25th Anniv.-South Africa

[betsyv]

Kyshel,

Thanks so much for the hints and suggestions. The eggs benedict and bubbly will be a definite! We were planning to do the cable car and will be able to play it by ear due to weather. The wine tasting is also a definite as that is one of my loves and I have been dying to go to Napa someday. Being able to have this experience in South Africa will be unbelievable!

We have already booked the shark cage diving as that was something that sounded fun to both me and hubby. Unfortunately, they have told us early April is not good for the whales but theyhad some other options for us instead.



I was trying to originally plan the whole thing and then surprise my husband but when I got the guidebooks you and Julian suggested, there were so many things to consider, I had to sit down with him and go over what he was interested in and where were his priorities etc. That is why I ended up with two safaris and Cape Town in the middle. He doesn't want to do a lot of driving around but more go to one place and have activities. I don't think he minds the safari drives as someone else is doing the driving. I am so excited and think it will be a fantastic trip. We will get to spend our actual anniversary the first night at Mateya and they are planning a romantic dinner for that night.



If everything is as nice as it sounds we are going to have a fantastic time. I love Luxury Link!

Betsy

[betsyv]

I think that Jashermd may be on safari or away. But I will throw this out for anyone who has done some of the Luxury Link Safaris.

We have the Mateya/Madikwe safari booked. After some time in Cape Town and Gansbaai, we want to do another safari. We were looking at either something in Sabi Sands (although Luxury Link currently doesn't offer any) or Mkuze Falls/Zululand or Mfuwe Lodge/Zambia. Which one of these do you suggest considering that we will already do Mateya? Is there someplace else that you highly reccommend?

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

[kyshel]

Hey Betsyv!
It looks as though we'll make it to Mateya at the end of Sept, if the standby flight situation stays "fluid". Hopefully, we'll get there for this year's pkg expiry and not have to wait for next June-Sept validity. I'll be sure to report promptly if it's next month! Good luck with your next decision and keep us posted.

[jashermd]

Hello,

Yes, I've been on safari -- I'm just back from Botswana and South Africa. It was an amazing trip!

Of the options you've mentioned for your second safari, I'd recommend the Sabi Sands -- the area has the best game-viewing in SA and the environment will be quite different to Madikwe. One unique thing about the Sabi Sands is that you'll be able to get very close to the animals as they are very accustomed to vehicles (which you wouldn't get in Zambia). It will also be less expensive to get there so you can spend more of your budget on your safari rather than on flights which would be pretty expensive for Zambia as you'd need to fly Cape Town - Joburg - Lusaka - Mfuwe with each leg costing a few hundred dollars. Even if you can't find an LL package there are a wide range of lodges to choose from in terms of luxury and cost, so you should be able to find something that suits your budget.

Cheers,
Julian

[betsyv]

Well time is approaching and we can't wait. We have applied for Intl Driving Permit, have our vaccinations and malaria medication lined up, and all reservations made. The only thing left to do is to pack and go! We will start with one night in Joburg, then go to Mateya Safari Lodge for our LL package. After that we will jump on a flight to Capetown, use our LL trip at Steenberg Hotel and sightsee around that area. Then we go to Grootbos for our 3rd LL package. Back to Cape Town for one night, then fly to Nelspruit and have a private car to Sabi Sabi-Selati Camp and Earth Lodge. Back to Joburg for one last night and then home. It will be a fantastic trip and all the small details have been covered. I will certainly post the results when I am done. But the best thing is that we will spend our 25th anniversary under the stars at Mateya Safari Lodge and being thankful for our blessings. Thank you LL and LL community!

[omegaet]

betsyv.....congratulations on 25 years....enjoy South Africa.....travel safe!