car and driving between Namibia and Vic Falls is pretty simple. My wife and I did it in 2009. I would suggest renting a 4x4 and heading to the Skeleton Coast and then up through Damaraland to Etosha then through the Caprivi. If you go through the proper car hire company, you can drop your car in Katima Mulilo for a pretty reasonable fee and use tour companies to get to Vic Falls and see Chobe National Park along the way. Then fly out of Vic Falls.

Wankie National Park and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe would be my recommendation. Good deals to be found in this beautiful area.

If your trip takes you to Namibia I think you should include the Namib Desert. I went in 2009 with my daughter, rented a 4WD camper and had a great time.

I posted my trip report in 2009, where you can read some info on vehicle hire and travel in Namibia, and here is the link:

http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/9851035311

A couple of pictures:

If you are planning to take photos of wildlife, a 300mm lens is probably a minimum. Of course a 300mm lens on a camera with an APS-C sized sensor gives you a 450mm equivalent, which would be good. Just like with a rifle, practice alot with it before you go so that you can get that steady and well focused shot.

When my daughter suggested this trip I told her I knew some folks who could give us good information. Thanks for all the help! I am going to postpone the trip to late April and probably fly into Namibia first. I would like to spend about a week or so exploring the Kalahari, the skeleton coast and some of the game parks before crossing the Caprivi and into Zim. I've looked at the 4x4s for rent and I think that would be a good choice, but I haven't checked into hiring a car and driver yet.
I'm sure I will have lots more questions before we make our final plans. Wink, the photos were great and the advice is appriciated.

If I remember correctly the 4WD camper rental company was ATI. One logical approach would be to rent the camper in South Africa and do a circuit which starts and ends in the same place, reducing the cost of vehicle rental. A South Africa, Namibia, Botswana circuit might be worth considering. Adding Zimbabwe would be easy of course if that's a priority. I can only speak for myself of course, but I have never had any problem driving on the "wrong" side of the road, just be careful at roundabouts.

My wife has expressed an interest in going to Africa with me, since she didn't accompany me when I went on my hunt a couple of years ago. At one point she suggested that perhaps we could go "just as tourists", i.e. no hunting.

She still talks about the look on my face when she suggested that.

Good luck on your trip. I'm certain that it will be wonderful, but...if you're a hunter...it may also drive you insane.

jwm
Strange what females think.
Going to Africa & not hunting is like pawning your favorite firearm when you don't need the money, it just doesn't make sense.
I'm sure there are better examples, but you get the point.

JWM, That thought has crossed my mind more than once while planning this trip. Money is the biggest factor in my decision. I don't have any problem driving through herds of elk when it isn't elk season. No problem letting a coyote go because I don't have my 6 x284 with me. I do have a problem watching prarie dogs sitting on their mounds and not being able to shoot some, but thats beside the point. This trip is just as much for my wife and daughter as it is for me. I think I can be content seeing and photographing the animals of Africa. Just being able to go is a dream come true for me.